he is ready to produce if necessary; but as he sent four similar Copies by four different Ships, all of which arrived safe and delivered their respective Cargo's of the Goods to the Commercial Committee, he is confident some of those Copies must still exist, and may be found among the Papers of that Committee. I have the honour to be, with great Regard, Gentlemen, Your most obedient & most humble Serv B. F. 1714. TO COUNT DE MOUSTIERS1 (L. C.) Philada Feb. 10, 1788. SIR, The good News of your Excelly's safe Arrival in this Country, found me confin'd to my Bed by the Bruises of a Fall join'd to a painful Disorder, which has continu'd to harass me till within these few Days. I seize the first Hour of being able to hold a Pen, to congratulate you as I do most sincerely, and to express my Wishes that your Residence among us may be attended with every Circumstance that can make it agreable to you. The Services of a feeble old Man rendered inactive by the Infirmities of Age, are scarcely worth offering; but if in the Course of your Mission any thing should occur, in which I might be in any degree useful to your Affairs, or to those of the best of Kings & the most beloved of Nations, your Commands will be receiv'd & executed with Pleasure by him, who is with great Respect, Sir Your Excellency's most obed & most humble Serv B. F. 1 Eléonore-François-Elie, Comte de Moustiers (1751-1817), Minister Plenipotentiary from the Court of France succeeding Luzerne in the United States, 1787-1789.—ED. 1715. TO JAN INGENHOUSZ MY DEAR OLD FRIEND, (A. P. S.) Philad Feb. 11, 1788. Your Letter of Sept. 28, 1787, came to my hands but about two Weeks since. It found me very ill with a severe Fit of the Stone, which follow'd a fall I had on the Stone Steps that lead into my Garden, whereby I was much bruised, and my Wrist sprained, so as not to be capable of Writing for several Weeks. I therefore requested Mr. Vaughan to answer it for me, which he has done in his Letter, that I inclose. I will, however, add a little, as my Hand is much strengthened, though I still write with Pain. All the Books you have sent to me, and to the Philosophical Society here, have been received. They will be acknowledged in our next Volume. In the mean time please to accept our hearty Thanks. There are few Books published in these Times, that contain so much new and useful Knowledge as these you have written. I lament with you the Prospect of a horrid War, which is likely to engage So great a Part of Mankind. There is little Good gain'd, and so much Mischief done generally, by Wars, that I wish the Imprudence of undertaking them was more evident to princes; in which case I think they would be less frequent. If I were Counsellor of the Empress of Russia, and found that she desired to possess some Part of the Dominions of the Grand Signior, I should advise her to compute 1 And yet he wrote with his own hand a letter on the 31st of January which shows no trace of injury or infirmity. Ingenhousz's letter of September 28 is in A. P. S.- Ed. what the annual Taxes raised from that Territory may amount to, and make him an Offer of Buying it, at the Rate of Paying for it Twenty Years Purchase. And if I were his Counsellor, I should advise him to take the Money, and cede the Dominion of that Territory. For I am of Opinion, that a War to obtain it will cost her more than that Sum, and the Event uncertain, and that the Defence of it will cost him as much; and, not having embrac'd the offer, his Loss is double. But to make & accept such an Offer, these Potentates should be both of them reasonable Creatures, and free from the Ambition of Glory, which perhaps is too much to be supposed. I am glad that Peace is likely to be established in your native Country, with so little Expence of Blood, tho' it be done in a manner not agreable to a great Part of the Nation. If the French had entred with the Prussians, and made it the Seat of War, the Mischief would have been infinite. I am truly sorry for the Losses you have met with in your Attempts to make Profit by Commerce in this Country. Jonathan Williams was in England and Ireland many Months before I left France. He has since been in different Parts of America, collecting his Debts, and now happens to be here. I have talk'd with him about your Affairs. He tells me, that your Adventure to Carolina sold well, and that the Produce was return'd in Indigo, which, if it had arriv'd, would have render'd good Profit. But the Ship was taken; and tho' his Correspondent had taken the Prudent Precaution to insure in Charleston, the Place being taken soon after, and the Insurers ruined, nothing of Value could be recovered, and that he is himself a Loser of a hundred Guineas by the Share he took in that unfortunate Adventure. I was mistaken when I inform'd you, that his Brother had given him your Certificates. It was only authenticated Copies of them. These he has now given me. But I have written to John to deliver the Originals to Mr. Charles Vaughan, now in Boston, and to settle your account with that Gentleman, paying to him any Bills that may be in hand, which I make no doubt he will do. Such Certificates are low in Value at present, but we hope and believe they will mend, when our new projected Constitution of Government is established. I lent to the old Congress £3000 hard money in Value, and took their Certificates promising Interest at 6 per cent, but I have receiv'd no Interest for several Years, and if I were now to sell the Principal, I could not get more than 35 4d for the Pound which is but a sixth part. You must not ascribe this to want of Honesty in our Government, but to want of Ability; the War having exhausted the Faculties of the Country. The Public Funds even of Great Britain sunk by the War the per cents from 95 to 54. We had powerful Armies of Enemies in our Country, ravaging, plundering, & destroying our Towns, and obstructing our Agriculture, while their Fleets ruined our Commerce; and this for eight Years together. I question, whether the public Credit, even of your rich Country, would have supported itself under similar Treatment. But we are recovering fast, and, if Peace continues, which God grant, we shall soon be in flourishing Circumstances. 3 I did not think I could have written so much. I have done it, however, a little at a time. I can now only add, that I remain, with unalterable Esteem and Affection, my dear Friend, yours most sincerely, B. FRANKLIN. 1716. TO MICHEL-GUILLAUME JEAN DE CRÈVE(L. C.) CŒUR Philada, Feb. 16, 1788. DEAR SIR:- I received from you last Summer and which indeed I ought to have acknowledg'd sooner a most acceptable Present of your excellent Work for which Please to receive my hearty Thanks as well as for the honourable mention you have been so good as to make of me in it. The favourable Sight in which you have so kindly plac'd our Country will I am persuaded have the good Effect of inducing many worthy European characters to remove and settle among us, the Acquisition of whom will be greatly advantageous to us. I thank you also for your care of the Bundle sent me by Mr. Short. Inclos'd is a Letter for our excellent and most amiable Friend, Mad de Houdetot. I wrote to her the beginning of last year and believing you then in France, I sent it under a Cover directed to you. Your arrival here soon after the Vessel sail'd makes me fear that the Letter may have been long delay'd if not lost. With great & sincere Esteem I am Sir etc. B. FRANKLIN. 1717. TO M. LE VEILLARD1 MY DEAR FRIEND, (L. C.) Philada, Feb 17, 1788. I received your kind letter of June 23d, by Mr. Saugrain, and it is the last of yours that is come to my hands. As you 1 From an incomplete trans. in L. C. — ED. |