of you and them at Auteuil. When we meet in Paradise, as I trust we shall, the Pleasure of that Place will be augmented by our Recollection of all the Circumstances of our Acquaintance here below.

You have made my Daughter very happy by the Things you sent her. They are much admir'd. I continue as well as I have been for some Years past, and if I live six Months longer, I may hope for some Leisure, so as to be able to converse more frequently by Letter with my absent Friends, having absolutely determin'd to engage no more in any public Business after my three Years' Service as President shall expire.

M. Paradise, the Gentleman who will have the Honour of delivering this Letter, intends to reside some time in Paris, and acquaints me that he has ordered some Cardinals to be frequently sent to him from his Estate in Virginia, and that

if

any of them get to Paris alive you shall be sure to have one. He had the Pleasure of seeing you formerly with me at Passy.

Temple is at his Terre, busy with his Agriculture. Benjamin presents his respects. Our best Wishes attend you and yours most devoutly. I am exceedingly oblig'd to the good abbés and M. Cabanis for their Letters. The Guichets and Nouvelle Cométologie entertain'd my Friends and me very much. I cannot write to them now, but must say with the Debtor in the Gospel: Have patience with me and I will pay you all. Adieu, my dear Friend, and believe me ever, yours most affectionately,

B. FRANKLIN.

1723. TO JOSEPH-IGNACE GUILLOTIN

(L. C.)

Philada, May 4, 1788.

It is with great Concern that I communicate to you the Intelligence contain'd in the enclos'd Paper. For tho' the Name of two of the French Gentlemen are not mentioned, I have reason to fear they were our two Friends:1 I suppose they informed you in their late Letters, that they were prevented from going down the Ohio last Autumn by the Freezing of the River before their Boat was ready. They were thereby detain'd at Fort Pitt all Winter; and in their last Letter to me they acquainted me that the Ice being now gone they should soon proceed, and desired the Letters coming to my hands for them, might remain with me till I should hear from them, and receive Directions where to send them. Your two last accordingly are still in my Hands. We have as yet no farther Account of this melancholy Event, and therefore do not yet know whether the Gentleman said to have escaped to the Shore, tho' badly wounded, still survives. I hope to hear that he is recovered. It seems they were unprovided with Arms to defend themselves. Indeed Travelling on the Ohio has for some Years past been thought as safe as on any River in France, so that there was not the least Suspicion of Danger, many Thousands of People having gone down that way to the new Settlements at Kentucke. I condole with you most sincerely on the unfortunate Accident. They were two young Men of uncommon Knowledge and most amiable Manners, so that I have scarce ever met with Persons for See letter to M. le Veillard, February 17, 1788.

1 Picque and Saugrain. - ED.

whom I had in so short an Acquaintance so much Esteem and Affection. Mr Pique deposited in my "Hands" thirty Louis d'ors and some Silver Spoons and Forks, which will be delivered to him if living, or to his Representative. I have the Honour to be with great Regard, Sir

Your most obedient

& most humble Servant B. FRANKLIN.

1724. TO THE PRINCESS DASHKOW (L. C.)

MADAME

Philada, May 7, 1788.

It gave me great Pleasure to hear, that your magnanimous Empress had plac'd you at the Head of your Academy of Sciences. It was doing Honour to Learning. With this you will receive the second Volume of the Transactions of our Philosophical Society, who hope it may be favourably accepted as a Testimony of their Respect for yours. With great & sincere Esteem & Respect, I am,

Madam

Y. m. o. &c [B. F.]

1725. TO REV. JOHN LATHROP 2 (L. C.)

REVEREND SIR,

Philada, May 31, 1788.

I received your obliging Favour of the 6th Inst by Mr.

2 An eminent clergyman of Boston, and for many years a neighbour and valuable friend of Mrs. Mecom, the sister of Dr. Franklin. - S.

3 In A. P. S.- ED.

Hilliard,' with whose Conversation I was much pleased, and would have been glad to have had more of if, it he could have spar'd it to me; but the short time of his stay has prevented. You need make no apology for introducing any of your friends to me. I consider it as doing me Honour, as well as giving me Pleasure.

I thank you for the pamphlet of the Humane Society. In return please to accept one of the same kind, which was published while I resided in France. If your Society have not hitherto seen it, it may possibly afford them useful Hints.

It would certainly, as you observe, be a very great Pleasure to me, if I could once again visit my Native Town, and walk over the Grounds I used to frequent when a Boy, and where I enjoyed many of the innocent Pleasures of Youth, which would be so brought to my Remembrance, and where I might find some of my old Acquaintance to converse with. But when I consider how well I am situated here, with every thing about me, that I can call either necessary or convenient; the fatigues and bad accommodations to be met with and suffered in a land journey, and the unpleasantness of sea voyages, to one, who, although he has crossed the Atlantic eight times, and made many smaller trips, does not recollect his having ever been at sea without taking a firm resolution never to go to sea again; and that, if I were arrived in Boston, I should see but little of it, as I could neither bear walking nor riding in a carriage over its pebbled streets; and, above all, that I should find very few indeed of my old friends living, it being now sixty-five years since I left it to settle here; all this considered, I say, it seems probable, though

1 A clergyman, and successor to the venerable Dr. Appleton in the ministry at Cambridge. — ED.

not certain, that I shall hardly again visit that beloved place. But I enjoy the company and conversation of its inhabitants, when any of them are so good as to visit me; for, besides their general good sense, which I value, the Boston manner, turn of phrase, and even tone of voice, and accent in pronunciation, all please, and seem to refresh and revive me.

1I have been long impressed with the same sentiments you so well express, of the growing felicity of mankind, from the improvements in philosophy, morals, politics, and even the conveniences of common living, by the invention and acquisition of new and useful utensils and instruments, that I have sometimes almost wished it had been my destiny to be born two or three centuries hence. For invention and improvement are prolific, and beget more of their kind. The present progress is rapid. Many of great importance, now unthought of, will before that period be produced; and then I might not only enjoy their advantages, but have my curiosity gratified in knowing what they are to be. I see a little absurdity in what I have just written, but it is to a friend, who will wink and let it pass, while I mention one reason more for such a wish, which is, that, if the art of physic shall be improved in proportion with other arts, we may then be able to avoid diseases, and live as long as the patriarchs in Genesis; to which I suppose we should make little objection.

I am glad my dear sister has so good and kind a neighbour. I sometimes suspect she may be backward in acquainting me with circumstances in which I might be more useful to her. If any such should occur to your observation, your mentioning them to me will be a favour I shall be thankful

1 The conclusion of this letter is quoted in a letter from Lathrop to Dr. Lettsom. See "Life of Lettsom," Vol. II, p. 450.- ED.