Robert, en vertu d'une souscription nationale, sous la direction de Mr. Faujas de Saint Fond (et M. Charles). N. B. graved. - M. Charles' name is wrote with pen, not en Calculas du Ballon do 12 pieds de diametre enlevé le L'air atmospherique dont le ballon occupait la place, pesant 83 lb. 4 onces et sa force pour s'elever etant de 40 lb. il falloit que son enveloppe et l'air inflammable qu'elle contenoit ne pesassent que 42 lb. 4 onces. L'enveloppe en pesoit 25, reste pour l'air inflammable 18 lb. 4 onces. En supposant le ballon de 6 pieds de diametre, son volume etant le 8me, du ier le poids de l'air dont il occupoit la place seroit le 8me, de 83 lb., 4 onces 10 lb., 6 onces, 4 gros. L'air inflammable de 18 lb., 4 onces = 2 lb., 4 onces, 4 gros. L'enveloppe de 25 lb., 6 lb., 4 onces. Les dernières valeurs reunies sont 8 lb., 8 onces, 4 gros, qui otès de 10 lb., 6 onces, 4 gros pesanteur de l'air atmospherique dont le ballon occupoit la place, laisse pour sa force d'elevation 1 lb., 14 onces.]1 1 The paragraphs in brackets are not found in the draft in U. of P., but they exist in a letter press copy now owned (March, 1906) by Dodd, Mead & Co. To this letter Sir Joseph Banks wrote in reply, September 13, 1783 (A. P. S.) : — "DEAR SIR, "The having it in my power to answer with precision the numerous questions which are asked me by all sorts of people concerning the aërostatique experiment which such as they may be are suggested by every newspaper now printed here and considered as a part of my duty to answer is an obligation for which I am indebted to you and an obligation of no small extent I consider it. I lament that the vacation of the Royal Society will not permit me to lay your paper before them as a Body immediately; but it shall be the first thing they see when we meet again as the conciseness & intelligence, with which it is drawn up, preclude the hopes of any thing more satisfactory being receiv'd. "Most agreable are the hopes you give me of continuing to communicate on this most interesting subject. I consider the present day, which has opened a road into the air, as an epoche from whence a rapid increase of the stock of real knowledge with which the human species is furnish'd must take its date; and the more immediate effect it will have upon the concerns of mankind greater than any thing since the invention of shipping which opened our way upon the face of the water from land to land. If the rough effort which has now been made meets with the improvement that other sciences have done we shall see it used as a counterpoise to absolute gravity a broad-wheeld waggon travelling with 2 only instead of 8 horses the breed of that Rival animal in course diminishd & the human species increasd in proportion. "I have thought as soon as I return from my present banishment of constructing one and sending it up for the purpose of an electrical kite a use to which it seem particularly adapted. Be pleased to direct your Favors to Soho Square; they are sent to me without delay wherever I am. Believe me, your obliged & obedient servant Jos: BANKS." Sir Joseph Banks's letters are almost entirely without punctuation. He seems to have been especially hostile to the comma. Like Timothy Dexter he might have filled a page with miscellaneous points and invited his readers "to pepper the dish to suit themselves." - ED. SIR, 1434. TO ELIAS BOUDINOT1 (D. S. W.) Passy, August 31, 1783. After a continued course of treating for nine months, the English ministry have at length come to a resolution to lay aside, for the present, all the new propositions, that have been made and agreed to, their own as well as ours; and they offer to sign again as a Definitive Treaty, the articles of November the 30th, 1782, the ratifications of which have already been exchanged. We have agreed to this, and on Wednesday next, the third of September, it will be signed, with all the definitive treaties, establishing a general peace, which may God long continue. I am, with great respect, &c. B. FRANKLIN. 1435. TO CHARLES J. FOX (L. C.) Passy, Sept. 5, 1783. SIR, I received in its time the letter you did me the honour of writing to me by Mr. Hartley; and I cannot let him depart without expressing my satisfaction in his conduct towards us, and applauding the prudence of that choice, which sent us a man possessed of such a spirit of conciliation, and of all that frankness, sincerity, and candor, which naturally produce confidence, and thereby facilitate the most difficult negociations. Our countries are now happily at peace, on which I congratulate you most cordially; and I beg you to be assured, 1 President of Congress. — ED. that as long as I have any concern in public affairs, I shall readily and heartily concur with you in promoting every measure that may tend to promote the common felicity. With great and sincere esteem and respect, I have the honour to be, &c. B. FRANKLIN.1 1436. TO DAVID HARTLEY 2 MY DEAR FRIEND, (P. C.) Passy, Sept. 6, 1783. Enclosed is my letter to Mr. Fox. I beg you wou'd assure him, that my expressions of Esteem for him are not mere professions. I really think him a Great Man, and I cou'd not think so, if I did not think he was at bottom, and wou'd prove himself a good one. Guard him against mistaken. notions of the American people. You have deceived yourselves too long with vain expectations of reaping advantage 1 The above letter was written in acknowledgment of the following letter from Charles James Fox, April 19, 1783: "SIR, "Although it is unnecessary for me to introduce to your acquaintance a gentleman so well known to you as Mr. Hartley, who will have the honour of delivering to you this letter, yet it may be proper for me to inform you, that he has the full and entire confidence of his Majesty's ministers upon the subject of his mission. "Permit me, Sir, to take this opportunity of assuring you how happy I should esteem myself, if it were to prove my lot to be the instrument of completing a real and substantial reconciliation between two countries, formed by nature to be in a state of friendship one with the other, and thereby to put the finishing hand to a building, in laying the first stone of which I may fairly boast that I had some share. I have the honour to be, with every sentiment of regard and esteem, Sir, &c. C. J. Fox."- Ed. 2 From a copy in the possession of Mrs. L. Z. Leiter. A trans. exists in L. C. Passages in brackets are found only in L. C. trans. — ED. - from our little discontents. We are more thoroughly an enlightned people, with respect to our political interests, than perhaps any other under heaven. Every man among us reads, and is so easy in his circumstances as to have leisure for conversations of improvement, and for acquiring Information. Our domestic misunderstandings, when we have them, are of small extent, tho' monstrously magnified by your microscopic newspapers. He who judges from them, that we are falling into anarchy, or returning to the obedience of Britain, is like one who being shewn some spots in the Sun, shou'd fancy, that the whole Disk would soon be overspread by them, and that there wou'd be an end of Daylight. The great body of Intelligence among our people surrounds and overpowers our petty dissensions, as the Sun's great mass of fire diminishes and destroys his Spots. Do not therefore any longer delay the Evacuation of New York, in the vain hopes of a new revolution in your favour, if such a hope has indeed had any effect in causing that delay. [It is now nine months since the evacuations were promised.] You expect with reason, that the people of New York should do your Merchants justice in the payment of their old debts; Consider the injustice you do them in keeping them so long out of their habitations, and out of their business, by which they might have been enabled to make payment. There is no truth more clear to me than this, that the great interest of our two Countries is a thorough reconciliation. Restraints on the freedom of Commerce and intercourse between us, can afford no advantage equivalent to the Mischief they will do by keeping up ill humour, and promoting a total alienation. Let you and I, my dear Friend, do our best towards securing and advancing that reconciliation. We |