The compass appears to have been long known in China, before it was known in Europe; unless we suppose it known to Homer, who makes the Prince, that lent ships to Ulysses, boast that they had a spirit in them by whose directions they could find their way in a cloudy day, or the darkest night. If any Phenicians arrived in America, I should rather think it was not by the accident of a storm, but in the course of their long and adventurous voyages; and that they coasted from Denmark and Norway, over to Greenland, and down southward by Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, &c. to New England; as the Danes themselves certainly did some ages before Columbus.

Our new American society will be happy in the correspondence you mention, and when it is possible for me, I shall be glad to attend the meetings of your society,' which I am sure must be very instructive. With great and sincere esteem, I have the honour to be, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

TO THE REV. DR. COOPER, BOSTON.

New Constitution of Massachusetts-Maintenance for the Clergy-Scripture phrases, &c.

DEAR SIR,

Passy, May 15, 1781, I received your kind letter of February 1st, by Colonel Johonnot. Your sentiments of the present state of our affairs appear to me very judicious,

their flint stone arrow-heads, by rubbing them in different directions; by which Indentures or Impressions were made, which had the appearance of an inscription.

D

'L'Academie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres,

v

and I am much obliged by your free communication of them:q They are often of use here for you have a name and character amongoits, thats give weight to your opinion y ast rigged od blues gidrol rout 11 Its gives me great I pleasure dos learns that your new constitutioniserat elengthb settled with so great a degree of unanimity and general satisfaction. It seems to me upon the whole can excellent oond and that if there are some particulars that one might have wished a little different, they abessuch as could mot in the present state of things have been wells obtained otherwise than they are, ande ift by experience found inconvenient will probably be changed hereafter. ek would only mention at present yone articles that of maintenance for the Clergy. It seems sto me that by the constitution the Quakers may be obliged to pay the tax for that purpose. But as the great endrin imposing it is professedly the promotion of Piety, Reli"gion, and Morality, and those people have found means of securing that end samong themselves, without a regular Clergy, and their teachers are not allowed to receive money should think it not right to tax them, and give the money to the teacher of the parish; but I imagine that in the laws to be made for levying parish taxes, this matter may be regulated to their contentment.

Ham very sensible of the honor done me by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in chusing me one of their members. I wish I could be of some utility in promoting the noble design of their institution. Perhaps I may, by sending them from time to time some of the best publications that appear here. I shall begin to make a collection for them. 30 900 5

*Your excellent sermon gave me abundance of pleasure,

and is much admired by several of my friends who understand EnglishvovI propose to get cititranslated and printed at Geneva, at the end of a translation of your new Consti tution. Nothing could be happier than your choice of a text, and your applicationsofɛitalq It was not necessary in New England, where every body reads the Bible, and is. acquainted with Scripture phrases, that you should note the texts from which you stook themg/but I have cobserved in England, as welkast in France; that verses and expressions taken from the sacred writings, and not known to be such, sappear very strange andwawkwards to some readers; and Inshall therefore fine myedition, take the liberty of marking the quoted texts in the marginusdo ad

I know not whether la belly-full has been given to any body by the picking of my bones but picked they now mare, and I think it time they should be at rest.ved am taking measuresorton obtain that rest for them; happy if before I die, I can find a few days absolutely at my own disposal. I often form pleasing imaginations of the pleasure I should enjoy as a private person among my friends and compatriots in my native Boston. God only knows whether this pleasure is reserved for me. est and most sincere esteem, I am, &c.

With the greatB. FRANKLIN. bestergad

บ

To MESSRS. D. WENDORP AND THOMAS HOPE 190 HEYHGER, vapbesz

Injustice of the English. New Law of Nations.

25 USAJ

GENTLEMEN,

Passy, June 8, 1781, I received the letter, you did me the honor of writing to me the 31st past, relating to your ship supposed to be retaken from the English by an American

Privateer and carried into Morlaix. I apprehend that you have been misinformed, as I do not know of any American Privateer at present in these seas. I have the same sentiments with you of the injustice of the English, in their treatment of your nation. They seem at present to have renounced all pretension to any other honor than that of being the first piratical state in the world. There are three employments which I wish the Law of Nations would protect, so that they should never be molested or interrupted by enemies even in time of war; I mean farmers, fishermen, and merchants; because their employments are not only innocent, but for the common subsistence and benefit of the human species in general. As men grow more enlightened, we may hope that this will in time be the case. Till then we must submit as well as we can to the evils we cannot remedy. I have the honor to be, Gentlemen, &c. &c. B. FRANKLIN."

of OVE TO W. CARMICHAEL, ESQ. MADRID,

Dr. Franklin's Resignation refused by Congress-Va

DEAR SIR,

rious Matter.

Passy, Aug. 24, 1781. On looking over your letters I am ashamed

to find myself so much and so long in your debt.

I thank you for making me acquainted with Mr. SonHe appears a very amiable man, and is full of

nerat.

intelligence and information.

We are all much obliged to Count de Montmorin for his friendly assistance in our affairs. Please to present him my thankful acknowledgements.

I thank you also for my being made known to Mr. Gi

usti; I saw him often, and had much, satisfaction, and pleasure in his conversation.

30.62

The Congress have done me the honor to refuse accept ing my resignation, and insist on my continuing in their service till the peace. I must therefore buckle again to business, and thank God that my health and spirits are of late improved. I fancy it may have been a double mortification to those enemies you have mentioned to me, that I should ask as a favor what they hoped to vex me by taking from me; and that I should nevertheless be continued, But these sort of considerations should never influence our conduct. We ought always to do what appears best to be done, without much regarding what others may think of it. I call this continuance an honor, and I really esteem it to be a greater than my first appointment, when I consider that all the interest of my enemies, united with my own request, were not sufficient to prevent it.

1

I have not yet received the works of your Economical Society, or those of its founder. I suppose you have not met with an opportunity of sending them. The letter you propose sending to our Philosophical Society will be very acceptable to them. I shall be glad to peruse the copy you propose passing through my hands,

Yours, B. FRANKLIN.

TO THE REV, MR. WM. NIXON, AN ENGLISH PRISONER ON PAROLE AT VALOGNE.

Means of doing much Good with little Money,

REV. SIR, M

Passy, Sept. 5, 1781. I duly received the letter you did me the honor of writing to me the 25th past, together with the valuable little book, of which you are the author. There