Proceedings of the Privy Council on the Petition. Further Ac-

count of those Proceedings. Wedderburn's abusive Speech. -

The Petition rejected. - Franklin dismissed from his Place at the

Head of the American Postoffice.

CHAPTER VIII.

Franklin remains in England to await the Result of the Continental

Congress.-Josiah Quincy, Junior. — Anecdotes. - Death of Dr.

Franklin's Wife. - Family Incidents. He receives and presents

the Petition of Congress.- Rejected by Parliament. - Galloway's

Plan of Union. - Franklin's Attempts to promote a Reconciliation

between the two Countries.—Visits Lord Chatham. - Remarks

on Independence.— Mrs. Howe. — He draws up Articles as the

Basis of a Negotiation, at the Request of Dr. Fothergill and Mr.

Barclay. Interviews with Lord Howe respecting some Mode of

Reconciliation. He drafts another Paper for that Purpose.-Lord

Camden. Lord Chatham's Motion in Parliament. - Franklin's

Interviews with him in forming a Plan of Reconciliation. — This

Plan offered to Parliament, and rejected. — Negotiation resumed

and broken off. - Franklin sails from England and arrives in

Philadelphia.

356

. 371

CHAPTER IX.

Chosen a Member of Congress.-Proceedings of Congress. — Prep-

arations for Military Defence. - Petition to the King. - Franklin

assists in preparing for the Defence of Pennsylvania, as a Member

of the Committee of Safety. Drafts a Plan of Confederation.-

His Services in Congress. - Goes to the Camp at Cambridge on

a Committee from Congress.- Chosen a Member of the Pennsyl-

vania Assembly. - Writes Letters to Europe for the Committee

of Secret Correspondence. His Journey to Canada as a Com-

missioner from Congress. - Declaration of Independence. — An-

ecdotes. President of the Convention of Pennsylvania for form-

ing a Constitution. - His Opinion of a Single Legislative Assem-

bly. His Correspondence with Lord Howe, and Interview with

him on Staten Island. - Appointed a Commissioner to the Court

of Versailles. Lends Money to Congress.

. 393

CHAPTER X.

Voyage to France. - Arrives at Nantes.- Proceeds to Paris, and

takes up his Residence at Passy. - His Reception in France.-

Influence of his Name and Character. - Pictures, Busts, and Prints

of him. Interview with Count de Vergennes. - Money obtained

from the French Court, and Military Supplies sent to the United

States. Contract with the Farmers-General. - Franklin disap-

proves the Policy of seeking Alliances with the European Powers.

-

Lord Stormont.- Application of Foreign Officers for Employ-

ment in the American Army. - Lafayette.. Reasons why the

French delay to enter into a Treaty with the United States.

Interview with Count de Vergennes on that Subject. -Treaty of

Amity and Commerce. - Treaty of Alliance.- Franklin and the

other Commissioners introduced at Court.

-

CHAPTER XI.

-

-

-

-

. 417

Preparations for War between France and England. — M. Gérard.—

Mr. John Adams.- Secret Advances made to Dr. Franklin for

effecting a Reconciliation between England and the United States.

- Mr. Hutton. - Mr. Pulteney. - Mr. Hartley. An Emissary

in Disguise. Franklin's personal Friends in Paris. - Interview

with Voltaire. Franklin appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to the

Court of France. - Machinations of his Enemies to procure his

Recall. Mr. Arthur Lee.- Mr. Ralph Izard. —Visit of Sir Wil-

liam Jones to Paris. -Franklin instructs the American Cruisers

not to seize Captain Cook's Vessel. - Grants Passports to Vessels

carrying Supplies to the Moravian Missionaries on the Coast of Lab-
rador.-Paul Jones. - The Marquis de Lafayette. Mr. Vaughan's
Edition of Franklin's Political and Miscellaneous Writings.

-

CHAPTER XII.

--

-

A French Army sent to the United States.-Lafayette. - Northern

Powers of Europe combine in Defence of Neutrals. - Franklin's

Opinion of Privateering. — Correspondence between Count de

Vergennes and Mr. Adams. - Franklin's Remarks upon it. —

Charges against Franklin by his Enemies, examined and refuted.

- New Attempt in Congress to procure his Recall. Count de

Vergennes's Opinion of him as Minister at the French Court. —

The numerous Duties of his Office.- Colonel John Laurens.-

Franklin proposes to retire from the Public Service. - New Prop-

ositions for Peace, through the Agency of Mr. Hartley. - Frank-

lin's Answer to them.-His Friends at Passy and Auteuil. —

Madame Brillon. — Madame Helvétius.

438

459

CHAPTER XIII.

Negotiations for Peace. Debates on the Subject in the British

Parliament.Change of Ministry. - Mr. Oswald sent to Paris to

consult Dr. Franklin on the Mode of Negotiating. - Grenville's

Commission; disapproved by Franklin. Mr. Fox's Views of In-

dependence. Lord Shelburne's Administration. Mr. Fitzher-

bert. Mr. Oswald commissioned to negotiate the American Trea-

ty. Essential Articles of the Treaty proposed by Franklin.-

Advisable Articles. Mr. Jay disapproves Mr. Oswald's Com-

mission. - An Alteration required and obtained. - Progress of

---

the Treaty. Independence, Boundaries, Fisheries. Attempts

of the British Ministry to secure the Indemnification of the Loy-

alists. Mr. Adams joins his Colleagues and resists the British

Claims. — Franklin proposes an Article for Indemnifying the

Americans for their Losses during the War.- British Claims

relinquished. Treaty signed. Ratified by Congress.

CHAPTER XIV.

Treaty signed without the Knowledge of the Court of France. -

-Count de Vergennes's Opinion of the Treaty. Unfounded Sus-

picions. Rayneval and Marbois. - Franklin's Explanation of the

Grounds upon which he acted.-False Rumor concerning his Ex-

ertions in obtaining the Boundaries and Fisheries. - His Financial

Contract with Count de Vergennes.- Negotiates a Treaty with

Sweden. Mr. Hartley. - Definitive Treaty of Peace signed.—

Franklin's Sentiments on this Occasion. - Animal Magnetism.-

Negotiations. His Request to be recalled is finally granted by

Congress. Treaty with Prussia. - Franklin prepares to return

Home.-Journey from Passy to Havre de Grace. - Sails from

Southampton and arrives in Philadelphia.

CHAPTER XV.

474

. 489

Receives congratulatory Letters and Addresses. — Chosen President

of Pennsylvania, and holds the Office three Years. — His private

Circumstances.- Appointed a Delegate to the Convention for

Framing the Constitution of the United States. His Speeches in

the Convention. His Religious Opinions. — Extracts from Dr.

Cutler's Journal describing an Interview with him. - President of

the Society for Political Inquiries. — Neglect of Congress to exam-

ine and settle his Accounts. - Various Pieces written by him dur-

ing the last Year of his Life. — His Illness and Death. — Funeral

Ceremonies. Tribute of Respect paid to him by Congress and

other Public Bodies.

Conclusion.

. 511

APPENDIX.

I. Remarks on the Origin and Genealogy of the Franklin Family,

II. Journal of a Voyage from London to Philadelphia, .

III. Proposals relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania,

539

547

569

VII. Proceedings of Congress, and of the National Assembly of

France, on the Death of Franklin,

592

VIII. Epitaph,

596

IX. Franklin's Will,

599

VOL. I.

VOLUME II.

Page.

ESSAYS ON RELIGIOUS AND MORAL SUBJECTS AND THE ECON-

OMY OF LIFE,

1

BAGATELLES,

164

ESSAYS ON GENERAL POLITICS, COMMERCE, AND POLITICAL

ECONOMY,

251

523

VOLUME III.

ESSAYS AND TRACTS, HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL, before the

AMERICAN REVOLUTION,

1

105

AN HISTORICAL REVIEW OF THE CONSTITUTION AND

GOVERNMENT OF PENNSYLVANIA,

VOLUME IV.

ESSAYS AND TRACTS, HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL, BEFORE THE

AMERICAN REVOLUTION, CONTINUED.

I. Watson's Abstract of Franklin's Electrical Experiments and

Observations,

487

翼

II. Letter from the Abbé Nollet to Benjamin Franklin,

493

III. Speech of the Earl of Macclesfield, President of the Royal

Society, on the Occasion of awarding to Franklin a Medal

for his Discoveries in Electricity,

IV. Letter from John Baptist Beccaria to Benjamin Franklin, 505

V. Letter from Professor Thorbern Bergman, of Upsal, to Ben-

VI. Letter from M. Dubourg to M. de Lor. Parallel between

the Theories of Franklin and Nollet,

513

514

VOLUME VI.

LETTERS AND PAPERS ON PHILOSOPHICAL SUBjects.

VOLUME VII.

CORRESPONDENCE.

PART FIRST; COMPRISING PRIVATE LETTERS TO THE TIME OF

THE AUTHOR'S FIRST MISSION TO ENGLAND. 1725-1757. 1

PART SECOND; COMPRISING LETTERS, PRIVATE AND OFFICIAL,
FROM THE TIME OF THE AUTHOR'S FIRST MISSION TO ENG-
LAND, TO THE BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
1757-1775.

147

VOLUME VIII.

CORRESPONDENCE.

PART SECOND, CONTINUED, .

PART THIRD; COMPRISING LETTERS, PRIVATE AND OFFICIAL,
FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, TO
THE END OF THE AUTHOR'S MISSION TO FRANCE.
1785.

APPENDIX.

1775-

. 151

I. A Fragment of Polybius; from his Treatise on the Athenian

Government,.

II. Memoir of Sir John Dalrymple; or a Project of Lord Roch-

ford to prevent the War, .

543

547