1 His "Sermon before the Society for Propagating the Gospel," and his "Speech intended to have been spoken," 1 are proofs of his ability as well as his humanity. Had his counsels in those pieces been attended to by the ministers, how much bloodshed might have been prevented, and how much expense and disgrace to the nation avoided! Your reflections on the constant calmness and composure attending his death are very sensible. Such instances seem to show, that the good sometimes enjoy in dying a foretaste of the happy state they are about to enter. According to the course of years, I should have quitted this world long before him. I shall however not be long in following. I am now in my eighty-fourth year, and the last year has considerably enfeebled me; so that I hardly expect to remain another. You will then, my dear friend, consider this as probably the last line to be received from me, and as a taking leave. Present my best and most sincere respects to your good mother, and love to the rest of the family, to whom I wish all happiness; and believe me to be, while I do live, yours most affectionately, B. FRANKLIN. SIR, 1759. TO COMTE DE MOUSTIER? (L. C.) Philad April 27, 1789. I received the Honour of your Letter dated the 12th of March, when I lay very ill of my painful Distemper, which rendered me incapable of writing. The Letter yours enclos'd 1 See Introduction, Vol. I, p. 165. — Ed. 2 Elénore François Elie, Comte de Moustier, French Minister to the United States. — ED. related to an Affair between a Mr. Thomas of Paris, & Messrs Bache and Thée [?]. I communicated it to Mr. Bache who promis'd to examine the old Papers of the Partnership, and write to Mr. Thomas. This took some time, but he has now done it, and will give you a Letter for that Gentleman Wch I presume will satisfy him, that he has had no just reason to complain of those Messieurs. I also enclose a Letter for Mr. Thomas. I regret with you that the new Congress was so long in Assembling. The Season of the Year was not well chosen for their Meeting, & the uncommon Length of the Winter made it the more inconvenient. But this could hardly excuse the extreme Neglect of some of the Members, who not being far distant might have attended sooner, and whose Absence not only prevented the public Business from being forwarded, but put those States, whose Members attended punctually, to a vast Expence which answered no purpose. I hope however that now they are assembled the Wisdom of their Council will repair what has been amiss, promote effectually our national Interests, and do honour to their own Characters. My best Wishes also Attend the Deliberation of your great Council the States General of France, which meets this Day. God grant them Temper and Harmony; Wisdom they must have among them sufficient if Passions will suffer it to operate. I pray sincerely that by means of that Assembly the public Interests may be advanced and succeed, and the future Welfare and Glory of the French Nation be firmly established. I have the honour to be, with sincere and great Esteem and Respect, Sir, Your Excellency's most obedient & most humble Servant, B. FRANKLIN. 1760. TO CHARLES CARROLL1 DEAR FRIEND, Philadelphia, May 25, 1789. I am glad to see by the papers, that our grand machine has at length begun to work. I pray God to bless and guide its operations. If any form of government is capable of making a nation happy, ours I think bids fair now for producing that effect. But, after all, much depends upon the people who are to be governed. We have been guarding against an evil that old States are most liable to, excess of power in the rulers; but our present danger seems to be defect of obedience in the subjects. There is hope, however, from the enlightened state of this age and country, we may guard effectually against that evil as well as the rest. My grandson, William Temple Franklin, will have the honour of presenting this line. He accompanied me to France, and remained with me during my mission. I beg leave to recommend him to your notice, and that you would believe me, my dear friend, yours most affectionately, B. FRANKLIN. 1761. TO PHILIP KINSEY (A. P. S.) May 25, 1789. DR FRANKLIN presents his respectful Compliments to M' Kinsey, and is persuaded there is some Mistake in the Sup 1 Mr. Carroll was at this time a senator in Congress from Maryland. The first Congress under the new Constitution had recently convened in New York. In March, 1776, Dr. Franklin and Mr. Carroll had been joint commissioners, appointed by the Continental Congress with instructions to form a union between the Canadas and the United Colonies. - S. This letter is printed from Sparks, Vol. X, p. 392. — En. position that the Box in question was ever lent to him, his Memory being still pretty good, and it affording not the least Trace of any such Transaction.1 1762. TO RICHARD PRICE2 MY VERY DEAR FRIEND, (L. C.) Philad", May 31, 1789. I lately received your kind Letter, inclosing one from Miss Kitty Shipley, informing me of the good Bishop's Decease, which afflicted me greatly. My Friends drop off one after another, when my Age and Infirmities prevent my making new Ones; & if I still retained the necessary Activity and Ability, I hardly see among the existing Generation where I could make them of equal Goodness: So that the longer I live I must expect to be very wretched. As we draw nearer the Conclusion of Life, Nature furnishes with more Helps to wean us from it, among which one of the most powerful is the Loss of such dear Friends. 1 Written by Franklin on the back of the following letter from Kinsey: 'Philip Kinseys most respectful Compliments to Doctor Franklin. His Brother James Kinsey, then in this City, more than thirty Years since, lent the Doctor a mahogany Box containing sundry geometrical solid Bodies, being the first six Books of Euclid's Elements formd of Box Wood, which were never returnd; P. K. has the other Box containing the Figures of the other six Books, both which cost twenty four Guineas, lately recover'd from another Person who had had them so long that they were forgot, if that which the Doctor borrow'd can be obtaind in good Order which he hopes may be done P. K. can dispose of them for perhaps as much Currency as they cost sterling, or if the Doctor would like to have them the other Box shall be sent him. Enquiry was made for them at the Doctors House during his first Absence, but his Wife & Daughter knew nothing of them 2 This letter is written in lead pencil, as are most of the later letters written by Franklin. - ED. I send you with this the two Volumes of our Transactions, as I forget whether you had the first before. If you had, you will please to give this to the French Ambassador, requesting his Conveyance of it to the good Duke de la Rochefoucauld. My best Wishes attend you, being with sincere and great Esteem, my dear Friend, yours most affectionately, B. FRANKLIN. 1763. OBSERVATIONS RELATIVE TO THE INTENTIONS OF THE ORIGINAL FOUNDERS OF THE ACADEMY IN PHILADELPHIA. JUNE, 1789 (L. C.) As the English School in the Academy has been, and still continues to be, a Subject of Dispute and Discussion among the Trustees since the Restitution of the Charter, and it has been propos'd that we should have some Regard to the original Intention of the Founders in establishing that School, I beg leave for your Information, to lay before you what I know of that Matter originally, and what I find on the Minutes relating to it, by which it will appear how far the Design of that School has been adher'd to or neglected. Having acquir'd some little Reputation among my FellowCitizens, by projecting the Public Library in 1732, and obtaining the Subscriptions by which it was establish'd, and by proposing and promoting with Success sundry other Schemes. of Utility, in 1749 I was encouraged to hazard another Project, that of a Public Education for our Youth. As in the Scheme of the Library I had provided only for English Books, so in this new Scheme my Ideas went no farther than to |