be suffered to remain, with [all] their new-created Chivalry, entirely in the Situation of the Gentleman in the Story, which their omnia reliquit reminds me of. You know every thing makes me recollect some Story. He had built a very fine House, and thereby much impair'd his Fortune. He had a Pride, however, in showing it to his Acquaintance. One of them, after viewing it all, remark'd a Motto over the Door, "OIA VANITAS." "What," says he, "is the Meaning of this ŌIA? it is a word I don't understand." "I will tell you," said the Gentleman; "I had a mind to have the Motto cut on a Piece of smooth Marble, but there was not room for it between the Ornaments, to be put in Characters large enough to be read. I therefore made use of a Contraction antiently very common in Latin Manuscripts, by which the m's and n's in Words are omitted, and the Omission noted by a little Dash above, which you may see there; so that the Word is omnia, OMNIA VANITAS." "O," says his Friend, "I now comprehend the Meaning of your motto, it relates to your Edifice; and signifies, that, if you have abridged your Omnia, you have, nevertheless, left your VANITAS legible at full length." I am, as ever, your affectionate father, B. FRANKLIN. 1477. TO CHARLES W. F. DUMAS (P. C.) DEAR SIR, Passy, Feb. 1, 1784. I receiv'd duly yours of the 23rd past, as well as those therein mentioned, with the Enclosed for the Office of Foreign 1 From the original in the autograph collection of Mr. Simon Gratz. - ED. Affairs, all of which except the last are forwarded, and that will go next Wednesday. I thank you for the Opportunity given me of seeing the Intelligence they contain. I sent you 5 or 6 Weeks since, a Packet containing some fresh American Newspapers. You do not mention receiving them. They went by a Person whose Name I have forgot. He had formerly been in the House of Messrs de Neufville. I wrote at the same time a few Lines. I am ever, Dear Sir, Your faithful humble Servant B. FRANKLIN. P. S. I condole with you on the Loss of the Ship mention'd in the enclos'd Newspaper. 1478. TO HENRY LAURENS 1 (L. C.) DEAR SIR, Passy, February 12, 1784. I received your favour of the 3d instant by your son, with the newspapers, for which I thank you. The disorders of that government, whose constitution has been so much praised, are come to a height that threatens some violent convulsion, if not a dissolution; and its Physicians do not even seem to guess at the cause of the disease, and therefore prescribe insufficient remedies, such as place bills, more equal representation, more frequent elections, &c. &c. In my humble opinion, the malady consists in the enormous salaries, emoluments, and patronage of great offices. Ambition and avarice are separately strong passions. When they are united in pursuit 1 From a transcript in L. C. Ed. of the same object, they are too strong to be governed by common prudence, or influenced by public spirit and love of country; they drive men irresistibly into factions, cabals, dissensions, and violent divisions, always mischievous to public councils, destructive to the peace of society, and sometimes fatal to its existence. As long as the immense profits of these offices subsist, members of the shortest and most equally chosen parliaments will have them in view, and contend for them, and their contentions will have all the same ruinous consequences. To me, then, there seems to be but one effectual remedy, and that not likely to be adopted by so corrupt a nation; which is, to abolish these profits, and make every place of honour a place of burthen. By that means the effect of one of the passions above-mentioned would be taken away, and something would be added to counteract the other. Thus the number of competitors for great offices would be diminished, and the efforts of those who still would obtain them moderated. Thank God we have now less connection with the affairs of these people and are more at liberty to take care of our own, which I hope we shall manage better. We have a terrible winter here; such another in this country is not remembered by any man living. The snow has been thick upon the ground ever since Christmas; and the frost constant. My Grandson joins in best compliments to yourself and Miss Laurens. With sincere esteem and affection, I have the honour to be, dear Sir, &c. B. FRANKLIN. 1479. TO WILLIAM STRAHAN DEAR SIR, (L. C.) Passy, Feb. 16, 1784. I receiv'd and read with Pleasure your kind Letter of the first Inst,' as it inform'd me of the Welfare of you and yours. I am glad the Accounts you have from your Kinswoman at Philadelphia are agreable, and I shall be happy if any Recommendations from me can be serviceable to Dr. Ross, or any other friend of yours, going to America. 2 Your arguments, persuading me to come once more to England, are very powerful. To be sure, I long to see again my Friends there, whom I love abundantly; but there are difficulties and Objections of several kinds, which at present I do not see how to get over. I lament with you the political Disorders England at present labours under. Your Papers are full of strange Accounts of Anarchy and Confusion in America, of which we know nothing, while your own Affairs are really in a Situation deplorable. In my humble Opinion, the Root of the Evil lies not so much in too long, or too unequally chosen Parliaments, as in the enormous Salaries, Emoluments, and Patronage of your great Offices; and that you will never be at rest till they are all abolish'd, and every place of Honour made at the 1 A. P. S. - ED. 2 Strahan had acknowledged warmly "the very friendly and effectual patronage" Franklin's family in America had afforded his "poor, helpless and singularly distressed kinswoman, than whom none can be more grateful, or more deserving the great kindness you have shewn her." - ED. Dr. Ross had spent some time in the East as physician to the army; his health failing, he returned to follow his profession in North America. — ED. same time, instead of a Place of Profit, a place of Expence and burthen. Ambition and avarice are each of them strong Passions, and when they are united in the same Persons, and have the same Objects in view for their Gratification, they are too strong for Public Spirit and Love of Country, and are apt to produce the most violent Factions and Contentions. They should therefore be separated, and made to act one against the other. Those Places, to speak in our old stile (Brother Type), may be for the good of the Chapel, but they are bad for the Master, as they create constant Quarrels that hinder the Business. For example, here are near two Months that your Government has been employed in getting its form to press; which is not yet fit to work on, every Page of it being squabbled, and the whole ready to fall into pye. The Founts too must be very scanty, or strangely out of sorts, since your Compositors cannot find either upper or lower case Letters sufficient to set the word ADMINISTRATION, but are forc'd to be continually turning for them. However, to return to common (tho' perhaps too saucy) Language, don't despair; you have still one resource left, and that not a bad one, since it may reunite the Empire. We have some Remains of Affection for you, and shall always be ready to receive and take care of you in Case of Distress. So if you have not Sense and Virtue enough to govern yourselves, e'en dissolve your present old crazy Constitution, and send members to Congress. You will say my Advice "smells of Madeira." You are right. This foolish Letter is mere chitchat between ourselves over the second bottle. If, therefore, you show it to anybody, (except our indulgent Friends, Dagge and Lady |