erty in the Public Funds, I have no doubt of its being secure according to the Value it had when it was plac'd there, but I can say nothing as to the particulars of its Situation or Amount; Mr. Williams can better inform you. I have requested him to do it.

It is long since I have seen M. Le Begue.' He is much in the Country. I have heard nothing of the Printing of your Book.

Your Experiment of burning the Wire has been made here with the greatest Success. My grandson had it try'd at Mr. Charles' Lecture, where it gave great Satisfaction & was much admir'd.

I have not yet found Leisure to explain the Fireplace, but hope for it, when I am quit of my present Station.

I have been, as you know, so little in America for these last 25 Years, that I am unqualified to answer the Request of Mr. Veinbrenner concerning the Names and Solidity of Houses there.2

A new Set of Merchants have grown up into Business, of whom I know nothing; and the Circumstances of the old ones whom I formerly knew may have been much altered by Time, or by the War. It is besides, an invidious & dangerous Thing for me to give such a distinguishing List, if I were able to do it. My best Advice to your Commercial People is, to send over a discreet, intelligent Person, with instructions to

1 Achille-Guillaume le Begue de Presles (1735-1807), Rousseau's physician and friend, had been requested by Ingenhousz to superintend the publication of his book in Paris, but he had not replied for a long time to any of Ingenbousz's letters.- ED.

* M. Veinbrenner, by order of Prince Kaunitz, first minister of state, had written to Franklin for information about "the solidity of merchants in America." ED.

travel thro' the Country, observe the Nature of the Commerce, find out what of your Commodities are wanted there, and in what Quantities & Proportions; & what of the Produce of the Country can be purchased to make advantageous Returns. Such a Man on the Spot may obtain better Informations of Characters than I can possibly give, and may make the Connections desired with those that he finds to merit Confidence. If your People should think fit to take this Step, I will give Letters of Recommendation introductory of the Person, and which may be useful to their Design. Please to acquaint Mr. Veinbrenner of this, presenting my respects. I have already given such Letters at [mutilated] have received no intimation, except from you, that a Proposition for such a Treaty would be acceptable to His Imperial Majesty.1 I shall however venture to propose it to the Ambassador when I request his forwarding to you this Letter. The Commodities you mention as Productions of the Emperor's Dominions are all wanted in America, and will sell there to Advantage.2

I will send you another Piece of the Soap you mention when I can have a good Opportunity. I now send you one of the Medals I have caused to be struck here, which has the good Luck to be much approved. [Mutilated, part of draft cut off.]

3

With regard to the Statuary you mention, I hardly think

1 A commercial treaty. - ED.

2 "The articles of exportation from this country are chiefly copper, steel, mercury, and glass as fine as English. Hungarian wines begin also to be an object. From the low countries the chief exporting objects are lace and linnens."-Ingenhousz, April 8, 1783. — Ed.

3 Giuseppi Ceracchi of Rome. Count Lacy, "the greatest favorite of the Emperour," requested Ingenhousz to ask Franklin whether Ceracchi “should goe over to America in expectation of being employed in erecting or making marmor and such like monuments. . . . Marechal Lacy added, that, in case

it can be worth his while at present to go to America in Expectation of being employ'd there. Private Persons are not rich enough to encourage sufficiently the fine Arts; and therefore our Geniuses all go to Europe. In England at present, the best History Painter, West; the best Portrait Painter, Copley; and the best Landscape Painter, Taylor, at Bath, are all Americans. And the Public being burthen'd by its War Debts, will certainly think of paying them before it goes into the Expence of Marble Monuments. He might, indeed, as you hint, be easily paid in Land, but Land will produce him nothing without Labour; and he and his Workmen must [incomplete].

after a few years such an Artist may find Employment; and possibly we may discover a white Marble.

I am glad you have made the experiments you mention, and with success. You will find that the holes are not made by the impulse of the fluid moving in certain directions, but by circumstances of explosion of parts of the matter; and I still think my explanation of the holes in the vane probable, viz. that it was the explosion of tin against parts of the copper plate that were almost in a state of fusion, and therefore easily burst through either on one side or the other, as it happened. The bursting of the twelve bottles all at once, I take to be owing to small bubbles in the substance of the glass, or grains of sand, into which a quantity of the electric fluid had been forced and compressed while the bottles

there was a prospect of finding employment there, and money should be scarce, government could grant him land."- Ingenhousz, April 29, 1783. This is the only reference made by Franklin to Ceracchi, who has long been credited with the making of the bust of Franklin which is now known to have been the work of Caffieri. — Ep.

is strongly recommended to me by his Excellency the Ambassador from that Court; and I take leave to recommend him not only to the Civilities you are pleas'd in bestowing on Strangers of Merit but to all the Assistances and Facilities your Station & the Influence attending it, may enable you to afford him in the Execution of his Commission, being persuaded that your Zeal for the Increase of Useful Science, as well as the Respect due to his August Employer, will induce you to render Mr. Märter such Services with Pleasure. I have the honour to be very respectfully,

I received in its time your kind Letter of Feb. 22. I am sensible of the Prudence of your Advice respecting my coming to England, and shall follow it. Accept my Thanks for that, and for your kind Invitation to Cheam, when I do come; but the little left of Life at my Age will, perhaps, hurry me home, as soon as I can be quit of my Employment here. I should, indeed, have great Pleasure in seeing you, and in being some time with you and your little Family. I cannot have all I wish.

Mr. Williams is now here with his Family. I shall mention to him his not answering your Letter. We talk'd yesterday of you, and of his Friend Dolly, whom I have not forgotten,

1 From the original in the possession of T. Hewson Bradford, M.D. — Ed.

as she supposes. He express'd the highest Esteem and Regard for you both. My Love to her when you see her. I send you some more of the little Books, and am ever, my dear Friend, yours most affectionately,

B. FRANKLIN.

1409. TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON (D. S. W.) Passy, April 27, 1783.

SIR,

The Count del Veome, an Italian Nobleman of great distinction, does me the honour to be the Bearer of this. I have not the Satisfaction to be personally acquainted with this Gentleman, but am much solicited by some of my particular friends, to whom his Merits and Character are known, to afford him this Introduction to you. He is, I understand, a great Traveller, and his view in going to America is merely to see the Country and its great Men. I pray you will show him every Civility, and afford him that Counsel, which as a Stranger he may stand in need of. With great respect, I am, &c. B. FRANKLIN.

1410. TO COMTE DE VERGENNES (P. A. E. E. U.) Passy, May 4, 1783.

SIR: I have considered the proposal of M. le Marq. de Ségur to cede to the Congress the military stores left by M. de Rochambeau at Baltimore,' and I am of opinion that it is

! "A la réception de cette lettre, vous prendrés les ordres du Général Washington pour les dispositions qui devront précéder l'embarquemont de la