This is much more agreable to me, who esteem it the most useful, the most independent, and therefore the noblest of Employments. His Lands are on navigable water, communicating with the Delaware, and but about 16 Miles from this City. He has associated to himself a very skillful English Farmer lately arrived here, who is to instruct him in the Business, and partakes for a Term of the Profits; so that there is a great apparent Probability of their Success. ence. You will kindly expect a Word or two concerning myself. My Health and Spirits continue, Thanks to God, as when you saw me. The only complaint I then had, does not grow worse, and is tolerable. I still have Enjoyment in the Company of my Friends; and, being easy in my Circumstances, have many Reasons to like Living. But the Course of Nature must soon put a period to my present Mode of ExistThis I shall submit to with less Regret, as, having seen during a long Life a good deal of this World, I feel a growing Curiosity to be acquainted with some other; and can chearfully, with filial Confidence, resign my Spirit to the conduct of that great and good Parent of Mankind, who created it, and who has so graciously protected and prospered me from my Birth to the present Hour. Wherever I am, I hope always to retain the pleasing remembrance of your Friendship, being with sincere and great Esteem, my dear Friend, yours most affectionately, B. FRANKLIN. P. S. We all join in Respects to Mrs. Shipley, and best wishes for the whole amiable Family. 1624. TO FERDINAND GRAND (L. C.) Philada March 5, 1786. DEAR FRIEND:-Since my last, which was of Jan. 29, I have had the great Pleasure of receiving yours of Oct. 10, '85, by which I learnt that yourself and the good Family continu'd well. The Vessel from Havre, after a long Passage of about 12 Weeks, arrived at last with all my Things in pretty good Order, and sundry Parcels of Books, etc., from you: when I had almost given over all Hopes of seeing them ever again: So that I now find myself happily situated in my own House, surrounded by my Offspring, with all my Playthings and Amusements about me, and my Malady not augmented, but still continuing tolerable. I have drawn upon you lately for 1,754 L. tournois, in favour of Ross and Vaughan. My former Drafts since my Arrival here were for £200 sterling, 3,110 livres tournois, and £500 sterling. I hope now to receive soon your Account compleating the last Year, and that you have been paid my Dividend on my Stock in the Funds. I suppose my Grandson will write to you by this Conveyance, tho' he is now very busy in preparing to settle on his Farm, which is a very good one, about 16 Miles from this Town, Water Carriage to his Door, very convenient for bringing his Produce to Market. Benjamin is at College, and applies close to his Studies. He presents his Respects. I rejoice to hear that the Emperor and the Dutch have accommodated their Differences. Long may the Peace of Europe continue! For I am of Opinion that there never was a bad Peace, nor a good War. And I think your Minister, who is so expert in composing Quarrels and preventing Wars, the great Blessing of this Age. The Devil must send us three or four Heroes, before he can get as much Slaughter of Mankind done as that one Man has prevented. I do not understand how Caliastro was involved in the Affair of the Cardinal,' and have some Curiosity to know his History when it shall be develop'd. 2 The English Papers, not only sent me gratis, as you observe, to Algiers, but they are sending all the United States to Destruction: By their Accounts you would think we were in the utmost Distress, in Want of everything, all in Confusion, no Government, and wishing again for that of England. Be assured, my Friend, that these are all Fictions, mere English Wishes, not American Realities. There are some few Faults in our Constitutions, which is no wonder, considering the stormy Season in which they were made, but those will soon be corrected. And for the rest, I never saw greater and more indubitable Marks of public Prosperity in any Country. The Produce of our Agriculture bears a good Price, and is all paid for in ready hard Money, all the labouring People have high Wages, everybody is well cloth'd and well lodg'd, the Poor provided for or assisted, and all Estates in Town and Country much increased in Value. As to wishing for the English Government, we should as soon wish for that of Morocco. Be so good as to forward the Letters you will receive here 1 The affair of Cagliostro, Cardinal Rohan, and the diamond necklace.— ED. 2 It was reported in the English newspapers that on his way back to America Franklin had been captured by Algerine pirates and sold to slavery. — Ed. with, and charge me with the Expence. My Love to all the good Family, and believe me ever, my dear Friend, yours most affectionately, B. FRANKLIN. 1625. TO BENJAMIN RUSH MY DEAR FRIEND, 1 Philadelphia, March, 1786. During our long acquaintance, you have shown many instances of your regard for me; yet I must now desire you to add one more to the number, which is, that, if you publish your ingenious discourse on the Moral Sense, you will totally omit and suppress that most extravagant encomium on your friend Franklin, which hurt me exceedingly in the unexpected hearing, and will mortify me beyond conception, if it should appear from the press. Confiding in your compliance with this earnest request, I am ever, my dear friend, yours most affectionately, 1 From Sparks, Vol. X, p. 255. — Ed. B. FRANKLIN.2 2 Dr. Rush replied to this letter as follows: "Agreeably to your request, I have suppressed the conclusion of my oration, but I cannot bear to think of sending it out of our State or to Europe without connecting it with your name I have therefore taken the liberty of inscribing it to you by a simple dedication, of which the enclosed is a copy. And, as you have never in the course of our long acquaintance refused me a single favour, I must earnestly insist upon your adding to my great and numerous obligations to you the permission which I now solicit, to send my last as I did my first publication into the world under the patronage of your name." — March 11th, 1786. The discourse here alluded to, On the Influence of Physical Causes on the Moral Faculty, was delivered before The American Philosophical Society, February 27th, 1786, and published soon afterwards. It contained the following dedication : 1626. TO M. LE VEILLARD1 MY DEAR FRIEND, Philadelphia, March 16, 1786. I received and read with great pleasure your kind letter of October 9th. It informed me of your welfare, and that of the best of good women, and of her amiable daughter, who I think will tread in her steps. My effects came all in the same ship, in good order; and we are now drinking every day les eaux épurées de Passy with great satisfaction, as they kept well, and seem to be rendered more agreeable by the long voyage. I am here in the bosom of my family, and am not only happy myself, but have the felicity of seeing my country so. Be assured, that all the stories spread in the English papers of our distresses, and confusions, and discontents with our new governments, are as chimerical as the history of my being in chains at Algiers. They exist only in the wishes of our enemies. America never was in higher prosperity, her produce abundant and bearing a good price, her working Το His Excellency Benjamin Franklin Esq' of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania the following Oration is inscribed by his grateful friend & humble Servant the Author. ED. 1 From "The Private Correspondence of Benjamin Franklin" (1818), Vol. I, p. 204. Dated by W. T. Franklin March 16, and by Duane, March 6. ED. 2 In A. P. S. — ED. --- |