I condole with you on the loss of that excellent woman, so long your pleasing companion.' The being depriv'd of dear friends and relations one after another, is a very severe tax we pay for living a great while ourselves. But such is the miserable state of things in this period of our existence; the rectification is only to be expected in that which is to

come.

My health continues as when Mrs. Vaughan left us. My malady does not grow perceptibly worse, and I hope may continue tolerable to my life's end, which cannot now be far distant, being in my 82 year.

On farther consideration of my scheme for sinking the national debt, I became so doubtful of it as not to venture exposing it to Baron Maseres. I must digest it a little better.

We have now meeting here a Convention of the principal people in the several States, for the purpose of revising the federal Constitution, and proposing such amendments as shall be thoroughly necessary. It is a most important business, and I hope will be attended with success. With great and sincere esteem, I am ever, my dear Friend Yours most affectionately.

B. FRANKLIN.

If you have not receiv'd the Vol. of our Transactions I will send you another.

1 Mrs. Price died of palsy in September, 1786. - ED.

1688. TO GEORGE WHATLEY1

Philadelphia, May 18, 1787.

I RECEIVED duly my good old friend's letter of the 19th" of February. I thank you much for your notes on banks; they are just and solid, as far as I can judge of them. Our bank here has met with great opposition, partly from envy, and partly from those who wish an emission of more paper money, which they think the bank influence prevents. But it has stood all attacks, and went on well, notwithstanding the Assembly repealed its charter. A new Assembly has restored. it; and the management is so prudent, that I have no doubt of its continuing to go on well. The dividend has never been less than six per cent, nor will that be augmented for some time, as the surplus profit is reserved to face accidents. The dividend of eleven per cent, which was once made, was from a circumstance scarce avoidable. A new company was proposed; and prevented only by admitting a number of new partners. As many of the first set were averse to this, and chose to withdraw, it was necessary to settle their accounts; so all were adjusted, the profits shared that had been accumulated, and the new and old proprietors jointly began on a new and equal footing. Their notes are always instantly paid on demand, and pass on all occasions as readily as silver, because they will always produce silver.

Your medallion is in good company; it is placed with those of Lord Chatham, Lord Camden, Marquis of Rock

1 From "The Private Correspondence of Benjamin Franklin " (1818), Vol. I, p. 227. — ED.

2 This should be 12th of February. The letter is in A. P. S. — ED.

ingham, Sir George Saville, and some others, who honoured me with a show of friendly regard, when in England. I believe I have thanked you for it, but I thank you again.

I believe, with you, that if our Plenipo is desirous of concluding a treaty of commerce, he may need patience. If I were in his place, and not otherwise instructed, I should be apt to say, "Take your own time, gentlemen. If the treaty cannot be made as much to your advantage as to ours, don't make it. I am sure the want of it is not more to our disadvantage than to yours. Let the merchants on both sides treat with one another. Laissez-les faire.”

I have never considered attentively the Congress's scheme for coining, and I have it not now at hand, so that at present I can say nothing to it. The chief uses of coining seem to be the ascertaining the fineness of the metals, and saving the time that would otherwise be spent in weighing to ascertain the quality. But the convenience of fixed values to pieces is so great, as to force the currency of some whose stamp is worn off, that should have assured their fineness, and which are evidently not of half their due weight; the case at present with the sixpences in England; which, one with another, do not weight threepence.

You are now seventy-eight, and I am eighty-two; you tread fast upon my heels; but, though you have more strength and spirit, you cannot come up with me till I stop, which must now be soon; for I am grown so old as to have buried most of the friends of my youth, and I now often hear persons whom I knew when children, called old Mr. such-a-one, to distinguish them from their sons now men grown and in business; so that, by living twelve years beyond David's period, I seem to have intruded myself into the company of posterity,

when I ought to have been abed and asleep. Yet, had I gone at seventy, it would have cut off twelve of the most active years of my life, employed too in matters of the greatest importance; but whether I have been doing good or mischief is for time to discover. I only know that I intended well, and I hope all will end well.

Be so good as to present my affectionate respects to Dr. Riley.1 I am under great obligations to him, and shall write to him shortly. It will be a pleasure to him to know, that my malady does not grow sensibly worse, and that is a great point; for it has always been so tolerable, as not to prevent my enjoying the pleasures of society, and being cheerful in conversation. I owe this in a great measure to his good counsels. Adieu, my dear friend, and believe me ever yours most affectionately,

B. FRANKLIN.

1689. TO MRS. JANE MECOM

(L. C.)

Philada, May 30, 1787.

DEAR SISTER: In your Letter of March 9, you mention that you wanted to know all about my Buildings. To the East End of my Dwelling-House I have made an Addition of 16 Feet and an half wide and 33 feet long, that is the whole Length of the old House, so that the Front and Back of the old and new Building range even, and the Row of Windows, Eaves, and Roof are continu'd so as to appear but one Building. By this Addition I have gain'd a large Cellar for Wood, a Drawing-Room or Dining-Room on the same Level with

1 The name is written Rowley in Mr. Whatley's letter. Possibly it is Dr. William Rowley who wrote a book upon Gout, in 1780. — ED.

our old Dining-Room, in which new Room we can dine a Company of 24 Persons, it being 16 feet wide and 30 long; and it has 2 Windows at each End, the North and South, which will make it an airy Summer Room; and for Winter there is a good Chimney in the Middle, made handsome with marble Slabs. Over this Room is my Library, of the same Dimensions, with like Windows at each End, and lin'd with Books to the Cieling. Over this are 2 lodging-Rooms: and over all a fine Garret. The Way into the Lower Room is out of the Entry passing by the Foot of the Stairs. Into the Library I go thro' one of the Closets of the old DrawingRoom or Bed-Chamber. And into the two new Rooms above thro' a Passage cut off from the Nursery. All these Rooms are now finished and inhabited, very much to the Convenience of the Family, who were before too much crowded.

The two new Houses next the Street are three Stories high, besides the Garrets, and an arch'd Passage is left in the middle between them to come thro' down to my Dwelling, wide enough for a Carriage; so that I have the old Passage Lot left free to build another House. The two Houses are 24 feet front each, and 45 deep. We are all well, and join in Love to you and yours. I am ever, your affectionate Brother, B. FRANKLIN.

1690. SPEECH IN THE CONVENTION;

SIR,

1

ON THE SUBJECT OF SALARIES

(L. C.)

It is with Reluctance that I rise to express a Disapprobation of any one Article of the Plan, for which we are so much

1 This speech was delivered June 2, 1787. It is from an auto. draft in L. C.- ED.