and valuable man, and I think his father will have a great deal of satisfaction in him. Please to present my thanks to M. Lavoisier for the Nomenclature Chimique he has been so good as to send me, (it must be a very useful book,) and assure him of my great and sincere esteem and attachment. My best wishes attend you both; and I think I cannot wish you and him greater happiness, than a long continuance of the connexion. With great regard and affection, I have the honour to be, my dear friend, &c. B. FRANKLIN. 1737. TO JOSEPH-IGNACE GUILLOTIN1 SIR Philada Oct. 23, 1788. I received your Letter of July 1. with its Duplicate.2 I lament with you most sincerely the loss of poor Mr. Pique. The Money he deposited in my Hands was Thirty Louis d'ors, which I have delivered to Mr. Saugrain, as you will see by his Receipt enclos'd. No one has hitherto demanded of me the Couverts d'argent; but I shall deliver them to whoever produces a proper Authority to receive them. I apprehend there is some Mistake in the Name you mention, and that they were not for a Mr. John Barclay: But 1 From the original in the possession of the Chicago Historical Society. Guillotin (1738-1814) was a notable physician, professor of anatomy, physiology, and pathology in Paris. He assisted Franklin and Lavoisier in preparing the report of the Academy of Sciences upon the investigation of Mesmerism. See Introduction, Vol. I, p. 115, and letter to M. le Veillard, Feb. 17, 1788. — ED. 2 In A. P. S. - ED. M. Darcet1 can set the matter right. Mr. Pique's Death happening in a Wilderness Country where there were no settled Inhabitants it is not possible to obtain such a thing as an Extrait mortuare. M. Saugrain, on whose safe Return I congratulate you, will supply that Deficiency by his Testimony taken with you. With great Esteem, I am, Sir, Your most obedient & most humble Servant B. FRANKLIN. 1738. TO JAN INGENHOUSZ2 Philadelphia, October 24, 1788. . . You have always been kind enough to interest yourself in what relates to my health. I ought therefore to acquaint you with what appears to me something curious. respecting it. You may remember the cutaneous malady, I formerly complained of, and for which you and Dr. Pringle favoured me with prescriptions and advice. It vexed me near fourteen years, and was, the beginning of this year, as bad as ever, covering almost my whole body, except my face and hands; when a fit of the gout came on, without very much pain, but a swelling in both feet, which at last appeared also in both knees, and then in my hands. As these swellings increased and extended, the other malady diminished, and at length disappeared entirely. Those swellings have some time since begun to fall, and are now almost gone; perhaps the 1 M. d'Arcet, member of the Academy of Sciences and a professor of Chemistry, was a member of the Commission to investigate Mesmerism. — ED. 2 From "The Private Correspondence of Benjamin Franklin" (1818), Vol. I, p. 242. — ED. cutaneous disease may return, or perhaps it is worn out. I may hereafter let you know what happens. I am on the whole much weaker than when it began to leave me. But possibly that may be the effect of age, for I am now near eighty-three, the age of commencing decrepitude. I grieve at the wars Europe is engaged in, and wish they were ended; for I fear even the victors will be losers. I am ever, my dear friend, yours most affectionately, B. FRANKLIN. P. S. Our public affairs are drawing towards a settlement. I have served out the three years' term of my presidentship, limited by the Constitution; and, being determined to engage no more in public business, I hope, if health permits, to be a better correspondent. We have no philosophical news here at present, except that a boat moved by a steam engine rows itself against tide in our river, and it is apprehended the construction may be so simplified and improved as to become generally useful.1 1739. TO DUPONT DE NEMOURS DEAR SIR, (L. C.) Philad Oct. 24, 1788 I think I mentioned to you in my last the Utility of forming a little Dictionary of the Terms by which the different Articles of Manufacture are designated in our two Languages. Such a Dictionary would in my Opinion greatly facilitate the Correspondence and Commerce between the two Countries. At present if one of our Merchants should send an Invoice 1 Alluding to Fitch's steamboat. — ED. to France for a Variety of Goods he formerly had from England, the Terms he would use must be unintelligible. This I experienced when at Paris. The Congress sent me an Order for a great Quantity of Merchandize, I show'd the Invoice, but it was not understood and I could not explain it. At length I took the Resolution of sending to England for one of each Article, which would not only explain what was wanted, but serve as a Model for your Workmen to imitate; as People accustomed to Forms of Tools &c. do not like those that are different tho' perhaps better. I enclose a Copy of the Particulars sent for. They were purchased accordingly and sent by way of Ostend: But unfortunately a Package containing one half of them, was unaccountably lost between that Place and Paris; and the subsequent long Delay in Expectation of Recovering that Package, which was never done, prevented the Execution of the Scheme. I would now recommend it to your Consideration, whether it would not be well for your Government to send for those Models, put them into the Hands of your Workmen, and then acquaint us with the French Names for them. Those purchas'd for me by the enclos'd Invoice, cost but 25 Guineas. I am persuaded that many of them might be manufactur'd cheaper in France than they are in England, and as Britain lays so many Restraints on our Trade, we should chuse rather to supply ourselves from you. Our Disputes about the New Constitution are almost subsided, and we are proceeding fast towards good Order. I hope all the late Differences in Opinion on public Affairs will end well, with you as well as with us. With great & sincere Esteem, I am, Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant B. FRANKLIN. 1740. TO M. LE VEILLARD MY DEAR FRIEND, Philadelphia, October 24, 1788. I have lately received your two kind letters of June 18th and August 6th. I do not find that I ever received those you mention of the 15th September. I have been much afflicted the last summer with a longcontinued fit of the gout, which I am not quite clear of, though much better; my other malady is not augmented. I have lately made great progress in the work you so urgently demand, and have come as far as my fiftieth year. Being now free from public business, as my term in the presidentship is expired, and resolving to engage in no other public employment, I expect to have it finished in about two months, if illness or some unforeseen interruption does not prevent. I do not therefore send a part at this time, thinking it better to retain the whole till I can view it all together, and make the proper corrections. I am much concerned to hear the broils in your country, but hope they will lead to its advantage. When this fermentation is over and the troubling parts subsided, the wine will be fine and good, and cheer the hearts of those who drink it. Our affairs mend daily and are getting into good order very fast. Never was any measure so thoroughly discussed as our proposed new Constitution. Many objections were made to it in the public papers, and answers to these objections. Much party heat there was, and some violent personal abuse. I kept out of the dispute, and wrote only one VOL. IX-2X |