into execution; but fuch may be had if proper encouragement be given. We have both received great pleasure in the perufal of it. For my part, I know not when I have read a piece that has more affected me-fo noble and juft are the fentiments, fo warm and animated the language; yet as cenfure from your friends may be of more ufe, as well as more agreeable to you than praise, I ought to mention, that I wish you had omitted not only the quotation from the Review *, which you are now juftly diffatisfied with, but thofe expreffions of refentment against your adversaries, in pages 65 and 79. In fuch cafes, the nobleft victory is obtained by neglect, and by shining on. Mr. Allen has been out of town these ten days; but before he went he directed me to procure him fix copies of your piece. Mr. Peters has taken ten. He purposed to have written to you; but omits it, as he expects fo foon to have the pleasure of feeing you here. He defires me to prefent his affectionate compliments to you, and to affure you that you will be very welcome to him. I fhall only fay, that you may depend on my doing all in my power to make your visit to Philadelphia agreeable to you. I am, &c. Mr. Smith. B. FRANKLIN Philad. Nov. 27th, 1753. DEAR SIR, Having written you fully, via Bristol, I have now little to add. Matters relating to the academy The quotation alluded to (from the London Monthly Review for 1749), was judged to reflect too feverely on the difcipline my remain in ftatu quo. The trustees would be glad to fee a rector established there, but they dread entering into new engagements till they are got out of debt; and I have not yet got them wholly over to my opinion, that a good profeffor, or teacher of the higher branches of learning, would draw so many scholars as to pay great part, if not the whole of his falary. Thus, unless the proprietors (of the province) fhall think fit to put the finifhing hand to our inftitution, it muft, I fear, wait fome few years longer before it can arrive at that state of perfection, which to me it feems now capable of; and all the pleasure I promised myself in seeing you fettled among us, vanishes into smoke. But good Mr. Collinfon writes me word, that no endeavours of his fhall be wanting; and he hopes, with the archbishop's affiftance, to be able to prevail with our proprietors. I pray God grant them fuccefs. My fon prefents his affectionate regards, with, dear Sir, Yours, &c. B. FRANKLIN. P. S. I have not been favoured with a line from you fince your arrival in England. Philad. April 18th, 1754. DEAR SIR, I have had but one letter from you fince your arrival in England, which was a fhort one, via difcipline and government of the English universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and was expunged from the following editions of this' work. * Upon the application of archbishop Herring and P. Collinfon, Efq; at Dr. Franklin's request, (aided by the letters of Mr Allen and Mr. Peters) the hon. Thomas Penn, Efq; fubfcribed an annual fum, and afterwards gave at least 5000l. to the founding or engrafting the college upon the academy. Bofton, Boston, dated October 18th, acquainting me that you had written largely by Capt. Davis.-Davis was loft, and with him your letters, to my great difappointment.-Mefnard and Gibbon have fince arrived here, and I hear nothing from you. -My comfort is, an imagination that you only omit writing because you are coming, and purpose to tell me every thing viva voce. So not knowing whether this letter will reach you, and hoping either to see or hear from you by the Myrtilla, Capt. Budden's fhip, which is daily ex pected, I only add, that I am, with great esteem and affection, Yours, &c. Mr. Smith. B. FRANKLIN, About a month after the date of this laft letter, the gentleman to whom it was addreffed arrived in Philadelphia, and was immediately placed at the head of the feminary; whereby Dr. Franklin and the other truftees were enabled to prosecute their plan, for perfecting the institution, and opening the college upon the large and liberal foundation on which it now ftands; for which purpose they obtained their additional charter, dated May 27th, 1755. Thus far we thought it proper to exhibit in one view Dr. Franklin's fervices in the foundation and establishment of this feminary. He foon afterward embarked for England, in the public fervice of his country; and having been generally employed abroad, in the like fervice, for the greatef part of the remainder of his life (as will appear in our fubfequent account of the fame), he had but few opportunities of taking any fur ther ther active part in the affairs of the feminary, until his final return in the year 1785, when he found its charters violated, and his ancient colleagues, the original founders, deprived of their truft, by an act of the legiflature; and although his own name had been inferted among the new trustees, yet he declined to take his feat among them, or have any concern in the management of their affairs, till the inftitution was reftored by law to its original owners. He then affembled his old colleagues at his own houfe, and being chofen their prefident, all their future meetings were, at his request, held there, till within a few months of his death, when with reluctance, and at their defire, left he might be too much injured by his attention to their business, he suffered them to meet at the college. Franklin not only gave birth to many useful inftitutions himself, but he was also inftrumental in promoting those which had originated with other men. About the year 1752, an eminent physician of this city, Dr. Bond, confidering the deplorable state of the poor, when vifited with disease, conceived the idea of establishing an hofpital. Notwithstanding very great exertions on his part, he was able to interest few people so far in his benevolent plan, as to obtain fubfcriptions from them. Unwilling that his fcheme fhould prove abortive, he fought the aid of Franklin, who readily engaged in the bufinefs, both by ufing his influence with his friends, and by ftating the advantageous influence of the propofed inftitution in his paper. Thefe efforts were attended with fuccefs. Confiderable fums were fubfcribed; but they were ftill fhort of what was neceffary. Franklin now made another exertion. He applied to the affembly; and, after fome oppofition, obtained leave to bring in a bill, fpecifying, that as as foon as two thoufand pounds were fubfcribed, the fame fum fhould be drawn from the treasury by the speaker's warrant, to be applied to the purposes of the inftitution. The oppofition, as the fum was granted upon a contingency which they fuppofed would never take place, were filent, and the bill paffed. The friends of the plan now redoubled their efforts, to obtain fubfcriptions to the amount ftated in the bill, and were foon fuccefsful. This was the foundation of the Pennsylvania Hofpital, which, with the Bettering-house and Difpenfary, bears ample teftimony of the humanity of the citizens of Philadelphia. Dr. Franklin had conducted himself fo well in the office of post-master, and had shown himself to be fo well acquainted with the business of that department, that it was thought expedient to raife him to a more dignified ftation. In 1753 he was appointed deputy poft-mafter-general for the British colonies. The profits arifing from the poftage of letters formed no inconfiderable part of the revenue, which the crown of GreatBritain derived from thefe colonies. In the hands of Franklin, it is faid, that the poft-office in America yielded annually thrice as much as that of Ireland. ; The American colonies were much expofed to depredations on their frontiers, by the Indians and more particularly whenever a war took place between France and England. The colonies, individually, were either too weak to take efficient measures for their own defence, or they were unwilling to take upon themfelves the whole burden of erecting forts and maintaining garrifons, whilft their neighbours, who partook equally with themfelves of the advantages, contributed nothing to the expence. Sometimes alfo |