ons, however, were not fufficiently ftrict. Franklin faw the dangers arifing from this caufe, and fuggefted an alteration, fo as to oblige the guardians of the night to be more watchful over the lives and property of the citizens. The propri. ety of this was immediately perceived, and a reform was effected. There is nothing more dangerous to growing cities than fires. Other caufes operate flowly, and almoft imperceptibly; but thefe in a moment render abortive the labours of ages. On this account there fhould be, in all cities, ample provifions to prevent fires from fpreading. Franklin early faw the neceffity of thefe; and, about the year 1738, formed the first fire-company in this city. This example was foon followed by others; and there are now numerous fire-companics in the city and liberties. To thefe may be attributed in a great degree the activity in extinguishing fires, for which the citizens of Philadelphia are diftinguifhed, and the inconfiderable damage which this city has fuftained from this caufe. Some time after, Franklin fuggefted the plan of an affociation for infuring houfes from loffes by fire, which was adopted; and the affociation continues to this day. The advantages experienced from it have been great. From the first establishment of Pennsylvania, a fpirit of difpute appears to have prevailed amongst its inhabitants. During the life-time of William Penn, the conftitution had been three times altered. After this period, the hiftory of Pennfylvania is little elfe than a recital of the quarrels between the proprietaries, or their governors, and the affembly. The proprietaries contended for the right of exempting their lands from taxes; to which the affembly would by no means confent. This fubject of difpute interfered in alH 2 135755 moft moft every queftion, and prevented the most falutary laws from being enacted. This at times fubjected the people to great inconveniences. In the year 1744, during a war between France and Great Britain, fome French and Indians had made inroads upon the frontier inhabitants of the province, who were unprovided for fuch an attack. It became neceffary that the citizens fhould arm for their defence. Governor Thomas recommended to the affembly, who were then fitting, to pafs a militia law. To this they would agree only upon condition that he should give his affent to certain laws, which appeared to them calculated to promote the interefts of the people. As he thought thefe laws would be injurious to the proprietaries, he refufed his affent to them; and the affembly broke up without paffing a militia law. The fituation of the province was at this time truly alarming: expofed to the continual inroads of an enemy, and deftitute of every means of defence. At this crifis Franklin stepped forth, and propofed to a meeting of the citizens of Philadelphia, a plan of a voluntary affociation for the defence of the province. This was approved of, and figned by twelve hundred perfons immediately. Copies of it were circulated throughout the province; and in a fhort time the number of figners amounted to ten thoufand. Franklin was chofen colonel of the Philadelphia regiment; but he did not think proper to accept of the honour. Purfuits of a different nature now occupied the greateft part of his attention for fome years. He engaged in a courfe of electrical experiments, with all the ardor and thirst for discovery which characterized the philofophers of that day. Of all the branches of experimental philofophy electricity had been leaft explored. The attractive power of amber is mentioned by Theophraftus and and Pliny, and, from them, by later naturalifts. In the year 1600, Gilbert, an English physician, enlarged confiderably the catalogue of fubftances which have the property of attracting light bodies. Boyle, Otto Guericke, a burgomafter of Magdeburg, celebrated as the inventor of the air pump, Dr. Wall, and Sir Ifaac Newton added fome facts. Guericke firft obferved the repulfive power of electricity, and the light and noise produced by it. In 1709, Hawkefbee communicated fome important obfervations and experiments to the world. For feveral years electricity was entirely neglected, until Mr. Grey applied himself to it, in 1728, with great affiduity. He, and his friend Mr. Wheeler, made a great variety of experiments; in which they demonftrated, that electricity may be communicated from one body to another, even without being in contact, and in this way may be conducted to a great distance. Mr. Grey afterwards found, that, by fufpending rods of iron by filk or hair lines, and bringing an excited tube under them, fparks might be drawn, and a light preceived at the extremities in the dark. M. Du Faye, intendant of the French king's gardens, made a number of experiments, which added not a little to the science. He made the discovery of two kinds of electricity, which he called vitreous and refinous; the former produced by rubbing glass, the latter from excited fulphur, fealing-wax, &c. But this idea he afterwards Between the years gave up as erroneous. 1739 and 1742, Defaguliers made a number of experiments, but added little of importance. He firft ufed the terms conductors and electrics, per fe. In 1742, feveral ingenious Germans engaged in this fubject. Of these the principal were, profeffor Boze of Wittemberg, profeffor Winkler of Leipfic, Gordon, a Scotch Benedictine monk, profeffor i profeffor of philosophy at Erfurt, and Dr. Ludolf of Berlin. The refult of their refearches aftonifhed the philofophers of Europe. Their apparatus was large, and by means of it they were enabled to collect large quantities of electricity, and thus to produce phenomena which had been hitherto unobferved. They killed fmall birds, and fet fpirits on fire. Their experiments excited the curiofity of other philofophers. Collinfon, about the year 1745, fent to the library company of Philadelphia an account of thefe experiments, together with a tube, and directions how to ufe it. Franklin, with fome of his friends, immediately engaged in a courfe of experiments; the refult of which is well known. He was en He abled to make a number of important difcoveries, 1 contained no more electricity than before, but that as much was taken from one fide as was thrown on the other; and that, to discharge it, nothing was neceffary but to make a communication between the two fides, by which the equilibrium might be restored, and that then no figns of electricity would remain. He afterwards demonftrated, by experiments, that the electricity did not refide in the coating, as had been fuppofed, but in the pores of the glass itself. After a phial was charged, he removed the coating, and found that upon applying a new coating the fhock might ftill be received. In the year 1749, he first fuggefted his idea of explaining the phenomena of thunder-gufts, and of the aurora borealis, upon electrical principles. He points out many particulars in which lightning and electricity agree; and he adduces many facts, and reasoning from facts, in fupport of his pofitions. In the fame year he conceived the aftonishingly bold and grand idea of afcertaining the truth of his doctrine, by actually drawing down the forked lightning, by means of fharp-pointed iron rods raised into the region of the clouds. Even in this uncertain ftate, his paffion to be useful to mankind difplays itfelf in a powerful manner. Admitting the identity of electricity and lightning, and knowing the power of points in repelling bodies charged with electricity, and in conducting their fire filently and imperceptibly, he fuggefts the idea of fecuring houfes, fhips, &c. from being damaged by lightning, by erecting pointed iron rods, which fhould rife fome feet above the most elevated part, and defcend some feet.into the ground or the water. The effect of thefe, he concluded, would be either to prevent a ftroke by repelling the cloud beyond the ftriking, distance, or by drawing off the electrical fire which |