to Mr. Parker, printer of New York, a very honest, punctual man. I am glad all the bills I have sent you have been paid or accepted. You may expect more in a short time; and after the next parcel of books are paid for, you will chiefly have to deal with Mr. Hall, into whose hands I have agreed to put the shop, etc. With all our best respects to you and yours, heartily wishing you health and happiness, I conclude your obliged humble servant, B. FRANKLIN. TO WILLIAM STRAHAN Philadelphia, 28 November, 1747. SIR:-I received your favor of June 11th, per Capt. Tiffin, with the books, etc., all in good order. Mr. Parks, who drew the bill on Guidart & Sons, is surprised at their protesting it, they having, as he says, large effects of his in their hands: he will speedily renew that bill. Enclosed I send a bill on Mr. Kilby, Esq., for £19 75. 1d. sterling, which I hope will be readily paid; and you may expect other bills from me for larger sums. What books will be wanted for the shop hereafter, Mr. Hall will write for. I shall send for no more unless for myself or a friend. I must desire you to send per first opportunity the maps formerly wrote for, viz.: Popple's large one of North America, pasted on rollers; Ditto bound in a book; and eight or ten other maps of equal size if to be had; they are for the long gallery and the Assembly room in the State-house. If none so large are to be got, let prospects of cities, buildings, etc., be pasted round them to make them as large. I want also Folard's Polybius, in French; it is in six volumes, 4to, printed at Paris, and costs about three guineas. My best respects to good Mrs. Strahan; I know not but in another year I may have the pleasure of seeing you both in London. Please to deliver the enclosed to Mr. Acworth-I know not where to direct to him. I am, dear sir, your most obliged humble servant, B. FRANKLIN. TO WILLIAM STRAHAN PHILADELPHIA, 19 October, 1748. DEAR SIR:-I received your favor of April 25th, with the maps, etc. I am glad the Polybius did not come, and hope you will not have sent it when this reaches your hands; it was intended for my son, who was then in the army and seemed bent on a military life, but as peace cuts off his prospect of advancement in that way, he will apply himself to other business. Enclosed I send you his certificate from the Governor of New York, by which he is entitled to £98 16s. 4d. sterling, being his pay; with a letter of attorney impowering you to receive it; I know not what the deductions will be at the pay office, but desire you will give my account credit for the net proceeds. I am in daily expectation of a bill from Virginia of £50, which I shall remit you towards the balance, and Mr. Hall will account with you for those things you have sent me that are put in his invoice. Our accounts agree, except that I have charged you £1 9s. 7d. for the Ainsworth sold James Read, the being the proportion of charges on that book, and the bill on Geo. Rigge my account calls £15 7s. 11d., yours £15 75. Id., which is but a small variation; and I know not but yours may be right. I have lately sent a printing-house to Antigua, by a very sober, honest, and diligent young man, who has already (as I am informed by divers hands) gained the friendship of the principal people, and is like to get into good business. This will open another market for your books if you think fit to use it; for I am persuaded that if you shall send him a parcel with any quantity of stationery he may write to you for, he will make you good and punctual returns. His name is Thomas Smith; he is the only printer on that island; had worked with me here, and in my printing-house in New York three or four years, and always behaved extremely well. Mr. Thomas Osborne, bookseller, of London, is endeavoring to open a correspondence in the plantations for the sale of his books. He has accordingly sent several parcels, 1 to Mr. Parker of New York, 1 to Mr. Read here, and I to Mr. Parks in Virginia. I have seen the invoices to Parker and Read, and observe the books to be very high charged, so that I believe they will not sell. I recommended Parker to you for books, but he tells me he has wrote you several letters, and in two of them sent a guinea to purchase some small things, but never received any answer. Perhaps the guineas made the letters miscarry. He is a very honest, punctual man, and will be in the way of selling a great many books: I think you might find your account in writing to him: Mr. Read having left off bookselling, Osborne has wrote to me and desired me to take those books into my hands, proposing a correspondence, etc., but I have declined it in a letter per this ship. My spouse will write to Mrs. Strahan, to whom my best respect. By this time twelvemonth, if nothing extraordinary happens to prevent it, I hope to have the pleasure of seeing you both in London; being, with great esteem and affection, dear sir, your obliged friend and servant, B. FRANKLIN. P. S.-You will find Mr. Geo. Smith, one of the witnesses to the power of attorney, at the Pennsylvania coffee-house. He goes over in this ship. TO WILLIAM STRAHAN Philadelphia, 23 November, 1748. DEAR SIR: I have just time to acquaint you that yours per Cowie is this moment come to hand, with Mr. Read's account, etc. I shall use my best endeavors to get your money, and am not without hopes of succeeding. I wrote you on the 19th past, and sent a power with the first of the enclosed certificates, which I hope will get safe to hand. You may depend on having the balance of my account in a few months. I am, sir, your obliged and humble servant, B. FRANKLIN. VOL. XII.-16. I have desired Dr. Mitchell to pay you three guineas, being the price of a fireplace sent him for the Duke of Argyle. TO J. READ 5 December, 1748. DEAR SIR:-'T is some time since I received a considerable account against you from England. An unwillingness to give you concern has hitherto prevented my mentioning it to you. By comparing the moderation and long forbearance toward you of Mr. Strahan, to whom you owe so much, with your treatment of an old friend in distress, bred up with you under the same roof, and who owes you so little, you may perceive how much you have misunderstood yourself. 'Tis with regret I now acquaint you that (even while you were talking to me in that lofty strain yesterday concerning Mr. Grace) I had in my pocket the power of attorney to recover of you £131 16s. 4d. sterling, a balance long due. It will be your own fault if it comes to be known, for I have mentioned it to nobody. And I now ask you how you would in your own case like those petty pieces of practice you so highly contended for, of summoning a day only before the court, lest the cause should be made up, and fees thereby prevented; and of carrying on a suit privately against a man in another county than that in which he lives and may every day be found, getting a judgment by default, and taking him by surprise with an execution when he happens to come where you have sued |