I am very sensible, sir, that this must have been a disagreeable affair to you, and I am the more obliged. The very [mutilated] and generous manner in which you have executed it will ever demand my thankful acknowledgment, which I beg you to accept, and believe me, with the sincerest esteem and respect, sir, your most obedient and most humble servant, B. FRANKLIN.

TO WILLIAM STRAHAN

Saturday, 14 June [probably 1762]. Mr. Franklin's compliments to Mr. Strahan, and out of pure kindness to him offers him an opportunity of exercising his benevolence as a man and his charity as a Christian. One Spencer, formerly a merchant of figure and credit in North America, being by various misfortunes reduced to poverty, is here in great distress, and would be made happy by any employment that would only enable him to eat, which he looks as if he had not done for some time. He is well acquainted with accounts, and writes a very fair hand, as Mr. S may see by the enclosed letter. His expectations that brought him over, which are touched on in that letter, are at an end. He is a very honest man, but too much dispirited to put himself forward. Cannot some smouting in the writing way be got for him? Or some little clerkship? which he would execute very faithfully. He is at Mr. Cooper's at the Hat and Feather, Snow Hill. Mr. F has done what he could to serve him (to little purpose, indeed), and now leaves him as a legacy to good Mr. Strahan.

TO JARED INGERSOLL'

PHILADELPHIA, II December 1762.

DEAR SIR: I thank you for your kind congratulations. It gives me pleasure to hear from an old friend; it will give me much more pleasure to see him. I hope, therefore, nothing will prevent the journey you propose for next summer and the favor you intend me of a visit. I believe I must make a journey early in the spring to Virginia, but purpose being back again before the hot weather. You will be kind enough to let me know beforehand what time you expect to be here, that I may not be out of the way, for that would mortify me exceedingly.

I should be glad to know what it is that distinguishes Connecticut religion from common religion. Communicate, if you please, some of these particulars that you think will amuse me as a virtuoso. When I travelled in Flanders, I thought of your excessively strict observation of Sunday; and that a man could hardly travel on that day among you upon his lawful occasions without hazard of punishment; while, where I was, every one travelled, if he pleased, or diverted himself in any other way; and in the afternoon both high and low went to the play or the opera, where there was plenty of singing, fiddling, and dancing. I looked around for God's judgments, but saw no signs of them. The cities were well built and full of inhabitants, the markets filled with plenty, the people well favored and well clothed, the fields well tilled, the cattle fat and strong, the fences,

1 From the papers in the New Haven Colony Historical Society Collection.

houses, and windows all in repair, and no Old Tenor anywhere in the country; which would almost make one suspect that the Deity is not so angry at that offence as a New England Justice.

I left our friend Mr. Jackson well, and I had the great happiness of finding my little family well when I came home, and my friends as cordial and more numerous than ever. May every prosperity attend you and yours. I am, dear friend, yours affectionately,

B. FRANKLIN.

TO WILLIAM STRAHAN

28 March, 1763.

I have received your favors of October 20th and November 1st by my son, who is safely arrived with my new daughter. I thank you for your friendly congratulations on his promotion. I am just returned from a journey I made with him through his government, and had the pleasure of seeing him everywhere received with the utmost respect and even affection of all ranks of people. As to myself, I mentioned to you in a former letter that I found my friends here more numerous and as hearty as ever. It had been industriously reported that I had lived very extravagantly in England, and wasted a considerable sum of the public money, which I had received out of your treasury for the Province; but the Assembly, when they came to examine my accounts and allow me for my services, found themselves £2,214 10s. d. sterling in my debt,

to the utter confusion of the propagators of that falsehood, and the surprise of all they had made to believe it. The House accordingly ordered that sum to be paid me, and that the Speaker should, moreover, present me with their thanks for my fidelity, etc., in transacting their affairs. I congratulate you on the glorious peace your ministry have made, the most advantageous to Britain, in my opinion, of any your annals have recorded. As to the places left or restored to France, I conceive our strength will now soon increase to so great a degree in North America that in any future war we may with ease redeem them all; and therefore I look upon them as so many hostages or pledges of good behavior from that perfidious nation. Your pamphlets and papers, therefore, that are wrote against the peace with some plausibility, give me pleasure, as I hope the French will read them and be persuaded they have made an excellent bargain.

ΤΟ

9 May, 1763.

I congratulate you sincerely on the signing of the definitive treaty, which, if agreeable to the preliminaries, gives us peace the most advantageous as well as glorious that was ever before attained by Britain. Throughout this continent I find it universally approved and applauded; and am glad to find the same sentiment prevailing in your Parliament and the unbiased part of the nation. Grumblers there will

always be among you, where power and places are worth striving for, and those who cannot obtain them are angry with all that stand in their way. Such would have clamored against a ministry not their particular friends, even if instead of Canada and Louisiana they had obtained a cession of the kingdom of heaven.

cause.

TO WILLIAM STRAHAN

NEW YORK, 28 June, 1763.

DEAR FRIEND:-You will hear before this reaches you that the Indians have renewed their hostilities. They have not as usual made any previous complaint, and various conjectures are therefore made of the Some think it is merely to secure their hunting countries, which they apprehend we mean to take from them by force and turn them into plantations, though the apprehension is without ground; others, that too little notice of them has been taken since the reduction of Canada, no presents made them as before; others, that they are offended at the prohibition of selling them rum or powder, but I do not find this prohibition has been general, and as to powder, that enough has been allowed them all for their hunting; others, that they acquired a relish for plunder in the late war, and would again enjoy the sweets of it; others, that it is the effect of a large belt sent among them by the French commander in the Illinois country before he heard of the peace, to excite them to renew the war and assure them of