1760. TO CHARLES CARROLL 1

DEAR FRIEND,

1

Philadelphia, May 25, 1789.

I am glad to see by the papers, that our grand machine has at length begun to work. I pray God to bless and guide its operations. If any form of government is capable of making a nation happy, ours I think bids fair now for producing that effect. But, after all, much depends upon the people who are to be governed. We have been guarding against an evil that old States are most liable to, excess of power in the rulers; but our present danger seems to be defect of obedience in the subjects. There is hope, however, from the enlightened state of this age and country, we may guard effectually against that evil as well as the rest.

My grandson, William Temple Franklin, will have the honour of presenting this line. He accompanied me to France, and remained with me during my mission. I beg leave to recommend him to your notice, and that you would believe me, my dear friend, yours most affectionately,

B. FRANKLIN.

1761. TO PHILIP KINSEY

(A. P. S.)

May 25, 1789.

DR FRANKLIN presents his respectful Compliments to M' Kinsey, and is persuaded there is some Mistake in the Sup

1 Mr. Carroll was at this time a senator in Congress from Maryland. The first Congress under the new Constitution had recently convened in New York. In March, 1776, Dr. Franklin and Mr. Carroll had been joint commissioners, appointed by the Continental Congress with instructions to form a union between the Canadas and the United Colonies. - S.

This letter is printed from Sparks, Vol. X, p. 392. — ED.

position that the Box in question was ever lent to him, his Memory being still pretty good, and it affording not the least Trace of any such Transaction.1

1762. TO RICHARD PRICE'

MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,

(L. C.)

Philad*, May 31, 1789.

I lately received your kind Letter, inclosing one from Miss Kitty Shipley, informing me of the good Bishop's Decease, which afflicted me greatly. My Friends drop off one after another, when my Age and Infirmities prevent my making new Ones; & if I still retained the necessary Activity and Ability, I hardly see among the existing Generation where I could make them of equal Goodness: So that the longer I live I must expect to be very wretched. As we draw nearer the Conclusion of Life, Nature furnishes with more Helps to wean us from it, among which one of the most powerful is the Loss of such dear Friends.

1 Written by Franklin on the back of the following letter from Kinsey: "Philip Kinseys most respectful Compliments to Doctor Franklin. His Brother James Kinsey, then in this City, more than thirty Years since, lent the Doctor a mahogany Box containing sundry geometrical solid Bodies, being the first six Books of Euclid's Elements formd of Box Wood, which were never returnd; P. K. has the other Box containing the Figures of the other six Books, both which cost twenty four Guineas, lately recover'd from another Person who had had them so long that they were forgot, if that which the Doctor borrow'd can be obtaind in good Order which he hopes may be done P. K. can dispose of them for perhaps as much Currency as they cost sterling, or if the Doctor would like to have them the other Box shall be sent him. Enquiry was made for them at the Doctors House during his first Absence, but his Wife & Daughter knew nothing of them

May 25th Monday 4. o'Clock." - ED.

2 This letter is written in lead pencil, as are most of the later letters written by Franklin.

Ed.

I send you with this the two Volumes of our Transactions, as I forget whether you had the first before. If you had, you will please to give this to the French Ambassador, requesting his Conveyance of it to the good Duke de la Rochefoucauld.

My best Wishes attend you, being with sincere and great Esteem, my dear Friend, yours most affectionately,

B. FRANKLIN.

1763. OBSERVATIONS

RELATIVE TO THE INTENTIONS OF THE ORIGINAL FOUNDERS OF THE ACADEMY IN PHILADELPHIA.

JUNE, 1789 (L. C.)

As the English School in the Academy has been, and still continues to be, a Subject of Dispute and Discussion among the Trustees since the Restitution of the Charter, and it has been propos'd that we should have some Regard to the original Intention of the Founders in establishing that School, I beg leave for your Information, to lay before you what I know of that Matter originally, and what I find on the Minutes relating to it, by which it will appear how far the Design of that School has been adher'd to or neglected.

Having acquir'd some little Reputation among my FellowCitizens, by projecting the Public Library in 1732, and obtaining the Subscriptions by which it was establish'd, and by proposing and promoting with Success sundry other Schemes of Utility, in 1749 I was encouraged to hazard another Project, that of a Public Education for our Youth. As in the Scheme of the Library I had provided only for English Books, so in this new Scheme my Ideas went no farther than to

procure the Means of a good English Education. A Number of my Friends, to whom I communicated the Proposal, concurr'd with me in these Ideas; but Mr. Allen, Mr. Francis, Mr. Peters, and some other Persons of Wealth and Learning, whose Subscriptions and Countenance we should need, being of Opinion that it ought to include the learned Languages, I submitted my Judgment to theirs, retaining however a strong Prepossession in favour of my first Plan, and resolving to preserve as much of it as I could, and to nourish the English School by every Means in my Power.

Before I went about to procure Subscriptions, I thought it proper to prepare the Minds of the People by a Pamphlet, which I wrote, and printed, and distributed with my Newspapers, gratis: The Title was, Proposals relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania. I happen to have preserv'd one of them; and by reading a few Passages it will appear how much the English Learning was insisted upon in it; and I had good reason to know that this was a prevailing Part of the Motives for Subscribing with most of the original Benefactors.1 I met with but few Refusals in soliciting the Subscriptions; and the Sum was the more considerable, as I had put the Contribution on this footing that it was not to be immediate and the whole paid at once, but in Parts, a Fifth annually during Five Years. To put the Machine in

1 That the Rector be a man of good understanding, good morals, diligent and patient, learned in the languages and sciences, and a correct, pure speaker and writer of the English tongue; to have such tutors under him as shall be necessary.

The English language might be taught by grammar; in which some of our best writers, as Tillotson, Addison, Pope, Algernon Sidney, Cato's Letters, &c. should be classics; the styles principally to be cultivated being the clear and the concise. Reading should also be taught, and pronouncing properly, distinctly, emphatically; not with an even tone, which under-does, nor a theatrical, which over-does nature.

The Engish Tonga s v * *** **MA/ carly, and is a Langue.”

Page 4 In recity & Calderón of the Posod appointed Rector, à is said that grau Regumi is so de dad ao his polite Speaking, Writing, and Understanding ide Dad Tongue."

The Rector was to have Two Hundred Pounds a Your, for w he was to be obliged to "teach 20 Boys, without any Assistance, and 25 more for every Usher provided for him, the Latin and Greek Languages; and at the same time in struct them in History, Geography, Chronology, Logic, Rhetoric, and the English Tongue.”