literarum, palmam nobilem sustulisti. Namque Virga cuspidata tua immortalem tibi gloriam acquisivit. Quoties enim vel ubicunque terrarum, cœli fulgure scintillant, et tonitrua terribilia evomunt; toties cuncta gens hominum FRANKLINO benedicent, qui cœlitùs edocuit, utì fatale lethum inter nubes incassùm volitaret, donec à metallicis cuspidibus innoxium delabatur:-nisi nubes negativè se habent (ut aiunt hujus artis amatores); unde virgis hisce ferreis, electricitatis æstus, aut è nubibus in terrâ, vel è terrâ in nubibus fluant liberè atque refluant. O mirabunda inventio! ad acerrimi ingenii acumen vel à Deo detecta! ad tremendos impetus tonitrû depellendos; unde domicilia nostra, tecta, et delubra, et templorum turres radiatæ, vitæ denique omnium, nos, conjuges, liberique nostri, è nubium clangoribus perhorrendis, tremendoque cœlorum armamento salvi eripimur, et servamur. Nec tremimus dum cæli coruscantes horrent; sed grandi et augustâ quâdam voluptate, scintillationes eorum spectamus, et armorum cœlestium sonitus à polo resonantes reboantesque exaudimus; donec modò serenum fit æther, iterùm tempestate peractâ tranquillant omnia, et omnia rident.

O machina simplicissima! cujus ope, non mulierculæ imbelles pavidæque tantùm, sed viri immo fortes (ut nihil dicam de leonibus fortissimisque animalibus, quæ tonitruum clangoribus manifestè conturbantur et horrent) à periculosissimis tempestatibus conservarentur: nosque è mediis Naturæ convulsionibus DEUM O. M. adoramus-et almo FRANKLINO benedicimus et avemus.

Neque philosophus tantùm est noster Mæcenas, auditores, sed patriæ suæ fidelis amator. Quantâ sagacitate discernit, et quantâ fide ejus emolumento consulit?-Ad millennium beatum, memoria tua, ô vir nobilissime (quivis enim vir dignus, est nobilis), castè advenerit; et inter posteros jam inde in perpetuum memoretur nomen tuum, donec teinpus

Feri cessabit. Quantam, ecce quantam, et quàm latam, et quàm diuturnam, gloriam verò æternam acquisivisti! Non enim brevibus hisce vitæ humanæ spațiis, vel mundi ipsius sæclis periodisvè terminabitur: sed dehinc longissumè spectat, immo ad ceteras mundi moralis regiones, per ingentes et innumeros et altiores intelligentium ordines, denique per sæcula æterna revirebit. Ad alios mundos, noster nuper Newtonus forsau, seu Gabriel, meritas FRANKLINI laudes resonabit. Nonne audire videor quempiam ex ordinibus heroüm cœlestium easdem enarrantem, et eloquio cœlesti exornantem?-Et ab angelis cani et celebrari-nonne gestit cor tuum, nonne exultat animus tuus, ô alme hominum amice ? -Nonne video vultu tuo hanc gloriæ futuræ prælibationem?--Immo triumphos immortales anticipantem video.

Nec dubito inter cœlestes choros quin celebretur vel parvula gloria inferiorve virtus intelligentium, è regionibus mundi moralis remotissimis (ex ubicunque per DEI Dominium) advecta, Per immensum Universi theatrum, quicquid hic et inde præclarè actum, laudatione meritâ denarrari credimus. Nec sumus progenies tam ignobilis aut inanis, quemadmodum desuper de nobis nihil curetur, aut ab almo naturæ Parente derelinquamur. Jure ergò credamus DEUM, et nos, et nostri minutissimos, et singulorum gloriam vel parvulam adnotaturum: nec clarorum merita virorum patefacta, ab incolarum notitiâ Superum ac laudatione evanitura, arbitror.

Volat autem, quàm celerè volat vitæ hujusce curriculum! -Quàm inanes ergò terrena gloriarum ployés! Regiones ad alias, et altiores, et jucundiores scenas, citò migratum iveris ; ---ubi cùm perveneris, quantillos et quàm parvulos hominum cunctarum gentium honores videbis!-Inter acclamationes totius mundi moralis, et triumphos generales, quàm exigui fient! Aureum illud honoris emblema, quo nuper decorabaris, musarumque laurus, et gratulationes omnium gentium, er

quàm evanescent!-Puerorum nugæ videbuntur æmulatoriæ, et ineptiæ futiles. Gaudia autem stabiliora è largiori famâ et magis diuturna provenient. Jure aveas quantumvis amplissimam humani generis benevolentiam; tamen beandis hominibus, largioris gloriæ amplitudine, incendiis et dulcedine, et honoribus nunquam finiendis animeris.

Gratulationes ideo, vir optime, nostras de tuis accumulatis honoribus, in bonam partem de nobis accipias petimus. Grates quoque addimus hasce publicas ob peramplam tuam erga Academiam nostram generositatem, præclarâ donatione Apparatus Electrici tui. Salve iterum atque iterum, ô philosophorum princeps; plurima tibi præmia, plurimos honores, plurimamque gloriam exoptamus. Dixi.

SOME ANECDOTES RELATIVE TO DR. FRANKLIN.

DR. FRANKLIN, when a child, found the long graces used by his father before and after meals very tedious. One day after the winter's provisions had been salted,-" I think, Father," said Benjamin, "if you were to say grace over the whole cask-once for all-it would be a vast saving of time."

In his travels through New England, Franklin had observed, that when he went into an inn, every individual of the family had a question or two to propose to him, relative to his history; and that, till each was satisfied, and they had conferred and compared together their information, there was no possi

bility of procuring any refreshment.-Therefore the moment he went into any of these places, he inquired for the master, the mistress, the sons, the daughters, the men-servants, and the maid-servants; and having assembled them all together, he began in this manner: "Good people, I am Benjamin Franklin of Philadelphia; by trade a printer; and a bachelor; I have some relations at Boston, to whom I am going to make a visit: my stay will be short, and I shall then return and follow my business, as a prudent man ought to do. This is all I know of myself, and all I can possibly inform you of; I beg, therefore, that you will have pity upon me and my horse, and give us both some refreshment."

When Franklin came to England previous to the breaking out of the American war, he went to Mr. Hett's Printing Office in Wild Court, Wild Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, and entering the press-room, he went up to a particular press,' and thus addressed the two men who were working: "Come, my friends, we will drink together; it is now forty years since I worked like you at this press as journeyman printer :" on this he sent for a gallon of porter, and they drank “success to printing."

In one of the assemblies in America, wherein there was a majority of Presbyterians, a law was proposed to forbid the praying for the King by the Episcopalians; who, however, could not conveniently omit that prayer, it being prescribed in their Liturgy. Dr. Franklin, one of the members, seeing that such a law would occasion more disturbance than it was

'This press is now in the possession of Messrs. Cox and Baylis, Great Queen Street.

worth, said, that he thought it quite unnecessary, for, added he, "those people have, to my certain knowledge, been praying constantly these twenty years past, that God would give to the King and his counsel wisdom,' and we all know that not the least notice has ever been taken of that prayer; so that it is plain they have no interest in the court of Heaven." The house smiled, and the motion was' dropt.

In Philadelphia, where there are no noblesse, but the inhabitants are all either merchants or mechanics, the merchants, many years since, set up an assembly for dancing, and desiring to make a distinction, and to assume a rank above the mechanics, they at first proposed this among the rules for regulating the assembly, "that no mechanic or mechanic's wife or daughter should be admitted on any terms." These rules being shown by a manager to Dr. Franklin for his opinion, he remarked, that one of them excluded GOD ALMIGHTY," How so?" said the manager. " Because," replied the Doctor, "he is notoriously the greatest mechanic in the universe; having, as the Scripture testifies, made all things, and that by weight and measure." The intended new gentlemen became ashamed of their rule, and struck it out.

About the year 1752, Dr. Franklin having entered into a correspondence with Samuel Johnson, doctor of divinity in the University of Oxford, and afterwards president of King's College, in New York, and having endeavored to induce the latter to accept the presidency of the College at Philadelphia, and as an additional motive to his doing so, having offered to procure the erection of a new Episcopal church for him in that city; and Doctor Johnson having expressed some doubts respecting the propriety of such a