TO MR. HUTTON, London. My dear old friend has here the paper he desired.—We have had a marble monument made at Paris for the brave General Montgomery, which is gone to America. If it should fall into the hands of any of your cruisers, I expect you will exert yourself to get it restored to us, because I know the generosity of your temper, which likes to do handsome things, as well as to make returns. You see we are unwilling to rob the hospital, we hope your people will be found as averse to pillaging the dead. Adieu. Yours, B. FRANKLIN. Passy, June 23, 1778. With the same wonted philanthropy, and with a view to the advancement of science, natural history, and navigation, Dr. Franklin, shortly after, as minister plenipotentiary from the United States of America, issued a protection for Captain Cook, his vessel and people, against all American cruisers.' may stand in need of. Wherein I am confident your conduct will be approved by the congress and your owners. Given at Passy, near Paris, this .. day of.... (Scal.) .... B. FRANKLIN, Minister Plenipotentiary from the United P. S. The same request is respectfully made to the commanders of armed vessels belonging to France and Spain, friends of the said United States. B. Franklin. To all Captains and Commanders of armed ships acting by Commission from the Congress of the United States of America, now in war with Great Britain. Gentlemen, A ship having been fitted out from England before the commencement of this war, to make discoveries of new countries in unknown seas, under the conduct of that most celebrated navigator, Captain Cook; an undertaking truly laudable in itself, as the increase of geographical knowledge facilitates the communication between distant nations, in the exchange of useful products and manufactures, and the extension of arts, whereby the common enjoyments of human life are multiplied and augmented, and science of other kinds increased to the benefit of mankind in general: this is, therefore, most earnestly to recommend to every one of you, that in case the said ship, which is now expected to be soon in the European seas on her return, should happen to fall into your hands, you would not consider her as an enemy, nor suffer any plunder to be made of the effects contained in her, nor obstruct her immediate return to England by detaining her or sending her into any other part Dr. Kippis, a distinguished literary character, who published a Biographical Dictionary, had asserted, in his Life of Captain Cook, upon what he deemed authority, that Dr. Franklin's orders, as above, were instantly reversed, and that it was directed by Congress, to seize Captain Cook, if an opportunity of doing it occurred but Dr. Kippis finding that the information he had published was false, addressed a letter to the editor of the Gentlenian's Magazine, in September, 1795, and therein publicly acknowledged his mistake. Indeed the magnanimous proceeding of Dr. Franklin in writing the passport was so well known in England, and the sentiments it manifested so much approved by the British government itself, that, when Cook's Voyage was printed, the admiralty board sent a copy of the work, in three volumes quarto, to Dr. Franklin, accompanied with the elegant collection of plates, and a very polite letter from Lord Howe, signifying, that the present was made with the King's express approbation: and the royal society having, in honor of that illustrious navigator, one of their members, struck some gold medals to be distributed among his friends and the friends of his voyage; one of those medals was also sent to Dr. Franklin, by order of the society, together with a letter from their president, Sir Joseph Banks, expressing likewise, that it was sent with the approbation of the King. Another opportunity occurred some time after, for Dr. Franklin to give an additional proof of his benevolence; of which he availed himself, in granting a similar protection to a vessel sent with provisions and clothing, as a charitable donation from the citizens of Dublin to certain sufferers in the West Indies.1 In short, Dr. Franklin through life, let no opportunity escape him, either in a public or private situation, in which, by any act of his, he could be useful to his fellow creatures, whether friends or enemies. No one who did not witness it, can conceive how much his reputation as a philo of Europe or to America, but that you would treat the said Captain Cook and his people with all civility and kindness, affording them, as common friends to mankind, all the assistance in your power which they may happen to stand in need of. In so doing you will not only gratify the generosity of your own dispositions, but there is no doubt of your obtaining the approbation of the congress, and your other American owners. I have the honor to be, Gentlemen, your most obedient humble servant, Given at Passy, near Paris, this 10th day of March 1779. B. FRANKLIN, Minister Plenipotentiary from the congress of the See PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE, 2d Ed. vol. 1. p 72. sopher, and his situation as American minister, subjected him to the applications of projectors, speculators, and adventurers of all descriptions. The following memorandums of only one day's annoyance of this nature, taken from a little journal he kept, may tend to give some idea of it. "Passy, Sunday, Dec. 13, 1778. A. M. "A man came to tell me he had invented a machine, which would go of itself, without the help of a spring, weight, air, water, or any of the elements, or the labor of man or beast; and with force sufficient to work four machines for cutting tobacco; that he had experienced it ; would shew it me if I would come to his house, and would sell the secret of it for two hundred louis. I doubted it, but promised to go to him in order to see it. "A Mons. Coder came with a proposition in writing, to levy 600 men, to be employed in landing on the coast of England and Scotland, to burn and ransom towns and villages, in order to put a stop to the English proceedings in that way in America. I thanked him, and told him I could not approve it, nor had I any money at command for such purposes; moreover that it would not be permitted by the government here. "A man came with a request that I would patronize and recommend to government, an invention he had, whereby a hussar might so conceal his arms and habiliments, with provision for twenty-four hours, as to appear a common traveller; by which means a considerable body might be admitted into a town, one at a time, unsuspected, and afterwards assembling, surprise it. I told him I was not a military man, of course no judge of such matters, and advised him to apply to the Bureau de la Guerre. He said he had no friends, and so could procure no attention.—The number of wild schemes proposed to me is so great, and they have heretofore taken so much of my time, that I begin to reject all, though possibly some of them may be worth notice. "Received a parcel from an unknown philosopher,1 who submits to my consideration a memoir on the subject of elementary fire, containing experiments in a dark chamber. It seems to be well written, and is in English, with a little tincture of French idiom. I wish to see the experiments, without which I cannot well judge of it." About the commencement of the year 1781, Dr. Franklin, from his age, infirmities, and the confinement of business, began to be weary of his situation as minister at the court of France, and requested leave to retire; as will appear by the following extract from one of his public dispatches to the president of congress. Passy, 12th March, 1781. —“ I must now beg leave to say something relating to myself, a subject with which I have not often troubled the congress. I have passed my 75th year, and I find that the long and severe fit of the gout which I had the last winter, has shaken me exceedingly, and I am yet far from having recovered the bodily strength I before enjoyed. I do not know that my mental faculties are impaired; perhaps I shall be the last to discover that; but I am sensible of great diminution in my activity, a quality I think particularly necessary in your minister for this court. I am afraid, therefore, that your affairs may some time or other suffer by my deficiency. I find also that the business is too heavy for me, and too confining. The constant attendance at home, which is necessary for receiving and accepting your bills of exchange, (a matter foreign to my ministerial functions) to answer letters, and perform other parts of my employment, prevent my taking the air and exercise which my annual journies formerly used to afford me, and which contributed much to the preservation of my health. There are many other little personal attentions which the infirmities of age render necessary to an old man's comfort, even perhaps in some degree to the continuance of his existence, and with which business often interferes. I have been engaged in public affairs, and enjoyed public confidence, in some shape or other, during the long term of fifty years, an honor sufficient to satisfy any reasonable ambition; and I have now no other left but the repose, which I hope the congress will grant me, by sending some person to supply my place. At the same time I beg they may be assured, that it is not any the least doubt of their success in the glorious cause, nor any disgust received in their service, that induces me to decline it, but purely and simply the reasons above-mentioned. And as I cannot at present undergo the fatigues of a sea voyage (the last having been almost too much for me,) and would not again expose myself to the hazard of capture and imprisonment in this time of war, I purpose to remain here at least till the peace; perhaps it may be for the remainder of my life; and if any knowledge or experience I have acquired at this court may be thought of use to my successor, I shall freely communicate it, and assist him with any influence I may be supposed to have, or counsel that may be desired of me." For the remainder of this letter, see Private Correspondence, 2d Ed. vol. 1. p. 76. The congress refused to comply with this request, which Dr. Franklin thus notices in a letter to a friend : August 24, 1781. "The congress have done me the honor to refuse accepting my resignation, and insist on my continuing in their service till the peace. I must therefore buckle again to the business, and thank God that my health and spirits are of late improved. I fancy it may have been a double mortification to those enemies you have mentioned to me, that I should ask as a favor what they hoped to vex me by taking from me; and that I should nevertheless be continued. But these sort of considerations should never influence our conduct. We ought always to do what appears best to be done, without much regarding what others may think of it. I call this continuance an honor, and I really esteem it to be greater than my first appointment, when I consider that all the interest of my enemies, united with my own request, were not sufficient to prevent it." In consequence of this decision of the congress, Dr. Franklin thought it his duty to continue in his situation, in spite of all personal considerations; and did so for many years after, to the great advantage of his country. A friend of Dr. Franklin's having written to him to urge his continuance as minister, and making him some flattering compliments on the occasion, the Dr. thus replied: "Your comparison of the key-stone of an arch is very pretty, tending to make me content with my situation. But I suppose you have heard our story of the harrow: if not, here it is. A farmer in our country sent two of his servants to borrow one of a neighbour, ordering them to bring it between them on their shoulders. When they came to look at it, one of them who had much wit, said, What could our master mean by sending only two men to bring this harrow? no two men upon earth are strong enough to carry it. Poh! said the other, who was vain of his strength, what do you talk of two men, one man may carry it; help it upon my shoulders and you shall see. As he proceeded with it, the wag kept exclaiming, zounds! how strong you are! I could not have thought it! Why, you are a Samson! There is not such another man in America. What amazing strength God has given you! But you will kill yourself! Pray put it down and rest a little, or let me bear a part of the weight. No, no, said he, being more encouraged by the compliments, than oppressed by the burden; you shall see I can carry it quite |