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its members, were selected by the Philosophical Society to prepare an eulogium to the memory of its founder; and the subscribers to the city library, who had just erected a handsome building for containing their books, left a vacant niche for a statue of their benefactor.

"This has since been placed there by the munificence of an estimable citizen of Philadelphia. It was imported from Italy; the name of the artist is Francis Lazzarini; it is composed of Carara marble, and cost 500 guineas.

"It was the first piece of sculpture of that size, which had been seen in America. Franklin is represented in a standing posture; one arm is supported by means of some books, in his right hand he wields an inverted sceptre, an emblem of his antimonarchical principles; and in his left, a scroll of paper. He is dressed in a Roman toga. The resemblance is correct; the head is a copy from the excellent bust produced by the chisel of Houdon. The following inscription is engraven on the pedestal :

THIS STATUE

of

DR. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN,

was presented by

WILLIAM BINGHAM, Esq.

1792.

"Franklin's life," (says the anonymous writer of the foregoing),

"affords

one of the finest moral lessons that can be offered up to the admiration, the applause, or the imitation of mankind.

"As a man, we have beheld him practising and inculcating the virtues of frugality, temperance, and industry.

"As a citizen, we have seen him repelling the efforts of tyranny, and ascertaining the liberty of his countrymen.

"As a legislator, he affords a bright example of a genius soaring above corruption, and continually aiming at the happiness of his constituents.

"As a politician, we survey him, on one hand, acquiring the aid of a powerful nation, by means of his skilful negotiations; and on the other, calling forth the common strength of a congress of republics, by fixing a central point to which they could all look up, and concentrating their common force, for the purposes of union, harmony, legislation, and defence.

"As a philosopher, his labors and his discoveries are calculated to advance the

interests of humanity: he might, indeed, have been justly termed the friend of man, the benefactor of the universe!

"The pursuits and occupations of his early youth afford a most excellent and instructive example to the young; his middle life, to the adult; his advanced years, to the aged. From him the poor may learn to acquire wealth, and the rich to adapt it to the purposes of beneficence.

"In regard to his character, he was rather sententious than fluent; more disposed to listen, than to talk; a judicious, rather than an engaging companion. He was what, perhaps, every able man is, impatient of interruption; for he used to mention the custom of the Indians with great applause, who, after listening with a profound attention to the observations of each other, preserve a respectful silence for some minutes, before they begin their own reply.

"He was polite in his manners, and never gave a pointed contradiction to the assertions of his friends or his antagonists, but treated every argument with great calmness, and conquered his adversaries rather by the force of reason, than assertion."

The following character of Dr. Franklin, by one of his intimate friends, is so ably and accurately drawn, that we cannot refrain adding it to the foregoing.

"There is, in the character of every distinguished person, something to admire, and something to imitate. The incidents, that have marked the life of a great man, always excite curiosity, and often afford improvement. If there be talents, which we can never expect to equal; if there be a series of good fortune, which we can never expect to enjoy, we still need not lose the labor of our biographical inquiries. We may probably become acquainted with habits, which it may be prudent to adopt—and discover virtues, which we cannot fail to applaud. It will be easy for the reader to make a full application of these remarks in his contemplations upon the late celebrated Dr. Franklin. By his death one of the best lights of the world may be said to be extinguished. I shall not attempt any historical details of the life of this illustrious patriot and philosopher, as I have nothing further in view than to make a few comments upon the most striking traits of his character.

Original genius was peculiarly his attribute. The native faculties of his mind qualified him to penetrate into every science and his unremitted diligence left no field of knowledge unexplored. There were no limits to his curiosity. His inquiries were spread over the whole face of nature. But the study of man seemed to be his highest delight and if his genius had any special bias, it lay in discovering those things that made men wiser and happier. As truth was the sole object of his

researches, he was of course no sectary and as reason was his guide, he embraced no system which that did not authorise. In short, he laid the whole volume of nature open before him, and diligently and faithfully perused it.

"Nor were his political attainments less conspicuous than his philosophical. The antients usually ranked good fortune among those circumstances of life which indicate merit. In this view Dr. Franklin is almost unrivalled, having seldom undertaken more than he accomplished. The world are too well acquainted with the events of his political career, to require, at this time, a particular enumeration of them. It may be presumed the historians of the American revolution will exhibit them in proper colors.

"If Dr. Franklin did not aspire after the splendor of eloquence, it was only because the demonstrative plainness of his manner was superior to it. Though he neither loved political debate, nor excelled in it, he still preserved much influence in public assemblies, and discovered an aptitude in his remarks, on all occasions. He was not fond of taking a leading part in such investigations, as could never terminate in any degree of certainty. To come forward in questions, which, in their nature, are indefinite, and, in their issue, problematical, does not comport with the caution of a man, who has taught himself to look for demonstration. He reserved his observations, for those cases, which science could enlighten, and common sense approve. The simplicity of his style was well adapted to the clearness of his understanding. His conceptions were so bright and perfect, that he did not choose to involve them in a cloud of expressions. If he used metaphors, it was to illustrate, and not to embellish the truth. A man, possessing such a lively imagery of ideas, should never affect the arts of a vain rhetorician, whose excellence consists only in a beautiful arrangement of words.

"But whatever claims to eminence Dr. Franklin may have, as a politician, or a scholar, there is no point of light, in which his character shines with more lustre, than when we view him as a man or a citizen. He was eminently great in common things. Perhaps no man ever existed, whose life can, with more justice, be denominated useful.—Nothing ever passed through his hands, without receiving improvement and no person ever went into his company, without gaining wisdom. His sagacity was so sharp, and his science so various, that, whatever might be the profession or occupation of those, with whom he conversed, he could meet every one upon his own ground. He could enliven every conversation with an anecdote, and conclude it with a moral.

"The whole tenor of his life was a perpetual lecture against the idle, the extrava

gant, and the proud. It was his principal aim to inspire mankind with a love of industry, temperance, and frugality; and to inculcate such duties as promote the important interests of humanity. He never wasted a moment of time, or lavished a farthing of money, in folly or dissipation. Such expenses as the dignity of his sta tion required, he readily sustained, limiting them by the strictest rules of propriety. Many public institutions experienced his well-timed liberality; and he manifested a sensibility of heart by numerous acts of private charity.

"By a judicious division of time, Dr. Franklin acquired the art of doing every thing to advantage; and his amusements were of such a nature, as could never militate with the main objects of his pursuit. In whatever situation he was placed by chance or design, he extracted something useful for himself or others. His lifewas remarkably full of incident. Every circumstance of it turned to some valuable account. The maxims, which his discerning mind has formed, apply to innumerable cases and characters. Those who move in the lowest, equally with those who move in the most elevated rank in society, may be guided by his instructions. In the private deportment of his life, he, in many respects, has furnished a most excellent model. His manners were easy and accommodating, and his address winning and respectful. All, who knew him, speak of him as a most agreeable man; and' all, who have heard of him, applaud him as a very useful one. A man so wise, and so amiable, could not but have many admirers, and many friends."

Dr. Franklin's sentiments respecting death, may be gathered from the following letter written by him upwards of forty years before, to his niece, Miss Hubbard, in condolence on the death of his brother, Mr. John Franklin, her father-in-law.

Philadelphia, Feb. 23, 1756.

"We have lost a most dear and valuable relation (and friend).—But, it is the will of God that these mortal bodies be laid aside when the soul is to enter into real life. Existing here is scarce to be called life; it is rather an embryo-state, a preparative to living; and man is not completely born till he is dead. Why, then, should we grieve that a new child is born among the immortals, a new. member added to their happy society?

"We are spirits That bodies should be lent while they can afford us pleasure, assist us in acquiring knowledge, or doing good, to our fellow-creatures, is a kind. and benevolent act of God. When they become unfit for these purposes, and. afford us pain instead of pleasure, instead of an aid become an incumbrance, and.

answer none of the intentions for which they were given, it is equally kind and benevolent that a way is provided, by which we may get rid of them.—Death is that way we ourselves prudently choose a partial death in some cases. A mangled painful limb, which cannot be restored, we willingly cut off. He who plucks out a tooth, parts with it freely, since the pain goes with it; and he that quits the whole body, parts at once with all the pains, and possibilities of pains and pleasures, it was liable to, or capable of making him suffer.

Our friend and we are invited abroad on a party of pleasure, that is to last for ever. His chaise was first ready, and he is gone before us. We could not all conveniently start together; and why should you and I be grieved at this, since we are soon to follow, and we know where to find him?"

Dr. Franklin's general sentiments of religion, are well depicted in the following extract of a letter, written shortly after his death; addressed to the Editor of these Memoirs.

"As I often had the satisfaction of conversing with that immortal sage, your grandsire, in his last illness, the following anecdotes may be of some use, as an additional testimony of facts interesting to mankind. The Doctor had sublime and affecting sentiments of religion. He believed that, by the invariable laws of God in the moral world, all crimes are punished either here or hereafter; and that consequently an evil deed can never be profitable in any case whatever: he was equally persuaded that every good act has its reward. Under a painful disease he expressed a firm confidence, that all the sufferings of this life are but as the momentary pricking of a pin, in comparison to the total happiness of our existence: he rejoiced in a speedy approach to the regions of bliss and life eternal. He dwelt with rapture on the felicity of beholding the glorious Father of Spirits, whose essence is incomprehensible to the wisest mortals; of contemplating his works in the higher worlds; and of conversing there with good fellow-creatures from every part of the universe.

"I have the honor to be, with great respect, Sir, your most obedient humble servant, NICHOLAS COLLIN."

may

P.S. The literal expressions are marked by italics.

With respect to Dr. Franklin's particular opinions on some religious points, they be ascertained from the early part of these memoirs, as well as from several of his letters on the subject, in his "Private Correspondence:" particularly in his Answer to the Reverend Dr. Stiles; which contains, in a few lines, his Religious

March 1, 1790. PART I.

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