"ters.

says Dr. Priestly, "which was more generally read " and admired in all parts of Europe, than those LetElectricans every where employed them"selves in repeating his experiments, or exhibiting "them for money. All the world, in a manner, and "even kings themselves, flocked to see them, and all "returned full of admiration for the inventor of "them."

Amidst this general admiration, Dr. Franklin himself continued to communicate his knowledge and discoveries under the humble appellation of conjectures or guesses: But no man ever made bolder or happier guesses, either in philosophy or politicks: He was likewise a bold experimenter in both. He had by accident received a discharge of two of his large electrical jars through his head, which struck him to the ground, but did him no lasting injury. He had likewise seen a young woman receive a still greater shock or discharge of electricity through her head, which she had inadvertently brought too near the conductor, which knocked her down; but she instantly got up, and complained of nothing further. This encouraged him to make the experiment on six men at the same time, the first placing his hand on the head of the second, and so on. He then discharged his two jars, by laying his conducting rod on the head of the first man. They all dropt together; thinking they had been struck down, as

it were, by some kind of magic, or secret operation of nature; declaring when they rose that they had neither seen the flash, nor heard the report of any discharge.

relative powers of different metals for conducting heat, which were accordingly made.

He revived and improved the harmonica, or glassichord, and extended his speculations to the finer arts; shewing that he could taste and criticise even the compositions of a Handel!

He left behind him some very curious thoughts and conjectures concerning “an universal fluid; the original formation of the earth; and how far, from attentive observations made during the summer, it may be possible to foretel the mildness or severity of the following winter." These were the fruits of some of his leisure hours at Passy, during his ministry at the court of France, where his time in general was devoted, with the greatest dignity, and the most splendid success, to the political objects of his mis

sion.

That success was much promoted by the high reputation which he sustained, as a patriot and philosopher, among the patriots and philosophers of a generous and enlightened nation. Of this the fullest testimony is to be found in the letters of condolence on his death*, from the national assembly of that country, to the President and Congress of the United States; and the public mourning decreed on that occasion-an honour, perhaps the first of the kind which has ever been paid by a public body of one nation to a citizen of another. But all nations considered

The Duke de la Rochefoucault made him acquainted with the cele brated Turgot who wrote the memorable motto under his portraitFripuit Cælo fulmen, mox sceptra Tyrannis.

themselves as being interested in him, and the homage was therefore more justly due to his manes and his name! And here I connot suppress another testimony of the veneration and esteem, in which his character was held by all ranks of people in France; as I have received it in a letter from his illustrious successor in the ministry to that nation.

"I feel, says he, both the wish and the duty to communicate, in compliance with your request, whatever, within my knowledge, might render justice to the memory of our great countryman Dr. Franklin; in whom philosophy has to deplore one of its principal luminaries extinguished. But my opportunities of knowing the interesting facts of his life have not been equal to my desire of making them known.

"I can only, therefore, testify in general, that there appeared to me more respect and veneration attached to the character of Dr. Franklin in France, than to that of any other person in the same country, foreign or native. I had opportunities of knowing particularly how far these sentiments were felt, by the foreign ambassadors and ministers at the court of Versailles. The fable of his capture by the Algerines, propagated by the English news-papers, excited no uneasiness, as it was seen at once to be a dish cooked up to please certain readers; but nothing could exceed the anxiety of his diplomatic brethren on a subsequent report of his death, which, although premature bore some marks of authenticity.

* Mr. Jefferson..

"I found the ministers of France equally impressed with his talents and integrity. The count de Vergennes, particularly, gave me repeated and unequivocal demonstrations of his entire confidence in him.

"When he left Passy, it seemed as if the village had lost its patriarch. On taking leave of the court, which he did by letter, the king ordered him to be handsomely complimented, and furnished him with a litter, and mules of his own, the only kind of conveyance the state of his health could bear.

"The succession to Dr. Franklin, at the court of France, was an excellent school of humility to me. On being presented to any one, as the minister of America, the common-place question was "c'est vous, Monsieur, qui remplacez le Docteur Franklin?"-it is you, Sir, who replace Doctor Franklin! I generally answered " No one can replace him, Sir; I am only his successor."

"I could here relate a number of those bons mots, with which he was used to charm every society, as having heard many of them; but these are not your object. Particulars of greater dignity happened not to occur, during his stay of nine months after my arrival in France.

A little before that time, Argand had invented his celebrated lamp, in which the flame is spread into a hollow cylinder, and thus brought into contact with the air, within as well as without. Dr. Franklin had been on the point of the same discovery. The idea had occurred to him; but he had tried a bull-rush as a wick, which did not succeed. His occupations

did not permit him to repeat and extend his trials to the introduction of a larger column of air, than could pass through the stem of a bull-rush.

“About that time, also, the king of France gave him a signal testimony of respect, by joining him with some of the most illustrious men of the nation, to examine that ignis fatuus of philosophy, the animal magnetism of the maniac, MESMER; the pretended effects of which had astonished all Paris. By Dr. Franklin's hand, in conjunction with his brethren of the learned committee, that compound of fraud and folly was unveiled, and received its death wound. After this nothing very interesting was before the public, either in philosophy or politics, during his stay; and he was principally occupied in winding up his affairs, and preparing for his return to America.

"These small offerings to the memory of our great and dear friend, (whom time will be making still greater, while it is spunging us from its records) must be accepted by you, Sir, in that spirit of love and veneration for him, in which they are made; and not according to their insignificancy in the eyes of a world, which did not want this mite to fill up the measure of his worth.

"His death was an affliction which was to happen to us at sometime or other. We have reason to be thankful he was so long spared; that the most useful life should be the longest also; that it was protracted so far beyond the ordinary span allotted to humanity, as to avail us of his wisdom and virtue in the establishment of our freedom in the west; and to bless him with a view of its dawn in the east, where