Copy 1

The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin / published verbatim from the original manuscript by his grandson William Temple Franklin ; edited by Jared Sparks.

  • Benjamin Franklin
Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin / published verbatim from the original manuscript by his grandson William Temple Franklin ; edited by Jared Sparks. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    gave me information, that my old friend Ralph was still alive ; that he was esteemed one of the best political writers in Eng- land; had been employed in the dispute between Prince Fre- derick and the King, and had obtained a pension of three hundred pounds a-year; that his reputation was indeed small as a poet, Pope having damned his poetry in the Dunciad;, but his prose was thought as good as any man’s. The Assembly finally finding the Proprietary obstinately persisted in shackling the deputies with instructions incon~ sistent not only with the privileges of the people, but with the service of the crown, resolved to petition the King against them, and appointed me their agent to go over to England, to present and support the petition. The House had sent up a bill to the Governor, granting a sum of sixty thousand pounds for the King’s-use, (ten thousand pounds of which was sub- jected to the orders of the then General, Lord Loudoun,) which the Governor, in compliance with his instructions, ab- solutely refused to pass. I had agreed with Captain Morris, of the packet at New York, for my passage, and my stores were put on board; when Lord. Loudoun arrived at Philadelphia, expressly, as he told me, to endeavour an accommodation between the Gover- nor and Assembly, that His Majesty’s service might not be obstructed by their dissensions. Accordingly he desired the Governor and myself to meet him, that he might hear what was to be said on both sides. We met and discussed the business. In behalf of the Assembly, I urged the various arguments, that may be found in the public papers of that time, which were of my writing, and are printed with the minutes of the Assembly; and the Governor pleaded his in- structions, the bond he had given to observe them, and. his ruin if he disobeyed; yet seemed not unwilling to hazard himself, if Lord Loudoun would advise it. This his Lordship did not choose to do, though I once thought I had nearly prevailed with him to do it; but finally he rather chose to urge the compliance of the Assembly; and he entreated me to use my endeavours with them for that purpose, declaring that he would spare none of the King’s troops for the defence of our frontiers, and that, if we did not continue to provide for that defence ourselves, they must remain exposed to the enemy. I acquainted the House with what had passed, and—pre- senting them with a set of resolutions I had drawn up, declaring our rights, that we did not relinquish our claim to
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