The medical side of Benjamin Franklin / by William Pepper.

William Pepper

Date:: 1911

Credit: The medical side of Benjamin Franklin / by William Pepper. Source: Wellcome Collection.

170/202 page 102

$to be domesticated in his family. He introduced me to a number of his literary friends. He once took me to Court with him, and pointed out to me many of the most distinguished public characters of the nation. I never visited him without learning something. I shall mention a proof of his kindness to me in another place. . . . In February I set out for Paris with letters of introduction from Dr. Franklin, to several of his philosophical friends. When I paited with the Doctor he asked me, “how I was provided with money for my jaunt. I told him I believed I had enough. “ Perhaps not, you may be exposed to unexpected expenses; here,” said he, “is a credit upon a banker in Paris for two or three hundred guineas.” I thankfully accepted his kind and generous offer. The issue of it will be mentioned hereafter. Nothing worth relating occurred in my journey to Paris. I arrived there in a few days after I left London, and was introduced by means of my letters to the following persons, Messrs. Dubourg, a phys¬ ician, Le Roy, an Academician, Roux, Raume, Macquair, Chemists, Sue, the Anatomist, Nollet, lecturer upon natural philosophy, Jessieu, botanist to the king, Diderot, the philosopher and friend to Voltaire, and some others of less note. Ry means of Dr. Dubourg I was intro¬ duced to the Marquis of Mirabeau, who kept a coterie once a week at his house, to which I was invited. Upon my entering his room which w as large and filled with ladies and gentlemen of the first literary char¬ acters in Paris, Dr. Dubourg announced me in the following words, \ oila, un ami de Mods. Franklin.” The Marquis ran towards the door and took me by the hand, saying at the same time, “ C’est assez.” ... A day or two after I arrived in London I called upon Dr. Fianklin, and informed him that my expenses in Paris had so far exceeded my expectations that I had been obliged to avail myself of his kind offer, by drawing upon his banker for thirty guineas. He seemed pleased, and requested that I would pay them, when convenient, to his wife in Phila¬ delphia. This I did, out of the first money I earned after my arrival. Mrs. Franklin for a long time refused to receive it, for the Doctor had not mentioned the debt to her in any of his letters. I take great pleasure in recording this delicate act of paternal friendship in Dr. Franklin. It attached me to him during the remainder of his life, and combined$

The medical side of Benjamin Franklin / by William Pepper.

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