To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 26 September 1784
From William Temple Franklin
ALS: American Philosophical Society
Devonshire Street, 26. Sept. 1784—
Dear & Hond Sir,
Having just now learnt by young Mr. Alexander, that his Uncle purposes setting off for France tomorrow Morg at 5 a Clock,5 I set down to acknowledge the rect of your kind Letter of the 13. Inst, and to return you my sincerest Thanks for your acquiescing so readily with my Request of a longer leave of Absence: I found hower that I should not be able to get through delivering my Letters, and the Invitations occasion’d by them, together with other Occupations of seeing some curious Cabinets here, sitting for Mr. West6 &ca. &ca. if I lost a Week by going to Seaford, so I e’en let my Father go alone: He return’d Yesterday—the Weather was so bad, that he could only bathe twice,—so I have rather gain’d by continuing here.7 I have not had the least Return of my Fever—and am otherwise very well—but meagre, notwithstanding the Turtle & other good Things I meet with almost every where.— It would be too long for a Letter to give you an Acct of my Proceedings— I shall reserve it ’till we meet,—which I shall do my utmost to make it about the time you have prescrib’d: We have here it is true fine long Morgs—but if you dine out, it is bed time when you have drank Coffee.— I have only been able to go to one Play on that Acct—& then I arriv’d at the second Act.—
It grieves me much to learn that you suffer’d by your Attempt to go in a Carriage—pray dont try it again.
I was present at Lunardis Expt—which was a very fine one as to the Ascension—8 Youll have seen Accts of it in the Papers.— Other Balloons are preparing,—& half Crown ones, by the means of Spirits of Wine, are as common at Night as the Stars. Several Accidents have already happend by them, but there is no Monsr Le Noir to put a stop to them.—
I have sent both you & Mr. Jefferson, Pamphlets & Books by various occasions, have you recd any?— I am afraid likewise that you have not recd all my Letters: This is I think the 6th I have wrote you since I left Paris.
Present my most respectful Compts. to Mr. Jefferson— inform him that his Press &ca. is pack’d up and will be forwarded by the first Vessel from this Port to Rouen, but unfortunately they are not frequent:9 what remains of the Sum he entrusted me with, shall be left as he desir’d, with Mr. Stockdale, subject to his Orders.1
Adieu—my dearest Sir, I dine to day with my Father & it’s time I should be gone.— Remember me very affectionately to all Friends—particularly the Brillon, Le Veillard & Dailly2 Familys, and believe me as ever—Your most dutiful & affece. Grandson
W. T. Franklin
PS. I could wish you would send me by the first Private Occasion, or by the Duke of Dorsets Courier—Half a dozen of your Engravings from Duplessis Picture—they can only be had of him.3
I have dined twice at Cheam, Mrs. H. has not yet said No.—I follow your Instructions, on that and every other head, very exactly.—4
B. Franklin Esq.—
5. “Young Mr. Alexander” was William Alexander’s eldest son, William, who was then establishing himself in the law (XXV, 364–5n. His uncle Alexander John Alexander was headed to Calais: WTF to BF, Oct. 5, below.
6. At the end of June, hoping to finish his painting of the signing of the preliminary peace treaty, Benjamin West had asked WTF (through Caleb Whitefoord) to send a portrait of himself. WTF sat for the artist instead: XXXVIII, xxix.
7. WF had written from Seaford that he hoped to see WTF on Saturday evening (Sept. 25), when he would be back in London, and escort WTF to Windsor the following day. He also asked WTF to notify Mrs. D’Evelin of his return: WF to WTF, Sept. 23, 1784, APS.
8. Lunardi staged the first manned balloon flight in England on Sept. 15: XLII, 499n.
9. TJ gave WTF money to purchase a copy press and books: Jefferson Papers, XV, 609n. (For TJ’s attempt to order a copy press in 1783, see XLI, 12–13.) WTF obtained the press from James Woodmason, from whom BF had purchased his copy press in 1780 (XXXIII, 116): WTF to BF, Oct. 13, below.
1. On Sept. 1, TJ wrote directly to Stockdale, the London bookseller and publisher (ODNB), informing him of WTF’s commission and requesting one additional book: Blackstone’s Commentaries. TJ instructed Stockdale to hold in reserve any balance that might remain after the purchase of those books, and apply it to future orders: Jefferson Papers, XV, 615.
2. The Dailly (d’Ailly) family, formerly based in Paris, resided in Passy by at least August, 1784, when they entertained BF, WTF, and BFB: BFB’s journal, entry of Aug. 21, 1784. Michel-François Dailly (1724–1800) began his career as a lawyer, served in the finance ministry, and was director of the Département des impositions from 1777 to 1782; in recognition of his service to the state, he was awarded lettres de noblesse in April, 1781. After a period of retirement, in 1789 he was elected a deputy of the Third Estate in the Estates-General. His obituary noted that he was a friend of BF’s: Gaz. de France, 16 Fructidor, An VIII [Sept. 3, 1800]; Jour. de Paris, April 13, 1781.
3. Duplessis sold copies of Chevillet’s engraving of his 1778 oil portrait of BF: XXXII, xxix and frontispiece.
4. In a letter to Mary Hewson carried by WTF, BF begged her to come to Paris with her family and return with him to America: XLII, 508. WTF evidently had instructions to persuade her. Caleb Whitefoord was aware of WTF’s charge to engage in a “negotiation” at Cheam, and on that basis declined to join him in a visit to Hewson’s house on one unspecified Sunday: WTF to Whitefoord, [Sept.—Oct., 1784], British Library; Whitefoord to WTF, [Sept.—Oct., 1784], APS.