121To Benjamin Franklin from Claude-Henri Watelet, 3 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Mr Watelet a l’honneur de presenter ces sentimens d’attachement et de Respect a Monsieur franklin. Il le prie de lui faire savoir s’il veut bien recevoir avec bienveillance le commandant de la fregate du Roy l’oiseau qui se trouvant á Paris desireroit l’avantage de le voir et de conferer avec lui de quelque objet qui l’interesse. Mde. le comte me charge de...
122To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Digges, 4 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania 3d. Dr. 17th Novr 1779 Saty. 4th. Decr. 79 Dr. Sir Altho I wrote you by last nights post, I cannot omit so good an opportunity as that of a fu——e [fugitive?] Countryman making the best of His way to some friends at the Texel (and where He promises to put it into the post office) of writing to you. I observe in yours of the 17 Novr. recd a few days ago,...
123To Benjamin Franklin from Dumas, 4 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society This, Sir, will serve you as an instance of some of our transactions here. I keep with me the Original, set by myself in Dutch, which will serve me, when the Ship will be gone, to concert with our friend , a complaint against the present Commander of this road, for having exceded both the intention & terms of the last resolution.— May but heaven send us...
124From Benjamin Franklin to the Baron de Holtzendorff, 5 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress You desire from me an Ansr. to your Demand in writing. I can give you no other than that I have so often given you viva voce viz that if there is any thing justly due to you from the Congress, your Demand of Payment should be made to them, and not to me, who have no authority to pay their Debts without their Orders. I have at your Request forwarded your Memorials to...
125To Benjamin Franklin from Charles Carroll, 5 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The bearer Mr. Thomas Ridout brother of Mr John Ridout of this city, with whom I believe you are acquainted, has sollicited me to introduce him to you. As I know him to be a young gentleman of modesty, worth, & good Sense, I have taken that liberty. Any civilities, it may be in your power to shew him, I shall esteem as conferred on myself. He proposes to go...
126To Benjamin Franklin from Sartine, 6 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress Les Arrangemens, Monsieur, que M. Le Duc de la Vauguyon Ambassadeur du roi en Hollande, doit prendre avec les Etats généraux, pour la libre Sortie du Texel, des Bâtimens François et Americains qui s’y trouvent rassemblés, pouvant exiger que les Prisonniers Anglois faits sur les navires Marchans, et actuellement à bord de la Fregate des Etats unis, l’alliance, soient...
127From Benjamin Franklin to John Paul Jones, 6 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : National Archives; copy: Library of Congress; transcript: National Archives As the Arrangements that M. Le Duc de la Vauguyon, Ambassador of the King in Holland, must make with the States General, for the free Departure from the Texel of the French and American Vessels assembled there, may require that the English Prisoners taken in Merchant Ships, and at present on board the Alliance,...
128From Benjamin Franklin to La Vauguyon, 6 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress It gave me great Pleasure to understand by the Letter your Excellency has done me honour of writing to me, and which I have just now received that Mr. Jones has conducted himself in holland to your satisfaction. This is a Circumstance that will ever do as much honour to his Prudence, as his Conduct in Fight has done to his Valour. I have the fullest Confidence in your...
129From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 6 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I have immediately given, and send inclos’d, the Order to Capt. Jones, which your Excellency has done me the Honour to demand of me. I have received a Letter from Mr Dargent, Deputy of Trade for the Province of Picardy, enclosing a Memorial, which I beg leave to submit to your Excelly’s. Consideration. With the greatist Respect I am. Y. Excelly: m. o. & m. h. S. We...
130To Benjamin Franklin from Francis Coffyn, 6 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Both your Excellencys much respected favours of 15th. Octor. and 22. ultma, are now before me; The former covering Two Commissions instructions &c for the Black Prince & Princess privateers, the armements of which having been retarded by differences arising between the concerned, and the Situation of Mr. Torris affairs having obliged me to take some other...
131To Benjamin Franklin from Edmund Jenings, 6 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society As I Know not, whether your Excellency has received a Copy of the King of Great Britains Speech to his Houses of Parliament, and as it will be at least a Matter of Curiosity, I take the Liberty of inclosing One herewith.— It was brought to Ostend by a Pilot of Dover. Give me leave to inform your Excellency, that I have been in this City about two months,...
132To Benjamin Franklin from Lafayette, [6 December 1779] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I told what you know as Coming from Myself, and the Answer has been that some thing would be done that way—being ask’d what You had Said to me on that affair, I Answerd that we had spoken on it in General terms, But in the same time thought proper most strongly to urge on a speedy supply. They are Before all waiting for intelligences from Count Destaing and...
133To Benjamin Franklin from Benjamin Vaughan, [before 7 December 1779] (Franklin Papers)
AL (incomplete): Library of Congress This letter is one of the many fragmentary or undated Vaughan manuscripts which have challenged our editorial skill. Although we include it here, as belonging to the general period before Political, Miscellaneous, and Philosophical Pieces was published, it was most likely written just after Christmastime, 1776, when Vaughan arrived in Paris bearing an early...
134Political, Miscellaneous, and Philosophical Pieces, 1779 [7 December 1779] (Franklin Papers)
Political, Miscellaneous, and Philosophical Pieces; … Written by Benj. Franklin, LL.D. and F.R.S. … Now first collected, With Explanatory Plates, Notes, And an Index to the Whole . London: Printed for J. Johnson, No 72, St. Paul’s Church-Yard. MDCCLXXIX. (Yale University Library) Benjamin Vaughan began to collect Franklin’s published political writings shortly after American independence had...
135To Benjamin Franklin from Patrick Dowlin et al., 7 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society We beg Leave to Express to your Excellency in the Warmest manner, our affliction in Seeing our Worthy Friend & armateur, Mr. John Torris, Injured in So gross & abusive a manner in the Bold petition Sent to your Excellency by our prisonners & foes Wm. Power & his gang. We beg Leave to Testisfy to your Excellency that the Motives asserted in the Said Petition...
136To Benjamin Franklin from Richard Norway, 7 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Pardon me I took the Libartey to Truble Your Lordship some time aGoe with a Letter a Liburty I hope Did not offind your Lordship as it was only To Acquaint with my Inclination to sarve in your [ army .] Not having aney Answer made me Conclude you had not Recd. my Letter to yr. Lordship makes me Truble you a Second time,—And having no Other Meatheord to...
137To Benjamin Franklin from J. Rocquette, T.A. Elsevier & P.Th. Rocquette, 7 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society Your much esteemed letter of the 4 augt: duely reach’d us, we observed there in with pleasure the receit of the two parcells we Sent you, the forwarding of Same deserves no thanks, we are allways devoted to your Commands, and shall be ready at any time to render you any Service in our power. This daÿ a Jew and a Jewish call’d on one of our Friends here, to...
138To Benjamin Franklin from Sartine, 7 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress J’ai reçu, Monsieur, avec la lettre que vous m’avez fait l’honneur de m’écrire le 6. de ce mois, celles qui y etoient jointes par M. Le Duc de la Vauguyon et M. Jones: Je les ai fait remettre au Courier que M. Le Cte. de Vergennes a expedié à La Haye. J’examinerai le Memoire que M. d’argent, Deputé du Commerce pour la province de picardie vous a recommandé; et je...
139To Benjamin Franklin from John Torris, 7 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have seen with Mr. Coffyn the Petition, addressed to your Excellency by one Wam. Power a Prisonner of the Black Prince Taken on Board of the Good Will, who promised to Serve the Privateer for his Freedom the remainder of the Cruise. This Petition, I am told, is signed by many more such Prisonners— Their Leader Wam. Power has appeared yesterday before Mr....
140From Benjamin Franklin to Lafayette, 8 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Biblioteka Czartoryskich, Cracow I am much oblig’d by what you have said at Vs. Enclos’d is the Speech. We just now hear, that a Vessel is arriv’d at Nantes which left Philade. the 26th. Octr.— The Frigate Confederacy sail’d with her, but parted the first Night, M. Gerard was on board the Confederacy, and Mr Jay with his Family appointed for Spain as Minister.— Count D’Estaing was at...
141From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 8 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress As Baron de Holtzendorff has thought fit to trouble your Excellency with a Memorial to me, relating to his affairs and complains highly as I understand of the Congress & of me, I beg leave to acquaint you with a few Circumstances in our Vindication, most of which I have from himself in one of his former Papers. Mr. Deane soon after his Arrival here, is said to have...
142To Benjamin Franklin from John Adams, 8 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; copy: Massachusetts Historical Society I have the Honour to inform your Excellency, that Congress, having judged it proper to appoint me to a new Mission in Europe I embarked on the thirteenth of November, at the Instance of The Chevalier de La Luzerne and Mr. Gerard, on Board the same Frigate that carried me to America. Soon after We got to Sea a...
143To Benjamin Franklin from Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, 8 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society Ayant entendu dire, Monsieur, que vous preniez un hotel à Paris et par conséquent un Suisse; Le nommé Abbeg m’a demandé une Lettre pour Se presenter à vous, et vous offrir Ses Services, dans Le cas où ce bruit Serait fondé. Il m’a été recommandé par Mr Le Noir, et est parent de son propre Suisse dont il est très content; cela Serait d’un bon augure pour...
144To Benjamin Franklin from John Bishop: Promissory Note, 8 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Two DS : American Philosophical Society Recived of Bn. Franklin Esqr: six louis d’ors. to assist me in returning to america, which I promise to Repay to the honble: the president of Congress, or his order. I have sign’d three notes of this Tenor and date Either of which being paid, the others to be null. An escaped prisoner from Plymouth, Mass.: Alphabetical List of Escaped Prisoners. Three...
145To Benjamin Franklin from Louis-Pierre Dufourny de Villiers, 8 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Une Personne que je désirerois obliger, m’a consulté sur l’employ qu’elle pourroit faire de Papiers-monnoye des Etats-unis d’Amérique dont elle a pour une somme considérable. En faisant une grande diminution elle a trouvé un acquéreur: mais celuy cy veut s’assurer que les Papiers proposes ne sont pas contrefaits et sur ce qu’on luy a dit que l’Etalon (ou...
146To Benjamin Franklin from John Dalton et al., 9 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society We Received your Letter Dated the 28th, of November Whitch We have Shown to the gentelmen that Commited us To Prison But they Say that they Cannot Clear us untill you apply to the Great Admiral in Paris. We beg the favor of Your Honnour to apply to him as quick as Posible, for We are Worse hear then We Was In Mill Prison amonge our Enemies. As for the Boat...
147To Benjamin Franklin from Henry Grand, 9 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Mr. Moses Grimmel who called on me this day for the Money of 2 acceptances of yours to two Loan office Bills informed me of his misfortunes. The seizure of the £15000 in Bills he had about him endorsed in blanc is an Irregularity to be sure, but not deserving such an Important Loss. We could therefore prevent part of it if said Gentlman could inform us only...
148To Benjamin Franklin from Jean de Neufville & fils, 9 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society We Kindly thank your Excellence for her most Esteem’d favour of the 28h. of past Month, we are sorry to have troubled her with Such a non Sensical letter; butt it was not possible for us to detect what it could have been. Though our Clarck who left the Texel yesterday morning, told us that all the vessells there were preparing for Sail, & Mr. Dumas even...
149To Benjamin Franklin from Jonathan Williams, Jr., 9 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; copy: Yale University Library As the Process which Mr Mercier thought fit to make against me is decided in my Favour, I according to the promise I made in my answer to the Memorial he presented to you herewith transmit his acct against the late Commissioners of the United States with the Vouchers exactly as I received it. I take the same Opportunity to...
150To Benjamin Franklin from Charles-Eléonor Dufriche de Valazé: résumé, 10 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society <Essey in Normandy, December 10, 1779, in French: I admire you and your countrymen to such a degree that I shall allow myself to give you some frank advice, brother to brother. Doubtless, you will win your independence and shake the yoke of three hundred years of tyranny but you should beware of another, ever so seductive yoke: luxury. You are aware of its...