To Benjamin Franklin from Luke Ryan, 8 August 1784
From Luke Ryan
ALS: American Philosophical Society
August the 8th. 1784
May it please your Excellency—
To Except of my gratefull acknowledgments and everlasting thanks, for beaing So good as to give me a letter of Recommendation to his Excellency the Marchal de Castries,1 may pease, unety, traffick, and freaindship, reaighn in your Undependent States of north America, to Compleat that great work, that you in your wisdom So happely begun; that through all futer ages it may be an everlasting Memorial to your Excellenceys name; is My prayrs and wishes—
I have delivered your letter, along with my petishon to his Excellency On Sunday last, but as yett Receaived no Ansr, but through your Recommendation I have the greatest hopes of Sucsess, god Send it May Come Soon, as the lenth of time that I have been Confind, as well the Cruel treatment that I have Expereinced from my Eagent Mr. John Torris makes me anktious to Obtain Justis, which if neglected by his Excellency the Marchal de Castries, I may Expect no Justis from the preaincables of my Eagent John Torris;2
I humbly Solecit your Excellency; if you Could find it Convenient, Onst More to Remind the Minnester of My afair and if you in your great goodness would be pleased to Send me a fue Lines to the Hoatel de nismes, Rue de Grenele St. Honore at parris, you will allways Merritt the blessings of god, and the prayrs of your Most Humble Servant—
Luc Ryan
Addressed: To His Excellency— / Benjeman Frankelin— / Minnester to the Uneited / States of Northamerica / at Passy—
Notation: Ryan 8 Aout 1784
1. Not found. In 1779 BF had given Ryan, an Irishman who had captained a privateer sailing under American colors out of Dunkirk, a night-glass as a reward for his services: XXIX, 571; XXX, 431, 499.
2. During the war Ryan had been convicted of piracy and sentenced to death, but George III stayed his execution and on March 2, 1783, issued him a pardon: XXXVIII, 99n. Debts incurred during his incarceration kept him in prison until Feb. 9, 1784, when he was released on account of the intervention of the French naval ministry. Torris, Ryan’s former partner in privateering ventures, never paid the money Ryan claimed he was due, and on Feb. 25, 1789, Ryan was once more imprisoned for debt. He died in prison a few months later: Donald A. Petrie, “The Piracy Trial of Luke Ryan,” American Neptune, LV (1995), 199, 204.