Page:A dictionary of printers and printing.djvu/776

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EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.

767

which he soon after conducted alone. In 1730, he was united to a widow lady, whom he had courted before her first maniage. About this period he contributed to the fonning of the pub- lic librarjr at Philadelphia, and in 1733, he was appointed clerk to the general assembly, and the year following post master of Philadelphia. About the year 1744, he commenced his electri- cal experiments, of which he published an account He had the honour of making sereral diacoTeries in this branch of philosophy, the principal of which was the identity of the elastic fire and lightning. In 1747, he was chosen a lepresentatire of the general assembly, in which situation he distinguished himself by several acts of public utility. By his means a militia bill -was passed, and he was appointed colonel of the Philadelphia regiment. Tn 1757, he was sent to England as agent for PennsvlTania. While in England he was chosen a fellow of the royal society, and honoured with the degree of doctor of laws by the nniversiues of St Andrew's, Edin- burgh, and Oxford. In 1762, he returned to America, but two years afterwards he again visited England in the capacity of agent, and it was at this period that he was examined at the bar of the bouse of commons concerning the stamp act After the disposal of this weighty affair, in die early part of the year 1766, Frank, lin made his first visit to the continent of Europe. He proceeded through Holland and Germany, and was every where received with the greatest marks of attention from men of science. In the following year he travelled into France, where he met with a no less favourable reception than he had experienced in Oermany. He was introduced to a number of literary characters, and to the king, Louis XV. During Franklin's residence in England at this period, he visited different parts of the country, to which he was invited. Among other individuals who sought his society was Dr. Shipley, the bishop of St Asaph, at whose residence, at Twyford,in North Wales, in the year 1771, he wrote the account of the early part of his life, which he addressed to his son. He was perfectly destitute of pride, and considered all honest men to be upon terms of equality. During his visit at this time, he went to Mr. Watts's* printing-office, in Wild- court, Iducoln's Inn-fields; and entering the press-room, proceeded to a particular press, where two men were at work: — "Come, my friends," said he, " we will drink together; it is now forty years since I worked like you, at this press, as a journeyman printer." A gallon of porter was sent for, and the three drank " Suc- cess to printing."! This press, we understand, is still in existence, and shown to strangers as a curiosity. Another interesting relic, and no less deserving of preservation, is the identical com-

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t The fblloving tedMeai taoH I* offend to the profet- ■lon :— Beojamin Franklin, the * of hie profeulon— the tfft of honcitjr— the / of all— and althoogh the vy of A«(h ha* pat • . to hli eziitence, eTery i of hia life I* •Uioatal. ,

positor's case occupied by Franklin. In 1 776 he returned home, and was elected a delegate to the congress. He was very active in Uie contest between England and the colonies, and was sent to France, where, in 1778, he signed a treaty of alliance, offensive and defensive, which produced a war between that coimtry and England. His person, as seen at this period, was square-built and fat. He wore his own hair, which was thin and gray. His head was remarkably large in proportion to his figure, and his countenance was mild, firm, and expressive. He looked healthy and vigorous, which may be ascribed both to a good constitution and temperate mode of living. In 1783, he signed the definitive treaty of peace, and in 1785 returned to America, where he was chosen president of the supreme council, and lent all nis still perfect energies to consolii^ting the infant government. Age and infirmities, however, claimed their usuu ascendency ; and in 1788 he retired wholly from pubhc life. Franklin's last public act, and it was one in beautiful accordance with the whole tenor of his life, was putting his signature, as president of the anti-slaveiy society, to a memorial presented to the house of representatives, praying them to exert the full powers entrusted to them to dis- courage the revolting traffic in the human species. This was on the I2Ui of February, 1789.

In the spring of the year 1790, he felt that the termination of his career on earth was ap- proaching ; but he was no ways dismayed with the prospect of dissolution. His piety and phi- losophy alike sustained him. About sixteen days before his death, he was seized with a fever- ish indisposition, without any particular symp- toms attending it, till the third or fourth day, when he complained of a pain in Uie left breast, which increased till it became extremely acute, attended with a cough and laborious breathing. During this state, when the severity of his pains sometimes drew forth a groan of complaint, he would observe, that he was afraid he did not bear them as he ought — acknowledged his grate- ful sense of the many blessings he had received from that supreme Being, who had raised him from small and low beginnings to such high rank and consideration among men ; and maide no doubt but bis present afflictions were kindly intended to wean him from a world in which he was no longer put to act the part assigned him. In this frame of body and mind, he continued till five days before his death, when his pain and difficulty of breathing entirely left him, and his family were flattering themselves with the hopes of his recovery, when an imposthumation, which had formed itself in his lungs, suddenly buist,

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