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528 quickly, but for a while he was carried away by the fascinations of a great city, and spent his money as fast as he earned it. In the course of his eighteen months in London lie gained much knowledge of the world, and became acquainted with some distinguished persons, among others Dr. Mandeville and Sir Hans Sloane ; and he speaks of his "extreme desire" to meet Sir Isaac Newton, in which he was not gratified. In the autumn of 172G lie made his way back to Philadelphia, and after some further vicissitudes was at length (in 1729) established in business as a printer. He now became editor and proprietor of the '• Pennsylvania Gazette," and soon made it so popular by his ably- written articles that it yielded him a comfortable income. During his absence in England, Miss Read, hearing nothing from him after his first letter, had supposed that he had grown tired of her. In her chagrin she married a worthless knave, who treated her cruelly, and soon ran away to the West Indies, where he died. Franklin found her overwhelmed with distress and mortification, for which he felt himself to be partly responsible. Their old affection speedily revived, and on 1 Sept., 1730, they were married. They lived most happily together until her death, 19 Dec, 1774.

As Franklin grew to maturity he became noted for his public spirit and an interest at once wide and keen in human affairs. Soon after his return from England he established a debating society, called the " Junto," for the discussion of questions in morals, politics, and natural philosophy. Among the earliest members may be observed the name of the eminent mathematician, Thomas Godfrey, who soon afterward invented a quadrant similar to Hadley's. For many years Franklin was the life of this club, which in 1748 was developed into the American philosophical society. In 1732 he began publishing an almanac for the diffusion of useful information among the people. Published under the pen-name of " Richard Saunders," this enter- taining collection of wit and wisdom, couched in quaint and pithy language, had an immense sale, and became famous througliout the world as " Poor Richard's Almanac." In 1731 Franklin founded the Philadelphia library. In 1743 he projected the university that a few years later was developed into the University of Pennsylvania, and was for a long time considered one of the foremost instinutions of learning in this country.

From early youtii Franklin was interested in sci- entific studies, and his luime by and by became as- sociated with a very useful domestic invention, and also with one of the most remarkable scientific dis- coveries of the 18th century. In 1742 he invented the " open stove, foi- the better warming of rooms," an invention that has not yet entirely fallen into disuse. Ten years later, by wonderfully simple ex- periments with a kite, he showed that lightning is a discharge of electricity; and in 1753 he received the Copley medal from the Royal society for this most brilliant and pregnant discovery.

A man so public-spirited as Franklin, and editor of a prominent newspaper besides, could not long remain outside of active political life. In 1736 he was made clerk of the assembly of Pennsylvania, and in 1737 postmaster of Philadelphia. Under his skilful management this town became the cen- ter of the whole postal system of the colonies, and in 1753 he was made deputy postmaster-general for the continent. Besides vastly increasing the effi- ciency of the postal service, he succeeded at the same time in making it profitable. In 1754 Frank- lin becomes a conspicuous figure in Continental politics. In that year the prospect of war with the French led several of the royal governors to cali for a congress of all the colonies, to be held at Al- l)any. The primary purpose of the meeting was to make sure of the friendship of the Six Nations, and to organize a general scheme of operations against the B^rench. The secondary purpose was to prepare some plan of confederation which all the colonies might be persuaded to adopt. Only the four New England colonies, with New York, Pennsylvania,, and Maryland, sent commissioners to this congress. The people seem fo have felt very little interest in the movement. Among the newspapers none seem to have favored it warmly except the " Pennsyl- vania Gazette," which appeared with a union de- vice and the motto "Unite or Die!" At the Albany congress Franklin brought forward the first coherent scheme ever propounded for securing a- permanent Federal union of the thirteen colonies..

The plan contemplated the union of all the colo- nies under a single central government, under which each colony might preserve its local inde- pendence. The legislative assembly of each colony was to choose, once in three years, representatives- to attend a Federal grand council, which was to meet every year at Philadelphia, as the city most convenient of access from north and south alike. This grand council was to choose its own speaker, and could neither be dissolved nor prorogued ex- cept by its own consent, or by especial order of the crown. The grand council was to make treaties with the Indians, and regulate trade with them ;. and it was to have sole power of legislation on all matters concerning the colonies as a whole. To these ends it could lay taxes, enlist soldiers, build forts, and nominate civil officers. Its laws were to be submitted to the king for approval ; and the royal veto, in order to be effective, must be exer- cised within three years. To this grand council each colony was to send a number of representa- tives, proportioned to its contributions to the con- tinental military service, the minimum number being two. the nuiximmn seven. With the excep- tion of such matters of general concern as were to be managed by the grand council, each colony was to retain its powers of legislation intact. In an emergency any colony might singly defend itself against foreign attack, and the Federal govern- ment was prohibited from impressing soldiers or seamen without the consent of the local legislature. The supreme executive power was to be vested in a president or governor-general, appointed and paid by the crown. He was to have a veto on all the acts of the grand council, and was to nominate all military officers, subject to its approval. No money could be issued save by joint order of the governor-general and council. " This plan," said Franklin, "is not altogether to my minci; but it is as I could get it." To the credit of its great author, it should be observed that this scheme—long, afterward known as the " Albany plan "—contemplated the formation of a self-sustaining Federali