covery. If the ancients knew it, it might have been long since forgotten; for it certainly was unknown to the moderns, at least to the Parisians, which to prove, I need use but one plain simple argument. They are as well instructed, judicious, and prudent a people as exist anywhere in the world, all professing, like myself, to be lovers of economy; and, from the many heavy taxes required from them by the necessities of the state, have surely an abundant reason to be economical. I say it is impossible that so sensible a people, under such circumstances, should have lived so long by the smoky, unwholesome, and enormously expensive light of candles, if they had really known, that they might have had as much pure light of the sun for nothing. I am, &c. A SUBSCRIBER.

SIR

1491. TO JOHN PAUL JONES

(B. M.)

Passy, March 25, 1784

I return herewith the Papers you communicated to me yesterday. I perceive by the Extract from M. de Sartine's Letter' that it was his Intention all the Charges which had accru'd upon the Serapis and Countess of Scarborough should be deducted from the Prize money payable to the Captors, particularly the Expence of Victualling the Seamen and Prisoners; and that the Liquidation of those Charges should be referr'd to me. This Liquidation however never was referr❜d to me; and if it had, I should have been cautious of acting in it, having receiv'd no Power from the Captors, either French or Americans, authorising me to decide upon

1 Dated May 29, 1780.- ED.

anything respecting their Interests. And I certainly should not have agreed to charge the American Captors with any Part of the Expence of maintaining the 600 Prisoners in Holland till they could be exchanged, when none of them were exchanged for Americans in England, as was your Intention, & as we both had been made to expect.

With great Esteem, I have the honour to be

Sir, Your most obedient

I have the honour of acquainting your Excellency, that our express from Congress is at last arrived, with their Ratification of the Definitive Treaty. Inclosed I send Copies of the President's Letter, the Recommendatory Resolution, and the Proclamation, together with three Letters for yourself. We have written to M' Hartley that we are now ready to make the Exchange.

With great Respect, I am, etc.

B. FRANKLIN.

1493. TO CHARLES THOMSON 1

DEAR SIR,

Passy, March 31, 1784.

I write this line by the English packet, just to inform you, that Colonel Harmar arrived here last Monday evening with

1 First printed by Sparks, Vol. X, p. 439. — ED.

the ratification, and that Mr. Jay and myself (Messrs. Adams and Laurens being absent) have written to Mr. Hartley at London, that we are ready to exchange with him. I have not heard that the delay is likely to occasion any difficulty. I had before communicated to him your letter of the 5th of January, which gave the reason of it. With great esteem, I am B. FRANKLIN.

1494. TO MADAME BRILLON

(A. P. S.)

Passy March 31, '84.

Voici, ma trés cher Amie, une de mes Plaisanteries serieuses, ou sourdes, que je vous envois, esperant qu'elle pourra peutetre vous amuser un peu. Au quel cas, vous me recompenserez en me donnant je n'ose dire un Baiser, car les votres sont trop precieux, et vous en étes trop chiche; mais vous me j'ouerez un Noel et l'excellent Marche des Insurgents.

B. F.

1495. TO CHARLES THOMSON 1

DEAR FRIEND,

Passy, April 16th, 1784.

I received your kind Letters by Colonel Harmar, and Lieut-Colonel Frank, with the Dispatches, in good order; triplicates of which are since come to hand. You will see by our letter to the President, that we daily expect Mr. Hartley from London, with the British Ratification to exchange with us. There was no difficulty occasioned by the lapse of the term.

1 From the original in the New York Historical Society. - ED.

I send you herewith four packets of newspapers, by which you will be informed of the confusions that have reigned all winter in England, and the probability of their being finish'd by the choice of a new Parliament, in which the present Ministry will have a great majority. The n. papers are directed for the Presid. You are good in excusing the trouble I have given you with so many little affairs and enquiries, and enabling me to give some answer to the persons who make them. I am pestered continually with such matters.

I am happy in learning from you, that disposition begins to prevail in the States, to comply with the requisitions of Congress, and Funds for the regular payment of the Interest, and discharge of the Principal of the Debts contracted by the War. Punctuality and exact justice will contribute more to our reputation, and, of course, to our strength, than people generally imagine. Without those virtues, we shall find it difficult in case of another war to obtain either friends or money; and a reliance on that may encourage and hasten another attack upon us. Gratitude to our former benefactors is another point we should seize every opportunity of demonstrating. I place, with you, much confidence in the good sense of our countrymen; and thence I hope, that the endeavours of some persons on both sides the water, to sow jealousies and suspicions, and create misunderstandings between France and us, will be ineffectual.

A Commission from Congress for a Commercial Treaty with Britain has long been expected. If the intention of sending such a Commission is not changed, I wish it may arrive before Mr. Laurens leaves us, who has a more perfect knowledge of the subject than any of us, and might be greatly useful. A Minister from Denmark has been waiting in Paris

all winter for the result of Congress on the proposed Treaty, a plan of which was long sent, as also one for a Treaty with Portugal. I hope by the return of the Washington pacquet, we may receive some directions respecting them. I am, with sincere and great esteem, my Dear Friend, yours most affectionately, B. FRANKLIN.

1496. TO JOHN WALTER 1

1

(L. C.)

Passy, April 17, 1784.

SIR,

I have received a Book, for which I understand I am obliged to you, the "Introduction to Logography." I have read it

1 John Walter (1739-1812), founder of The Times, succeeded to his father's business as a coal merchant in the city of London. He abandoned it for that of an underwriter, failed in consequence of the American war, and announced his bankruptcy in 1782. Two years later he purchased the premises in Printing House Square, the site of the Blackfriars Theatre, which had been unoccupied since the removal of Eyre and Strahan in 1770, where he began business as a printer, using Johnson's invention of "logotypes" or founts composed of complete words, instead of separate letters. Some forty books were printed by the logographic process and sold by John Walter. He also started a newspaper called The Daily Universal Register, of which the first number, "printed logographically,” was issued January 1, 1785. The ninehundred-and-fortieth number (January 1, 1788) was entitled The Times, or Daily Universal Register, and was also "printed logographically." A letter from John Walter to Lord Kenyon, July 6, 1799 (Hist. Mss. Comm. 14th Report App. Pt. IV, p. 551), contains the following interesting personal narrative. "Among many other projects which offered themselves to my view was a plan to print logographically. I sat down closely to digest it, and formed a fount which reduced the English language from ninety thousand words which were usually used in printing to about fifteen hundred. . . . By this means I was enabled to print much faster than by taking up single letters. ... I was advised to get a number of nobility and men of letters . . . to patronise the plan, to which his Majesty was to have been the patron. But happening unfortunately as it turned out, to correspond with Dr. Franklin, then ambassa

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