"Reader, behold this striking Instance of Human Depravity and Ingratitude; An irrefragable Proof That neither the Capital services of _Friends_ Nor the attracting Favours of the Fair, Can fix the Sincerity of a Man, _Devoid of Principles_ and Ineffably mean: Whose ambition is POWER, And whose intention is TYRANNY." The illegitimacy of William Franklin, of course, was freely used during the conflict as a means of paining and discrediting Franklin. In a pamphlet entitled, _What is sauce for a Goose is also Sauce for a Gander_, the writer asserted that the mother of William was a woman named Barbara, who worked in Franklin's house as a servant for ten pounds a year, that she remained in this position until her death and that Franklin then stole her to the grave in silence without pall, tomb or monument. A more refined spirit, which could not altogether free itself from the undertow of its admiration for such an extraordinary man, penned these lively lines entitled, "Inscription on a Curious Stove in the Form of An Urn, Contrived in such a Manner As To Make The Flame Descend Instead of Rising from the Fire, Invented by Dr. Franklin." "Like a Newton sublimely he soared To a summit before unattained, New regions of science explored And the palm of philosophy gained. "With a spark which he caught from the skies He displayed an unparalleled wonder, And we saw with delight and surprise That his rod could secure us from thunder. "Oh! had he been wise to pursue The track for his talents designed, What a tribute of praise had been due To the teacher and friend of mankind. "But to covet political fame Was in him a degrading ambition, The spark that from Lucifer came And kindled the blaze of sedition. "Let candor then write on his urn, Here lies the renowned inventor Whose fame to the skies ought to burn But inverted descends to the centre."