Benjamin Franklin; Self-Revealed, Volume 2 (of 2): A Biographical and Critical Study Based Mainly on his own WritingsBruce, Wiliam Cabell
History
Benjamin Franklin; Self-Revealed, Volume 2 (of 2): A Biographical and Critical Study Based Mainly on his own Writings
Bruce, Wiliam Cabell
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790
Franklin," replied Shirley, "I find _a low seat_ the easiest."
When Governor Morris saw that, disputatious as he was, he was no match in
that respect for the Assembly, he was succeeded by Governor Denny, who
brought over with him from England the gold medal awarded by the Royal
Society to Franklin for his electrical discoveries. This honor as well as
the political experience of his predecessors was calculated to impress upon
the Governor the importance of being on good terms with Franklin. At all
events, when the medal was delivered by him to Franklin at a public dinner
given to himself, after his arrival at Philadelphia, he added to the gift
some very polite expressions of his esteem, and assured Franklin that he
had long known him by reputation. After dinner, he left the diners with
their wine, and took Franklin aside into another room, and told him that he
had been advised by his friends in England to cultivate a friendship with
him as the man who was best able to give him good advice, and to make his
task easy. Much also was said by the Governor about the good disposition of
the Proprietary towards the Province and the advantage that it would be to
everyone and to Franklin particularly if the long opposition to the
Proprietary was abandoned, and harmony between him and the people restored.
No one, said the Governor, could be more serviceable in bringing this about
than Franklin himself, who might depend upon his services being duly
acknowledged and recompensed. "The drinkers," the _Autobiography_ goes on,
"finding we did not return immediately to the table, sent us a decanter of
Madeira, which the Governor made liberal use of, and in proportion became
more profuse of his solicitations and promises."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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