Produced by Brett Fishburne, Nikolay Fishburne, Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net HISTORICAL SERIES No. 14 THE LIFE OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BY M. L. WEEMS STREET & SMITH, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK THE LIFE OF Benjamin Franklin WITH MANY CHOICE ANECDOTES AND ADMIRABLE SAYINGS OF THIS GREAT MAN NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED BY ANY OF HIS BIOGRAPHERS BY M. L. WEEMS AUTHOR OF "THE LIFE OF WASHINGTON" "Sage Franklin next arose in cheerful mien, And smil'd, unruffled, o'er the solemn scene; High on his locks of age a wreath was brac'd, Palm of all arts that e'er a mortal grac'd; Beneath him lay the sceptre kings had borne, And crowns and laurels from their temples torn." NEW YORK STREET & SMITH, PUBLISHERS 238 WILLIAM STREET _To the Reader_ We trust that you will be thoroughly satisfied with this book. During the long period of time that the publications of Street & Smith have been familiar to the reading classes (somewhat more than half a century) it has always been our aim to give to the public the very best literary products, regardless of the expenditure involved. Our books and periodicals are today read and re-read in a majority of the homes of America, while but few of our original competitors are even known by name to the present generation. No special credit is due for antiquity, but we hold it to be a self-evident fact that long experience, coupled with enterprise and the ability to maintain the front rank for so many years, proves our right to the title of leaders. We solicit your further valued patronage. STREET & SMITH. LIFE OF FRANKLIN. CHAPTER I. DR. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY; FELLOW OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH, LONDON AND PARIS; GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA; AND MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY FROM THE UNITED STATES TO THE COURT OF FRANCE, was the son of an obscure tallow-chandler and soap-boiler, of Boston, where he was born on the 17th day of January, 1706. Some men carry letters of recommendation in their looks, and some in their names. 'Tis the lot but of few to inherit both of these advantages. The hero of this work was one of that favoured number. As to his physiognomy, there was in it such an air of wisdom and philanthropy, and consequently such an expression of majesty and sweetness, as charms, even in the commonest pictures of him. And for his name, every one acquainted with the old English history, must know, that Franklin stands for what we now mean by "Gentleman," or "CLEVER FELLOW."