The Life of Benjamin Franklin: With Many Choice Anecdotes and admirable sayings of this great man never before published by any of his biographersWeems, M. L. (Mason Locke)
Philosophy
The Life of Benjamin Franklin: With Many Choice Anecdotes and admirable sayings of this great man never before published by any of his biographers
Weems, M. L. (Mason Locke)
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790; Statesmen -- United States -- Biography
Seeing their surprise, the doctor thus went on. "Well, now, gentleman,
here is a fine lesson for us all. This electric fluid, which you saw
animating that youth, came down from heaven to teach us that men were
as assuredly designed to be helpmates to men, as were the two eyes,
the two feet, or the two hands, to assist one another. And if all who
are overcharged with this world's riches would but imitate this good
little electrical angel, and impart of their superabundance to the
empty and the poor, they would, no doubt, even in this world, find a
much higher pleasure than in hoarding it up for ungrateful heirs, or
spending it on vanity." This he called "DIVES AND LAZARUS."
But it were an endless task to enumerate all the rare and beautiful
phenomena, wherewith he would surprise and delight the vast circles of
friends and citizens, whose curiosity was so pressing, that, as he
says, _it almost wore him out_.
Sometimes, in order to show them the force of electricity he would
turn his wires against a pack of cards, or a quire of paper, and the
subtle fluid would instantly dart through, leaving a beautiful
perforation like the puncture of a large needle.
Sometimes, to show the wondrous qualities of electricity, he would let
them see it darting, like a diamond bead, through a long cylinder of
water, not hurt, like other fires, by that element.
Sometimes he would place a young lady, generally the handsomest of the
company, on his electrical stool; then by slily touching her dress
with his magic wand, he would so fill her lovely frame with the
electric fluid, that, on the approach of any young gentleman to kiss
her, a spark from her ruby lips would suddenly drive him frightened
and staggering back. This was called the "MAGIC KISS."
Sometimes he would fix figures of horses cut in paper, on wires nicely
poised, so as to move in circles round his prime conductor, then, from
his magic wand, he would dash on them a stream of mimic lightning,
which, potent as the whips and spurs of Newmarket, would set them all
in full speed, bending and buckling with glorious emulation in the
beautiful contest, to the great amusement of the spectators. The
public named this the "ELECTRICAL HORSE RACE."
Sometimes he would suspend, near the ceiling, a large flock of finely
picked cotton, or place on a distant table, a paper of gunpowder; then
from his wires, artfully directed, he would send a flash of lightning,
instantly exploding the powder, and wrapping the cotton into a blaze.
Sometimes he would take the model of a double-geared water mill,
turning two pair of stones, and placing it near his prime conductor,
direct a stream of electric fire against the large wheel, setting it
in motion, and with it the whole machinery of his mill, to the equal
surprise and pleasure of the beholders.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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