The Life of Benjamin Franklin: With Many Choice Anecdotes and admirable sayings of this great man never before published by any of his biographers
John Locke · en
On Dr. Franklin's arrival at Paris, as plenipotentiary from the United
States, during the revolution, the king expressed a wish to see him
immediately. As there was no going to the court of France in those
days without permission of the wigmaker, a wigmaker of course was sent
for. In an instant a richly dressed Monsieur, his arms folded in a
prodigious muff of furs, and a long sword by his side, made his
appearance. It was the king's WIGMAKER, with his servant in livery, a
long sword by _his_ side too, and a load of sweet scented band-boxes,
full of "_de wig_," as he said, "_de superb wig for de great docteer
Franklin_." One of the wigs was tried on--a world _too small_!
Band-box after band-box was tried; but all with the same ill success!
The wigmaker fell into the most violent rage, to the extreme
mortification of Dr. Franklin, that a gentleman so bedecked with silks
and perfumes, should, notwithstanding, be such a child. Presently,
however, as in all the transports of a _grand discovery_, the wigmaker
cried out to Dr. Franklin, that he had just found out where the fault
lay--"_not in his wig as too small; O no, by gar! his wig no too
small; but de docteer's head too big; great deal too big._" Franklin,
smiling, replied, that the fault could hardly lie _there_; for that
his head was made of God Almighty himself, who was not subject to err.
Upon this the wigmaker took in a little; but still contended that
there must be something the matter with Dr. Franklin's head. It was at
any rate, he said, _out of the fashion_. He begged Dr. Franklin would
only please for remember, _dat his head had not de honeer_ to be made
in PARREE. No, by gar! for if it had been made in PARREE, it no bin
more dan _half such a head_. "_None of the French Noblesse_," he
swore, "_had a head any ting_ like his. Not de great duke d'Orleans,
nor de grand monarque himself had _half such a head as docteer
Franklin_. And _he did not see_," he said, "_what business any body
had wid a head more big dan de head of de grand monarque_."
Pleased to see the poor wigmaker recover his good humour, Dr. Franklin
could not find in his heart to put a check to his childish rant, but
related one of his _fine anecdotes_, which struck the wigmaker with
such an idea of his wit, that as he retired, which he did, bowing most
profoundly, he shrugged his shoulders, and with a look most
significantly arch, he said:
"_Ah, docteer Frankline! docteer Frankline!_ I no wonder your head too
big for my wig. By gar I 'fraid your head be too big for _all de
French nationg_."
THE BLUE YARN STOCKINGS.