2249525Works of the late Doctor Benjamin Franklin1793Benjamin Franklin
Works
of the Late
Doctor Benjamin Franklin:
Consisting of
His Life, Written by Himself,
Together with
Essays, Humorous, Moral, & Literary,
Chiefly in the Manner of
The Spectator.
―Dublin:―
Printed for P. Wogan, P. Byrne, J. Moore, and W. Jones.
1793.
Preface.
The volume that is here preſented to the Public, consists of two parts: the Life of Dr. Franklin; and a Collection of Miſcellaneous Eſſays, the work of that author.
It is already known to many, that Dr. Franklin amuſed himself, towards the cloſe of his life, with writing memoirs of his own hiſtory. Theſe memoirs were brought down to the year 1757. Together with ſome other manuſcripts they were left behind him at his death, and were conſidered as conſtituting a part of his poſthumous property. It is a little extraordinary that, under theſe circumſtances, intereſting as they are, from the celebrity of the character of which they treat, and from the critical ſituation of the preſent times, they ſhould ſo long have been with-held from the Public. A tranſlation of them appeared in France near two years ago, coming down to the year 1731. There can be no ſufficient reason, that what has thus been ſubmitted to the peruſal of Europe, ſhould not be made acceſſible to thoſe to whom Dr. Franklin's language is native. The hiſtory of his life, as far as page 149 of the present volume, is tranſlated from that publication.
The ſtyle of these memoirs is uncommonly pleaſing. The ſtory is told with the most unreſerved ſincerity, and without any falſe colouring or ornament. We ſee, in every page, that the author examined his ſubject with the eye of a maſter, and related no incidents, the ſprings and origin of which he did not perfectly underſtand. It is this that gives such exquiſite and uncommon perſpicuity to the detail and delight in the review. The translator has endeavoured, as he went along, to conceive the probable manner in which Dr. Franklin expreſſed his ideas in his English manuscript, and he hopes to be forgiven if this enquiry ſhall occasionally have ſubjected him to the charge of a ſtyle in any reſpect bald or low: to imitate the admirable ſimplicity of the author, is no eaſy taſk.
The Eſſays, which are now, for the firſt time, brought together from various reſources, will be found to be more miſcellaneous than any of Dr. Franklin’s that have formerly been collected, and will therefore be more generally amuſing. Dr. Franklin tells us, in his Life, that he was an aſſiduous imitator of Addiſon, and from ſome of these papers it will be admitted that he was not an unhappy one. The public will be amuſed with following a great philoſopher in his relaxations, and observing in what reſpects philoſophy tends to elucidate and improve the most common ſubjects. The editor has purpoſely avoided ſuch papers as, by their ſcientifical nature, were leſs adapted for general peruſal. Theſe he may probably hereafter publiſh in a volume by themſelves.
He ſubjoins a letter from the late celebrated and amiable Dr. Price, to a gentleman in Philadelphia, upon, the ſubject of Dr. Franklin's memoirs of his own life.
"Hackney, June 19, 1790.
"DEAR SIR,
"I am hardly able to tell you how kindly I take the letters with which you favour me. Your laſt, containing an account of the death of our excellent friend Dr. Franklin, and the circumſtances attending it, deſerves my particular gratitude. The account which he has left of his life will ſhow, in a ſtriking example, how a man, by talents, induſtry, and integrity, may riſe from obſcurity to the firft eminence and conſequence in the world; but it brings his hiſtory no lower than the year 1757, and I underſland that ſince he ſent over the copy, which I have read, he has been able to make no additions to it. It is with a melancholy regret I think of his death; but to death we are all bound by the irreverſible order of nature, and in looking forward to it, there is comfort in being able to reflect—that we have not lived in vain, and that all the uſeful and virtuous ſhall meet in a better country beyond the grave.
"Dr. Franklin, in the laſt letter I received from him, after mentioning his age and infirmities, obſerves, that it has been kindly ordered by the Author of nature, that, as we draw nearer the concluſion of life, we are furniſhed with more helps to wean us from it, among which one of the ſtrongeſt is the loſs of dear friends. I was delighted with the account you gave in your letter of the honour ſhewn to his memory at Philadelphia, and by Congreſs; and yeſterday I received a high additional pleaſure, by being informed that the National Aſſembly of France had determined to go into mourning for him.—What a glorious ſcene is opened there! The annals of the world furniſh no parallel to it. One of the honours of our departed friend is, that he has contributed much to It.
