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thofe of Mr. Young.' 'Tis time for Mr. Young to look to himself, to intruft his cargo' (as Alumnus moft elegantly expreffes himself) in a fafe bottom, confidering what multitudes have foundered in their voyage;-have been ingulphed in the dreadful charybdis of felf-righteoufnefs, or totally fhipwrecked against the rocks of ignorance, pride, and unbelief.' See, Oh! fee, the end of the ravings and contradictions of the fanatic followers of Arius and Socinus !'

We fhall conclude our account of this tract with a wellknown story, and we wish that all the babes and fucklings” (the Alumni) of the true, old fanatic nurfe would make á proper ufe and improvement of it, before they ranfack dictionaries, and rack their poor brains, in order to turn language out of its original channel, and apply to others, what the venerable fanction of time, and all the authorities of wit and wisdom, reafon and revelation, have appropriated to them as their exclufive right and property. The story is a fhort one; and it is fimply this.-A gentleman walking through the wards of Bethlem Hofpital, was accofted by a poor Maniac, who complained of his hard and unmerited fortune, and bewailed the cafe of his fellow-fufferers, and then obferved, that "the people without the walls of Bedlam, and not thofe within, were, in reality, mad; and availing themselves of their fuperiority in point of number, had confined the few that were in their fenfes, only for having more understanding than themselves."

Now this, Alumnus, was as fhrewd an attempt as thine, at turning the world upfide down ;-or, as thou thyfelf calleft it,turning the tables. Each was conceived with equal wisdom; and we truft that each will be attended with equal fuccefs.

-Mutato nomine, de te

Fabula narratur.

ART. IV. Political, Mifcellaneous, and Philofophical Pieces, St. Written by Benjamin Franklin, LL. D. and F. R. S. Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, &c. &c. Now first collected, with Explanatory Plates, Notes, and an Index to the whole. 8vo. 6s. in Boards; or in 4to to match the Author's Philofophical Papers, 10 s. 6d. in Boards. Johnfon. 1779.

TH

HOUGH thefe cannot properly be called the pofthumous works, yet-when we reflect on the Author's present fituation, and that he has entered on his 75th year, we cannot help confidering, and lamenting over them, as the relics of the great philofopher, politician, and prophet, as the event has turned out, whofe name is prefixed to them: and who, notwithstanding the present hoftile character that he bears to this country, appears, from many papers contained in this collection, to have taken fincere pains, before the American difpute arrived

at

at its prefent formidable magnitude, to preferve the unity of the British empire:-or, to ufe, his own appofite allufion*, who long endeavoured with unfeigned and unwearied zeal, to preferve from breaking that fine and noble china vafe-the British empire:-well knowing, that being once broken, the separate parts could not retain even their share of the ftrength and value that exifted in the whole; and that a perfect re-union of thofe parts could scarce ever be hoped for.'-Dead to us, however, as we have juft now represented him, we shall still indulge the expectation, that his great talents may yet be employed in arranging and cementing the parts of this thattered vafe; and of giving to the whole all the folidity of which it is now capable.

The anonymous Editor, who has taken pains thus to collect, and preferve-their own intrinfic merit will perpetuate-the fcattered productions of the American patriot and philofopher, appears to be a zealous friend of Dr. Franklin; but at the fame time, a friend who will not difgrace him. Tam Marti quam Mercurio, he appears well qualified to attend him both in his political and his philofophical capacity. In the former, by annotations fubjoined to each piece, he gives the reader all the information which he has been able to procure, with refpect to the occafion on which it was written, and other circumstances relating to it. In the latter, the philofophical Editor appears likewife a fit companion for his Author; and in the laft piece particularly, on the Aurora Borealis, adds many pertinent obfervations or conjectures, in the form of notes. The opinions and feelings of the Editor, with refpect to his Author, may be beft collected from his own warm expreffions in the preface to this volume.

The times appear not ripe enough for the Editor to give expreffion to the affection, gratitude, and veneration, he beare to a writer he has fo intimately ftudied: nor is it wanting to the Author; as hiftory lies in wait for him, and the judgment of mankind balances already in his favour. The Editor wishes only that other readers may reap that improvement from his productions, which he conceives they have rendered to himself.

Yet perhaps he may be excufed for ftating one opinion: he conceives that no man ever made larger or bolder gueffes than Dr. Franklin from like materials in politics and philofophy, which, after the fcrutiny of events and of fact, have been more completely verified. Can Englishmen read these things, and not figh at recollecting that the country which could produce their Author, was once without controverfy their own!-Yet he who praises Dr. Franklin for mere ability, praises him for that quality of his mind, which ftands lowest in his own efteem. Reader,

In a letter to Lord Howe, published in this collection.

2

whoever

whoever you are, and how much foever you

you think you hate him, know that this great man loves you enough to wish to do you good:

His country's friend, but more of human kind.'

The papers contained in this collection are difposed under five divifions. Under the firft of thefe, the Editor has collected and arranged fuch pieces of the Author, as naturally fall under the head of General Politics. In the fecond, are contained papers upon American fubjects, written before the prefent troubles : particularly, plans of union for the colonies, proposed in 1754; letters concerning taxation and reprefentation; papers relative to Canada; regulations of Indian affairs, and other matters previous to the laft peace. The third divifion contains various papers relative to America, written during the troubles; comprehending, among other matters, a prophetic letter of the Author, as we may now justly term it, on the causes of the American difcontents before 1768,' and their probable effects; -his equally prophetic anfwers to the queftions proposed to him, during his examination before the British Houfe of Commons, relative to the repeal of the Stamp A&, in 1766:—his answers to certain pertinent queries relative to the American difcontents, and the means of removing them, proposed to him by his friend, Mr. Strahan, in 1769:his examination, and part of the proceedings before the Privy Council, relative to the difmiffion of Governor Hutchinfon :-his memorable answer to a letter of Lord Howe's, notifying his commiffion for compofing the American troubles :-rules for reducing a great empire to a fmall one; together with fome other letters and papers. In the fourth divifion are contained various papers relative to provincial politics only; particularly thofe of the province of Pensylvania: and in the fifth and laft, the Editor has collected all the mifcellaneous and philofophical pieces of Dr. Franklin that have come into his hands, and which are not elsewhere extant in print,

From a work of fo mifcellaneous a nature, and which con tains feveral papers that have been before feparately published, we find it difficult to make a proper felection. Some fpecimens however will be expected from us; nor can any, from fuch a pen, be unacceptable to our readers. Under the first divifion, we meet with the following excellent parable against perfecution; the perufal of which we are forry to have occafion, at this time of day, to recommend to the members of the prefent Proteftant Affociation. The Author of this parable, as the Editor has been informed, has often impofed it upon his friends and acquaintance, as a part of a chapter of Genefis.

A Parable against Perfecution.'

1. And it came to pafs after these things, that Abraham fat in the door of his tent, about the going down of the fun. 2. ' And

2. And behold a man bowed with age, coming from the way of the wilderness leaning on a staff.

3. And Abraham arofe, and met him, and faid unto him, Turn in, I pray thee, and wash thy feet, and tarry all night; and thou fhalt arife early in the morning, and go on thy way. 4. And the man faid, Nay; for I will abide under this

tree.

5. But Abraham preffed him greatly: fo he turned and they went into the tent: and Abraham baked unleavened bread, and they did eat.

6. And when Abraham saw that the man bleffed not God, he faid unto him, Wherefore doft thou not worship the most high God, Creator of heaven and earth?

7. And the man anfwered and faid, I do not worship thy God, neither do I call upon his name; for I have made to myfelf a god, which abideth always in my houfe, and provideth me with all things.

8. And Abraham's zeal was kindled against the man, and he arofe, and fell upon him, and drave him forth with blows into the wilderness.

9. And at midnight God called unto Abraham, faying,' Abraham, where is the ftranger?

10. And Abraham answered and said, Lord, he would not worship thee, neither would he call upon thy name; therefore have I driven him out from before my face into the wilderness.

11. And God faid, have I borne with him thefe hundred ninety and eight years, and nourished him, and clothed him, notwithstanding his rebellion against me; and couldst not thou, who art thyself a finner, bear with him one night?

12. And Abraham said, let not the anger of my Lord wax hot against his fervant': lo, I have finned, forgive me I pray

thee.

13. And Abraham arose, and went forth into the wildernefs, and fought diligently for the man, and found him; and returned with him to the tent; and when he had entreated him kindly, he fent him away on the morrow with gifts.

14. And God fpake again unto Abraham, faying, for this ' thy fin fhall thy feed be afflicted four hundred years in a strange

land:

15. But for thy repentance will I deliver them, and they' fhall come forth with power, and with gladness of heart, and with much fubstance.'

As another fpecimen of this divifion of the work, we shall felect fome parts of a popular and useful production of the Author; which, we are told, his countrymen read with much avidity and profit; intitled, The Way to Wealth, as clearly fhewn in the preface of an old Penfylvanian Almanack, intitled, Poor

Richard

Richard improved.' Dr. Franklin, who is faid for many years to have published Poor Richard's Almanack, in Pensylvania, furnished it with various fentenees and proverbs, principally relating to the topics of industry, attention to one's own business, and frugality. The whole, or chief of thefe fentences and proverbs, fays the Editor, he at laft collected and digested in the abovementioned general preface.-As he is at present our enemy, we naturally with, as British patriots, to turn his arms against himself, by applying them to our own defence. And as the prefent fituation of our country will render more taxes, as well as more ceconomy, neceffary; and certain murmurings on that account are, at this time, growing louder than ufual; we fhall firft felect what our late countryman fays on the article of induftry. The preface begins thus:

Courteous Reader,

• I have heard, that nothing gives an author fo great pleafure, as to find his works refpectfully quoted by others. Judge, then, how much I must have been gratified by an incident I am going to relate to you. I ftopped my horfe lately, where a great number of people were collected at an auction of merchants goods. The hour of the fale not being come, they were converfing on the badnefs of the times; and one of the company called to a plain, clean Old Man, with white locks, "Pray, Father Abraham, what think you of the times? Will not these heavy taxes quite ruin the country? How fhall we ever be able to pay them? What would you advise us to ?"-Father Abraham ftood up, and replied, If you would have my advice, I will give it you in fhort; "for a word to the wife is enough," as Poor Richard fays.' They joined in defiring him to speak his mind, and gathering round him, he proceeded as follows;

Friends, fays, he, the taxes are, indeed, very heavy, and, if those laid on by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and much more grievous to fome of us. We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly; and from these taxes the commiffioners cannot ease or deliver us, by allowing an abatement. However, let us hearken to good advice, and fomething may be done for us; "God helps them that help themselves," as Poor Richard fays.

It would be thought a hard government that fhould tax its people one-tenth part of their time, to be employed in its fervice but idleness taxes many of us much more; floth, by bringing on difeafes, abfolutely fhortens life. "Sloth, like ruft, confumes fafter than labour wears, while the used key is always bright," as Poor Richard fays. "But doft thou love life, then do not fquander time, for that is the ftuff life is made of,”

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