the shame it deserves, our literary annals will wear a blot which neither time nor change can obliterate.

Our situation is analogous to that of a people for a time enjoying repose under a just and good government; but at length aroused from that repose by the encroachments of tyranny and the imposition of iniquitous laws. What was originally devotion to the country, becomes now slavery to the ruler; and duty has changed from submission to resistance. Thus we, for a time, have been content to acknowledge the supremacy of the Critics; and, while they were capable and honest, we were wise to do so: but now that their decisions are tainted with errour, and reliance on them is deception to ourselves, it is incumbent on us to cast off our allegiance, and compel them either to abandon their office, or renounce their heresy.

The manner of accomplishing this revolution cannot here be enlarged upon, but its results may be stated in a moment. Our National Literature will be relieved from the baneful influence of flattery, and the artificial ripening of false criticism. Its growth will be checked in rapidity, but advanced in strength; and it will progress slowly, but surely, to the very highest eminence of fame.

"So the sage oak, to Nature's mandate true,

Advanced but slow, and strengthen'd as he grew!
But when, at length, (full many a season o'er,)
His head the blossoms of high promise bore;
When steadfast were his roots, and sound his heart,
He bade oblivion and decay depart;

Flung his broad arms o'er those who watch'd his rise,
His lofty top waved proudly in the skies;
And, storm and time defying, still remains
The never-dying glory of the plains!"

ART. III. FRANKLIN, AND HIS (SUPPOSED) PARABLE ON

PERSECUTION.

To the Editor of the Lit. and Theol. Review.

Bangor, Feb. 1836.

DEAR SIR-Dr. Franklin, were he living, would readily submit a question affecting his literary reputation, to American readers. He would cling, as I believe, to his European fame. He loved Passy and Paris, half as much, at least, as Philadelphia: but he would be proud to consider a reference to an American court of Criticism, like the Roman appeal to Cæsar's judgment-seat-It would be a last and best protection, perhaps, from injustice elsewhere.

A question of this kind, was fairly brought before me, in England, some five or six years ago; and a late editor of the "Life and Writings" of Franklin, published at Philadelphia, in 2 vols. 8vo., renews the public attention to it, quoting an opinion of mine. It relates to the real authorship of the Parable on Persecution, here introduced, as "very much celebrated, and justly, from the form and delicacy of its application;" and seems to involve either a strange and long-continued lapse of memory, or (considering his general character) a yet stranger defect of integrity in Dr. Franklin. I am not conscious of a bias to either conclusion. But I think I shall put to rest all claim to the authorship of this piece on the part of the American sage; and I shall prove that he claimed it as his own. This is all I undertake.

It is beyond dispute, that, in every considerable edition of his works, (since 1779, at least,) this Parable has been printed and reprinted as Franklin's. In numerous other publications, moral and religious, it is attributed to him. Perhaps Lord Kaimes, quoting it as "communicated to him by Dr. Franklin," (I think in his Sketches of the History of Man,) first introduced it to general notice in the higher circles of English literature. But a piece ascribed to Franklin, that has become more generally popular, cannot be mentioned.

Having occasion to compare some of the first editions of Bishop Taylor's Liberty of Prophesying, my surprise, therefore, was great in finding the whole, substantially, to have been published in 1674, at the conclusion of one of his chapters "en

forcing the excellence of the principle of toleration." Every part of the Parable in Lord Kaimes' version, ("communicated to him by Dr. Franklin,") is there. Permit me, after the Philadelphia edition, to print the two in columns.

Bishop Taylor.

(Liberty of Prophesying, 1674.)

When Abraham sat at his tent door, according to his custom, wait ing to entertain strangers, he espied an old man, stooping and leaning on his staff, weary with age and travel, coming towards him, who was an hundred years of age: he received him kindly, and washed his feet, provided supper, caused him to sit down; but observing the old man ate and prayed not, nor begged for a blessing to his meat, he asked him why he did not worship the God of heaven? The old man told him, that he worshipped the fire only, and acknowledged no other god. At which answer Abraham grew so jealously angry, that he thrust the old man out of his tent, and exposed him to all the evils of the night, and an unguarded condition. When the old man was gone, God called to Abraham and asked where the stranger was? He replied, I thrust him away, because he would not worship thee. God answered him, I have suffered him three hundred years, although he dishonoured me, and couldst not thou endure him one night, when he gave thee no trouble? Upon this, saith the Scriptures, Ahraham fetched him back again, and gave him hospitable entertainment, and even instruction. Go thou and do likewise, and thy charity will be rewarded by the God

of Abraham.

Dr. Franklin.

(In Lord Kaimes' version.) And it came to pass after these things, that Abraham sat in the door of his tent, about the going down of the sun, and behold a man, bent with age, coming from the of the way wilderness, leaning on his staff. And Abraham arose and met him, and said unto him, turn in, I pray thee, and wash thy feet, and tarry all night; and thou shalt rise early in the morning, and go on thy way. And the man said, nay, for I will abide under this tree; but Abraham pressed him greatly, so he turned, and they went into the tent; and Abraham baked unleavened bread, and they did eat. And when Abraham saw that the man blessed not God, he said unto him, wherefore dost thou not worship the most high God, creator of heaven and earth? And the man answered and said, I do not worship thy God, neither do I call upon his name; for I have made to myself a god, which abideth always in my house, and provideth me with all things. And Abraham's zeal was kindled against the man, and he arose, and fell upon him, and drove him forth with blows into the wilderness. And God called upon Abraham, saying, Abraham where is the stranger? And Abraham, answered, and said, Lord, he would not worship thee, neither would he call upon thy name; therefore, I have driven him out from before my face into the wilderness. And God said, I have borne with him these three hundred and ninety and eight years, and nourished him, and clothed him, notwithstanding his rebellion against me; and couldst not thou, who art thyself a sinner, bear with him one night?

Here, then, if parable be merely allegory, is not only a simi

lar, but the same allegory, the same parties and incidents allegorized; and the same moral evidently in view. The identity of conception and of object, speaks to the eye. Were the claim of authorship, therefore, between Dr. Franklin and the eloquent English Bishop,-the Milton of our prose writers; the advocate and apostle (so to speak) of Toleration, in very different times to those of Franklin-it would admit, with competent judges, of no dispute. But the Bishop expressly disclaims the authorship; and professes to conclude with a story which he finds "in the Jews' books."

There I certainly could not find it, nor some men much deeper versed in Jewish lore, to whom I referred, thinking, at first, that Dr. Franklin might have fallen upon it in some of the Rabbinical authors, and transmitted it to Lord Kaimes, without any assignment of authorship. It now appears there is a version of the Parable, "more oriental and circumlocutory," in the Bostaan of the Persian poet Sadi, of the thirteenth century.*

This confirms its oriental origin; but only assists, I submit, in defeating all claim of Dr. Franklin, to the authorship; and I shall now show that he made this claim repeatedly and deliberately.

I. Its transmission to Lord Kaimes, is thus to be traced. Franklin visited his Lordship in Scotland, some time in the year 1759. From London, in January, 1760, he writes to his new friend: "My Dear Lord, You have been pleased to desire to have all my publications. I had daily expectations of procuring some of them from a friend to whom I formerly sent them when I was in America," &c. And May 3, 1760, I will shortly send you a copy of the chapter you are pleased to mention in so obliging a manner." By "the chapter," I here understand this Parable. It purports to be a kind of additional chapter to the book of Genesis; has often been so called, and is thus mentioned, we shall see, by Franklin himself, (i. e. as " the chapter,") to another friend. Lord Kaimes first published his "Sketches of the History of Man," in 1773.

66

II. Its transmission to this other friend, Mr. B. Vaughan, in 1779, is still more remarkable. The Editor of the "Life and Writings of Franklin," just published at Philadelphia, says, "While the Author was Minister of the United States, at Paris, this year, another edition (of Franklin's Works) * Postliminous Preface, p. 22, Franklin's Life and Writings. 2 vols. Philadelphia, 1835.

was prepared with very great care, and honourable zeal, by Mr. Benjamin Vaughan, who had been a member of the British Parliament." Franklin writes to this gentleman from Passy, Nov. 9, [see this edition of his Life and Writings,] "I thank you much for the great care and pains you have taken in regulating and correcting the edition of those papers. Your friendship for me appears in almost every page, and if the preservation of any of them should prove of use to the public, it is to you that the public will owe the obligation. In looking them over, I have noted some faults of impression, that hurt the sense, and some other little matters, which you will find all in a sheet, under the title of ERRATA.' Enclosed I send a more perfect copy of the CHAPTER." To this sentence a note is attached, explaining the chapter to be "A parable against persecution." The whole letter is occupied with Dr. Franklin's claims to various pamphlets and essays. And this Editor himself, gives us in his Preface, "a much improved version (of the parable) from the edition corrected by Dr. Franklin, for the use of Mr. Vaughan ;"* i. e. for publication as his (Franklin's) own production, in this, the carefully prepared edition of his works, in 1779.

Yet this American Editor quotes, with apparent censure, my expression of surprise that the later Editors of Dr.

I subjoin this, to bring the whole subject before the reader, and because it is held to be so "much improved."

1. And it came to pass, after these things, that Abraham sat in the door of his tent about the going down of the sun.

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

3. And Abraham ran and met him, and said, Turn in, I pray thee, and wash thy feet, and tarry all night, and thou shalt arise early in the morning, and go on thy way.

4. But the man said, Nay, but I will abide under this tree.

5. And Abraham pressed him greatly; so 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 blessed not God, he said unto him, Wherefore dost thou not worship the most High God, Creator of heaven and earth?

7. And the man answered and said, I do not worship the God thou speakest of, neither do I call upon his name, for I have made to myself a God which abideth always in my house, and provideth me with all things.

8. And Abraham's zeal was kindled against the man, and he arose, and drove him forth with blows into the wilderness.

9. And at midnight God called upon Abraham, saying, Abraham, where is the stranger?

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

11 And God said, I have borne with him three hundred and ninety and eight years, and clothed him, notwithstanding his rebellion against me, and couldst not thou, that art thyself a sinner, bear with him one night?