acted ungenerously towards Franklin, preventin as much as possible the circulation of his paper He had now an opportunity of retaliating; but hi nobleness of soul prevented him from making us of it.

The police of Philadelphia had early appointed watchmen, whose duty it was to guard the citizen against the midnight robber, and to give an imme diate alarm in case of fire. This duty is, perhaps one of the most important that can be committed to any set of men. The regulations, however, wer not sufficiently strict. Franklin saw the danger arising from this cause, and suggested an alteration so as to oblige the guardians of the night to be mor watchful over the lives and property of the citizens The propriety of this was immediately perceived and a reform was effected.

This

There is nothing more dangerous to growing cities than fires. Other causes operate slowly, and almost imperceptibly; but these in a moment ren der abortive the labors of ages. On this accoun there should be, in all cities, ample provisions to prevent fires from spreading. Franklin early saw the necessity of these; and about the year 1738 formed the first fire company in this city. example was soon followed by others; and there are now numerous fire companies in the city and fiberties. To these may be attributed in a grea degree the activity in extinguishing fires, for which the citizens of Philadelphia are distinguished, and the inconsiderable damage which this city has sus tained from this cause. Some tinre after, Franklin

experienced from it have been great. om the first establishment of Pennsylvania, a of dispute appears to have prevailed amongst habitants. During the life-time of William , the constitution had been three times altered. r this period the history of Pennsylvania is else than a recital of the quarrels between the rietaries, or their governors, and the assembly. proprietaries contended for the right of exting their land from taxes; to which the assemwould by no means consent. This subject of ute interfered in almost every question, and ented the most salutary laws from being enactThis at times subjected the people to great in enience. In the year 1744, during a war ben France and Great Britain, some French and ans had made inroads upon the frontier inhabs of the province, who were unprovided for an attack. It became necessary that the citishould arm for their defence. Governor mas recommended to the assembly, who were sitting, to pass a militia law. To this they Id agree only on condition that he should give assent to certain laws, which appeared to them ulated to promote the interest of the people. As thought these laws would be injurious to the rietaries, he refused his assent to them; and assembly broke up without passing a militia law. situation of the province was at this time truly ning: exposed to the continual inroads of an ny, and destitute of every means of defence.his crisis Franklin stepped forth, and proposed meeting of the citizens of Philadelphia, a plan

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Pursuits of a different nature now occupied the greatest part of his attention for some years. He engaged in a course of electrical experiments, with all the ardor and thirst for discovery which charac terized the philosophers of that day.

Of all the branches, of experimental philosophy elec ricity has been the least explored.

The elective power of amber is mentioned by Theophrastus and Pliny, and, from them, by later naturalists. In the year 1600, Gilbert, an English physician, enlarged considerably the catalogue o substances which have the property of attracting light bodies. Boyle, Otto Guericke, a burgomaster of Magdeburg, celebrated as the inventor of the air pump, Dr. Wall, and Sir Isaac Newton, added some facts. Guericke first observed the repulsive power of electricity, and the light and noise pro duced by it. In 1709, Hawkesbec communicated some important observations and experiments to the world. For several years electricity was en tirely neglected, until Mr. Gray applied himself to it, in 1728, with great assiduity. He, and his friend Mr. Wheeler, made a great variety of experiments in which they demonstrated that electricity may be communicated from one body to another, ever without being in contact, and in this way may b conducted to a great distance. Mr. Grav after wards found, that by suspending rods of iron by

dant of the French king's gardens, made a ber of experiments, which added not a little e science. He made the discovery of two kinds ectricity, which he called vitrous and resinous ormer produced by rubbing glass, the latter excited sulphur, sealing-wax, &c.

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he afterwards gave up as erroneous. Between years 1739 and 1742, Desaguliers made a numof experiments, but added little of importance. irst used the terms conductors and electrics, per In 1742, several ingenious Germans engaged is subject. Of these the principal were, pro or Boze of Whittemberg, professor Winkler of sic, Gordon, a Scotch Benedictine monk, proor of philosophy at Erfurt, and Dr. Ludolf of in. The result of their researches astonished philosophers of Europe. Their apparatus was :, and by means of it they were enabled to collarge quantities of electricity, and thus to pro- phenomena which had been hitherto unobed. They killed small birds, and set spirits on Their experiments excited the curiosity of r philosophers. Collinson, about the year 1745, to the library company of Philadelphia an acit of these experiments, together with a tube, directions how to use it. Franklin, with some is friends, immediately engaged in a course of riments; the result of which is well known. was enabled to make a number of important overies, and to propose theories to account for ous phenomena; which have been universally ted, and which bid fair to endure for ages. observations he communicated, in a series of

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which наи mucro escapco the notice of electricians. He also made the grand discovery of a plus and minus, or of a positive and negative state of electricity. We give him the honor of this, without hesitation; although the English have claimed it for their countryman Dr. Wat son. Watson's paper is dated January 21, 1748; Franklin's July 11, 1747; several months prior. Shortly after, Franklin, from his principles of plus and minus state, explained, in a satisfactory manner, the phenomena of the Leyden phial, first observed by Mr. Cuneus, or by professor Muschenbroeck of Leyden, which had much perplexed philosophers. He shewed clearly that the bottle, when charged, contained no more electricity than before, but that as much was taken from the one side as was thrown on the other; and that to discharge it, nothing was necessary but to make a communication between the two sides, by which the equilibrium might be restored, and that then no signs of electricity would remain. He afterwards demonstrated, by experiments, that the electricity did not reside in the coating, as had been supposed, but in the pores of the glass itself. After a phial was charged, he removed the coating, and found that upon applying a new coating the shock might still be received. In the year 1749, he first suggested his idea of explaining the phenomena of thunder gusts, and of the aurora borealis, upon electrical principles. He points out many particulars in which lightning and electricity agree; and he adduces many facts, and reasoning from facts, in support of his positions. In the same year he conceived the astonishingly bold