Montserrat. Benny will have the business of all those islands, there being no other printer.

After all, having taken care to do what appears to be for the best, we must submit to God's providence, which orders all things really for the best.

While Benny was here, and since, our Assembly was sitting, which took up my time, and I could not before write you so fully.

With love to your children, I am, dear brother and sister, your affectionate brother,

B. FRANKLIN.

I have your favor of the third past, with your son's remarks on the Abbé Nollet's Letters.* I think the experiments and observations are judiciously made, and so well expressed, that, with your and his leave, I would transmit them to Mr. Collinson for publication. I have repeated all the Abbé's experiments in vacuo, and find them answer exactly as they should do on my principles, and in the material part quite contrary to what he has related of them; so that he has laid himself extremely open, by attempting to impose false accounts of experiments on the world, to support his doctrine.

M. Dalibard wrote to me that he was preparing an answer, that would be published the beginning of this winter; but, as he seems to have been imposed on by

* See these Remarks, by David Colden, in Vol. V. p. 319. VOL. VII.

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the Abbé's confident assertion, that a charged bottle set down on an electric per se is deprived of its electricity, and in his letter to me attempts to account for it, I doubt he is not yet quite master enough of the subject to do the business effectually. So I conclude to write a civil letter to the Abbé myself, in which, without resenting any thing in his letters, I shall endeavour to set the disputed matters in so clear a light, as to satisfy every one that will take the trouble of reading it. Before I send it home, I shall communicate it to you, and take your friendly advice on it. I set out to-morrow on a journey to Maryland, where I expect to be some weeks, but shall have some leisure when I return. At present, I can only add my thanks to your ingenious son, and my hearty wishes of a happy new year to you, and him, and all yours. I am, Sir, &c. B. FRANKLIN.

P. S. I wrote to you last post, and sent my paper on the Increase of Mankind. I send the Supplemental Electrical Experiments in several fragments of letters, of which Cave* has made the most, by printing some of them twice over.

*The bookseller in London, who first published Franklin's papers on electricity. See these Experiments, Vol. V. p. 253.

TO WILLIAM SMITH.

Respecting the new Academy, which had lately been established in Philadelphia.*

SIR,

Philadelphia, 19 April, 1753

I received your favor of the 11th instant, with your new piece on Education,† which I shall carefully peruse, and give you my sentiments of it, as you desire, by next post.

I believe the young gentlemen, your pupils, may be entertained and instructed here, in mathematics and philosophy to satisfaction. Mr. Alison, who was educated at Glasgow, has been long accustomed to teach the latter, and Mr. Grew § the former, and I think their pupils make great progress. Mr. Alison has the care of the Latin and Greek school; but, as he has now three good assistants, || he can very well afford some

* As early as 1743, Franklin had endeavoured to procure the establishment of an Academy in Philadelphia. His efforts were not successful till 1749, when, chiefly through his instrumentality, the Academy was instituted and went into operation. Franklin was chosen the first president of the Board of Trustees. From this institution arose, first the College of Philadelphia, and afterwards the present University of Pennsylvania. The Reverend William Smith was appointed Provost of the Academy in 1754, and he filled that office, with distinguished repu tation, at the head of the Academy and College successively, for the period of thirty-seven years, till the University was founded in 1791. A full account of these institutions, in their various stages, may be seen in "WOOD's History of the University of Pennsylvania," contained in the third volume of the Memoirs of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. A General Idea of the College of Mirania. - Stuber.

The Rev. Francis Alison, afterwards Vice-Provost of the College in Philadelphia. - STUBER.

§ Theophilus Grew, afterwards Professor of Mathematics in the College. - STUBER.

Those assistants were at that time Charles Thomson, afterwards Secretary of Congress, Paul Jackson, and Jacob Duché. - STUBER.

hours every day for the instruction of those, who are engaged in higher studies. The mathematical school is pretty well furnished with instruments. The English Library is a good one, and we have belonging to it a middling apparatus for experimental philosophy, and purpose speedily to complete it. The Loganian Library, one of the best collections in America, will shortly be opened; so that neither books nor instruments will be wanting; and, as we are determined always to give good salaries, we have reason to believe we may have always an opportunity of choosing good masters; upon which, indeed, the success of the whole depends. We are obliged to you for your kind offers in this respect; and, when you are settled in England, we may occasionally make use of your friendship and judgment.

If it suits your conveniency to visit Philadelphia, before your return to Europe, I shall be extremely glad to see and converse with you here, as well as to correspond with you after your settlement in England. For an acquaintance and communication with men of learning, virtue, and public spirit, is one of my greatest enjoyments.

I do not know whether you ever happened to see the first proposals I made for erecting this Academy. I send them enclosed. They had, however imperfect, the desired success, being followed by a subscription of four thousand pounds towards carrying them into execution. And, as we are fond of receiving advice, and are daily improving by experience, I am in hopes we shall, in a few years, see a perfect institution. I am, very respectfully, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

TO WILLIAM SMITH.

Critical Remarks on his Scheme of Education.

SIR,

Philadelphia, 3 May, 1753.

Mr. Peters has just now been with me, and we have compared notes on your new piece. We find nothing in the scheme of education, however excellent, but what is, in our opinion, very practicable. The great difficulty will be, to find the Aratus,* and other suitable persons, to carry it into execution; but such may be had if proper encouragement be given. We have both received great pleasure in the perusal of it. For my part, I know not when I have read a piece that has more affected me; so noble and just are the sentiments, so warm and animated the language; yet, as censure from your friends may be of more use, as well as more agreeable to you, than praise, I ought to mention, that I wish you had omitted, not only the quotation from the Review,† which you are now justly dissatisfied with, but those expressions of resentment against your adversaries, in pages 65 and 79. In such cases, the noblest victory is obtained by neglect, and by shining on.

Mr. Allen has been out of town these ten days; but, before he went, he directed me to procure him six copies of your piece. Mr. Peters has taken ten.

The name given to the principal or head of the ideal college, the system of education in which has nevertheless been nearly realized, or followed as a model, in the College and Academy of Philadelphia, and some other American seminaries, for many years past. — STUBER.

The quotation alluded to (from the "London Monthly Review" for 1749) was judged to reflect too severely on the discipline and government of the English Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and was expunged from the following editions of this work. - STUBER.

VOL. VII.

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