PAGB Penn- The Art of Virtue"-Kames's “ Elements of Criticism". 375-433 CHAPTER II. His Reception in America–His Son's Marriage, and Appointment as Governor of New Jersey-Tour through the Colonies as PostmasterGeneral-Insurrection of the Indians-Drafts a Militia Bill-Its Rejection by the Governor-Drafts a Petition to the Throne for a Change of Governor-Is defeated for the Assembly-Sent to England again as Agent of the Colony of Pennsylvania–Parting Advice to his Daughter (1762-1764) 434-448 CHAPTER III. Jealousy of English Manufacturers-Origin of the Stamp Act-Opposi tion of Franklin-Effect of its Passage in America--Names a Stamp Distributor-Unpleasant Consequences-Correspondence with Dean Tucker (1764-1766). 449-466 CHAPTER IV. Franklin's Examination before the House of Commons (1766) 467-510 CHAPTER V. Franklin sends his Wife a New Dress on the Repeal of the Stamp Act -New Disputes with the Mother Country-Colonies required to provide for Soldiers—Lord Chatham-Marriage of Sally Franklin-- Experiment of making Paper Money not a Legal Tender-Advances of the French Ambassador to Franklin-Visits the Continent-First Impressions of France and Germany (1766-1767). 511-545 CHAPTER VI. The Walpole Grant again-Change of Ministry_Hillsborough named Secretary of State for America - Franklin edits “ The Farmer's 546-570 APPENDIX. PAGE No. 1. Preface to Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Benjamin 573-577 No. 2. Preface to " Correspondance inédite, etc., de B. Franklin," by 577-579 . the Atlantic, where he still enjoys a fame and respect never accorded to any other American. A nation has no possessions so valuable as its great men, living or dead; for they inspire it with noble impulses to noble achievements. When such possessions cease to be estimated by us at their proper value, or to awaken the enthusiasm of the young and the pride of the mature of a nation, we may be sure that we are yielding to a lower grade of impulses and are declining in power and influence. The cock in the fable preferred the grain of corn to the guinea, because he was a cock, and did not know that with the guinea he could have bought a year's supply of corn. When we become indifferent to the fame and the teachings of those who have headed the procession of civilizing influences in their day, we commit the folly of the cock, without the cock's excuse. It was when the trophies of Miltiades kept Themistocles from sleeping that Greece was in her glory. I do not see, and I hope I may never see, any evidence of this kind of degeneracy in our country. It is certainly true that Franklin is relatively less read now than earlier in this century, and, as a natural consequence, the proportion of young men who order their daily life and conversation in accordance with his precepts and example, in the main singularly wise and commendable, is diminished; but that, I would fain believe, is due rather to thé comparative inaccessibility of his more practical writings than to any change of taste, or to any decline of esteem for their author. Mr. Sparks performed a very useful work in collecting and placing beyond the possibilities of loss or destruction the great mass of Franklin's writings, but it may be doubted whether his publication has not thus far rather tended to diminish than to cultivate a popular acquaintance with them, by discouraging the publication of compendious selections adapted to the different tastes and means of the numerous varieties of readers he addressed. To assist in restoring to Franklin's writings and teachings their proper influence among us—and it was never more needed perhaps than at this moment—is the primary purpose of this unambitious work, in which I have tried to condense everything he left behind him that any one not pursuing special investigations now cares to read about the most eminent journalist, philosopher, diplomatist, and statesman* of his time. Few who have written * Franklin's wonderful achievements in other directions seem to have blinded the public, as by an excess of light, to his merits as a statesman. Bryant, than whom it would be difficult to name a higher living authority upon any subject on which he offers an opinion, has been the first, I believe, of our public oracles fitly to recognize this additional title of Franklin to our admiration and gratitude. In a recent discourse before the printers of New York, at their celebration of the one-hundred-andsixty-eighth anniversary of the birthday of Franklin, he said: " The illustrious printer and journalist whose birth we this evening commemorate is often spoken of with praise as an acute observer of nature and of men, as a philosopher, as an inventor, as an able negotiator, and as a |