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The matter-of-fact character of his early writings was 

 largely due to his surroundings and to the people for whom he 

 wrote. When at leisure in the society of cultivated people 

 he soon yielded to their influence. His famous essay on the 

 " Way to Wealth," for example, was written soon after his 

 visit to Virginia and. a somewhat intimate association with 

 General Braddock and his staff. The first, and incomparably 

 the best, part of his "Autobiography " was written at the 

 time of his most intimate connection with English literary 

 society and while visiting at the country home of the Bishop 

 of St. Asaph. The witty Bagatelles were produced in the 

 midst of a brilliant Parisian circle. 



His contributions to science were the result of a period of 

 voluntary seclusion and temporary respite from business cares 

 which he had learned by his frugality and industry while 

 printer and publisher. 



After he had acquired literary fame, he made use of it to 

 promote the welfare of his country. A French writer, de- 

 scribing, in 1872, the events of nearly a century before, said : 



" The coining of the famous American to Paris caused a 

 profound sensation. Everybody wanted to see the author of 

 the ' Almanach du Bonhomme Kichard;' his mind was com- 

 pared to that of Cato, and his character to that of Socrates. 

 Franklin knew full well how to take advantage of the impres- 

 sion which he had produced upon a nation so impressionable 

 as were the FVench, always ready to place their lives and their 

 wealth at the service of a noble principle, and, following the 

 example of Lacretelle, he decided to serve as ambassador not 

 to a court but to a free and generous people." 



He was by instinct a scholar and by inclination an author. 

 He loved books for themselves. He became a vegetarian at 

 the age of sixteen that he might buy them. 



