219 



raillery, when writing to his English correspondent, William 

 Strahan, once more his friend, after the conclusion of the war : 

 " Your contempt of our understandings, in comparison with 

 your own, appeared to be not much better founded than that 

 of our courage, if we may judge by this circumstance, that, in 

 whatever court of Europe, a Yankee negotiator appeared, the 

 wise British minister was routed, put in a passion, picked a 

 quarrel with your friends, and was sent home with a flea in 

 his ear."* And if good Jonathan Shipley, Bishop of St. Asaph, 

 had primary reference to the ability of Franklin himself in 

 dealing with the French and English ministers, the remark 

 held good also of his worthy associates : " The event has shown 

 that, in their own arts, you were not inferior to the ablest of 

 them."f 



Yet, while others were associated with him in the honor- 

 able work, and right nobly discharged their part, it was after 

 all, Dr. Franklin that was chiefly looked to to represent the 

 United States in Europe entire, as it was he alone that could 

 sustain the credit of the country when Congress in its despera- 

 tion was issuing drafts which it provided the envoys with no 

 means of honoring, and when the advances* of money im- 

 peratively needed for the maintenance of the American cause 

 must be wrung by judicious insistance from a government, not 

 so much reluctant, as unable to meet all the demands upon its 

 purse made by its impecunious ally. 



At last perseverance met with its reward. The king of 

 England was compelled to acknowledge the autonomy of his 

 revolted colonies, and, on the 30th of November, 1782, in con- 

 junction with John Adams, John Jay, and Henry Laurens, Dr. 

 Franklin signed the provisional articles. Ten months later, he 



* Letter from Passy, 19 August, 1784, .Vorks, ix, 53. 



t Letter from Twyford, 27 November, 17S4, Works, ix, 280. 



