1901.] ROSEXGARTEN — FRANKLIN'S BAGATELLES. 127 



encing contemporary European opinion in favor of the American 

 colonies in their struggle for independence, and both were copied 

 in the innumerable newspapers and news-letters issued in Holland 

 and Brussels and throughout Europe. 



Parton, in his Franklin, says, at p. 235 of Vol. 2 : "To promote 

 the loan ordered by Congress, Franklin wrote an ingenious piece, 

 which he caused to be translated into Dutch, French, Spanish and 

 Italian, and sent to the moneyed capitals of Europe;" and again, 

 another "money article he wrote at this time, entitled 'A Cate- 

 chism Relative to the English National Debt.' " " Another piece 

 of Franklin's fun bears date at this time, ' A Dialogue between 

 Britain, France, Spain, Holland, Saxony and America.' " Parton 

 also says : "It was for Mme. Brillon that he wrote the letter with 

 the story of paying too dear for The Whistle and his amusing 

 piece upon The Ephemera, which was copied and recopied so often 

 in Paris that it became as well known as though published. The 

 Petition of the Left Hand, The Handsome and Deformed Leg, 

 Morals of Chess, Dialogue between Franklin and the Gout, and 

 other witty effusions of this period were written for the amusement 

 of the circle that met twice a week at Mme. Brillon' s. These 

 pieces were probably composed in English by Franklin and 

 translated into French by some member of the company." Parton 

 says: " In his house at Passy Franklin had a small printing press 

 and fonts of type, with which he printed copies of the ' Baga- 

 telles.' " 



Ford, in his Many-sided Franklin (p. 218), says : " In his own 

 home he (Franklin) set up a press and types, all of which he or 

 his servants cast." In Bigelow's Works, Vol. 6, p. 474, there is a 

 letter from Franklin of October 29, 1779, t0 Fizeaux and Grand, 

 saying " eight boxes of printing characters are sent from London 

 to your care for me," and directing that they be insured for ^"ioo, 

 via Rouen. Ford says: "These printing materials Franklin 

 brought with him to America, on his return from France, and 

 used them to establish his grandson, B. F. Bache, in business as a 

 printer." Bigelow, in his Life of Franklin, Vol. 3, pp. 375^ and 

 c, prints Franklin's certificate, dated Philadelphia, February 25, 

 1786, that "the printing types with which he furnished Mr. 

 Francis Child, contained in fifteen boxes, marked B. F., Nos. 9, 

 10, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 32, 33, 38, 53, 54, 59> 6o > were made 

 in my house at Passy, by my servants, for my use, and were never 



