200 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



first of his known imprints and tlie only one extant emanating from 

 London. 



As a stranger spealcing a foreign tongue lie did not secure a 

 remunerative patronage in London, so, together witli otliers of his self- 

 exiled compatriots, attracted by Franklin's championship of the cause 

 of the American Colonies, and his republican and free-thought senti- 

 ments, he sought an interview witli the American statesman, to inquire 

 regarding the prospects of success and the enjoyment of liberty in 

 America, and was advised to try Philadelphia. Franklin, the real leader 

 of the revolt of the thirteen colonies, at once became convinced of the 

 advantage of securing the services of a French printer, in sympathy 

 with the revolutionary movement, ready, when occasion required, to 

 send into the Province of Quebec to influence its people by press 

 and precept, although alien in race and language, to cast in their 

 lot with this movement, and thus, by extinguishing British rule in 

 America, make the new order a continental congress indeed. 



Fortified with a letter from Franklin to Congress, Mesplet, towards 

 the close of 1773, or the beginning of 1774, set sail for Philadelphia 

 with his wife and his printing outfit. There he settled down to business 

 and rented a house belonging to Anthon}^ Benezet ^ at $112 per annum. 

 He formed a partnership with someone who evidently furnished tlie 

 necessary capital, but whose name is not recorded, and set up as a 

 master printer. It is not clear whether he hired space for his type 

 and press and used the same printing oflQce as jMiller,^ or had his press- 

 work done there, for Berger writes that his type was at this printer's, 

 and that he had paid him $176 (due either for space or press-work). ^ 



Through the letter of introduction from Franklin he was commis- 

 sioned by the Continental Congress in 1774, to print a sixteen page 

 pamphlet, addressed " Aux Habitants de la province de Québec." * 

 Whatever other orders he may have received from Congress or from 

 the citizens of Philadelphia during that year they did not appear to 



^ He was a son of Etienne Benezet who came from France early in the 

 18th century and carried on a successful business in Philadelphia. Anthony 

 was a strong abolitionist and published a number of works against negro 

 slavery. He befriended printers, especially those from his native country. 



^ The Miller here referred to (Heinrich Mueller) held towards the (xer- 

 man population of Philadelphia of which there was a considerable number, 

 a somewhat similar position as did Mesplet to the French. Their interests 

 were therefore not likely to clash even though they occupied the same build- 

 ing. One of Miller's imprints is shown on a book described in the " Biblio- 

 graphy of the Algonquin Languages," J. C. Pilling, Washington, 1891, page 

 544. When Philadelphia was captured in 1777, Miller hid his presses but 

 they were discovered and carried to New York and were used for printing 

 British Proclamations. 



'■' See appendix C No. 1. 



* See appendix A No. 2. 



