20 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGIN OF THE 



into consideration; it was proposed to dissolve the 

 Association, but that was objected to; it was thought 

 best to go on and to return to the first .principles, 

 which, it would appear had been in some respects lost 

 sight of; but the original rules (drafted by Franklin) 

 had been lost or mislaid, and could not be found. 

 After much discussion, it was determined to appoint 

 a Committee to write them anew from the recollection 

 of the members ; Edmund Physick and Charles 

 Thomson were appointed that Committee, who it 

 seems, had the matter long under their consideration, 

 for they did not make their report until the 30th of 

 July following. The Rules which they reported, with 

 some amendments to make them more conformable 

 to the original Rules, were then adopted and ordered 

 to be entered on the Minutes, which was done. 17 



These Rules are entitled &quot;Rules of a Society meet 

 ing weekly in the City of Philadelphia, for their 

 mutual improvement in useful knowledge.&quot; They 

 do not appear to differ materially from those estab 

 lished by Franklin, as far as he has made them known 

 to us; the object and the exercises are the same; they 

 appear to have been conscientiously drawn up from 

 the recollection of the members. The four famous 

 qualifications are not forgotten. They are made a 

 part of the Rules, nearly in the same words as they 

 were draughted by Franklin, and as they are given 

 above, p. 12, et seq. 



17 Minutes, pp. 80-83. 



