FRANCO, BATT1STA. 



FttANKLlN, BENJAMIN. 



HOD 



during his life, and three volume* of them after hit death, be was 

 always chiefly employed in London in literary labours and literary 

 quarrel*. Among hi* dispute*, that with Arthur Hurpby wo* the 

 most notrd. Ho died in London on the 15th of March 1784. Hii 

 writings were numerous and varied, hut of little value. Among bis 

 original works were a poem called ' Translation,' 1753; a periodical 

 called ' The Centinel,' intended as a continuation of ' The World,' but 

 dropped at the twenty-seventh number ; contributions to Smollett's 

 ' Critical Review;' and one or two indifferent plays. HU translations 

 were voluminous. Sev. ml were of tragedies from the French of 

 Voltaire sud La Harpe, in the presenting of which to the stage the 

 sources borrowed from were not always acknowledged. But the only 

 translation* of Krancklin that are now remembered by any one are 

 hi* ' Sophocles,' 2 voU. 4to, 1750; and 'Lucian,' 2 vols. 4to, 1780. 



FRANCO, BATTISTA, called Semolei. a painter and engraver, 

 born at Udine, according to Vasari, about 1493 : he died at Venice in 



Though of the Venetian state, Franco was of the Florentine school. 

 He was a great imitator of Michel Angelo, with whose style of design 

 be combined some of the excellences of Venetian colour. He painted 

 much at Florence and at Home ; but he produced few easel picture*, 

 aud his works are accordingly rarely seen in galleries. His engravings 

 or etching* are numerous, but nearly all after his own designs : they 

 are mannered, but executed with great power. Frauco was the master 

 of Baroccio. 



FKANKLIN, BENJAMIN, born at Boston, in New England, 

 January 6, 1706, Old Style, was the son of a tallow-chandler in 

 bumble ciroumetances, but intelligent aud strong-minded. As it boy 

 be bad a great desire to go to sea; but he also displayed a fondness 

 for reading, which induced his father to apprentice him to another 

 on, who was a printer at Bonton. His love of book*, which he had 

 now more means of indulging, weaned him from the love of the nea ; 

 and be practised great abstinence and self-denial, the better to improve 

 bis opportunities of study. At the same time he made himself an 

 able workman. Tbe two brothers however did not agree : the elder 

 used an undue severity, which the younger, as he himself says, did 

 something to provoke by bis impertinence. These quarrels led to a 

 step, which, with his usual candour. Franklin has plainly related, and 

 declared to have been dishonourable. His indentures had, for certain 

 reasons, bern cancelled, under a private agreement that he should 

 continue to serve for the full period of apprenticeship. A new quarrel 

 arising, he took advantage of the letter of the law, aud declared bis 

 revolution to quit his brother's service. The printer took care so to 

 represent this matter that Benjamin was unable to find employment 

 in Boston. He therefore went away secretly, without the consent of 

 bis parents, in 1723, and after a vain trial to find work at New York, 

 engaged himself to an obscure printer in Philadelphia, named Keimer. 

 There be lived frugally and creditably for a year and a half: but 

 being induced by deceptive promises of patronage to think of setting 

 up for himself as a mastt-r printer, he sailed for Euglaud, in the 

 beginning of 1726, to purchase the necessary stock in trade. On hia 

 arrival be discovered that bis pretended friend had neither the power 

 nor the desire to help him ; and being destitute of money or credit, 

 be again found employment as a journeyman priuter in London. Hia 

 own account of this purtian of his life, which offers an admirable 

 example of frugality and industry, is very interesting. Having gained 

 the uood will of Mr. Denham, a merchant of Philadelphia, he returned 

 thither as that gentleman's clerk, in July 1726. Ha now considered 

 his prospects to he promising: but in 1727 Mr. Denbam diod, and 

 Franklin being unable to do better, returned to bis old trade and hi* 

 old master, Keimer. In the course of two years he gained credit aud 

 friends to enable him to set up in business on his own account ; aud on 

 September 1, 1730, he married a young woman to whom, before his 

 voyage to England, he had been attached. 



Franklin had early renounced Christianity, nor does it appear, 

 though be ha* unequivocally recorded hi* belief in God aud in a 

 future exigence, that he ever again gave credence to revealed religion. 

 About thi time however n great change took place in his view*. In 

 n he hxd written a pamphlet to prove (we quote bis words) 

 ' from the attribute* of God, his goodness, wisdom, aud power, that 

 there could be no men thing an evil in tlie world; that vice and 

 virtue did not in reality exist, and were nothing more than vain dis- 

 tinctions." Ite&ection on the conduct of other tree-thinkers, by whom 

 be had suffered, aud on tome part* of his own life, which he has 

 candidly reiat-d aud condemned, brought him to ft different way of 

 thinking ; and, he, says, " I wa- al la-t convinced that truth, probity, 

 and niiieerily in transactions between man and man were of the 

 utui'wt importance to the bappinea* of life ; and I resolved from that 

 moment, and wrote the resolution in my journal, to practise them as 

 long as I lived." This revolution be fully kept. His houesty and 

 straightforwardness have passed unquestioned, even by the numerous 

 enemies whom bis religious and political opinion* raised against him. 



Unceasing industry, busiuew-like habits, a large fund of disposable 

 talent, gmeial iuf irroation, and readiness in the use of bis pen, 

 cither for amusement or instruction, gradually secured to Franklin 

 a large circle of friends, and raised him from poverty to affluence. 

 He engaged in literature; edited a newspaper, wrote a pamphlet to 

 advocate a paper currency; and in 1732 projected 'Poor Kicbard'i 



Almanac,' of which the distinguishing feature was a series of maxim* 

 of prudence and industry, in the form of proverbs. It was continued 

 for twenty-five year*, and is said to have reached a circulation of 

 10,000 annually. These maxims, collected in one piece, called 'Tin- 

 Way to Wealth,' obtained uncommon popularity, and have been 

 translated into various languages. 



Franklin's tarn of mind was eminently practical. He said with 

 truth, " I have always set a greater value on the character of a doer of 

 good than on any other kind of reputation." Not that he joined in 

 the vulgar prejudice of setting theory and practice in opposition, for 

 he was bold, speculative, and inquiring iu physical as wi-ll as in 

 metaphysical science. But science in his hands always bore fruit 

 directly applicable to the uses of common life ; and while ho never 

 neglected his own affairs, industry and economy of timo enabled him 

 to originate, or take an active part in supporting, a variety of project) 

 for the public good. Of these the chief were the firct public library, 

 incorporated in 1742 by the name of " The Library Company of 

 Philadelphia," but which be set on foot and procured subscriptions 

 for in 1732. In 1738 he established the first association for extin- 

 guishing fires; and, at a later period, the first Fire Insurance 

 Company. In 1749 be raised subscriptions for the foundation of a 

 public academy, the schools of Pennsylvania being few aud bad. This 

 was the origin of the present university of Pennsylvania. In 1752 In 

 rained subscriptions aud procured an auxiliary grant from the legis- 

 lature to establish the first hospital in Philadelphia ; a scheme aug- 

 ge-ted in the first instance by a physician of the city, who had not 

 influence enough to work it out. In 1754 he proposed a plan fora 

 union of the American provinces agaiust invasion, iu which a germ of 

 the future Union may be found. It w.ia kept alive, he used to say, 

 like all good notions, though not carried into effect at the lime. It 

 was approved by a species of congress from eix of the provinces, but 

 rejected both by the colonial assemblies and the liritinh government, 

 He waaalso a zealous member of several societies ; among them, of the 

 Philadelphia Society for the Improvement of Prisons, and the Pennxyl- 

 vunian Society for the Abolition of Slavery, both founded in 1787. 



As a philosopher, his name is indissalubly linked with the liUtory 

 of electricity, in which he was one of the most active, patient, and 

 succesful experimenters; and hia industry was rewarded by that 

 brilliant discovery, the corner-stone of his scientific fame, of the 

 identity of the electric fluid and lightning. His attention was first 

 turned thia way in 1745, the science being then in its infancy, by the 

 transmission of an electrical apparatus to 1'hiladelphia, for the purpose 

 of having the experiments which had attracted so much notice iu 

 Europe repeated iu America, In 1747 he sent a series of letters to 

 England, in which be noted the power of sharp points both to attract 

 and to give out electric matter ; and explained his theory, that 

 instead of the phenomena observed being produced by two different 

 electric fluids, they arose from the effort made to restore an equi- 

 librium when one body was overcharged, and another undercharged, 

 with electricity. A body in the former state he called positively, 

 in the latter state negatively electrified. This theory he used to 

 explain the action of the Leyden jar; and though not universally 

 admitted, it at least furnishes a simple and satisfactory explanation of 

 the phenomena of the science. In 1749 he had conjectured the 

 identity of liiihtuing and electricity, and suggested the idea of pro- 

 tecting houses by pointed conductors, but did not prove it till 1752. 

 He was waiting for the erection of some lofty building, upon which 

 an insulated ii on rod might be placed, in hope that on the passage of 

 a thunder-cloud overhead, sparka might be taken from the rod, as 

 from a charged conductor, when it occurred to him that by flying a 

 kite, pointed with iron, during a thunder -storm, the m;itt<-r of 

 lightning might, if his views were correct, bo drawn down the string. 

 He tied a key to the end of the hempen string, insulated the whole 

 apparatus by adding a piece of silk to the end next the hand ; aud 

 the experiment succeeded. Snarka were taken from the key, a 

 Leyden jar was charged, aud the phenomena exhibited were identically 

 the same as if an electrical machine had been used instead of the kite. 

 He varied the experiment by fixing an iimubited iron rod at the top 

 of his house ; and immediately proceeded to turn bis discovery to 

 account by publishing a plan for defending houses from lightning by 

 the use of pointed conductors. 



His character, in reference to thia branch of his pursuits, has been 

 described iu the following terms by Sir H. Davy : "A singular felicity 

 for induction guided all bis researches, and by very small means he 

 established very grand truths. The style and manner of his publi- 

 cation (on Electricity) are almost as worthy of admiration as the 

 doctrine it contains. He hai eud>uvured to n move all mystery 

 .nd obscurity from tlie subject. He has written equally for the un- 

 initiated and for the philosopher ; nnd he has rendered his detail* 

 amusing as well as perspicuous, elegant as well as (simple." ^'Lit'e,' 

 by Dr. Davy.) 



To Franklin's other scientific labours wo can only allude. They 

 treat of many branches of meteorology, maritime phenomena, chip- 

 building and various subjects connected with navigation, as the Gulf 

 Stream, and the effect ol oil iu stilling waves ; of the proper con- 

 struction of stoves and chimneys, which, to use a common phrase, 

 seems to have been one of hia hobbies; of the art of swimming, which, 

 being himself an excellent swimmer, he was anxious to recommend as 



