FRA 744 
Yrankfort. the latter upon smaller incomes; but every person esti- 
—\——"_ mates his own property, and consequently taxes himself, 
very difficult for a man 
to disentangle himself from them without the help of a 
which it sometimes becomes the interest of the merchants 
to fix at the higher, rather than the lower rate. The ci- 
tizens who are not Lutherans, have greater taxes to pay, 
while they possess fewer privileges. The inists are 
wholly excluded from the rights of burgesses; and the 
Catholics, though admitted to that distinction, are not 
allowed to take any share in the government. Theinha- 
bitants of this city have a peculiar institution, called col- 
good stick ; and call to sti from the distance 
of three or four bene pacen** Sheneigatie of 
the city, however, was nearly toate fire, they 
have been dispersed over all the town, which they great~ 
ly prefer to'their old habitations, East Long. accord- 
ing to solar observations, 8° 36’, and North Lat. 50° 7’ 
29”. See Kiittner’s Travels through Denmark; and 
Guide des Voyageurs, vol. ii. p.75. Riesbeck’s Travels 
leges, or associations of persons of the same rank or pro- through Germany, vol. iii. 's Journey on the Rhine, 
fession, colleges of nobles, colleges of la , colleges of vol. iL Bishop Burset ‘Troveles and Letlers on a 
physicians, colleges of booksellers, colleges of allordersand Tour through 
artists; so that a stranger, upon being introduced into any 
of these, finds himself instantly acquainted with the most 
respectable persons of his own station. Many of the 
wealthier inhabitants possess considerable private collec« 
tions of paintings, and of natural curiosities. These they 
take great pleasure in exhibiting to strangers; but are 
apt to exhaust both the patience and politeness of the vi- 
sitors, by their tedious description of the minutest arti- 
cles. Many of the. principal literary characters of Ger= 
many, and well-informed men in every branch of the 
arts and sciences, may be found in Frankfort; but the 
low state of religious toleration, indicates a tardy pro- 
gress in the path of real civilization, and in the spirit of 
true Christianity. While in manners and conversation 
there is too great a degree of licence ; there are, in the 
exercise of public rights, many partial and preposterous 
restrictions. The established religion is the Lutheran ; 
but both the Catholics and Calvinists are nearly equal to 
them in number, and the Jatter rather superior in pvint 
of wealth. The Catholics enjoy their principles and ob- 
servances in full liberty, and have numerous chapels, mo- 
nasteries, and nunneries ; and the Calvinists, who about 
20 years ago were obliged to resort to Saxenhausen, a 
village on the opposite side of the Mayne, in order to 
observe public worship in peace and tranquillity, have 
now two handsome places of worship within the city, one 
German, the other French. Theie are 10,000 Jews in 
Frankfort, who have a considerable synagogue, and en- 
joy @ precarious toleration. They are found too useful 
to be totally eradicated, but are often subjected to such 
oppressions, as the self-interest of their persecutors will 
permit. The streets, to which their residence is re- 
stricted, were formerly inclosed with walls in such a man- 
ner, that, if thought necessary, they could be imprisoned 
in a body by locking the gates; and their habitations 
were so crowded, that in seven of the houses, which 
scarcely occupied a space of fifty yards, and which hap- 
pened to be burned down, there were found to have dwelt 
twelve hundred individuals. There is a law, which pro- 
hibits them from residing in any other part of the city, 
and even from appearing out of their own enclosure; but 
it is only oceasionally enforced, and sometimes in order 
to extort money for the exemption. At other times they 
are forced out of their retreat, to perform the more ser- 
vile offices, such as to carry water in cases of fire, &c. 
They are a most industrious people, and some of them 
possess considerable wealth. They are chiefly employ- 
ed in selling toys, and dealing in old clothes, of which 
they receive vast quantities from England ; but they re- 
fuse no kind of occupation, however degrading or dis« 
honourable. “ Those who go into their streets,” says 
Riesbeck, “are in danger of being pressed to death by 
them. They fall upon strangers by dozens, and compel 
Germany. ( 
FRANKFORT, on the der, a city of Germany, in 
the circle of Upper Saxony, and middle mark of Bran- 
denburg, is a well built and trading town about 18 leagues 
south-east of Berlin. It contains a cathedral, a bishop’s 
palace, two colleges, and several churches, The churches 
are large and well built, and the bridge over the Oder is 
about 280 feet in length. A simple monument hasbeen 
erected to the m of the poet Kleist, by the lodge of 
free masons in this city, in 1778; and the place where 
Prince Leopold of Branswick perished, in- at- 
tempting to save a fellow-creature from the waves of the 
Oder, is distinguished by a beautiful monument of white 
marble. In one of the churches, the same humane act 
is commemorated by a painting from the pencil of Rode. 
There is also an academy, a society for promoting the 
axts and sciences, and a Calvinistic university, which was 
established in 1506 by the Elector Joachim and his bro« 
ther Albert. There are three annual fairs in this city, 
and it draws considerable advantages from the naviga- 
tion of the Oder, and the canal of Muhlrose, by whichr 
it has an indirect communication with the Baltic. The 
number of inhabitants is 10,000. East accord= 
ing to sidereal observations, 14° 33’ 15’; and North 
Lat. 52° 22” 8". : 
FRANKING or Letters. See Post-Orrice. 
FRANKINCENSE. See Gums. 
FRANKLIN, Bensamin, the celebrated American 
litician and philosopher, was born at Boston in New 
England, in the year 1706. He was the son 
of Josiah Franklin, a silk dyer in Northamptonshire, who 
removed to America in 1682, where he embraced the 
occupation of a soap-boiler and tallow-chandler, reared 
a numerous family by honest industry, and was distin- 
guished among his townsmen as a person of sound judg- 
ment, and sober piety. His other sons were put ap- 
prentices to different trades; but Benjamin was destined 
for the church ; and, at the age of eight years, was sent 
te a grammar school. He was removed, however, at the 
end of the first year, toa school for writing and arith- 
metic ; and at ten years of age, was taken home to as- 
sist in his father’s occupation. From his earliest 
he discovered a passionate love of reading, oped tie 
accounts of voyages ; and he mentions Plutarch’s Lives, 
and De Foe’s Essay on Projects, as among the few books 
of general information to which he had aceess, This in- 
clination for books, and the strong aversion which he 
shewed to the occupation of his father, suggested the 
plan of binding him apprentice to one of his brothers, 
who had established a printing-house at Boston. In this 
situation, he had an opportunity of procuring better 
books, and pursued his studies with such avidity, that he 
frequently spent the whole night in reading. He soon 
began to commit bis own thoughts to writing; and’ by 
—_—— 
