46 RISEN B V PERSE VERANCE. 



approaching, he took a walk into a field in the neighbourhood 

 of the city, in which there v*^as a shed, — communicating his 

 intentions, however, to no one but his son, whom he took 

 with him, to assist him in raising the kite : this was in June 

 1752. 



The kite being raised, he fastened a key to the lower 

 extremity of the hempen string, and then insulating it by 

 attaching it to a post by means of silk, he placed himself 

 under the shed, and waited the result. For some time no 

 signs of electricity appeared. A cloud, apparently charged 

 with lightning, had even passed over them without producing 

 any effect. At length, however, just as Franklin was beginning 

 to despair, he observed some loose threads of the hempen 

 string rise and stand erect, exactly as if they had been repelled 

 from each other by being charged with electricity. He 

 immediately presented his knuckle to the key, and, to his 

 inexpressible delight, drew from it the well-known electrical 

 spark. It is said that his emotion was so great at this 

 completion of a discovery which was to make his name 

 immortal, that he heaved a deep sigh, and felt that he could 

 that moment have willingly died. As the rain increased, the 

 cord became a better conductor, and the key gave out its 

 electricity copiously. Had the hemp been thoroughly wet, 

 the bold experimenter might, as he was contented to do, have 

 paid for his discovery with his life. 



He afterwards brought down the lightning into his house, 

 by means of an insulated iron rod, and performed with it, at 

 his leisure, all the experiments that could be performed with 

 electricity. But he did not stop here. His active and 

 practical mind was not satisfied even with the splendid dis- 

 covery, until he had turned it to a useful end. It suggested 



