IQO PHILOSOPHIC A.L TKANSACTIONS. [anNO 1751. 



and conjectures concerning the properties and effects of the electrical matter 

 arising from experiments and observations.' 



master dying the same year, be again applied to the printing business, and soon after set up a print- 

 ing house himself. About the same time Mr. F. selected, and assembled together, a few youths like 

 himself, of a literary and philosophical turn of mind, forming a club or society, to meet on certain 

 days to converse on such subjects, to read books, and to write useful essays. Their collection of 

 books gradually increased, and at length advanced to a public library. The other colonies, sensible 

 of its advantages, began to form similar plans ; and hence originated the libraries at Boston, New- 

 York, Charlestown, &c. ; that of Philadelphia having since become equal to any in Europe. 



About 1728 or 1729, young Franklin set up a newspaper in Philadelphia, which proved very pro- 

 fitable, and otherwise useful, as affording an opportunity of making himself known as a political 

 writer. He now became a public man ; his talents began to be generally known, and in consequence 

 he was appointed successively to the offices of printer to the House of Assembly, clerk to the Gene- 

 ral Assembly of Philadelphia, and post-master, and at length a member of the general assembly itself. 

 In 1738 he formed the first fire-company there, to prevent and extinguish fires in houses, &c. also 

 insurances from the same ; plans which still exist, and were soon imitated by other persons and in 

 other places. In 1744, during a war between France and England, the French and Indians falling 

 on the back settlements, by Mr. F.'s exertions a body of 10,000 volunteers were raised for their de- 

 fence and security. 



Pursuits of a different nature next occupied his chief attention for some years. Being always much 

 addicted to the study of natural philosophy ; and the discovery of the Leyden experiment in electri- 

 city having rendered that science an object of general curiosity ; Mr. F. applied himself to it, and 

 greatly distinguished himself in it. By his experiments he made a number of important discoveries 

 and proposed ingenious theories to account for various phenomena ; which have since been generally 

 adopted. His observations he communicated, in a series of letters, to his friend Mr. Collinson in 

 England, by whom they were published; the first of which is dated March 28, 1747. In these he 

 makes known the power of points in drawing and throwing off the electric matter, on which he 

 afterwards founded his celebrated method of securing buildings from the stroke and damacre of thun- 

 der and lightning, having previously proved experimentally the identity of electricity and the matter 

 of lightning : on similar principles too he explained the aurora borealis. 



In the year 1749 he proposed a plan of an academy, to be erected in the city of Philadelphia, as a 

 foundation for posterity to found a seminary of learning, more extensive and suitable to future cir- 

 cumstances ; and in 1750 three of the schools were opened, viz. the Latin and Greek school, the 

 mathematical school, and the English school. This foundation .soon after gave rise to another more 

 extensive college, incorporated by charter in 1755, which is now in a veiy flourishing condition. 

 In this last year, when he returned to London, he met wiUi the greatest respect from all learned 

 men: he was elected f.r.s., and had the honour of the Society's gold medal for his philosophical 

 discoveries ; he had also the degree of doctor of laws conferred on him by different universities. But 

 at this time, by reason of the war which broke out between England and France, he returned to 

 America, and interested himself in the public affairs of that country, with most effectual benefit. In 

 1757 he was again sent to England as agent for the province of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Mary- 

 land, and Georgia; after remaining here 5 years, he returned to America in 176"2, where he received 

 public thanks for his faithful services. In 1764 he again returned to England as a provincial agent, 

 where he remained many years. In 17(56 he was examined before the House of Commons relative to 

 the state of America, particularly as to the stamp net, which was soon after repealed. But the 

 troubles were now beginning, and the British government seemed resolved to accelerate rather than 

 divert the storm. Dr. F. remained in Europe till 1775, and then returned to his native country. 



