22 HISTOKICAL ACCOUNT OF THE OKIGIN OF THE 



A question to be discussed was proposed. 



Afterwards a few meetings were held, thinly at- 

 tended, until the 22nd of October, when three mem- 

 bers only, Hopkins, Paschal, and Thomson, were 

 present. Physick and Eoberts are noted as absent, 

 so that the Society was reduced to five members. 

 The only entry on the minutes of that days is "Con- 

 versation general. 7 ' And here ends the first Volume. 



The Junto never was (at least that we know of) 

 so near its dissolution as at that time. But fate had 

 decided it otherwise. Less than two months had 

 elapsed when Franklin arrived at Philadelphia from 

 England, where he had resided five years. 18 He 

 would not have suffered his favorite Junto, the 

 bantling of his youth and the Child of his affection to 

 be dissolved, and if it, had ceased to exist, he would 

 not three and four years afterward 19 have urged so 

 warmly his friend Hugh Eoberts to attend its 

 meetings. 



This strengthens my conjectures that there existed 

 a book of minutes including the two years when its 

 founder was in this City. How interesting it would 

 be to read what passed at those meetings when 

 Franklin was present. But, perhaps the book is not 

 lost. It may yet be found in the hands of the de- 

 scendants of Dr. Smith, or of some other person. It 

 is, at least, worth the enquiry. 



18 He arrived the 1st of November, 1762. 1 Sparks' " Franklin," 

 269. 



19 In 1765 and 1766. See above, p. 6. 



