AMEKICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 31 



this City that incline to encourage the thing, and 

 there are a number of others, in Virginia, Maryland, 

 and the New England Colonies who are expected to 

 join us, as soon as they are acquainted that the 

 Society has begun to form itself. 



I am, Sir, with much respect, 



Your most humble servant. 



B. FBANKLIN." 



The hopes of Dr. Franklin were not fulfilled. It 

 is probable that he was not seconded. No records 

 of that Society, if they had any, have been preserved 

 prior to 1768. In the list of their members, which 

 they gave to the American Society in December of 

 that year, under the head of "Old Members under 

 the Original Plan begun 1743, " we find only the 

 names of B. Franklin, William Coleman, John Bar- 

 tram, Thomas Bond, Phineas Bond, Samuel Ehoads 

 and Francis Alison, seven in all; and all, except the 

 last, who was the Vice-Provost of the College, part 

 of the nine mentioned in Franklin 's letter above 

 cited. Among the corresponding members, there is 

 only the name of Cadwallader Colden, elected in 1743, 

 all the rest in 1768. 



Three new resident members, however, the two 

 Doctors Shippen and Mr. John Lukens, appear to 

 have been elected in November, 1767; another, Dr. 

 Cadwalader Evans, was also elected, but declined. 



This is all we know of the "Philosophical Society" 

 prior to 1767. Let us now return to that year. 



