93 



should be the patron of the United Society, as he had 

 been of the Philosophical Society before the union; 

 and the Vice-Presidents, at the first meeting, were 

 appointed a Committee to request him to be patron of 

 the Society. At the next meeting, the Vice-President 

 reported that the Governor had declined the office. 



Mr. Du Ponceau, in his paper, has given the fol- 

 lowing anecdote, connected with the conduct of the 

 Governor on this occasion, on the authority of Bishop 

 White. When the Governor was waited upon, to 

 request his acceptance of the title of patron, he re- 

 plied, "I never shall be the patron of a Society that 

 has for its President such a - as Franklin. " It 

 is understood that the blank represents an oppro- 

 brious epithet, which was supplied in the reading of 

 the paper before the Society. The same anecdote 

 was related to the Chairman of this Committee on 

 two occasions by Bishop White, and without any 

 variation that he recollects. According to the version 

 of the anecdote, as given to the Chairman, the reply 

 of the Governor was "No, Gentlemen, I cannot con- 

 sent to be the patron of a Society, whose first Presi- 

 dent is the greatest enemy of my family." As this 

 anecdote was related in two different ways by Bishop 

 White, both of which cannot be accurate, every one 

 must be left to his own judgment, as to which version 

 is most probably correct. There can be no doubt 

 that the Governor felt vexed at the election of 

 Franklin; but the Committee do not think it probable 



