COMMUNICATION OF J. FKANCIS FISHEK. 163 



it was carried on after the plan probably drawn up 

 by Mm, which was certainly a more enlarged one & 

 more resembling that adopted by our Society than 

 the form of the Soc y for Prom s Useful Knowledge, 

 I lately received a letter from Mr. Sparks, which I 

 have unfortunately mislaid or I would send it to you. 

 The purport of it was this He had learnt that 

 M r DuPonceau had written a History of the Society 

 giving an account essentially at variance with the 

 brief sketch in one of his Notes. He calls upon me to 

 answer it and at the same time states that after my 

 having given him my sketch, which he abridged into 

 that note, he examined the Minutes of the two old 

 Societies himself, and came precisely to the same con- 

 clusion as I had done. Neither he nor myself need, I 

 hope, disavow any wish to detract from the fame of 

 D r Franklin. 



I am very glad I have anticipated the wish of my 

 friend M r Sparks without the necessity of review- 

 ing or answering M r DuPonceau 's communication of 

 which I hope to avoid the appearance as well as the 

 reality 



With the greatest regard 



I am Grent n . yr. ob. Serv't 



J. FBANCIS FISHEK 



