172 EEPOKT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE 



that year, to have reassociated himself with it, although 

 we have ample evidence that he always maintained his 

 interest in it. 



If, then, it be remembered that the members of the 

 early Junto, as they found themselves unable to per- 

 form their allotted shares in the proceedings of the 

 club, retired to make way for younger and efficient 

 members, many of the difficulties which confronted the 

 older Committee in regard to the membership of the 

 Junto will disappear. These retired members, how- 

 ever, it may be supposed, retained the privilege of 

 attending the meetings of the club. Thus in 1760 

 Hugh Eoberts writes to Franklin: " Pursuant to thy 

 order, I have two or three times revisited the ancient 

 Junto"; and in the following year Franklin writes 

 to him: "You tell me you sometimes visit the ancient 

 Junto." The word "visit" was evidently used ad- 

 visedly, and would hardly have been used in refer- 

 ence to an active member attending the weekly meeting 

 of his Society. Again in 1765, May 20, Eoberts writes 

 to Franklin "I sometimes visit the worthy remains of 

 the Ancient Junto," which could well be the "new" 

 Junto; and on October 12, 1765, he writes: "the re- 

 maining members of the good old Junto adjourned 

 during the warm and short evenings, and are now en- 

 deavoring to find a House for their and thy reception, 

 where we may sit with more satisfaction than of late. ' ' 

 In the following year Franklin replies to Eoberts and 

 says "Eemember me affectionately to the Junto," not 



