192 SEPAEATE KEPOKT ON THE 



But in what sense was the Society begun in 1750? 

 That is the real question. In the year 1768, a commit- 

 tee was appointed to draw up " a short plain history of 

 the origin of this Society," 9 but unfortunately there is 

 no evidence that it ever performed that duty, which 

 would have relieved the present committee of its re- 

 sponsibilities. In default of such a history prepared by 

 those who had personal knowledge of the facts, we can 

 only solve the problem of the Society's origin by going 

 back to the minutes and interpreting them in the light 

 of Thomson's statement and of the Autobiography and 

 the correspondence. What occurred would seem to 

 have been something like this. In 1750 a club was 

 formed in exact imitation of the old Junto, so far as 

 concerned number of members, objects, procedure, 

 habitual subjects of discussion, rules, organization, 

 secrecy and every other discernible characteristic, ex- 

 cept personnel. It is notable that Franklin's famous 

 four qualifications for membership in his Junto, kindli- 

 ness to other members of the Society, love for all man- 

 kind, devotion to search for truth, and belief in religious 

 freedom, as impressed upon entering members, were 

 almost word for word the same in the younger as in the 

 older society. Moreover, whenever the by-laws are re- 

 capitulated or revised they are spoken of as the ' ' ancient 

 laws," or "original laws," as though they were taken 

 over from an older body. 10 The members were, as has 



9 Report, p. 116. 



10 Report, pp. 56-7, 100, 101, 103-4. 



