115 
replied: ‘‘I have never entered into any controversy in defense of 
my philosophical opinions. I leave them to take their chance in the 
world. If they are zzgh¢, truth and experience will support them ; 
if wrong, they ought to be refuted and rejected. Disputes are apt 
to sour one’s temper, and disturb one’s quiet. I have no private 
interest in the reception of my inventions by the world, having 
never made, nor propose to make, the least profit by any of them. 
The king’s changing his pointed conductors for blunt ones is, 
therefore, a matter of small importance to me. If I had a wish 
about it, it would be that he had rejected them altogether as inef- 
fectual. For it is only since he thought himself and family safe 
from the thunder of heaven that he dared to use his own thunder in 
destroying his innocent subjects.’’* 
These scientific and political conditions acting together, gave 
rise to the well-known and pointed epigram : 
«« While you, Great George, for safety hunt, 
And sharp conductors change for blunt, 
The empire’s out of joint. 
Franklin a wiser course pursues, é 
And all your thunder fearless views 
By keeping to the foznt.” 
It was in recognition of the importance and value of Franklin’s 
electrical investigations that the Royal Society not only elected 
him a member of that learned body, but also awarded to him the 
Copley gold medal. + 
Of similar interest are Franklin’s experiments on the physiologi- 
* Memoirs, Vol. ii, p 81. 
} Franklin’s own account of the action of the Royal Society is as follows: ‘‘ Dr. 
Wright, an English physician, when at Paris, wrote to a friend who was of the Royal 
Society an account of the high esteem my experiments were in among the learned 
abroad, and of their wonder that my writings had been so little noticed in England. 
The Society on this resumed the consideration of the letters that had been read to them ; 
and the celebrated Dr. Watson drew up a summary account of them and of all I had 
afterwards sent to England on the subject; which he accompanied with some praise 
of the writer. This summary was then printed in their Transactions; and some 
members of the Society in London, particularly the very ingenious Mr. Canton, having 
verified the experiment of procuring lightning from the clouds by a pointed rod, and 
acquainted them with the success, they soon made me more than amends for the slight 
with which they had before treated me. Without my having made any application for 
that honor, they chose me a member, and voted that I should be excused the customary 
payments, which would have amounted to twenty-five guineas; and ever since have 
given me their Transactions gratis. They also presented me with the gold medal of Sir 
Godfrey Copley for the year 1753, the delivery of which was accompanied by a very 
handsome speech of the President, Lord Macclesfield, wherein I was highly honored”’ 
(Memoirs, Vol. i, p. 241). 
