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Mr. Franklin’s treatife upon electricity contains a 
great many very curious experiments ; but the de- 
ductions from them being different from thofe, which 
the Abbe Nollet has given upon the fame fubjects, it 
might be imagined, if he were filent upon this head, 
that he had given up his former opinions. The ho- 
nour, which the Royal Academy of Sciences has done 
them, in publishing them in their Memoirs, and the 
kind reception, which the public has given them, has 
obliged him to re-examine thefe opinions, and to un- 
dertake their defence j more efpecially as he fees, that 
he has powerful reafons to fupport them. This has 
alfo been a motive for the prefent publication, which 
our author is defirous Should be confidered, lefs as a 
criticifm upon Mr. Franklin’s doctrine, than as a de- 
fence of his own. 
In fome parts of thefe letters, our author mentions 
an electricity, which is very often, and perhaps al- 
ways, in our atmofphere, when there is no appear- 
ance of thunder. He fpeaks of this, as if he only 
fufpected it, and, in a manner, as if it wanted con- 
firmation. He was then unacquainted with fome 
decifive experiments made upon this fubject by Dr. 
le Monnier*, at St. Germain- en-laye, and which have 
been juft published. He now considers, as a thing 
certain, that electricity is a very common meteor, 
which may manifeft itfelf, when the weather is moft 
ferene ; 
* In a memoir read to the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, 
Nov. 15, 1752. 
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