534 Benjamin Franklin and the [September, 
the leading European philosopher of the day was not at 
that time convinced of the power of points. In this last 
letter Franklin definitely entertains the conduction theory; 
but we think there is strong internal evidence in the letter 
tending to confirm the notion we have already expressed, 
that it was mainly in deference to European opinion that he 
made this addition to his original simple, but well-considered, 
idea of the efficacy of the rod lying solely in the power of 
its point in tending to prevent thunderbolt discharges, — in 
other words, in the aCtion of the rod as a tap for the elec- 
tricity of the ground and clouds. The conception of rods 
as conductors of explosions naturally gathered impetus from 
the fa Ct of the inventor falling in with it ; and this force 
necessarily received acceleration from the discoveries of the 
action of currents, obtained from chemical sources, made 
towards the commencement of the nineteenth century by 
Volta and his successors. The tendency (which has never 
yet been impeded) of imputing all electrical phenomena to 
the operation of currents became nearly universal ; the term 
electric fluid was taken into general use, and omne electricum 
ignotum pro currente was (as it even now is) a motto of very 
extended practical application. 
From the career of a physicist, Franklin gradually passed 
to that of a statesman ; from the study of materiel he pro- 
ceeded to that of personnel, and it is doubtful in which of 
the two spheres he showed the greater, pre-eminence ; but 
the latter was certainly the more cogent and engrossing, 
involving, as it eventually did, the foundation of a mighty 
Republic ; and his diplomatic employment could have left 
him scanty time to reflect on, to improve, or to develop 
his great physical invention. It is interesting, however, to 
note that the French — the nation to whom the world prin- 
cipally owes the introduction and knowledge of Franklin’s 
rods — have always paid more honour to his original views 
than have his own countrymen. 
To begin with, the French recognise the preventive power 
of the rod’s point by styling the apparatus a paratonnerre , 
whereas we English almost universally (and certainly in all 
official departments) call the rod a lightning conductor, being 
apparently unconscious that this expression is simply a con- 
tradiction in terms, inasmuch as it enunciates the idea of 
conducting an agency that can exist only in the absence of 
conducting elements. Indeed, strictly speaking, the idea is 
one of conducting merely the manifestation of an agency, 
and (so far as the writer can judge from a close analysis of 
upwards of six hundred detailed incidents of thunderbolt 
