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lower end which was of silk (silk being, when dry, one of the most perfect non-conductors of electricity). Where the hempen string terminated, a key was fastened. With this apparatus, on the appearance of a thunder-storm approaching, Franklin went out into the fields accompanied by his son, to whom alone he communicated his intentions, well knowing the ridicule which generally awaits unsuccessful experiments in philosophy. Franklin, to avoid getting wet, took up his position in a shed. The kite was raised, a thunder-cloud passed over it, but no sign of electricity appeared. After waiting some time he almost despaired of success, when to his delight he saw the loose. fibres of the hempen string suddenly become erect. He at once presented his knuckle to the key and received a strong spark. This he repeated many times. Then a jar was charged, a shock given from it, and all the experiments made which are usually performed with electricity.

Franklin thus proved the theory he had conceived that electricity and lightning are one and the same thing. From this he inferred that a pointed iron rod, properly put up from the ground so as to rise some distance above the roof of a house, would protect it in thunder-storms by acting as a conductor of electricity.

The invention was denounced as an impious attempt to control the artillery of heaven, just as it is laughed at by some scientists at the present day, who compare it to a horseshoe fastened up for luck on a man's door; but such was George III.'s faith in Franklin's lightning-rod that, though he hated the philosopher with all his mind, heart, and strength, yet he put up his rods on Buckingham Palace and on the Royal Powder Magazines.

Franklin had, in fact, got the key to the clouds and the

key to electrical science as well. Looking forward in prophetic vision to our day when electricity is used not only by the chemist, the physician, and the artisan, but when it lights our houses and our streets, transmits messages underneath the sea from continent to continent, and promises soon to supersede steam as a motor-power, Franklin, though he could not, indeed, anticipate these marvels in detail, yet saw enough to say: "There are no bounds (but what expense and labor give) to the force man may raise and use in the electrical way."]

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 acquainting 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 accom

panied by a very handsome speech1 of the president, Lord Macclesfield, wherein I was highly honored.

Our new governor, Captain Denny, brought over for me the before-mentioned medal from the Royal Society, which he presented to me at an entertainment given him by the city. He accompanied it with very polite expressions of his esteem for me, having, as he said, been long acquainted with my character. After dinner, when the company, as was customary at that time, were engaged in drinking, he took me aside into another room, and acquainted me that he had been advised by his friends in England to cultivate a friendship with me, as one who was capable of giving him the best advice, and of contributing most effectually to the making his administration easy; that he therefore desired of all things to have a good understanding with me, and he begged me to be assured of his readiness on all occasions to render me every service that might be in his power. He said much to me, also, of the proprietor's good disposition towards the province, and of the advantage it might be to us all, and to me in particular, if the opposition that had been so long continued to his measures was dropped, and harmony restored between him and the people; in effecting which, it was thought no one could be more serviceable than myself; and I might depend on adequate acknowledgments and recompenses, etc., etc. The drinkers, finding we did not return immediately to the table, sent us a decanter of Madeira, which the governor made liberal use of, and in proportion became more profuse of his solicitations and promises.

My answers were to this purpose: that my circumstances, thanks to God, were such as to make proprietary favors

1 See this speech in vol. v. p. 499, Sparks's Works of Franklin.

unnecessary to me; and that, being a member of the Assembly, I could not possibly accept of any; that, however, I had no personal enmity to the proprietary, and that, whenever the public measures he proposed should appear to be for the good of the people, no one should espouse and forward them more zealously than myself; my past opposition having been founded on this, that the measures which had been urged were evidently intended to serve the proprietary interest, with great prejudice to that of the people; that I was much obliged to him (the governor) for his professions of regard to me, and that he might rely on every thing in my power to make his administration as easy as possible, hoping at the same time that he had not brought with him the same unfortunate instruction his predecessor had been hampered with.

On this he did not then explain himself; but when he afterwards came to do business with the Assembly, they appeared again, the disputes were renewed, and I was as active as ever in the opposition, being the penman, first, of the request to have a communication of the instructions, and then of the remarks upon them, which may be found in the votes of the time, and in the Historical Review I afterward published. But between us personally no enmity arose; we were often together; he was a man of letters, had seen much of the world, and was very entertaining and pleasing in conversation. He gave me the first information that my old friend Jas. Ralph was still alive; that he was esteemed one of the best political writers in England; had been employed in the dispute between Prince Frederic and the king, and had obtained a pension of three hundred a year; that his reputation was indeed small as a poet, Pope having annihilated his poetry in the Dunciad; but his prose was thought as good as any man's.

§ 13. Franklin appointed Agent to represent the Colony in England. The Assembly finally finding the proprietary obstinately persisted in manacling their deputies 1 with instructions inconsistent not only with the privileges of the people, but with the service of the crown, resolved to petition the king against them, and appointed me their agent2 to go over to England, to present and support the petition. The House had sent up a bill to the governor, granting a sum of sixty thousand pounds for the king's use (ten thousand pounds of which was subjected to the orders of the then general, Lord Loudoun), which the governor absolutely refused to pass, in compliance with his instructions.

I had agreed with Captain Morris, of the packet at New York, for my passage, and my stores were put on board, when Lord Loudoun arrived at Philadelphia, expressly, as he told me, to endeavor an accommodation between the governor and Assembly, that his majesty's service might not be obstructed by their dissensions. Accordingly, he desired the governor and myself to meet him, that he might hear what was to be said on both sides. We met and discussed the business. In behalf of the Assembly, I urged all the various arguments that may be found in the public papers of that time, which were of my writing, and are printed with the minutes of the Assembly; and the

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1 Deputies: i.e., the deputy governors sent over by the proprietaries from England.

2 Agent: the colonies had before found it for their interest to send over agents to England to represent them, and act in their behalf; but Franklin's mission was, as Mr. Weld says, more comprehensive than any preceding one.

8 Packet: a vessel employed by government to carry letters, or one sailing at regular periods, and carrying passengers and mail.

4 Minutes: notes or memoranda.

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