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when considered as affecting Franklin himself. The most important inquiry we can make, when estimating his character, is, How far was his life governed by religious principle? So far as his speculative opinions are concerned, he was very far from rejecting Christianity. He regarded it, to use his own language, "as the best system of religion the world ever saw, or is likely to see." He believed in one God, who ought to be worshiped, and in a future state of rewards and punishments. Of this, we have his own direct testimony. When Paine showed him. his "Age of Reason," he censured it, in just terms, as fallacious in argument, and destructive in its tendency, of all good. "You had better burn it," said he," than print it." His firm belief in an overruling Providence, was fully exhibited in a speech which he made before the convention for forming a constitution of the United States. When that body had been in session four or five weeks, without making any progress in business, Franklin proposed that their daily meetings should be opened with prayer. "In the beginning of the contest with Britain," said he, "when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for the divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard; and they were graciously answered. All of us, who were

engaged in the struggle, must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. To that kind Providence, we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity: and have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? or do we imagine we no longer need his assistance? I have lived, sir, a long time; and, the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that GOD governs in the affairs of men; and, if a sparrow can not fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, sir, in the Sacred Writings, that, 'except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain

that build it.' I firmly believe this; and I also believe, that, without his concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel; we shall be divided by our little, partial, local interests, our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a by-word down to future ages; and, what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing government by human wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest. I therefore beg leave to move, that henceforth prayers, imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this assembly every morning, before we proceed to business; and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service."

Such were his intellectual views, though we would by no means propound these as conclusive evidence that Franklin was a Christian. Christianity is not a creed, but a life. That a man possess it, something more is necessary than that he have a merely speculative apprehension of its truth or its excellence. The heart must be governed by its power, and the life shaped according to its precepts. That Franklin had this inner energy, by which alone we can determine whether or not he was a Christian, we can not say. Some things would seem to indicate it; but a satisfactory answer will be impossible, till that day when all secrets shall be made known.

His intellectual character belongs to the first rank. This has fully appeared in the preceding history, and need not now be enlarged upon. Perhaps no one has so fully run the career of a philosopher and a statesman, and been so eminent in both. His life marks an era in the history of science, and the history of nations.

All his writings indicate the clearness with which he thought. If argumentative, they are almost always convincing. Says Sir Humphrey Davy: The style and manner of his publication on electricity, are

almost as worthy of admiration as the doctrine it contains. He has endeavoured to remove all mystery and obscurity from the subject. He has written equally for the uninitiated and the philosopher; and has rendered his details amusing as well as per spicuous, elegant as well as simple. He clothes science in his language in a dress wonderfully decorous, the best adapted to display her native loveliness. He has in no instance exhibited that false dignity, by which philosophy is kept aloof from common applications; and has sought rather to make her a useful inmate and servant in the common habitations of man, than to preserve her merely as an object of admiration in temples and palaces.

Franklin's body sleeps by the side of that of his wife, in the cemetery of Christ's Church, Philadel phia. He had left directions in his will, that the two graves should be placed together, and should both be covered with a plain marble slab, containing no other inscription than their names and the year of his decease.

It may be interesting to append here the epitaph which he wrote for himself, before he was twenty-one years old. It is as follows:

" THE BODY OF

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN,

PRINTER,

(Like the cover of an old book,
Its contents torn out,

And stript of its lettering and gilding,)
Lies here, food for worms;

But the work shall not be lost,
For it will, as he believed, appear once more,
In a new and more elegant edition,
Revised and corrected,

by

THE AUTHOR."

ESSAYS,

HUMOROUS, MORAL, AND LITERARY.

ON EARLY MARRIAGES,

TO JOHN ALLEYN, ESQ.

DEAR JACK,-You desire, you say, my impartial thoughts on the subject of an early marriage, by way of answer to the numberless objections that have been made, by numerous persons, to your own. You may remember, when you consulted me on the occasion, that I thought youth on both sides to be no objection. Indeed, from the marriages that have fallen under my observation, I am rather inclined to think, that early ones stand the best chance of happiness. The temper and habits of the young are not yet become so stiff and uncomplying, as when more advanced in life; they form more easily to each other, and hence, many occasions of disgust are removed. And if youth has less of that prudence which is necessary to manage a family, yet the parents and elder friends of young married persons are generally at hand to afford their advice, which amply supplies that defect; and, by early marriage, youth is sooner formed to regular and useful life; and possibly some of those incidents or connections, that might have injured the constitution, or reputation, or both, are thereby happily prevented. Particular circumstances of particular persons may possibly sometimes make it prudent to delay entering into that state; but, in general, when nature has rendered our bodies fit for it, the presumption is in nature's

favor, that she has not judged amiss in making us desire it. Late marriages are often attended, too, with this further inconvenience, that there is not the same chance that the parents should live to see their offspring educated. "Late children," says the Spanish proverb, "are early orphans." A melancholy reflection to those whose case it may be! With us in America, marriages are generally in the morning of life: our children are therefore educated and settled in the world by noon; and thus, our business being done, we have an afternoon and evening of cheerful leisure to ourselves, such as our friend at present enjoys. By these early marriages we are blessed with more children; and from the mode among us, founded by nature, of every mother suckling and nursing her own child, more of them are raised. Thence the swift progress of population among us, unparalleled in Europe. In fine, I am glad you are married, and congratulate you most cordially upon it. You are now in the way of becoming a useful citizen; and you have escaped the unnatural state of celibacy for life-the fate of many here, who never intended it, but who, having too long postponed the change of their condition, find, at length, that it is too late to think of it, and so live all their lives in a situation that greatly lessens a man's value. An odd volume of a set of books bears not the value of its proportion to the set. What think you of the odd half of a pair of scissors? it can't well cut any thing; it may possibly serve to scrape a trencher.

Pray make my compliments and best wishes acceptable to your bride. I am old and heavy, or I should ere this have presented them in person. I shall make but small use of the old man's privilege, that of giving advice to younger friends. Treat your wife always with respect; it will procure respect to you, not only from her, but from all that observe it. Never use a slighting expression to her, even in jest; for slights in jest, after frequent bandyings, are apt to end in angry earnest. Be studious in your profession, and you will be learned. Be industrious and frugal, and you will

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