502 ./'\ ^-^^z y^"^^--^ ^''^y^.\/'\ ^'^^/^^^^\ V _ f- ^ ^^^ o . % / -^' ^>> ^^" O O^ '-^^0^ ^^ .^^°«. ^0 .^" * O^' -^ o;. .•^^ )v^ ^0 A^ A PUBLICATIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA AMERICANA GERMANICA MON'OGRAPHS DEVOTED TO THE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE Literary, Linguistic and Otliar Cultural Relations OF Germany and America EDITOR MARION DEXTER LEARNED University of Pennsylvania {See List at the End of the Book) ERRATA. Page 17 line 10 gespanntester not gepaukester. Page 29 line 30 seven hundred and eighty-one not seven and eighty-one, Page 30 line 6 have not leave. Page 39 line 33 which not with. Page 45 line 14 has not his. Page 103 line 20 Leibbuch not Leibebuch. Page 119 lines 7-8 unparteiische not undparteiische Page 120 line 33 Dass not Das. Page 128 line 8 aged not agent. Page 129 line 4 give up all hope not give all hope. Page 134 line 18 ce not CO. Page 139 line 7 whose [sic] there is not whose there is. Page 146 line 5 tres tres not tres tres. Page 150 line 14 pleasure I embrace not pleasure embrace. Page 151 line 7 civil not evil. Page 152 line 33 pleased not leased. Page 154 line 30 weisen Biography. not weihen. Page 172 line 3 88a. James, Edmund J. belongs in line 5. Page 175 line 10 148. Nothanker not Notdanker. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND GERMANY Thesis presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania in partial fulfill- ment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. By BEATRICE MARGUERITE VICTORY Clmericana (Scrmanica Number 21. Publications of the UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA 1915 Copyright 191 5 BY Beatrice Marguerite Victory ■m TO MY PARENTS CONTENTS. Benjamin Franklin and Germany. Chapter I. Frederick the Great. a. Attitude toward England. b. Attitude toward the North American Colonies. Chapter II. Franklin's Diplomatic Career. d. Diplomatic Relations with Austria and Prussia. b. Three Visits to Paris. 1. 1767. 2. 1769. 3. 1776. c. Emperor Joseph's Visit to Paris. d. Diplomatic Relations with Prussia and Austria. e. Attitude of Louis XVI toward England and the North American Colonies. Chapter III. Franklin's Visit to Germany. a. Evidences of His Visit. b. Franklin's References to Absence. Chapter IV. Franklin's Knowledge of Things German. a. At Home. b. Abroad. c. Knowledge of the German Language. d. Edict of the King of Prussia. Chapter V. Franklin's Reputation in Europe — Germany. a. In the Eighteenth Century. b. In the Nineteenth Century. c. In the Twentieth Century. Chapter VI. Franklin in German Poetry. Chapter VII. Franklin as Known to — a. Goethe. b. Schiller. c. Justus Moser. d. Herder (Johann Fried). (7) 8 Contents Chapter VIII. Franklin in the German Novel. a. Charles Sealesfield. b. Proskow. c. Berthold Auerbach. d. ElisePolko. Chapter IX. Letters to Franklin from Germans. BiBLTOGRAPHY. Chapter X. Chronological List of Franklin's Works in German. Chapter XL Chronological Bibliography. PREFACE. If one examines the bibliography of Benjamin Franklin, it will seem almost impossible to conceive of any phase of the life or activities of the "many-sided" Doctor, which has not been ex- haustively treated. The following dissertation was suggested by Professor Marion Dexter Learned, of the University of Pennsylvania, who was kind enough to place in the author's hands photographic re- productions ^ of the correspondence of the American representa- tives, Carmichael, Arthur and William Lee and others, which were directed for the most part to Schulenburg, the Minister of War and State for Frederick the Great. These were most helpful in following Franklin's diplomatic career. Benjamin Franklin spent from June 15 to August 13, 1766, in Germany. The American Philosophical Society of Philadel- phia in the Collection of Franklin Papers possesses ample proof of this visit in several original letters. One addressed to Mrs. Franklin dated London, June 13, 1766, gives his intended plans thus: "Tomorrow I set out with my friend Mr. Pringle (now Sir John) on a journey to Pyrmont where he goes to drink the waters. I propose to leave him at Pyrmont and visit some of the principal cities nearest to it and call for him again when the time for our return draws nigh." Franklin visited Gottingen and Hanover. Of his visit to Hanover we possess but one proof — a Latin letter from a Dr. Hartmann of that city.- Of the journey to the Uni- versity of Gottingen and his associations with professors of that institution there is richer proof. Franklin himself intended to treat this trip in his Autobiography under headlines "Journey int(j Germany, 1766. Civilities received there. Gottingen observa- tions."^ Dr. Herbert P. Gallinger in his thesis entitled Relation of German Publicists to the American War of Independence ^To be found in the Collection of the Emperor William Institution of German American Research at University of Pennsylvania. ^ Mentioned by Sparks in his Franklin, Vol. VII, p. 226. 'Franklin draft copy of Autobiography. Printed Smyth, Vol. I, p. 224. (9) I o Preface (1775-1783), Leipzig, 1900; Mr. L. Vicreck, in Americana Ger- manica (Vol. IV, No. 2) ; Mr. Joseph G. Rosengarten in his ad- (h-ess Cicrman Universities delivered on October 24, 1902, at the University of Pennsylvania, and luhnund J. James, The Nation, April 18, 1895, p. 296 f., give very fruit tul suggestions of iManklin's visit to Germany. The author spent one year in Germany endeavoring to en- large the tield of these suggestions. Original letters have been most carefully examined and a thorc^ugh investigation of Amer- ican material has been made. The author desires to express her sinccrest appreciation to Or. I. Minis Hays of the American Philosophical Society, who kindly placed at her disposal the valuable hVanklin Collection. Help was given by Professor J. W'iesner, of \'ienna, and by the Amerika-Institut in Berlin. To llerr Walter Gerlach the author is grateful for his research work at the University of Gottingen. Beatrice Marguerite Victory. M. A. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND GERMANY. CHAPTER I. Frederic the Great. (a) Attitude Toward England. Frederic the Great hated England most cordially and, we may say, most justly, for from the earliest days of his accession to the throne of Prussia, 1740, his uncle, George 11, had ever shown an animosity which he took but meagre, if any, pains to con- ceal. The real and only cause was an inherent jealousy and fear that this nephew might increase his small domain even by inches, to the detriment of the English ancestral continental centre, the Electorate of Hanover. With the Treaty of Aix la Chapelle, 1748, England and Spain, France and England, found their mutual conditions prac- tically the same as before those eight weary years of reciprocal grievances and leakages in the public treasuries. "To the balance of power, sustained by standing armies of a million of men, the statesmen of that day intrusted the preservation of the tranquility, and, ignorant of the might of principles to mould the relations of states, saw in Austria the certain ally of England, in France the natural ally of Prussia."^* In spite of the fact that George H, in the summer of 1745, during the second war of the Austrian Succession, still harbor- ing in the caucles of his heart the secret displeasure at the wrest- ing of Silesia from Austria by Frederic, turned to Maria Theresa and carried on friendly relations with the Catholic Power, at the same time offering subsidies to Mayence, Cologne, Bavaria and the Count Palatine to Joseph II, King of the Romans — in spite of all this, he had the audacity to expect the support of his kinsman for the furtherance of his plans. Thus playing his part diplomatically, in 1756, he formulated with Frederic the treaty ^iJ^ George Bancroft, History of the United States of America (1884); Vol. II, p. 312. (H) 12 Benjamin Franklin and Germany of Westminster, hoping by this agreement of neutraHty to protect Hanover from the coalition of the European Powers. In this same year, the houses of Hapsburg and Capet, after nearly three hundred years of contention, joined hands to support the inter- ests of Catholicism and propagate the utter downfall of Prussia and, if possible, the ruin of Germany. Frederic, however, sur- prised and frustrated the hopes of these combined allies against him, by saving Prussia. All Europe stood aghast before this "Gustavus Adolphus", as the Protestant nations called him. In his terrible campaigns '"two hundred and sixty thousand men stood against seven hundred thousand, and had not conquered".^ \\^ith the accession of George III and the appointment, Octo- ber, 1 761, of Bute as minister in the place of Pitt, the staunch adherent and supporter of the Prussian king, any real or seeming alliance between the two Powers was at once broken off. Prussia found herself utterly abandoned. Among the English diplomats, Frederic knew that plans for peace were being made, but the ben- efits of such an armistice meant for his kingdom the assured loss of his Silesian territory. "How is it possible", such were the words addressed by Frederic to Pitt, "how can the English nation propose to make cessions to my enemies — that nation which has guaranteed my possessions by authentic acts known to the whole world?"'' Benjamin Franklin describes these wars on the continent in a letter to David Hall, dated London, April 8, 1759: "The Powers at war on the Continent have excited them- selves to the utmost this Winter, to be able to bring vast arniies into the field, and they are already in motion. If this King of Prussia can stand his Ground this Year, his Enemies will be tired of so costly a War. And he bids fair for it, for he takes the Field this Spring with as fine an Army as he had since the War began, and hitherto he has ver\' little burthen'd his own People for Supplies either of ]Money or ]Men, drawing both from his Enemies or Neighbors. But what the event will be God only * Ibid., p. 481. ' Ibid., p. 53S. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 13 knows. Three Monarchys the most powerful in Europe besides the Swedes, on his Back at once; No Magnamity (sic) but his own coukl think of bearing it; no Courage but his that would not sink under it, no any less Bravery, Skill and Activity than his that would equal to it. If he again should drub them all around, and at length obtain an honorable and advantageous peace, his Renown will far exceed that of all the Heroes in History."^ Again he writes concerning this same subject late in Sep- tember, 1 761, to his friend, William Strahan: "Call to mind your former fears for the King of Prussia, and remember my telling you that the man's abilities were more than equal to all the forces of his enemies, and that he would finally extricate himself and triumph. "''^ As late as 1789, he still felt a keen interest in all things that pertained to his Prussian Majesty and wrote on June 3rd of that year from Philadelphia, the following to Benjamin Vaughan : "I have not seen the King of Prussia's posthumous works ; what you mention makes me desirous to have them. Please to mention it to your brother William, and that I request him to add them to the books I have desired him to buy for me."^ Thus deserted and wilfully betrayed, since George had diplomatically ordered Sir William Yorke, minister at The Hague, to offer the Empress of Austria even Silesia to renew her friendly relationship with him, Erederic, nothing daunted, found alone his road to success and unfading glory, as Franklin had predicted. At every turn England flaunted her hatred in the very eyes of this irrestible warrior. Any means to break the iron tenacity of his indomitable will. Why hesitate at the sum of one hundred thousand pounds? Well could Frederic laugh to scorn his recognized enemy at the news of the rise of the North American Colonies. Perhaps George felt a little misgiving and a faint twinge of fear that the far-sighted and cunning Frederic might now see clearly the long desired method of mildly wreak- * Original letter in the Museum of Independence Hall. ^Private Correspondence of Benjamin Franklin (1818), Vol. I, p. 251. ' Collection of Hon. S. W. Pennypacker. Printed in Smyth's Benjamin Franklin, VqI. X, p. 209. 14 Benjamin Franklin and Germany ing vengeance for the past wrongs by dispatching well trained troops to the New World. Great must have been the astonish- ment of all England, that he took no active part in the rising controversy and only a seeming, passive interest. Passive it most assuredly was, but yet a friendly attitude, which asserted itself later, however, in a more tangible fomi. One of the leading motives of the policy of Frederic was to increase the trade and commerce of his beloved Prussia. This policy he hoped to perpetrate by eventually binding the ports of east Frisia closely and permanently with the markets of the North American Colonies. East Frisia first fell into the posses- sion of Pnissia in 1744. Through the position of this province on the North Sea and because of its not unimportant ports it seemed to assure the world commerce, for which the king so earnestly and ardently yearned. It was then with this point in view, that we find Frederic's energies directed toward the Amer- ican Colonies, but it was these colonies themselves that made the first venture into the fields of diplomacy, ^^'hat was the reason for this modest backwardness on the part of this persistently aggressive ruler, who with the exception of Joseph II of Austria, was then the only king in Germany? Burdened with years that rested heavily upon his drooping shoulders, longing for the staunch support of those faithful friends, whom the god of war had claimed as his booty, alone with the reflections of victories, that haunted him w'ith their bloody carnage, that strangled in the gaunt hand of death the breath of their lasting glory thus we find Frederic at the crucial moment, when the Colonies were just mustering those potent forces and stirring the embers, which were to burst forth in the flame of the American Revolution. As Bancroft says : "No one of the Powers of Europe is heartily his ally. Russia will soon leave for Austria, his great deeds become to him so many anxieties; his system meets with per- sistent and deadly enmity. He seeks rest ; and strong and un- avoidable antagonism allow his wasted strength no repose. He is childless and alone ; his nephew, who will be his successor neglects him. and follows other counsels : his own brother hopes and prays to hea\en that the king's days may not be prolonged. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 15 Worn by unparelled labor and years he strikes against obstacles on all sides as he seeks to give a sure life to his kingdom; and prudence teaches him that he must still dare and sufifer and go on."^ In the North American Colonies themselves the exploits and surprising succession of victories of the great crusader of Protestantism were hailed with national rejoicing and thanks- giving by those rabid exponents of religious sentiment, the Puri- tans. In the Middle States, New York and Pennsylvania, the admiration for Frederic was no less markedly sincere. The Germans of Pennsylvania, who followed with keenest interest the military conquests of their beloved king "Fritz", saw in the victory of Rossbach the thwarting of their arch-enemy, the French, who had driven their fathers and their forefathers from their hereditary homes on the banks of the Rhine and in Swabia. Washington in a letter to Lafayette acknowledged the great honor of being so cordially esteemed by so renowned a statesman and warrior, as Frederic. Franklin took occasion to use the personality of the Prussian ruler to satirize the English and to show the interest of Frederic for the struggling Colonies. Green, in a letter to the Prussian Baron von Steuben, assured him of his hopes of his success in all campaigns since he intended to use the same military tactics, as those he had learned under the master of war, Frederic. In fact, the baron himself owed his ready acceptance and the American acquiescence to his sug- gestions in matter of warfare to the prestige gained from the honor accorded one who had been an adjutant in the Prussian army. Thomas Jefferson expressed the general opinion of the American Colonies when he wrote of the death of this king as an irreparable loss to the entire civilized world : "Still today in America they believe — so quickly a myth arises around popular figures — that Frederic demonstrated his respect for Washington by sending a sword of honor over to him : indeed the scientific magazines repeated in all good faith this fable, which it seems was founded on the fact that the Prussian smith of arms Theophilus Alte in Solingen sent to Washington a beautiful 'Bancroft, History of the U. S. A.; Vol. V, p. 236. 1 6 Bcnjainin Franklin aiid Gcrniany sword made hv himself with an inscription expressing his ad- miration. "^^' Frederic was awake to the significance of the uprising of England's Colonies, for he felt confident that the offspring of the mother country would prefer to see the work which they had centered in the upbuilding of their settlements in ruins, rather than witlulraw one iota from their determined stand of opposition against the bonds of a selfish and despotic ruler. In September, 1774. he expressed himself in regard to the action of the Colonies as follows: "The more I reflect on the measures of the English government the more they appear to me arbitrary and despotic. That the court has provoked its colonies to withstand its meas- ures, nobody can doubt. It invents new taxes; it wishes by its own authority to impose them on its colonies in manifest breach of their privileges; the colonies do not refuse their former taxes and demand only in regard to new ones to be placed on the same footing with England ; but the government will not accord to them tlie right to tax themselves. This is the whole history of these disturbances."^^ Again in a letter to his minister. Count Maltzan, in London. he writes in December, 1775: *'Es erhellt immer mehr dass der Konig von England mit seinen Colonien hohes Spiel spielt und sich in diese Wirren zu tief eingelassen hat um siegreich daraus hervorzugehen. . . . Die grosse Frage ist immer ob die Colo- nien nicht Mittel finden werden, sich ganz vom Mutterlande zu trennen und eine freie Republik zu stiften. . . . Gewiss ist dies, fast ganz Europa nimmt Partei fiir die Colonien und ver- theidigt ihre Sache, wahrend die Sache des Hofes wcder Conner noch Forderer findet."*^ Yet Frederic was, at this time, too conservative to hazard anv loss to the kingdom for which he had labored so untiringlv, for tlie sake of coming like a knight errant to rescue the oppressed "F. Kapp. Frit'dcrich dcr Grosse und die T^creinigten Staaten von Ame- rika: S. 13. " Bancroft, History of U. S. A.; Vol. V. p. 237. " Pus Zt-italtcr Fncdcrichs dcs Grcsscn. Dr. \Vm. Oncken. Bd. 2, S. 838^39- Benjamin Franklin and Germany ly children of England : "In a careful search through his cabinet papers, I have found no letter or part of a letter in which he allowed the interest of his kingdom to suffer from personal pique or dynastic influence. His cares are for the country which he rather serves than rules. He sees and exactly measures its weak- ness as well as its strength, and gathers everyone of its discon- nected parts under his wings. "^^ (b) His Attitude Toivard the North American Colonies. "Dem Befreiungskampfe der Amerikaner war von Frie- derich dem Grossen mit gepaukester Aufmerksamkeit gefolgt, aber ohne die leistete Regung solcher Empfindungen, wie sie von diesen bei ihm voraus gesetzt worden war. Allerdings leistete er den Amerikanern einen unschiitzbaren Dienst."^^ This service was indeed no small one. When in October, 1777, the German auxiliaries, hired by the English, began to make their way from Ansbach and Hesse, he forbade their passing through his realm and domains unless a certain toll per head was paid. In May, 1776, a plan for a direct commerce was advanced by Silas Deane, the first agent sent by the American Congress, with Montessuy, the Prussian minister for commercial affairs. This request was followed by the permission for the exchange of American products through the ports of Brittany. Commerce, however, between the North American Colonies and Prussia was declined ; for Frederic felt that without a formidable fleet the results of such an action on the part of Prussia would be most uncertain. Just at this time the thoughts of the king were distracted from such foreign interests by the unwarranted claim of Austria to a contingent share in the inheritance of a large portion of Bavaria. Frederic, to ward off such a blow, turned to France. Through his minister he assured the French government that he would maintain neutrality and do his utmost to preserve peace, and Maurepas gave him a similar guarantee. As early as the first of October, Deane wrote from Paris to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, its members being "Bancroft, History of U. S. A.; Vol. V, p. 238. "* Das Zeitalter Friederichs des Grossen. W. Oncken. Vol. II, pp. 838-839. 1 8 Benjamin Franklin and Germany Benjamin Franklin, Richard Henry Lee, Robert Morris and William Cooper, as follows : "Would yon have universal com- merce, commission some person to visit every kingdom on the continent that can hold any commerce with America. Among them by no means forget Prussia. Grain will be in demand in this kingdom and in the south of Europe." In the same letter he adds : "P. S. It is of importance, as I have mentioned in my former letters, to have some one deputed and empowered to treat with the king of Prussia. I am acquainted with his agent here, and have already through him received some queries and pro- posals respecting American commerce to which I am preparing a reply. . . . France and Spain are naturally our allies; the Italian States want our flour and some other articles; Prussia, ever pursuing her own interest, needs but be informed of some of the facts relative to America's growing commerce to favor us."^^ Again in a letter to Dumas he gives expression to this same thought, October 3, 1776: "Since my last in which I mentioned the King of Prussia, I have obtained a method of sounding that monarch's sentiments more directly through an- other channel, which voluntary offering I have accepted."^® In a letter to John Jay on the 3rd of December that same year, from Paris, he shows that the relations in commercial interests are still being urged : "I have had overtures from the King of Prussia in the commercial way and have a person of greater confidence to his court, with letters of introduction from his agent here with whom I am on the best of terms. "^^ '^^ Secret Journals of Congress (Library of Congress); Wharton Diplo- matic Correspondence. Vol. II, p. 154. "Ibid., p. 163. " Ibid., p. 213. Whether it was from mismanagement on the part of Arthur Lee, or from a change of policy by Frederick, there was no treaty until 1785. See Wharton, I ; p. 445 ff. CHAPTER II. Franklin's Diplomatic Career. The diplomacy of the American Revolution was dominated to the greatest extent by the all prevailing force of finance. Economy of finance meant recognition from the desired ally, France, and power over the oppressive enemy, England. With argumentations based on the principles of war and finance, the American diplomatists exerted every tangible method to ac- complish their ends, not only against the mother country, but to their advantage with the European countries, that were willing or unwilling to lend their ears. Franklin, for instance, was not only diplomatic agent in Paris, but he was also, in the negotiation of our loans from France and the disbursement of the funds thus obtained, a secretary of the treasury ; while in concerting allied campaigns, he was to some extent secretary of war, and in direct- ing our navy, in European waters to some extent secretary of the navy. Our own success at home and the persistent bravery in crises, as displayed in the siege of Boston, won the natural sup- port of the French nation, which grasped the importance of such a victory as Saratoga by raw recruits and a handful of unprac- ticed troops against the strength of the veteran army of Great Britain. The longed-for alliance with France was ratified in 1778, and the support of this country was the fruit of that genius of diplomacy, the world-famed Franklin, the head of the legation at Paris, and by whom so many of the intricate and difficult political affairs of the United Colonies were so tactfully and suc- cessfully managed. It was this venerable statesman, who showed the importance of the unbreakable spirit of independence, when he replied to an old friend, Hartley, who warned him of the danger, to which he would be perhaps exposed, in a foreign land : 'T thank you for your kind caution, but having nearly finished a long life, I set but little value on what remains of it. Like a draper, when one chaffers with him for a remnant, I am ready to say, 'As it is only the fag end, I will not differ with you about it; take it for what you please.' Perhaps the best use such an old (19) 20 Benjamin Franklin and Germany fellow can be put to is to make a martyr of him." This same idea of the humble value of his services to his country, he ex- pressed, when he was chosen as commissioner to France .in his se\entieth year, September 27, 1776, as he turned to Dr. Rush, who sat near him in the Assembly : "I am old and good for noth- ing-; but as the storekeepers say of their remnants of cloth, I am hut a fag end, and you may have me for what 3^ou propose to give." Appointments v^'cre given at the same time to Silas Deane and Arthur Lee, both of whom were absent in Europe, to assist Dr. Franklin with their joint services in the cause of freedom, in the official capacity of recognized agents of the North American Colonies abroad. The diplomatic activity of Franklin abroad opened his life to the closest scrutiny of those, who were ever watchful to find flaws in the calibre of his ability, which had won for him this post of honor. We can repudiate the accusation made against him, that he never lost an opportunity to grow rich on public money and furthered the appointment of his nephew. ^Ir. Wil- liams, by quoting his letter to W'illiam Lee in regard to this appointment : ''Your proposition about appointing agents in the ports shall be laid before the commissioners when they meet. Li the meantime I can only say that as to my nephew, Mr." Williams, though I have from long knowledge and experience of him a high opinion of his abilities, activity and integrity, I will have no hand in his appointment or in approving it. not being desirous of his being in any way concerned in that business. "^^ Again he can be defended against the slightest fraudulent intentions, by this fact, that he sent a personal account of his expenditures to Congress. November 29. 1788. after his arrival in Philadelphia : "In pursuance of this resolution, and as soon as ]\.Ir. Barclay was at leisure from more pressing business, I rendered to him all my accounts, which he examined and stated methodically. By his statement he found a balance due me on the 4 of IMay 1785. of 7533 livres nineteen sols 3 den., which by ^^ North American Rcviciv, April, 1830. (Printed in Sparks' Benjamin Franklin, Yo\. Ill, p. 30.) Benjamin Franklin and Germany 21 mistake I had overcharged — about three pence halfpenny sterling."^^ If we cannot exactly agree with the high opinion of JVIatthew Arnold, who considers Franklin "a man who was the very in- carnation of sanity and clear sense, a man the most remarkable, it seems to me, whom America has produced", still we can accord to him the distinction of the possession of the greatest admin- istrative genius of the time, when such a man of judicial powers was so sorely needed. He never swerved in the great cause of independence, even at the cost of war, which was in every respect opposed to his peace-loving nature. (a) His Diplomatic Correspondence. His diplomatic correspondence may not be as entertaining as that of Adams from Holland, or the Spanish letters of Jay, which he enlivened with pithy bits of European gossip, yet those of Dr. Franklin are unique in clearness of style, brevity, and all the essentials for the accomplishment of their varied purposes. In short, they are just as typical and characteristic of the many- sided and versatile personality, as is the Autobiography or his more personal letters. They teem with a wholesome wit, a healthy wisdom, coupled with the knack of saying just the tactful thing at the critical moment. He knew to the most exact fraction the capacity of the heavy sack of diplomatic nuts and filled it so that it could stand upright, after he had carefully balanced it, and better still he could crack the nuts within and share them with his countrymen most generously. He always hit the nail upon the head, and if the hammer slipped and hit his fingers, he hunted some timely maxim and kept his own counsel. The Continental Assembly could not have shown sounder judgment than the selection of such a citizen as Franklin for such an important foreign post. For forty years he had been busied in Pennsylvania politics. No man was better acquainted with the conditions of not only this state, but of practically all the habitable sections of the other states. In the position of Post- " Sparks, III ; p. 508. 22 Benjamin Franklin and Germany master General, he had visited these districts, traversing a dis- tance of six thousand miles, and his trained eye had readily grasped all the essential details. In the French struggle against the forces of England, he had arranged for the transportation of troops by securing the services of the much needed wagons of the Pennsylvania farmers. Was his brain ever free from some new innovation for the betterment of the Colonies? The results of his well devised schemes are widely known, to the present day throughout the world. Not only had the State of Pennsylvania felt the benefits of his services, but for a number of years he had been the spokesman of Continental afifairs in the mother country, as representative of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Georgia. Experience had prepared and reared him in all the intricate arts of efficiency for his position as the American com- missioner at the court of France. One of the characteristics, which assured his unfailing success, was, as De Witt expresses it, "he could see in the future and live in the present".-'' (b) Franklins Visits to Paris. I. First Visit, 1767. Franklin had visited Paris in 1767 and again in 1769, as an honored guest, and he was welcomed back in 1776, with a cordiality which proved his growing and permanent popularity. Europe was the target for the guns of American diplomatists. From the coffers of these Powers must come the gold for cariying on the struggle at home. Here the means must be found for supplying the American troops. On this foreign soil were the opportunities for the display of the powers of capable diplomat- ists. We find American privateers in the ports of Holland, France and Spain, being cargoed for services at home; here the naval tactics were planned, before their coming in touch with Continental conditions. When we carefully examine the political letters of Franklin, we cannot fail to be impressed by the great responsibility which rested upon his shoulders. The loans to the Colonies were intrusted entirely to his hands, in fact they were De Witt, Jefferson; p. 59. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 23 paid to him alone. It was to him that Congress had to turn for the payment of the national debts, contracted abroad. He was recognized as the sole agent in Paris, and even although bills were at times directed to Adams, Jay, or Laurens, still to Franklin the ultimate appeal had to be made. His labors seem too intricate for one man to manage alone, but his accounts have proved him to be the master of his duties and tasks. His only secretary, at this time, was his grandson, who might relieve him in copying from drafts, many of which are preserved today, but could not, of course, draft a single official document, li he had been sur- rounded tSy congenial colleagues, his heavy burdens might have been greatly lightened, but he was handicapped by assistants, who were jealous, selfish and suspicious and only too ready to be a hindrance to his plans. France had warranted confidence in the honesty and integrity of Franklin and no matter who his col- leagues may have been, he was the one personality whose influence and persuasion resulted in the friendly alliance with her. This high estimate of Franklin we can judge from two letters, written from the Count de Vergennes, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the French Minister at Philadelphia : "As to Dr. Franklin, his conduct leaves Congress nothing to desire. It is as zealous and patriotic as it is wise and circumspect." Again on February 15, 1781, "If you are questioned respecting the opinion of Dr. Frank- lin, you may without hesitation say, that we esteem him as much on account of his patriotism as the wisdom of his conduct; and it has been owing in a great part to this cause, and the confidence we put in the veracity of Dr. Franklin, that we have determined to relieve the pecuniary embarrassment in which he has been placed by Congress." Of the two visits of Franklin to Paris, 1767 and 1769, there seems to be a certain reticence in his letters of this time. We do know that the companion of these journeys was the "steady and good friend Sir John Pringle", who also had been his fellow- traveller on the visit to the Netherlands and Germany in the summer of 1766. The only letter written, while he was in France 1767, is that in which he describes his experiences to his clever friend, Miss Stevenson. His electrical experiments had already 24 Benjamin Franklin and Germany been the herald of his entree into France, where they had been carefully investigated by the abbes Nollet and D'Alibard. Yet it is. not exactly true to ascribe the cordial welcome which the scientist received as entirely due to his electrical innovations. The far-sighted Durand, no doubt, clearly saw the diplomacy of favoring the agent of the Colonies in England. Franklin felt this underlying motive and was successful in visiting Paris, with- out the British government being cognizant of his absence. Durand's visits to him, at this time, opened up the way for his acceptance into the social whirl of the metropolis. Franklin wisely saw the reason for his popularity, as he expresses it: 'T fancy that intriguing nation would like very well on occasion to blow up the coals between Britain and her colonies; but I hope we shall give them no opportunity." It is to the political writings of Franklin, that he owed more than anything else, the approval of a nation, which at this time was so permeated by the influence of such economists as Quesnay and the Marquis de Mirabeau, the masters with their disciples, M. Dupont de Nemours, the life- long friend of Franklin, and the Abbe Baudeau. The French editor of Franklin's works, James Barbeu Dubourg, was also an active force among these men. We have the positive proof of this visit to France in a letter to his son, in which he carefully admonishes him to maintain the utmost secrecy on the matter. From London dated October 9, 1767, he writes to Mrs. Deborah Franklin, "My dear Child, I returned yesterday Evening from Paris safe and well, having had an exceeding pleasant Journey, and quite recovered my health." He returned to London on October ist, and Dupont informed him shortly after of the publi- cation of some of his writings on the conditions in the Colonies, which he had taken the liberty of presenting thus to the public in translation. (M. Dubourg had been the recipient of these Frank- lin papers and had passed them on their way to Dupont. 2. Franklin's Second Visit, 1769. In July, 1769, Franklin visited Paris again. The only mention of this journey is a letter addressed to Samuel Cooper, of Boston: "I have just returned from France, where I find our Benjamin Franklin and Germany 25 dispute much attended to, several of our pamphlets being trans- lated and printed there, among others my Examination and the Farmers' Letters, with two of my pieces annexed, of which last I send you a copy. In short all Europe, except Britain, appears to be on our side." From subsequent correspondence we know, that Franklin arranged for an official French translation of his works with Dubourg. Franklin was again in London by September ist. 3. Franklin's Third Visit to Paris. Franklin left Philadelphia on October 26, 1776. He arrived on the French shore on November 29th. The Reprisal, under Captain Wilkes, after carrying ofif two prizes, landed Franklin with his two grandsons at Auray on December 3rd. They pro- ceeded by post to Nantes, where they arrived on the 7th, then reaching Paris on the 21st. Perhaps some of the delay was due to Franklin's condition. "Being poorly nourished", as he says on the Reprisal: "I was very weak on my arrival." He took up his abode at the Hotel d'Hambourg, in the Rue de rUniversite and remained there several weeks, removing then to the luxurious hotel of Monsieur Ray de Chaumont in the suburb of Passy. The proprietor refused any rent for Franklin's apartments, until the independence of the American Colonies was established, and being a true politician in every sense of the word, Franklin readily accepted this most generous offer and we find him maintaining his establishment, according to Mr. Adams, in a most extravagant manner. To be sure, he kept servants in sufficient number to entertain any guests who felt inclined to enjoy his kind hospitality, and with full rights of an American ambassador rode to the city in a carriage drawn by his own horses ; but the wide display of unnecessary extravagant luxury can not be proved. When his arrival was known throughout Europe, his numer- ous friends began to welcome him back to the Old World, and one of the first was the German naturalist and physician at the court of Vienna, Jan Ingen Housz, who assured Franklin that he hoped he had come to re-establish the amicable feeling between the mother country and her colonies. \ 26 Benjamin Franklin and Germany (c) Joseph II's Visit to Paris. While at the French court, at this time, there was war be- tween the schools of music, led by Gliick and Piccini, the brother of Marie Antoinette, Emperor Joseph II visited Paris. He ex- pressed his keen desire to see Franklin and though the Abbe Niccoli, the representative of the Duke of Tuscany, did his utmost to bring about a meeting of these men, fate intervened. The abbe sent an invitation to Franklin to take a cup of chocolate on Wed- nesday, May 28th. Franklin was of the opinion that this would give to a meeting with the Emperor the appearance of pure acci- dent. Turgot was present with Franklin, who writes of the affair as follows : "The Emperor did not appear, and the Abbe since tells me that the number of other persons who occasionally visited him that morning, of which the Emperor was informed prevented his coming; that at twelve, understanding they were gone, he came but I was gone also." A meeting of Emperor Joseph and Franklin is recorded most interestingly in a book entitled Joseph 11^ Emperor of Germany, and Benjamin Franklin. Joseph and Benjamin. A Conversation Translated from a French Manu- script. London, MDCCLXXXVII, an account of which runs thus. "The interview between the Emperor of Germany and his American Excellency was kept a secret ; and that as well as what passed at the interview was unknown even to the numerous spies about Paris and Versailles, and except for the accident which dis- covered all, it might perhaps not have been known for some years, that these two remarkable men ever saw each other." The atti- tude of the author, whoever he may be, is thoroughly English, tinged with the strongest prejudice against France, "which always has had and always will have designs upon the liberty or im- portance of other nations". "During the residence of the great American negotiator, Benjamin Franklin, at Paris, he received a letter written by the Imperial Joseph, who was then also in that capitol, under an assumed name. The letter was expressive of that high esteem, which great abilities gain even from the rulers of nations, and intimated the intention of the royal stranger, who had long wished to have personal acquaintance with his American Benjamin Franklin and Germany 27 Excellency ; and who intended to wait upon him the next day, not as Emperor, but as a private person, desirous of acquiring knowl- edge by the conversation of a man, who had distinguished himself as a philosopher and politician, by sharing in the dangers of a con- test, which had added the liberty to his country." . . . "The old philosopher, who had long been accus- tomed to the company of the great, and who had in every sense of the word, except he was not rich, become one of that order himself, embraced with more than ordinary pleasure the oppor- tunity of conversing with such a man whose abilities and unre- mitting attention to the promotion of human happiness had long attracted his esteem. The urbanity which the political hero of the Western world, had acquired during a long life, added to that great sense of propriety, for which he is eminently distinguished, determined him to return an answer in person. He waited upon the illustrious stranger at his hotel immediately. It was agreed that they should enjoy each other's company for one day at a small retired spot a few miles distant from Paris, where the old philosopher used to rest himself from the fatigues that accom- pany a political life." . . . "On the following Saturday they were to have their interview. Scarcely had the venerable old man arrived from Paris, when his Imperial Visitor alighted from a post-chaise at the gate. The Imperial Joseph, forgetting the ideal distinctions of rank, threw his arms around the old man and embraced him with a cordiality and sincerity that is seldom manifested or felt by princes. "The two walked out into a small garden, which, though not elegant, was sequestered and agreeable; and nature blessed this extraordinary confidence with her most delightful day. Here did these illustrious characters meet to discuss their opinions and exchange their sentiments. They proceeded to philosophize upon human conditions." One idea discussed runs as follows : "The King led the conversation by this remark — Tf I were not Emperor of Germany, I should rejoyce in being an Emperor of America.' He then continued with a subject of French aggres- siveness and the need of state funds which led Franklin to reply : 'Your subjects, the Germans, tenacious as they are of customs, ),\ 28 Benjamin Franklin and Germany are more easy to reform than Americans. Your people have learned the habit of obedience, which will overcome prejudice; but to a lawless and ungovernable disposition the Americans add prejudices peculiar to themselves; and if there was a man who could benefit his country by good code of laws, the Americans would not adopt them!' " This conversation was to be repeated on the third day, but no evidence of it is given. The author satisfies our curiosity as to the means which dis- close this conversation with this explanation : "All that at present can be said on this subject is that Accident, but not dishonorable, not unfair means, has brought this important conversation before the eyes of the public." Franklin in reality, highly esteemed the Emperor Joseph, if we can judge from a letter dated Passy, April 29, 1785, to Jan Ingen Housz : "Your account of the Emperor's condescending conversation with you concerning me, is pleasing. I respect very much the character of that, Monarch, and think this if I were one of his Subjects, he would find me a good one."-^ (d) Diplomatic Relations With Austria and Prussia. I. Austria. Stating briefly the mutual feelings of Austria and the Ameri- can colonies we can say, that "Prince Kaunitz saw in the close and intimate friendship between Franklin and Ingen Housz (the Court Physician of Vienna) a means to perpetrate a treaty at some future time between their two representative powers. And there can be no doubt that such a result was due to this inti- macy. ^'^ The attitude of the Colonies can be judged from the follow- ing letter taken from an unsigned draft copy: "The United States of America to all to whom these present shall come send Greeting. Whereas his most Christian Majesty our great and beloved friend and ally hath informed us by his minis- ^ American Philosophical Society (Franklin Papers). ^ Die Bczichungen Osterreichs sii den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika, H. Schlitter; pp. 65-66. / Benjamin Franklin and Germany 29 ter plenipotentiary whom he hath appointed to reside near us that their Imperial Majesties the Empress of Russia and the Emperor of Germany actuated by sentiments of humanity and a desire to put a stop to the calamities of War have offered their mediation to the belligerent powers in order to promote peace. Now know ye we desirous as far as depends upon us to put a stop to the effusions of blood and convince all the powers of Europe that we wish for nothing more ardently than to terminate the war by a safe and honourable peace relying on the justice of our cause and persuaded of the wisdom and equity of their imperial Majesties who ever have so generously interposed their good offices for pro- moting so salutary a measure have constituted and appointed and by these present do constitute and appoint . . . the Honble. John Adams late delegate in Congress from the state of Massa- chusetts, the Honble Benjamin Franklin our minister at the Court of France, the Honble John Jay late president of Congress and now our minister at the Court of Madrid, the Honble. Henry Laurens formerly president of Congress and commissioner & sent as our agent to the United provinces of the Netherlands and the Honble. Thomas Jefferson governor of the commonwealth of Virginia our Minister plenipotentiary giving and granting to them or such of them as shall assemble or in case of death, ab- sence, indisposition or other impediment of the others to any one of them full power and authority in our name and on our behalf, in concurrence with his most Christian Majesty to accept in due form the mediation of their Imperial Majesties, the Empress of Russia and the Emperor of Germany. In testimony whereof we have caused these present to be signed by our president and sealed with his seal. Done at Philadelphia, this fifteenth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand seven and eighty one and in the fifth year of our Independence. By the United States in Congress assembled. "^^ Benjamin Franklin in a letter to Thomas Mifflin dated Passy, December 25, 1783, gives his intentions to take official action. The letter reads thus : Papers of Continental Congress, Vol. I, p. 345. 30 Benjamin Franklin and Germany "I shall immediately proceed, in pursuance of the first In- structions, to take the proper steps for acquainting his Imperial Majesty of Germany with the Disposition of Congress, having some reason to believe the Overture may be acceptable. His Min- ister here is of late extremely civil to me, and we are on very good terms. I leave likewise an Intimate Friend at that Court."-* Commissioners for the United States of America to promote peace between the Empress of Russia and the Emperor of Ger- many were appointed by Congress officially thus : "The United States of America to all to whom these present shall come send Greeting. Whereas his most Christian Majesty our great and beloved friend and ally, hath informed us by his minister plenipotentiaiy whom he hath appointed to reside near us that their imperial Majesties, the Empress of Russia and the Emperor of Germany actuated by sentiments of humanity and a desire to put a stop to the calamities of War have offered their mediation to the belligerent powers in order to promote peace. Commissioners Appointed. John Adams, Hon. Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Henry Laurens, Thomas Jefferson. Giving and granting to them or any one of them full power to accept the mediation of the aforesaid powers. June 15, i78i."2^ Orders to negotiate a treaty read thus : "By the United States in Congress Assembled. "October 29th, 1783. "To the ministers plenipotentiaiy of the United States of America at the Court of Versailles empowered to negotiate a peace to any one or more of them. "First. You are instructed and authorized to announce to " Library of Congress. Smyth, Vol. IX, p. 67. "Library of Congress. ect we have the honor to be "Your Excellency's ^lost obedient &' most humble Servants. "B. Fraxklix. "Silas Deane, "Arthur Lee. "^Ministers Plenipotentiary from the Congress of the United States of America."-^ In Professor Marion Dexter Leamed's Guide to the Manu- scrif^t Materials Relating to Ameriean History in the German State Archives, Washington, iqij, six important references to Franklin are found. I. Prussian Arehives. Berlin (^p. 30). 1. Plein Pouvoir, given to Adams. Franklin and Jeti'erson. to effect the treaty, signed by Thomas Mifflin and Chas. Thom- son. Sec. ]\Iay 12, 17S4 (p. 31 V 2. Thulemeier to the king, relating to declaring the port of Emden or Stettin free, with a copy of the communication of * Library of Consress, Benjamin Franklin and Germany 37 Adams, Franklin and Jefferson, requesting free ports, dated Passy, January, 1785 (2 pp.). Addressed to Thulemeier at the Hague. The Hague, February 11, 1785 (p. 32). 3. Thulemeier to the king on Franklin's signing of the treaty and on ratification by Congress, enclosing a copy of the English translation of the Plein Pouvoir, etc. 4. Bavarian Archives, Munich, 5027. Reference made to Franklin's return from Paris to America, August i, 1783. 5. Prussian Archives, Breslau, Rep. 199, C.-O. (Journal (ibcr engangene Cabinets Ordres), No. 4, 1778- 1783. Fol. 366 refers to Franklin in Paris and the commercial relations between Prussia and America. 6. Kdniylich-Sachsisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, in Dresden, 2750 Com. XXXVa, Bl. 47, gives Mirabeau's eulogy on Frank- lin's death. "Koniglich-Sachsisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, No. 349, H. St. zu "Dresden, den 26. Marz, 191 3. "Auf Ihr Schreiben vom 15. dieses Monats teilt Ihnen die unterzeichnete Direktion mit, dass an der von Ihnen bezcichneten Aktenstelle sich kein Bericht iiber den Tod Benjamin Franklins vorfindet. Auf Bl. 450 der von Ihnen angefiihrten Akten ist aber als Beilage zu einem Berichte des Gesandten Riviere die Rede wiedergegeben, durch die Mirabeau der franzosischen Na- tionalversammlung den Tod Franklins mitteilte. Abschrift da- von befindet sich umstehend. "Direktion des Koniglich-Sachsischen Hauptstaatsarchivs. "Posse. "Fr'dulein Beatrice M. Victory, "cand. phil., Philadelphia." "Abschrift! "Discours de Monsieur le Comte de Mirabeau. "Francklin est mort ... II est restourne au sein de la Divinite, le Genie qui affranchit I'Amerique et versa sur 1' Europe des torrens de Lumieres. "Le sage que deux mondes reclamant, I'homme que se dis- 38 Benjamin Franklin and Germany putent I'histoire des Sciences et I'histoires des Empires, tenait sans doute un rang bien eleve dans I'espece humaine. "Assez longtems les Cabinets politiques ont notifie la mort de ceux qui ne furent grands que dans leur eloge funebre assez longtems I'etiquette des Cours a proclame des deuils hyprocrites : les Nations ne doivent porter que le Deuil de leur bienfaiteurs; les Representans des Nations ne doivent recommander a leurs hommages que les heros de I'humanite. "Le Congres a ordonne, dans les quartorze Etats de la Con- federation un Deuil de deuz mois pour la mort de Francklin, et I'Amerique acquitte en ce moment ce tribut de veneration et de reconnoissance pour I'un des Peres de sa Constitution. "Ne seroit-il pas digne de vous, Messieurs, de nous unir a I'Amerique dans cet acte religieux de participer a cet hommage rendu a la Face de I'Univers, et aux Droits de I'homme, et au Philosophe qui a le plus contribue a en propager la conquete? TAntiquite eut eleve des Autels au puissant Genie, qui, au profit des Mortels, embrassant dans sa pensee le Ciel et la terre, sut dompter la Foudre et les Tirans. 1' Europe eclairee et libre doit du moins un temoignage de souvenir et de regret a I'un des plus- grands hommes qui aient jamais servi la Philosophie et la Liberie. "Je propose qu'il soit descrete que I'Assemblee Nationale partera pendant trois jours le deuil de Benjamin Franklin." In the extracts from the commissioners' letters to the Com- mittee of Congress we read, Paris, April 28, 1777 : "As the min- ister from Prussia may not soon arrive and that court has shown a disposition to treat, by entering into a correspondence with us we have thought it might be well that one of us should visit it immediately, to improve its present good disposition, and obtain if possible, the privilege of their ports to trade and fit ships in, and to steal our prizes. Mr. Lee has readily undertaken this journey."-^ (Price) The following is the commissioners' letter to the Prussian minister in regard to this appointment, dated Paris, April 19, "" Library of Congress. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 39 78, and signed by the three agents, B. Franklin, Silas Deane nd Arthur Lee : "Sir: . . . We have their commands (the orders of Congress of the United States) to inform his Prussian Majesty's Ambassador here that they propose to send a minister to your respective court with all convenient expedition, properly empow- ered to treat upon affairs of importance, and that we are in the meantime instructed and authorized by Congress to solicit the friendship of your court, to request that it would offer no aid to their enemies, but use its good offices to prevent the landing of troops by other powers to be transported to America for their destruction, and to offer the free commerce of the United States to the subject of Prussia. "We have taken the earliest opportunity of obeying these commands. But considering the great importance of establish- ing a free commerce between the two countries as soon as possible, and confident that every objection may be obviated, and the wished-for intercourse opened and established on the most certain and beneficial grounds to promote the interests of both countries, we propose that one of us shall wait on your excellency as soon as conveniently may be done, to explain personally the situation of America, the nature, extent and importance of its commerce and the methods by which it may be carried on with Prussia to mutual advantage. In the proposed interview we are confident the difficulties mentioned by your excellency may be surmounted, and a very considerable of American commerce be turned to Prussia by measures neither dangerous or expensive." Arthur Lee, the successor of Carmichael, was selected as the suitable envoy to be sent to Berlin. "Sanguine in temperment, creduluous, hasty in action", he demonstrated his nervous spon- taneity in persistent diplomatic aggressiveness. He informed Schulenburg of his intended trip as follows : "Sir : In conse- quence of the letter, with in conjunction with my brother com- missioners. Dr. Franklin and Mr. Deane, I have the honor of writing your excellency, I intend to depart from hence to Berlin before this time. But an accident having happened, which in- evitably prevents me from setting out, I am under great anxiety 40 Benjamin Franklin and Germany lest your excellency should impute my delay to a wont of tl^ perfect respect which I ought to feel for your excellency's coui and character.'' He continues by giving assurance that his. dela)' will not be prolonged one moment longer than positively neces- sary. Schulenburg replied to this on the 20th, acknowledging the receipt of his letter and also that on the part of the three American agents, Franklin, Deane and himself : "I still appre- hend difficulties which may interfere in the present circumstances with the establishment of a direct commerce between his Majesty's subjects and the Colonies of North America, and that I consider our Correspondence on this subject rather as preliminary to what may come to pass than as negotiations from which any immediate advantage may be expected."^*^ He consoles him in regard to his forced detention, by the fact that at the best, the matter will be one of uncertainty and will make the slowest strides of progress. Lee does not in any way read between the lines, but acting upon the responsibility of his mission, he proceeded to Berlin and informed the Prussian minister of his arrival on June 6th and asked for an inter\-iew. The arrogance of Arthur Lee's spirit must have revolted at the attitude of the foreign court of Prussia with its conservatism. On ]\Iay 8, 1777, he wrote Baron Schulenburg in regard to his intended visit to Berlin. The reply from the Prussian minister gave no encouragement, as we read in the letter from him on ]\Iay 20th, speaking of the forced delay of which Lee had writ- ten, "this leads me to believe, sir. that you have no reason to distress yourself on account of this delay . . . when you defer for some time an affair the success of which can not most probably but be slow." Lee reached Vienna on leaving Munich, and informed the commissioners of the condition of the court in this city in a letter dated the 27th of May: "There is a cold tranquility here that bodes no good. It is not possible to quicken this German indifference." He reached Berlin on "^ Library of Congress, Wharton Diplomatic Correspondence, Vol. II. p. 306; Sparks' Diplomatic Correspondence, Vol. III. p. 418. See papers now first published from original MSS. by Philadelphia Seventy-Six Society, 1855. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 41 June 4th and was received in conference by the minister, since the king was absent at this time from the Prussian capitol. In fact had he been in the vicinity, he would by no means have received this representative of the Colonies. He sent lists of commodities, which might be an incentive for infusing an enthusiasm in the venture of establishing a commerce, but the condition of the Prussian fleet at this period, as Frederic repeatedly asserts in his letters, was such as to warrant the utmost caution on the part of his country. The theft of Lee's papers in Berlin by an English emissary and their immediate return, is a story that has been repudiated and argued to the detriment of the American's diplo- matic caution and defended again, as an accident entirely beyond his jurisdiction. The success of his mission he clearly states in a letter to the commissioners in Paris, dated the 15th of June, Berlin : "The letters you have received from hence will show you how the wind blows here; I have tried all in my power to make it change — hitherto in vain. In ten days I shall set out on my return. There can not be a state of more quiescence than prevails in this place ; what is merely commercial is planned, but whether it will be adopted remains to be determined." At last, thoroughly disgusted with his treatment by the Prussian court, he retired to Paris in July. The attitude of Lee, however, suf- fered no whit in its aggressiveness, for we find him missing no opportunity to offer, by letters, to Schulenburg any inducement for the encouragement of trade. November 13th of the same year he wrote to this minister as follows: "... a com- mission has been received appointing William Lee commissioner of Congress to the court of Berlin, with power to negotiate a treaty of amity and commerce with the King of Prussia. The great knowledge of this gentleman in commerce will enable him to throw far more light on that subject than I was able to com- municate." This was received by the court in the most indifferent manner. "As to the commission of Mr. William Lee, the king having repeatedly declared his sentiments respecting the actual difficulties attending a commercial connection with America, not- withstanding his constant good disposition towards the Colonies, 42 Benjamin Franklin and Germany can not possibly conjecture, as circiiinstances have not changed, what proposition ]\Ir. Lee can make more acceptable to his majesty, nor consequently what can be the object of his mission." William Lee in Berlin had less inlluence than his brother, and had to remain in incognito in this city ; that is, he enjoyed none of the public honors that attended his diplomatic dignity. Schulen- burg assured him of the king's interest in all things that pertained to the growth of his trade. "The king, who always graciously receives the news you send me, and expresses his satisfaction when it is in your favor, had seen the passage of your brother's letter, and I can assure you, sir. that his majesty will not be the last power to acknowledge your independency ; but you must feel yourself that it is not natural that he should be the first, and that France, whose commercial and political interests are more im- mediately connected with yours, should set the example." At the breaking out of the war between the emperor and Frederic, William Lee withdrew from Vienna and retired to Frankfort to await the final action of the various Powers. It was evident to the mind of Lee that it was inopportune for either the court of Berlin or Vienna to take an open part with the cause of the Colonies, for fear that Hanover would join the forces of the adversary. We can sum up these endeavors of the commissioners to these courts in a word, which embraces failure and yet a certain degree of success in the final move, which resulted in the estab- lishment of a trade between the Powers and the independent thirteen American States. "Wednesday, June 6, 1781. "Resolved That the Alinister Plenipotentiary be authorised and instructed to concern in behalf of these United States, with his most Christian Majesty in accepting the mediation proposed by the Empress of Russia and the Emperor of Germany. But to accede to no Treaty of Peace, which shall not be such as may effectually secure the Independence and sovereignity of the thir- teen States according to the form and effect of the Treaties subsisting between the said States and his most Christian Benjamin Franklin and Germany 43 Majesty, and in which said Treaties shall not be left in their full force and vality."^^ This is a proof of the reasons made by the ministers pleni- potentiary on behalf of securing the desired treaty of peace. These ministers were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Henry Laurens and Thomas Jefferson. On May 7, 1784, we find : "Resolved That it will be advantageous to the United States to conclude such treaties with Russia, the Court of Vienna, Prussia, Denmark, Saxony, Hamburg, Great Britain, Spain, Portugal, Genoa, Tuscany, Rome, Naples, Venice, Sardinia, and the Ottoman ports. ""''- Benjamin Franklin authorized, thus made the final move on the chessboard of diplomacy with the following letter on May 26, 1785, addressed to Baron Thulemeier, the Prussian minister: "Sir — We received the letter you did us the Honor of Writ- ing the 3rd inst. and are happy to find that all points of the pro- posed Treaty being through the King's Goodness and Condescen- sion now agreed, nothing remains but to transcribe it fairly and to sign & exchange the Copies according to our Powers, & the usual Forms. But the Signatures of at least two of our number being necessary, & Mr. Adams who has acted with us in the whole transaction being called away by his mission to the Court of G. Britain and another of us rendered unable by Age and a painful malady to perform a hard Journey, there is a Difficulty in Meeting with Your Excellency for the purpose either of any intermediate Place, or at that of your Residence which in respect to the King we might otherwise willing do. We therefore propose for your consideration, whether tho not usual the acts would be equally valid, if in case it should not suit you to come to Paris (where however we should be glad to see you) we were to sign separately the Instrument, dating our Signatures with Time and Place, & Exchanging by a Special Messenger who might deliver to you that which shall be signed by us, to be then Library of Congress. 'Secret Journals, Vol. Ill, p. 222 ff. 44 Benjamin Franklin and Germany signed and kept by you and received that signed by your Excel- lency, we can afterwards sign here, he witnessing both. We request your Opinion & Determination and are with great respect. . . ." John Adams, as American agent at The Hague negotiated with Baron Thulemeier a treaty with Prussia. The new form sent by Congress had necessitated a revision of the Prussian treaty to so large an extent that almost new negotiations were found ultimately inevitable. The Prussian minister showed him- self interested and active. The treaty was drawn up between the parties concerned. The negotiation was carried on by corre- spondence between Paris and The Hague and was finally signed by Mr. Adams, Mr. Jefferson and Dr. Franklin in Paris, and by Baron Thulemeier at The Plague, a special understanding having been arranged that the agents might sign in different cities. The Prussian agent says on the 24th of January: "The English lan- guage being familiar neither to the Prussian Chancery, nor to the King nor his ministers, it has become necessary that I should make a French translation, and to prove its exactness, I have caused it to be placed by the side of the annexed observations." Of this treaty with Prussia Franklin writes at St. Germain, twelve miles from Paris, July 18, 1785: "I did my last public act in this Country just before I set out which was signing a Treaty of Amity and Commerce with Prussia."^^ To John Jay he writes from Philadelphia, September 19, 1785: "I have the honor to acquaint you that I left Paris the 1 2th of July, and, agreeable to the permission of Congress, am returned to my own country. . . . Our joint letters have already informed you of our late proceedings, to which I have nothing to add, except that the last act I did, as Minister Pleni- potentiary for making treaties, was to sign with him two days before I came away, the treaty of friendship, and commerce that had been agreed on with Prussia and which was to be carried to the Hague by Mr. Short, there to be signed by Baron Thule- ^ Library of Congress. Smyth, Benjamin Franklin, Vol. IX, p. 133. ^' Letter in possession of Mrs. E. B. Ilolden. Printed in Smyth, Vol. IX, P 363. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 45 meyer on the part of the King, who without the least hesitation had approved and conceded to the new humane articles proposed by Congress. "^^ Frankhn writes to his old friend, Jan Ingen Housz, June 27, 1786, from Philadelphia: "You will see in the Treaty we have made with Prussia some marks of my Endeavors to lessen the Calamities of future wars."^^ Franklin had received offers from other ministers of Ger- many, as he says : "The Elector of Saxony, as I understand from his Minister, here, has thoughts of sending one to Congress, and proposing a treaty of Commerce and Amity with us. Prussia has likewise an inclination to share in a Trade with America, and the Minister of that Court, tho' he has not directly propos'd a Treaty, his given me a Pacquet of Lists of several sorts of Merchandise they can furnish us with, which he requests me to send to Amer- ica for the Information of our Merchants."^'^ (e) Attitude of Louis XVI Toward England and the American Colonies. The attitude of Louis XVI toward England in the year 1776 was quite similar to that of Frederic of Prussia. Unlike him, France had been in direct conflict with her enemy in the New World. Europe had been the arena for the wild tigers and lions to tear each other to pieces for seven direful years. The wonderful strategy of the Prussian ruler against the enormous force of Russia and Austria combined, we have already seen. In the face of the glories of Frederic the Great, France found her- self humbled and utterly defeated on all sides. Most especially she suffered under the lash of Britain in the North American Colonies; although France was necessarily but awaiting an op- portunity to repay the foe in her own coin. Frederic hesitated and refused to give support to the revolutionists, although he felt '^Private Correspondence of Benjamin Franklin, Vol. II, p. 425. Smyth, Vol. IX, p. 463, Journals of Congress. ^ Library of Congress. Printed in Smyth, Vol. IX, p. 520. "Library of Congress. Printed in Smyth, IX, p. 67. Printed in Sparks' Diplomatic Correspondence, Vol. IV, pp. 84, 107, 109. 46 Benjamin Franklin and Germany their indomitable intent to win or die. Would the French mon- arch venture in where others feared to tread? The French people were already at this early date stirred t^ their souls by the grand and glorious theme of social equality. The entire nation reached out its hand to the new strugglers for human rights. This was France when Franklin reached Bordeaux. She was a nation hostile to Great Britain by the long continued tradi- tion of centuries, an humbled nation, smarting to recover her lost prestige and to console her wounded pride, a nation whose heart was just beginning to throb with new ideas, but saw these new conceptions trampled on, in danger of being crushed by this hereditary and victorious foe. She was also a nation which saw in the American trade an object worth striving for. It was natural that the United States should turn to France first among the nations of Europe. America naturally could not feel as assured of the other nations, but to lose no opportunity of any possible assistance, she wisely sent her agents to the courts of Austria, Spain, Russia, Prussia and the United Netherlands. In the Seven Years' War Spain had felt keenly the goad of England's enmity, but her possessions in America would not tend to induce her action in any support of the insurgents. Austria and Prussia were more closely affiliated in their relations to France than to the assumptions of Britain. Franklin's task, however, was not an easy one and although the main field of his action was France and, in the narrower term. Paris, still he was the most responsible agent of all those sent, and it was through him as the final author- ity of the official jurisdiction of the home Congress that any treaties or alliances were formulated. "It would be difficult to describe the eagerness and delight with which the American envoys, the agents of a people in a state of insurrection against their monarch, were received in France, in the bosom of an ancient monarchy. Nothing could be more striking than the contrast between the luxury of our capitol, the elegance of our fashions, the magnificance of Ver- sailles, the still brilliant remains of Monarchical pride of Louis XIV, and the polish and superb dignity of our nobility on the one hand, and on the other hand, the almost rustic apparel, the Benjamin Franklin and Germany 47 plain but firm demeanor, the free and direct language of the enjoys, whose antique simplicity of dress and appearance seem to have introduced within our walls, in the midst of the effiminate and servile refinement of the eighteenth century, some sages contemporary with Plato or republicans of the age of Cato and Fabius. This unexpected apparition, produced upon us a greater effect in consequence of its novelty, and of its occurring precisely at a period when literature and philosophy had circulated amongst us an usual desire for reforms, a disposition to encourage innova- tions and the seeds of an ardent attachment to liberty."^^ Franklin had readily won the hearts of all, being gifted to read and observe human nature with unfailing accuracy. "His calmness and prudence'' were certainly grave faults in the eyes of such an impatient nature as Arthur Lee and several other members of the commission at Paris, but his was the most vital and potent force in the field of diplomacy. ' Parton's Franklin, p. 211. CHAPTER III. Franklin's Visit to Germany. (a) Evidences of His Visit. The year of 1766 was a very memorable one for Franklin. In February of that year he underwent his famous examination in the House of Commons, relative to the repeal of the American Stamp Act. There was no event in Franklin's life more credit- able to his talents and character or which gave him so much celebrity as this examination before the House of Commons. In that year he was made a member of the Konigliche Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften at Gottingen. This fact is authenticated by the Gottingische Anseigen von Gclehrten Sachen, 1766, Vol. I, Art. no, which reads, dated 13th of September, 1766: "Die Versammlung der Koniglichen Societiit am 19. Juli war feierlich, als gewohnlich. Die beiden Englischen beriihmten Gelehrten, der Konigl. Leibmedicus Herr Pringle und Benjamin Franklin aus Pensilvanien, die damals auf einer Reise nach Deutschland, sich in Gottingen sich [sic] befanden, nehmen als Mitglieder ihre Stelle ein." In this same magazine, dated 8th and nth of September, 1766, in articles 147 and 148, we find : "Hierauf erziihlte der Herr Sekretar die neuesten Verande- rungen die sich in der Konigl. Societat zugetragen haben. Sie hat gleich im Anfange dieses Jahres, drei beriihmte Englische Gelehrte, den Doct. Robert Lowth, jetzt Bischofen von Oxford, den Herrn Doctor Benjamin Rennicourt, Professor der Theologie zu Oxford, und Herrn Doct. John Pringle, Leibmedicum Ihrer Majestiit des Konigs und nebst ihnen den Churfiirstl. Herrn C. L. von Hagedorn, zu auswartigen Mitgliedern aufgenommen; und ferner im Sommer den Herrn Aug. Ludwig Schlosser zu Petersburg, der schon seit einigen Jahren ihr Correspondent gewesen, hier bei seiner Auswesenheit und den Herrn Benjamin Franklin aus Pennsylvanien bei seiner Durchreise durch Got- tingen dazu genannt." (48) 1-: X PERI M E N T S () r, S K R V A T I O X S ELECTRICITY, M A I) L A T P 1 11 L A D li MMII A in A M II R I C A , i; , -. . V M ; N F R A N K L i N, L. L. D. ajfc^ 1- . R. S. '- " ■' '■ tA L ]•: T T t. R S and F A P S' R S Ph ! LOS Ol^HICAL fcUSt?. (-TS. i i . Whole correifteil, methodized, im-jvrovcd. and now firft col le^cd into one Volume, AND nU.nratca «;t'i COIM'ER i'LAlKS. n,v,t. It ;^?v ; r.:\ 1 ,»t llicCoiMi >.f"St l'J<- /: Personal Dedication- of Fraxklix to the Royal Academy of Science at Gottixgen, Fouxd in the Library of the Uxiversity of Gottingen. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 49 Again from V-'rsuch einer acadeniischen Gelehrten- Geschichfe von Georg- Augustus Universitdt zii Gottingen, 1765- 1788. Band II, S. 281, von Johann Stephan Putters; Professoren des Staatsrechts zu Gottingen, is this notice of this same matter : "Aus anderen Landern sind seit noch folgende neue Mitglieder aufgenommen (i) In der Physichen Classe (8) Sir John Pringle Med. D. Konigin von England Leibartzt 1766-1782: (9) Benjamin FrankHn." Johann David Michaelis, Schreibcn an Herrn Prof. Schlozer die Zcitrechmmg vom Siindflut bis auf Salomon betreffend writes thus: "Als Franklin vor einigen Jahren, mich diinkt 1766, in Gottingen war, versicherte mir dieser grosse Kenner seines Vaterlandes und genaue Mathematiker, die Englischen Colonien in Nord Amerika verdoppclten sich alle 25 Jahre."^^ Another proof of the high esteem in which Franklin held the institution of Gottingen is seen in the dedication in his own writing in a copy of his Experiments and Observations On Elec- tricity Made at Philadelphia, London, 1769 : "To the Royal Academy of Sciences at Gottingen As a small Token of his Respect and Duty, This Book is humbly presented by the Author." — The University of Gottingen contains two copies of this work of Dr. Franklin. In the Pyrmonter Brunnenarchiv, which contains a list of guests at Pyrmont from 1752, published in Berlin, 1782, we read this entry under the year 1766: "Leibmedicus Ritter Pringle aus London und Dr. Franklin aus Pennsylvanien kommt aus London." The University of Gottingen was founded by George II in 1734 and here Americans and Hanoverians found themselves under the same monarch. We owe to Franklin the awakening of interest in America for the German universities, for previous to '° Gottingisches Magazin dcr Wisscnschafien und Litteratur. Herausge- geben von Georg Christoph Lichtenberg und Georg Forster. 5 Stiick, erster Jahrgang, S. 163. 50 Benjamin Franklin and Germany his personal knowledge of this institution, Americans were wont to cross the seas to study in Cambridge or Oxford or the Scotch universities. Franklin's visit excited the highest interest in Germany. But the importance of his visit for America was not this interest which he awakened in the German fatherland, but the seed which took root in Franklin's breast to establish an American Gottingen. which bore fruit in the establishment of the public college of the City of Philadelphia — since 1779 the present University of Penn- sylvania. With Franklin we have the human link of fellowship, which was born then and which has since so strongly tied Ger- many and the United States in bonds of friendship and good feeling. Franklin's companion on this journey, as later on his visits to France, was Sir John Pringle, who advised Franklin to join him on his eight weeks' tour, stopping first at Pyrmont for the waters. Dr. Franklin upon arriving there decided that air, exercise and a change of scene might be beneficial and filed with a desire to know more of the country which he was visiting for the first and last time, left his good friend and visited the prin- cipal cities nearest Prymont. We have record only of his visits at Gottingen and Hanover. ''His Philosophical discoveries and writings have given him a wider fame on the Continent than even in England or at home, for in Germany, he was not the subject of party enmity, probably little was yet known of his political importance, and the Germans content with the fact that he was the delegate of his countrymen abroad were satisfied with that evidence, that the great philoso- pher was no less a statesman. The results of his examination before the House of Commons which did more than anything else to give him celebrity as a political economist had not then been published."^^ The following letter from Lafayette shows the general in- terest Franklin had aroused in Germany, and also the attitude of the Germans of the upper circle toward the revolution: Hale, Franklin in France, p. 7. ' vO^-l'x>u><^ ^t^ci Benjamin Franklin and Germany 51 "Paris, Feb. loth, 1789. "My dear friend "Witli Unspeakable Satisfaction I have heard of your safe arrival in America, and Heartily wished I Had been Mingled in the Happy crowd of My fellow Citicens when they saw you set your foot on the Shore of Liberty. When your friends in Paris met together their first word was to talk of You. The wishes for your fortunate Voyage and pleasing sight of your family and friends Became a National Sentiment — in my tour through Ger- many I have Been Asked thousand questions about you, when I felt equally proud and Happy to Boast of our Affectionate in- timacy. "Prussia and the Austria dominions with some parts of the German Empire the liberties of which are to much spoke of in treaties and to little felt by the people Have been the object of my Very Agreeable journey — the fine class of the people I found misinformed with respect to American affairs — What may be wrong they know perfectly, with an addition of thousand lies and I wish no ground was left for our enemies to Broach those lies upon and altho they Have a due respect and enthusiastic admira- tion for the virtues displayed By Amerika during the War — it is a matter of doubt with them if free Constitutions can support themselves (some sensible and sad feeling men excepted particu- larly Prince Henry) — the king of Prussia Himself is Blinded by Habit and prejudices. "That Monarch's health is very Bad — The New Emperor's temper not very quiete — But Great Britain's Affairs Being embar- rassed and our politics very pacific I don't think any storm is to Be feared — I have been very Happy to hear You Have Accepted the presidency of Pennsylvania. . . . "Yours, Lafayette."^^ In the correspondence to Franklin we find but one letter which throws light upon his visit to Hanover. This is a letter from Johann Friedrich Hartmann, written in Latin, dated the Calendes of October, 1767, in which he says: "Often have I recalled the happy occasion, when I was permitted to see and talk " The American Philosophical Society. Franklin Papers. 52 Benjamin Franklin and Germany with you privately. The Prince of Schwarzbiirg-Rudolstadt had sent to Gottingen a special emmissary to offer his salutations to Franklin, but unfortunately the latter left that very day; and the hope of seeing him was frustrated."'- The knowledge we have of this Hartniann is that he was noted among his contemporaries for his electrical investigations, and was head of the Royal Hospital and a prominent physician in Hanover. In the Gottingisehen Anaeigen, bearing the date of September 2/, 1766, we read that Pringle and Franklin visited Mr. Hartmann in Hanover, in order to see his apparatus for strong electrical ex- periments. No doubt it was through Sir John Pringle that the interest between Hartmann and Franklin was mutually aroused. That Franklin knew himself at least the names of famous men, noted for their electrical experiments, is proved in a letter to his friend. Peter Collinson, in which he says, describing a dinner, to be given in Philadelphia: "A Turkey to be killed for our dinner by the electrical shock, and roasted by the electrical jack before a fire kindled by the electrified bottle, when the healths of all the famous electricians in England. Holland, France and Germany are to be drunk from electrified bumpers under the discharge of guns from the electrical battery.""*^ Franklin introduced into England the pulse-glass, by which water is made to boil in a vacuum by the heat of the hand. Nairne, the mathematical instrument maker, made a number of them from the one that Franklin brought from Germany, He speaks of this in a letter to John W'inthrop, London. July 2. 1768: "An ingenius artist here, Mr. Nairne, mathematical instru- ment maker, has made a number of them from mine, and im- proved them, for his are much more sensible than those I brought from Germany.""*^, *^ It seems that he may have received these pulse-glasses from the physician Dr. Hartmann. He writes again of this same mat- ter: "When I was last year in Germany, I met with a singular **Anier. Philos. Society. ^Experiments and Observations on Electricity, p. 2\. ** Experiments and Observations on Electricity, p. 486. " Smyth, \'ol. 5, p. 140. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 53 kind of glass being a tube about 8 inches long, half -inch in diam- eter, with a hollow ball of near an inch diameter at one end, and one of an inch and half at the other, hermetically sealed, and half filled with water. ""^^ In the Literarischer Briefwechsel of Johann David Michaelis, by Johann Gottlieb Buhle (pp. 214-218), we read letters written by Sir John Pringle to him dated London, the 6th of May, 1766, in which Pringle acknowledges the receipt of a diploma from the Royal Society at Gottingen and expressed at this late date, the delay being due to illness, his high sense of the dignity of the honor which he shall always reckon as one of the most fortunate circumstances of his life, but he mentions nothing in regard to his friend and companion Franklin, who no doubt made his own acknowledgment, although the letter has been lost, or else hidden away where the hands of research have not as yet reached it. Again, London, September 6, 1766, he writes: "I cannot conclude without giving You the strongest assurances of my grateful remembrance of all Your civilities, and the pleasure, which I enjoyed in your company during my stay in Gottingen. I have had the satisfaction, not only to acquaint Baron Miinch- hausen and Baron Behr with the good effects of their letters, in procuring to my companion Dr. Franklin and to myself the attentions and conversations of so many learned gentlemen, as we had the good fortune to be introduced to there, but likewise to add this circumstance to the account, which I had the honor to give His Majesty of the flourishing state of His University abroad." Pringle three years later from London, June 2, 1769, wrote: "When I had the pleasure of seeing you at Gottingen, Dr. Frank- lin and I were among the first to inform you of the accounts, we had received of the great size of the Patagonians." The matter he finds has been exaggerated. In conclusion he wrote thus: "I beg, Dear Sir, to have my best respects presented to the Ladies and Gentlemen, I had the pleasure to see in Your House, and the other members of Your Learned Society. Dr. Franklin who is " Smyth, Vol. 5, p. 139. 54 Benjamin Franklin and Germany still here and whom I see often, desires me to make you and them the same compliment."^' Franklin, when he arrived in Germany, had just made his presence and his influence felt in England by his statements be- fore the House of Commons, and the fresh air of Germany may have appealed to him after the hot atmosphere of argumentation, which the storm of the repeal of the Stamp Act had not yet cooled. No letters of that period written by his hand can be found, although his visit lasted from June 15 to August 13, 1766. He seems to have kept no note of these travels. Perhaps these may have been mislaid, if made at all, as he says in his Autobiog- raphy: "In truth I found myself incorrigible with respect to order and now I am grown old and my memory bad, I feel very sensibly the want of it." The journey was made in the midst of a very exciting period of his life and he must have enjoyed his visit because of his desire, keenly expressed to revisit Germany, as he writes later to Jan Ingen Housz, Passy, October 2, 1781 : 'T last Year requested of Congress to release me from this Sen'ice that I might spend the evening of Life more agreeably in philo- sophic Leisure; but I was refused. If I had succeeded it was my Intention to make the Tour of Italy, with my Grandson, pass into Germany and spend some time happily with you. Whom I have always loved, ever since I knew you with uninterrupted affection. "^^ Johann August Bauer, in his Franklin und Washington, page 99, speaks of this visit thus: "Im Verlauf des Jahres 1766 machte Franklin eine Reise durch Holland und Deutschland und ward von alien Gelehrten in diesen Landem mit der grossten Ach- tung aufgenommen." Speaking of general conditions in Europe at the outbreak of the American Revolution, Julian Schmidt expresses his opinion <^^^ ^ /flg> thus, in his Geschichte des ges}rigen Lebens in Deutschland von /I /hy Leibnitz bis auf Lessing (16^1-1781), Leipzig. 1864, Bd. II, S. ' ' 209, thus: "Man weiss welches Aufsehen Franklin's Besuch in *' Literarischer Briefwechsel J. D. Michaelis, von Joh. Gottlieb Buhle. Band II, S. 214-218. ** American Philosophical Society. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 55 Europa machte, auch in Gottingen, wo er sich im Herbst 1766 aufhielt, betrachtete man diese originelle Figur mit Aufmerk- samkeit" (b) Franklins References to Absence. References to absence in Germany were made by Franklin in several letters. On September 27, 1766, in a letter addressed to his "dear friend and neighbor", Mr. Charles Thomson. From London he writes : "I received your very kind Letter of May 20th, which came here while I was absent in Germany."^^ Again, Craven Street, London, October 4, 1766, he makes reference to his absence abroad in a letter to an unknown correspond- ent.^^'' Again on October nth of that same year, he addresses a letter to Mrs. Deborah Franklin: "I received your kind little Letter of Aug. 26th by the Packet. I suppose they imagined I should not be returned from Germany. . . ." Again on De- cember 13th, he writes to Mrs. Franklin: "Since my last I have received your kind letters of Sept. 28th and Oct. 9th. I won- dered you had not heard of my return from Germany, as I wrote by the August Packet, and by a Ship from Holland, just as I was coming over."^*' He had already sent a letter from London June 13th to Mrs. Franklin telling of this proposed trip to Germany : "1 wrote you, that I had been ill lately. I am now nearly well again, but feeble. Tomorrow I set out with my friend Dr. Pringle (now Sir John) on a journey to Pyrmont where he goes to drink the waters ; but I hope more from the air and exercise, having been used as you know, to have a journey once a year, the want of which last year, has, I believe, hurt me so that, though I was not quite to say sick, I was often ailing last winter and through the spring. We must be back at fartherest in eight weeks, as my fellow-traveller is the Queen's physician, and has leave for no longer, ... I propose to leave him at Pyrmont and visit some of the principal " Original MS. New York Historical Society. "* American Philosophical Society. ""American Philosophical Society. 56 Benjamin Franklin and Germany cities nearest to it, and call for him again when the time for our return draws nigh."^^ Again in a letter to Robert R. Livingston from Passy June 22, 1783, he writes, expressing a wish to know the status of affairs in the new arrangement of foreign affairs and refers to this visit. The Swedish ambassadors having offered his grand- son the position of American ambassador, and the Danish min- ister having been generous in a similar offer, Franklin says : "But it is not my Custom to solicit Employments for myself, or any of my Family, and I shall not do it in this case. I only hope that if he is not employed in your arrangement, I may be informed of it as soon as possible, that while I have Strength left for it, I may accompany him in a Tour to Italy, returning through Ger- many, which I think he may make to more Advantage with me than alone, and which I have long promised him as a reward for his faithful Service and his tender filial Attachment to me."^- Of the letters written to Franklin referring to this visit, we may add one dated Alfreton, August 10, 1766, which reads as follows : "Dear Sir : By this I expect you are returned to London from your Germany tour. Which I hope has been pleasing to you, & useful to Sr. John Pringle. . . ." This is signed Ant (hony) Tissington.^^ American Philosophical Society. Printed in Sparks, Vol. VII, p. 320. ' Library of Congress. ' American Philosophical Society. CHAPTER IV. Franklin's Knowledge of Things German. (a) At Home. We shall mention here but one instance which shows the clear insight that Franklin possessed of the character of the Penn- sylvania Germans of his period. This we read in his letter to Peter Collinson dated Philadelphia, May 9, 1753: 'T am per- fectly of your mind, that measures of great temper are necessary with the Germans ; and am not without apprehensions that through their indiscretion or ours, or both, great disorders may one day arise among us. Those who come hither are generally the most stupid of their own nation and, as ignorance is often attended with credulity when knavery would mislead it and with suspicion when honesty would set it right; and as few of the English un- derstood the German language, and so cannot address them either from the press or the pulpit, it is almost impossible to remove any prejudices they may entertain. Their clergy have very little influence on the people, who seem to take a pleasure in abusing and discharging the ministers on every trivial occa- sion. Not being used to liberty, they know not how to make a modest use of it. And as Colben says of the young Hottentots, that they are not esteemed men until they have shown their man- hood by beating their mothers, so these seems not to think them- selves free, until they can feel their liberty in abusing and insult- ing their teachers. Thus they are under no restraint from ecclesiastical government; they behave, however, submissively enough at present to the civil government which I wish they may continue to do; for I remember when they modestly declined intermeddling in our elections, but now they come in droves and carry all before them, except in one or two counties. Few of their children in the country know English. They import many books from Germany; and of the six printing-houses in the provinces two are entirely German, two half German half English, and but two entirely English. They have one German news- (57) 58 Bcnjaviin Franklin and Germany paper and one half-German. Advertisements, intended to be general are now printed in Dutch and English. The signs in our streets have inscriptions in both languages, and in some places only in German. They begin of late to make all their bonds and other legal instruments in their own language, which (though I think it ought not to be) are allowed good in our courts, when the German business so increases, that there is continued need of interpreters; and I suppose in a few years tliey will also be necessary in the Assembly, to tell one half our legislators what the other half say. "In short unless the stream of their importation could be turned from this to other colonies, as you ver\' judiciously pro- pose, they \\'\\\ soon so out number us, that all tlie advantages we have will in my opinion, be not able to preserve our language, and even our Government will become precarious. The French, who watch all advantages, are now themselves making a German settlement back of us. in the Illinois countr)% and by means of these Germans they may in time come to an understanding with ours ; and indeed in the last war our Germans showed a general disposition that boded us no good. For. when the English who were not Quakers, alarmed by the danger arising from the de- fenseless state of our country, entered unanimously into an asso- ciation, and within this government and the lower countries raised, arms and disciplined near lo.cxx) men. the Germans, ex- cept a very few in proportion to their number, refused to engage in it. giving out. one amongst another, and even in point, that if they were quiet, the French, should they take the country would not molest them. At the same time abusing the Philadelphians for titting out privateers against tlie enemy and representing the trouble, hazard, an expense of defending the province, as a greater inconvenience than any that might be expected from the change of government. Yet I am not for refusing to admit tliem entirely into our colonies. .-Ul that seems to me necessan.- is to distribute them more equally, mix them with the English, estab- lish English schools where they are now too thickly settled : and take some care to prevent tlie practice lately fallen into by some of tlie sliip-owners of sweeping tlie German gaols to make up tlie Benjamin Franklin and Germany 59 number of their passengers. I say, I am not against the admis- sion of Germans in general, for they have their virtues. Their industry and frugality are exemplary. They are excellent hus- bandmen and contribute generally to the improvement of the country."^'* Peter Collinson having received Franklin's account of the condition of German affairs in the Colonies, answers this on the i2th of August, 1752, as follows: "Your impartial Account of the State of the Germans came very Seasonably to awake the Legislature to take some Measures to check the Increase of their Power. — A Copy was Desir'd by the Members for the German Affairs to show Mr. Pelham. . . . I have drawn up 7 proposals which you shall See. . . . "Hints Humbly proposed to Incorporate the Germans more with the English & check the Increase of their power. "i. To establish more English schools amongst the Germans. "2. To Encourage them to Learn English. To let an act of Parliament pass by Gr. Britain to disqualify every German from accepting a place of Trust or prominence Civil or military unless both He and His Children can speak English intelligibly. "3. To prohibit any Deeds, Bonds or Writings to be made in the German Language. "4. To suppress all German printing Houses that print only German. "5. To prohibit all importation of German books. "6. To encourage Marriages of Germans with English. "7. To Discourage the Sending More Germans to the Pro. of Pennsylvania."^^. (b) Abroad. Franklin knew well conditions of American trade in Ger- many. In his article entitled "The Interest of Great Britain Con- sidered with regard to Her Colonies and the acquisitions of Canada and Guadaloupe to which are added Observations con- cerning the increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries &c." " Amer. Philos. Society. Franklin Papers. "Amer. Philos. Society. Go Benjamin Franklin and Germany London. Printed for T. Becket, at Tullyhead near Surrey St. in the Strand. M D CC LX. . . ., speaking of the trade condi- tions says. "The inland parts of the continent of Europe are farther from the Sea than the limits of settlement proposed for America. Germany is full of tradesmen and artificers of all kinds and the governments there are not all of them always favorable to commerce of Britain, yet it is a well known fact that our manufactures find their way even into the heart of Germany. Ask the great manufacturers and merchants of the Leeds, Shef- field, Birmingham, Manchester and Norwich goods and they will tell you, that some of them send their riders frequently through France or Spain and Italy up to Vienna; and back through the middle and northern parts of Germany to show samples of their wares and collect orders, which they receive by almost every mail to a vast amount. Whatever charges arise on the carriage of the goods are added to the value, and all paid by the consumer. . . . "... I say if these nations purchase and consume such quantities of our goods, notwithstanding the remoteness of their situation from the sea ; how much less likely is it that the settlers in America, who must for ages be employed in agriculture chiefly, should make cheaper for themselves the goods our manufacturers at present supply them with ; . . ."^® He writes to John Winthrop from Paris, May i, 1777, this account of the conduct of the German princes: "The Conduct of those Princes of Germany, who have sold the Blood of their People, has subjected them to the Contempt and Odium of all Europe. The Prince of Anspach, whose recniits mutinied and refus'd to march, was obliged to disarm and fetter them and drive them to the sea side by the help of his Guards ; himself attending in Person in his return he was publicly hooted by ]\Iobs thro' every Town he passed in Holland, with all sorts of re- proachful Epithets. The King of Prussia's Humour of obliging those Princes to pay him the same Toll per Head for the Men they drive thro' his Dominions, as used to be paid him for their " Sparks. Franklin, Vol. 7, p. 71 ff. Philadelphia Historical Society. Presented to Rev. Dr. Mayheiv, from his humble senant, the Author. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 6i Cattle, because they were sold as such, is generally spoken of with Approbation, as containing a just reproof of those Tyrants."^"^ Franklin has treated again the sale of the Hessians in one of his Jeux d'esprit, a "Letter written from the Count De Schaum- bergh to the Baron Hohendorf, Commanding the Hessian Troop in America". He also showed his keen wit in his "Edict of the King of Prussia", which stirred up so much excitement in England at the time of its appearance. So true was the delineation of the King of Prussia's character, that many felt confident of the au- thenticity of this edict. (c) Franklin's Knowledge of the German Language. How much knowledge did Franklin have of the German language ? We read in a letter to Cadwallader Colden, Philadel- phia, September 14, 1752, the following: "Send me if you please, the translation of your piece into High Dutch. I understand a little of the German language and will peruse and return it."^^ On June 21, 1782, he writes to Ingen Housz : "The Imperial Ambassador has had the Goodness two or three times to offer the conveyance of Letters to you ; and I have so often promised to make use of that conveyance & fully intended it but something or other had always prevented it. I have a few days since re- ceived your favor of April 24th, thro' the hands of Mr. Fave, who is so kind as to promise taking care of an Answer & it is to his care that I propose committing this. He had also delivered to me the German Edition of your Opuscule. There are several places in it which I much desire to read ; but I will wait for the French, as that will be easier for me, having for these many years been but little accustomed to the German."^® Again : "I should be glad to see your Piece on the Electro- phore when it is published in English or French. I do not en- tirely read the German." October 2, 1781.^^ "The Library of Congress. The American Philosophical Society. Hale, Franklin in France, Vol. I, p. 106. " Smyth, Vol. 3, p. 98. " Smyth, Vol. 8, p. 312. ** American Philosophical Society. 62 Benjamin Franklin and Germany On the top of a German letter from Baron von Steuben to Franklin, January i, 1783, inquiring as to the welfare of his son, General Lieutenant von Steuben, the Doctor has written, */Mr. Franklin wishes to know the purport of this letter". This shows again his limited knowledge of German. Franklin, in a letter to David Hume in answer to a remon- strance by that gentleman against the introduction of newly coined words in the Canada Pamphlet, gives us the impression that he was not entirely ignorant of German literary style when he says : "The introducing new words when we are already pos- sessed of old ones sufficiently expressive I confess must be gen- erally wrong, as it tends to change the language, yet at the same time, I cannot but wish the useage of our tongue permitted mak- ing new words, when we want them, by composition of old ones, whose meanings are already well understood. The German allows of it. and it is a common practice with their writers. "^^ *" Smyth. Vol. I, p. 41. CHAPTER V. Franklin's Fame in Europe — Germany. Franklin's fame in Europe reached far beyond the boundaries of France, in fact stretched across the continent from Russia into Spain. He enjoyed the honor of being a member or associate member of the following foreign institutions: 1. Fellow of the Royal Society of London, 1756. 2. University of St. Andrew's, Scotland, 1759. 3. Member of the Royal Society of Sciences, Gottingen, 1766. 4. Learned Society of Sciences, Rotterdam, 1771. 5. Royal Academy of Sciences of Paris, 1772. (One of eight foreign members.) 6. Royal Medical Society of Paris, 1777. 7. Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Arts, Padua, 1781. 8. Royal Society at Edinburgh, 1783. 9. Royal Society of Physics, National History and Arts of Orleans, March 18, 1785. 10. Academy of Sciences, Literature and Arts of Lyons, June 2, 1785. 11. Society of Agriculture, Milan, 1786. 12. Honorable Member of Medical Society in London, 1787. 13. Imperial Academy of Sciences of Saint Petersburg, 1789. . Europe was thrilled to its depth by the answer which Frank- lin had given to their eager curiosity of natural phenomena. "The great epigram created by the good Turgot — Eripuit Caelo Ful- men Sceptrumque Tyrannis — explains the incredible almost fab- ulous popularity, in which Franklin was held in Europe. He was the living presence of the new age, the incarnation of democ- racy, the successful antagonist of tyrants, the builder of happy states founded upon justice and freedom. With whatsoever modesty he disclaimed the honor of Turgot's epigram the world persisted in imputing to him alone the creation of the Republic and the triumphant leadership of the 'dear insurgents'.""''' *" Smyth, Vol. 10, p. 361. (63) 64 Benjamin Franklin and Germany Again we read a German appreciation of Franklin ("Der schlaue Franklin", as he is often called) as follows: "Der Natur- mensch Rousseaus war ein Traumgebilde, die Helden Plutarchs lebten nur noch in der Phantasie, aber der schlaue Quaker Frank- lin war handhafte Wirklichkeit. Der beriihmte Erfinder des Blitz- ableiters, der aus einem armen Setzerlehrling sich durch eigene Kraft zu einem der ersten Manner seines Volkes emporgearbeitet hatte, nahm sich von der Uberbildung kranken Frankreichs wirk- lich aus, wie der Sendling einer neuen Welt und einer besseren Zeit."*'^ (a) Franklin's Reputation in the Eighteenth Century in Germany. The first mention of Dr. Franklin in German literature of the eighteenth century we find in a book of travel, written by Peter Kalm, the Swedish investigator, sent to North America at the cost of the Swedish Academy of Sciences. This work was translated into German by Johann Andreas Murray, who was Professor of Botany at the University of Gottingen, when Frank- lin visited there in 1766.*^^ Professor Murray tells us, speaking of the frequent refer- ences made by Kalm to information gained from Franklin: "Der Verfasser beruft sich auch ofters auf H. Franklin; aber hat ihn nicht allezeit genau genug verstanden." In Vol. II, we read: "Der Herr Benjamin Franklin dem Pennsylvanie fiir so viele Ver- dienste um sein Wohlergeben und die gelehrte Welt, iur die vielen neuen Entdeckungen in der Electricitat verpflichtet ist, war der erste, der mich bekannt machte. Er gab mir notigen Unterricht, und erwies mir seine Gewogenheit auf mannigfaltige Art." This is Kalm's acknowledgment of Franklin's letters of intr "" Boddemann, /. G. Zimmermann, S. 261 Benjamin Franklin and Germany 79 M. C. Sprengel discusses the population of Pennsylvania with reference to the article by Achenwall in the Gottinger Calendar Uber den jetzigen N ordamerikanischen Krieg, page 103, but in the more important of these discussions is his opinion expressed thus : "Man Hess sich mit einigen Colonien in Unterhandlung ein, und damals war es wie Herr Franklin, dieser ei frige warme Verthei- diger seiner Landsleute, dem Amerika beinahe einzig seine Frei- heit zu verdanken hat, und aus dessen Schriften der Congress grossentheils seine Griinde zur Behauptung der nordamerikani- schen Gerechtsame gegen England entlehnt hat." Here he gives also details of Franklin's birth in Boston and describes the grow- ing spirit of freedom : "Diese Begriffe von biirgerlicher Frei- heit und Unabhiingigkeit erhellen, durch Vergleichung und Prii- fung in Franklin's philosophischem Kopfe, eine nahere richtige Verstimmung, und mit welch einer mannlichen Entschlossenheit, mit welch unermiideter Thatigkeit und mit seltener Weisheit er sie nachdem zum Gliick seines Vaterlandes angewendet hat, davon sind wir seine Zeitgenossen Zeugen gewesen, und vermoge des offentlichen Charakters, den er sowohl am englischen als am fran- zosischen Hofe bekleidet, von dem Gauge und Erfolge seiner Be- miihungen geniigsam unterrichtet."^^ (A portrait of Franklin as envoy at the Court of Versailles is given. ) He praises his politi- cal qualifications and his discoveries and considers that he filled in the cabinet the same important position that Washington occu- pied as head of the continental' forces. Charles Spent?*, author- of the Historisch-Genealogischer Calendar, ly'^Ar', writes to Franklin the following, showing us that Sprengel through him received direct information of Amer- ican conditions from Franklin, although no draft of the answer which Franklin made to these inquiries can be found : "Monsieur : "Ayant desein de publier vers la fin de septembre, un almanac americain en allemand pour I'Annee prochaine, & desirant le de- corer de plusieurs estamps y relatives, dont la composition ne doit point etre ideale ; c'est a vous Monsieur et a Votre portefeuille, ''^ Geschichte der Revolution von Nord- Amerika, S. 162; von M. C. Sprengel, 1785. 8o Benjamin Franklin and Germany qui doit etre tres riche en tout ce qui a rapport a Thistorie des Colonies anglo-americaines que j'ose recourir, bien que je n'aye point rhonneur a Vous etre connu. "Permettez Monsieur, que je Vous expose brievement le plan de cat Almanac et qu'ensuite je demande notre gracieuse assist- ance, soit pour des renseignements, soit pour les articles memes dont j'ai besoin et que certainement personne n'est mieux en etat de me f ournir que Vous ]\Ionsieur ! "L' Almanac contiendra en premier lieu I'liistorie de la Revo- lution d'apres les meilleurs Auteurs et les avis les plus veridiques que Ton ai pu je procurer, ce Sujet fera orner de gravcures his- toriques, representant les evenemens les plus remarquables de cette guerre. En second lieu : Galerie des grands hommes de I'amerique avec un precis de leur carriere politique ou militaire decoree de leurs portraits copies sur ceux desines par Du Simitier a Philadelphie et sur d'autres qui out paru en Angleterre. Come Vous tenez Monsieur en si haut sway parmi les grands hommes d I'Amerique — je vous demande, si votre Portrait, tel qu'il a ete grave en 1781 par Pelicier pour I'essay sur les Anglo Ameri- cains est assez resemblant pour pouvoir me servir de modele ? "La partie historique de cet Almanac etant confiee a un de nos meilleurs historiens le Sr. Sprengel, Professeur d'Historie d I'universite de Halle, qui possede fond 1 'anglais et toutes les con naissances & qualites qui constituent le bon historien, j'ose me flatter, que son Ouvrage meritera votre approbation. . . . "Enfin permettez moi d 'a j outer que le temps d'ici a la fin de septembre terme fini pour la publication des Almanacs de votre pays, n'etait gueres eloigne & I'execution des differentes gravurcs exigeant un temps considerable, en me fournissant bientot pos- sible les matereaux que me manquent vous ajouterez infiniment au prix du bienfait que je sollicite." He continues here with a plea for American portraits of such men as John Adams, Sr. Payne, Dr. Warren, who was killed at Bunker Hill, General Montgomery, and Sr. Paul Jones, Commodore in the service of the thirteen United States. He also asks for various coins of American money, for paper money, for the coat of arms of the colonies and for a minute description of the uniforms worn by Benjamin Franklin and Germany 8i American troops and details of the lives of Washington and Gates with any other mementoes, that might be interesting and instructive to be embodied in his almanac. The above letter is signed by Charles Spener, librarian of the King, and written from Berlin the 26th of May, 1783J- "C. A. Meyer writes to Kronau from Rothenburg, February 8, 1874, the following in praise of Franklin's construction of the Harmonica: "Auf Deroselben Schreiben vom 19 Jan. Melde Eu. in schuldiger Antwort, dass meine Harmonica von der Franklin- schen weiter nichts an sich hat, als die aussere Figur und Befesti- gung der Glocken. . . . Die Bewegung des P>anklinschen ist am Schwingrade mit einer Schleife angebracht; man kann nicht damit zwar die Glocken bewegen, allein beim Aufsteigen dersel- ben kann man nicht helfen, und beim Crescendo und Forte muss die Maschine leicht gehemmt werden und still stehen ; da man bei der Art, wie ich eingerichtet habe, durch am Fusstritt angebrach- ten Riemen, sowohl beim Auf- als Absteigen der Glocken, zu jederzeit der Bewegung neue Kraft geben kann.""^ In Georg Forster's Erinnerungen aus dem Jahre ijgo, Band VI, III. Teil; Kleine Schriften, S. 204-208, is a treatment of Benjamin Franklin: "Eripuit Caelo Fulmen, niox sceptra tyran- nis." "Wer sich unter dem Manne der dem Himmel seine Blitze und den Tyrannen ihre Scepter entwendete : einen Titanischen, einen hundertarmigen Riesen, oder einen von Menschenblut trie- fenden Eroberer vorgestellt hatte, der wiirde kaum glauben und begreifen konnen, dass die Ziige des hier beige fiigten Bildnisses jenem Wunderthate darstellen. So riitselhaft es aber klingen mag, so giebt es doch wirklich ein Mittel, womit man den Donner und seine irdischen Stellvertreter entwaffnen kann, ohne sich an die Spitze einer halben Million disciplinirter folgsamer Myrmi- donen zu stellen und einen unerschopfiichen Schatz zu besitzen; '"A. P. S. ''^Journal von und fi'tr Dcutschland I/S4. Herausgegeben von Frh. von Bibra und Goekingk. Julius (1784), S. 3. Mention of Franklin in a Hamburg publication 1788: Ubcr das Rauchen der Katnine und der Schornsteinc in einem Schreiben des Iferrn Dr. Benja- min Franklin an Herrn Dr. Ingcnhonsz in IVicn. Aus dem Englischen iiber- setzt mit Anmerkungen vgn P. H. C. B. 82 Benjamin Franklin and Germany ja, was noch mehr ist, wenii man einen Menschen findet, der so aussieht wie dieser Benjamin Franklin, so darf man sich ziemlich sicher darauf verlassen, dass jenes Mittel bescheiden sei. Wir wollen uns zuvorderst die Ziige dieses merkwardigen Mannes von einem Dichter deuten lassen. "Sein offner Blick ist aller Wesen Freund ; Der innere Friedc ruht auf seinen Aiigenbrau'n, Und wie ein Fels, zu dem sich Wolken nie erheben, Scheint iiber'n Erdenstand die reine Stirn zu schweben, Den Rost der W-elt, der Leidenschaften Spur, Hat langst der Fluss der Zeit von ihr hinweggewaschen. Fiel eine Kron' ihm zu, und es bediirfte nur Sie mit der Hand im Fallen aufzuhaschen, Er streckte nicht die Hand. Verschlossen der Begier, Von keiner Furcht, von keinem Schmerz betroffen, Ist nur dem VVahren noch die heitere Seele offen, Nur offen der Natur, und rein gestimmt zu ihr. WiELAND. "So lange das Menschengeschlecht der Macht des Beispiels bedarf wird dieser Mann leben und wirken. Benjamin Franklin steht noch unter der kleinen y\nzahl von Menschen, in denen die Wiirde der menschlichen Natur in vollem Glanz erschienen ist. Darf der Name des Weisen einem Sterblichen beigelegt werden, so gebiihrt er dem Manne, der in unserem Zeitalter sich selbst einen so grossen Wirkungskreis schuf, ohne sich die geringste Beeintnichtigung eines Anderen zu erlauben ; der sein ganzes Le- ben der Belehrung seiner Landsleute widmete, ohne alle Anmas- sung ; der alles entbehren gelernt hatte und dennoch mit unermii- deter Thiitigkeit arbeitete ; der mit unbestechlicher V^ernunft bis an sein Ende, Freiheit, Gerechtigkeit, Frieden, Brudertreue, Liebe und gegenseitige Duldung predigte; und in jcder dieser Tugenden mit grossem Beispiele vorgirig. "Amerika ist gliicklich, dass es so bald nach der Griindung seiner gesitteten Staaten aus ihrem Schosse den Weisen hervor- gehen sah, dessen innere Harmonic, ihm gleichsam die Natur un- terwarf, ihn zur Entdeckung des Wahren in alien ihren Verhalt- Benjamin Franklin and Germany g, nissen fiihrte, und ihn zum Lehrer seiner Bruder bestimmte Die Unabhang,gke,t vom brittischen Parlamente hatten die Ameri- kaner ohne ,l,n errungen: die moralische Freilieit, die heiliee Achtung fur die Vernunft in jedem einzelnen Menschen und die ™.ge Anerkennung der Pfliclrt, eines Jeden Cberzeugung und Glauben zu ehren; dies alles, nebst manchen Anleitungen zur prakfschen Lebensweisheit und so manclren einfaclien, hauslichen Emnchungen, d,e in jenen angehenden Xiederlas ungen z " erTerSdtet'',f b"'T' ^"''"''^" ^'^ """■ °- Licln welches er verbre tete M.eb n.cht m e.nem Welttheil versehlossen : sein Bhck m dem mnern Zusammenhang der Natur kam auch Z tene der Gewtter m,t der zarten FKissigkeit die wir im Harz ™ Bernstem, ,m Glas kannten und bereits durch Metall zu Idten wussten, ganz von einerlei Beschaffenheit sei, ehrte, er zu. ch das ilmel uns und unsere GebSude vor dem zandenden Biz strahl zu s.chern. Was er aber fur die Rechte vernun f tiger e sen tur d,e I-re,l,eit des Menschengeschleehts gesprochen und m U unwder egbaren Grunden fur seine Mitbufger, ins be ondTr onnenklar bew.esen hat, das steht auch diesseits des Ozeans est It " H^:: T '"^™ ''^ ^^'"™^' '■^ wilikuriichen Ge- va t. He strongly praises Franklin's abhorrence of bloodshed and love of peace. "Vernunft und nur durch Vernunft mSgli he Tugend also w.eder nur Vernunft und nichts als Vernunf bezwang . '''='• humansfe -Mensch und der glficklichste von a len, d,e ,m achtzehnten Jahrhundert zu Mitarbe.fern am g ossen Vollendungsuerk menschlicher Gltickseligkeit auserkoren ware r :::se:rF;a"nk," "•" ,^'" r"'"" -companying this Irt c e represents Franklms grandson kneeling before Voltaire while Frankhn w,th hands folded as in prajer, awaits the F e h ph.losophers benediction. "Gott, Freiheit, Friede. .Mit d e ,' Segenswortern weihte der Hinscheidende Greis Voltaire d n Junghng \ ,1 ham Temple Franklin zum Menschen Gott! Fre" he.t! Fnede! betete der alte Frankhn: und Gott. Freiheit und Friede waren in ihren Herzen." 84 Benjamin Franklin and Germany Nekrolog auf das Jahr 1790. Friedrich Schlichtegroll. Gothe, 1791. Band I, S. 262-265. Den I7ten April. In a chapter entitled "Autoliiography" Schlichtegroll gives the following account, which he has taken from "Memoires de la vie Privee de Benjamin Franklin", Paris, 1791 : "In dieser Riick- sicht hiitte uns der imsterbliche Mann kein grosseres Geschick hinterlassen konnen, als die Geschichte seiner Jugend von ihm selbst geschrieben, deren Authenticitat, wenn gleich vor jetzt noch ohne weiteren Beweis aiis innern Griinden mehr als wahrschein- lich ist." On page 266 of this same article we read: "Alles ist da rathsellos und begreiflich und in unserer Erfahrung begriindet und darum wird uns der Mensch, der da ist, wie unser einer, und doch ausserordentliche Dingc bewirkte, nur um desto lieber. . . . Jedes Gewitter, dem wir nun mit Ruhe als einem priichtigen nicht mehr als einem furchtbaren Schauspiele zusehen, jeder Ton der siissesten aller kiinstlichen Harmonien, jedes Schiff aus dem freien Amerika soil uns an ihn erinnern, und es bedarf nur der einfachsten Darstellung dessen, was er war und gethan hat, um diese oftern Erinnerungen mit ebenso oft widerholten Gefiihlen der Bewunderung und Verehrung zu begleiten." In the Deutsches Magacin, C. N. D. von Eggers, Band VI, Dezember, 1793, Seite 1443, the author prints a letter of Dr. Franklin to the Abbe Soulaire in regard to the theory of Mines, not yet appearing in his collective works. We also read the following mention of two manuscripts of Dr. Franklin's which appear in none of his works. These are as follows: "i. Brief e an den Abt Soulaire in Anleihimg einigcr mir zugesand- ten Bemerkungen, die er aus meincr Unterrediing mit ihm i'lher die Theorie der Erde entlehnt hatte. "Passy, den 22. September, 1782. "Mein Herr : "Ich sende Ihnen das Manuscript mit einigen Berichtigungen zuriick. Ich fand keine Kohlenminen unter Kalkfelsen in Derby- shire. Ich bemerke bios, dass an den niedrigsten Stellen dieses felsigen Gebirgs die zu Tage lagen Austerschalen mit dem Ge- stein vermengt waren. . . ." Benjamin Franklin and Germany 85 « 2. The second manuscript is entitled Hingcworfenc Gcdan- kcn ilber ein allgemeines Fluidum. This letter containing the aboye speculation on general electrical fluid, its constituents and powers useful for discovery and experiment, was written from Passy the 25th of June, 1784. We read a reference to the following work of Franklin in Historischc Vcrgleichiing dcr Siften und Verfassungcn der Ge- sctze und Geivcrhc des Handcls und der Religion der IVissen- schaften und Lehranstalten. Ill Bande, Hannover, 1794. "Mem- oires de la vie privee de Benjamin Franklin ecrit par lui-meme, servi d'un precis historique de sa vie Politique, et de plusieurs pieces relatives a ce pcre de la liberte, Paris, 1791." Dr. B. Franklins erweitertes Lehrgebdude der natiirlichen Elek- trizitiit. D. E. G. Wien, 1790. — V orerinnerung . "Seitdem des verklarten verehrungswijrdigsten Vaters Franklins, der als Kiinstler die edle Buchdruckerei auch in Ame- rika fest grijndete, als Naturforscher die wohlthatige Erfindung f iir Menschen machte, erweiterte ; als Staatsmann und obrigkeit- liche Person den Grund mitlegte worauf nach und nach die amerikanischen freyen vereinigten Provinzen unerschiitterliche Wurzeln gewinnen, griinden und bliihen werden." (The seventh chapter of this book is entitled Briichstiicke als Materialien des Franklinschen Lehrgebdudes der natiirlichen at- mosphdrischen Elektrizitdt dantit zu erweitern u. zu befestigen. ) Franklins von ihm selbst verfertigte Grabschrift. "Hier liegt der Korper Benjamin Franklins, eines Buch- druckers, gleich dem Bande eines alten Buches, dessen Blatter abgenutzt sind, seiner Verzierungen und Vergoldungen beraubt, als Speise fiir die Wiirmer. Doch das Werk selbst wird nicht verloren gehen, sondern in einer neuen von dem Verfasser ver- besserten und vermehrten Ausgabe erscheinen." This Grabschrift is a translation made from Franklin's own inscription, as given to us in Handbibliothek fiir Freunde, by Jo- hann Kaspar ^.avater. Band VI, Seite 41, 1793. 86 Benjamin Franklin and Crnnany In 1/94 C. Miloii published his DLiikzviirdigkcilcn zur Gc- schichtc Benjamin Franklins, in which his appreciation is clearly expressed thus : ".\llein ich habe ungeachtet der Schwierigkeit eines sol- clien Unternehniens. der Begierde nicht widerstehen konnen, einen Versuch iiber das Leben dieses beriihniten Mannes zn schreiben. in welchem man den scharfsichtigcn Philosophen und den geschicksten Politiker erkennet. Da er das Innerste der menschlichen Natur gcnan kannte, so wusste er die Tngenden nnd die Liister. sowie die Thorheiten und Schwachheiten seiner Mitinenschen zu seineni eigenen Ansehen auf eine geschickte Art zu gebrauchen/' Dr. David Ramsay this same year gave his German transla- tion, Geseliiehte der anierikanisehen Rei'olittion aus den Akten des Congresses (aus dem Englischen). "In dieser Absicht (um einen biirgerlichen Krieg abzuwen-- den") hielten Dr. Fothergill, I Terr David Barclay und Dr. Frank- lin zu London verschiedene Conferenzen iiber die amerikanischen Angelegenheiten. Der letztere war ein Amerikaner von Geburt. der alle gute Menschen liebte und von alien geliebt ward." (S. "Franklin. Ilerr Adams und Herr Jefferson batten den Auf- trag Handlungsbiindnisse mit auswartigcn IMikhten zu schliessen. Es "elanc" ihnen bei dem Konig von Preussen und tlem Kaiser von ]\Iorocco." (S. 346. ) Benjamin Franklin. Kleine Sehriften. Aus dem Englischen. Appeared in Weimar. 1 794. from the pen of G. Schatz. On page 2 he says : "Unter den grossen Miinnern die unser Jahrhundert hervor- gebracht hat, ist Franklin nach dem allgemeinen Urteil aller, die hieriiber eine Stimme haben, einer der Ersten. . . . Sein Ruhm und seine Grosse als Erfinder, als Staatsmann. als griind- licher Kenner von mehr als einer Wissenschaft, als lehrreichcr und geistvoller Schriftsteller sind entschieden. Die kleine Sehrif- fr,fi — Der grosste Theil derselben betrifft Gegenstiinde der Politik und Philosophic des Lebens. Audi der kleinste und minder wich- Benjamin Franklin and Germany 87 tigste tragt unverkennbar das Geprage der Originalitat und ist wenigstens von einem Funken des Geistes l)cseclt, der wohin er audi niir eiiien fliichtigcn Blick war, iiberall Licht und Warme verbreitete." Dr. Benjamin Franklin's Leben. Tiibingcn, 1795. Seite 7 : "Dr. Benjamin Franklin ist einer von den wenigen Men- schen, die ganz allein durch eigene Anstrengung gross und be- riihmt geworden ist, ohne dass Rcichtum, oder vornchme Geburt oder Verbindungen mit machtigcn Menschen ihm zur Stiitze ge- dient hatten." b. Franklin in German Literature of the Nineteenth Century. Johann Christian August Bauer, in his book entitled Frank- lin und Washington, Berlin, 1806, Volume VIII, page 53, writes as follows : "Im Jahre 1742 machten mehrere deutsche Gelehrte elek- trische Versuche, vorziiglich der Professor Bose, in Wittemberg, Winkler in Leipzig, Gordon in Erfurt und Ludolf in Berlin, und setzten durch ihre Entdeckungen ganz Europa in Erstaunen. . . . Um das Jahr 1745 sendcte Collinson der Bibliothek-Gesellschaft von Philadelphia, eine genaue Beschreibung ihrer Entdeckungen, nebst eine Elektrisirmaschine, und die Anweisung sich ihrer zu bedienen. . . . Franklin und einige seiner Freunde machten sogleich eine Reihe Experimente. Er war bald im Stande, wich- tige Entdeckungen zu machen und gab den Grund verschiedener Erscheinungen an. Seine Ideen wurden gleich mit allgemeinem Beifall aufgenommcn und haben seinen Namen verewigt." The construction of Franklin's "Harmonika" is treated in detail in this work : Ernst Ludwig Gerber, Neties historisch-hiographisches Le.vi- kon der Tonkiinste, Band IV, 1812-1814. Ludwig Christian Lichtenberg und Friedrich Kries pub- lished Die vermischten Schriften, von Georg Christoph Lichten- berg. 88 Benjamin Franklin and Germany We find in Part V of this volume, page 316, a letter directed to I.ieutenant Rion, which runs thus: "Bei Lesung dieser Ge- schichle Helen niir einige Gedanken des grossen Franklin wieder ein, die er in eineni Schreiben an Herrn Le Roy zu Paris aus- scrte, und die von Comniandierenden sowohl als Eigentumern von Schiffen nie genug beherzigt werden konnen. Ich lese nun (schrieb der philosophische Greis im August 1785 und zwar auf dcr See an Bord des Londonschen Packetl)oots) fast siebzig ganze Jahre Zeitungen und wenige Jahre gingen vorbei, dass ich nicht Nachrichten gelesen hatte von Schiffen, die man ohne einem Seile an Bord und mit Wasser im Raum herumschurend ange- troffen hatte, oder von anderen die in gleichem Zustand ans Land geworfen waren." On page 318 he writes: "Franklin ist iiberzeugt, dass man dies Kriegschiff, wo wegen der Grosse der Conservation die Zahl der leeren Wasserfasser sehr betriichtlich sein muss, in der Schlacht noch vom Sinkcn hiitte gerettet werden konnen, wenn man es zur bestiindigen Regel gemacht hatte, die ausgetrunkenen Fasser jcdes ]\Ial fest zuzuschlagen und an solche Ortc der Ver- wahrung zu bringen, dass sie noch frei schwimmcn konnen." In an earlier edition of this work, Gottingcn, 1801, page 148, this reference is made : "Newton, Franklin, das waren Menschen die beneidcnswerth sind." Heinrich Eisner in Befreiungskampf der nordamerikani- seJien Sfaaten, mit de)i Lehensheschrcihungen der vier beriihmten A fanner derselben, Washington, Lafayette, Franklin und Kos- eiuzko, Stuttgart, 1835, pp. 658-691, discusses Franklin: "Franklin, dessen Name zwar nicht unter den Helden prangt, noch durch gliinzende, in die Augen fallende Handlun- gen beriihmt geworden ist, der aber durch seine stille X'erdienste um sein Vaterland cine Biirgerkrc^ne. durch seine Erfindungcn eine der ersten Stellen unter den \\'ohlthatern der Menschheit er- worben . . . mit seinem Leben darf man behaupten. ist eines der herrlichsten \\'eltlichter erloschen. . . . Vielleicht lebte nie ein ]Mann dessen Leben mit mehreren Rechten niitzlich ge- nannt werden kann. Nie ging etwas durch seine Hande, das er Benjamin Franklin and Germany 89 nicht vollkommen gemacht hatte. Sein ganzes Leben war eine Predigt gegen Eitelkeit, Uberschwenglichkeit uiid Stolz. Es war ihm Hauptzweck den Menscheii Liebe zum Fleiss, zur Massigkeit und Sparsamkeit einzuflossen und alle Pflichten einzuscharfen, welche die wichtigen Interessen der Menschheit fordern." Reference to Franklin's visit to Germany we find again on page 129 of The Life of Dr. Benjamin Franklin, written by him- self, to which are added essays by the same author, Mit einem IVorterbuch zum Schiil- und Privatgcbrauch, Carlsruhe, 1838: "In the year 1766 he made a visit to Holland and Germany and received greatest marks of attention from men of science." Dr. Bergk in Franklin's Goldnes Schatzkdstlein, Ouedlin- burg und Leipzig, 1839, in his Vorrede writes: "Was Franklin lehrt ist fast immer ausfiihrbar, was er sagt ist niitzlich und was er getan hat ist beinahe jeder Zeit der Nachahmung werth." G. B. Niebuhr in Geschichte des Zcitalters der Revolution, Bd. I, S. 93, Hamburg, 1845, discusses the American Revolution (Vorlesungen zu Bonn, 1829), and gives clearly his estimate of Franklin : "Die vornehmsten jungen Manner waren mit Enthusiasmus nach Amerika gegangen; Leute die nur Sybarinismus und Regel- losigkeit des Orients wiinschten, ergaben sich der Demokratie und huldigten der neuen Quakerrepublik und Franklin in seinem einfachen Quaker Kleide im Gegenstand der Bewegung der glanzendsten Damen von Paris. (Franklin ist keineswegs mein Held und es ist unbegreifhch wie man ihn in dem falschen Glanze stehen lassen kann, den man um ihn gebildet hat.)" In Leipzig, 1845, Julius Kell published his Lebensbcschrei- bung Benjamin Franklins. Clearly he approves of Franklin's life and activities : "Mochten doch recht Viele aus unserem Volke von dem Manne lernen, der so viel gelernt, so viel erlernt, so viel geredet, so viel gethan, der so viel gekampft hat. . . . Mochte die Geschichte des in Franklins Leben tief ergreifenden Frei- heitskampfes gegen den Druck Englands vor allem unseren, unter wohlwollenden Regierungen stehenden Staaten Deutschlands, zei- gen, wie viel sie an ihren guten Regierungen bereits habe " CS V-VI.) ^ 90 Benjamin Franklin and Germany Heinrich Bettzeich-Beta Benjamin Franklin, sein Lehen, Denken iind IVirken, Leipzig, 1853, says page 2: ''l'>anklin ist eine Personlichkeit der anglosachsischen Wirtschaft unci Wissen- schaft in England, Amerika und Australia. . . . Franklin ist der wahre Goldmann. Er hat die Sparsamkcit erfnnden und die Harnionika verbessert." "So ist er der grosste Wirtschaflslehrer aller Zeitcn und Volker geworden." (P. 91.) This same year Theodor Ruprecht published Benjamin Franklin, Lehen und Sehriften. On page 6, we read : "Franklin hat seit fast einem Jahrhundert unbercchenbares Gut gestiftet. . . . Diese Sehriften und diese Biographic lie fern im Verein das Gesainnitbild eines nachahnicnswerthen Lcbcns und Strebens, das um so mehr Werth hat, weil es kein erfundenes, sondern ein wahres Lebensbild ist. . . . Franklin lehrt (nicht durch Worte, sondern durch sein Beispiel) dass die griindliche Bildung und die wahre Weisheit stets Theorie und Praxis engverbunden Hand in Hand gehen lasst. . . . Er empfiehlt durch sein Bei- spiel fruchtbares Wissen und erspriessliche Kenntnisse. . . .'' Page 8 : "Franklin verlangt Fleiss. Niichternheit, Sparsam- kcit, ausdriicklich als Mittel zum Lebensgliick; er zeugt, wie jene Tugenden zur Grundbedingungen des wahren Lebensgliicks f iihren ; namlich zur Unabhangigkeit. ..." F. C. Schlosser gives one of the best criticisms of Franklin that we find in German literature. This account we find in his Geschiehte des achtzehnten Jahrhiinderts und neunzehnten Jahr- hunderts, Heidelberg, 1853, Band IK, Seite 346: "Er (Franklin) war um 1765 schon seit dreissig Jahren als Griinder von Druck- ereien, als Urheber einer verbreiteten Zeitungs- und Journal- schreiberei und Druckerei, als Volksschriftsteller und IMoralist in Amerika, seit fiinfzehn in Europa als Physiker, Beobachter und Entdecker wichtiger Erscheinungen beriihmt." Speaking of Franklin's examination before Parliament in 1766. he says, page 557: "Dass Franklin zum Diplomaten ge- borcn war, dass er die Tugend an den Nagel hangen konnte, wenn die Klugheit es forderte, und dass er wiederum don halben Quaker spielte wenn es forderte." Schlosser felt the importance Benjamin Franklin and Germany 91 of Franklin's diplomatic ability, but he did not omit to accord to him his just praise in literary fields. "Er ist daher ein niitzli- cher, ein brauchbarer, ein kluger und verstandiger, aber keines- wegs ein grosser Schriftsteller." His importance lies in his political activities : "Dass Franklin ein geborenes diplomatisches Genie war ; allein wir miissen hinzusetzen, dass er mit dem richti- gen und praktischen Takt und mit der kalten und berechenenden Klugheit des Diplomaten doch auch regen Eifer fiir das Wohl der Menschheit und eine milde, sanfte, verstandige Religiositat verband." Franklin's writings had influence upon all liberty- loving people (p. 560): "Als Schriftsteller der Demokratie wirkte er eben falls vierzig Jahre hindurch mehr praktisch als theoretisch, mehr moralisch und industriell als eigentlich poHtisch ; als Diplomat versteckte er unter den Aussern eines Naturkindes, den schlausten und ganz kalt berechnenden Staatsmann. Sowohl die Sprichworter des alten Heinrichs als die Weisheit des guten Richard, hatten in einem grossen Kreise dieselbc Wirkun- gen, welche Pestalozzi erster Teil von Lienhard und Gertrtid in einem engern in Deutschland und in der Schweiz hatte." We read in Benjamin Franklin — Bine Biographie von F. A. Mignet (aus dem franzosischen), von Dr. Ed. Burckhardt, Leip- zig. 1855. page 3, thus: "Wie aber Franklin ein Mann von Genie war, so war er auch ein Mann von klarem Verstand ; wie er ein tugendhafter Mann war, so war er auch ein ehrenhafter Mann; wie er ein ruhmgekronter Staatsmann, war, so war er auch ein hingebender Burger." Page 22 : "In der Weisheit des guten Richard, im IV eg sum Glikk, fasste er die ganze Reihe dieser von dem feinsten Ver- stand und der einsichtsvollsten Ehrbarkeit dictirten Grundsatze zusammen." Page 44: "Sein thatiger, feuriger, fruchtbarer, rechtlicher Geist, sein energischer und entschlossener Charakter. berufen ihn dazu, ein natiirliches Ubergewicht iiber anderen zu behaupten." "Auf die wahre Grundlegung der Astronomic musste die Physik, die Chemie und die Naturwissenschaft folgen ; auf Gali- leo, Keppler, Huyghens, Newton, Leibnitz muss ein Franklin, Priestley, Lavoiseur, Berthollet u. s. w. folgen." 92 Benjamin Franklin and Germany In Benjamin Franklin's Gleichniss von der Glaiibensduldung , Dessau, 1855, we find this passage: "Das beriilimte Gleichniss des anierikanischen Freiheitshelden Benjamin FrankHn (a para- ble against persecution, Der alte Abraham) erscheint hier zuerst in einer deutschen Ausgabe. J. Spark's Lebcn Franklins, II. Theil, II. Kapitel, zeigt, dass die Parabel uralt ist und schon von dem persischen Dichter Saadi als eine alte hebraische Dichtung erwahnt, und Franklin gebiihrt daher nur das Verdienst, sie in die vorherschende, volksthi'unliche Form gegossen zu haben." Heinrich Welker von Guntershausen, Ncucroffnctcs Maga- sin musikalischer Tonwerkzeuge, Band II, 1855, Frankfurt a. M., gives a very clear and comprehensive discussion of Franklin's "Harmonika". In the Programm und Jahresbericht dcs Kaiserl. Konigl. Obergymnasiums zu Laibach, fi'ir das Schuljahr i8f,6, we read an article treating Abbe Nollet in his position toward Benjamin Franklin. The strong opposition which the French scientist took toward Franklin's experiments is well known and is treated in the above-mentioned Programm of twelve pages by Dr. Heinrich Mitteis in a most able manner. His ideas he expresses thus : "Diese Zeitperiode in der Entwicklungsgeschichte der Elek- tricitatslehre, die wohl in der Entwicklungsgeschichte eines jeden Theiles der Wissenschaft einen ahnlichen Zeitabschnitt findet, schliesst nun mit den grossartigen Entdeckungen Franklins, zu- gleich aber auch mit einem literarischen Streite, in welchem Franklin's Theorie mit der bis dahin von einem grossen Theile der Gelehrten angenommenen Theorie des franzosischen Physi- kers Nollet verwickelt wurde. Es war dies eigentlich eine Ver- theidigung Nollets gegen B. Franklin, ohne dass vom Letzteren ein directer AngrifT gegen den franzosischen Physiker erfolgt ware. Die Stellung des Abbe Nollet, der sich durch seine eifri- gen Bemiihungen wesentliche Verdienste um die Electricitat er- worben hat, und in mancher geistreichen Vermuthung selbst dem genialen Franklin vorangeeilt war. ... In dem Streite zwischen Nollet und Franklin war wohl Nollet der Besiegte. . . . "Die Gelehrten damaliger Zeit bildeten eine grosse Gesell- schaft, welche ohne Unterschied der Nationalitat und der Con- Benjamin Franklin and Germany 93 fession durch das gcmeinsame Band der Wissenschaft verbunden war und nach dem gemeinsamen Ziele der Ausbildung der Wis- senschaften und der Veredlung des Geistes unablassig hinstrebte. Was in den entfernsten Theilen der gelehrten Welt entdeckt wurde, kam so schnell als moglich zur Kenntniss der Mitglieder dieses grossen Vereins und wurde Gemeingut Aller." Nollet's great service to electricity has been considered his establishing the foundations of his direct theory. From his very first letters to his Italian friend, Signora Ardinghelli, in Naples, he shows that in Franklin he sees his literary opponent. (Lettres d'Electricite I-i Lettre. ) Nollet was reserved in his attitude to- ward the ready acceptance which was accorded Franklin's new idea in France, as introduced by his two supporters, Buffon and D'Alibard. The French scientist accused Franklin of making the statement of the electrical properties of lightning without verification by experiment, because he felt that the weather in Philadelphia was never so inclement as to offer to spectators the wonderful display of an electrical storm. He was, however, thankful to Franklin for the new statement that lightning and electricity are identical materials, but that a pointed iron rod can protect against lightning was to him unbelievable. Franklin's generous attitude finally won Nollet to his mode of thinking. "Die Streitigkeiten der Menschen vergehen mit ihnen zugleich, die Thatsachen bleiben und die Nachwelt, welche die Dinge mit kaltem Blute und ohne personliches Interesse erblickt, urtheilt mit Unparteilichkeit und befreit die Wahrheit von alien Ranken, welche dieselbe hinderten, im vollen Glanze zu erscheinen." This is the German scientist's final version of the matter. In the Zeitschrift fiir dcutsche Kidturgeschichte, herausge- geben von Dr. Johannes Aliiller; Johannes Falke, Niirnberg, 1858, Seite 486, the following tribute is paid to the two leaders of the American war for freedom : "Die wiirdigsten Gestalten eines Washington und eines Franklin, wovon der Erstere durch seine Ritterlichkeit und seine uneigenniitzige Liebe zum Vater- land, der Letztere durch seine schlichte Biirgerlichkeit die Herzen gewonnen, konnten nicht anders als das lebhafteste Interesse aller edleren Geister erwecken." 94 Benjamin Franklin and Germany Klinger, one of the great leaders of the SfurDi mid Drang Periode, sought to secure an opportunity to reach America. Of this detail of his life we read: "Da schaffte nun Schlosser den Rat dass Pfeffel ihm durch Franklin eine Stelle im Kriegsdienstc der Vereinigten Staaten verschaffen sollte. Franklin war Ge- sandte am Hofe Ludwigs XVI., der vor kurzem, am 6. Februar, einen Allianzvertrag mit dem jungen Freistaate geschlossen hat und in den Krieg mit England eingetreten war. Ob der blinde Pedagog und Dichter in Colmar eine unmittelbare Verbindung mit dem beriihmten amerikanischen Popularphilosophen, Physi- ker und Diplomaten besass, weiss ich nicht; wenn niclit, so war ihm derselbe doch durch seinen Bruder Christian Friedrich zu- ganglich, der als 'Juris Consulte du Roi' mit Geschiiften des aus- wartigen Departments betraut in franzosischem Dienste stand und am Sitze der Regierung lebte."'^ In Franklin's correspond- ence, no letter from Klinger comes to view, but no doubt if his brother held such an imperial position, Franklin would have naturally known him. "Es ist das Verdienst eines deutschen Geschichtsschreibers, Schlossers in Heidelberg, Franklin in seiner geschichtlichen und personlichen Bedeutung besser als Amerikaner, Franzosen und Englander gewiirdigt und characterisirt zu haben. . . . Schlos- ser characterisirt deshalb Franklin so gut, weil er eine ihm ganz verwandte Natur ist." Thus Friedrich Kapp, on page 46 of his Lebcn des ameri- kanischen Generals Ulllielm von Stenhen, Berlin, 1858, praises Schlosser's attitude toward Franklin. J. Venedey, in 1862, published in Freiburg in Breisgau Benjamin Franklin s Leben. On page 355, the chapter entitled Ein Lehcnsbild, he writes : "Nordamcrika hat das grosste GKick zwei Manner in dem Vordergrunde der Ereignisse seiner Revo- Klinger, in der Sturm und Drang Pcriodc. M. Rieger, p. 262. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 95 lution zu sehen, die der Menschheit stets zu Vorbildern . . . Washington und Franklin . . . der ritterliche Edelmut herrscht in Jenem, die biirgerliche Klugheit in Diesem vor. . . . Franklin wurde zum kliigsten Manne seiner Zeit ; der trotz seiner Klugheit jede unedle Neigung in seinem Wesen bekampfte und besiegte. . . . Franklin's Leben zeigt zugleich den Weg zur Tugend, und ist hierdurch ein Erziehungsbeispiel fiir die Menschheit." In Friedrich Nosselt's Lehrbiich zur Kenntniss der verschie- denen Gattungen Poesie und Prosa, sechste Auflage, Stuttgart, 1877, Band I, Seite 298, entitled "Die Anekdote und Lapidar- styl", he gives this picture for his young readers: "Jeder er- zahlt eine kurze Begebenheit oder eine Ausserung einer Person; doch muss die Eine und die Andere sich Witz oder Neuheit aus- zeichnen oder eine sonst merkwiirdige Person betreffen, damit die Zuhorer bei der Erziihlung Vergniigen empfinden." On page 299 he writes: "Unter Lapidarstyl versteht man wenige kraftige Worte, welche auf Grabsteine, auf Miinzen, auf Denksaulen gesetzt werden, um das Andenken an wichtige Bege- benheiten oder Personen zu erhalten. Z. B., die Grabschrift, welche der beriihmte Franklin, der Erfinder des Blitzableiters, erst Buchdrucker, dann Gesandte des nordamerikanischen Frei- staats, gestorben 1 790 in Philadelphia, sich selbst setzte : " *Der Leib Benjamin Franklins, Drucker, liegt hier als Speise fiir Wiirmer wie der Einband eines alten Buches, aus wel- chem das Werk gerissen, x^ufschrift und Vergoldung abgegriffen ist. Aber das Werk wird nicht verloren gehen. denn es wird er- scheinen in einer neuen zierlichen Auflage, durchgesehen und ver- bessert vom Verfasser.' " Karl Biedermann in Deutschland im achtsehnten Jahrhun- ' dert, Leipzig, 1880, page 162, discussing Der Einfluss der ameri- "^ kanischen und franzosischen Revolution auf Klopfsfock writes : "Vor allem jedoch war es das praktische Beispiel der fiir ihre Unabhangigkeit kampfenden nordamerikanischen Colonien Englands, was bei alien civilisirten Volkern Europas den stark- ■•■ sten Einfluss hervorbrachte und den Grundsatzen des Vernunft- rechts deren beredte Vertheidigung von dem englischen Parla- 96 Benjamin Franklin and Germany nient ein Mann von so acht biirgerlich-republikanischem Gepriige wie b ranklin fiihrte rasch die allgemeinste Zustimmung unci Aner- kennung vcrschaffte. Diese letzteren Eindriicke zumal mogen in den durch einen lebhaften Handelsverkehr niit Nordamerika eng verbunden, ohnehin seiner eigenen Verfassung nach republikani- schem Hamburg, wo damals Klopstock lebte, sich wesentlich fiihl- bar gemacht haben." Benjamin Franklin, Sein Lchcti von ihm selhst bcschricbcn. J^or- wort von Bcrthold AticrbacJi, und historiscli-politisclie Ein- Icitnng 7'on Fricdrich Kapp. Berlin, i8Ss. "Das Leben Franklins tritt als Buch von daucrnder piida- gogischer Wirkung in Parallele zur Geschichte Robinson Cru- soes." Seite 10: "Wie bei uns z. B. Goethe und Humboldt, so ist fiir die Vereinigten Staaten Benjamin Franklin ein solcher, seine Landsleute miichtig fordernder und in seine Zeit gewaltig ergrei- fender Charakter, so verkniipft sich mit ihm nicht allcin die geistliche sondern auch die politische Entwicklung seines Vater- landes, so verkorpert sich in ihm mehr wie irgend einem An- deren das gewaltige und erfolgreiche Ringen eines ganzen Jahr- hunderts. Die Welt war eine gliickliche und freiere als Frank- lin sie verlicss. Nicht allein sein Vaterland, auch die ganze Menschheit hatte durch seine Arbeit an geistlichen Giitern gewon- nen. Als ich das erste gute Bild Franklins sah. trat es mir wie ein alter Bekannter entgegen. 'Den kennst du ja seit deiner Ju- gend', rief ich unwillkiirlich aus, ist das nicht Schulze Westhof oder Kolon Nordmeier?" Seite 55 : "Justus Moser — fand ich in ihm dieselbe Grund- anschauung, wie in jenem wieder, denselben festen historischen Sinn, denselben aus dem Boden seiner niichsten Umgebungen, hervorwachsenden Gemeingeist, denselben gutmiitigen Humor und dasselbe Herz fiir sein Volk. . . . Der eine maclit Politik und Geschichte, der andere schreiht sie vom Gesichtspunktc patri- otischer Phantasien aus. . . ." Seite 66 : "Denn der grosse Amerikaner ist durch seine ger- manische Abstammung und Auffassung der sittlichen Pflichten Benjamin Franklin and Germany 97 des Lebens ebenso sehr dcr unsrige als Shakespeare bei uns Deiit- schen gleich nebeii Goethe und Schiller steht." The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Minister, 1882. In the V orhemerkungen the author says of the Autobiography: "Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography ist ein Werk das sowohl wegen seiner klassischen, einfach edlen Sprache als noch mehr wegen seines Inhalts die grosste Bedeutung verdient." Dr. Richard Mayer in English Authors, Bielefeld and Leip- zig, 1889, discusses Franklin's Autobiography and agrees with Herder's ideas of the renowned American: "Herder mit vielem Rechte Franklin den edelsten Volksschriftsteller des an populiirer Literatur so iiberreichen Jahrhunderts nennt." In Bielefeld und Leipzig, 1889, appeared also Benjamin Franklin s Autobiography, mit Anmerkungen sum Schulgebrauch, page 4, with Pitt's appreciation of Franklin as "one whom all Europe held in high estimation for his knowledge and wisdom; who was an honor not to the English nation only, but to human nature", is quoted. In 1769, St. Jacob's Church, in Hamburg, was protected with a lightning rod. Die Geschichte der Physik, by Dr. Frie- drich Rosenberger, Braunschweig, 1882, Vol. Ill, page 316, gives; "Nach der Wiener Zeitung (Neue freie Presse), befinden sich in der Bibliothek der Wiener elektrischen Ausstellung, 1882, die handschriftlichen Beilegung, dass der Pramonstratenser Ordens- priester Prokop Dievisch in Prenditz bei Znaim am 15. Juni, 1754, eine 22 klafter hohe Wetterstange errichtet und diesen Blitzableiter unabhangig von Franklin erfunden hat. Da Frank- lin seine Vorschlage iiber die Herableitung des Blitzes schon 1750 machte und schon 1753 eine Theorie des Blitzableiters gab, scheint uns doch der Beweis fiir die vollstandige Unabhangig- keit des Dievisch von Franklin recht schwer zu fiihren zu sein." We find mention of the following work of Franklin's, A Modest Enquiry into the Nature and Necessity of a Paper Cur- rency, Philadelphia, 1729. Karl Knortz, in his Geschichte der nordamerikanischen Lite- ratur, Berlin, 1891, page 30 ff., writes: "Franklin's Einfluss wuchs von Tag zu Tag. . . . Er lehrte Ehrlichkeit, Massig- 98 Benjamin Franklin and Germany keit, Ausdauer unci Vaterlandsliebe ; die Tugendregeln. die er in seinem 'arnien Richard' viel gab. hatte er alle an sich selber pro- biert. Er besass ein gesiindes Urteil. schnelle Auffassungsgabe und bewundernswerten Scharf sinn ; er war ohne Stolz und Sehn- sucht, iiberhaiipt ein wahrer Held des Friedens. . . . Er schrieb klar, verstandlich und einfach ; seinen Stil hatte er nach Bunyan, dessen Pilgrim's Progress sein Liebhngsbtich war, gebildet." In a Geschiehte der englischen Literatur (Mit einem An- hang — Die nordamerikanische Literatur), by Edward Engel, Leipzig, 1897. page 532 : "Das helle Licht des neuen Tages geht auf mit Benjamin FrankHn. In ihm kommt nicht nur ein edlerer Gottesbegriff zur Geltung: er verbreitete auch mit der DeutHch- keit eines Musterbeispiels viele der echt amerikanischen Eigen- schaften; ein rightiger 'Yankee' ini guten Sinne." In Beitrdge zur amerikanischen Litteratur- und Kulturge- schichte, E. P. Evans, Stuttgart, 1898, page 64, discussing Ralph Waldo Emerson says : "Er vereinigte in sich die Erleuch- tung des Jacob Bohme und die Lebensweisheit des Benjamin Franklin." c. Franklin as Treated in German Literature of the Tiventieth Century. Das Literarische Echo 7, pages 1696- 1697 for 1905, gives a very able article by Max Kohn, entitled Amerika im Spiegel deut- scher Dichtung, which treats Franklin and the lofty appreciation, which Herder felt for the founder of the American Philosophical Society : "Der erste mit der ganzen Glut dichterischer Begeisterung der aufstrebenden Republik zujauchzte war Klopfstock, ihm folgte Herder mit seiner V^erehrung Benjamin Franklins, des Lehrers der jMenschheit, des Ordners einer grossen Gesellschaft. Nach diesem Amerika Franklins wenden dann die Kraftgenies, denen das eingeschniirte und zivilisirte Europa, keinen Spielraum fijr die freie Entfaltung der Kriifte mehr liisst. gern ihren Blick." Benjamin Franklin and Germany 99 Klinger, Schubart, Schiller, Platen, Lenau, Heine, Borne and Goethe, all these enthusiastic admirers of freedom were attracted to the uprising of the American children against their oppressive mother country. Professor Eduard Engel, in Geschichte der englischen Lite- ratur, Chapter VI Die nordarnerikanische Literatur, 6. Auflage, Leipzig, pages 459-460, says : "Das helle Licht des neuen Tages geht auf mit Benjamin Franklin. In ihm kommt nicht mir ein ed- lerer Gottesberiff zur Geltung ; er vertritt auch mit der Deutlich- keit eines Musterbeispiels viele der echt amerikanischen Eigen- schaften; ein richtiger 'Yankee' im guten Sinne. . . . Seine ein- zige literarisch-wertvolle, noch heute lesbare Hinterlassenschaft ist die in seinem 79. Lebensjahre verfasste 'Autobiography', 1785, zugleich eine ausgezeichnete Darstellung des amerikanischen Le- bens im achtzehnten Jahrhundert. Er zeigt sich darin als der Apostel der Niitzlichkeit, Sparsamkeit, Schlauheit, kurz der ver- einigten Lebensprosa. . . . Bei der Envahnung Franklin's mag zugleich des aufifallenden Umstands gedacht werden, dass kein Volk so viele langlebige beriihmte Manner der Literatur auf- weist wie die Nordamerikaner." Franklin is still worthy of a first place in the story of the colonial period, not only in the pol- itical interest, which he necessarily inspires, but the fame of the "Autobiography" and "Poor Richard", hold for him this place among the pioneers of American literature. When we consider that Franklin did not have this aim, of stamping himself as a literary star in the broad sky of talent, and remember that even today his maxims are repeated in nearly every living language, and his name is synonymous with the lightning-rod and other of his well-known inventions, we must be proud to feel that foreign lands still include his name among the famous fathers of Amer- ican freedom and American literature. The Zeitschrift fiir Biichcrfreunde, Bielefeld und Leip- zig, 1905, mentions the work of Gottfried August Burger: "In seiner letzten Lebensjahren hat Burger durch seine finanzielle Notlage gedrangt noch wiederholt zur Feder des tjbersetzers ge- grififen. So erschien 1792 bei Rollmann in Berlin Benjamin Franklin s Jugendjahre, von ihm selbst fiir seinen Sohn beschrie- lOO Benjamin Franklin and Germany ben, und ilbersetzt von G. A. Bilrger, ein Biich welches in der Folge in Deutschland grosse Verbreitung gefunden hat." The author says of Frankhn : "Durch Frankhn wurden also die ersten Beziehungen zwischen amerikanischen und deutschen Denkern und Gelehrten angekniimpft." Ahhandlungen i'lber Elektrotherapie, Heft 4; Die Franklin- sche Elektridtdt in der niedisinischen Wissenschaft und Praxis, Dr. August von Luzenberger, Leipzig, 1901, speaking of Franklin's abilities in electricity, writes: "Die spater sogenannte statische oder Franklinsche Elektricitat, ist die erste Form, in welcher dieser alldringende Agent und dessen Molikularbewe- guijg sich unseren Sinnen dargeboten hat. . . . Eine andere Form von Kondensatoren verdanken wir Franklin, welche Frank- linometer genannt ist. . . ." In GescJiiehfe der englischen Lifterahtr, von Geh. Hofrat Professor Dr. Richard Wiilker, II — neu-bearbeite und vermehrtc Auflage, Band II, Leipzig und Wien, 1907, Seite 422 fif., we read: "Dem ersten amerikanischen Autor, der weltberiihmt wurde, be- gegnen wir in Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). Fiir die europii- ische Welt war Franklin der erste typische Amerikaner, und we- nigstens zwei seiner Schriften waren die ersten eines Amerikaners, die in alle europaischen Sprachen iibersetzt wurden. Der arme Richard, voni Jahre 1758, und seine Selbstbiograpliie. Goethe, iiberall scharfsichtig und scharf formellirend, vergleicht Frank- lin mit Justus Moser, in Absicht auf Wahlgemeinniitziger Gegen- stande, auf tiefe Einsicht, freie tjbersicht, gliickliche Behand- lung, so griindlichen als frohen Humor. Audi das Ubrige was Goethe in Bezug auf Moser ausspricht, liisst sich auf Franklin iibertragen. "Immer ist er iiber seinen Gegenstand erhaben und weiss uns eine heitere Ansicht des Fernsten zu geben ; bald hinter dieser, bald hinter jener Maske halb versteckt, bald in eigener Person sprechen immer vollstandig und erschopfend, dabei immer froh. mehr oder weniger ironisch, durchaus tiichtig. rechtschaffend, wohlmeinend, ja manchmal derb mid hastig, und dieses alles so abgemessen, dass man zugleich den Geist, den Verstand, die Benjamin Franklin and Germany loi Leichtigkeit, Gewandheit, den Geschmack und Character des Schriftstellers bewimdern muss.'' Professor J. Wiese, in his book entitled Der Mann des Er- foJgs, Benjamin Franklin, Stuttgart, 1909, gives a most detailed account of the life in all its phases of this American patriot. His poem dedicated to Franklin will be given later. "Ein Mann, der noch im hohen Greisenalter in treuer Pflicht- erfiillung seinem Lande von gewaltigem Nutzen sein kann und durch selbstlose Arbeit die Entwicklung seines Vaterlandes in moralischer, geistiger, wissenschaftlicher und politischer Hin- sicht machtig zu fordern versteht, ist wahrhaft gliicklich zu prei- sen und wird fortleben im Gedachtnis der dankbaren Me^sch- heit. Ein solcher Mann war Benjamin Franklin." (S. i.) "Eine grosse historische Personlichkeit wie Franklin, der auf die Geschichte seines Vaterlandes und der ganzen Welt einen so machtigen Einfluss ausgeiibt hat, der unter den Staatsmannern und Gelehrten seiner Zeit in so hohem Ansehen stand und an den ersten Hofen Europas mit so ausserordentlichem Erfolg tatig war, verdient von alien Seiten betrachtet zu werden." (S. 60.) "In Zeitschriften, die Franklin zur Belehrung und Aufkla- rung des Volkes oder der Regierung schrieb, die Alle das Ge- prage der Einfachheit, Knappheit und Klugheit tragen und auf die Erfahrung des Praktikers gegriindet sind, hat er Lehren ent- wickelt, die heute noch Muster in ihrer Art bilden." (S. 62.) The following is the plan which the author followed in his treatment of Franklin : "i. Als IMensch iibte er die Tugenden der Massigkeit, der Geduld und des Fleisses und wusste sie einzupragen. "2. Als Burger wusste er der Gewalt der Tyrannen zu wie- derstehen, und die Freiheit seiner Landsleute zu sichern. "3. Als Gesetzgeber war er ein glanzendes Beispiel eines fiber alle Bestechlichkeit erhabenen Charakters, der fortwahrend nur das Heil seiner Auftraggeber zu fordern strebte. "4. Als Politiker wusste er auf der einen Seite durch seine geschickten Unterhandlungen den Beistand einer machtigen Na- tion zu erlangen und auf der anderen die gemeinschaftlichen In- teressen eines Kongresses von Republiken ins Leben zu rufen und I03 lirnjiiniiH hranhlin aini (n'rnnniy indem er einen MilU-lpunkt k'slscl/tc, aul clcn sic ilin- IMcilic hel'teu konntcn, ilue (k'saimutiuadit liir die Zvvockc dcr ImiiIiciI, der llivrmonie, der («eset/4;el)un^^ mid dci Vertfidiguii^' zii koii- zentrieri'ii. "5. Ms l'liil(>S(»|>li wari'ii sciiic Aiht-ilni imd l^ntdeckunp,"cn daraut ^t-riilUt't, ilii- liitiTt'ssoii dvr Monsililu'il /u lordcni und er verdiente in \\'al\iiuMt tier iMciiiid dii I\UiimIiiii inul dn- W'nlillhiili-r tU's \\\'l(alls j^iiiannl /.u wi-rdi-n." ( S. 138.) CHAPTER VI. Franklin in German Poetry. It is interesting to know that the leaders of the cause of the American Revolution, especially two of these leaders were well known to Germany and were held in universal esteem. These two symbolized in themselves the great conception of the rise of a nation against the thraldom of tyranny — these two, Washing- ton and Franklin. In the Leipziger Musenalmanach aufs Jahr z//^, printed in Leipzig, on page 141 we read the following poem on Franklin in Paris, by Hase: "Die ersten Tag' ersticken fast dich im Gedrange, Der dich umgebenden neugierigen Menge, Allein kaum bist du Wochen da gewesen, So hast du schon beriihmter Geist vergessen, Und musst in deinen grauen Jahren Des griinen Esels Schicksal noch erfahren." Voss in his Luise makes reference to these two leaders, Washington and Franklin: "Lies noch ein Weilchen im Bett, wie du pfiegst: ein Kapitel der Bibel, Dort auf der kleinern Riole zur Seite dir: oder ein Leibebuch Besserer Zeit, als Menschen wie Washington lebten und Frank- lin." In Vorbilder fur die Jugend, by Dr. Franz Otto and Dr. H. Schramm, Leipzig, 1873: "Es wirkt mit Macht der edle Mann Jahrhunderte auf Seinesgleichen, Die gute That, das schone Wort, Es strebt unsterblich, wie er sterblich fort." — Goethe. We see this poem applied to Franklin, considering him as the personification of practical utility: one whose life must prove an example for youth and manhood. (103) 104 Benjamin Franklin and Germany Theodor Riiprecht in his Benjamin Franklin, Leheu und Schriften, has a German translation of the verse, which appears in several of the English editions of his works. It runs as fol- lows: "Er hat geraubt des Himmels Strahl Und Wissenschaf t erbliih'n Wiisteneien geheissen ; Amerika nennt ihn den grossten seiner Weisen Hellas hatt' ihn gesellt seiner Gotter Zahl." Lavater's Grabschrift yields its high place in the ranks of elegiac praise of this father of freedom, to the splendid Grab- schrift of Schubart: "Hier liegt in Graberstille Franklins Hiille Geist, Weiser, Patriot, Voll Vaterland und Gott; Er wusste den Strahl der Tyrannen Wie Blitze des Himmels zu bannen, Und aus glasernen Glocken Himmlische Tone zu locken. Wie einem Brautigam die Braut, Bot ihm Freiheit die Hand ; Dann fuhrt' er sie liebevertraut In Columbus gliickliches Land. Seine Name frei und gross Flog iiber den Okeanus, Columbia trauert um Ihn, Europa klagt um Ihn, Der kiihne Franke hullt sich in Flor ; Doch Franklin's Seele flog empor Ins Urlicht, Geister drangen In Schaaren herbei, Wilkommten ihn und sangen ; Wen Gott frei macht, 1st ewig frei."'^** In the Litterdrisches Leben des Koniglich-Baierischen Ge- heimenrates und Ritters Anton von Klein, Wiesbaden, 1818, S. 36 ff., we have a poem which reads as follows: Empfindungen des Doktor Franklin bei einem Blick in die "a Gedichte. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 105 Natur. — This is a poem of twenty stanzas, interpolated with re- marks and explanations of the author. We shall give the stanzas that refer directly to Dr. Franklin. The entire poem gives a vivid description of a severe storm, how nature and all animate creation cower before the turbulence and power of the storm king. The poem runs thus : "i. Dem Meeresschlund entwirbeln Stiirme Zum Mond hinauf ; Am Halmchen ruhen hier Gewiirme; Er wankt im Lauf. "2. Flieh' Miickchen! Nehm dein goldnes Leben Dein Gott wandelt : Wetter heben. Gott beugt er sich. "3. Wer leiht, Uran, in jenen Fernen, Dass Licht kleid dir? Einst nehm' ich dich mit hohern Sternen Zur Krone mir. "14. Wer trotzet Donner, deinem Grimme? Der Weise hier, Er lachet deiner Gotterstimme Und spielt mit dir! "15. Sein Stabchen, das den Blitz verschlinget, Schiitzt stille mich ; Die Schopfung wankt; ein Kettchen bringet Ihm machtlos dich!" Benjamin Franklin is treated very ably in a book entitled Manner des Erfolgs, von Dr. J. Wiese, Stuttgart, 1909. On page 56 he gives a poem of twenty stanzas, written by Dr. Georg Bie- denkapp, Der in scJwnen Versen Franklin's herrliclie Erfindung preist: "i. Dumpf lullert der Donner, es tiirmen zu Hauf Im Westen sich finstere Wolken herauf ; Jetzt hebt sich der Sturm und wirbelt den Staub, Schon netzen die Tropfen das diirstende Laub. io6 Benjamin Franklin and Germany "2. Hin ! Zuckt das Grell ! Wie knattert es laiit Doch mutigen Knaben vor Blitzen nicht graut; Schliigt Menschen der Strahl audi noch nianchmal ins Dach So halt ihn doch l*>ankhn's Erfindung in Schach. "3. Zwar uns ist der BHtz als natiirlich bekannt, Doch denkt euch die Zeit da nieniand verstand, Wie Feuer den wassrichen Wolken entspringt, Weil Feuer gewohnlich ins Wasser entrinnt. "18. Im kleinen ist's Donner und Blitzen! So dacht' Audi Franklin, und gleich ward die Probe gemacht. Sobald ein Gewitter ini Himmel erschien, Flugs Hess einen Drachen wolkenwarts ziehen. "19. Bald waren elektrische Drachen wie Schur Von Schlafen den Blitzen verriet sich die Spur In Funken, die Franklin zu locken verstand, Aus der Schnur, die Erde und Wolken verband. "20. So erfand er den Blitzableiter, erzwang Die Elektricitiit in metallenen Gang, Wie tobender Wildbach und reissender Fluss In kiinstliches Sternlicht ergiessen sich muss." In Der IV eg zum Rcichtiun, by R. L. Stab, Berlin, 1891, w^e find these four introductory lines : "Der edle Mann lebt nie vergebens, Er geht einst, hemmt sich hier sein Lauf Nach Sonnenuntergang des Lebens. Als ein Gestirn der Naclit wallt auf." — Tiedge. Johann Jacob ]\Ieyen was the author of Franklin, der Philo- soph und Staatsmann (In fiinf Gesiingen). Alt-Stettin, 1787: "Ein Mann, einer gab uns durch kUigliches zogern den Freistaat, Nie war lernender Ruf bei ihni mehr und f ruber als Rettung, Darum jauchzet die Nachwelt dem Helden je langer, je heller." Der erste Gesang. "Den Philosophen besingt mein Lied, der dcm neueren \\'elttheil Jenseits des Mar del Xord das Licht der Wissenschaft brachte, Und sein seufzendes X'aterland von Tyrannen befreite, Von der Natur gesandt, als \\'alder und Hiitten der Wilden. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 107 In Provinzen verwandelt, eines Fiihrers bedurften Der den Geist der Freiheit durch Weisheit und Kiinste veredelt Den Nationalgeist bildet, und mit sich hoher emporhebt Die Grundfeste des Staats viel Leiden und Schrecken des Todes • Ergnffen den heldenmiithigen VVeisen, das Joch der Tyrannen Druckte das Volk, Britanniens Zepter zerschlug die Erdruckten ; Da trat der Weise hervor und ward des Vaterlands Retter, Gab der Freiheit ihr Recht und griindete siegreich den Frei- staat." Meyen continues in his praise of FrankHn : "Wir Kiistenbewohner der schiffreichen Ostsee wir horten Auch mit Wonne empfindend FrankHn's weitschallende Thaten Auch uns reizte die Weisheit des Menschenretters aus Boston." His songs give a biographical sketch of FrankHn, comparing him with Cadmus, Caesar, Theseus, Plato and others. Especially does he emphasize Franklin's scientific discoveries in electricity. Thus the first song closes : "O beglticktes Deutschland ! du Mutter des grossen Leibnitz, Sei gerecht ; Franklin war nicht von Winklern belehret, Winkler war nicht so stark, des Prometheus' Arbeit zu'wagen Fragt Franklinen, er wird f reimiithig die Wahrheit sage ; Er ist zu reich, zu gross, zu edel fiir fremde Lorbeeren. Sei gerecht, und schutze dagegen des grossen Leibnitz." Der zweite Gcsang praises again the achievements of Frank- lin, particularly the founding of the Academy of Philadelphia. "Durch ihn ragst du hervor, Philadelphia, hier ist der Schauplatz Der Wissenschaften, die Akademie die er stiftete; er gab Ihr seinen Geist, den edlen Stolz, sich hoher zu schwingen, Und mit denkenden Mannern den wachsenden Staat zu beschen- ken." The Harmonika is not forgotten : "O Franklin! du neuer Kolumbus im Reiche der Tonkunst; Alle die nach dir kommen und deine Harmonika schmiicken, Smd nur wie Goldarbeiter, und keiner Kolumbus; der Gold fand." io8 Boijaniin FrankJin and Germany Nearly one hundred lines are devoted to his powers as a statesman : "Jetzt betritt der weise Franklin einen neuen Schauplatz, Er der Wissenschaft Licht, wird nun ein Licht in der Staats- kunst. "Reich an Kenntnissen, stark und holde an stiirmender Rede. Ein Menschenfreund, der fiir jeden gemacht, jeder dem sich einflosst. Reiner als nur b'ranklin war's, kein geringerer konnt' es. Wahrheit und Gliickseligkeit sind die Grundfeste seines Sys- tems." Der dr'ittc Gcsang. Here in verse we read of Franklin's political career in Lon- don: ". . . Franklin ! Franklin ist der Name, Den sie verkiindigt, Franklin, Philosoph und Sprecher des Volkes, Ist des Landes Vater und fordert die Rechte der Freiheit." Der v'lerte Gesang. Here we have Franklin in France : "Heil dem Staate! Franklin ist des Gesetzbuches Stifter, Seine Kenntnisse sind der unerschopfliche Vorrath der Bauma- terien." Der fiinfte Gesang- "Zittenid sah der Neid und der Geiz den bidren Franklin an, Und die Verlaunulung mit ihnen, und die verstimniende Fama, Die sich nun ungern zuni Rulime der Wahrheit als Heraldin ausschickt, I'nd Thersitens Schatten niit lang ausholendem Seufzer." Note: Meyen's book of uo pages (approximately 1300 lines) found in the American Philosophical Society is incomplete. No other copy was found by the author. This copy was no doubt in Franklin's own possession and shows marks that the final pages were cut out or lost. CHAPTER VII. Franklin as Known to Goethe. Franklin as a noble old man "reminds us of some of the glimpses we catch in contemporary letters of the aged Goethe, a man who had much in common with Franklin. "''^^ "A life like Franklin's solves the problem stated in the Faust of Goethe; which is, How shall a man become satisfied with life?" If we fol- low a close comparison of the lives of these two men, we can con- fidently say that their paths were at times divergent and at times they seemed to join in the broad highway of utility. It has been said, by critics of these two, that they lacked the good habit of regular church service. Franklin expresses his views very strongly on the matter thus : "Though I seldom attended any public worship, I had still an opinion of its propriety and its utility, when rightly conducted, and I regularly paid my annual subscriptions for the support of the only Presbyterian minister or meeting we had in Philadelphia, He used to visit me some- times as a friend, and admonished me to attend his administra- tions, and I was now and then prevailed on to do so; once for five Sundays. Had he been in my opinion a good preacher, per- haps I might have continued, notwithstanding the occasion I had for the Sunday's leisure in my course of study; but his discourses were chiefly polemic arguments, or explications of the peculiar doctrines of our sect, and even all to me very dry, uninteresting and unedifying, since not a single moral principle was inculcated or enforced ; their aim seeming to be to make us Presbyterians, rather than good citizens." Goethe had a similar feeling with regard to attending church, which he expresses: "If Protestants sought to define more clearly what ought to be done, lived and taught; if they imposed an inviolable reverential silence or the mysteries of re- ligion, without compelling any man to assent to the dogmas . . . I should, myself, be the first to visit the church of my brethren " James Parton. Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin. Vol. II, p. 581 (p- 639). - ^ ^ (109) no Benjamin Franklin and Germany ill religion, with sincere heart, and to submit myself with willing edification to the practical confession of a faith which connected itself so immediately with action."'*' In the Goethe Jahrhuch, Band 25 (1904), Seite 4. in an article entitled Briefivechsel civisehen Goethe und Amerikanern . . von Leonard L. Mackall, we read : "Wenn der treffliche Goethe und Herder wohlbekannte Benjamin Franklin schon 1730 ein deutsches Gesangbuch druckte und zwei Jahre darauf wahr- scheinlich die Philadelphia Zeitung begriindete, 1766 Gottingen besuchte, und sonst viel dazu beitrug die deutsche Sprache in Amerika einzufiihren und andere ihm beistanden, so bleiben diese Versuche noch meistens sporadisch." Goethe as the President of the Freitagsgcsellschaft, of which, as we know, Herder was the original instigator, must have received, through his friend and fellow-worker a strong im- pression of the worth of Dr. Franklin, as the founder of the Junto. Professor O. Harnack, in the Goethe JaJirbiieh, XVH (1896). pages 23-24, says: "Wenn Goethe in den Wander jahren den Zustand der neuen Zeit greifbar bezeichnen will, so weist er auf Amerika hin; Amerika mit seiner eigenartigen Kulturform war aber auch schon 1797 als ein neues, auf eine Zukunfts- Epoche hinweisendes Gebilde in den Gesichtskreis der weiter- blickenden Beobachter getreten. Der Befreiungskrieg der Ver- einigten Staaten, die Erscheinung des practisch-niichternen, ein- fach selbstbeweissten Franklin war von empfindsamen Gemii- thern, nur als ein neuer Anlass zu begeisterter Schwarmerci fiir Freihcit und Gleichheit aufgefasst worden." Turning to Goethe's TagehiieJier, we find under the date April zy, 181 7, the following notice, which gives insight into the books, which were interesting Goethe at this time : "John Hun- tersleben von Adams — Entwiirfe und Abschriften von natur- wissenschaftlichem Hefte — Abends zu Knebels — Franklin's Le- ben." Again, two days later, we read : "Zu Knebel, woselbst Hofrath Luden — mit Franklin's Lehen und Character." Goethe was in Strassburg in 1770. In April of that year: '* Sarah Austin. Characteristics of Goethe. I, 77. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 1 1 1 "Erhohte Anatomic bei Lobstein, Chemie bei Spielmann, besuchte die Klinik des alteren Ehrmann und die Vorlesungen des jiinge- ren Ehrmann iiber Entbindungskunst. "Atich die Elektricitat, in der kurz vorher Franklin seine grosse Entdeckung gemacht hatte, beschaftige ihn, und nicht we- niger als neun Schriften iiber diesen Gegenstand finden sich in dem Tagebuche zur Lektiire angemerkt.""^ The French Revolution had a marked effect upon Goethe : "Die RepubHk hatte ihn mit einer besondern Auszeichnung ge- ehrt; zugleich mit Washington, Franklin, Tom Paine, Pesta- lozzi, Campe, Klopstock, dem beriichtigten Anacharsis Klotz und einigen Andern wurde ihm das franzdsische Biirgerrecht er- theilt.""8 Turning to the year 1828, we find Goethe the last two days of the year busy once more interestedly reading Franklin's life in its French translation. "December 30, 1828. Mittage allein. Franklins Lebcn neu ins Franzosische iibersetzt." "December 31. Las ich Franklins Leben weiter." The edition of Frank- lin's Life, which he used was La Vie de Benjamin Franclin, Tra- duction Nouvelle, Paris, 1828. He writes to C. F. Zelter from Weimar, April 2, 1829, after a careful study of his theory of colors, the following: "Ware meine Farbenlehre nicht ein verbotenes Buch und deshalb schwer aufzufinden, so wiirde ich sagen : die unter dem Datum 2. Januar, 1766, von dem wackern Franklin als problematische hinterlassene Erscheinungen und in obgedachtem meinem Biichlein, und zwar gleich zu An fang die der ersten Abtheilung iiberschrieben : Physi- ologische Farben mit alien ihren Seitenverwandten auf's deut- lichste und vollstandigste, wie mir scheinen darf, abgeleitet, aus- gelegt und erklart wie man sagen mochte. Diese meine Arbeit ist nun bald zwanzig Jahre offentlich ; das Niitzliche davon hat aber noch nicht in die Masse verbreitet."'^* In a copy in the possession of the Geh. Archivrath Dr. Ernst Friedlander in Berlin, there is a letter dated January 2, 1762, in " Goethe's Leben und Werke, von G. H. Lewes, i Band (autorisierte Ubersetzung von Dr. Julius Frese), 16 Auflage ; S. 70. ''Ibid., S. 155- "Goethe'i Brief e, 45 Band, S. 231-232. I I J Benjamin I'ranklin and Germany which reference is made to I'YankHii's ideas of music. Briefe, Band 45, Leseartcn, Seite 412-413. Ah'eady as early as 1798 from Weimar we read the follow- ing letter to Schiller, dated January 26, in which he speaks of Darwin's Theories of Botanical Gardens, and also Dr. Frank- lin's Erfindung, dein Gewitter seine Blit:;e ::.u nelimen.^^^ Again he addresses Zelter from Weimar, February 28. 181 1, in which there is mention made of Franklin: "Ja, Voltaire er- kiihnt sich irgendwo zu sagen : J'ai toujours remarque que la Geometric laisse I'esprit oil elle se trouve — audi hat schon Frank- lin cine besondere Aversion gegen die JNIathematiker, in Absicht aui' geselligen Umgang. klar und deutlich ausgedriickt, w'O es ihren Klcinigkeits- und Wiederspruchsgeist unertraglich findet.*^'. "Schon als Kind begegnete mir Franklin's Lehre von der T^lektricitat, welches Gesetz er damals soeben gefunden hatte. LJnd so folgte durch mein ganzes Leben bis zu dieser Stunde. eine grosse Entdeckung der anderen ; wodurch ich denn nicht allein friih auf die Natur hingeleitet, sondern audi spater immer- fort in der bcdeutensten Anregung crhaltcn wurde."*- So we see that Goethe even in childhood had his eyes opened to the teaching of the American scientist. Speaking of the American Revolution, for which Goethe had an absorbing, enthusiastic appreciation, he says: "Noch lebhafter iibcr die Welt interessirt, als ein ganzes Volk sich zu bcfreien Miene machte — man wiinschte den Amerikaners alles Gliick und die Namen Franklin und Washington fingen an am politischen und kriegerischen Himmel zu glanzen und funkeln."^^ In Goethe's Naturivissensehaftliehe Sehriften, Band IV, Zur Farhenlehve ( Historischer Theil II), Weimar, 1894, pages 199-200, he gives a portion from Benjamin Franklin's Kleine Sehriften, herausgegeben von G. Schatz, 1794, zweiter Theil. Seite 234 flf. "^Goethe's Brief c (1893), Band 13, S. 238. "Goethe's Briefe (Weimar, 1901"), Band 22. S. 49. ^ Gesprliche mit Goethe. In den letzten Jahren seines Lehens. Von Johann Eckermann. Band I (1823-1827), S. 165. (Donnerstag Abend, den i. Februar, 1827.) " Goethe's IVcrke, Band 29, S. 68. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 113 Benjamin Franklin. [Kleine Schriftcn, herausgegeben von G. Schatz, 1794, zweiter Theil, Seite 324 f.] "Der Eindruck, den ein Icuchtender Gcgenstand auf die Sehnervcn macht, dauert zwanzig bis dreissig Sekunden. Sieht man an einem hcitern Tage, wenn man im Zimtner sitzt, cine Zeit lang in die Mitte eines Fenstcrs, und schb'esst sodann die Augen, so bleibt die Gestalt des Fensters eine Zeit lang im Auge, und zwar so deutlich, dass man im Stande ist, die einzelnen Fa- chcr zu ziihlcn. Merkwiirdig ist bei dieser Erfahrung der Um- stand, dass der Eindruck der Form sich bcsser erhalt, als der Eindruck der Farbe. Denn sobald man die Augen schliesst, scheinen die Glasfacher, wenn man das Bild des Fensters an- fangt wahrzunchmen, dunkel, die Ouerholzer der Kreuze aber, die Rahmen und die Wand umber weiss oder glanzend. Ver- niehrt man jedoch die Dunkelheit der Augen dadurch, dass man die Hande tiber sie halt, so erfolgt sogleich das Gegentheil. Die Facher erscheincn leuchtend und die Ouerholzer dunkel. Zieht man die Hand weg, so erfolgt eine neue Veranderung, die alles wieder in den ersten Stand setzt. Ein Phanomen, das ich so we- nig zu erklaren weiss, all folgendes. Hat man lange durch eine gemcine griine, oder sogenannte Conservationsbrille gesehn, uml nimmt sie nun ab, so sieht das weisse Papier eines Buches rotlich aus, so wic es griinlich aussieht, wenn man lange durch rothe Brillen gesehen hat. Dies scheint eine noch nicht erklarte Ver- wandschaft der griinen und rothen Farbe anzuzeigen." KoERNER, Schiller and Franklin. Schiller must have known the life of Franklin because his friends pKDssessed clear insight into the value of this North Amer^ ican representative of all that the new world could offer a child of freedom and the embodiment of all that that word conveys to the minds of men, chafing under restraint. Korner writes to Schiller from Dresden, 28th of May, 1790, as follows: "Mir ist dabei iiberhaupt eingefallen, ob Du nicht ganz neue Memoires mit in Deinen Plan aufnehmen soil- 114 Benjamin Franklin and Germany test, so dass sie neben den altern zugleich erschienen. z. B., die Memoires von Richelieu. Choiseiil. Bei diesen Beiden sind Dir iiiin wohl Andere zuvorkomnien. Abcr jetzt kommen gewiss in Frankreich imd England mehrere heraus. die sehr braiichbar wiiren. Du bist der Mann nicht so etwas zu erlauern. aber Ber- tnch. der wohl eigentlich Dein \'erleger ist (da Manke nur den Natnon hergiebt) wiire zu seinen eigenen Journalen und Zeitun- gen aufzupassen. So weiss ich z. B. nicht. ob Franklins Lcbcn von ihni selbst beschrieben schon einen Ubersetzer hat."^^ Lenz and Fraxklix. Lenz writes to Zimmemiann the J 7th of May. 1776. the following: "Hier ist Lindaus Schwanengesang, den er sehr gem an Washington oder D. Franklin mochte gelangen lassen. Wie ist mir selber unbegreiflich. \'ielleicht wissen Sie Auswege. Den Colonisten kann ein soldi Produkt nicht anders als lieb scin. Und Sie. mein Freund. sind Freund der Freiheit, nur dass er (Der Schwanengesang) nicht in unrechte Hcinde fallt."^^ Franklix and Justus Moser. "Ich kann nicht schliessen. ohne meinen freudigen und stol- zen \'aterlandsliebe den Ausbruch zu gonnen. hier zu sagen und zugleich mehrere zu erinnem. dass in Deutschland ein ]Mann lebt. der an Staatskenntnis. an Forschung des Geistes der Ge- setze. an W'ahrheitsliebe. an Originalitat. an feinem Sinn fiir schone Kiinste. an Gelehrsanikcit. an Eifer zur \'erbreitung heil- samer geineinmitzer W'ahrheiton. an Witz und Laune. an man- nigfachem Stil. an Kenntnis der Welt, und Menschenliebe, an reinem Gefiihl fiir Natur und endlich selbst an Bekanntmach- ungsart seiner Aufsatze. Franklin ausserordentlich gleicht: Jus- tus Moser.''^*^ ^ Sifiillcr's BriefzvechscI mit Komer. von 1^84 bis cum Tode Schillers. Karl Goedeke. i. Theil. S. 372. " Got-tht- Jahrbuch. Band 32 uoii\ S. 24. Uttpedrucktcs aits dcm Got'the- Kreise. Mitgeteilt von Heimann Brciuming — Oktavio. " Bcrlinisiht- Monatsschrift (Berlin, 1783), Julius, S. 38. J. EL Biester. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 1 1 5 For a true appreciation of Moser, let us turn to an Inaugural Dissertation, von Ludwig Posadzy, Posen, igo6, entitled Der cntzvicklungsgrsciuchtlichc Gcdanke hci Herder, pages 22-23: "Moser's Osnabri'ickische Geschichte bedeutet eine Epochc fiir den entwicklungsgeschichtlichen Gedanken. Die Stetigkeit der agrarischen Verhaltnisse, denen sich seine ganze Vorliebe zu- wendet, brachte ihm ohne alle Vermittelung die Idee bei, dass es sich hier um eine einheitliche entwicklungsreihe handle, deren organisches Wachstum nun vor allem zu verfolgen sei, "Es ist auch interessant zu beobachten, wie in Moser mit dem Aufkommen des wahren geschichtlichen Sinnes die Aufkl.'i- rung wird. Jede Zeit tragt fiir Moser den eignen Massstab in sich." Again he says: "Winckelmanns Geschichte der Kunst ist nicht weniger bahnbrechend fiir den Entwicklungsgedankcn, wio Moser's osnabriickische Geschichte." In the Patriotische Phantasien, von Justus Moser, herausg, von seiner Tochter J. W. J. v. Voigts, Berlin, 1842 — Second Edition, 1858 (Verlag der Nicolai'schen Buchhandlung), in the Einleitung von B. R. Abeken, we read: "Mit welcher Lebhaftigkeit der jugendliche Goethe diesen altern Geistesverwandten, mit Ehrfurcht zu ihm emporblickend, begriisste, das erzahlt er uns in seiner Selbstbiographie ; dabei characterisirt er uns die Patriotischen Phantasien in einer Weise, die demjenigen, der nach ihm iiber denselbcn Gegenstand reden mochte, Bedenken erwecken muss. Er bemerkt, wie die grosse Zahl der staatsbijrgerlichen, geschichtlichen, moralischen Auf- satze ein wahrhaftes Ganzes ausmachen, welche Universalitat sich in ihnen offenbart, wie des Verfassers Vorschlag und Rath, obgleich auch oft nicht ausfiihrbar, noch nie aus der Luft ge- grif¥en worden, und vergleicht am Ende Mosern in Hinsicht auf Wahl gemeinniitziger Gegenstande, tiefe Einsicht, freie tJber- sicht, gliickliche Behandlung, griindlichen und frohen Humor mit Benjamin Franklin. "Diese Vergleichung hatte schon Nicolai in seiner Biogra- phic Mosers gemacht, dabei aber auch Sturz in dieselbe hineinge- zogen." 1 1 6 Benjamin Franklin and Germany Dr. Karl Biedcrmann, in his book entitled Deutschland ini achtzchntcn JaJirhundcrt, Leipzig, 1880, zweiter Theil, Seite 663, discusses Franklin's invention of the lightning-rod and com- pares Moser as "Der Erste, der bier eine neue und bessere Bahn einschlug, war der grosse Kenner und warnie Frcund deutschen Volkslebens. Justus Moser." (S. 706.) Nicholai, in Moser's SdmmtUche JVcrke, Berlin, 1842-1843, compares in the strongest terms Moser and the American Frank- lin. In the lives of the two men there is little in common, except that they both worked and labored for the betterment of man- kind. Moser showed his tolerance in public opinions and in his narrow Osnabriick worked as assiduously as Franklin did in the wider court circles. In the Samudiing von Vortrdgen fiir das deutschc Volk, Band 14, von Wilhelm Frommel und Dr. Friedrich Pfaff, Hei- delberg, 1885, No. 10: "Justus Moser, der deutsche Patriot als Apologet des Christenthums", von Franz Blanckmeister, page 402, here we read "Selbst der grosste aller damaligen deut- schen Schriftsteller, Goethe, der fiir wahrhafte Geistesgrosse einen ofifenen, scharfen und richtigen Blick hatte, hat ihm in 'Wahrheit und Dichtung' seine warme und begeisterte Huldi- gung dargebracht. Er sagt von Mosers patriotischen Phanta- sien; seine Vorschlage, sein Rat, nichts ist aus der Luft gegrif^en und doch so nicht ausfiihrbar; deswegen er auch die Sammlun- gen patriotischen Phantasien genannt. obgleich alles dann sich an das Wirkliche und Mogliche halt. Man wi'isste alles. was in der biigerlichen Welt vorgeht, rubrizieren, wenn man die Ge- genstiinde erschopfen wollte, die er behandelt, und diese Be- handlung ist bewunderungswiirdig. ... In Absicht auf Wahl gemeinniitzige Gegenstande, auf tiefe Einsicht, freie tjber- sicht, gUickliche Behandlung, so griindlichen und frohen Humor wusste ich ihm mit niemand als Franklin zu vergleichen." Friedrich Nicolai in his Lehcn Justus Mosers, Berlin und Stettin, 1797, page 92, says: "Moser als Schriftsteller ist schon sehr riclitig mit Franklin verglichen worden." (Berlinische Mo- natsschrift, Jul. 1783, Seite 37-38.) Benjamin Franklin and Germany 117 Herder and Franklin. Herder visited Paris in 1769, and no doubt came into close touch with those who sang FrankHn's praises, for France was at this time cognizant of this North American, since Frankhn visited Paris, as we have seen, for the second time, in 1769. Herder in his Briefe ziir Befdrderung der Humanitdt, Riga, 1793 (Band 17 — Bernhard Suphan, BerHn, 1887), says, page 7: "Endhch ist mir die Lebensbeschreibung eines meiner LiebHnge in unserem Jahrhundert, B. Franklin's, von ihm selbst fiir einen Freund geschrieben, zu Handen gekommen ; aber bedauern Sie's, nur in der franzosischen tJbersetzung und nur ein kleines Stiick derselben, die friiheren Lebensjahre des Mannes, ehe er volhg in seine pohtische Laufbahn trat. . . . Sie wissen, was ich von Franklin immer gehahen, wie hoch ich seinen gesunden Ver- stand, seinen hellen und schonen Geist, seine sokratische Me- thode vorziighch aber den Sinn der Humanitat in ihm geschatzt habe, der seine kleinsten Aufsatze bezeichnet. Auf wie wenige und klare Begriffe wiss er die verwogensten Materien zuruck- zufiihren! Und wie sehr hah er sich allenthalben an die einfa- chen, ewigen Gesetze der Natur, an die unfehlbarsten praktischen Rcgehi, aus Bediirfniss und Interesse der Menschheit. Oft denkt man, wenn man ihn best: 'Wusste ich das nicht auch? aber so klar sah ich's nicht, und meist gefehh, dass es bei mir schhchte Maxime des Lebens wurden.' Zu dem sind seine Einkleidungen so leicht und natiirlich, sein Witz und Scherz so gefalHg und fein, sein Gemiith so unbefangen und frohhch, dass ich ihn den edelsten Volksschriftsteller unseres Jahrhunderts nennen moch- te, wenn ich ihn durch diesen missbrauchten Namen nicht zu entehren glaubte. Unter uns wird er dadurch nicht entehrt! Wolke Gott wir hiitten in ganz Europa ein Volk, das ihn lase, das seine Grundsatze anerkennte, zu seinem eignen Besten da- nach handehe und lebte; wo waren wir sodann! "FrankHn's Grundsatze gehen allenthalben darauf, gesunde Vernunft, Uberlegung, Rechnung, allgemeine Billigkeit und wechselseitige Ordnung ins kleinste und grosseste Geschaft der Menschen einzufiihren, den Geist der Unduldsamkeit, Harte, Tragheit vou ihnen zu verbannen, sie aufmerksam auf ihren Be- ii8 Bcnjawin Franklin and Germany ruf, sie in einer Milde fortgehenden. iinangestrengten Art ge- schiiftigt. fleissig, vorsichtig, und thiitig zu machen, indeni or zeigt, dass jede dieser Ubungeii sich selbst belohiiet. jede \'er- nachlassigung derselben im Grossen und Kleinen sich selbst strafe. Er nimmt sich der Armen an. nicht anders aber als dass er ihnen Wege des Fleisses mit iiberwiegentler WTnunft eroffnet. Mehrmals hat cr es erwiesen wie hell und bestimmt er in die Zukunft sah." . . . (S. 8.) Thus we see that Herder held the highest esteem of Frank- lin, not only in the humanitarian field, but in the literary world as well. Further he says: "Horen Sie nun den guten Alten. und Sie finden in seiner Lebensbeschreibung durchaus ein Gegenbild zu Rousseau's Confessionen. Wie dieser die Phantasie fast immer irre fiihrte. so verlasst jenem nie sein guter Verstand, sein unermiidlicher Fleiss, seine Gefalligkeit. seine erfindende Thiitigkeit, ich mochte sagen, seine \'ielverschlagenheit und ru- hige Beherztheit." Haym. in his edition of Herder, makes the following asser- tion in regard to Herder's close know^ledge of Franklin: "Als einen ersten Stellvertreter der Gesinnungen. die ausschliesslich im eignen Namen vorzutragen Herder, jetzt scheu und vorsichtig verzichtete, lasst er einen Mann auftreten, den er sich in \'ielen verwandt fiihlte, den er als \'olksschriftsteller schon in dem Aufsatz 'Uber Spruch und Bild'. gepriesen hatte — den ^Mitbe- griinder der Unabhiingigkeit der \'ereinigten Staaten. Benjamin Franklin. Erjiatte in Aachen die ganz kurzlich erschienen Me- moires de la Vie de B. Franklin kennen gelernt. . . . Er cha- rakterisirt den merkwiirdigen Mann, in dem so vorzugsweise der Sinn der Humanitiit gelebt habe. den werkthatigen Geist. den Leh- rer der^Ienscheit.denOrdner einer grossen I^Ienschengesellscha ft. Langst schon hatte er von den kleinen und grosseren Aufsatzen seines Lieblings gesammelt was er auftreiben konnte. Gedrucktes und Ungedrucktes, und wiirde. ware ihm nicht der betriebsame Bertuch zuvorgekommen eine Ubersetzung veranlasst haben." We have already seen that he knew the French translation of Frank- lin's works, and he had for a long time possessed "Political, Benjamin Franklin and Germany 119 Miscellaneous and Philosophical Pieces", by Benjamin Frank- lin, London, 1779. For the Freitag Gesellschaft, organized July 5, 1791, Frank- lin's Rides for a Club, 1 728, were read. These rules were origi- nated by Franklin for the "Junto", which afterward grew into the American Philosophical Society. Herder explained the aims of his Club thus: "Der Zweck dieser Academic ist reine und parteiische Wahrheit, das Band ihrer Mitglieder ist National- Interesse, gegenseitige Achtung und Schonung." (These same ideas we can read in Franklin's expression, "truth for truth's sake".) These statutes of the Friday Club were known to its members, Goethe, C. G. Voigt, Wieland, Herder, Bode, Knebel, J. F. Bertuch, O. Buchholtz.^^ Herder translated Franklin's questions, which were to be applied to members of the Club, under the following title, Ben- jamin Franklin's Rides for a Club established in Philadelphia, iibertragen und ausgelegt als Statut fiir eine Gesellschaft von Freunden der Humanitdt, von Johann Gottfried Herder, 1792. Aus dem Nachlass veroffentlicht und Eduard Simson, zum 22. Mai, 1883, zugeeinigt. Berlin, Weidmannische Buchhandlung. The first translation of the above made by Herder was annexed to a lecture entitled Ober die wahre Unsterblichkeit fiir die Nach- ivelt. (Supimn Herder's Werke, 16, 43; note 3.) Herder in his Spruch und Bild in Sonderheit bei den Mor- genldndern, einige rhapsodische Gedanken, writes: "In alien gu- ten Volksschriften, im Landpriester, von Wakefield, z. B. und in einer der lehrreichsten Schriften, die unsere Sprache besitzt, Lienhard und Gertrud, ist dieser natiirliche Kunstbegriff sehr wohl gebraucht. Benjamin Franklin, ein hochachtungswiirdiger Name, hat ihn in seinen periodischen Lettern und Kalendern fiir Nord Amerika vortrefflich anzuwenden gewusst und sein ein- ziger Aufsatz, Die Wissenschaft des guten Richard, enthalt einen solchen Schatz von Lebensregeln, dass man in mancher Riick- sicht fast auf's ganze Leben nichts mehr bedurfte."^^ " Suphan Herder's Werke, 17, 10 ff; 18, 503 ff, 538 ff. ''Americana Germanica, Herder in Amerika. Marion D Learned Seo- tember, 1904. Vol. II, No. 9, p. 565, in the following. CHAPTER VIII. Franklin in the German Novel. I. Pugacew, geschichtlicher Roman, F. Isidor Prosch- kow, Band i und 2 (in one volume), Prague, i860; (Kober und Markgraf) Viertes Kapitel, S. 106 ff, gives a description of Franklin as he sat with a gathering of friends in Portugal in the spring of 1775. We feel that the old printer sat back with keen satisfaction and listened in silence to the various political views, that were aired by his companions. We read: "Der Fine dieser Manner, welcher an der rechten Ecke des Tisches lehnte und in die reine, blaue Feme hinaufstarrte, von massiger Grosse, in der einfachen Tracht eines amerikanischen Gutsbesitzers, mit einem offenen, geistreichen Gesicht, schien weder an dem Ge- sprache der Anderen, noch an ihrem kleinen Zechgelage Theil zu nehmen. Vor ihm stand ein Kristallglas mit reinem Wasser, von welchem er zuweilen suppte, wahrend sein ausdrucksvolles Auge von Zeit zu Zeit in die fernen Regionen des Himmels schweifte; denn ungeachtet schien er mit seinen Gedanken dem Gesprache der heitern Zecher zu folgen, dies verrieth das wech- selnde Muskelspiel seines Antlitzes und das zeitweilige Nicken seines Kopf es. "Dieser Mann, an der aussersten Rechte am Tische und von so geistreichem Aussehn, war seines eigentlichen Bewerbes ein Buchdrucker und ein erfindungsreicher Kopf, denn eben hat er lachelnd vernommen, wie eine seiner letzten Erfindungen, ein Sparofen, von seinem Freunde, Meredith, welcher dicht an seiner Seite recht wacker der Punschbowle zusprach, den Anderen mit vielem Ruhme auseinander gesetzt worden war. Aber der Nach- bar zur aussersten Linken, am Tische ganz unten, trug nicht die ruhigen Ziige der Besonnenheit und Geistesstarke des erwahnten Buchdruckers." (Pp. 120-121.) The bombastic speeches of the hero himself do not concern us here. His views are entirely revolutionary, but Franklin can- not refrain from interposing the following remarks (p. 130): " 'Das Zwerge mit der Donnerheule des Zeus spielten,' fiel la- (120) Benjamin Franklin and Germany 121 chelnd der Buchdrucker ein; 'dass das Werk des Lichtes, das VVerk Gottes nicht mit Feiier und Schwert, nicht mit Blut und Brand gefordert wird!— O Menschheit und Wahnsinn,' setzte er hinzii ; 'Ihr meint Berge zti versetzen und einen Welttheil aus seinen Fugen zu heben und wisst nicht, ob Eure uniiberwind- liche Armada vom Hauche des Weltgeistes verweht, im nachsten Sturme zu Boden Sinken wird! Meint Ihr denn, Ihr hochtra- benden Titanen, dass die Volker Europas mit all' ihren uralten Traditionen, ihren Sitten und Gewohnheiten mit ihrer ganzen Geschichte, ein Federball eurer Launen seien, welche Ihr mit einem einzigen Gluthauche Eurer falschen Begeisterung in an- dere Bahnen wehen konnt ; glaubt Ihr, dass Eurer ersten Anker- werfen auf dem Boden Europas, dass die ersten Tone Eurer so- genannten Weltposaune die Mauern von Jericho in Triimmern zerschmettern werdcn ? Wisst : wie ein Alexander der Eroberer werdet Ihr mitten in Eurem Siegeslaufe verschwinden, wie Attila im eigenen Blute ersticken, wie Bajazet zuletzt im Kafig enden, dessen Eisenstangen die falschen Grundlehren Eurer Freiheit sein werden. Wer Sturme saet, wird Sturme ernten, und von Euch wird man sagen was Brittanien auf seine Denkmiinze schrieb, 'Deus afBavit et dissipati sunt'." S. 131: "Aber noch hatte der Buchdrucker, dessen edlen Antlitz bei dieser Rede wie das eines gottbegeisterten Sehers der Zukunft leuchtete, seine Worte nicht geendet, als der Italiener gliihenden Antlitzes wieder aufsprang und auf eine Marmor- saule zurannte, welche unweit des Tisches stand und eine schone symbolische Statute des geharnischten Kriegesgottes und der gefliigelten Gottin der Freiheit trug, zu deren Fiissen eben eine Schale mit Purpurfarbe stand, welche der kunstsinnige Gartner des weissen Hauses zur Verschonung der beiden Statuen und die symbolisch umschlingenden Blumen-Guirlanden bereit gestellt hatte. "Der Italiener riss den Pinsel aus dieser Schale schrieb jetzt mit blutrothen Lapidarzeichen seinen Namen an die Statute des Krieges und der fessellosen Freiheit— 'Mazzarini.' "Aber ernst und ruhrig nahm ihm jetzt der Buchdrucker den 122 BcnjaDiin Franklin and Germany blutroth gefarbten Pinscl und tauchte ihn in die nebenstehende Schale in it klarer weisser Farbe. '* 'Auch ich !' ricf er, 'will nieinen Namen zii den Fi'issen dieser Statute aufschreiben, und nach einem Jahrzehend soil er auch an dieser Stelle zu lesen sein und Zeugenschaft geben, dass sich mein Wort bewiihrte: Freiheit, olme Gesetz ist cin Unding, auf Blut und Trummern fusst keine stattliche Ordnung, und Menschenplane ohne Gottes Hilfe sind Spinngewebe, welche der Flug einer kleinen W'espe zerreissen kann.' "Und der schlichte Buchdrucker schrieb jetzt mit schnee- vveisser Farbe und fester Hand auf die Piedestale der Statue der Freiheit in grossen Ziigen seinen Namen: Benjamin Franklin." II. In Berthold Auerbach's Das Landhaus ain Rhein, 2. Band, 2. Kapitel, Seite 7. Roland's father speaks thus of Frank- lin: "Seht iKr! Hier ist ein echter IMensch. das Genie des ge- sunden X'erstandes und des festen W'illen. Electricitat ist stets in der Luft, aber nicht inimer sammelt sie sich und wird zum Blitz, der die Atmosphiire lautert. Das Genie ist die in der Luft des Geistes angesaniniclte und freigewordene Electricitat." Seite 8: "Kein Philosoph, kein Dichter, kein Staatsmann kein Handwerker, kein Gelehrter von Profession, und doch alles das zugleich; ein Sohn der Mutter Natur und der Amme Erfahrung. der ohne wissenschaftliche Fiihrung im \\\ilde die Heilkriiuter selbst iindet. "Wenn ich einen Jungling zu erziehen hatte, nicht zu einem bestimmten Beruf, sondern nur, dass er ein wahrcr Mensch und guter Biirger wiirde, ich wiirde zu ihm sprechen; mein Sohn, hier sieh, wie ein IMensch sich selbst bilden kann; ahme ihm nach. werde du in dir wie Benjainin Franklin in sich geworden. Verstehe mich wohl. Ich sage es gibt in der neuen Geschichte keinen zweiten IMenschen, an dessen Leben und Denken sich ein Mensch unsrer Tage so heranbilden liess, wie an Benjamin Franklin. Warum nicht Washington, der so gross und rein ist? "^^'ashington war Soldat und Staatsmann, aber er hat die Welt nicht in sich entstehen lassen und nicht aus sich gefunden. Er hat durch Beherrschung und Lenkung anderer bewirkt, franklin durch Lcnkuno- und Beherrschung seiner selbst. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 123 "Wenn die Zeit kommt, wo man von Schlachten sprechen wird, wie wif heute von Menschenfressen; wenn die ehrliche, fleissige, menschenfreiindliche Arbeit die Geschichte der Mensch- heit bildet, dann wird ein Mann wie Franklin neu erstehen. Mo- ses, Jesus, Mohammed erschien Gott in der Einsamkeit, der Witste, Spinoza erkannte ihn in der Einsamkeit der Studirstube, Franklin in der Einsamkeit auf dem Meere und im Ringen mit der Arbeit. "Die Welt wi.irde nicht besonders viele Schonheit haben, wenn alle Menschen wiiren wie Franklin, seinem Wesen fehlt jeg- licher romantische Duf t ; aber die Welt wiirde in Rechtschaffen- heit, Wahrhaftigkeit, Arbeit und Hilfeleistung leben. Jetzt sa- gen sie Liebe und freuen sich ihrer schonen Gefiihle, aber ihr diirft nur von Liebe reden, wenn ihr sie nie bethiitigt habt. "In Franklin ist das von Sokrates und besonders wohlthu- end wirkt sein Humor ; er lasst uns auch herzHch lachen. Frank- lin ist gute Prosa, verstandig, durchsichtig, haltbar. Das ist das Giinstige und Auszeichnende im Leben Franklins, dass er der erste 'self-made man' war. "Wollten wir dem Alterthum gleich eine mythische Gestalt bilden fiir jene Welt, die sich Amerika nennt, von Europa die Gotter — ich meine, die geistlichen Ideen mitbrachte und desto frei ein eigen Leben aufbaute — wollt ihr eine Menschengestalt fiir diesen Gedanken, da steht Benjamin Franklin. Er war voll Wissens und niemand hatte ihn gelehrt, er war voll Religion und hatte keine Kirche, er war ein Menschenfreund und doch ein kluger Kenner ihrer Bosheit. "Er hat den Blitz zu leiten verstanden, nicht nur den aus den Wolken, sondern auch den aus den Gewittersleidenschaften des Menschengemiits ; er hat jene Klugheitsregeln gefasst, die gegen Zerfahrenheit sichern, unsere Selbstfiihrung reif machen. Warum ich ihn aber zum Fiihrer in der Erziehung eines Men- schen nehmen mochte, ist das: er stellt den einfachen, gesunden Menschenverstand dar, den fasten und sichern, nicht den genial iiberraschenden, aber den biirgerlich, politisch, wissenschaftlich und sittlich, ruhig und stetig wohlfiihrend. Luther war der Be- sieger des Mittelalters ; Franklin ist der erste moderne, sich selbst aufbauende Mensch. 124 Benjamin Franklin and Germany "Franklin hat keine neue Grundsatze in die Welt gebracht, aber er hat was ein ehrHcher Mensch in sich finden kann, rein ausgestaltet. "Was Franklin ist iind gibt, hat nichts Besonders, nichts Aufregendes, Vorraussehendes, Geheimnisvolles, nichts farbig Glanzendes, Blendendes, es ist das Wasser des Lebens, dessen alle Kreatur bedarf. Der Mensch des vergangenen achtzehnten Jahrhunderts hatte keinen Sinn fiir das Volkstum, konnte ihn nicht haben, das war ein Drangen und Treiben aus dem freien Gedanken heraus, bis zur Spitze und Schlusse des Jahrhunderts, bis zur Revolution. "Franklin ist der Sohn dieses Jahrhunderts, er kennt nur die dem Menschen eingeborenen Krafte, nicht die ererbten." Roland says. Volume 4, page 193: "Ich habe Lilian hier getroffen. Sagen Sie nicht, dass wir noch zu jung seien; wir sind alter durch Ereignisse. Benjamin Franklin woUte ja ]Miss Read auch heirathen, als er achtzehn Jahre alt war. Wir haben uns gelobt, erst wenn der Krieg zu Ende, einander anzugehoren." III. Charles Sealsfield. Das Kajiitenbiich oder nationale Charakteristikcn. Friedrich M. Pels, Leipzig, Seite 193: '' 'Sollte das meinen,' unterbrach hier den he f tig auffahren- den Oberst Cracker ein anderer unserer zahllosen Obersten; 'sollte das meinen, denn wer erinnert sich nicht, wie so todlich lang und langsam fiir unsere Vater und Vorvater sich damals in den achtzigen Jahren die Friedensunterhandlungen zu Paris hinzogen ?' "'Die doch von einem Franklin geleitet wurden!' machte sich hier Oberst Cracker Luft. " 'Der sich aber bei dieser Gelegenheit ganz und gar nicht als Staatsmann bewies !' fiel wieder der General ein. 'Es unter- liegt gar keinem Zweifel. dass er, iiberlistet vom schlauen Ver- gennes. bereits auf die Basis eines zwanzigjahrigen Waffenstill- standes zwischen uns und England, zu L^nterhandeln ange fan- gen, als Jay noch zu rechter Zeit sich durch an die englischen Minister wandte, und statt des \\\affenstillstandes den Prieden, und somit die L"^nabhangigkeitsanerkennung erhielt. Das war dem Pranzosen ein Donnerschlag, und er zeigte sich ausseror- Benjamin Franklin and Germany 125 dcntlich ungebardig, denn nach seinem perfiden Pliinchen sollten wir die englische Botmassigkeit nur abgeschiittelt haben, um in die franzosische iiberzugehen ; aber Jay blieb fest, und Franklin, obwohl von den Lockungen des f ranzosischen Hofes umsponnen, gewahrte endlich doch seinen Fehler,' " Seite 194: "Diese friihe, gesunde republikanische, — uns so eigentiimliche Erziehung — die uns ebensowohl zum Regieren — als Gehorchen eignet — lernen wir erst gehorig schatzen, wenn wir unter die unerzogenen oder verzogenen Volker und Nationen sowohl unseres Amerikas als Europas geworfen, ihre Kindheit, Hilflosigkeit und Unerfahrenheit gleichsam mit Handen zu grei- fen Gelegenheit erhalten." IV. Elise Polko, in lier book entitled Musikalische Mdrchen, Phantasicn und Skizzen, Leipzig, 1877 (Band I, S. 145-163, Die Erfindung dcr Harmonika), tells in a most delightful manner, in her style so dear to the hearts of children, of the visits of the re- nowned Dr. Franklin to the family Davis in London. Mary Davis, the elder of the two charming daughters of the widow Davis, felt the deepest veneration for the philosopher, and even in spite of his years the fibers of her heart were aften touched by a tinge of love that seemed to grow because of the absolute impossibility of such a union. One afternoon, Dr. Franklin was suddenly overcome, in their presence, by an attack of severe ill- ness and Mary thinking that the aged man was about to die, ran madly out into the cold wintry evening and after a long search returned with a physician. Dr. Franklin's illness was of short duration, but Mary by the exposure had caught a cold, that left so disastrous an effect that her beautiful voice whose tones had so often delighted Franklin in wonderful songs, was no more. The story relates the circumstances in a most realistic manner, and we are told that to alleviate the terrible affliction that had befallen Miss Davis, he invented for her the flute-toned har- monica. CHAPTER IX. Letters From Austria and Germany to Franklin. The letters here quoted have all been taken from the original manuscripts in the American Philosophical Society of Philadel- phia. With few exceptions, this is the first time that they have appeared in print. There are eighty-nine letters in the German language directed to Franklin, in the above mentioned collection ; many of them in the best legible form, many unfortunately prac- tically illegible. The letters from Germans to Franklin were usually addressed in the French language, or in English, strongly marked with foreign properties. On many of the German let- ters we find somewhere a note in red ink, in Franklin's own hand, asking for a resume or translation of the letter in question. The arrangement of the following letters is a chronological one, and includes but a meagre proportion of manuscripts, worthy of careful consideration. The correspondence with the Austrian physician, Ingen Housz, would form a large chapter in itself. In the Library of Congress, there can be found a number of this doctor's letters addressed to Jefferson, after the return of Franklin to America. In the book entitled Jan Ingen Housz, sein Lchcn iind seine Wcrke als Natiirforschcr und Arzt; imter Mitivirkung von Professor Th. Escherich, Professor E. Mach, Professor R. von Topley und IVegscheider, by Professor Julius Wiesner (Festausgal)e zum I. Internationalen botanischen Kon- gress in Wien, 1905), there is mention that the K. K. Hofbib- liothek contains Ein im Nachlasse gefundenes Manuscript, zvelches die lateinische Ubersetzung zahlreicher Brief e enthdlt, die an Franklin in Bctrcff der Elektricitdt von verschicdencn Gclehrten gcrichtct ivurdcn. One letter from Franklin to Ingen Housz was sold in an auction in Munich, 1882, but the purchaser cannot be found. A collection treating the correspondence of Franklin with this Austrian court physician, can be found in the Antographen Katalog von Gilhofcr und Ratichburg in Wien (Auktion III, 2 Marz, 1901), here the contents of the letters are given in brief. Among these there is a reference to a letter from (126) Benjamin Franklin and Germany 127 Franklin, dated September 19, 1786, which discusses medical methods. Unfortunately, from Professor Wiesner's careful search in the "Wiener Universitatsbibliothek", we are assured that there are absolutely no letters of Franklin to be had. (From a letter to the author, April 3, 19 13.) "Wien, 3. April 1913. "Sehr geehrtes Fraulein ! "Ihr Schreiben mit dem Poststempel Philadelphia, 10. Marz, habe ich erhalten und durch dasselbe lernte ich Ihre Wiin- sche die Correspondcnz Ingen Housz, Franklin betrefifend, zu kennen. "Leider kann ich diese Wiinsche nicht erfiillen und zwar aus folgenden Gri'mden. "Aus der mir zuganglich gewesenen Korrespondenz des Ingen Housz und aus anderen vertraulichen Documenten geht mit Bestimmtheit hervor, dass Ingen Housz mit Franklin in inni- gem Verkehr gestanden. Fine Arbeit iiber Warmeleitung ist von beiden gemeinschaftlich ausgefiihrt worden, aber schliesslich von Ingen Housz allein veroffentlicht. Aber trotz vieler Bemii- hungen ist es mir nicht die regen Briefe ihrer zweifellos sehr rei- chen Korrespondenz aufzutreiben. Die Wiener Universitats- bibliothek besitzt gar keine Briefe dieser Korrespondenz, wo ich besonders anfiihre, da Sie hofften, von dort Briefe zu bekom- men oder Adressen zu erhalten. "Es tut mir sehr leid, dass ich Ihnen sehr geehrtes Fraulein nicht dienen kann. "Hochachtungsvoll, "Ihr ergb. "J. WiESNER." (a) Correspondence from Austria. Franklin's correspondence from Austria centers around his intercourse with the physician and scientist, Jan Ingen Housz, and is a' most interesting one, since he discussed with his friend a varied series of subjects ranging from science to politics and from personal matters to those of imperial courts. From Passy, October 2, 1781, he gives Ingen Housz the following description 128 Benjamin Franklin and Germany of Arnold's treatment as depicted in the Philadelphia German Almanac: "You will see by a German Almanac which I send you, how his Effigies was treated at Philadelphia. And since you ask for American Newspapers, I will send you some German Ones. We have there in that language published weekly at Philadelphia and Germantown, by which you may judge that the People with us who speak it are very numerous and now that England can no longer monopolize our commerce the aged Connection of that people with their Mother Country will be a means of opening a considerable American Trade with Germany by the North Seas and the Mediterranean. ... I last year requested of Congress to release me from the Service, that I might spend the Evening of Life more agreeably in philosophic Leisure. But I was refused."^^ Previous to the above Ingen Housz had written from Brus- sels on May 3, 1780 — 'T hope you are not so entirely involved in the troubles and business of the world Politics, as to have abandoned entirely the world Nature whose laws made by the supreme wisdom and is constant and unalterable as its legislature himself. It would indeed, be bad to me to conceive that a man a Philosopher so often and so successfully employed in researches of the most intricate and the most mysterious operations of Nature, should have so far lost all feeling for those truly delight- ful occupations of mind, as to be given over without reserve to the pursuit of systems formed by man and build upon founda- tions of so little solidity, as to be often overturned by men, and accidental circumstances."^*^ "To his excellency Benj. Franklin minister plenipot. from the Congress to the French Court. "Dear Sir "I hope you have received in du time my last dated April 24 together with the copy of a book in the German language. Mr. le Begue has the original first Manuscript in hands, but does *' American Philosophical Society. *" American Philosophical Society. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 129 not go on with printing of it . . . [Here is inserted a refer- ence to his friend Wharton's honesty and two letters are intrusted in this letter to Franklin to be handed over to this same friend.] "The Emperor does not give all hope of seeing you here as minister on the entering general Congress; but nobody wishes more sincerely for such a meeting as i. Let me hear from you weather our hopes are grounded, and weather Lord Shelburn and Mr. Fox will declare you a free people. I hope that you are content with your countrymen. "Mr. Le Begue informs me he has a letter you wrote to me but not finished. But, pray, send it to me as it is, if you should not have time to finish it. Let me have something to tell from you to my Imperial Master, who often asks me news about you. letters delivered to Count Mercy will surely come to hand. "i expect the new English ministers will soon become as haughty as the former if succes attend the national armies, as this caracter is that of the whole nation. "Give my best compliments to your son, and do not entirely forget "your old and faith full "friend J. Ingen Housz. "Vienna Austria, Juin 12th, 1782." "To his excellency B Franklin, Minister Plenip. of the United States at Passy. "Dear Friend — [After an incidental mention of the lightning experiment demonstrated in Cremona and the request that Franklin may sub- mit to him an explanation for the same, the next letter reads as follows] : ". . . I do not give up hopes of a general Con- gress being held at Vienna, as, besides the affaires to be adjusted between Gr. Britain and the United States of America, the other European Powers have direct or indirect relation with America, as a New power starting up all at once, old treaty between Gr. Brittain & Holland will be annihilated and new ones made and many new regulations must take place between all the European Powers, after the tremendous power of that proud insulary na- tion will be reduced to a mere moderate condition. All those 130 Benjamin Franklin and Germany things cannot be adjusted so soon and require some time to be settled, which I imagine can't be conveniently done but by con- voking a congress. "i am very glad to see that your wighty political occupa- tions have not yet been able to make you laid aside those pur- suits which were formerly your favorite studies. I hope that for the sake of Philosophy, that you will fulfill your desire to pass the evening of life in the pursuit of nature's laws. I wish I was at Liberty to follow you on the Spot, where you will finish 3^ou glorious carreer, and where i myself have had the strongest inclination to finish mine : and indeed this thought had a great wight with me in resolving to employe a part of my fortune in a way, by which there was a faire prospect of aug- menting my Stock so as to make me independent of Europe: and indeed if I could write to you, what I think upon the times to be expected in this country, you would certainly think it much better for me to live in a country of freedom whose laws are framed by those who submit to them, and where no frowns of a monarch will ever inspire terror and apprehension to any man. . . . [Here follows a discussion of the lightning and the expression of the writer's appreciation of Franklin's knowledge in such matters.] . . . they believe you have rightly understood the meaning of the author, as I remember having run over the performance when I was with you at Passy. i made an extract of what you wrote about the American Affairs in the letter accompaning the reflections on pere Bart- lett's book — and at what you say that it is the interest of whole Europe to prevent a federal connexion between Gr. Britain & the American free states; join some reflections about the danger to be apprehended for the tranquility of Europe if so proud and auarlsome a nation should be again united with North America to also have its full support in time of warr and be at an expense to keep it in time of peace. I did make use of those reflexions you communicated to me by reasoning about this affair. I gave the paper to the first lord of the bedchamber, who gave it to the Emperor. He kept it. But I made no extract of Your letter of July 4th, as you write me the contents are for my private information. I am much obliged to you for those Benjamin Franklin and Germany 131 informations and will be very glad of knowing from time to time who your coimtrie affaires go on. But it is a pity that letters remain such long while behind. . . . [Here he writes his intention of forwarding his mail by the hands of Count Mercy and tells Franklin of Le Begue's impression of his own books.] "i am very respectfully "Dear Sir "Your obedient humble serv. "and affectionate friend "J. Ingen Housz." "to Bej. Franklin "Passy. "Dear Friend, "This is only to accompany the adjoined letter to Mr. Wein- brenner, who as you see, does not lose time to make use of your kind proposition of giving some introductory letters to his agent, who is Mr. DonatJi. This gentleman will set out in a few weeks for Philadelphia, New York & Boston, where he will spend two years. He will carry with him various productions of this country. I hope you will as soon, as convenient for you, grant the request of Mr. Weinbrenner. "Your original letter with the medal inclosed is not yet come to hand, neither the Philadelphia Almanac, you was so good as to send me a year ago . . . [describes his enclosed profile] . "Your advice about the statuary was thankfully received and approved of. I received at last from le Bague the first sheets of my book under the press at Paris — I did not find a single typographical error in them. "I hope still to see you here with your grandson before you set out for your beloved America. "i am with greatest estime "Your most obedient serv. "and affectionate friend "J. Ingen Housz. "Vienna juin 23, 1783." 132 Benjamin Franklin and Germany "Dear Friend "Mr. Grand acquainted me with your save arrival, your continuation in good health and with your being appointed gov- ernor of Pennsylvania. This happy news has filled me with so much pleasure that I cannot but wish you joye on it. . . . "I publish from time to time some new books either in Ger- man or in French and should wish to send you a copy of them if I knew an opportunity to send it over without expense. "I hope the two volumes of my German books, Vcrmischte Schriften, are come to hand. They are delivered in hands of Mr. Grand. The Emperor and other great fox ask me often whether I have got no letters from you. "I hope you have found your country in the enjoyment of Freedom, which they owe to you, and that you enjoy your- self the happiness you deserve for your services from a grate- full Nation, and strength enough of mind and body to consoli- date their union, without which they can't remain free nor re- spectable. "Yours "J. Ingen Housz "Vienne in Autriche March 8, 1786." The following letter from Valltravers and from J. M. Bir- ckenstoch serves to show the high esteem in which another mem- ber of the court circle of Vienna held Franklin : "Vienna in Germany June i, 1785. "Sir! "Our worthy mutual Friend, Dr. Ingenhousz, has imparted to me, your long wished for Release from yr., alltho' honor- able, yet too laborious public Station, most gloriously filled these 50 years; not only to the salvation of yr. own native Country from wicked abuse of yr. faith full Loyalty & Attach- ment to yr. mother Country, from its selfish & tyrannical oppres- sion & intended bondage but to the Benefit of all Mankind, by establishing & maintaining a sacred Asylum to distressed In- Benjamin Franklin and Germany 133 dustry to persecuted Merit & to rational legal Liberty all the World over. Give me Leave, dear Sir, as an old Friend & admirer of yours to congratulate with You, on the approaching Returne of Yr. peaceable domestic Felicity and the well deserved Applause of yr. forever obliged constituents & their remotest Posterity. "The friendly Invitation you have given to Dr. Ingenhousz, to come over to Philadelphia, and to join you and yr. Labors & those of yr. Academy, to promote use full Knowledge, Arts and Sciences, has been a very tempting one. Had it pleased Heaven to prolong the Life of the late Empress-Queen, he might have obtained her Leave, to absent himself for some years and still to hold the Pension of L500 per annum bestowed upon him, . . . "1 have translated yr. Instrtictions to those who think of settling in N. America into the German Language & apply 'd for Leave to print it But the Censure would not permit its Publication. There being an excellent Printing Office at Phila- delphia in the german Language, directed by Mr. Heiner, I sh. most willingly furnish him, not only with this, but also many other interesting translations for the Benefit, both of the Ameri- can States & for the Inhabitants of Europe, which might obtain a ready sale at Hamburg, for all Germany and Switzerland. Such as Mr. Adams Letters of an American Farmer; and what Performances of yours and of yr. Academicians, might be in- trusted to my Translation into german, french, and Italian — I would also translate some excellent french Publications into English, for the Use of the Americans; such as Mr. Polieu Treatise du Goiwernement des Moeurs; or what other works you would be pleased to point out to me. Thus would the Remainder of my Days not be lost, as was my whole Life, in profitable, useful Action and Instruction. Happy, if guided by yr. Knowl- edge and Experiences, and actuated by my Love of mankind, I can be made instrumental, in any Degree in promoting and diffusing of Truth, Vertue and Happiness! "With this my fixed Resolution founded on such Principles, 134 Benjamin Franklin and Germany I humbly beg leave to crave the Continuance of yr. Kindness & Friendship to "Sir! "Yr. Excellcy's "Most sincerely devoted hble. Serv. "Rodh. Valltravers." "Monsieur, "L'accueil flatteur, dont Mr. Ingenhousz, les gens de lettres en general et, j'ose le dire, le Corps diplomatique d'ici ont honore (-Monsieur) — cy- jointe m'enhardit, Monsieur, d'en pre- senter a Votre Excellence quelques exemplaires en Vous sup- pliant de les agreer comme un hommage de ma part, et de vouloir bien en distribuer aux heros et hommes d'etat chez vous, qui prendront quelqu' interet au sujet a une production dans ce genre parceque je sais que vous I'avez aime, Ne Soyez pas surpris Monsieur de vous paroitre au milieu de Vienne un monument du Roi Frederic. . . . " . . . j'ai essaye de concentrer dans co tableau sa vie sa caractere, ses actions memorables, I'histoire et I'esprit de son reigne la marche et la profondeur de sa politique de peindre ce Prince unique d'apres la verite sans adulation, sans la defier. . . . Votre Excellence sera a tous egards le juge le plus com- petent, le plus impartial du merite de I'ouvrage. . . . "Je prie Dieu, qu'il Vous conserve a la gloire de Votre patrie, a la consolation de toutes les gens de bien, une longue suite d'annees, et qu'il Vous comble des benedictions reserves aux plus dignes mortels. Agreez ces Voeux Mansieur aussi vraies et sinceres, qui seront toujours les sentiments plenis de respect et de veneration, avec lesquels j'ai I'honneur d'etre "De Votre Excellence "Le tres humble et tres obeissant "Serviteur "J. M. Birckenstock "Consoiller antique actuel de sa Majeste le Empereur "a Vienne "a Vienne "en Autriche "ce 29 Decembre 1786." Benjamin Franklin and Germany 135 (b) Correspondence from Germany The following list has been made from actual letters to Franklin. Their contents varies. In some we find mere inquiries as to the whereabouts of relatives or friends. In others expres- sions of praise or veneration for Dr. Franklin's achievements or petitions to him for his intercession and interest in a personal or commercial enterprise : I. Anspach 21. Felsberg 2. Augsburg 22. Frankfurt a/M. 4. Berlin 23- Giessen 3. Bahlingen (Wurtemburg) 24. Gotha 5. Bonn 25- Hamburg 6. Bremen 26. Hannover 7. Butzow 27- Heidelberg (Mecklinburg-Schwerin ) 28. Hildeheim 8. Cassell 29. Homburg 9. Carlsruhe 30- Jena 10. Colmar 31- Kiel 1 1 . Cologne 32. Landeshutt (Silesia) 12. Ciistrin 33- Leipzig 13. Dessau 34- Ludwigsburg 14. Dresden 35- Mainz 15. Durlach (Schwaben) 36. Mannheim 16. Dusseldorf 37- Metz 17. Ebingen 38. Miinchen 18. Einsenach 39- Nordhausen 19. Erfurt 40. Niirnberg 20. Erlangen 41. Strassburg 42. Stuttgart A Letter of Thanks. "Monsieur "La compliance que vous avez cue a me procurer une autre joli Perspective me fait prendre la Liberte a vous prier derechef de m'envoyer le plutot possible encore un pareil. . . . "Je serrai par contre toujours pret a vos ordres dans ces quartiers ci et ne demand que I'occasion a vous prouver le sin- 136 Benjamin Franklin and Germany cere attachment et la parfaitc Consideration avec laquelle j'ai rhohneiir d'etre. "Monsieur "Votre trcs humble et tres "obeissant serviteur "L. M. Leither "Conseller de S. A. S. Electorate Palatine "francfort "le 16 Mars 1767- "Mes assurance de Respect "a Mr. John Pringle." ''Cassell March 17, 1770 "Sir; "I sympathize so much with Your publick spirit and your Genius You have happily devoted to your countries service and improvement of natural Philosophy, that the keeping; me in Your good remembrance is the least liberty I can indulge me with. I cannot therefore neglect to trouble You with these lines and to recommend You, Mr. Lichtcnberg, Professor of Mathematics and natural Philosophy in the University of Giessen. He is very desirous to be nearer acquainted with a Man he values so high in so many respects ; and besides he himself will plead the liberty I take and easily gain a part in the friendship you have bestowed on me. "The compliments for me, which last Summer You ordered to Mr. Merk, who had the honour to see You in Switzerland, have been delivered to me. They were very welcome to me, as shall l;)e too the dearer proof of Your continuing my worthy friend the new Edition of Your electrical letters, which I hope will now be finished. "I recommend me to Your and to Mr. Pringle's further favour and have the honour to be with the highest and warmest regard 1 '*^, "Dear Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant "R. E. Raspe" Benjamin Franklin and Germany 137 Rudolf Erich Raspe, the German antiquarian and miner- alogist and author of Baron Milnclihausens ErzUhlungen seiner zvunderbaren Reise und Kreigsabentener in RUssland from which he had drawn on Swift. We see thus that literary men in Ger- many had personal acquaintance with Franklin and Sir John Pringle. "Munchen, April 10, 1773. "Sir: "The fame of your knowledge and of your Humanity is spread abroad in all the nations of Europe so that i take the Liberty to write you and to inquire you about the possibility of the Merchandising which a company of Bavarie will undertake in the American Republic. We do hope for much supporting to the accomplishing of this our design in the Maritime Towns of Germany, Holland, France and Spain. But we have not accounts enough from the American coast ; you shall oblige in- finitely our Company, if you did order, that any man give us Notice of the Merchandises, which we could put off upon the American coast, likewise of the American products, which we could sell in Europe. But your command can procure us that information. We are reminded to send a factor to Philadelphia in this yet. We desire your counsel and your orders and tell you with all the Liberty republican, that we are your worship- ers, i am with very much esteem "Sir "your very humble servant "jos. Utschneider bailiff "to Anger in Bavarie "You will pardon my dry "stile to a learning." 'Bonn, sur le Rin le 18 Jan. 1778 "Wollgebohrner Herr "Hochzuverehrender Herr. "Schon vom Amfang des jezigen Americanischen Krieges hatte ich das grosseste Verlangen dem Hochpreisslichen General Congress brave zu dienen ; aber unzulangliche Mittel zur Reise 1^8 Benjamin Franklin and Germany hinderten diesen Vorsatz ; Nun wo ich seit einiger Zeit alles dazii ersparrt habe, um entweder iiber Paris oder Rotterdam abzuge- hen, da finde ich in denen hiesigen Zeitungen das gehorsamst beigelegte unterstrichen Avertisement, zu immcr grosser Ver- vvunderung. Ich glaube zwar dass es von einem miissigen Kopf frei inserirt worden; jedoch iind um meine Raise nach America mit Gewisheit und niitzhch unternehmen zu konnen. So will ich mich mit Eur. Wohlgeborn. hochgeneigter Erlaubniss hier durch um den Grund oder Ungrund dieses Advertisements ganz treu gehorsamst erkundingen und wiinsche dass es ganz falsch seye — und Gott der Allemachtige denen Waffen des hochpreiss. Con- gresses einen unaufhaltlichen Sieg in Gnaden geben moge. . . . "Eur. Wohlgeb. "treu gehorsamer Diener, "August Wilhelm Weyl." Enclosed we find a copy of the "Gnadigst privilegirtes Bonnisches Intelligenz-Blatt, Dienstag, den I3ten Januar 1778." Under the "Politische Nachrichten" we read "Auszug eines Schreibens von einem Offizier zu Philadelphia, vom 27sten Oktober," the following: "Vor einiger Zeit ist grosse Anzahl Offiziers, welche mit Rekommendations — Briefe von den Herrn Franklin und Deane versehen waren, von hier nach Amerika abgereiset, und theils zu Boston, theils zu Charles-Town angekommen. Von da haben sie an den Herrn Washington und den Kongress geschrieben, um bei der amerikanischen Armee placirt zu werden; sie haben aber zur Antwort erhalten dass keine Platze vakant waren. . . . "Man spricht wiederum stark vom Kriege. und einige halten solchen fiir unvermeidlich. . . . "Der Herr Franklin hat dieser Tage eine lange Konferenz mit dem Ministerium gehabt, und ist von demselben mit vieler Achtung begegnet worden." This letter is accompanied by an English translation of the newspaper clipping and a short resume of Weyl's German letter. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 139 This shows that Franklin's knowledge of the German language IS most limited. The gist of this is as follows : A. W. Weyl, the author of it, says that he had always entertamed a great deal of good will for the Congress and has a mnid to prove instrumental to them in the present war but he has read m the newspaper of Bonn (whose there is an ex- emplary enclosed) that a great deal of officers being gone to America with recommendation from D. Franklin and M Deane has been refused by Congress. He asks whether this news be true or false. Jacob Hemmer, in a Latin letter written from Mannheim, Uctober 8, 1778, sends a very comprehensive list of books for tT^' , ^""^"f 'u''' "'' '^' ^^"°^^"^ ^^hether Franklin had knowledge of the authors is doubtful, but he must have heard indirectly of such as Lessing, Wieland, Gottsched and Klopstock) : grammatica germanica Testamen artes poetica germ, doctrina de praepositionibus germ, grammatica germ. Derivates vocabulorum germ. 2 vol. Opera omnia prosica et poet. Satyra. 6 vol. Opera poeta et prosa. Opera varia comedia tragedia dramaturgic bibliotheca theatralis Opera poetica Opera prosaica Armadis Sternheim Diogenes Speculum aureum Gottsched Reichard Hemmer Fulda Gellert Rabner Gesner Lessing Wieland 140 Benjamin Franklin and Germany Don Sylvio Agathon Uz Opera poetica Hagedorn Opera poetica Klopstock Messias Oda Opera poetica et prosaica Zacharia Poemata universa List without works Jacobi, Miiller, Haller, Kaniz, Kleist, Nicholai, Ramler. "Heidelberg, Oct. 10, 1778. "Hond. Sir "According to your request I have taken the liberty in writing to you having enclosed five letters directed to the care of Mr. Parr a particular friend of mine in Philadelphia, as my business obliges me to tarry longer here than I first expected — & anxious that my friends should hear from me, I have taken this liberty of enclosing them to your care & if opportunity oflfers, I should be under many obligations you will take the trouble of transmitting them to America. I was sorry I had not the happiness of seeing you before my departure from Paris. I waited on you to take my leave but you had gone to Ver- sailles. In regard of my objection coming to this country — which I informed you I am so far happy in hearing it is at interest and under the care of a wealthy Uncle. ... I am likewise happy to inform you that I am in this country amongst the midst of friends of our cause from the Lord to the Peasant — I have been examined through every garrison I passd but found no interruption in my rout. I daily carry my uniform — acknowl- edge my rank & support the character of an AmericanOj^'c^rr — in general the Germans have had a feint Idea of the Strength of our country & for what our glorious opposition was for — many have visited me and are anxious for going to America — the Elector left this last week for Bavaria when he succeeds the last dececyd Elector their appears to be a general discontent among the people here of Protestant societies, about their rulers — who are chiefly of the Catholic Religion which has made Benjamin Franklin and Germany 141 great partys — & seem to bear a great antipathy to each other — particularly in the present war between the Emperor & the King of Prussia — the former secretly praying for Prussian suc- cess ... as I now have given you a knowledge of my safe arrival . . . & the disposition of the people in this part of the globe toward us. "I shall conclude not forgetting to return you many thanks for your friendly consul. I have the Honour to remainc with much respect your Honour's most "Obt. Hbl. Servant Jacob Rieger." "Frankfort-on the Maine Oct. 21st 1778. "The author asks Franklin for a letter directed to him from Mr. Dumas and continues thus ; . . . ". . . . Mr. Dumas also writes, that a ship arrived at Bordeaux, it is said, Rhode-Island is taken and the B. troops are made prisoners — I pray God you very speedily receive an authen- tic confirmation of this important news. . . . "Private letters from Paris received by a banker in this city also say that the court of Spain had resolved on taking an imme- diate & open part in favor of Am — as you best know if there is any foundatin for it. "In the English papers of the 6 & 10 inst. which perhaps you have not yet seen, there are ministerial paragraphs declaring the great discontent that prevail in France on account of the late captures, against Monsieur Saree and yourself, who they say — are looked upon as the chief causes of the war — and they give out that you were obliged to refuge at Ver ... to avoid the resentment of the mob. Your popularity in France to suffer such fabrications to meet with the least credit or cause uneasiness to any of your friends. "I have the honor to be with the highest respect and esteem "Sir "Your most obligd "and "most obedient "Servant "Sam. W. Stockton" 142 Benjamin Franklin and Germany The father of our famed Baron von Steuben petitioned FrankHn in several letters to give him information concerning the welfare of his son. These letters with one exception are in German and in passages very difficult to read. The dates of four not given here are (i) February 11, 1780; (2) December i, 1781; (3) January i, 1783; (4) March 29, 1783. This letter is written in German as well as French. "Monsieur I'ambassadeur, "Ayant vu dans la Gazette frangaise que mon fils etait verit- ablement en service ameriquain. en qualite de General Inspecteur je prends de vous la liberte d'impartuner. Votre Excellence en la priant tres humblement d'avoir la bonte de I'ay faire remettre la Lettre incluse. Les qualites eminentes de votre amiable caractere sont trop connues pour que je I'aye pas tout lieu dis pour que vous voudres bien avoir la bonte de ne pas me refuser cette grace. "Je suis et demeurai jusqu'au tombeau avec la reconaissance la plus grande de la consideration la plus distinguee. "De Votre Excellence. "Le tres humbler et tres obeirs. serv. "Signe W. A. von Steuben "Major & Chevalier de I'ordre pour le "merite, "Custrin le 6 Nov. 1779." "Hochwohlgeborener Herr, "Hochstzuehrender Herr Ambassadeur "Eur Excellenz miissen die Freyheit Eur (fiir) aber man- ches Schreiben an meinen Sohn den General Leutnant zu iibersen- den mit gantz gehorsamstem Bitte die Giinstigkeit zu haben und es mit sehr gutem BegrifTe mit Worten zu befordern die ich mit vollem Respect beharre. "Eur. Excellenz, "Gehorsamster Diener, "W. A. von Steuben. "Custrin "d. 18. October "1780." Benjamin Franklin and Germany 143 A letter from von Steuben Ciistrin, April 10, 1780, expresses his joy that his son has written to him, and requests the forward- ing of the enclosed letter This shows that Franklin, no doubt, urged Lieutenant von Steuben to write to his aged father. "Reverend Father "As a child of Science & a person who owes to you a pro- tection & numberless attentions during my stay at Paris which will do me profit and honor all my life, I feel toward you more than duty and veneration which would be due to a natural parent for such obligations. . . . "The coolness with which science is courted at Leipsig & a general disposition to a contentment in such discoveries as the sons of Science in France or great Britain may throw into the world, tends to continue old usages and theories, such parts of the School of Leipsic, as I have at present acquaintance with appear much inferior to that of Paris & no way superior to that young seminary which owes its birth to you & which has already reflected infinite honor to its Patrons reputation & utility to that Countr}'^ which can only boast of producing Doct. Franklin. "There is a school at Leipsic where the unhappy mutes of both sexes & all ages are taught to write, speak & read similar to those of Paris and Edinburgh, I was shown there by a friend — when a young pupil of fifteen enquired what countrymen I was, perceiving me to be a stranger — The Master told I was from North America & asked him if he knew what country that was, the pupil answered yes, it was Doct. Franklin's country & that it lay there, pointing to the West. "For the character, station & person of him by whose name the dumb are even capable of distinguishing a vast powerful! Western country — permit me to submit to the honor of his ac- ceptance the profoundest sentiments of gratitude, duty & most humble regard — & allow me to wish that gracious heaven may, by his life & health continue to his country a fond & affectionate Father, and honorable Patron to Science an ornament & usefull 144 Benjamin Franklin and Germany citizen to the Universe & Parent to whom no one among the children of America can owe greater obHgation than "Yours most sincere friend "& truly humble sert. "John Foulke "Passy. "Leipsic, Oct. 12th, 1781, "His Excellency Doct. Franklin." "Sir, "Permit me to introduce to Your acquaintance the Bearer Mr. Loder, first physician to the Duke of Saxe Weimar a Man remarkable for his natural & acquired talents & one of the first Anatomists of our Germany. The happy moments which my Son has passed in Yr. company & the civilities You honoured him with as well as the condescendence & kindness You are used to treat with, all Men of talents & Science let me hope a favorable reception of my Friend Loder & will serve as an Apology for the Liberty I presume to take on this occasion. "Give me leave at the same time to congratulate You, on the happy prospect of seeing your Country at last acknowledged as independent by all Europe & Great Britain itself. The Satis- faction of seeing this great work so near a Conclusion at a gen- eral Pacification, must naturally contribute to Yr. happiness, who have had so great a Share in the Delivering Your Country from the oppressions of a Set of despotick Men, then at the head of ye British Administration. May providence shower down on You the choicest of her Blessings, is the sincere wish, together with the most respectuous regard of "Sir "Your "most obedt. humble Servant "Forster (Joh. Reinhold) "Halle in the Dutchy of Magdeburg "April ye 27th 1782. "His Excellency Benj. Franklin Esq." Benjamin Franklin and Germany 145 "Dear Friend "I send you Dr. Forster's Observations made during a voyage around the world & I have marked the page wherein he explains the formation of those places I spoke to you of and that are hardly higher than high water mark. . . . [The writer here discusses the theory of electricity on wood.] "But your superior Genius my dear friend well may be able to conquer these objections & dispell the cloud which duly seems to spread upon your explanation. "Thursday morning." The above letter, although unsigned, is in Johann Reinhold Forster's handwriting. Jean Guillaume Backhaus addressed Franklin in a letter from Hanover, 7th of February, 1783, written in French. In this he speaks of establishing a standing army in America and makes the proposition that the regular soldiers in Europe, now benefited by the peace established there, might make arrangements to help establish this army in the United States. Franklin, on the top of this letter has made a note in red ink, which reads as follows : "That It is probable that the United States will not keep up a Standing Army, having everywhere a well disciplined Militia. That many of the Germans have already deserted the English colonies, and settled in the Country, and it is probable most of them will do the same rather than return to Europe. That I am not authorized to set on foot any such Negotiations, am however obliged to him for his good Will to our Service, & request he would accept my Thanks" . . . "Monsieur "Le Ministre de Saxe m'a remis une lettre pour Vous. J'aurai a conferer avec Vous, Monsieur, sur le differents objects de Commerce entre les fitats unis de I'Amerique et la Saxe. 146 Benjamin Franklin and Germany Indiques moi, je \^ous prie, IMonsieiir, le jour et I'heure aiiquel je pourai avoir I'honneur de Vous voir. "Je suis avec tout Respet "Monsieur "Votre tres humble et tres obeissant serviteur "Ehrenhold Frederic Biederman "Conseiller de Cour de Dresde. "a Paris "cellme Mars "1783. "Rue Plattrieze "Hotel." "May it please Your Excellence — "Sir, "You remember perhaps that in the year 1773 in the time You lodged in the Strand not many miles from Mr. \\^eddebume a poor German Scholar recommended to you by the late Mr. Achenwall at Gottingen, willing to go to Philadelphia with an intention of Selling books payed to You his respects and that afterwards in the time of his miservs was relieved ver\^ gener- ously by your humanity. "It is therefore with the full acknowledgment of Your good will You have shewn me at a time I wanted it most, that a Son of freedom congratulates You most sincerely to the late con- clusion of a peace honorable both to You and Your Countrie, adding that not yet being married, notwithstanding i since one Year and a half have got a small livelihood at this place I still am of the same opinion, provided I can go there with Your recom- mendation, or can be certain of finding a lasting emploimenV connected with the proper Salary in the University of Phila- delphia in the quality of Professor or Lector of the German and Dutch languages. Likewise might I in the quality of M. of A. give instructions and read lessons in the historical and political Sciences as I have done here already, and in this case I humbly expect to be favored with a Speedy answer, for the month of ]\Iay advances, and I cannot go very well before the following Benjamin Franklin and Germany 147 1784th year. But even if You should not be pleased to give me Such an emploiment, I recommending myself, to your Benev- olence, wish You well, and shall be always with the greatest respect "Your Excellencies "most humble Servant "Joachim Heinrich Ludewig "Lector. Publicus of this University, "at Butzow in the "Duchy of Meklenburg "Schwerin the 23 of "March 1783." The following is but one example of the numerous appeals made to Dr. Franklin from commission merchants, manufac- turers and the like: "I hope your Excellency will allow us to represent to you, that during the war-time, we, in an indirect manner loaded sev- eral Ships, and which probably reached there several ports now the Peace is wholly concluded, we do not doubt but there will be Military Magazines or Arsenals settled in the different Provinces of America, which may require at the same time a provision of proper new arms, and as the iron of our country is of an excel- lent quality, and very fit for casting of arms, as likewise our Manufactury of this kind is one of the best, and most renowned in the World ; this enables us to make your Excellency the follow- ing proposals: "In case that the United States of America should deter- mine sooner or later to provide themselvez with proper new arms either for their Arsenals or their Troops; we do humbly offer our service to fit you with such from, it were requested that Excellency wou'd be pleased to send us the name, the Character and habitation of the party we shou'd have to deal with concern- ing the exportation of what may be ordered besides we will point out middling port to facilitate this Intercourse in order to this we would propose to your Excellency John Frederich Droop of Hamborough there might be also sent from America thither a 148 Benjamin Franklin and Germany Model of arms moulded In the manner the United States shou'd desire to have 'em. . . . However we warrant the goodness and solidity of the arms we may hereafter provide you with we beg your Excellency will honour with your Protection our Manufactury of Arms, we likewise recommend ourselves to your favour, and will incessantly offer up to heaven our prayers and good wishes for the continuance of your previous health, and remain with the most profound submission and most inviolate respect "Your Excellency's "Most Humble and "Most Obedient Servants "William Spangenberg and "John Spangenberg. "14th March 1783." A letter from the undersigned, oft'ering to pay for certain books sent to Spener, reads thus: "Monsieur "A la priere, que mon ami a Berlin auquel je suis attache prend la liberte de vous adresser, je n'ajoute que, s'l y a des frais, consertire le Sr. Durand Neveu Libraire rue Gallands a Paris pour y satis f aire & au meme temps pour recevior & m'expedier tout a qu'il plaisait a Votre Excellence d'envoyer a M. Spener. "Monsieur "De Votre Excellence "Le tres humble & "tres obeissant Serviteur "Treuttel "Librarie "Ci devant Bauer & Treuttel "Strassburg le I Juin "1783." Spener was the author of the "Historisch-genealogischer Calendar". Berlin, 1784. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 149 In 1782 we have another Steuben letter. "Hochwohlgebohrner Herr, "Hochstzuehrender Herr Minister. "Eur. Excellenz Gratulieren gantz gehorsamst zu den herr- lichen Aussichten vor den Amerikanischen vereinigten Provin- zien so durch deine riihmliche und weise Bemiihungen solchen Anschein genommen, welches alle Welt billig in Verwunderung gesetzt. Aber nehme mir die Freiheit abermal ein Schreiben an meinen Sohn den General zu iJbersenden. Mit gantz gehorsam- ster Bitte es dass mit ersterer Gelegenheit zu bekommen. Indem nicht weiss was von meinem Sohn denken soil, da nur nach alle meine Briefe in Zeit vor einem Jahr keine Antwort erhalten und dass vor meinem Ende miisste von Ihnen nun sein Wohlsein ver- sichert zu sein. Eur. Excellenz vergeben einem bald immer acht- zigjahrigen Alten dass er mit einem Schreiben so oft incommo- diren. Da ich aber keinen anderen Weg weiss so sage das Wort wenn nur zu der Welt bekannten Menschen und Liebe dass Sie meine Bitte giitig audi nehmen werden, und mir durch ein paar Zeilen bekannt machen, ob meine Briefe richtig angekommen. Denn ich mit aller erhimmlichsten Hochachtung bis an mein Ende beharren. "Eur. Excellenz, "Gantz gehorsamster Diener, "W. A. von Steuben, "Insigneur Major und Ritter des Ordens Pour le Merite. "Ciistrin, 8. Juni, 1782." We will give but one example of the innumerable applica- tions made from Germans of all ranks and stations, for posi- tions in the American Colonies, either in military or scholastic pursuits or in professions of medicine, chemistry or the like or in the more humble positions of trade. When we examine the hundreds of letters in the correspondence, that has been pre- served for more than two generations, we are astounded that so many letters from all sections reached Franklin's hands. As a benefactor of humanity, as a man of tact, as a man of political 150 Benjamin Franklin and Germany influence at home and abroad, he was besieged by a veritable avalanche, which would in its very size have terrified a more capable and calm correspondent at facing the task of answering in person or through his grandson each one of these epistles. We can presume that he was not lax in fulfilling his duties, for numerous letters acknowledge his personal reply to all sorts of trivial and important matters. Let us examine one of these ap- plications. "I presume to trouble you with an application for a Letter of Recommendation in favour of Mr. Biedermann Dr. of law in the University of Leipzig who in the course of last year set out for America in the capacity of Agent, & Manager of the Concerns & Interest of many of our principal Manufacturers & Merchants. . . . It is with singular pleasure I embrace this opportunity to assure you of the high Esteem and great respect with which I have the honor to subscribe myself. "Sir "Your Most Obedient & most humble Servant "Ct. de Bruhl "Dover St. "March 29th "1784." Another letter of interest is this. "Kiel in Holstein in the "neighborhood of Hamburgh, "May 3, 1786. "Sir "I should be very vain if I did hope that my satisfying my desire to give You any mark of the high veneration with which i have oftentimes dwelled with my heart on Your high abilities and on the force of Your genius, i could add something to the happiness of Your most illustrious life and if for that reason i did take the liberty of sending to You some of my writings by a brother who goes in this moment in affairs of the Westindia Company at St. Thomas. No, sir, i shall take none of such vanity. Tho' i am sure that Your heart is not indifferent to the Benjamin Franklin and Germany 151 veneration a good man has for You, wherever and whatever he may be, the esteem of a single man who is unknown to you can't be of much importance for a man who is admired and adored by whole nations. But what encourages me to write to You, is the hope that the books i take the liberty to join to this letter, could be of any service to serve men who have much influence into the modifications which are given to the evil and religious cultivations of the United States of America. I should not permit me to indulge to this delighting hope if Germany hat not judged very favorably of my writings and of their usefull- ness. In the book published just now i have endeavored to estab- lish universal principles with respect to all kinds of usefull notions particularly on account of religious matters. There cann't be put an end of all those Calamities and evils which result from the different opinions, which exist among man in point of religious precepts, if the government in every state takes not care, that principles, founded on the common sense of man- kind, be generally adopted and professed, by which every one is naturally exorted to be just and equitable and to abhor every religious perfedation. I am sure that all polite nations if they return to barbarousness and blindness, must come to such prin- ciples as a basis of human felicity. But the established religious constitutions, which are adopted not only in all countries where the Roman Catholic religion is domineering but also in every Protestant State of Europe, shall create for a long while many hindrances to wise amandments of religious doctrines. There is at present no people in the world, which can sooner be brought to a high degree of perfection in usefull services and religious [ doctrines than the inhabitants of the United States of America. ^ Your Americans adhere not to so many articles of faith as the Roman Catholic et protestant inhabitants of Europe do. Prin- ciples of toleration are domineering in all the United States. The utmost exertions of wise men and especially of one of the most learned and most wise men the world ever saw, the utmost exer- tions of a Franklin are employed to give to those States excellent Constitutions and laws. Universities and schools are rising and institutions of the Students of Divinity can be regulated on a 152 Benjamin Franklin and Germany liberal and enlarged plan comprehending all those who are good artisans, whatever they may think upon meerely theoretical articles of faith. Tho' i have not had, Sir, the idea of sending You my Winke fiir gute Fursten [Winks for good Princes] and tho' the idea is just now excited by the opportunity my brother gives me of sending you this book with some other writings — those considerations have nevertheless had the effect that i have perhaps writen but few pages, when i have not had in view the United American States and where i have not thought on the use, the Americans would make with surveys of my Winks. These ideas are the more nurished by the reflection that a very great number of the habitants of the united states are Germans. . . . I have but little reason to hope that You understand the German language^ — so much that you can read with any facility german books. . . ." [The author, Ehlers, speaks here of sending the French translation of the treatise he has written on human liberty and apologizes deeply for his imperfect knowledge of English, writ- ing: "But fearing that you could not read a german letter i would rather write you a bad englisch one."] "Thinking on You, Sir, which i do more often than You can conceive it, i wish most ardently that before You exit out of the Stage of this world all that belongs to government and to the laws of the united States of America, may be entirely settled; and with respect to the accomplishment of this my vow i wish with an ardor i am not able to express sufficiently, that it may please the divine providence to conserve a life which is superior for millions and the forces of You now for many years and that You may yet augment in a high Degree the benefits and obligations which the vast republican empire of the American states owe to Your wisdom, to the force of your genius, to Your learning and to all the great talents which provi- dence has been leased to unite in Your Person. "With these Overflowings of my wishes of my feelings i am "Sir "Your most obedient servant "M. Ehlers." Benjamin Franklin and Germany 153 In this letter he gives us a list of eight works, which he desires to send to America, for the use of those who may take interest in the subjects, which have been the fruits of his pen. "Landeshutten in Silesia, the 25 Octob. 1786. "Sir. " . . . i take the Liberty to beg your Excellency to use Your Interest and Authority & show that there are men in North America who Possess Honour and Justice & will not suffer that Rascals plunder Strangers of their property. I have been an American Patriot since by my means above 500 sols Have been brought over from Germany, and a very consider- able sum of ready money for my friends accounts have been spent in America, and I should still be and enjoie the Happiness of an American patriot and I not had the misfortune that some of my coloniernds had been the most perjured & most wicked villains, who by their interest at court and Perjury robbed me of my property. . . . Vexed at such an injustice I quited England and Retired to my Native Country where god be thank I enjoie that Happiness and ease as much as any reasonable man can wish for. I have the Honeur to be known Personally to my King and several of His Ministers and am favored by their friendship and Protection. "Two months ago we lost our King one of the greatest men which-ever Existed, no monarch ever supported more his sub- jects so than what he had done. He repaired Decayed Towns & those who were dstroyed in wartimes by his enemies or burned accidentally he rebuild at his Expence & he drained Swamps, drew Channals, and after the land was cultivable he devided it amongst new Settlers and made them a present of it; when his Subjects suffered in Winter times by the overflowing of Rivers he paid them the Damage Sufferd, and when they wa[n]ted seeds to sow their fields, his magazins were opened for them. Some years there happened to be a famine in the Northern part of Europe, many thousand of People died in Saxony & Bohemia, but in Brandenburg and Silesia was Plenty or at Least no want, since the king opened his magazins and 154 Benjamin Franklin and Germany assisted Saxony & Bohemia in such a manner that a great many thousand were saved by his Bounty, his yearly expences for the Charitable Support of his subjects amounted to about Ten Million and a half Rextollars & the Treasure which he has left above 120,000. . . . His successor Present King Frederic William the 2d. endeavors to imitate his Predecessors, he said he would endeavor rather to merit, the Name of a Good King, than of a Great king. . . . "Your Excellency's "Most obedient Humble Servant "Peter Hasencleber," In the above letter there are very careful details given of court events, showing that the writer must have felt that Franklin would take interest in such German affairs. Johann Jacob Meyen, who published Franklin der Philosoph imd Staatsmann, In fiinf Gesange, 1787, dedicated to Franklin, wrote the following letter from Altstettin on der Oder in Pom- mern the 28th of June, 1788 : "My Lord "Diesen Tribut bringe ich, ein gebohrner Pommer dem grossen Manne, der das Licht der Wissenschaften in Amerika auf stellete, und sein Vaterland zu der grossen Entschliessung be- geisterte, die Freiheit zu fiihlen, zu schaetzen, und wenn die Re- gierung nicht aufhoren will, Tyrrannei zu sein durch Waffen zu erringen, Sie Sind, My Lord, der grosse Mann, der americani- sche Orpheus, der diesen Umfang der Verdienste hat, welcher Europa in erstaunen setzt. Lange schon hatte unsere unfrucht- bare See-Kiiste der Ost-See, Sie, grosser Mann, in Ihren Schrif- ten genannt; denn wir suchen Licht und das Atlantische Meer, ist nicht breit genug, unsere Wisbegierde zuriick zu weihen. Lange schon sahen wir die Natur durch Sie enthiillt, durch Sie den Schleier von der Electricitaet zuriick gezogen, und den Ge- witter Leiter, Franklinens Coloss auch bei uns aufgestellt. Nun sehen wir Sie auch den blutigen Krieg durchdringen, von der neuen Welt zur alten iiber das Meer fahren, um Freiheit und Friede zu befestigen; wir sehen Sie, den ehrwiirdigen Greis und Benjamin Franklin and Germany 155 Patriarchen der Philosophen und Staatsmaenner in den ver- dienten Lorbeeren um Ihren silberfarbigen Scheitel prangen. Man brachte sonst die Lobreden nur der Asche des Mannes von Verdiensten; dem Trajan brachte man sie, als er noch lebte; ich thtie das was Plinius that, denn Sie, my Lord, verdienen es so sehr wie Trajan. Welch ein eingeschraenktes Lobbed ist es, welches ich dem grossen Umfange Ihrer Verdienste widme, so eingeschraenkt als der entfernte Hall des Rufs an unsre See- Kiiste die diinklen Tone von den grossen Thaten horen Hess; aber doch nicht eingeschraenkt fiir mein Gefi'ihl des grossen und edlen welches ich in Ihnen sehe und fiihle. Mein Lied sagt zu wenig, kiinftige Lobredner konnen, wollen und werden mehr sagen: alles sollen sie sagen, wir wollen den gantzen Philosophen sehen und haben. Ich bin bis zum Entziicken vergnugt, wenn Sie, Grosser Mann, obwohl mein Gedicht zu wenig vom Umfang und Zeichnung des Werthes Ihrer Thaten doch mein Hertz nicht zu wenig gefiihlvoll und ehrfurchtsvoll fiir das wahre, edle und erhabne finden. Ich bin gantz fiir Sie, Gott gebe zu Ihren ruhm- voUen Alter noch eine milde Zulage vieler vergniigter und segen- voUer Jahre. Ich bin "My Lord, "Ganz der Ihrige, "Johann Jacob Meyen. "Der Philosophic Doktor und des academischen Gymnasi- ums offentlicher professor der Mathematic und Physic, wie auch Koniglicher professor der Hydrographie und Schiffskunst." "Sir! "In the latter end last year, I recevid by the hands of Mons. de Butre, a book entitled. Constitutions des Treize Estats LTnis de I'Amerique, together with a beautiful Medal struck upon the independency or sepperation of the American Colonies from their Mother Country ; the device on the reverse of this medal is as strong & flattering to the arms of France as it is humiliating & disgraceful to those of England ; how far the allusion may bear a resemblance to truth, the annals of time are left to unfold, confirm & record. 156 Benjamin Franklin and Germany "If These articles were meant as presents from your Excel- lency to me, I then beg you will be persuaded to believe that I have employed the very first favorable opportunity of returning you Sir my most grateful thanks & of assuring you that they could not have been bestowed upon a person whose Zealous good wishes for the common cause of extending happiness (»& con- seciuently the civil rights &^ liberty of Mankind) are more ardently poured forth and those of your Excellency's most re- spectful & much obliged old friend & very Humble "Servant "P. P. Burdett. "Ingenier en chef & capitaine des Cards "de S. A. Sme. Le Prince de Baden "Carlsruhe 17 January, 1786." (c) Three Letters of Franklin to Germans. Franklin must have sent hundreds of letters of recommenda- tion at the appeal of men of high and low social position in the social scale. This is an example of his own reply from which fifteen copies were made by his orders: "Passy April 22, 1783. "Sir "M. ^Martin. Professor of Natural History in the Service of the Emperor, being appointed to make a collection of Plants and Animals from the four Quarters of the World, for his Imperial Majesty's Botanical Gardens and ]\Ienagerie. proposes to begin his Operations by a Journey thro' the Countries under the Gov- ernment of the United States of America. He is strongly recommended to me by his Excellency the Ambassador from the Court; and I take leave to recommend him not only to the bounties you are pleased in bestowing on Strangers of Merit, but to all the Assistances and Facilities your Station and the Influence attending it, may enable you to afford him in the Excellence of his Commission, being persuaded about your Zeal for the Increase of Useful Science, as well as the Respect due to Benjamin Franklin and Germany 157 his August Employer, will induce you to render M. Martin with Services with Pleasure I have the honor to be very respectfully "Sir Your (Excellency's)" The Prince des Deuxpontes addressed Franklin on the 14th of June, 1783, in regard to establishing trade between Palitinate, Bavaria and the United States of America. This letter is pub- lished in Jared Sparks' Franklin, Volume IX, page 526. Frank- lin's answer, however, which can be found on the blank pages of this letter, has as yet not found its way to the printed page. It reads as follows: Franklin's Response. "Without information what are the Productions and Manu- factures of the Palatinate & of Bavaria and their Prices of which Mr. Franklin is totally ignorant, it is impossible for him to say what of them will be proper for a Commerce with the United States of America. He can only answer in general, that Amer- ica purchases from Europe all kinds of Woolens & Linnens coarse & fine proper for Clothing for Men & Women ; a Variety of Iron & Steele Manufacturers ; and she pays in Tobacco, Rice, Indigo, Bills of Exchange or Money. If the Electorates above mentioned can furnish any of these Manufactures cheaper than or as cheap as France, Holland or England they may thereby obtaine a Share of the American Commerce. But it will be prudent for the Merchants to send first a discreat intelligent man with a small cargo of Samples of all their kinds of Goods in order to obtain a thorough knowledge of the nature of the Com- merce in that Country, and of all Kinds of Goods & Proportions of their Quantities, that are most in demand there, before they hazard the making of large Adventures. There is no doubt but that the Commerce of the German States will be favorably re- ceived in America, where a great many People of that Nation are established. Mr. F. will give it all the Encouragement that can be expected of him ; but he cannot take upon him to point out and name as he has been desired the most Solid Houses of Commerce there, having long been absent from that Country and the War having probably made a Change in tlie Circumstances of many7" 158 Benjamin Franklin and Germany To illustrate the attitude of Franklin toward Prussian trade, here is a draft of a letter written by him from Passy, September 9, 1777: "Meyers, Melone & Co. "I received your Favor of the 19th . . , our Clothing of the manufacture of Prussia. We have already contracted for as much as our Funds here will enable us to pay for in time, a considerable of the Remittance made to us from America having been intercepted ; but a much greater Quantity is wanted, & will undoubtedly come to a good IMarket there, we advise you to send a Cargo thither on your own Account, which we hope and believe you will find greatly to your Advantage; and if the Goods are approved, it may open a Trade & Demand there for Prussian Commodities that will be very beneficial to that Kingdom. I have the Honor to be (Printed 1882.) The author adds here two original letters of Franklin. One to Johann David Halm, the other to George Washington, recom- mending Baron de Steuben: "Aug. 20, 1774. "Mr. Halm, "I am much obliged by your valuable Present of several Tracts which I received through the Hands of our common Friend Sir John Pringle; particularly for that on Fused Air, a Subject which, of late engages much Attention from Philosophers here and in which no one has more distinguished himself than Dr. Priestlev. who puts this letter into your Hands. His Char- acter in the Republick of Letters you must be well acquainted with, and I am sure that you will be pleased with the Opportunity of conversing with him. I beg your Acceptance of the enclosed Pamphlets, and am with the greatest Esteem, Sir, "Your most obed. "& most hum. Serv^t. "B. F— "From Franklin to "(Johann David Halm)" Benjamin Franklin and Germany 159 Recommendation from Franklin for the Baron von Steuben. (Draft copy.) "Passy near Paris Sept. 4, 1777. "Sir "The Gentleman who will have the Honour of waiting upon you with this Letter is Baron de Steuben, lately a Lieutenant General in the King of Prussia's Service whom he attended in all his campaigns, being his Aide Campe, Quartermaster Gen- eral etc. He goes to America with the true Zeal for our cause in View of engaging in it & rendering it all Service in his Power. He is recommended to us by the two best Judges of military Merit in this country, M. de Vergennes & M. de St. Germain who have long been personally acquainted with him, and interest themselves in promoting his voyage. I have therefore great Hopes that the Knowledge from a full Prussian Experience he has acquired by 20 years Study & Practice in the Prussian School may be of great Use in our Armies. I therefore cannot but wish that our service may be made agreeable to him. I have the Honour to be "His Excell. "Geo. Washington." (Printed 1882.) CHAPTER X. Bibliography. Franklin's Works in German Editions by Germans. ( Chronological. ) We are including under this title merely the works, that are limited to the German field and not the German American pub- lications. I. Des Herrn Benjamin Franklin, Esq., Brief e von der Elec- tricitdt aiis dem Englisclien iihersetst nebst Anmcrkungen, von J. C. Wilcke. Leipzig, 1758. Verlag Gottfried Kiesewetter Buchhandlung in Stockholm. II. Sdmmtl. Werke aus d. Engl, iibers. von G. T. Wenzel, 3 Bde., mit Kupfer. {^Des Herrn D. Ben. Franklin sdmmtliche VVerkc. Alts dem Englisclien iind Franzosischen iibersetst. Nebst dem franzosischen Ubersetzen des Herrn Barbey Dubourg. Zu- satze und mit einigen Anmerkungen versehen von G. T. Wenzel. Erster Band mit Kupfer.) Dresden, 1780. In der Walthen- sche Hof buchhandlung ; 3 Bde. ; portrait 5 plates. III. Bcricht fiir diejenigen, so sich nach N ordamerika le- ben ivollen. Aus d. Engl. Hamburg (Herold, 1786). IV. Freier Wille, ein IVerk fiir denkende Menschen iiber d. Mach d. Zufalls. Leipzig, 1787 (M5sle in Wien). V. Schreiben an Ingenhous iiber d. Rauchen d. Kamins u. Schonisteijis. Aus d. Engl, (von Pt. H. G. Brodhagen. Mit I Kpf. Hamburg, 1788). VI. Schreiben an Ingehausen iiber d. Rauchen d. Gamine. Aus d. Engl. Hamburg, 1788 (Bohn). VII. Eriveiteres Lehrgebdudc d. Electricitdt. Wien, 1790. VIII. Jugendjahre, von ihm selbst bcscricben. Aus d. Engl, iibersetzt von G. A. Burger. Berlin, 1792 (Rottmann). IX. Kleine Schriften, meist in der Manier des Zuschauers, nebst seinem Leben. Aus dem Englischen von G. Schatz. Erster Theil. Weimar, 1794. Verlag des Industrie Comptoirs. -2 Ede. (160) Benjamin Franklin and Germany i6i X. Der Benjamin Franklin's Leben. Tubingen, 1795. (Anom. ) XL Lebensbesehreibung B. Franklins. Joh. C. Selter. Ber- lin, 1897 (Oettingers Bibliogr.). XII. Biographien fi'ir die Jugend. Vol. I. C. J. Wagenseil. XIII. Lebensbesehreibung B. Franklins. Berlin, 1797. XIV. Lebensbesehreibung Benjamin Franklins. Johann Christian. Berlin, 1897-1898. XV. Kleine Schriften. xA.us d. Engl. Zweiter Theil mit Franklin's Portrat. Weimar, 1802. Industr. Comptr. G. Schatz, zweite Auflage. XVI. Beschreib. eines rauchversehrend. Sparofens. Ver- bessert von Boreux. Leipzig, 1802 (Hinrichs). XVII. Beschreib. eines rauchverzehrend. Sparofens. Ver- bessert von Boreux. Leipzig, 1803 (Hinrichs). XVIII. Franklinsche Ofen d. vervollkommet v. Darnot u. Schmidt. Aus dem Franzosischen. Von Eschenbach, mit Kpf. Leipzig, 1806. XIX. Slimmtl. JVerke. London, 1793; 2 Bande; 3. Band, Enkel W. T. Franklin (1818-1819). XX. Sicker er Weg su einer moral. Gesundheit zu gelangen und sich darin lebenslang su erhalten. Wien,'i8i2 (Wimmer). XXI. Spriichworter des alten Heinrichs und Engels der Le- bensweisheit des alten Witt. Berlin, 181 2 (Mittler). XXII. Franklin's IVerke. Niirnberg, 1816 (Campe). XXIII. Dr. Franklin's nachgelassene Schriften und Corre- sponden.a, nebst seinem Leben. Aus dem Englischen iibersetzt. Von G. H. A. Wagner. Weimar, 181 7. Im Verlag des Landes- industrie Comptoirs. (Bd. I-II, Correspondenz ; Bd. III-IV, Leben ; Bd. V, Werke. ) XXIV. Freier Wille, ein JVerk fiir denkende Menschen. Leipzig, 181 7. Zweite Auflage Wien (Mossle). (Erste Auf- lage, t8ii.) XXV. Leben und Schriften. Aus dem Englischen iiber- setzt. Weimar, 1818. 2 Bde. (Bd. 3-4 of Franklin's Nachge- lassene Schriften. ) 1 62 Benjamin Franklin and Germany XXVI. Tugendi'thungen, guter Rath an Handzverker, Mittcl reich zu werden. Wien, 1819 (Mayer). XXVII. Franklins Leben. Ebd. 2 Bde. 18 19. XXVIII. Spri'iehworter des alien Heinrich n. Engels Lc- bensiveisheit des alien Witt, oder d. Kunst reich u. gliicklich zu werden; ein Taschenhuch filr Jedermann. Berlin, 181 9 (Mittler). XXIX. Spriiclnvorter des alien Heinrich u. Engels Leben's- weisheit des alien Witt, oder d. Kunst reich u. gliicklich zu wer- den; ein Taschenbuch fiir Jedermann. Rotvveil, 1822 (Herder). XXX. Goldnes Schatzkdstlein, oder Anweis zi'ie man thcitig, verstiindig, beliebt, etc., werden kann. Herausg. von Dr. Bergk. Leipzig, 1827-1833. XXXI. Leben und Schriften, nach der von seinem Enkel IV. T. Franklin voranstalt. neuen Londoner Ausg., mit Benutz- ung des bei derselbcn bckannt gemachten Nachlasses u. friiherer Ouellen zeitgemiiss bearbeitet.' Von A. Burger; 4 Theile. Kiel, 1829. (Vergl. Biographien f. d. Jugend. ) XXXII. Deutsche Bearbcitimg. Kiel, 1829; 4 Bde. A. von Binzer (4 Vol. in 2) Universitiits-Buchhandlung. {Leben und Schriften nach der von seinem Enkel W. T. Franklin, voranstal- ten neuen Londoner Original Ausgabe.) XXXIII. Franklin's Tagebuch, ein sicheres Mittel durch moral. Vollkommenhcit, thdtig, verstdndig, beliebt, tugendhaft u. gliicklich zu werden. Entworfen im Jahre 1730 11. nach 100 Jahren als ein Denkmal fiir die Nachvvelt an d. Licht gestellt. Eschwege, 1830 (Hoffmann). XXXIV. Franklins Tagebuch, ein sicheres Mittel durch moral. Vollkommenheit thdtig, verstiindig, beliebt, tugendhaft u. gliicklich zu zverden. Entworfen im Jahre 1730 u. nach 100 Jahren als ein Denkmal fiir die Nachwelt an d. Licht gestellt. Eschwege, 1830 (Wohlfeilen Ausgabe Cassel). Kriegersbuch- handlung. XXXV. Alte Goldbriefe. Neu herausgegeben zum Nutzen und Frommen der Tugend. Coburg, 1833 (Riemann). XXXVI. Goldnes Schatzkdstlein, oder Anweisung wie man thdtig, tugendhaft, religios und gliicklich werden kann. Her- ausgegeben von Dr. Bergk. Auflage 8, Leipzig, 1834. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 163 XXXVII. Goldnes Schatzkdstlein, oder Anweisung wie man t ltd tig, tiigendhaft, religios und glilcklich werden kann. Herausgegeben von Dr. Bergk. Zweite Aiiflage, Leipzig, 1834- 1838. Dritte Auflage, Leipzig, 1839. Dritten durchge. Auflage Ouedlinburg. Ernst, 1843, 1844- 1850. XXXVIII. Franklin's Werke. (Campe Edition.) Nurn- berg and New York, 1835. XXXIX. Ein Lesebuch fiir Volks- und Gewerbeschulen, enthalt Der arme Richard, oder der Weg zum Wohlstand, von Benjamin Franklin; sodann Ausziige aus Theophron, von J. H. Campe. Carlsruhe, 1836 (Wagner). XL. The Life of Benjamin Franklin, zuritten by Himself; to which are added Essays by the same Author. Mit einem Wor- terhuch. Zum Schul- und Privatgebrauch. (Mit feinen Bildnis- sen in Stahlstich.) Carlsruhe, 1838 (Creuzbauer). XLI. Leben und ausgewdhlte Schriften. (In einem Bande.) Leipzig, 1838 (G. Wigand). (Probably the third volume of Geschichts-Bibliothek fiir Folk.) XLII. Leben von Ihm selbst {Geschichts-Bibliothek fiir Volk, third volume). Ebd. 1839. XLIII. Leben Benjamin Franklins, ein Lebenbild fiir Jung und Alt. Von Ferdinand Schmidt. Berlin und Leipzig, 1840 (Hugo Kaftner). XLIV. Leben Benjamin Franklins. Berlin und Leipzig, 1840 (Carl Schmalz). XLV. Der Weg zum Reichthum. Erfurt, 1841 (Hennings und Hopf). XLVI. Goldnes Schatzkdstlein, u. s. w. Von Dr. Bergk. Auflage 12. Quedlinburg, 1843, 1844, 1850 (Ernst). XLVII. Franklin's Sdmmtliche Werke, nebst dessen Le- bensbeschreibung. Hamburg, 1845 (Schuberth & Co.). XLVIII. Lebensbeschreibung Benjamin Franklins. Von Julius Kell. Leipzig, 1845. XLIX, Leben, beschrieben fiir das Volk. Eigenthum des wiirttembergischen Volksschriften-Vereins. Ulm, 1845 (Heer- brandt und Th.). 164 Benjamin Franklin and Germany L. Lehcn des Benjamin Franklins, von ihm selbst geschrie- hcn. Leipzig, 1848 (Geschichts-Bibliothek fiir das Volk, Band 2). LI. Lebensbeschreibung Benjamin Franklins, des thatkraf- tigen Mannes imd freisinnigen Volksfreimdes. Eine Volks- schrift. Leipzig, 1848 (Klinkhardt). LIL Der arme Richard, die Kunst reich mi werden. Erlan- gen, 1852 (Georg Gelfreich). LIIL Leben und Schriften Benjamin Franklins. Theodor Ruprecht. Leipzig, 1853 (Otto Wigand). LIV. Bildungs-Halle im Sinne und Geiste unserer Zeit. Fiir alle Stande. 5. Band. Benjamin Franklin's Leben und Schriften. Leipzig, 1853. Verlag von Otto Wagner. LV. Benjamin Franklin, sein Leben, Denken und Werke. Leipzig, 1853. Von Heinrich Bettzeich-Beta. {Unfcrhaltendc Bclehrungen aw Forderimg allgemeiner Bildung. Band 18.) F. A. Brockhaus. LVL Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography. Vols. 2 and 3. A. Diirrs. Collection of American Authors. Leipzig, 1854- 1858 (K. Elze). LVIL The Life of Benjamin Franklin. Vol. L Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography, with Appendix. Authorized Edition. Dessau, 1854 (Katz Br.). LVIIL Benjamin Franklin, eine Biographic. Aus dem Franzosischen. Leipzig, 1855. F. A. M. Mignet. LIX. Gleichniss von der Glaubensbildimg. Dessau, 1855 (Neuburger). LX. Bibliothek der englischen Litteratur fiir Schid- und Hausgebrauch. Herausgegeben von H. Robolsky. Leipzig, 1859 (Gerhard). LXL Benjamin Franklin, ein Lebensbild. Freiburg im Breisgau, 1862 (J. Venedey). LXIL Der Weg sum Reichtum. Neubearbeitet, nebst einer Biographic des beriihmten Verfassers. G. A. B. Berlin, 1864 (Grothe). Zweites Heft. The Life of Benjamin Franklin. Continuation to Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography, by Jared Sparks, Benjamin Franklin and Germany 165 LXIII. Benjamin Franklin's Der arme Richard, IVeg sum Reichtum. Aus dem Englischen von C. F. Liebetreu. Berlin, 1866 (A. Jonas). LXIV. Life of Benjamin Franklin, Written by Himself, to which are added essays, some anecdotes of or by the same author. IVorterbuch. Zum chul- imd Privatgebrauch. Zweite Auflage durchgeschaut, vermehrt und mit Anmerkungen, von D. Jungking. Carlsruhe, 1871 (Wilhehn Kreuzbauer). LXV. Benjamin Franklin, sein Leben von ihm selbst be- schriebcn. Mit einer Vorbemerkung von Berthold Auerbach, und eine historische Einleitung von Friedrich Kapp. Nebst dem Bildnisse FrankHns. (Holzschnitt-Tafel.) Stuttgart, 1876 (Au- erbach). Universal-Auflage 8. 1877. Ebend. 1882. LXVI. Bibliothck gediegener und lehrreicher Werke der englischen Litteratur. Zum Gebrauch der studirenden Jugend ausgewahlt und ausgestattet, von Ant. Goebel. Miinster, 1881 f Aschendorff). LXVII. John Biglow. Correspondence et Autobiographie. Philadelphia, 1868; New York, 1900. Deutsch von Friedrich Kapp. 4. Auflage. Berlin, 1882. LXVIII. Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography. Mit An- merkungen zum Schulgebrauch. Herausg. von K. Mayer. Biele- feld, 1 885- 1 890 (Velhagen & Klasing). • LXIX. {i) Autobiography. Cressner und Schramm. Leip- zig, 1887. (2) Autobiography. Students' Tauchnitz Edition. Mit deutschen Anmerkungen, von K. Feyerabend. Leipzig. B. Tauchnit^. i. und 2. Th. (i) Jugendjahre. 1706-1730. (2) Mannesjahre. 1 731 -1754. {The Way to Wealth.) LXX. Benjamin Franklin's Leben, von ihm selbst beschrie- ben. Deutsch von Karl Miiller. 1887. (Universal-Bibliothek.) LXXL Benjamin Franklin's Jugendjahre. Jonas. Berlin, 1888. LXXn. Benjamin Franklin's Jugendschrift. 4. Auflage. Leipzig, 1888 (Geibel & Br.). LXXIII. Der Weg zum Reichtum. Berlin, 1891 (R. L. Stab). 1 66 Benjamin Franklin and Germany LXXIV. Benjamin Franklins Autobiography. English Authors. Bielefeld, 1891, IvXXV. Benjamin Franklin's Jugendschrift. Wilhelm J. Britschweiler. Stuttgart, 1893 (J. F. Steinkopf). LXXVI. Leben und Grundsdtze Benjamin Franklins. Aus dem Englischen von Theodor Roth. Stuttgart, 1893. LXXVII. Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography. Herausg. C. Mayer (9. Abdruck), 1894. LXXVIII. Der IV eg zuni Reichtum. Ansbach, 1894 (M. Eichinger). LXXIX. Luftelektricitdt (B. Franklin, T. F. Dalibard, L. G. Le Monner iiber Luftelektricitat ). Neudrucke v. Schriften u. Karten iiber Metereologei u. Erdmagnetismus. Nr. II. Ber- lin, 1898 (A. Asher & Co.). Herausg. von G. Hellmann. (J. H. Winkler.) LXXX. The Life of Benjamin Franklin, zvith the Contin- uation, by Jared Sparks. Herausg. von F. Wiillenweber. Leip- zig, 1899 (Otto E. A. Deckman). Renger Band 52. LXXXI, Benjamin Franklin. English Authors. Herausg. C. Mayer. Bielefeld, 1905 (Velhagen & Klasing). Band 48. LXXXII. Benjamin Franklin. F. Schmidt. Berlin, 1905 ( Neufeld & Henius). LXXXIII. Benjamin Franklin's Lebensbild. Konstanz, 1906 (C. Hirsch). CHAPTER XI. Alphabetical Bibliography. A. 1. Achenwall, Gottfried. Hannoverisches Magazin. 17 Stiick. 1767. Einc Anmerkung iiber Nordamerika u. iiber dasige Grossbritannische Colonien. Aus miindlichen Nachrichten des Herrn Dr. Franklins. 2. Aufl., Frankfurt, Stuttgart, 1769; 3. Aufl., Helmstedt, 1777. 2. Adams, John Quincy. Letters on Silesia. 1 800-1 801. 3. Adams, George. Anweisung sur Erhaltung des Gesichts. Gotha, 1794. 4. Almanack fiir Dichter u. schone Geistcr auf das Jahr 1785. (Gedruckt am Fuss des Parnassus.) 5. Allgemeine Deutsche Bibliothek. Band 32 ; Band 25. 6. Allgemeine Littcraturzeitung . Jena, 1785. 7. American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia (Franklin Manuscripts). B. 8. Bauer, Th. Chr. Aug. Franklin u. Washington, unter- haltende Anecdoten aus dem achtzehnten Jahrhundert. Band 8. Berlin, 1803- 1806. 9. Bancroft, George. History of the United States. Bos- ton, 1874. 10. Beaumarchais et son Temps. Paris, 1858. (Louis de Lomenie. ) 11. Bebra, Freyherr von. Journal v. u. fiir Deutschland. Jahrgang 1784. 12. Berlinsche Monatsschrift. (Nicholai, Fried.) Juli, 1783- 13. Berlinsche Zeitschrift. Juli, 1783. 14. Bernhardt. Sammlung klinischer Vortrdge. No. 41. 1891-1894. 15. Bettziech-Beta, H. Unterhaltungen, Belehrungen sur Fbrderung allgemeiner Bildung. Leipzig, 1851-1853. 16. Biedermann, Karl. Deutschland im achtsehnten Jahr- hundert. 2. Aufl. Leipzig, 1880. (167) 1 (,8 Benjamin Franklin and Germany ly. Bierbaum, J. Litteraturgeschichte . 1891-1894. 18. Bigelow, John. Benjamin Franklins Life and Writ- ings. Philadelphia, 1868; 1875. 19. Blankmeister,. Franz. Justus Moser, dcr deutsche Patriot. 20. Bleibtreu, Karl. Magazin fiir die Lit. des In- und Aus- landes. Band 109. 1909. 21. Bluntschle, J. K. Geschichte der neuen Staatszvissen- schaft. Leipzig, 1881. 22. Bodemann. /. G. Zimm,ermann. Hannover, 1878. 23. Brooks, E. S. Benjamin Franklin. 1898. 24. Bri^ischweiler, Wilhelm J. Benjamin Franklins Ju- gendschrift. No, 12. Stuttgart, 1893. 25. Biichner. Litterarische Zeitung. Berlin, 1834. 26. Buhle, J. G. JoJiann David Michaelis, Litterariseher Briefwechsel. 3 Bde. Leipzig, 1794- 1796. 27. Billow, E. von. L. Schroder, dramatischc IVerke. Band i. Berlin, 1831. 28. Burckhardt, Eduard. Conversations- u. Reisebiblio- thek, von F. A. Mignet. 7-9. Aus dem Franzos. Leipzig, 1855. 29. Burke, Edmund. The Annual Register or View of the History, Politics and Literature for the Year 1766. London, 1767. 30. Biischung, Anton Fred. Magazin fiir neue Historic und Geographic. iy6y. C. 31. Canzler u. Meissner. Fiir dltere Zeit und neuere Lek- titre. Ouartalschrift. Leipzig, 1783. 32. Centralblatt fiir Litteraturgeschichte. 1870. T,T,. Christian, Johann. Lebensbeschreibung Benjamin Franklins. Berlin, 1797- 1798. 34. Crell, Johann. Lautere Wahrheit, oder ernstliche Be- trachtiing des gegenzviirtigen Zustandes der Stadt Philadelphia und der Provinz Pennsylvanien. (Armbriister.) 1747. 35. Cutler, W. W. Selections from the Writings of Ben- jamin Franklin. London, 1906. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 169 D. 36. Dcr deutsche Merkur. 1766, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1777, 1782. ^y. Dcutschcs Museum. Leipzig, 1776. 38. Deutsche Rundschau. Berlin, 1875, 1876, 1901. 39. Duller, Edward. Vaterldndische Geschichte. 5 Bande. 1853-1858. 40. Diintzer. Christian Kaufmann, der Apostel der Genie- scit. Leipzig, 1882. 41. Diirr, A. Collection of Standard American Authors — Benjamin Franklin. Leipzig, 1 854-1 858. E. 42. Ebeling, Fried. W. IV . L. IVekkerlin. Berlin, 1869. 43. Ebstein, E. Zeitschrift fiir Biicherfreunde. (Gedichte Biirgers in altester Fassung. ) 1905-1906. 44. Eggers, C. W. D. von. Das deutsche Magazin. Dezem- ber, 1793. 45. Eliot, Chas. Wm. Four American Leaders. London, 1907. 46. Eisner, Heinrich, Befreiungskampf der nordamerika- nischen Staaten, mit der Lehensbeschreibung er vier Beriihm- ten. Stuttgart, 1835. 47. Euler, Leonhard. Briefe i'lber verschiedene Gegen- stdnde der Naturlehre. Band 1-3. Leipzig, 1773-1793. 48. Evans, E. P. Beitrdge zur amerikanischen Lit. u. Kul- turgcschichte. Stuttgart, 1898. 49. Eyring, Jerem. N. Litterar. Almanack der Deufschen auf das Jahr 1775. Gottingen, 1776. F. 50. Federn, Karl. Essays zur amerikanischen Litteratur. Halle, 1899. 51. Federn, Karl. Essays zur vergleichenden Litteratur. Halle, 1904. 52. Eels, J. Franklin and Freedom. London and Philadel- phia, 1910. I/O Benjamin Franklin and Germany 53. Fisher, Sidney George. The True Bcnj. Franklin. Philadelphia, 1899. 54. Ford, Paul L. Sayings of Poor Richard by Benjamin Franklin. New York, 1890. 55. Ford, Paul L. Franklins Bibliography. Brooklyn, 1889. 56. Forster, Georg. Erinnerungen aus dcm Jahrc 1790. Kleine Schriften. Band 6. Leipzig, 1843. 57. Franken, Aug. Gotth. Nachricht von einigen evangeli- schen Gemeinen in Amerika, absonderlich in Pennsylvanien. Halle, 1734, 1744. (A. D. B. Band 25.) 58. Fritsch, Caspar. Geschichte der englischen Kolonien in N ord- Amerika. Aus dem Engl. Leipzig, 1774. 59. Frommel, W. M., und Dr. Friedrich Pfaff. Justus M'6- ser, Sammlung von Vortrdgen fitr das deutsche Folk. Band 14. Heidelberg, 1887. G. 60. Gallinger, Herbert P. Relation of German Publicists to the American War of Independence. 1775- 1783. Disserta- tion. Leipzig, 1900. 61. Gatterer, Johann C. Allgemeine historische Bibliothek. 1767. Band 35. Halle. 62. Gelfreich, Georg. Benjamin Franklin, der arme Rich- ard und die Kunst reich zu werden. Erlangen, 1852. 63. Gerber, Ernst Ludwig. Neues historisch-biographisches Lexikon der Tonkiinste. Leipzig, 181 2- 18 14. 64. Gersdorf, E. G. Repertorium der deutschen Litteratur. Leipzig, 1440. 65. Gervinus, G. G. Georg Forster s sdmmtliche Schriften. Band 1-9. Leipzig, 1843. 66. Gildemeister, C. H. Johann Georg Flamann. Band 1 u. 2, Gotha, 1863 ; Band 3 u. 4, Gotha, 1875. 67. Gothein, Eberhard. Die Aufgaben der Kulturge- schichte. Leipzig, 1899. 68. Gottingsche Anzeigen filr gelehrte Sachen. Band i ; Stiick no; 147-148. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 171 69. Green, S. A. Career of Benjamin Franklin. Philadel- phia, 1893. 70. Griesebach, E. Die deutsche Litteratur. 1 770-1870. Wien, 1875. 71. Grundmann, Johann. Die V biker Amerikas. Berlin, 1900. 72. Guntershausen, Welker von. Neueroffnetes Magazin musikalischer Tonwerkzenge. Frankfurt a/M., 1855. H. yZ- Haberlin, Franz D. Allgemeine Welthistorie. Band i u. 2. Halle, 1767. 74. Haertel, Martin H. German Literature in American Magazines. 1846- 1880. Dissertation Madison, Wis., 1908. 75. Hale, Edward E., Sr., and Jr. Franklin in France. 1887. 76. Haller, Albrecht von. Tagehiicher seiner Reisen nach Deutschland, Holland und England. Leipzig, 1883. yy. Halm. Ahhandlungen der schwedischen Academic der Wissenschaften. Band 16, Seite 30. 78. Hamberger, Georg C. Das gelehrte Deutschland, oder Lexicon der jetzlehenden deutschen Schriftsteller. 1767. 79. Hannoverische Zeitung. Juni und August, 1766. 80. Haym, Rudolph. Johann G. Herder. 81. Henneberger, A. Zeitschrift fiir deutsche Kulturge- schichte. 1858. 82. Hettner, Hermann. Litteraturgeschichte des achtzehn- ten Jahrhunderts. Braunschweig, 1864, 4te Aufl. 1893. 83. Hildebrand, Richard. Jahrhuch fiir Nationalokonomie und Statistik (Benjamin Franklin als Nationalokonom), Jena, 1863. 84. Histor.-Geneologischer Calender oder Jahrhuch der merkwiirdigsten Welthegehenheiten fiir 1784. Hande u. Spener. Berlin. 85. Der hochdeutsche amerikanische Calender auf das Jahr 1777. Germantown, Pa. 86. Howard, A. The Beauties of Franklin. London, 1834. 1/2 Benjamin Franklin and Germany 87. Hunter, R. Das Elend der neuen Welt. tJbersetzt von Siidekunn. Berlin, 1898. 88a. James, Edmund J. The Nation. N. Y. 1895. J. 88. Jacobi, Friedrich. V erhesserter Briefzvechsel. 3te Aufl. K. 89. Kalm, Peter. Beschreibimg der Reise nach Nord- Amerika. Band 2. Gottingen, 1754. 90. Kapp, Friedrich. Aus und iiber Amerika, Thatsachen und Erlehnisse. 2 Bde. Berlin, 1876. 91. Kapp, Friedrich. Friedrich der Grosse und die Verei- nigten Staaten von Amerika. 92. Karte. Brief e zwischen Gleim, Heinse und Johann von Miiller. Band i u. 2. Zurich, 1806. 93. Kaufmann, Georg. Die Auffassung der dltesten deut- schen Geschichte. Leipzig, 1880. 94. Kippis, Andrew. Sir John Pringle. Six Discourses. London, MDCCLXXXIIL 95. Knortz, K. Geschichte der N ord-Amerikanischen Lit. Band i u. 2. Berlin, 1891. 96. Knortz, K. Der Pessimissmus in der amerikanischen Litter atur. Braunschweig u. Wien, 1909. 97. Koch, Max. Uher die Beziehung der engl. Lit. zur deut- schen im achtzehnten Jahrhundert. Leipzig, 1883. 98. Kohler, J. T. Franklin's Nachrichten von Nord- Amerika (Sammlung neuer Reisebeschreibungen). Gottingen u. Gotha, 1 767- 1 769. 99. Kohn, Max. Amerika im Spiegel deutscher Dichtung. Zeitgeist 32, und Lit. Echo, 7. 1905. 100. Koppen, Fried. Vertraute Brief e Uber Bile her u. Welt. Leipzig, 1823. loi. Wochenhlatt No. 8, Page 64; Kleine lit. Riige. (Franz, iibersetzt von Franklin's Corresponded). 102. Kriege, H. Der Vater unserer Republik. Heft i. New York, 1847. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 173 103. Kreyfzig, F. Justus Moser. Berlin, 1857. 104. Kronau, Ceroid Meyer von. Lehenserinnerungen von Ludzvig Meyer von Kronau. Frauenfeld, 1883. 105. Kurz, Heinrich. Geschichtc dcr d. Lit. 4te Aufl. 4. Band. Leipzig, 1864- 1872. L. 106. Lappenberg, J. M. Brief e von und an Klopstock. Braunschweig, 1867. 107. Lafayette's Memoir en. Band i u. 2. New York. 108. Learned, Marion D. Americana Gcrmanica, No. 3, 1901. Philadelphia. No. 4. 1904. 109. Lehmann, Oskar. Die deutschen moralistischen Wo- chenschriften als pedagogische IV ochenschriften. Leipzig, 1893. no. Leipzig er lit. Zeitung. 1833. 111. Leipsiger Musenalmanack. 1 778. 112. Leipsiger Tageblatt u. Anzeiger. 1836-1840. 113. Lewis, C. L. Geschichte der Vereinigten Staaten. New York, 1884. 114. Leyser, J. Joachim Heinrich Campe. Vols. 1-3. Braunschweig, 1877. 115. Lichtenberg, Ludwig C. Vermischte Schriften. Wien, 1817. 116. Lit. Zodiacus. Berlin, Mai, 1835. (Justis Erich Boll- mann's Denkwiirdigkeiten von Varnhagen von Ense. ) 117. Luzenberger, August von. Franklin oder Elektricitdt u. d. medizin. Wissenschaft u. Praxis. Leipzig, 1904. (Abhan- delungen a. d. Gebiete d. Elektrotherapie, No. 4. ) M. 118. McMaster. Benjamin Franklin as a Man of Letters. Boston, 1895. 119. Matthisson. Erinnerungen. Wien, 1845. 120. Mauvillon. Gotha Gel. Zeit. 1783. 121. Medill. A Typical American, Benjamin Franklin. 1896. 174 Benjamin Franklin and Germany 122. Meiner, C. Ilistorische Vergleichung der Sit fen u. Verfassung in der Gesetze u. Gewerbe. Hannover, 1794. 123. Michaelis, Johann David. Ahhandlungen von den Schriften und Brief en. Gottingen, 1786. 124. Menzel, W. Deutsche LiteraturgescJiichte. Gottin- gen, Hannover, 1836. 125. Meusel, Johann Geor. Historische Littcratur. 10 Stiick. S. 344. 1783. Erlangen. 126. Mignet, F. A. Benjamin Franklin. Ubersetzt von Dr. Burckhardt. Leipzig, 1855. 127. Milberg, Ernst. Die moralischcn Wochcnschriftcn des achtzehnten Jahrhunderts. Meissen, 1800. 128. Mollenhauer, Karl. Anted an der VViederbclebiing des deutschen Geistes. {Program.) Braunschweig, 1896. 129. Moritz, K. Ph. Anton Reiser. Berlin, 1786. Bd. HI. 130. Moser, Justus. Deutsche Monatsschrift. I. Jahrgang (S. 303-312), 1873. 131. Moser, Justus. Werke. Berlin, 1842- 1843. 132. Moser, Johann Jacob. Nordamerika nach den Frie- densschliissen vom Jahre 178^. Band I-HI. Leipzig, 1783. 133. Mossle, Johann. Franklins freier IVille, ein Wink fiir denkende Menschen iiber die Macht des Zufalls. Leipzig, 1787. 134. Mundt, H. Journal fiir Zeit und Lebcnsivissenschaft und Kunst. (Literarischer Zodiacus, S. 360.) Mai, 1835, 135. Musgrave, C. A. Die bevorst. Revolution in den Ver- einigten Staaten. Berlin, 1886. 136. Milon, C. Denkzviirdigkeiten sur Geschichte Benja- min Franklins. St. Petersburg, 1793. 137. Mittelberger. Reise nach Pennsylvanien. Stuttgart, 1756. 138. Miiller, Wilhelm. Aufwdrts, Biicherei zur Belehrung. N. 1. Benjamin Franklin. Frankfurt a. Main, 1910. 139. Murray, J. Joseph II and Benjamin Franklin. Lon- don, 1787. 140. Musenalmanach. Hamburg, 1782. 141. Mustard, W. P. The Nation. The poetry in Poor Richard's Almanac. March 22, 1906. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 175 N. 142. Nab, R. L. Der Weg zum Reichtum. Berlin, 189 1. 143. National Zeihmg. September 23, 1904. 144. Neill, Ed. D. The Ideal Versus the Real Benjamin Franklin. St. Paul, Minn., 1890. 145. Ncues hremisches Magazin. Band I-III (i 766-1 770). 146. Nicolai, Fried. Briefe, die neueste Lit. betreffend. Band XXIV. Berlin, 1756- 1766. 147. Nicolai, Fried. Allgemeine Deut. Bibliothek. Band 39. Berlin, 1765. 148. Nicolai, Fried. Sehaldus Notdanker. Berlin, 1774- 1776. 149. Nicolai, Fried. Justus Moser's Vermischte Schriften. Berlin, 1797. 150. Nicolai, Fride. Berliner Monatssschrift. Juli, 1783. 151. Niebuhr, G. B. Zeitalter der Revolution. Hamburg, 1845- O. 152. Oberholzer, Ellis Paxon. Literary History of Phila- delphia. Philadelphia, 1906. 153. Oertel, Philip F. Benjamin Franklin, Lehenshild eines Ehrenmannes in Amerika. New York, 1868. 2te Aufl., Wies- baden, 1869. 154. Oncken, W. Das Zeitalter Friedrich des Grossen. Bde. I u. 2. Berlin, 1881-1882. 155. Opperman, H. A. Die Gottinger Gelehrten-Anzeigen wdhrend ihrer hundertjdhrigen Wirksamkeit. 1844. P. 156. Parton, James. Life and Times of Benjamin Frank- lin. Vols. I and II. New York, 1864. 157. Der Patriot, eine Wochenschrift. Hamburg, 1766. 158. Pauli, Joachim. Buff on' s Naturgeschichte. Berlin, 1771. 1 59. Paulsen, F. Geschichte des gelehrten Unterrichts. 2te Aufl. Band 2. Leipzig, 1897. 160. Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. April^ 1903. P. 25, etc. 176 Benjamin Franklin and Germany 161. Pepper, Wm. Medical Side of Benjamin Franklin. Philadelphia, 191 1. 162. Phdnix. Samstag, 28. Februar, 1835. No. 51, p. 203. Frankfurt a/M. 163. Polko, Elize. Musikalische Mdrchen, Phantasien und Skizzen. Leipzig, 1855. 164. Potter, Israel. Fifty Years in Exile. London, 1855. P.43- 165. Preusker, Carl B. Gutenberg u. Franklin. Leipzig, 1840. 166. Putter, Johann Stephan. Gelehrte Gesellschaft von Gottingen. i. Theil. Gottingen, 1 765-1 788. R. 167. Ramsey, David. Geschichte der amerikanischen Revo- lution. Theile i u. 2. Berlin, 1794. 168. Rauch, Alfred. Justus Moser, deutsch-evangelische Blatter. XVIL Halle, 1892. 169. Remer, J. A. Amerikanisches Archiv. Band i. Braunschweig, '^777-T-77^- 170. Rieger. Klinger in dem Sturm und Drang. Darm- stadt, 1880. 171. Revue des deux Mondes. Juin, 1841. N. IL Phila- rete Chasles. 172. Robins, Edward. Benjamin Franklin, American Men of Energy. 1898. 173. Roscher. Die Geschichte der Nationalokonomie in Deutschland. Miinchen, 1874. 174. Rosengarten, Joseph G. American History from Ger- man Archives. Lancaster, 1904. 175. Rosenkranz, Karl. Studien zur Litteratur geschichte. Band 2. Leipzig, 1875. 176. Ruge. Jahrbiicher. Niirnberg, 1842. 177. Rupprecht, L. Justus Moser' s sociale und volkswirth- schaftliche Anschauungen in ihrem Verhdltnisse zur Theorie und Praxis. Stuttgart, 1892. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 177 178. Ruprecht, Theodor. Leben und Schriften Benjamin Franklins. Leipzig, 1853. 179. Russel, Wm. Geschichte von Amerika. Band 1-3. Leipzig, 1779. S. 180. Sadi, Schich. Persisches Rosenthal. Wittenberg, 1775. 181. Sadis, Julius. Bibliothek des Imperialismus. Leipzig, 1908. 182. Sainte-Beuve. Causeries de Lundi. No. 7. 183. Santon, J. Denkzvilrdige Gesprdche zwischen Franklin und Washington. Konigsberg, 181 5. 184. Sauer, A. Deutsche National Litteratur. Band 3. 185. Sauer, A. Deutsche National Litteratur. Band 80. 186. Sauer, A. Evald v. Kleist. Werke. Berlin, 1881-1882. 187. Schafer. Geschichte und Kultur geschichte. S. 38. Jena, 1891. 188. Schaumkell, E. Geschichte der deutschen Kidturge- schichtsschreibung. Leipzig, 1905. 189. Schiller, Johann Friedrich. Geschichte von Amerika. Aus dem Englischen von W. Robertson. Leipzig, 1771. 190. Schlichtegroll, Friedrich. Nekrolog auf das Jahr 1790. S. 262-264. Gotha, 1 791. 191. Schlosser. Geschichte des achtzehnten Jahrhunderts. Band 1-4. 1864, 192. Schlozer, August L. Kleine Kronik von Leipzig. Leipzig, 1776. 193. Schlozer, August. L. Neue Erdbeschreibung von ganc Amerika, nebst einem Anhang von fiinf Welttheilen. Aus deni Englischen von D. Femming und G. Collyer. Leipzig, 1777. 194. Schlozer, August L. Briefwechsel. Band i und 2. Gottingen, 1776. 195. Schmidt, Ernst R. Abriss der englischen und ameri- kanischen Litteratur. Philadelphia, 1894. 196. Schmidt, Erich. Lcnz und Klinger. Berlin, 1878. 197. Schmidt, Ferd. Benjamin Franklin s Leben. Jugend- bibliothek. No. 37. 1903-1906. 198. Schmidt, Julian. Geschichte des geistigen Lebens in Deutschland. Band 2. Leipzig, 1864. 178 Benjamin Franklin and Germany 199. Schmohl, J. C. Uber N ord-Amerika tind Dcmokratic. Copenhagen, 1782. 200. 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Speier, 1785. 212. Sprengel, M. C. Grundrisse der Staatcnkunde der vornehmsten europaischen Reiche. Halle, 1793. 213. Stevens, Henry. Benjamin Franklin. 1881. 214. Suphan, Bernard. Herder. Berlin, 1887. 215. Swift, Lindsay. Benjamin Franklin. Boston, 1883. T. 216. Taschenbuch fiir Denker und Denkerinnen. 1799. 217. Tyler, M. Literary History of American Revolution. Vol. H. P. 376 ff. New York, 1897. V. 218. Vagrants Vagaries, by Haslewood. London, 1805. Benjamin Franklin and Germany 179 219. Venedey, J. Benjamin Franklin. Freiburg und Breis- gau, 1862. 220. Viereck, Ludwig. Zwei Jahrhunderte deutschen Un- tcrrichts in den Vereinigten Staaten. Braunschweig, 1903. W. 221. Wagner, Rudolph. Samuel Thomas Sommering. Leipzig, 1844. 222. Walz, John A. American Revolution and German Literature. Modern Language Notes. Bahimore, 1901. 223. Warner, C. D. American Men of Letters, Benjamin Franklin. 1 88 1 . 224. Weber, Georg. Friedrich Chr. Schosser. Leipzig, 1876, 225. Wegele. 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Leipzig, 1907. i8o Benjamin Franklin and Germany 238. Wuttke, Heinrich. Die deutschcn Zeitschriften imd das Ausland. Leipzig, 1875. 239. Wurzbach, Wolfgang v. Gustav A. Bilrger, Sammt- liche Werke. Leipzig, 1902. 4 Bande. Z. 240. Zehnder, Josephine. Pestaoszi. Vols, i and 2. Gotha, 1875. 241. Zeitschrift fiir Bilcherfreunde. (Biirfier's Franklin, 1793.) Berlin, 1905. 242. Zeitschrift fiir dtutsche Kulturgeschichte. Niirnberg, 1858. 243. Zimmermann, Johann Georg. Uber die Einsamkeit. Bd. II, S. 36. Leipzig, 1784. 244. Zimmermann, G. A. Deutschtum in Amerika. Bci- trdge zur Gcschichte der deutsch-amerikaniscJien Litteratnr. Chicago, 1894. AMERICANA GERMANICA Monograph Series, 1. Translations of German Poetry in American Magazines 1741-1810. By Edward Ziegler Davis, Ph. D. 234 pp. Price $1.65 2. The Harmony Society. A Chapter in German American Culture History. By John Archibald Bole, Ph. D. 179 pp. 30 Illustra- tions. Price $1.50 3. Friedrich Schiller in America. 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