'Reading ma\eth a full man, conference a
readye man, and writing an exacte man"
—Bacon
This Facsimile of Poor Richard's Al¬
manack for 1733 was done for The
Duodecimos, February to Novem¬
ber, 1894. Twelve copies 011 vellum,
and one hundred and thirty-two
copies on hand-made paper, were
printed, and numbered respectively
from 1 to 12 and from 13 to 144.
This copy is No. J O 3
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a c CJ2—jSit-t ' \AT~l \'{a.
Vfc . G *n Jf -/ L"-* v^A_^__P
6t- c^V—&—
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|l2-u? U -12. /£9£.
TJOH»SO» JCL.£T£C./S9*
/ X
FACSIMILE OF
POOR RICHARD'S
ALMANACK
FOR 1733
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY
JOHN BIGELOW
AND NOTES ON THE PORTRAITS
THE DUODECIMOS
MDCCCXCIY
Copyright, 1894, by The Duodecimos
NOTE
The Facsimile of Poor Richard's
Almanack for 1733 included in this
volume was engraved from the only
known copy—that in possession of
the Pennsylvania Historical Society.
The American Philosophical Society of
Philadelphia was long reputed to have
an original 1733, hut it proves to he a
reprint. The words " The Third Im¬
pression" at the foot of the title-page
evidently were added by Franklin to
direct attention to the popularity of his
venture, and do not imply that changes
from "the first impression" or "the
second impression" were made in the
contents of the Almanac. Without
doubt, therefore, this is essentially an
example of the first edition.
The Duodecimos have endeavored
to make the Introduction to this hook
thoroughly modern. Special American
hand-made paper with water-marks of
their name and device, a font of new
type cast particularly for their use, and
the cooperation of the DeVinne Press
have contributed to the desired result.
To the same degree the Facsimile of
the Almanac has been made thorough¬
ly eighteenth-century. The practice of
printing specimens of early typography
on paper of recent manufacture seems
to The Duodecimos not consistent.
Realism in the details of paper and
printing they think no less commen¬
dable than in the reproduction of
typography. In this belief The Duo¬
decimos undertook to procure for the
6
Facsimile a quantity of genuine eigh¬
teenth-century hand-made paper such
as Franklin used, and by good fortune
discovered a number of uncompleted
journals, account-hooks, and scrap-
books, the entries in which gave evi¬
dence of the antiquity of the paper,
and from which hundreds of blank
sheets were taken. Having the repro¬
duced typography and the old paper,
the resources of the DeVinne Press
were drawn upon, and the actual print¬
ing of the Almanac was done on an oak
hand-press built in Philadelphia prob¬
ably before 1800. Thus, so far as could
be, the primitive methods of colonial
days were followed. The Duodecimos
regret that they were obliged by the
exigencies of the times to accept the
services of nineteenth-century work¬
men ; but they trust that in other
respects they have succeeded in trans-
7
ferring to tlie Facsimile some measure
of the delightful atmosphere that clings
about the original Poor Richard's Al¬
manack.
It should he noted that every extract
or quotation in this hook has been care¬
fully verified by the originals (an exact
reprint has not yet been published)—
except in the case of the Almanac for
1735, 110 copy of which, as explained
011 another page, is known to exist.
The Duodecimos take this oppor¬
tunity to thank those gentlemen, too
many to mention here, who by most
kind assistance have shown a friendly
interest in this publication. It is grati¬
fying to know that their membership
is outnumbered a dozen times by book-
lovers who will receive this little vol¬
ume with the same regard for early
American literature that prompted the
formation of this new book-club.
8
Age 20.
From the original said to have been painted in London in
1726, and now in Memorial Hall, Harvard University. Engrav¬
ings of it are known. Franklin was at this date a journeyman
printer in London, where lie had been stranded through the
faithlessness of Governor Keith. All accounts agree that he lived
there with the utmost economy, and his prudence could not have
warranted the luxury of a portrait. Yet it is conceivable that
the painting may have been done at little or no cost, through
motives of friendship, or in return for some service rendered.
INTRODUCTORY
THE fame which the Almanac pub¬
lished by I)r. Franklin under the
pseudonym of Richard Saunders, com¬
monly known as " Poor Richard," has
enjoyed for the last hundred and sixty
years, and still enjoys, is one of the
marvels of modern literature. With
the exception of the Bible and Mother
Goose, this annual, either entire or ex¬
clusive of its monthly calendars, has
probably had a wider circulation and
more readers than any other one pub¬
lication in the English, or indeed in
any other, language. Under one of
many different titles it has been trans-
2 9
lated into every tongue having any
pretensions to a literature, and lias been
reprinted on every imaginable quality
of printing-paper, and in every imagin¬
able form, from what printers call a
pot duodecimo to an imperial folio.
It was the first issue from the press
of the United States that found an un¬
conditional welcome in foreign lands,
and it is the only almanac ever pub¬
lished that owes its great and durable
popularity entirely to its literary merit.
What adds to the surprise with
which we contemplate the fame and
fortunes of this unpretentious publica¬
tion, is the fact that its popularity was
established by its first number, which
was published when its gifted author,
who had maintained himself as a jour¬
neyman printer, from the time he was
twelve years old, was only twenty-six
years of age. All that Franklin him-
10
self thought it worth his while to say
of his Almanac in his autobiography,
when writing fifty-five years after the
first number appeared, will be found in
the following paragraphs : &
"In 1732 I first publisli'd my Al¬
manack, under the name of Richard
Saunders; it was continu'd by me
about twenty-five years, commonly
call'd Poor Richard's Almanac. I
endeavor'd to make it both entertain-
& Bigelow's Life of Franklin, Vol. I , p. 249.
The advertisement of the first number of this
Almanac was printed in the Pennsylvania Ga¬
zette for December 19 to 28, 17-">2, a paper
of which Franklin had about two years before
become proprietor, and ran as followsJust
Published, for 1733: POOR IIICHARD: An
ALMANACK containing the Lunations, Eclipses,
Planets Motions and Aspects, Weather, Sun and
Moon's rising and setting, Higliwater, etc. besides
many pleasant and witty Verses, Jests and Say¬
ings, Author's Motive of Writing, Prediction of
li
ing and useful, and it accordingly
came to be in such demand, that I
reap'd considerable profit from it,
vending annually near ten thousand.
And observing that it was generally
read, scarce any neighborhood in the
province being without it, I consider'd
it as a proper vehicle for conveying
instruction among the common people,
who bought scarcely any other books ;
I therefore filled all the little spaces
that occurr'd between the remarkable
the Death of his Friend Mr. Titan Leeds, Moon
no Cuckold, Batchelor's Folly, Parson's Wine and
Baker's Pudding, Short Visits, Kings and Bears,
New Fashions, Game for Kisses, Katherine's
Love, Different Sentiments, Signs of a Tempest,
Death is a Fisherman, Conjugal Debate, Men
and Melons, H. the Prodigal, Breakfast in Bed,
Oyster Lawsuit, &c. By RICHARD SAUN¬
DERS, Philomat. Printed and sold by B. Frank¬
lin, Price 3s. 6d. per Dozen. Of whom also may
be had Sheet Almanacks at 2s. 6c/."
12
days in the calendar with proverbial
sentences, chiefly such as inculcated in¬
dustry and frugality, as the means of
procuring wealth, and thereby secur¬
ing virtue ; it being more difficult for a
man in want, to act always honestly,
as, to use here one of those proverbs,
it is hard for an empty sack to stand
upright.
" These proverbs, which contain the
wisdom of many ages and nations, I
assembled and form'd into a con¬
nected discourse prefix'd to the Al¬
manack of 1757, as the harangue of
a wise old man to the people attend¬
ing an auction. The bringing all
these scatter'd counsels thus into a
focus, enabled them to make greater
impression. The piece, being univer¬
sally approved, was copied in all the
newspapers of the Continent; re¬
printed in Britain 011 a broad side, to
13
be stuck up in houses; two transla¬
tions were made of it in French, and
great numbers bought by the clergy
and gentry, to distribute gratis among
their poor parishioners and tenants.
In Pennsylvania, as it discouraged
useless expense in foreign superfluities,
some thought it had its share of influ¬
ence in producing that growing plenty
of money which was observable for
several years after its publication."
Franklin makes 110 allusion here or
elsewhere (perhaps he had forgotten it)
to the secret of his Almanac's imme¬
diate and, for that period, extraordin¬
ary success, which I am disposed to
attribute largely to the exquisitely hu¬
morous way in which he disposed of
his chief rival or competitor in the
almanac business—one Titan Leeds—
in the preface to the first number,
which, for the first time since its origi-
14
nal publication, is now reproduced in
the guise in which it originally sur¬
prised the American public. In his
assumed character of an astrologer,
and under the name of Richard Saun¬
ders, Philomath, or lover of learning,
he sets forth divers and sundry reasons,
mostly of a domestic character, which
had been impelling him to compile an
almanac.
" The plain Truth of the Matter
is, I am excessive poor, and my Wife,
good Woman, is, I tell her, exces¬
sive proud; she cannot bear, she says,
to sit spinning in her Shift of Tow,
while I do nothing but gaze at the
Stars; and has threatncd more than
once to burn all my Books and Rat¬
tling-Traps (as she calls my Instru¬
ments) if I do not make some profit¬
able Use of them for the Good of my
Family."
15
He then goes on to say that he
had hitherto refrained from embark¬
ing' in the business for which only
his studies had qualified him, out of
regard to his good friend and fel¬
low-student Titan Leeds, whose in¬
terests lie was "extreamly unwilling
to hurt." Then in a strain of de¬
lightful satire upon the already ven¬
erable pretensions of almanac makers
to foretell the future, he disposes of
this difficulty by a method so novel,
so ingenious, and withal of an illumi¬
nating power so far-reaching as to set
the whole colony talking about it.
" But this Obstacle (I am far from
speaking it with Pleasure) is soon to
be removed, since inexorable Death,
who was never known to respect
Merit, has already prepared the mor¬
tal Dart, the fatal Sister has already
extended her destroying Shears, and
16
Age about 50.
From the original portrait said to be by Benjamin West, now owned by
Dr. Thomas Ilewson Bache, of Philadelphia, and deposited in the Ridg-
way branch of the Library Company of that city. This painting has been
described as the true likeness of Franklin at the age of 38 to 40 years.
But Benjamin West was not born until October, 1738, when Franklin was
almost 33 years old ; and it was not until AVest was in his eighteenth year
that he went to Philadelphia and established himself as a portrait-painter.
Franklin was then 50, and it was probably at this time, if at all, that he
sat to West. In an engraving of this portrait done at Philadelphia about
1830 the artist seems to have taken the liberty of adding an incipient
mustache to Franklin's lip. A copy from this engraving has been pub¬
lished as a likeness of Roger Williams.
that ingenious Man must soon be taken
from us. He dies, by my Calculation
made at his Request, 011 Oct. 17, 1733,
3 h. 29 m. P. M. at the very in¬
stant of the 6 of O and $ • By his
own Calculation he will survive till
the 26th of the same Month. This
small Difference between us we have
disputed whenever we have met these
9 Years past; but at length he is in¬
clinable to agree with my Judgment:
Which of us is most exact, a little
Time will now determine. As there¬
fore these Provinces may not longer
expect to see any of his Performances
after this Year, 1 think my self free
to take up the Task, and request a
share of the publick Encouragement;
which 1 am the more apt to hope for
on this Account, that the Buyer of
my Almanack may consider himself,
not only as purchasing an useful
:s 17
Utensil, but as performing an Act of
Charity, to liis poor Friend and Ser¬
vant II, SAUNDERS."
If anything could have added to
the effect of this hit of literary horse¬
play it was to have it taken seriously
by his rival; and that is precisely what
happened. The year rolled round to
the time when Leeds was to issue his
next Almanac without the quality of
Franklin's jeu d1 esprit having pene¬
trated his understanding, and without
any better way of dealing with Frank¬
lin's prognostication occurring to him
than seriously to deny its correctness.
In his American Almanac for 1734
Titan Leeds thus replies :
"Kind, Reader, Perhaps it may be
expected that I should say something
concerning an Almanack printed for
the Year 1733. Said to be writ by
Poor Richard or Richard Saunders,
18
who for want of other matter was
pleased to tell his Readers, that he
had calculated my Nativity, and from
thence predicts my Death to be the
17th of October, 1733. At 22 min.
past 3 a-Clock in the Afternoon, and
that these Provinces may not expect
to see any more of his (Titan Leeds)
Performances, and this precise Pre¬
dictor, who predicts to a Minute, pro¬
poses to succeed me in Writing of
Almanacks; but notwithstanding' his
false Prediction, I have by the Mercy
of God lived to write a Diary for the
Year 1734, and to publish the Folly
and Ignorance of this presumptous
Author. Nay, lie adds another gross
Falsehood in his said Almanack, viz.
That by my own Calculation, I shall
survive until the L2(Wi of the said
Month, (October) which is as untrue
as the former, for I do not pretend to
19
that knowledge, altlio' he has usurpt
the knowledge of the Almighty here¬
in, and manifested himself a Fool and
a Lyar. And by the Mercy of God I
have lived to survive this conceited
Scriblers Day and Minute whereon lie
has predicted my Death; and as 1
have supplyed my Country with Al¬
manacks for three seven Years by
past, to general Satisfaction, so per¬
haps I may live to write when his
Performances are Dead. Thus much
from your annual Friend, Titan
Leeds. October 18. 1733, 3. ho. 33
min. P. M."
As the people of the land of Canaan
were bread for the followers of Moses,
so Leeds's defense was bread to Frank¬
lin. In his Almanac for 1734, pub¬
lished only a week or two after his
rival's, he carries on the joke. After
referring gratefully to the courteous
20
A^e about 60.
O
From the original painting by David Martin, done at London
in commemoration of the settlement by Franklin, as referee, of
a dispute concerning property. Franklin is represented reading
the documents relating to the case. The painting is now the
property of Henry W. Biddle, of Philadelphia. There are many
replicas, copies, and engravings of it.
reader for his kind reception of the
Almanac of '33, and to the extent to
which it had made his circumstances
more easy in the world, lie helps 011
the illusion in regard to his poverty
and obscurity by setting forth some of
the ways in which his condition had
been ameliorated by the proceeds of
its sale, and then pays his respects to
his friend Leeds.
" My Wife has been enabled to get
a Pot of her own, and is 110 longer
oblig'd to borrow one from a Neigh¬
bour ; nor have we ever since been
without something of our own to put
in it. She has also got a pair of
Shoes, two new Shifts, and a new
warm Petticoat; and for my part, I
have bought a second-hand Coat, so
good, that I am now not asham'd to
go to Town or be seen there. These
Things have render'd her Temper so
21
much more pacifick than it us'd to be,
that I may say, I have slept more, and
more quietly within this last Year,
than in the three foregoing Years put
together. Accept my hearty Thanks
therefor, and my sincere wishes for
your Health and Prosperity.
" In the Preface to my last Alman¬
ack, I foretold the Death of my dear
old Friend and Fellow-Student, the
learned and ingenious Mr. Titan
Leeds, which was to he the 17th of
October, 1733, 3 h., 29 m., P. M., at
the very Instant of the d of Q and £.
By his own Calculation, he was to sur¬
vive till the 26th of the same Month,
and expire in the Time of the Eclipse,
near 11 a'clock, A. J/. At which of
these Times he died, or whether he be
really yet dead, I cannot at this pres¬
ent Writing positively assure my Read¬
ers; forasmuch as a Disorder in my
22
own Family demanded my Presence,
and would not permit me as I liad in¬
tended, to be with him in his last Mo¬
ments, to receive his last Embrace, to
close his Eyes, and do the Duty of a
Friend in performing the last Offices to
the Departed. Therefore it is that I
cannot positively affirm whether he be
dead or not; for the Stars only show
to the Skilful, what will happen in the
natural and universal Chain of Causes
and Effects; but 'tis well known, that
the Events which would otherwise cer¬
tainly happen at certain Times, in the
Course of Nature, are sometimes set
aside or postpon'd, for wise and good
Reasons, by the immediate particular
Disposition of Providence; which par¬
ticular Dispositions the Stars can by 110
Means discover or foreshow. There
is however, (and I cannot speak it
without Sorrow) there is the strongest
23
Probability that my dear Friend is no
more; for there appears in his Name, as
I am assured, an Almanack for the Year
1734, in which I am treated in a very
gross and unhandsome Manner; in
which I am called a false Predicter, an
Ignorant, a; conceited Scribbler, a Fool,
and a Lyar. Mr. Leeds was too well
bred to use any Man so indecently and
so scurrilously, and moreover his Es¬
teem and Affection for me was extra¬
ordinary: Ho that it is to be feared,
that Pamphlet may be only a Con¬
trivance of somebody or other, who
hopes perhaps to sell two or three
Years' Almanacks still, by the sole
Force and Virtue of Mr. Leeds's Name;
but certainly, to put Words into the
Mouth of a Gentleman and a Man of
Letters, against his Friend, which the
meanest and most scandalous of the
People might be asham'd to utter
24
Age about 64.
From the original painting by Mason Chamberlain, R. A., now
owned by Victor Van de Weyer, of London. A replica, a copy
by George Dunlop Leslie, R. A., and many engravings are
known.
even in a drunken Quarrel, is an un¬
pardonable Injury to his Memory, and
an Imposition upon the Publick.
" Mr. Leeds was not only profoundly
skilful in the useful Science lie pro-
fess'd, but he was a Man of exemplary
Sobriety, a most sincere Friend, and an
exact Performer of h is Word. These
valuable Qualifications, with many oth¬
ers, so much endear'd him to me, that
although it should be so, that, con¬
trary to all Probability, contrary to
my Prediction and his own, he might
possibly be yet alive, yet my Loss of
Honour as a Prognosticator, cannot af¬
ford me so much Mortification, as his
Life, Health and Safety would give me
Joy and Satisfaction.
"I am,Courteous and kind Reader,
Your poor Friend, and Servant, R.
SAUNDERS. Octob. 30. 1733."
Of course Titan Leeds was too dull
4
25
to withdraw quietly from a contro¬
versy of wits with an antagonist with
whom he was so entirely unequal to
cope. Accordingly, in his Almanac for
1735 lie returns to the attack, hut, to
use a phrase of the ring, lie comes up
rather groggy.
" Corteous and kind Header. My
Almanack being in its usual Method,
needs no Explanation; hut perhaps it
may he expected by some that I shall
say something concerning Poor Rich¬
ard, or otherwise Richard Saunders's
Almanack, which I suppose was
printed in the Year 1733, for the en¬
suing year 1734, wherein he useth me
with such good Manners, I can hardly
find what to say to him, without it is
to advise him not to be too Proud be¬
cause by his Predicting my Death,
and his writing an Almanack (I sup¬
pose at his Wilrs Request) as he him-
26
self says, she lias got a Pot of lier
own and not longer obliged to borrow
one from a Neighbour, she has got also
two new Shifts, a pair of new Shoes
and a new warm Petticoat; and for
his own part he had bought a second¬
hand Coat so good that he is not
ashamed to go to Town, or to be seen
there, [Parturiunt Monies!) But if
Falsliood and Inginuity be so re¬
warded, What may he expect if ever
he be in a capacity to publish that
that is either Just or according to Art I
Therefore I shall say little more about
it than, as a Friend, to advise he will
never take upon him to preedict or
ascribe any Persons Death, till he has
learned to do it better than he did
before."
As the ten thousand purchasers of
Franklin's Almanacs were all wonder¬
ing what would be the new phase into
27
which Franklin's joke with his rival
would enter, he, of course, did not fail
to turn their curiosity to account. He
took the ground that Titan Leeds was
really dead, and that men unworthy to
untie the latchets of his shoes were
trying to speculate upon his reputation
by continuing the publication under ln's
name as though he were still living.
In his Almanac for 1735 he says:
" Whatever may be the Musick of
the Spheres, how great soever the Har¬
mony of the Stars, 'tis certain there is
no Harmony among the Star-gazers;
but they are perpetually growling and
snarling at one another like strange
O O
Curs, or like some Men at their Wives.
I had resolved to keep the Peace 011
my own Part, and affront none of
them ; and I shall persist in that Reso¬
lution. But having receiv'd much
Abuse from Titan Leeds deceas'd,
28
(Titan Leeds when living would not
have used me so:) I say, having re-
eeiv'd much Abuse from the Ghost of
Titan Leeds, who pretends to be still
living, and to write Almanacks in
spight of me and my Predictions, I
cannot help saying, that tho' I take
it patiently, I take it very unkindly.
And whatever lie may pretend, 'tis
undoubtedly true that he is really de¬
funct and dead. First, because the
Stars are seldom disappointed, never
but in the case of wise Men, sapiens
dorninahitur astris, and they fore¬
showed his Death at the time I pre¬
dicted it. Secondly, 'twas requisite and
necessary lie should die punctually at
that Time for the Honor of Astrology,
the Art professed both by him and his
Father before him. Thirdly, 'tis plain
to every one that reads his two last
Almanacks, (for 1734 and '35,) that
29
they are not written with that Life his
Performances use to he written with;
the Wit is low and flat; the little Hints
dull and spiritless; nothing smart in
them but Hudibras's Verses against
Astrology at the Heads of the Months
in the last, which no Astrologer but a
dead one would have inserted, and 110
Man living would or could write such
Stuff as the rest. But lastly, I shall
convince him from his own Words that
he is dead; (exore sno condemnatus
est,) for in his Preface to his Almanack
for 1734, he says, 'Saunders adds an¬
other gross Falsehood in his Almanack,
viz., that by my own Calculation, I
shall survive until the 26th of the said
Month, October 1733, which is as un¬
true as the former.' Now if it be as
Leeds says, untrue and a gross False¬
hood, that he survived till the 26th of
October, 1733, then it is certainly true
:so
that lie died before that Time; and if
he died before that Time, he is dead
now to all Intents and Purposes, any
thing he may say to the Contrary not¬
withstanding*. And at what Time be¬
fore the 26th is it so likely he should
die, as at the Time by me predicted,
viz., the 17th of October aforesaid?
But if some People will walk and be
troublesome after Death, it may per¬
haps be borne with a little, because it
cannot well be avoided, unless one
would be at the Pains and Expence of
laying them in the Bed Sea; how¬
ever, they should not presume too
much upon the Liberty allowed them.
I know Confinement must needs be
mighty irksome to the free Spirit of
an Astronomer, and I am too compas¬
sionate to proceed suddenly to Ex¬
tremities with it; nevertheless, tho' I
resolve with Reluctance, I shall not
31
long defer, if it does not speedily learn
to treat its living Friends with better
Manners.
" I am, Courteous Reader, Your
obliged Friend and Servant, R. SAUN¬
DERS. October BO, 1734."
By this time Titan Leeds had doubt¬
less been helped by his neighbors to
the conclusion that Franklin had been
using his dull head for an anvil on
which to hammer out golden adver¬
tisements for his Almanac, and that the
best thing, therefore, in a business way,
was to let him alone. Franklin for¬
bore to tease him further, and so we
hear nothing more of Titan Leeds for
several years.
Although Franklin had compelled
his most formidable rival to capitulate,
or, in other words," to dry up," he knew
too well the importance of having his
Almanac more talked about and quoted
32
Age 71.
From an engraving of the drawing by Charles Nicholas Cochin
the younger, done at Paris in 1777. This "fur-cap Franklin"
has been extensively engraved, with most astonishing variations.
than any other in the colonies to allow
its readers for a moment to suspect
that the fountains of his wit also were
dried up. So in the issue for 1736
he set them to speculating over three
" portentous eatastrophies" which were
to overtake the country during the
current year. Here they are:
" ENIGMATICAL PROPHECIES
Which they that do not understand,
cannot well explain.
" 1. Before the middle of this Year,
a Wind at X. East will arise, during
which the Water of the Sea and Rivers
will he in such a manner raised, that
great part of the Towns of Boston,
Newport, New - York, Philadelphia,
the low Lands of Maryland and Vir¬
ginia, and the Town of Charlstown in
South Carolina, will he under Water.
Happy will it he for the Sugar &
Salt, standing in the Cellars of those
5 33
Places, if there be tight Roofs & Ciel-
ings overhead; otherwise, without be¬
ing a Conjurer, a Man may easily
foretel that such Commodities will re¬
ceive Damage.
"2. About the middle of the Year,
great Numbers of Vessels fully laden
will be taken out of the Ports afore¬
said, by a Poicer with which we are
not now at War, and whose Forces
shall not be descried or seen either
coming or £oin<£. But in the End
o o o
this may not be disadvantageous to
those Places.
"3. However, not long after, a visi¬
ble Army of 20000 Husketers will
land, some in Virginia & Maryland,
and some in the lower Counties on both
sides of Del cur are, who will over-run
the Country, and sorely annoy the In¬
habitants : But the Air in this Climate
will agree with them so ill towards
34
Winter, that they will die in the begin¬
ning of cold Weather like rotten Sheep,
and by Christmas the Inhabitans will
get the better of them.
" Note, In my next Almanack these
Enigmatical Prophecies will be ex¬
plained. R. S."
Accordingly, in his Almanac for 1737
we have the explanation promised.
" 1. The Water of the Sea and Rivers
is raised in Vapours by the Sun, is
form'd into Clouds in the Air, and
thence descends in Rain. Now when
there is Rain overhead, (which fre¬
quently happens when the Wind is
at N. E.) the Cities and Places 011
the Earth below, are certainly under
Water.
" 2. The Power with which we were
not then at War, but which, it was
said, would take many full laden Ves¬
sels out of our Ports before the End of
35
the Year, is The WIND, whose Forces
also are not descried either coming or
going.
"3. The Army which it was said
would land in Virginia, Maryland,
and the Lower Counties on Delaware,
were not Musketeers with Guns 011
their Shoulders as some expected; hut
their Namesakes, in Pronunciation, tho'
truly spelt Moschitos, arm'd only with
a sharp Sting. Every one knows they
are Fish before they liy, being- bred in
the Water; and therefore may properly
be said to land before they become
generally troublesome."
I11 these days of cheap printing and
gluttonous reading, it is difficult to
comprehend the interest with which
these jokes and "the wise saws and
modern instances" with which they
were judiciously interspersed, were
conned over at the fireside of the
36
The so-called "Versailles portrait." From an engraving by
Gustave Levy, said to he after "the painting in the Gallery at
Versailles." There is 110 record of this painting. It is evident
that the engraving is misnamed, or that it is the result of the
not uncommon practice of "vamping," or improvising. The
attempted representation of a fur cap, the open shirt-collar, and
the fur-trimmed coat, which separately are peculiarities of various
authentic portraits of Franklin, but which are combined in 110
other than this, support the latter theory.
colonists, and what an inexhaustible
variety of' speculation they begat.
Mr. Ford, in his admirable discourse
on the Franklin Almanacs, says:A
" Few if any now living can appre¬
ciate how large a space this little
pamphlet of a dozen leaves filled only
one hundred years ago, and this im¬
portance increases as we trace it back
to its first appearance in this country.
To the present generation it is merely
a cover for soap, patent medicine, or
other quackery advertising, but in our
colonial period it was the vacle mecwm
of every household—a calendar, diary,
meteorological bureau, jest-, recipe-,
and indeed sometimes school-book;
for, with the exception of the Bible,
A The Prefaces, Proverbs, and Poems of Ben¬
jamin Franklin, originally printed in Poor Pack¬
ard's Almanacs for 1733-1758. Collected and
edited by Paul Leicester Ford.
37
it was often tlie year's sole reading
matter in many families, and a poor
and shiftless one it was indeed, which,
as the new year approached, had not
the necessary sum, ranging from a
penny to sixpence, to be exchanged
for the annual issue. In every well-
ordered kitchen a nail was driven in
the chimney-breast, 011 which, as the
old year waned, a fresh almanac was
hung. How eagerly must all have
read it for the first time! How im¬
portant were its weather predictions
and statistical matter! How amusing
its jokes and anecdotes, which, served
up anew year after year, were greeted
by 110 chestnut bell, and never became
old or stale. But if the humor was
perennial, not so the almanac! Slowly
as the season advanced it lost its first
youthful freshness, became brown and
thumbed, then ragged, till when the.
38
trees commenced to shed their leaves
the almanac proved itself no bad imi¬
tator, and its successor found no rival
to contest its right to the hook."
In 1738 Poor Richard has another
surprise for his readers. It is a preface
from Mistress Saunders, who gives her
wifely reasons for declining to permit
the one to he printed which her hus¬
band, who had gone on a visit to " an
old Stargazer of his Acquaintance," had
prepared and left for the purpose.
" Dear Headers, My good Man set
out last Week for Potowmack, to visit
an old Stargazer of his Acquaintance,
and see about a little Place for us to set¬
tle and end our Days on. He left the
Copy of his Almanack seal'd up, and
bid me send it to the Press. I suspected
something, and therefore as soon as he
was gone, I open'd it, to see if he had
not been Hinging some of his old Skitts
39
at me. Just as I thought, so it was.
o 7
And truly, (for want of somewhat else
to say, I suppose) he had put into his
Preface, that his Wife Bridget — was
this, and that, and t'other.—What-a-
peasecods! cannot I have a little Fault
or two, but all the Country must see
it in print! They have already been
told, at one time that I am proud, an¬
other time that I am loud, and that 1
have got a new Petticoat, and abun¬
dance of such kind of stuff; and now,
forsooth! all the World must know,
that Poor Dictts Wife has lately taken
a fancy to drink a little Tea now and
then. A mighty matter, truly, to make
a Song of! 'Tis true; I had a little
Tea of a Present from the Printer last
Year; and what, must a body throw it
away ? In short, I thought the Pref¬
ace was not worth a printing, and so
I fairly scratch'd it all out, and I be-
40
From the original portrait owned by Henry C. Thompson, of
Philadelphia. Artist and history unknown. A copy from this
painting belongs to the Library Company of Philadelphia.
lieve you'll like our Almanack never
the worse for it.
" Upon looking over the Months, I
see he has put in abundance of foul
Weather this Year; and therefore 1
have scattered here and there, where
I could find room, some fair, pleasant,
sunshiny, &c. for the Good-Women to
dry their Clothes in. If it does not
come to pass according to my Desire, I
have shown my Good-will, however;
and I hope they'll take it in good part.
"I had a Design to make some other
Corrections; and particularly to change
some of the Verses that I don't very
well like; but I have just now un¬
luckily broke my Spectacles; which
obliges me to give it you as it is,
and conclude Your loving Friend,
BRIDGET SAUNDERS."
The introduction of Mistress Bridget
into the Almanac reminds us that
C 41
Franklin had now been for several
years a married man. Every one lias
read the story of his first arrival in
Philadelphia, a lad of seventeen, with
only a Dutch dollar in his pocket; of his
walking up Market Street munching a
roll, with two other rolls under his
arm; of his passing a door at which
his future wife was standing, and to
whom, as she afterward informed him,
he made "a most awkward, ridicu¬
lous appearance"; how the printer
Iveimer, with whom he soon got em¬
ployment as a journeyman, secured for
him lodgings at the house of this young
woman's father, whose name was Head;
and, finally, how he fell in love with
Miss Read and then became engaged.
Before the first year of his sojourn in
Philadelphia had expired, however, he
was beguiled by Sir William Keith,
the governor of the province, to go
42
over to London to procure the equip¬
ment for a new printing-house, to he
set up in Philadelphia on his own ac¬
count, Sir William promising to fur¬
nish all the capital and also to provide
for the expenses of his trip : to both of
which engagements Sir William proved
disgracefully unfaithful. On the 24th
of December, 1724, Franklin arrived in
London, where, finding awaiting him
neither the money nor the letters of
credit which he was entitled to expect,
lie was compelled to work as a printer
for nearly two years before he had
saved up enough money to pay his pas¬
sage home. He finally succeeded in
reaching Philadelphia again October
11, 1726. He was now 20 years of
age. The distractions of his London
life had made him neglect his fiancee
in Philadelphia, to whom, he frankly
tells us in his Autobiography, "I never
43
wrote more than one letter, and that
was to let her know I was not likely
soon to return. This was another of
the great errata of my life, which I
should wish to correct if I were to live
it over a^ain."
Such was Franklin's judgment at
three score and ten, when he indited
this reflection; but his conduct does not
seem to have presented itself to him
in that light on his return from London
in 1726, for he did not at that time
take the initiative in resuming his for¬
mer relations with Miss Read. On the
contrary, he allowed himself to enter
into negotiations with a relative of a
fellow-printer named Godfrey,—whose
family shared a part of his house,—
from which, he himself admits, a serious
courtship on his part ensued, " the girl
being in herself very deserving." This
courtship was finally broken off, how-
44
ever, by the girl's friends, who declined
to provide her with the "dot" upon
which Franklin was depending to re¬
duce the debt on the new printing-
house which he had just established.
"Whether," says Franklin, "this
was a real change of sentiment or only
artifice, on a supposition of our be¬
ing too far engaged in affection to re¬
tract, and therefore that we should
steal a marriage, which would leave
them at liberty to give or withhold
what they pleas'd, I know not; but I
suspected the latter, resented it, and
went no more. Mrs. Godfrey brought
me afterward some more favorable
accounts of their disposition, and would
have drawn me on again; but I de¬
clared absolutely my resolution to have
nothing more to do with that family."'5
'K Bigelow's Life of Franklin, Vol. r, pp. 20-3-4
45
Franklin had already begun to know
his value; the Godfreys only suspected
it. The fact was that Miss Head,
though a nice, sensible, buxom, and
comely person, was practically unedu¬
cated, could not write a legible hand
or spell correctly any considerable num¬
ber of words of the language she spoke,
and had few tastes in common with
her absent lover. Franklin had been
steadily gaining in culture and refine¬
ment, and the letters he received from
her (if, as is probable, she wrote to
him) must have made him pause, and
have planted'serious doubts in his mind
whether the blessing of heaven would
go with a marriage between persons
of such widely divergent interests and
aspirations.
Nor, if such thoughts passed through
his mind, was he to be blamed for
contributing nothing further to nourish
4(>
a flame which, he might have satisfied
himself, it would be better for both
parties to extinguish, although at his
age and with his experience it was
hardly to be expected that he would
choose the wisest or most courtly
method of breaking his change of heart
to her whose happiness was most to be
affected by it. Such may be presumed
to have been the considerations which
influenced Franklin while in London
to make the most of the theory that
absence conquers love.
It rarely happens, however, that,
when one is jilted, he is not irresis¬
tibly impelled to take swift revenge
by hurrying up a match with some
one else. To this reactionary weak¬
ness Franklin at twenty-four was no
exception.
He tells us that when he returned
from London Keith was ashamed to
47
meet him, and ho adds: "I should
have been as much asham'd at seeing
Miss Head, had not her friends, despair¬
ing with reason of my return after the
receipt of my letter, persuaded her to
marry another, one Rogers, a potter,
which was done in my absence. With
him, however, she was never happy,
and soon parted from him, refusing to
cohabit with him or bear his name,
it being now said that he had another
wife. He was a worthless fellow, tho'
an excellent workman, which was tho
temptation to her friends. He got into
debt, ran away in 1727 or 1728, went
to the West Indies, and died there."
No sooner was his affair off' with
Mrs. Godfrey's protegee than Franklin
began to look about for another candi¬
date for his heart and hand, but with¬
out success, and for reasons which will
explain his return to his first love,
48
Age about 74.
From a photograph of an engraving of the original drawing by
Louis Carrogis de Carniontelle, done at Paris. Considered an
excellent likeness.
in spite of her lack of the education
and training that would have suited
her for the very different social sphere
in which it was already apparent to
him that he was destined to move.
He soon found, in looking about for a
wife to suit him, "that, the business of
a printer being generally thought a
poor one, I was not to expect money
with a wife, unless with such a one as
I should not otherwise think agree¬
able." He continues:" . . . a friendly
correspondence as neighbors and old
acquaintances had continued between
me and Mrs. Read's family, who all
had a regard for me from the time of
my first lodging in their house. I was
often invited there and consulted in
their affairs wherein I sometimes was
of service. I piti'd poor Miss Read's
unfortunate situation, who was gen¬
erally dejected, seldom cheerful, and
7 49
avoided company. I considered my
giddiness and inconstancy when in
London as in a great degree the cause
of her unhappiness, tho' the mother
was irood enough to think the fault
o o
more her own than mine, as she had
prevented our marrying before I went
thither, and persuaded the other match
in my absence. Our mutual affection
was revived, but there were now great
objections to our union. The match
was indeed looked upon as invalid, a
preceding wife being said to be living
in England; but this could not easily
be prov'd because of the distance;
and, tho' there was a report of his
death, it was not certain. Then,
tho' it should be true, he had left
many debts, which his successor might
l)e call'd upon to pay. We ventured,
however, over all these difficulties, and
I took her to wife, September 1st,
50
1730. None of the inconveniences hap¬
pened that we had apprehended; she
proved a good and faithful helpmate,
assisted me much by attending the
shop; we throve together, and have
ever mutually endeavor'd to make
each other happy. Thus I corrected
that great erratum as well as I could."
By this marriage Franklin had two
children: a hoy, Francis Folger Frank¬
lin, who died when about four years
of age, and a daughter, Sarah Franklin,
who married Richard Bache, and was
the founder of the still reigning dynas¬
ties of the Baches, Wistars, Markoes,
Duanes, Dallases, and Sargents, of
whose empire Philadelphia continues
to be the capital.
At the time of his marriage Frank¬
lin already had another son, born not
in wedlock and while the father was
yet in his teens. This lie was in the
51
habit of including among the errata of
his life; but it was an erratum which
provoked him to set the world an
example of magnanimity and moral
firmness which it is to be feared but
too many of those who have criti¬
cized this imprudence most severely
would scarcely have had the grace to
imitate. He took this boy into his fam¬
ily; gave him the best educational
advantages which Philadelphia then
afforded; took him to London with
him; and had him trained for and
admitted to the bar. Xor was this
all. While the father was a^ent for
the colonies in London from 1757 to
1775, and as soon as the son had
finished his studies, he made him his
private secretary, took him with him
and presented him wherever he him¬
self went, and assured to him a cor¬
responding welcome. Dr. Alexander
52
Carlyle, in his Autobiography, under
the date of September, 1759, says
that he " supped one night in Edin¬
burgh with the celebrated Dr. Frank¬
lin at Dr. Robertson's house, then at
the head of the Cowgate, where he
had come at Whitsunday, after his
being translated to Edinburgh. Dr.
Franklin had his son with him " ; and
there were David Hume, Adam Smith,
and two or three more. Franklin, he
adds, " was a silent man," but the
" son was open and communicative,
and pleased the company better than
his father."
Subsequently, and by virtue of the
position Franklin had helped the son
to establish in England, the latter was
appointed Royal Governor of the Col¬
ony of New Jersey. Unhappily, he
did not duly appreciate the counsel
and the example of his father at their
53
true value, and when the rupture be¬
tween the colonies and the mother
country occurred, he adhered to the
cause of the royalists, was expelled
from the province, and ended his days
in exile as a pensioner of the British
G overnment.
There arc few things in Dr. Frank¬
lin's life, illustrious as it was, more
creditable to him, or that distinguish
him more widely from the average
man, than his lifelong effort by every
means in his power to expiate the most
conspicuous error of his youth, and to
protect his son from any of the painful
consequences of a wrong for which he,
and not the son, was responsible.
When Franklin was sent to Eng¬
land as agent of the province of Penn¬
sylvania, in 1757,— an event which of
course terminated the astronomical ca¬
reer of Poor Richard,— Mrs. Franklin
54
could not accompany him. She died
on December 19, 1774, a few months
before he returned. The Doctor did
not marry again, nor is there any
evidence that he ever entertained the
thought of a second marriage. La-
boulaye once asked me if Franklin had
not made to Madame Helvetius pro¬
posals of marriage which were declined.
I could not help smiling at the idea,
and suggested that as Franklin could
hardly have been less than seventy-
five years of age when, if ever, he
could have been suspected of address¬
ing Madame Helvetius, and she could
have been but little younger, a matri¬
monial alliance between them would
hardly have been consistent with the
" sound and disposing mind and mem¬
ory " which they both unquestion¬
ably possessed, not only then, but for
some years after the Atlantic Ocean
55
again rolled between tliem. Laboulaye
liad, 110 doubt, derived his suspicion
from the following clever jeu (Vesprit
which the Doctor addressed to Ma¬
dame Helvetius, who became a widow
in 1771 — five years before Franklin's
arrival in France as a commissioner
of the Confederation:
" Mortified at the barbarous resolu¬
tion pronounced by you so positively
yesterday evening, that you would re¬
main single the rest of your life, as a
compliment due to the memory of
your husband, I retired to my cham¬
ber. Throwing myself upon my bed,
I dreamt that I was dead, and was
transported to the Ely si an Fields.
" I was asked whether I wished to
sec any persons in particular; to which
I replied, that I wished to see the
philosophers. ' There are two who
live here at hand in this garden ; they
56
are good neighbours, and very friend¬
ly towards one another.' ' Who are
they?' 'Socrates and Helvetius.' 'I
esteem them both highly; but let
me see Helvetius first, because I un¬
derstand a little French, but not a
word of Greek.' I was conducted to
him; lie received me with much cour¬
tesy, having known me, he said, by
character, some time past. He asked
me a thousand questions relative to the
war, the present state of religion, of
liberty, of the government in France.
' You do not inquire, then,' said I,
' after your dear friend, Madame
Helvetius; yet she loves you exceed¬
ingly ; I was in her company not
more than an hour ago.' 'All,' said
he, ' you make me recur to my past
happiness, which ought to be forgotten
in order to be happy here. For many
years 1 could think of nothing but her,
8 57
though at length I am consoled. T have
taken another wife, the most like her
that I could find; she is not indeed
altogether so handsome, hut she has a
great fund of wit and good sense ; and
her whole study is to please me. She
is at this moment gone to fetch the
best nectar and ambrosia to regale
me; stay here awhile and you will
see her.' ' I perceive,' said I, ' that
your former friend is more faithful to
you than you are to her; she has had
several good offers, but refused them
all. 1 will confess to you that I loved
her extremely; but she was cruel to
me, and rejected me peremptorily for
your sake.' ' I pity you sincerely,'
said he, ' for she is an excellent wo¬
man, handsome and amiable. But do
not the Abbe de la Roche and the
Abbe Morellet visit her 1' ' Certainly
they do; not one of your friends has
58
dropped her acquaintance.' 'If you
had gained the Abbe Morellet with a
bribe of good coffee and cream, per¬
haps you would have succeeded; for
he is as deep a reasoner as Duns Scotus
or St. Thomas; he arranges and meth¬
odizes his arguments in such a man¬
ner that they are almost irresistible.
Or, if by a fine edition of some old
classic, you had gained the Abbe de
la Roche to speak cujainst you, that
would have been still better; as I al¬
ways observed, that when he recom¬
mended any thing to her, she had a
great inclination to do directly the
contrary.' As he finished these words
the new Madame Helvetius entered
with the nectar, and I recognized her
immediately as my former American
friend, Mrs. Franklin! I reclaimed
her, but she answered me coldly; ' I
was a good wife to you for forty-
59
nine years and four months, nearly
half a century; let that content you.
I have formed a new connexion here,
which will last to eternity.'
" Indignant at this refusal of my Eu-
ridice, I immediately resolved to quit
those ungrateful shades, and return to
this good world again, to behold the
sun and you! Here I am: let us
avenge ourselves/"
The salon of Madame Helve tins was
at this time frequented by several of
the cleverest and otherwise most im¬
portant men in Paris. While Frank¬
lin was only commissioner, and until
he was raised to the rank of minister
plenipotentiary and was received at
court, a good footing in the Helvetius
circle — admission to which, so the
tradition goes, the youthful Bonaparte
sought in vain — was of the greatest
importance to him; for it was there
(10
that he found the means of commu¬
nicating with the French authorities
without compromising their relations
with England. Madame Helvetius
was fond of the language of gallantry;
and who better than Franklin knew
how both to speak and to write it, not
only like a genius, hut like a gentle¬
man 'I
It is interesting to note how con¬
spicuously matrimony from various
points of view figures in the Poor
Richard Almanacs, in such diversities
reflecting but too faithfully the world's
experience of its lights and shadows.
In the first number he says that he
was driven into the Almanac business
by his wife—"good Woman," he calls
her, who is excessive proud, and can¬
not bear to sit spinning in her shift of
tow while he does nothing but gaze at
the stars, and who had threatened to
(31
burn all his books and rattling-traps if
lie did not turn them to some useful
purpose.
It is in this same number, and
when he had been married only two
years, that we find the oft quoted
counsel to "Ne'er take a wife till thou
hast a house (& afire) to put her in."
In the Almanac for 1738, in which
Mistress Bridget signs the preface,
are the following lines, evidently of
Franklin's manufacture:
Dick's Wife was sick, and ] >os'd the Doctor's Skill,
Who differ'd how to cure th' inveterate 111.
Purging the one prescrib'd. No, quoth another,
That will do neither Good nor Harm, my Brother.
Bleeding's the only Way; 'twas (juick reply'd,
That's certain Death;—but e'en let Dick decide.
Ise no great Skill, quo' Richard, by the Bond;
But I think Bleeding's like to do most good.
[January, 1738.]
Immediately under this, however,
we read,
02
There are. three faithful friends, an old wife,
an old. dog, ami ready money.
[January, 1738.1
And farther on the following:
Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half
shut afterwards.
[June, 1738.]
There is a trick in the punctuation
of the following lines which betrays
their unquestionable Franklin lineage.
A DOUBTFUL MEANING.
The Female kind is counted ill:
And is indeed ; The contrary ;
No Man can find: That hurt they will:
But every where : Shew Charity ;
To 110 Body: Malicious still;
In word or Deed : Believe you me.
[October, 1738.J
He scarcely, if ever, sent an Al¬
manac to press in which he failed to
take advantage of the universal, ever
fresh, and inexhaustible interest in the
attractions and repulsions of the sexes.
63
I will cite a few more of these five-
side squibs as specimens of the sort
of humor which amused all and hurt
none "in the good old Colony times,"
and which greatly helped to give his
Almanac its unparalleled popularity.
THE TWO OR THREE NECESSARIES.
Two or three frolieks abroad in sweet May,
Two or three civil things said by the way,
Two or three languishes, two or three sighs,
Two or three bless no's and let me dies !
Two or three squeezes, and two or three tow-zes,
With two or three hundred pounds spent at their
houses,
Can never fail cuckolding two or three spouses.
[January, 1735.]
Would Men but follow what the Sex advise,
All tilings would prosper, all the World grow wise.
Twas by Rebecca's Aid that Jacob won
His Father's Blessing from an elder Son.
Abusive Nabal ow'd his forfeit Life.
To the wise Conduct of a prudent Wife.
At Hester s Suit, the persecuting Sword
Was slieatli'd, and Israel liv'd to bless the Lord.
[August, 1744.]
64
Age about 75.
From the original painting by Stephen Elmer, now in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Evidently accepted as
a caricature, whether so intended or not ; for an engraving of it
was published in 1782 labeled "The Politician." This inscrip¬
tion was afterward replaced by Franklin's name.
Good Death, said a Woman, for once be so kind
To take me, and leave my dear Husband behind,
But when Death appear'd with a sour Grimace,
The Woman was dasli'd at his thin hatchet Face ;
So she made him a Courts')', and modestly sed,
If you come for my Husband, lie lies there in Bed.
[September, 1743.]
Dick told his spouse, he durst be bold to swear,
Whateer she prayd for, Heavh would thwart her
pray r:
Indeed! says Nell, 'tis what Tm pleas d to hear;
For now I'll pray for your long life, my dear.
[September, 174:i.]
All other Goods by Fortune's Hand are giv'n,
A Wife is the peculiar Gift of Heav'n.
Vain Fortune's Favours, never at a Stay,
Like empty Shadows, pass, and glide away ;
One solid Comfort, our eternal Wife,
Abundantly supplies us all our Life:
This Blessing lasts (if those that try say true)
As long as Heart can wish — and longer too.
[September, 1744.]
Time was my spouse and I could not agree,
Striving about superiority:
9 65
The text which saith that man and wife are one,
Was the chief argument we stood upon:
She held, they both one woman should become ;
T held they should be man, and both but one.
Thus we contended daily, but the strife
Could not be ended, till both were one Wife.
[October, 1733.]
My Sickly Spouse, with many a Sigh
Once told me,— Dicky T shall die:
I griev'd, but recollected strait,
'Twas bootless to contend with Fate:
So Resignation to Heav'n's Will
Prepar'd me for succeeding 111;
'Twas well it did; for, on my Life,
'Twas Heav'n's Will to spare my Wife.
[January, 1V40.]
Says Roger to his Wife, my dear;
The strangest piece of News I hear !
A Law, 'tis said, will quickly pass,
To purge the matrimonial Class;
Cuckolds, if any such we have here
Must to a Man be thrown i'tli' River.
She smiling cry'd, My dear, you seem
Surpriz'd ! Pray han't you learn d to swim ?
[April, 1740.]
66
She that will eat her breakfast in her bed,
And spend the morn in dressing of her head,
And sit at dinner like a maiden bride,
And talk of nothing all day but of pride;
God in his mercy may do much to save her,
But what a case is he in that shall have her.
[December, 1733.]
To this last a response appeared in
the issue of 1734, in which for the
first time the Duchess is formally in¬
troduced to the public.
By Mrs. Bridget Saunders, my Dutchess, in Answer to
the December Verses of last Year.
He find for sake of Drink neglects h is Trade,
And spends eaeh Night in Taverns till 'tis late,
And rises wlien the Sun is four hours high,
And ne'er regards his starring Family;
God. in his Mercy may do much to save him.
But, /roe to the poor Wife,whose Lot it is to have him.
[December, 1734.]
In his Almanac for 1739, his piece
de resistance is a series of prognostica¬
tions. "Having consideredhe says,
67
" the infinite Abuses arising f rom the
false Progn osticatio ns publish ed among
you, made under the shadow of a Pot
of Drink, or so, I have here calculated
one of the most sure and unerring that
ever was seen in black and, white, as
hereafter you'll find. For doubtless
it is a heinous, fold & crying Sin to
deceive the poor gaping World, greedy
of the Knowledge of Futurity, as we
Americans all are." He then pro¬
ceeds to give what he terms "A True
PROGNOSTICATION, for 1739."
Under the head of Eclipses lie has a
hit at some of the provincialisms of
that day, which, unhappily, are not
yet quite extinct.
"Of the ECLIPSES this Year.
"THERE are so many invisible
Eclipses this Year, that I fear, not un-
justly, our Pockets will suffer Inani-
68
tion, be full empty, and our Feeling at
a Loss. During- the first visible Eclipse
Saturn is retrograde : For which Rea¬
son the Crabs will go sidelong, and
the ropemakers backward. The Belly
will wag before, and the A shall
sit down first. Mercury will have his
share in these Affairs, and so confound
the Speech of People, that when a
Pensilvctnicm would say panther,
he shall say painter. When a New-
Yorker thinks to say (this) he shall say
(diss) and the People in New-England
and Cape-May will not be able to say
(cow) for their Lives, but will be forc'd
to say (keow) by a certain involuntary
Twist in the Root of their Tongues. No
Connecticut-Man nor Marylander will
be able to open his Mouth this Year,
but (sir) shall be the first or last Syl¬
lable he pronounces, and sometimes
both. Brutes shall speak in many
CD
Places, and there will be above seven
and twenty irregular Verbs made tliis
Year, if Grammar don't interpose.
Who can help these Misfortunes!
"Of the Diseases this Year.
"This Year the Stone-blind shall
see but very little ; the Deaf shall hear
but poorly; and the Dumb shan't
speak very plain. And it's much, if my
Dame Bridget talks at all this Year.
Whole Flocks, Herds and Droves of
Sheep, Swine and Oxen, Cocks and
Hens, Ducks and Drakes, Geese and
Ganders shall go to Pot; but the Mor¬
tality will not be altogether so great
among Cats, Dogs and Horses. As for
old Age, 'twill be incurable this Year,
because of the Years past. And to¬
wards the Fall some People will be
seiz'd with an unaccountable Inclina¬
tion to roast and eat their own Ears :
70
Should this be call'cl Madness, Doc¬
tors \ I think not. But the worst
Disease of all will he a certain most
horrid, dreadful, malignant, catching,
perverse and odious Malady, almost
epidemical, insomuch that many shall
run Mad upon it; I quake for very
Fear when I think on't; for I assure
you very few will escape this Disease ;
which is called by the learned Albu¬
rn azar L acko'mo my.
"Of the fruits of the earth.
"I find that this will be a plentiful
Year of all manner of good Things, to
those who have enough; but the Or¬
ange Trees in Greenland will go near
to fare the worse for the Cold. As
for Oats, they'll be a great Help to
Horses. I dare say there won't be
much more Bacon than Swine. Mer¬
cury somewhat threatens our Parslcy-
71
beds, yet Parsley will be to be had for
Money. Hemp will grow faster than
the Children of this Age, and some will
find there's but too much on't. As for
Corn, Fruit, Cyder and Turnips, there
never was such Plenty as will be now ;
if poor Folks may have their Wish.
"Of the CONDITION of some Countries.
"I foresee an universal Droughtli
this Year thro' all the Northern Colo¬
nies. Hence there will be dry Rice in
Carolina, dry Tobacco in Virginia and
Maryland, dry Bread in Pennsylvania
and New York; and, in New-England,
dry Fish & dry Doctrine. Dry Throats
there will be every-where; but then
how pleasant it will be to drink cool
Cyder! tho' some will tell you nothing
is more contrary to Thirst. I believe
it; and indeed, Contraria contrariis
curantur. R. SAUNDERS."
72
Age about 77.
From a photograph of the original painting by Thomas Gains¬
borough, R. A., now in possession of the Marquis of Lansdowne,
Wiltshire, England. Engravings are known. It is generally-
accepted as a painting of Franklin, but bears no resemblance
to portraits by other artists.
Ill 1738 Titan Leeds actually did
die. Franklin could not resist the
temptation, even on the border of the
grave, to have one more joke at his
rival's expense; or, rather, at the ex¬
pense of his successors in the Alma¬
nac business. In the preface to his
Almanac for 1740 Franklin announces
the receipt of a complete confirmation
of all he had ever said of Titan's death,
from the emancipated spirit of his old
friend in ITades. In the same preface
he provides a new peg 011 which to
hang his jokes, at the expense of one
John Jerman, who also was a rival
almanac-maker, by predicting that he
would soon be reconciled to the Church
of Rome, a fate which, in the prevail¬
ing religious feeling in the Colonies at
that time, was worse than that which
had been predicted for poor Leeds in
1733. The W. B. & A. B. herein referred
10
73
to were the brothers William and
Andrew Bradford, the first of whom
subsequently established the first print¬
ing-press in New-York, where the cen¬
tennial anniversary of his death was
celebrated with royal honors in 1893.
"Courteous Reader. You may re¬
member that in my first Almanack,
published for the Year 1783,1 predict¬
ed the Death of my dear Friend Titan
Leeds, Hiilomat, to happen that Year
on the 17th Day of October, 3 h. 29 m.
P. M. The good Man, it seems, died ac¬
cordingly: Bat W. B. and A. B. have
continued to publish Almanacks in his
Name ever since; asserting for some
Years that he was still living; At length
when the Truth could no longer be
conceal'd from the World, they confess
his Death in their Almanack for 1739,
but pretend that he died not till last
Year, and that before his Departure he
74
had furnished them with Calculations
for 7 Years to come. Ah, My Friends,
these arc poor Shifts and thin Dis¬
guises ; of which indeed I should have
taken little or no Notice, if you had
not at the same time accus'd me as a
false Predictor; an Aspersion that the
more affects me, as my whole Lively-
hood depends 011 a contrary Character.
" But to put this Matter beyond Dis¬
pute, I shall acquaint the World with
a Fact, as strange and surprizing as it
is true; being as follows, viz.
"On the 4th Instant, towards mid¬
night, as I sat in my little Study writing
this Preface, I fell fast asleep; and con¬
tinued in that Condition for some time,
without dreaming any thing, to my
Knowledge. On awaking, I found lying
before me the following Letter, viz.
"Dear Friend Saunders, My Be-
spect for you continues even in this
75
separate State, and I am grieved to
see the Aspersions thrown on you by
the Malevolence of avaricious Pub¬
lishers of Almanacks, who envy your
Success. They say your Prediction
of my Death in 1733 was false, and
they pretend that I remained alive
many Years after. But I do hereby
certify, that I did actually die at that
time, precisely at the Hour you men¬
tioned, with a Variation only of 5
min. 53 sec. which must be allowed to
be no great matter in such Cases. And
I do farther declare that I furnish? d
them with no Calculations of the Plan¬
ets Motions, &c. seven Years after my
Death, as they are pleased to give out:
so that the Stuff they publish as an Al¬
manack in my Name is no more mine
than His yours.
" You will wonder perhaps, how th is
Paper comes written on your Table.
76
You must know that no separate Spirits
are under any Confinement till after
the final Settlement of all Accounts. In
the mean time ice ivander where ice
please, visit our old Friends, observe
their Actions, enter sometimes into their
Imaginations, and give them Hints
leaking or sleeping that may be of Ad¬
vantage to them. Finding you asleep,
Ientred your left Nostril, ascended into
your Brain, found out where the Ends
of those Nerves were fastned that move
your right Hand and Fingers, by the
Help of which I am now writing un¬
known to you ; but when you open your
Eyes, you will see that the Hand writ¬
ten is mine, tlio> wrote with yours.
" The People of this Infidel Age,
perhaps, will hardly believe this Story.
But you may give them these three Signs
by which they shall be convinced of the
Truth of it. About the middle of June
77
next, J. J n, Philomat, shall be
openly reconciled to the Church of
Rome, and give all his Goods and
Chatties to the Ghappel, being pervert¬
ed by a certain Country Schoolmaster.
On the 7 th of September following my
old Friend W. B 1 shall be sober
9 Hours, to the Astonishment of all his
Neighbours: And about the same time
W. B. and A. B. will publish another
Almanack in my Name, in spight of
Truth and Common-Sense.
"As I can see much clearer into Fu¬
turity, since I got free from the dark
Pr ison of Flesh, in which I teas contin¬
ually molested and almost blinded with
Fogs arising from Tiff, and the Smoke
of burnt Drams; I shall in kindness to
you, frequently give you Informations
of things to come, for the Improvement
of your Almanack: Being, Dear Dick,
Your affectionate Friend, T. Leeds.
78
"For my own part I am convinc'cl
that the above Letter is genuine. If
the Reader doubts of it, let him care¬
fully observe the three Signs; and if
they do not actually come to pass, be¬
lieve as he pleases. I am his humble
Friend, R. SA UN DEBS."
Jerman, in his next Almanac, denied,
as Franklin 110 doubt hoped and ex¬
pected he would, that he was or ever
had any intention to become a Papist,
and he proclaimed Franklin to be
one of Baal's false prophets. Of this
Franklin did not fail promptly to avail
himself. In his Almanac for 1742 he
produces the evidence of Jerman's
perversion.
" During the Course of these nine
Years, what Buffetings have I not sus¬
tained! The Fraternity have been all
in Arms. Honest Titan, deccas'd, was
rais'd, and made to abuse his old
79
Friend. Both Authors and Printers
were angry. Hard Names, and many,
were bestow'd 011 me. They deny'd
me to be the Author of my own
Works; declar'd there never was any
such Person; asserted that I was dead
60 Years ago; prognosticated my
Death to happen within a Twelve¬
month: with many other malicious
Inconsistences, the Effects of blind
Passion, Envy at my Success; and a
vain Hope of depriving me, (dear
reader) of thy wonted Countenance
and Favor. — Who knows him ? they
cry: Where does he live? But what
is that to them'? If I delight in a
private Life, have they any Eight
to drag me out of my Retirement ?
I have good Reasons for concealing
the Place of my Abode. 'Tis time
for an old Man, as I am, to think
of preparing for his great Remove.
80
Age 81.
From a copy by Charles Willson Peale of a portion of his
original painting done at Philadelphia in 1787. The original is
in possession of the Pennsylvania Historical Society ; the copy is
owned by Mrs. Joseph Harrison, of Philadelphia. Two replicas
and several engravings of this portrait are known; of the lat¬
ter a mezzotint by Peale himself, date 1787, is most scarce and
valuable.
The perpetual Teasing of both Neigh-
hours and Strangers, to calculate Na¬
tivities, give Judgments on Schemes,
erect Figures, discover Thieves, detect
Ilorse-Stealers, describe the Route of
Ilun-aways and stray'd Cattle; The
Croud of Visiters with a 1000 trifling
Questions; Will my Ship return safe ?
Will my Mare ivin the liace ? Will
her next Colt be a Pacer ? When will
my Wife die ? Who shall be my Hus¬
band, and HO WL ONG first 9 When
is the best time to cut Hair, trim
Cocks, or sow Sallad ? These and the
like Impertinences I have now nei¬
ther Taste nor Leisure for. I have
had enough of 'em. All that these
angry Folks can say, will never pro¬
voke me to tell them where I live.
I would eat my Nails first.
" My last Adversary is J. J n,
Philomat. who declares and protests
11 81
(in his Preface, 1741) that the false
Prophecy put in my Almanack, con¬
cerning him, the Year before, is alto¬
gether false and untrue: and that I
am one of BaaVs false Prophets. This
false, false Prophecy he speaks of, re¬
lated to his Reconciliation with the
Church of Rome; which, notwith¬
standing his Declaring and Protesting,
is, I fear, too true. Two things in his
elegiac Verses confirm me in this Sus¬
picion. He calls the First of Novem¬
ber by the Name of AU-IIalloics Day.
Reader; does not this smell of Popery ?
Does it in the least savour of the pure
Language of Friends ? But the plain¬
est Thing is his Adoration of Saints,
which he confesses to he his Practice
in these Words, page 4,
When any Trouble did me befall,
To my dear Mary then I would call.
82
Did lie think the whole World were
so stupid as not to take Notice of this ?
So ignorant as not to know, that all
Catholicks pay the highest Regard to
the Virgin-Mary 1 Ah! Friend John,
We must allow you to he a Poet, but
you are certainly no Protestant. I
could heartily wish your Religion were
as good as your Verses. RICHARD
SAUNDERS."
Jerman was not quite so long as
Leeds in discovering the danger of
attempting to measure swords with
Franklin. In his American Almanac
for 1743 he says:
"The Reader may expect a Reply
from me to II S rs alias
B F ns facetious Way of
proving me no Protestant. I do here¬
by protest, that for that and such kind
of Usage the Printer of that witty
Performance shall not have the Bene-
83
fit of my Almanack for this Year. To
avoid further Contention, and judging
it unnecessary to offer any Proofs to
those of my Acquaintance that I am
not a Papist, I shall with these few
Lines conclude, and give place to
what I think more agreeable to my
Headers. JOHN JEEMAK"
Franklin, who never allowed his
rivals to have the last word, and anx¬
ious, no doubt, to provoke him to fur¬
ther controversy, returns to the attack
in his Almanac for 1744. He says :
" My Adversary J . . n J n
has indeed made an Attempt to out¬
shine me, by pretending to penetrate
a Year deeper into Futurity; and
giving his Readers gratis in his Al¬
manack for 1743 an Eclipse of the
Year 1744, to be beforehand with
me: His Words are, ' The first Day
of April next Year 1744, there will
84
be a GEE AT ECLIPSE of tlic Sun;
it begins about an Hour before Sunset.
It being in the Sign Aries, the House
of Mars, and in the 7th, shows Heat,
Difference and Animosities between
Persons of the highest Hank and Qual¬
ity,' &c. I am very glad, for the Sake
of * * * se Persons of Rank and Qual¬
ity, that there is * * manner of Truth
in this Prediction: They may, * * * * *
please, live in Love and Peace. And
I * * * * * his Readers (they are but
few, indeed, and so the Matter's the
less) not to give themselves any Trou¬
ble about observing this imaginary
Great Eclipse; for they may stare till
they're blind without seeing the least
Sign of it. I might, on this Occasion,
return Mr. J n the Name of
BaaVs false Prophet he gave me some
Years ago in his Wrath, 011 Account
of my Predicting his Reconciliation
85
with the Church of Borne, (tlio' he
seems now to have given up that
Point) but I think such Language
* * * * * * * old Men and Scholars un¬
becoming ; and * * * * * * * * * * the Af¬
fair with the Buyers of his Almanack
as well as he can, who perhaps will
not take it very kindly, that he has
done what in him lay (by sending
them out to gaze at an invisible Eclipse
on the first of April) to make April
Fools of them all. His old thread¬
bare Excuse which he repeats Year
after Year about the Weather, 'That
110 Man can be infallible therein, by
Reason of the many contrary Causes
happening at or near the same time,
and the llnconstancy of the Summer
Showers and Gusts,' &c. will hardly
serve him in the Affair of Eclipses;
and I know not where he'll get an¬
other."
8G
In his issue for 174(5 Franklin gave
his preface in verse, and it is worthy of
being cited here as a specimen of the
sort of verse which he thought o-ood
o o
enough at least for an Almanac. Bry¬
ant has somewhere said that Franklin
might have been a poet had his taste
or ambition prompted him " to build
the lofty rhyme." Certainly few men
have been endowed with a more fer¬
tile imagination. But he had learned
to rely with such confidence upon the
weight of his thought and the adequacy
of his prose for the accomplishment of
his purposes, that he had 110 occasion
to waste time or energy upon the forms
of expression which the laws of versi¬
fication impose. Had he lived in the
Victorian age, he might have been
tempted to compete for some of the
laurels which adorned the brows of
Wordsworth and Tennyson. He could
87
express himself in verse with consider¬
able facility, and the audience for which
he wrote in his Almanac days were,
for the most part, probably better
pleased with his rhymed moralities
than they would have been with
Wordsworth's " Immortality " or Ten¬
nyson's " In Memoriam." He him¬
self, however, took a more modest and
I think less just view than this of his
poetical faculty. Speaking of " the
Verses 011 the Heads of the Months,"
he says in his preface of 1747: "I
need not tell thee that not many of
them are of my own Making. If thou
hast any Judgment in Poetry, thou
wilt easily discern the Workman from
the Bungler. I know as well as thee,
that I am no Poet born; and it is a
Trade I never learnt, nor indeed could
learn. If I make Verses, 'tis in Spight
— Of Nature and my Stars, I write."
88
From the original miniature by Thouron, now owned by the
Government of France, and deposited in the Louvre at Paris.
The reader of the following lines will
see that so far as he had cultivated the
Muses, he had studied in the school of
Alexander Pope.
WHO is Poor Richard ? People oft enquire
Where lives? What is he?—never yet the nigher,
Somewhat to ease your Curiositie,
Take these slight Sketches of my Dame and me.
Thanks to kind Readers and a careful Wife,
With Plenty bless'd, I lead an easy Life;
My Business Writing; hers to drain the Mead,
Or crown the barren Hill with useful Shade;
In the smooth Glebe to see the Plowshare worn,
And fill the Granary with needful Corn.
Press nectarous Cyder from my loaded Trees,
Print the sweet Butter, turn the drying Cheese.
Some Books we read, tlio' few there are that hit
The happy Point where Wisdom joins with Wit;
That set fair Virtue naked to our View,
And teach us what is decent, what is true.
The Friend sincere, and honest Man, with Joy
Treating or treated oft our Time employ.
Our Table neat, Meals temperate; and our Door
Op'ning spontaneous to the bashful Poor.
Free from the bitter Page of Party Zeal,
All those we love who seek the publick Weal.
12 8!)
Nor blindly follow Superstition's Lore,
Which cheats deluded Mankind o'er and o'er.
Not over righteous, quite beyond the Rule,
Conscience perplext by every canting Tool.
Nor yet when Folly hides the dubious Line,
Where Good and Bad their blended Colours join ;
Rush indiscreetly down the dangerous Steep,
And plunge uncertain in the darksome Deep.
Cautious, if right; if wrong resolv'd to part
The Inmate Snake that folds about the Heart.
Observe the Mean, the Motive and the End;
Mending our selves, or striving still to mend.
Our Souls sincere, our Purpose fair and free,
Without Vain Glory or Hypocrisy:
Thanful if well; if ill, we kiss the Rod;
Resign with Hope, and put our Trust in GOD.
[Preface, 1740.]
The costliness of paper in those days,
the scarcity of money in the Colonies,
the desire to give his Almanac attrac¬
tions not offered by any of its competi¬
tors, and at the same time to educate
and improve society,—a purpose which
seems to have animated him in every
stage of his long life,—received quaint
90
expression in the way he filled up the
vacant spaces in his calendars. He
allowed the printer no "fat," hut in
every unoccupied space or line he
"interspersed"—to use his own ex¬
pression in the preface for 1747 —
"moral Sentences, prudent Maxims,
and wise Sayings, many of them con¬
taining much good Sense in very few
Words, and therefore apt to leave
strong and lasting Impressions on the
Memory of young Persons, whereby
they may receive Benefit as long as
they live, when both Almanack and
Almanack-maker have been thrown
by and forgotten."
"If I now and then," he continues,
" insert a Joke or two, that seem to
have little in them, my Apology is,
that such may have their Use, since
perhaps for their Sake light airy
Minds peruse the rest, and so are
91
struck by somewhat of more Weight
and Moment."
These " prudent maxims and wise
sayings," the most of which, and for
their purpose I suspect the best of
which, were his own, soon entered in¬
to the current coin of popular speech.
They all inculcated the homely vir¬
tues of honesty, frugality, industry,
modesty, patience, faith in the right,
loyalty to engagements, contentment,
and, as expressed in the concluding-
lines of the preface of 1746 just cited,
a strict observance of
. . . the Mean, the Motive and the End;
Mending our selves, or striving still to mend.
Our Souls sincere, our Purpose fair and free,
Without Vain Glory or Hypocrisy:
Than[k]ful if well; if ill, we kiss the Bod;
Besign with Hope, and put our Trust in GOD.
It would be difficult to exaggerate
or even to estimate the effect of these
92
concentrated lessons of wisdom upon
the character of the American people,
or when their influence will cease to
be operative. I may say of them
without hesitation what Bryant said
of the creations of Fenimore Cooper's
genius, mutatis mutandis: "But who
shall say when it may be the fate of
the English language to be numbered
with the extinct forms of human
speech'] Who shall declare which of
the present tongues of the civilized
world will survive its fellows 1 It may
be that some one of them, more fortu¬
nate than the rest, will long outlast
them, in some undisturbed quarter of
the globe and in the midst of a new
civilization." The moral sentences,
prudent maxims, and wise sayings of
Franklin, " even now transferred to
that language, may remain to be the
delight of the nations through another
93
great cycle of centuries, beginning after
the English language and its contem¬
poraneous form of civilization shall
have passed away."w
I cannot more fitly illustrate the jus¬
tice of this prediction than by citing
a few of those golden sentences which
most distinctly bear the impress of
Franklin's genius.
Beware of meat twice boil'd, and an old Foe
reconcd d. [September, 1733.]
There is ho little enemy. [September, 1733.]
He's the best physician that knows the worthless-
ness of the most medicines. [September, 1733.]
Take this remark from Richard poor and lame,
Whateers begun in anger ends in shame.
[March, 1734.]
Don't think to hunt tivo hares with one dog.
[April, 1734.]
M Discourse 011 the Life, Genius, and Writings
of J. Fenimore Cooper, by William Cullen Bry¬
ant, p. xli.
94
Where there s Marriage without Love, there will
be Love without Marriage. [May, 17.14.]
He that is rich need not live sparingly, and he
that can live sparingly need, not be rich.
[September, 1734. ]
None preaches better than the ant, and she says
nothing. [juiy, 17:50.]
God heeds, and the Doctor takes the Fees.
[November, 1736.]
He that can travel well afoot, keeps a good horse.
[May, 1737.]
Lf you'd, hare a servant that you like, serve your
Self. [October, 1737.]
Lf you want a, neat wife, chuse her on a Satur¬
day. [October, 1737.]
Buy what thou hast no need of; & eer long thou
slialt sell thy necessaries. [April, 173s.]
Lf you do what you should not, you m ust hear
what you would not. [August, 1738.]
Search others for their virtues, thy self for thy
vices. [December, 1738.]
Proclaim not all thou knowest, all thou owest,
all thou hast, nor all thou canst. [October, 1739.]
95
Lend Money to an Enemy, and thou It gain
him, to a Friend and thou It lose him.
[December, 1740.]
If you would keep your Secret, from an enemy,
tell it not. to a friend. [August, mi.]
Ill Company is like a dog who dirts those most
that he loves best. [February, 1743.]
Keep thou from the Opportunity, and God will
keep thee from the Sin. [August, 1744.]
An ounce of Wit that is bought, is worth a
pound, that is taught.. [December, 1745.]
A Plowman on his Legs is higher than a Gen¬
tleman 011 his Knees. [May, 1746.]
Good Sense is a Thing all need, few have, and
none think they want. [June, 1740.]
Craft must be at charge for clothes, but Truth
can go naked. [August, 1747.]
He is not well-bred, that cannot bear Ill-Breed¬
ing in others. [November, 1748.]
Words may show a mans Wit, but Actions his
Meaning. [February, 1749.]
96
From the bust by Jean Antoine Houdon, now owned by the
Boston Athenaeum. It is said that Houdon once made a plaster
cast of Franklin's living face, in Paris.
Drink does not drown Care, but waters it, and
makes it grow faster. [May, 1749.]
Different Sects like different clocks, may he all
near the matter, tho they don't quite agree,.
[June, 1749.]
The wise Man draws more Advantage from, his
Enemies, than the Fool from his Friends.
[August, 1749.]
Doing an Injury puts yon below your Enemy;
Bevenging one makes you, but even with him;
Forgiving it sets you above him. [October, 1749.]
A Cypher and Humility make the other Figures
& Virtues of tenfold Value, [February, 1750.]
You can bear your own Faults, and why not a
Fault in your Wife, [October, 1750.]
Hide not, your Talents, they for Use were made.
What's a Sun-Died in the Shade! [October, 1750.]
The Golden Age never was the present Age.
[November, 1750.]
'Tis a Shame that your Family is an Honour to
you! You ought to be an Honour to your Family.
[December, 1750.]
If your Riches are yours, why don't you- take
them with you to the t'other World ? [July, 1751.]
13 97
Anger is never without a Reason, but seldom
with a good One, [July, 1753.]
When out of Favor, none know thee; when in,
thou dost not know thyself. [August, 1753.]
Be civil to all; serviceable to many; familiar
with few; Friend to one; Enemy to none.
[April, 1756.]
A 'wise Man will desire no more, than what he
may get justly, use soberly, distribute che-arfully,
and leave contentedly. [June, 1756.]
A fedse Friend and a Shadow, attend only when
the Sun shines. [juiy, 1756.]
An honest Man will receive neither Money nor
Praise, that is not his Due, [December, 1756.]
He that's content hath enough;
He that complains has too much,
[June, 1758.]
The first Mistake in public Business, is the going
into it. [July, 1758.]
In the summer of 1757 Franklin
again went to London, this time as the
agent of the province of Pennsylvania
to solicit a redress of grievances. Be-
98
fore leaving lie prepared the editorial
or literary part of the last Almanac
which hears his name and the impress
of his genius. And it is to this last
issue that Poor Richard owes all his
present fame, and posterity owes the
best and almost the only evidence of his
creation. It contained no new matter;
but a selection of all the verses, aphor¬
isms, proverbs, and jokes which had
appeared in the Almanac during the
previous twenty-five years, and had
proved most acceptable to the public,
was wrought into one continuous dis¬
course purporting to be the harangue of
a wise old man to the people attending
an auction. This speech proved so
popular that it was copied at once into
all the newspapers of America, was
reprinted 011 a broadside in Great Brit¬
ain to be stuck up in houses, and has
been printed and reprinted to the
99
present day in most of the written
languages of the world.
Original Poor Richard Almanacks
are now about as difficult to find as a
griffin or a unicorn. Mr. Ford tells us
that in the last fourteen years in which
Franklin was connected with this Al¬
manac, the total sales were 141,257
copies, amounting in colonial currency
to the sum of <£2213 Os. 8d.~
And yet this Almanac was the cor¬
ner-stone of a more diversified fame
than was ever enjoyed to an equal
extent by any other man. Among
almanac-makers he was facile prin-
cep.s. As a journalist he had no rival
either for the number of his readers or
for the extent or durability of the in-
^Though its average sale was about 10,000
O O ?
copies annually for a period of twenty-six years,
I believe there is no longer any complete col¬
lection in existence.
100
fluence which he exerted upon them.
He was at once the most famous and
the most successful diplomatist of his
age. As a statesman, who of his time
acted such important parts in achieving
such far-reaching and beneficent re¬
sults 1 As a man of science, he placed
his fellow-creatures, by his electrical
discoveries, under greater obligations
than, humanly speaking, they had ever
incurred to any other single individual.
As a writer of English prose, the ques¬
tion is not, who of his time was his
superior, but who was his equal?
To whom of all men, living or dead,
could we with more propriety apply
the words which the greatest of epic
poets applied to the " Son of Laertes,
nobly born and sage " —
Strange that Ulysses does a thousand things
So well ?
101
THE FRONTISPIECE
It was the wish of The Duodecimos
to secure for the frontispiece of this
volume a portrait as nearly contem¬
poraneous as might he with the pub¬
lication of the early numbers of Poor
Richard's Almanack. There are two
paintings which represent Franklin in
early life—one said to have been done
at the age of twenty, the other at the age
of thirty-eight to forty. The reasons
why neither was selected are given in
part under the artotype reproductions
of them which appear in this book.
In the light of all that is known of
Franklin's many-sided character, the
103
portrait that seems to reveal him most
satisfactorily is the pastel drawn at
Paris in 1783 by Joseph Siffrede Du-
plessis, an artist who painted during
his lifetime probably a dozen likenesses
of Eranklin. This pastel was presented
by Franklin to his friend and neighbor
M. Le Veillard. After passing through
the hands of several of M. Le Veillard's
descendants, it was purchased in 1867
by Hon. John Bigelow, of New York,
and now lianas in his residence at No.
21 Gramercy Park in that city.-
The etching given herewith was
made directly from Mr. Bigelow's pastel
by Mr. Thomas Johnson, whose skill as
a wood-engraver and etcher of portraits
is widely known through his excellent
heads of Lincoln, Whitman, and Lowell.
«#For an historical account of the Duplessis
pastel, see Bigelow's Life of Franklin, Vol. I, pp.
7-21.
104
ORIGINAL POOR RICHARD
ALMANACKS
So far as The Duodecimos have been
able to learn, copies of the original
Poor Richard Almanacks are held by
public institutions and private individ¬
uals as follows:
Pennsylvania Historical Society, of Philadel¬
phia—1733, 1736, 1737, 1738, 1741, 1744,
1747, 1748, 1749, 1750, 1751, 1752, 1753,
1754, 1755, 1756, 1757, 1758.
American Antiquarian Society, of Worcester,
Mass.—1734, 1736, 1737.
Lenox Library, of New-York—1736,1737,1738,
1740,1745,1746,1747,1748,1749,1751,1752,
1753,1754,1755,1756,1757,1758.
14 105
Library Company, of Philadelphia—1738, 1739
(imperfect), 1740,1742,1746,1747,1748,1749,
1750, 1751, 1752, 1753, 1754, 1756, 1758.
Society of Antiquity, of Worcester, Mass.—1739.
Library of Congress, Washington, D. C.—1740,
1741, 1742, 1743, 1748, 1749, 1750, 1752,
1753, 1754, 1755, 1756, 1757, 1758.
Public Library, of Boston—1748, 1749, 1750,
1751, 1752, 1753, 1754, 1755, 1756, 1758.
Bishop John F. Hurst, of Washington, D. C.—
1739,1744,1748 (imperfect), 1751,1753,1755,
1756, 1757, 1758 (imperfect).
Marshall C. Lefferts, Esq., of New-York—1748,
1752, 1753, 1754, 1757 (imperfect).
William L. Andrews, Esq., of New-York—1752,
1753, 1756.
It is desired to make this list complete for use
in a future publication. Information of existing
copies not mentioned above,—and particularly of
the issue for 1735, of which no trace has been
found,-—will be thankfully received if sent to
The Duodecimos, care of the DeVinne Press, 12
Lafayette Place, New-York.
106
FACSIMILE OF
POOR RICHARD'S ALMANACK
FOR 1733
i Poor^ichard, 1733.
A N
Almanack
For the Year of Chrift
1733.
-Being the Firft after I E AP YEAR:
/ind makes fmrt the Creation Years
By the Account of rhe E ftfrri Greekt 7241
• By the Latin Church, when O cm y 6932
By rhe Computation of IV IV 5742.
^ By the Roman Chronology 5682
By the Jeivifi Ksbbies 5494
Wherein is contained
The liunarions, Eclipfes, Judgment of
the Weather, Spring Tides, Planets Motions&
mutual Afpe&s, Sun and Moon's Rifing and Set¬
ting, Length of Days, Time of High Water,
Fairs, Courts, and obfervable Day*
Fitted tothe Larirude ol Fortv Degrees,
and a Meridian of Fivf Hour* Weft from fonder,
but may without fenfible Error ferveali the ad¬
jacent Places, even from Newfoundland ro Sduth-
Carol'ma.
By RICHARD SOUNDERS, Philoro.
PHILADHLPHIA:
Printed and fold by B FRJNKL/W, at the New
Printing Office near the Market
Xbc Third Imprcflion.
Courteous Reader,
I Might m this plate attempt to gam thy Favour,
by declaring that I write Almanacks with no
other View than that of the publickGood, but in
this I fhould not be fincere; and Men are now a-
days too wife to be deceiv'd by Pretences how fpe-
cious foever The plain Tiuth of the Matter is, I
am exccflivc poor, and my Wile, good Woman,
is, I tell her, exceflive proud , fhe cannot bear, {he
fays, to (It fpmning in her Shift of Tow, while I
do nothing burgage a: the Stars , and hasthieatned
more than once to burn all my Books and Rattling-
Traps ( as ihe calls my Inftruments ) if I do not
make forac profitable life of them for the Good of
tny Family The Printer has offer'd me feme con-
fiderable inare of the Profits, and I have thus be¬
gun ro comply with my Dame's Defire.
Indeed this Motive would have had Force enough
to have made me publifh an Almanack many Years
fince, had it not been overpowered by my Regard
for my good Friend and Fellow Student Mr. Uiirn
Leeds, whole Intereft I was extreamly unwilling ro
hurt : But this Obftacle (I am far from fpeaking it
with Pleafure) is foon to be removed, fince inexo¬
rable Death, who was never known torefpeft Me¬
rit, has already prepared the mortal Dart, the fa¬
tal Sifter has already extended her deftroying Shears,
and that ingenious Man muft foon betaken from us.
He dies, by my Calculation made at his Requeft,
on OB 17. 1735. 3 h. 29m. P M. at the very in-
fiant of the <$ of 0 -and $ : By his own Calcula¬
tion he will furvive till the 2f>th of the fame Month.
This fmall Difference between us we have difputed
whenever we have met thefe 9 Years paft ; but St
length he is inclinable to agree with my Judgment:
Which of us is moftexaQ:, a little Time will now
determine. As therefore thefe Provinces may not
longer expeQ: to fee any of his Performances after
this Year, I think my felf free to take up the Task.,
and re^ueft a fhare of the publick Encouragement;
which 1 am the more apt to hope for on this Ae-
C0U3
count, that the Buyer of arty Aimausck may consi¬
der hirrsjfeir, not only as purchaGng an ufeful Utcn-
fii, but as performing an Ad of Charity, to his
poor Friend and Servant R. SACTNBER^.
The Anatomy of Man's Body as governs!
by the Twelve Conftellations.
Y Ike Head and Faccy
Arm i
Secreit
<7btgbi
X tfhe Feet
10 know where the Sign is
Firft find the Diy of the Month, andagainft the
Day you have the Sign or Place of the Moon in
the 5th Column. Then finding the Sign here, ii
(news the part of the Body it governs.
rfht Names and ChavaBers 0f the Seven Planet f.
T? Saturn, "^Jupiter, Mars, © S<?J, 9 Venus,
Mercury, )) Luna, Q Dragons Head and?$T«il.
~*Tle Five Afpefls.
6 Conjunction, ^fcSexrile, gOppofirion, ATiine,
□ Quarrile.
Common Notes fur the Tear 1733,
Golden Number 5} (Cycle of the Sou 6
Epad 253 ^Dominical Lcttc* G
Plancca Motions for the i, STTj, and"22
Days* in each Month, 1723.
Tj .$*/«»■» difeas'd with Age, and left for dead,
Chang'd all his Gold to be involv'd in Lead
•jj ffiove. Judo leaves, and loves to take his Range ;
From whomMan learns to love, and Joves to change.
3 is difarmed, and to gone,
Where Vu1can°s Anvil muft be flruck upon.
Thar I) Ltrna a horn'd, it cannot well be faid,
L Since I oe'er heard that IKc was married.
Explanation of thib ALMANACK*
THE firft Column fhews the Days of the Month.
The fecond fhews the Week days, Sunday
Letter being thtf Year G.
The third contains theDays obferv'd by the Church,
the Afpe&s of the Planets and Judgment -of the
Weather; the Length, Increafe, and Deqreaie of
Days, the rifing and fetting of the (even Stars, &c.
The fourth is the Time of High Water as Chi'
ladelphia, (h) fignifies half an hour after.
The fifth is the Moon's Place.
The fixth is the Sun's rifing and fetting, thus un
derftood ; Againft the fecond Day of January you
fee in the 6th Column thefe Figures 7 ">45, which
fhow that the Sun rifes that Day 14 minutes after 7,
and fets 14 minutes before 5 I have chofe to put
the Sun's rifing and letting for every day, rather than
the Moon's, bccaufe of its conftant Ufe in fetting
of Clocks and Watches.
In the laft Column, with the Changes of the
Moon, I have put her rifing and fetting every five
or fix Days: If you want to know her rifing oj fer
ting on a Day or two after That againft w hich I
have fet it, the common Kule of an houf and a half
later each day, will be exaO: enough to dire£i Peo¬
ple in their Travelling, which is the common l/fei
that is made of it
Profitable Obfervations and Notes.
ALL Mcafures of Longitude are deduced from
Barley-corns . Three Barley corns make an
Inch, 12 Inches a Foot, 5 Feet a Yard, 5Yards&
an half one Pole or Perch, 40 Pearches make a Fur¬
long, S Furlongs make a Mile, in a Mile are 320
Perches or Poles, 1066 Paces, 1408 Ells, 1760
Yards, 5zSoFeer, 63360Inches, 1900SC Baiiey-
corns
The circumference of the Earth and Sea jointly
is 25036 Miles, and the Diameter 7966 Miles, ?nd
its bemidianaeter 3983 Miles, accoiding to En^lilji
Menluration ' j
j A Table of KIN G S,
From the Time that England was
firft fo called by King Hubert.
Kings
I ^ S3
»■ J6 J
<*> £ oS"
Names § rja $
^ c. I
K. Egbert, Sax.
Ethelwolf
Ethel bald,
Etbeibert,
Efhelfred,
Alfred,
Edward I
Athelfton,
Edmund I
Eld red,
Edwin,
Edgar,
Edward z.
Ethelred,
-Edmund 2.
Danijb Line.
Canutus 1.
Harold' 1.
Canutus 2.
Edward Certfr£br
-^arold 2.
Nor man Live.
"W. Conquer f,
W.'Rufus,
Benty 1.
•Stephen,
'SajmtJJhte veft&rd.
Henry 2.
ftkharid l.
IrvA.'
8l8 2.S
83621
857, I
8SS; 5
863 10
Kings Names.
Henry 3.
Edward 1
Edward 2.
Edward 3
Richard 2
87327
ycx>24
9^4116
940 6
946' 9
955' 4
9592o
979
982
1016
1017
1037
1040
1042
1065
1066121
1087 13
noo'35
I,35jI9
1154|55
1^89,10
Lancajler Line.
Henry 4.
Henry 5
Henry 6
York Line.
Edward 4
Edward 5
Richard 3
Families united.
Henry 7
Henry 8
Edward 6.
Mary 1
Q Elizabeth,
Kingdoms united
James 1.
Charles 1.
Charles 2.
James 2.
Mary 2.
William 3.
(V. Anne,
George 1.
GEORGE II.
«»
III
-v/W—
121656
1^7235
119917 \lVbornGedpre/erve
1307
1326
'377
139 9
J413
1422
1460
1483
1483
1485
1508
'547
1553
'.55844
1602
1624
1^48
1684
1688
16S8
1702
i7''4|
1727
19
51
22
>4
9
38
23
o
2
24
40
6
5
XI Mrn, January hath sssti days.
Mots nice than wife.
OM Batchelor would have a Wife that's wile,
Fair, rich, and young, a Maiden for his Bed,
Nor proud, nor churfifh, but of faulrlcfe die *
A Country Houfwife in the Cky bred
He's a nice Fool, and long in vain hath ftaid ;
He lhould befpeak her, there's none ready made,
1
8
9
io
i I
12
*5
14
15
16
17
lb
IS
2C
2!
22
23
24
25
26
271
2S
29
|3C;
31
2 Circumcifion
3 7 * fou. 7 51 Ev
4- 6 © 5 Wiftdy &
5 Day 9 h, 94 m.
(> # d $ fallhigiselt
7 SpiphanyO £ 9
( Wems? ifnot too warm
about this time.
® ent se
Days incr. 30m.
iVindy and
7 * fouth 7 13
cloudy.
2 Sund. aft Ep
* fo. 6 56
Falling wea windy
□ OlL moderate
fncvt) or rain.
Days 10 hours.
G S^praagefima
2]f* foyth 632
1%?retwiH be more
□ Tj 9 cold rain,
jjjDays 10 h. 12m
or fflow.
12IJ
I24
ihvr
2h2o
Seiragei: Clear btfi
fbarp and cold,
K.Cha. L decol
3
4 19
5 X
17
6h r
7 1^
,14
1028
10 n
1125
12 $
1 22
2 a
2h 19
ne
1?
R.® 3.
5| > rife 4 j mom
5 New' D 4 cUy
5 at 8 Aftcro,
5 tow f|0
5 P&tfifrj I&&L
5 >fers S sfe
5 »o* fie Btfbt j
5 piuidiqg
5 Fuli Qqartcf
}V>jits Jbvuiibe
iifc aivln-
5 J> fctsat2 com
<£*/, tifi
5 you're ico trouble
Si'cmfmjteflas&af
5 >£ets y ?4«1o,
5 Full @ t8 d®y
j mghf,
}8 hcvft tyiifoui
57 6 <wem£n & Fire-*
56 6 y dfts to aft.
55 6tigU9 is like a.
54 6bodywit^mfcu1
146 53 6(v fprfte. 1
266 ji (JLafiQ. 20day.
1 6 51 6 >r if. ISO mor*
20 6 50 €\Kmgi & jBeqrs
Vy 6 6 <f tea <worty then'
IM 47 Qfecpersi^.^
14
14
»3
12
12
11
10
9
8
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
i
6
59
I )tl! Mon. February hath xxviii days.
N. N. of B—s County, pray don't be angry with
poor Richard.
Each Age of Men new Fafbions doth invent,
iThings <wkkh are old, young Men do not efteem :
IVhat pleas'd our Fathers, doth not Hi content \
IVbat jlo-arijb'd then, we out of fajbion deem :
j$nd that's the reafon, as I ur.derfiand%
W^hy Prodigus did fell his Father's Land.
M\W Remarkable Daysj
D;D
H
Afpe&s, Weather
\Cloitdy and fome
6(Puriiscation VM
AC
Spring Tides.
F
7
8
9
lo
"G
12
!4
xi
falling weather
<5 h 6 this <week
Shrove Tuefday
Afh WedqeHiay
0 enters K
l] 5 Snosv of
Days incr. \ 36
1 Sun4. L£nt
Ram.
1 * foutjh 5 9
Valentine ^ T? 5
Q% 9; fointy &'
rain ptrhaps
A @ H ^clouds ana
Falling weather,
*b9
__ Clesrr but windy,
4 fP'gbt if jffpeBs
Days 11 H. 26 m.
St Matthias
1 Sand, in Lent
7 *%n y
raS*tfr fmii)^
28 4|AT/ ^ AMdiyisd.
1) © rife:
PI and feis,
— r\j^
296 46 6
6 45 6
286 4.2
X6 41
276 40
r\6 38
2<J6 37
b}6 3 6
6 35
25
n
22
$'6
33
3*
3'
5°
28 6
ilr§
26 6
6
2S| 6
6 24
236 23
sij6 21
16^ 20
6
6
6
6
iS. 6
17
226 id
$6 15 61
14 6
28^ 13 6
Lunations,
1 rijes & fits
> rif. 5 2 ni or.
New 3) 9 mora
Light purf?t
heavy heart.
>fets 9 26 aft
He's a Foot that
vmakes his Doffer
his Heir
Firft Quarter
> fers 1 5 8 mo.
Ne'er take a wife
till thou bap a
houfe (&afre)
to put her m
> lets 527 mo
7* fet at midn.
Full© 17 day,
at 2 Aftern
He's gone, and
forpot nothing but
to fay Farewel--
> rif 1 1 43 aft.
to bis creditors
Laft Quarter
Love well, wbii
9x11
Vfifi 126
M 4 5 mora.
Mon. March hafrb xxxi days.
My Love and I for Kiflcs play'd,
She would keep ftakes, I was content,
But when I won fhe would be paid ;
This made me ask her what fhe meant:
•Quoth fhe, fince you are in this wrangling vein,
Here take your Kines, give me mine again.
£ 6
3
5 Q. Caroline Nat. 11
6
7
S
9
lo
12
*3
14
15
16
17
18G
19
20
21
22
23
24
25 G
26' 2
1221
High fpring tides
^.Suncl Lent
7 * fet 11 2
Days 11 h. 54 m
IVtnd and cloudy
% 6 ? ccW
0 ent. V then
Spring begins
A1JL 9 & makes
Eq. Day&Night
IVmdy but warm
Days incr. 3 h.
7 * fer 10 20
St. Patrick
Palm Sunday
March many ivea-
6 b 9 t^ers
How be buffs, poor 4
>'7 * fet 10 o
6 Good Friday
Now fair & clear
EASTER Day
7 * fer 9 45
High tynds, with
fame »s&j to the
<5 0 ^ end.
8 Y?
7 * fct 9 27
7
5
4
3
2
1
o
59
58
55
54
53
52
5*
49
48
47
4<S
45
44
43
tqy 42
vy 5 40
^°,5 39
5 37
i6(*5 35
*5 34
l45 J3
6 St. David
6 > rif. 4 16 mo.
6 New J> 4 day,
6 at 10 at night.
6 Let my refte&ed
6 friend J. G.
6 y fets 9 40 aft.
(* Accept this hutk-
6 ble verfe of rrig.
7 viz.
7 Fhft Quartet
7 Ingenious, ieatit-
7 edy envy'd Touibt
>fets 5 morn.
Go on as thote'ft
began ;
Even thy enemies
take pride
Full & 19 day
; in the Morn.
> rif 8 46 aft.
'That' thourt
their country-
> rif 1 mom.
La ft Quarter.
Hunger never
7 faw bad bread.
7 Days incr. 3 381
71) rif 9 28 •
II Mon. April hath xxx days.
Kind Katharine to her husband kilVd thefe words,
4 Mine own fweec Will, how dearly I love rhce
If true (quoth Will) the World no fuch affords.
And that its true I durrt his warrant be ;
For ne'er heard I of Woman good or ill,
But always loved bed, her own fvveet Will.
7
8 G
9
io
n
12
A3
14
x5
16
17
18
19
20
21
.22
*3
*4
2 5
16
Z7
28
29
30
All Fools.
'Vet weather, or
* fet 9 o*
Cloudy and
for rain.
likely4
S
2 Sund. p. Eafter
0 enters
7 * fet S 50
Days 15 h. 20 m
Wind or tfkwider}
4 h9
5 Sund. p. Eafter
7 * fet 8 21
and rain.
Beware of meat
5 twice botl'd, & an
6 old foe ?2C07icird.
7j[)aysinc. 4 h. 26
4 Sund. p-Eafter
! S (jeorge 5 If. 9
G
Troy burnt
St. Mark, Evang
Gaudy <with high9
6 wtnds, and perhaps 10
7* fet 7 4.7 |ii
Rogation &Uid ay 12
<*©? nip. 1
29!5 3°
« 5 29
295 27
n j5 26
'815
$!5
^',5
Sl\5
225
<r,5
i<5!5
j5
~i5
22 J
«i!j
16.5
285
15
22 k
|5
29,5
5
245
*5
225
r.5
V 1r ?
j5a|2a6
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
8
7
5
4
*s
2
o
59
Great talkers,
little Doers.
New J) 3 day,
at 4 morn.
)fets 9*29 aft.
-V rich rogue,
/;&£ a fat hog,wbo
never doesgoodtil,
as dead as a log.
Firft Quarter.
> fets 1 46 mo.
Relation without
friendfb ip, friend-
pip without pow¬
er,power without
> fets 4 7 mor.
Full® at 10 at
night.
wi!/y will witho.
effett, effe&with
> rif 11 afrern.
out projit, & pro¬
fit without Vir¬
tue, are not
Laft Quarter.
north afarto.
)rif. 1 31 mor.
Days 14 hou-fS'
7 * fet 7 34
Ill Moti. May hath xxxi days.
Mirth pleafcth (bme, to others lis offence,
Some commend plain conceit.fome profound fenfe,
Some wifh a witty Jeft, fome diflike that, (what
And moft would have therr.felvcs they know not
Then he that would pleale all, and himlelf too,
Takes more in hand than he is like to do
<SG
7
8
u 5 Phil. 8c James
2l 4Cloudy and may be
J j Afcenfion Day
4] dDays 14 h. 10 m
J -Mailing weather
"'~{6 9 5
about tl is time.
Eat to live, and not
live to eat.
O enters II
But now more cleat
Days inc. 5 h. lc
Whitfunday
7 * rile 3 58 morn
and plea/ant wea¬
ther comes on.
j March windy, ana
(J srfpril rainy, makes
2c
Zl
z:
24
*5
26
27
z$
Zi)
>1
G Trinity Sunday
^ b 6
Days 14 h. 3$ m
4 month of any
7 * rife 5 14
rf!Cloudy wet weather
AU V
1 Sund p. Trin.
and perhaps rfbvn-
KL Cha. 11 bom
and reftor'd
aer or high winds
l
b
4
5S
2
22
4
57
>
D
4
5<*
4
22
4
55
5
©
4
54
6
21
4
53
6h
S\
4
5 *
7
it
*
51
$
i
5°
9
»3
4
49
IC
7 5
A
T
49
11
Us
4
48
12
9
4
47
t
4
47
2
*5
4
4<J
2h
*5
4
46
3
J
4
45
4
'9
4
44
5
vf
4
45
6
'5
4
43
6h
■26
4
42
7
4
4>
8
>■<
4
4»
9
H
4
40
IC
l9
4
40
1C
r
4
59
11
>7
4
39
12
tf
4
39
I
16
4
39
2
n
4
38
2h
7
4
58
8 ) rii* 5 49 mor.
bNew J) 2 day,
8 ibout nooiu
fc 7bejavour <f(be
« Great is no in-
b heritance.
8 > fet 11 47 a|t
S
S Fools maktfeafit
S Firft Quarter.
S and wife men eat
£ em.
b > fets 2ii ma
$ Beware of the
S youpg Doftor ©?
8 the old Barber
8 Full Q17 day,
8 at 2 afternoon.
8 )rif 9 at nigh.
8 He has cbang'd
hi his one ey'dhorfe
8 for a blind one.
S
8 Laft Quarrer
S >rif 12 52 aft.
Sj Hhe poor havs l:t
8 tie, befgars none,
Sjffo rir.h too rhucby
Sjenough not one..
8 Days I4h. 46
SlNew J) 7 at nig
IV Mop. June hath xxa. days.
* Qbferve the daily circle of the fun,
4 And the fhort year of each revolving moon
* By them thou flialt forefee the following day,
* Nor fhall a ftarry night thy hopes betray
* When firft the moon appears, if then Hie fhrouds
* Her filver crelcem, tip'd with fable clouds,
* Conclude fhe bodes a temped on the main,
* And brews for fields impetuous floods of rain,
I
6
7 * rife 2 49
3
$
4
38
2
7
J/ore warm though 4
15
4-
35
3
G
2 Sun p Trin
5
29
4
33
4
2
7 * rife 2 36
6
a
4
38
5
3
it be cloudy
6h
26
4
33
C
4
de?
7
'it
4
33
7
5
*01? Ab 9
8
22
4
33
£
6
P leaf ant Showers
9
w-
4
33
9
7
2 1 5 Al/ 5
10
16
4
53
Ic
r■>
0
about this time
10
28
4
33
I j
2
St. Barnabas
1 1
"1
4
3s
12
3
® ent. S 10 day.
12
21
4
33
I3
4
SummerQ^begini
1
t
4
39
H
5
8c makes longeft
2
>5
4
39
15
6
day 14 h 51m.
2h
27
4
39
16
7
K.Geo II procla.
3
Vf
4
39
l7
G
r-»
~c
>A
4
2S
4
39
iS
2
r/t/'r pleafant
5
£2
4
39
»9
1 * rife 1 34
6
19
4
39
20
4
Edward A % $
<5h
X
4
39
21
5
blowers and likely
7
16
4
39
22
<s
8b%
S
29
4
40
23
7
for more vain,
9
r
4
40
^4
G
5 Sund p Trin
te
27
4
40
25
2
yet all a bite
IC
w
4
41
23
3
<5©?
11
25
4.
41
26
4
Days lhorten 6m.
12
H
4
41
27
5
7 * rife 1257
I
24
4
42
28
6
St Peter & Paul
2
$
4
42
c9
7
Now clear again
2h
24
4
43
Jfter 3 days men
grow weary , of
} lets 9 3 S aft.
a wench, a guefl,
8 &1 weather raj-
8 ny
8
Firft Quarter
> fet 12 ^ 7 aft.
rfo lengthen thy
Life, leffen thy
Meals.
> (ets 3 morn
Full© 3 morn.
'The proof of gold
is fire, the proof
of woman, gold;
)rife loafteru
the proof of man,
a woman
Laft Quarter
7 * rife I 12
)rifc l mom.
Jfterfeafts
made, the maker
scratches bis head
New 3) 5 morn.
V Mm. July hath xxxi days.
Ev'n while the reaper fills his greedy fcasids,
And binds the golden fiieafs in brittle baadi ,5,-
Oft have I feen a fudden ftorm arife
From all the warring winds that fweep the
And oft whole flieets defeend of fluey rain*
Suck'd by the fpungy clouds from off ibe-maia}
The lofty skies at once come pouring dowa,
The promis'd crop and golden labours drown.
iG
2; 2
6 Sund. p. Trin,
More windy and
□ TtS
dV 9 66$
like for rain.
Cornelius
? * fer 12 2i
Sund. p. Trin.
Wind orThund
Ohs
□ h®
© enters Si
□ 0T£
<S © 6 OtS
8 Sund. p. Trin.
7 * rife 11 45
3: Neither Shame, not
4'.Grace yet Bob.
5j Dog Days begin.
6 A T? ?
7;* % 5
G 9 Sirtid. p- Trin.
2 7bunder zuitb zvind
3; or falling weather
4
5
SG
9
0 3
» 4
2 5
6
. 7
5G
I
St. James
A Tj 9 more rain
7 * rife 10 54
10 Sand. p. Trin .'ah
znd <warm% and
cloudy.
1.2!
I
244.47 8 Firft Quarter'
751(4 47 6 {pmntfsg&>kfih-
ting.
174
29
?
23
4
yp 4
184
4
154
284
K
164
244
« 4
22
n
2ojS
4 43 b Many eflats s 4m
4 43 S ) fers 8 39 a&.
4 44 8 fpent intfoge}-
4 45 S ting, Sincefyom-
46
46
395
5
en for tea forfikk
> fets 10 6 aft.
liefdows
>fers 1 mom
With
rife up Wztbjfo&jr
Fuli^ 5 Affcr.
) rife 8 aftera,
A fat kiicbit), a
lean Will
Laft X^uarter.
>ri. 11 ;8mo„
Difivufi 0P caui
1 Xicm are ike pa*
Tents cf featrsSyt
rife 4 ?rrtCrc.
7|New2> z af?,
ifftmgm ehubh,
7 ybrkigs trouble.
I ...... mm— —-
Jdfc®. AugufFhath xxxi days.
T?or ns thro* 12 bright figns Apollo guides
The year, and earth in lev'ral climes divides
Five girdles bind the skies, the torrid zone
Glows with the palling and repafling fun.
Far on the right and left, th" extrcams of heav'n,
To frofts and fnows and biner blafts arfe giv'n.
Betwi/t the midft and thefe, the Gods affign'd
Two habitable feats for humane kind
4 Lammas Day
5*^2
6 Day 13 h. 36 m.
477* rile 10 31
5 G J11 5und. p. Trin
V Sultry lxt%
31 perhaps
C
7
b
1C
i.;
12
*3
"14
15
i£.
V't
18 .
19 G 13 Sund. p. Trin
20
'21
22
2;
24
21
*6
27
2-S
29
3°
3*
51 wind.
6 AQt?
7Days£hort lh.2<
GJiiSund. p. Trin
3 Eufebius
,4.7 * fouth 5 mom
6 J* T0
7 Windy if not <wet.
z\d 9 5
3'Dog-Days end.
D4ys 12 h. 52 m
Pisa font iVeather.
Bartholomew
14 Sund. p. Trin
7bunder fif Lrgbtn,
1 * rife 9 o
Rofa Virg.
6 towards lie end.
]5
26:5 9
6
t-%.1
5 10
6h
20 5 IZ
7
m
5 13
8
'3
5 14
9
26
5 >5
10
*
5 16
10
'V
5 17
11
vy
5 18
? 2
'4
5 19
1
26
5 20
2
5 21
2h
2>
5 22
3
X
5 24
4
21
j 26
5 ,
r
5 27
6
20
5 28
6h
»
5 29
•7
'9
5 31
S
n
5 32
0
'7
5 33
. tc
<35
5 34
10
>4
5 35
11
28
5
) 1
ft
5 37
1
24
5 3**
2
»»
5 40
,2h
21
5 42
3
e
5 43
4
5 45
5
5 4<S
7 > fets S afrern
?j *faks counjcl in
7 wine, refolve
7 afterwards in
1 water
7Fiift Quarter.
7 >fet 11 27 aft.
"1 He that dr/nks
18 l.fajl, pays flcnv.
7 Great Jmrnne
7 when wolves eai
jjO enters IS?
7 J) fet 4 31 mor
7 Full© 3 mora
7 waives
1
7 A rood If ife 'oft
"is Gcd's gift loft
• J) rife 9 afrcin
7 4 taup.it horfe,
7 Lad Quarter
7 and a woman to
1 teach, and teach-
7 J) rif I 41 mor
7 ers pra&iftng
7 what they preach
He is ill cloth'd,
< New I3 morn.
1 who is bare of
< Virtue
7 2) fets 7 46 af$
Vll Mcfh September hath xxx days.
Dearh is a Frfhermafl, the world we fee
His Fifh-pond is, and we the Fillies be
His Net lorne general Sicknefs ; howe'er he
Is not fo kind as other Filhers be ,
For if they take one of the fmaller Fry,
They throw him in again, he fhall not die:
But Death is fure to kill all he can gee,
Ancbtill is Fifli with him that comes to Ner
I
7
Giles Abbot
6
ic
s
48
2
G
6 O J rah Qf wir
<Sh2S
5
49
3
2
7 * rife 8 46
7
$
5
5°
4
3
rfbe ieatd of aJool is
S
14
5
5«
5
4
in his mouth, but the
9
27
5
52
6
5
mouth of a wife man
to
vy
5
54
1
f>
is in his heart.
1 1
22
5
55
S
7
7 * rife S 24
1 <
18
5
56
9
G
16 Sund p Trin
1
57
10
®cnt £: 1 ith day
2
X
5
53
11
>
Sc makesjequ day
2b
14
5
59
1 2
4
% % £ 8c nighr
3
Y
<5
0
' 3
5
8 T? V <fl:undery
4
146
1
'4
6
Cloudy with warm
5
i9
6
1
15
7
1 * rile 8 0 rains
(5
8
6
3
16
G
1 7 Sund p Trin
fill
29
6
4
1 7
2
Daysfhoir 2 56
7
n
6
6
IS
3
Windy, and like to
8
28
a
8
19
A
he wet weather
9
<$
6
9
20
5
ic
6
10
2]
6
St Matthew
ic
a
6
11
22
7
Maurice B.
11
2 1
6
13
G
18 Sund p Trin
12
»?
6
*4
24
2
7 * "fe 7 34
1
17
*
1 5
2 5
3
Cleopbas rf £
2
>9
»<S
16
26
4
D-iys 11 h 24 m
1I1
6
18
27
5
A/orc clear & plea
-)
-4
6
19
28
6
1 * ibuth 2 20
4
m
C
20
29
7
St. Michael fant
5
tS
6
7.1
?c-
G.
19 Sund p Trin.
t
6
22
7 Men &> Meier, i
1 London burnt.
1 are hard to know
7;})fet !o?9af'r.
7|Firft Quarter
~}\He s the befiphy-
7 Jician that knows
ft he worthlefsnefs
7 D fets 2 22 rao
7 of tlernofl rnsdi-
7 Jtines
6 Full© i afrern.
<5J Beware of meat
6 twice ioil'd, and
6j ^nie 8 morn
6 fin old Foe recor-
6cil'd.
6
Lad Quarter.
D rif 12 49 nig.
d fr.e genius in
bis own country t
is like gold its
6 the mine.
6| 2) rife 5 morn.
6,New J) 6 aft
6,'There is no little
Gtr.emy
6 Flying clmds,
<0 iers 7 46 aft.
VIII.Mob. O&obcrhath xxxi days.
Time was my fpoufe and I could not agree.
Striving about fuperiority •
The text which faith that man and wife are one,
Was the chief argument we ftood upon
She held, they both one woman fhould become,
I held theyfhouid be man, and both but one.
Thus we contended daily, but the ftiife
Could not be ended, till both were one Wife
7
?G
8
9
to
XI
12
'3
I4G
*5
16
2 Romegius B
Windy with
* £ 9 Clouds,
7 * rife 638
Rainy now
He has loft his Boots
20 Sund. p Trin
hut favd his
8 T?®
7*fou. 1 4S morn
K.Geo. II. crown
0ent. <j b $
A white Fro ft.
17
1 a,
l9
■to
21
22
*5
24j
25
26
2$ te
21 Sund. p. Trin
Edward K. Con
VVhtd% ani it's
likelyfir <5 © £
St..Lu!ce Rain
Days 0 h- 24
7* foiith I 6
22 Sund, p. Trin
Cordula V
Cloudy} with high
wifids.
Crispin
DaysCiort. 4^.22 2b
7*fou. tz 40
%% Sund. p. Trin
told ruin tfmt fww.
K. Geo; XI. Nat
1683. »Hi4'5
146 49
*7,6 50
&6 51
216 52
m'6 53
146 54
*7.* fy
f « }«
206 J 7
,V.tf 58
5 ^Ihe old yJ/ijK /a-zj
given all to his
Son : O fool ! to
Firft Quarter.
? fets 12 16
Cundrefs thy /elf
6bejore thou art
Agoing to bed.
6
2' fets 4 42
Full@at pAfte
6 Days 10 h. 44
6 Cheefe and fait
meat^Jhould be
6\fpxringly eat.
6 2) tife 9 42 aft.
6\Doors. and walls
6\are fools paper
6 Lalt Quarter
6|
2) rife 1 53 mo.
|Anoint a villain
and betlftab you,
6\fiab him & be I
■6pnoint you.
"New j.at noos
2) fets "(5 5 f afr.
\Keep pier mouth
Sttt feet dry.
ays loh. 4in.
IX Mon. November h&th xxx days.
My neighbour H—y by his pleafing tongue,
Harh wen a Girl that's rich, wife, fair and young ;
The Match (he faith) is half concluded, he
Indeed is wondrous willing; but not £he.
And reafon good, for he, has run thro* all
Altnofl theftory of the Prodigal ;
Yetfwears he never with the hogs did dine ;
That's true,for none would trufl him with their fwine.
All Saints J7
All Souls.6
Winifred 19 2: 7
4 Sund.p Trin.-ioK 7
PowderPlot. 1605 10187
ir/» I*. «*
7 * fbutfs 120
1* rife achronical.
Qsudl with Raitiy
or Hail.
Luther Nat 1485.
25 Sund. p.Trin
©enters j
High -winds & cold
Machutus B.
l5i
l6. 6j7 * fouth u ix
*7' 7 Hugh Bifli.
*8 G j25 Sund. p. T>in
J9
T 7
ih
3
+
5
kf
1
:8
;9
10I
10]
»1
12
16,7
b
16
n
i6i
2! § h 6 windy &\
5 Edmund
4{Falling weather,
5-7 * fouth 10 50
6,C!emcnt D¥?ii
24' 7pay9h 24*^ V 2
25 G j27 Sund p Trin ?h!
-<S> 2)7 * fouth 10 ^5 3
l"! 3 [either rain or /now. 4
2S 4jo £ V pleafantlntj
29 5 cloudy at the End. j6
S-° <5|St- Andrew
23 7
sc 7
1817
2
5
4
5
6
7
S
9
10
10
11
12
12
>3
»4
'5
«5
16
16
*7
*7
18
18
»9
19
20
20
21
?6 7 00 Jf J) ices 10 7 ate
~ 1 15
51 Fit ft Quarter,
^JVher$ bread is
tfovanting, all's to
y.be fold.
y|J lets 9. 28 m.
'There is neither
honour nor gah>K
Full® at 6 wo,
pot hi 4eaJhi%
with a nil-lain.
T rile S zo afts
*fbe fool hath
'made a vow, (.
pjtefs, fscwr to
1 rife 12 42 m
Laft Quarter.
let the Fire have
peace
D rile 4 53 mo
Snowv winter, a
plentiful barvep.
New 2? at7 rno.
othhip more
>fets 7 afrern.
jlite a Fool, than
p drunken Man.
I
X Mon. December terrh xtfxi days.
She that will eat her breakfaft in her bed,
And fpend the morn 111 dre[Ting ot her head,
And fie at dinner like a maiden bride,
And talk of nothing all day but of pride ,
God in his mercy may do much to fave her,
But what a cale is he in that fhall have her.
I
'J
Unfeitlcd weather
7
X
^2
G
Advent Sunday
8
14
5
2
now,
9
28
4
,
A O b Either ran.
10
r
5
4io/ fnow, and then n
10
26
6
5
7 * let 5 10
1 1
8
7
6
frofl comes on
1 2
26
8
7
1 know
I
n
i)
G
1 Sund in Adv.
2
16
1 -
2
© enters Vf then
2h
<S>
11
3
Wine. Qu. begins
3
*4
12
4
fic makes Ihorteft
4
SI
*3
5
d.iy 9 h. 14. m.
5
3
*4
6 lrindy and clouds,
6
'If
l5
71* T, ?
61.
20
t6
VJ
2 Sund. in Adv.
7
zz
'7
2J7 * fouth 8 58
8
14
18
3 \ltkc for fnow.
9
-7
*9
10
"1
2o
5 Days incr. 4 mi.
1C
20
21
/6^St Thomas
11
I
22
High winds and
12
■4
&
3 Sund. in Adv.
6
2:?
'2
* $ 9 DU 9
2
vy
CHRIST Nativ.
2 Is
10
26
4
Stephen
?
27
• 5
St. John cloudy
4
'4
28
6
I nnocentscy^fej'
5
28
29
7
Snow or Rjxin will, 6
K
-5C
G
now appear, and a
P
'-4
5?
2
Frojl end the Tear.
7
r
21 5! > fets 11 after.
21 5 FirlT Quarter,
21 5 GoW works won-
22 5 dersnow&tben\
22 ^Behold! a Law-
XT, 5 ) lets 5 15 m.
*5 5 Yer, hcjiefl
Zy 5 Man !
23 5 Full®9 atnig.
23 5 He that lives
23 5 carnally <uvr
23 5 J) rife 8 8 an,
23 5 dive eternally.
22 5!
22 y.Imttcenee Is fts
22 yown Defence.
22 j.Laft Quarter.
22 5/ rife 115 m,
21 yfl'ime eateth all
2 x fthings, could oti
21 $\Poetsfay\ $h«
21 5 'Times are
20 5' 2> rile 5 43:raOi
20 5I chang d, Oftt
19 5New}Xa|2rno
19 5 times drink all
18 5 away.
18 5 I1 fets S 29 aft,
I 7 5 Never mind it,,
I 7 5 jkel befcbcraffc.
16 5 the Holidays.
Of the Eclipfes 1733,
THIS Year there will be four Eclipfes, two
of the Sun and two of the Mood. The
firft will be of an Eclipfe the Sun, May z. vifible be¬
ing about 12 a clock, Digits eclipfed 2 and a half.
The fecond will be on May 17 about two in
the Afternoon, wherein the Moon will be eclipfed,
nor vifible here
The third will be on 03ab 26, about I! in the
Morning, a fmall Eclipfe of the Sun, invisible.
The fourth will be on Nwent. 10. a little after
6 in the Morning it begins, an Eclipfe of the Moon,
above half of which will be darkned.
.A .«#(* »•» A A A A A A .A /ft, .fR, jft
Chronology of Things 1733.
Tears ftrxv,
E Birth of JESUS CHRIST 1755
JL Jerufalem taken by the Romaai 1660
Tower of London built 11<S4
Firft Mayor of London 54.3
london Bridge huilt with ^tone $24
The Invention of Guns by a Monk 364
The Art of'Prinrinj* found out by a Soldier 295
Great M..flacrc in Fr, nee 161
Spanifh Armada burnt 145
K J^mes I laid the fitft Stone ofClelfea Coll. 124
The Bible new rr.influred 122
Gunpowder Plot 119
The Plague of/ ondon, whereofdied ;oooo 108
Long Parliament be$*?n, Nov 3 1640 95
Rebellion in Ireland, Oft 23 1641 92
King Char let I beheaded S5
Dunkirk deliverer! to the Er.glifb 7 j
Oliver Cromwell <\ifd Sept 51658 75
&\x\% Char lei\\ his Return in Pcaqe 75
The great Plague of London, whereof died" 100000,67
The great Seafgbt betwetu the Duuh & Englijb, 68
Th$ Peace between the Englffi and Dutch 6 6
Srtai^ed eleven Days together 59
Oates's Piot began, 1678 # 55
K James II declared for Liberty of Confcience 46
Tne leven Bifhops fent the Tower 45
King William HI. reduced Ireland 43
Gibraltar taken, July 64. *9
England and Scotland united, May I *6
Three whole Bullocks roafted on the Icc on ? .
the 'Thames, Jan 19. 17 \ 6. S
Chrijlopher Columbus found America *4^
"Neivfondland difcovered by the Englifb 20S
The fir It Ufe of Coaches in England J 77
Capr Drake's Voyage round the World 156
Tobacco firft taken in England 151
Sir Walter Raivbiph found and named Virginia 147
Rimini a firft planted by the Lr.glifi 127
NeivjcitnJland firft planted *24
New fork fii ft ferried 119 .
Kfiv-iLnpland firit fettled * * 7
Barbados firft planted lof
Kev>s(i ft planted 10s
The building of Boflon 105
AJ A R TL A MD firft fettled 105
C?ro!~na firft planted 65
Jamaica taken fiom the Spaniards 78
New-York, Albany and \e<wcajlh raken by £Vjtf 71
The Building of ^trlingtcn 56
Pennsylvania firft fo named J1
Philadelphia firft founded 5°
The City of Amboy laid oot 5°
The great Flood at Delaware Falls 41
The great Earthquake in Jamaica 40
The Poft Office erefted in America 39
Tne hard Wintet which continued till Afar 4 55
The great Snow about a Yard deep 4$
The laft wet Harveft, the like not feen here 14
Prince Fredwek Town laid out 7
King G E OR GE Ii. proclaimed, June 11 6
The
The Benefit of going to L AW.
Dedicated to the Comtties of f£—t and H*e—rd-OQ.
TWO Beggars travelling along,
One blind, the othex kmc,
Pick'd up an Oyfter on the Way
To which th-y both laid claim:
The matter rofc fo high, that they
Refolv'd to go to Law,
As often richer Fools have done,
Who quarrel for a Straw.
A Lawyer took it ftrait in hand,
Who knew his Bufinefs was,
To mind nor one nor t'other fide,
But make the beft o'th* Caufe;
As always in the Law's the Cale :
So he his Judgment gave,
And Lawyer like he thus refolv'd
What each of them fhould have;
Blind Plaintiff lame Dejevdastt, part-
tfhe Friendly Law's impartial Cart%
A Shell fcr him, a Shell fir thee,
file Middle is the Lawyer's Fee.
The COURTS.
Supream Courts in Penniilvania are htld
AT Philadelphia, the tenth JDay of April, &
24th Day of September.
Courts of Quarter Sejjions are held
At Philadelphia, the firft Monday in March,
June, September and December.
At New row n in Bucks County, on the nrhDay
following (inclufive) in every of Months aforefaid.
At Chetlcr, the laft Tuefday in May, Auguft,
November and February,
At Lancafter the firft TuefHay in each.
Courts of Common tyleas are heldy
At Philadelphia, the firft WednefiJay after the
Quarter Scfltons, in March, June, September and
December.
At Newtown, the 9th Day following (inclusive}
in every of the months aforefaid. 1
I A1 Chcfler, fte fextTWHay in May, Auguft,
I KoPember, and February.
ArXancafter, the Sift Tucday in the Months
afbrefaid
At Suflc* the firft, at Kent the fecond, and at
•New-Caftle the third Tuefday in the fame months.
Mayors Courts in Philadelphia, are held'
The •firft Tuefday in January, April, and July,
laft Tuefday in O&ober
Supreme Courts in New-Jerfey are held |
AT Burlington, the ift Tuelciay in May, 2d {
Tuefday in Auguft, ift Tuefday in Novemb. i
and 3d in Febr.
At Perth-Amboy, the 2d TuelHay in May, 3d
in Aug. the 2d Tuetciay in Novemb. and the 4th
in February.
In Bergen County, April 3 In Eflex, April 10.
In Somerfet, O&ob. 2. In Monmouth, April 24.
In Hunterdon, O^ob. 23. In Gloucefter, June
12. In Salem and Cape-May Counties, June 5.
General Seffions and County Courts are held
In Bergen County, Jan. 2. April 3. June 12.
O&ob. 2.
In Effex, January 9. April 10. June 19 Sept.2 j. j
In Middlesex, Jan, 16. April 17. July i7.0&ob.9. j
Iu Somerfet, Jan 2. April 3. June i2.0ftob. 2.
In Monmouth, Jan. 23. April 24. July 24. 03m6.
ItT Hunterdon, Feb.tf. May 15. Aug. 7. O&ob. 23.
In Burlington, Febr. 13. May 1. Aug. 14 Nov 6.
In Gloucefter,March 27. June 12. Sept.1S.Dec.25.
In ^alem, *Feb> 20. June 5. Aug. 21. Nov. 27.
In Cape May, Feb. 6. May 1 3. Aug. 3. 05 23
Supreme Courts in New-Vork are held,
AT the City of New-York, March 13. June 5.
03obei 9, Nov. 27. At Weftchefter,March
27. At Richmond, April 10. At Orange, April
14. Ac Suffolk County, July 24. At Albany,Au-
gnft 21. At Ulfter, Sept 4. At Dutches, Sept.
tj. At Kings County, Sept, 18. At Queens
County, Sept. 25.
— — \ *• '**"'1 1 —T" "
Courts ofSeffions & Comment leas arebdfri i
In the City of New-York, May i.* Aug." 7. Nov.
6■ Feb. 6 At Albany, June 5. O&ob. 2. and Jan.
16. At Weftchefter, May 2j. Oiiob. 23. In Ul-
fler, May 1. Q&ob 2. In Richmond, March 2.0.
Septemb. 25. In Kings, April. 17. 02ob. 16. Ih
(Queens, May 1 5. Sept. 18. In Change, Aptil 24:.
Octob. 30. In Dutches Co. May r5- and
tprovweial Courts in Maryland*
XWO in a Year, held at Annapolis, viz. The
J_ 3d Tuefday of Ala\x and 3d Tuefday of Qftob.
County Courts. At Talbot, Baltimore, and St. Ma¬
ry's Counties, the firft Tuefday in March, jure',
sluguft, apd November. At Dorchcfter, Cecil, Ann-
Aiundel, and Charles Counties, the fecond tuefday
in the fame Months. At Kent, Calvert, and So;
merfet Counties, thfe third tuefday in th'e fame
Months. At Queen Anne's and Prince George's
Counties, the fourth Zuefdzy in the fame Months. •
£>JJ A K E R S General Meetings are kept,
At fhiladelphia^aich 18^At IVeJlbury, Aug. 26
j At Salem, ' April 21, At Philadelphia, Sept. t6
At Fluking, May 27^At Jamaica, 23
At Wejl-River^ June 3 4At Chaptavk, OStobr. 7
At Providefice, 1 7^*At Shrewsbury» .-2$
At Newport, 24^"At Oyjler Bayy -3$
At Newtow», 24'*" At Fwfbing^ Nov. J 5.
At IVeftchejler, July 22^At tVeJlbtir)% Ffibr.'&J
Bs/prf/SyS General Meetings arc kept*',!,
At tVelch-l'raff, May 13^ At Pi feat away, Junc.j
At Cohavfie, 20^-At Philadelphia*
FAIRS are kept,
At Cohanjie, April 24^, At Chefler, O£lob. $
At N-Tork ditto,&Nov.6*At Cohartf,k, jt>-
At Salem, May 1-^.At Salem, 30
At New-Cajl!e} 3At Germantys3%% ;-2o
At Chejler, 5+At Brijfal,
At Brifiol, 8^,At Burlington, I
At Burlington ID .At New-C*ftlet - y
At Piiladelph'ux, 16 At P 6
A C&talcgac of trie principal Kings and
Fnncrs ia &sr$ct with the Tirac of jheuBirthi
and Ages.
Bora fig.
GEgypt; II. K. of Gr. Brit. &e. 30 OB, 1^8350
Wilbelmma-Carolina IUjQucch I Mar. 16S5 48
frreckrick Prince of Wales 19 Jan. 17.06 27
Charles <S. Emperor of Germarty l OB. i'So5
Louis 15. King of Franca. 15 Feb. 17 10
Alary, Queen of France, 23 Jun. 1703
Leopold 1. Duke of Lorrai* U Sept. l6"]p
Philip 5. King of Spain 19 Dec. 1683
J*k* 5. King of Portugal 22 Oct. 16S9
Fred. W. K. of P raffia, El .of Brand. 14 Sing. 16S8
Fred. jingufliis, K- of Poland^ |2 May 1661
Frederick 4. King of Denmark 11 OH. 16"; 1
Frederick King of Sweden 28 Apr. 1676
Cltavles. Frederick, D. of Holjlcin 14 Apr. I7C0
Prince Eugene of Savoy ib OB. 166;
John Gajion GruiriDake ctreTuf-any 24. May 1671
50
i44
4 f
72
6z
57
55
70
62
Poor Richard, au American Prince, )
w'irhoutSubje&s, his Wife being > z;0& itfytyy
Viceroy over him, j
A Oefcription of the Highways &Roads
Fiom dnr.'Tpelij in Maryland to Philadelphia, 145
Miles, thus accounted;
To N'wcaftlc IT
To Chrijline Ferry 5
FROM An»apoh$ M.
To P atapfee Ferry 30
To Gtfupotoder Ferry ZO
To Suffuthitmh Ferry 2 5
T*0 Prixcipia I?m Wear. 3
To XoUk-Eajt <$
To Elk River 7
From Att nape Us
F
To Brandwyve Ferry l
To Naamax's Creek 9
To Ckejle? 5
To Derby 9
i To Philadelphia. &
to irilliamsbnrghy
ROM jfxriffpoUj M. To Southern's Ferry 30
To Isrtd.'f. Ferry 4 To jhnc'cTs Ferry 36
To £hf. stints Faiy 9
To Upper Afar if/Msygb 9
To Port VeltWd $6
To //jtf'i Fenf 20
To Qaybcm's Fesrry 52
To Fcrneaxxs Qrdilia 13
To William 2burgh > 6
In all iSf
Date Due
All books are subject to recall after two weeks.
YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
The
Bibliographical
George Watson Cole
L. H. D.