clouds of a thunder-guft are most commonly in a negative ftate of electricity, but fometimes in a pofitive ftate;" and from this it follows, as a neceffary confequence, "that, for the most part, in thunder-ftrokes, it is the earth that ftrikes into the clouds, and not the clouds that ftrikes into the earth." The letter containing thefe obfervations is dated in September, 1753; and yet the discovery of afcending thunder has been faid to be of a modern date, and has been attributed to the Abbe Bertholon, who published his memoir on the fubject in 1776.

In

Franklin's letters have been tranflated into moft of the European languages, and into Latin, proportion as they have become known, his principles have been adopted. Some oppofition was made to his theories, particularly by the Abbe Nollet, who was, however, but feebly fupported, whilft the first philofophers of Europe stepped forth in defence of Franklin's principles; amongst whom D'Alibard and Beccaria were the moft diftinguished. The oppofition has gradually ceafed, and the Franklin fyftem is now univerfally adopted, where fcience flourishes.

The important practical ufe which Franklin made of his difcoveries, the fecuring of houfes from injury by lightning, has been already mentioned. Pointed conductors are now very common in America; but prejudice has hitherto prevented their general introduction into Europe, notwithftanding the moft undoubted proofs of their utility have been given. But mankind can with difficulty be brought to lay afide established practices, or to adopt new ones. And perhaps we have more seafon to be furprifed that a practice, howes *TA ® VOL. I.

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tional, which was propofed about forty years ago, fhould in that time have been adopted in fo many! places, than that it has not univerfally prevailed. It is only by degrees that the great body of mankind can be led into new practices, however falutary their tendency. It is now nearly eighty years fince inoculation was introduced into Europe and America; and it is fo far from being general at prefent, that it will, perhaps, require one or two centuries to render it fo.

In the year 1745, Franklin published an account of his new invented Pennfylvania fire-places, in which he minutely and accurately ftates the ad vantages and difadvantages of different kinds of fire-places; and endeavours to fhew that the one which he defcribes is to be preferred to any other This contrivance has given rife to the open foves now in general ufe, which however differ from it in conftruction, particularly in not having an airbox at the back, through which a conftant fupply of air, warmed in its paffage, is thrown into the room. The advantages of this are, that as a ftream of warm air is continually flowing into the room, lefs fuel is neceffary to preferve a proper temperature, and the room may be fo tightened as that no air may enter through cracks; the confequences of which are colds, toothaches, &c.

Although philofophy was a principal object of Franklin's purfuit for feveral years, he confined himfelf not to this. In the year 1747, he became a member of the general affembly of Pennfylvania, as a burgefs for the city of Philadelphia. Ware difputes at this time fubfifted between the Sem-) bly and the proprietaries; each contending t rimenbey conceived to be their juft rights. Frank

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in, a friend to the rights of man from his infancy, oon diftinguished himself as a steady opponent of he unjust schemes of the proprietaries.

He was

oon looked up to as the head of the oppofition; and to him have been attributed many of the fpiited replies of the affembly, to the meffages of the governors. His influence in the body was very great. This arofe not from any fuperior powers of loquence; he fpoke but feldom, and he never was known to make any thing like an elaborate haangue. His fpeeches often confifted of a fingle entence, or of a well-told ftory, the moral of which was always obviously to the point. He never attempted the flowery fields of oratory. His manper was plain and mild. His ftyle in speaking was, like that of his writings, remarkably concile. With this plain manner, and his penetrating and folid judgment, he was able to confound the moft eloquent and fubtle of his adverfaries, to confirm the opinions of his friends, and to make converts of the unprejudiced who had oppofed him. With a fingle obfervation, he has rendered of no avail an elegant and lengthy difcourfe, and determined the fate of a queftion of importance.

But he was not contented with thus fupporting the rights of the people. He wished to render them permanently fecure, which can only be done by making their value properly known; and this must depend upon increating and extending information to every clafs of men. We have already teen that he was the founder of the public library, which contributed greatly towards improving the minds of the citizens. But this was not fufficient. The fchools then fubfifting were in general of little utility. The teachers were men ill

qualified for the important duty which they had undertaken; and, after all, nothing more could be obtained than the rudiments of a common English education. Franklin drew up a plan of an academy, to be erected in the city of Philadelphia, fuited to the ftate of an infant country;" but in this, as in all his plans, he confined not his views to to the prefent time only. He looked forward to the period when an inftitution on an enlarged plan would become neceffary. With this view he confidered his academy as "a foundation for posterity to erect a feminary of learning, more extenfive, and fuitable to future circumstances." In purfuance of this plan, the conftitutions were drawn up and figned on the 13th of November 1749. In thefe twentyfour the most respectable citizens of Philadel phia were named as trustees. In the choice of these, nd in the formation of his plan, Franklin is faid to have confulted chiefly with Thomas Hopkinfon, Efq. Rev. Richard Peters, then fecretary of the province, Tench Francis, Efq. attorney-general, and Dr. Phineas Bond.

The following article fhews a fpirit of benevolence worthy of imitation; and, for the honour of our city, we hope that it continues to be in force.

"In cafe of the inability of the rector, or any mafter, (eftablished on the foundation by receiving a certain falary) through fickness, or any other natural infirmity, whereby he may be reduced to poverty, the truftees fhall have power to contribute to his fupport, in proportion to his diftrefs and merit, and the stock in their hands."

The laft claufe of the fundamental rules is exreffed in language fo tender and benevolent, fo

truly parental, that it will do ever lafting honour to the hearts and heads of the founders.

"It is hoped and expected that the trustees will make it their pleasure, and in fome degree their business, to visit the academy often; to encourage and countenance the youth, countenance and affist the mafters, and by all means in their power advance theufefulness and reputation of the defign, that they will look on the ftudents as, in fome measure, their wn children, treat them with familiarity and afection; and when they have behaved well, gone. hrough their ftudies, and are to enter the world, hey hall zealously unite, and make all the intereft hat can be made, to promote and establish them, whether in bufinefs, offices, marriages, or any oher thing for their advantage, preferable to all ther perfons whatsoever, even of equal merit.”

The conftitutions being figned and made public, with the names of the gentlemen propofing themelves as trustees and founders, the defign was fo well approved of by the public-fpirited citizens of Philadelphia, that the fum of eight hundred pounds per annum, for five years, was in the courfe of a few weeks fubfcribed for carrying the plan into execution; and in the beginning of January following (viz. 1750) three of the fchools were opened, namely, the Latin and Greek schools, the Mathematical and the English schools. In purluance of an article in the original plan, a fchool for educating fixty boys and thirty girls (in the charter fince called the Charitable School) was opened, and amidit all the difficulties with which the truftees have ftruggled in refpect to their funds has ftill been continued full for the fpace of forty years; fo that allowing three years education for