freeman; I poffefs the fuffrages of my fellow-citizens; This is enough; my discourse shall be immortal!

PART I

THE academies, the philofophical focieties, the learned affociations which have done themselves honour by inferibing the name of Franklin in their records, can best appreciate the debt due to his genius, for having extended the power of man over nature, and prefented new and fublime ideas, in a tyle fimple as truth, and pure as light.

It is not the naturalift and the philofopher that the orator of the commons of Paris ought to defcribe; it is the man, who hath accelerated the progrefs of focial order; it is the legiflator, who hath prepared the liberty of nations!

Benjamin Franklin was born at the commencement of the prefent century, in Boston, the capital of New England.

His father, perfecuted in his own country on account of his religious opinions (for the English, fo wavering in regard to religion, and who have fo often changed it by act of Parliament, at the nod of corrupt Kings, or fanatical chiefs, have always been, and are at this very day, perfecutors ;) his father, I fay, took refuge in the new world, where the church of England, not having as yet intruded her intolerant folicitude, permitted the liberty of confcience,

His profeffion was obfcure; but it is from this very, obfcurity that it is glorious for him to have

elevated himself to the head of his nation, and to become the chief, as it were, of mankind.

He who was deftined to be the founder and the prefident of the Philofophical Society of Philadelphia, the creator and the foul of the congrefs of America, was at first brought up to the trade of a tallow-chandler. The celebrated orator Flechier began life among ourfelves precifely in the fame manner: It may be confidered as a prodigy that, under the feudal ariftocracy, he should have ever become a rich Bishop! The hereditary Nobles, the titled families (it is but yefterday as it were they have ceafed to exift in France,) regarding his elevation with a degree of furprife, mingled with fcorn, were unable to conceive how a Minifter dared to confer a Bishopric upon a plebeian. "Duke," replied the Bishop of Nifmes to one of his contemporaries, who reproached him with the occupation of his father, "this is in truth "what diftinguishes us from each other: If you "had been born in the fame ftation that I was, “ you would have ftill remained a maker of can"dles!"

Gentlemen, I have mentioned this anecdote, because it is fomething in the manner of Franklin. He might have faid the fame thing to the English Nobility, and all thofe infulters of merit, who think themfelves difpenfed from poffeffing any, because, in virtue of their family, they occu py the first employments in the ftate, and obtain, even through the folly of their titles, all the honours of fociety.

A very limited business, and one which prefented no opportunity for the developement of the human faculties, could not be deemed worthy of

the genius of Franklin. The art of printing had been scarce established in America; he turned his views towards this polite art, to which the destiny of the human genius is attached.

He laboured affiduously in this profeffion, firft at Boston, afterwards at Philadelphia, and at length at London, where, while he acquired a confiderable degree of perfection in this art, his mind, always of a thinking turn, made a variety of obfervations on the vices of the English government, and accumulated in filence the means of making ypography more useful to his country, and to hu nan kind.

On his return to the capital of Pennsylvania, he was able to work at, direct, and even to fupply natter for thofe preffes, whence were to iffue that nowledge deftined to be the harbinger of the gloious day of liberty.

English America was defigned, in the eternal iews of Providence, and in the combinations aleady ripe in the mind of Franklin, to fee the fun of justice firft elevated above its horizon, a fun vho was progreffively to fpread his rays over all arts of the world. Its colonies were formed of nen, who did not find themselves fufficiently free n England; who would not depend, in regard to eligion, but upon Heaven, and their own confcince; in their morals, but upon civil equality and good laws; in their happinefs, but upon domeftic ociety and the fimplicity of virtue.

Penn, the first man who arofe out of that focial haos in which the nations had been plunged, Sunded l'hiladelphia, the City of Brethren; and which, in confequence of this title, which it hath ver fince fo amply juftified, merits the appella

It is open.

tion of the capital of the human kind. ed to human nature, without reftri&tion; for the law which prohibits the entrance of the atheist and the fluggard, as not being men, does not prefent, as Franklin him felf has very juftly obferved, any more than the threatening exception, which cannot poffibly be carried into execution.

"If," fays he, "an atheift exifted in any other part of the univerfe, he would be inftantly con "verted on entering into a city where every "thing is fo admirably conducted; and if there "was a fluggard, having the three amiable fifters "Riches, Science and Virtue, who are the daugh "ters of Labour, continually before his eyes, he "would foon conceive an affection for them, "and endeavour to obtain them from their fa "ther."

Delightful idea! worthy of a fage philofopher, the object of our prefent homage! It, at one and the fame time, defcribes both Franklin and Phi ladelphia.

A Catholic prieft, I fhall doubtlefs be reproached for delivering an eulogium on the Quakers, as I have heretofore been reproached for prailing the Janfenits; as I am reproached at this very mo ment for pronouncing a funeral oration on a Proteftant, who him felf profeffed religious principles different from thofe that were spread over the face of his country.

Thefe reproaches do me honour, for they iffue from fanaticifm, the greatest scourge of fociety. Yes, I have praifed, and I now praise again in the name of the commons of Paris, both with eagernefs and affection, than philanthropic Janfenift, if they please, but, at the fame time, very catholic

and very holy preceptor of those who are born leaf and dumb; the virtuous Philadelphians, fimole and fublime obfervers of universal fraternity; he principal philofopher of Proteftantifm, the age Franklin, who, without being perfect in his aith, yet poffeffed the perfection of evangelical enevolence.

And here, Gentlemen, fince the queftion of unierfal toleration prefents itfelf, and enters of its wn accord into the chain of ideas, which are fuceffively to complete the character of the grear. oralift whom I now attempt to defcribe, permit e to stop. After developing the principles of his fage, I fhall purfue my fubject, and fulfil the afk you have impofed upon me.

Men cannot be brethren, and confequently canot be focial creatures, while one part reprove the ther for the opinions which they have formed, nd think themfelves, on account of this imaginy difference, to be feparated and divided from ach other, as far as heaven is diftant from hell. No one can judge the confcience but God alone. He who affirms that man ought to believe, or ot believe, this or that doctrine, often renders imfelf guilty of injuftice, and always of temerity. The first genius of the univerfe, although inflamwith the moft ardent love for truth, might emrace a religious error, and think himself bound y his confcience to defend it. Who is the auacious mortal, that pretends to have been able O calculate all the lights and fhades which might "ave intervened between the moft fimple or the hoft fublime minds, and who dares to fay..." all ought to believe like me ?"

VOL. I.