ing tranfmitted the letters of Governor Hutchinfon, &c. which had been ftolen from Mr. Whately. The cruel malignity of Dr. Franklin's mind ftrongly manifefted itfelf on this occafion: for though feveral letters had paffed in the public prints between Mr. Whately and Mr. Temple, previous to their duel, concerning the manner in which the letters alluded to had efcaped from among the papers of the former's deceafed brother, who had been fecretary to the late Mr. Grenville, (one of thefe gentlemen labouring under the fufpicion of having given them, the other of having taken them) it was not till fome days after that defperate mode of terminating the difpute had been adopted, in which Mr. Whately nearly lost his life for complaining of the theft which had been committed upon him, that Dr. Franklin thought proper to publish a declaration exculpating both thefe gentlemen. On the enquiry into this business, among other tranfactions with too many fimilar features, before the Lords of the Privy Council, it was contended by Mr. Wedderburne, (now Lord Loughborough) that nothing could acquit Dr. Franklin from the charge of obtaining these papers by fraudulent or corrupt means, for the most malignant of purposes, unlefs he stole them from the perfon who ftole them: to which their lordships affenting, he was accordingly difmiffed from his place in the Poftoffice, January 1774. In March 1774, the Upper Houfe of Affembly in Georgia rejected the re-appointment of Dr. Franklin's agency in England; but it was confirmed for another year by the Lower Houfe, with an annual allowance of 150l. befides expences. About March 1775, the period of the commencement of hoftilities with America, Dr. Franklin quitted England; and, on his arrival at Philadelphia, the General Affembly being then fitting, he was chofen one of the delegates to Congrefs, and took his feat accordingly, on the 21st of May 1775. In the fame year, the refolution to eftablish an independent government being published by the Congress, Dr. Franklin was appointed plenipotentiary to the court of France; and, on the recal of Lord Stormont, the Britifh ambaffador at that court, he had the addrefs to fucceed his lordship in his houfe at Paris, where he still re fides. Doctor Franklin was never married; but he has one fon, late governor of the Jerfeys, who was taken prisoner by the Americans at the beginning of the conteft, and remained two years in confinement at Connecticut. This gentleman has fince refided in London, as an American loyalift; nor is it to be wondered that Governor Franklin fhould not be greatly attached to his father, when it is confidered that the humane doctor fuffered the unhappy woman who gave him birth to perish unaffifted in the streets of Philadelphia. Befides the honorary titles already mentioned * Left any of our readers fhould be difpofed to think that we have, in this and fome other intances, gone too far in our affertions refpecting this popular character, we beg leave to lay before them the following portrait of Dr. Franklin, sketched by the Rev. Mr. Bennet Allen, in the Morning Poft, June 1, 1779, under the title of Characters of fome of the leading Men in the prefent American Rebellion: the authenticity of whofe accounts was in one inftance fupported by the ha-. zard of his own life, and the death of the perfon who difputed his veracity. Surely fuch a man must have been incapable of publishing a falfhood! BENJAMIN FRANKLIN was first known as a printer of a Philadelphia newspaper. He made himfelf fo ufeful in the party difputes there, that the Lower Houfe of Affembly appointed him their agent in England. In this capacity he was confulted by the late Mr. G. Grenville, on the propriety of the Stamp-act, which he not only approved of, but recommended feveral of his friends for ftamp-mafters. He furnished at the fame time his correfpondents with arguments to oppofe it, and raifed, as far as in him lay, the commotions that followed in America. Many thoufand copies of his examination upon that occafion before the House of Commons, were printed and difperfed by every pediar 1 mentioned to have been conferred on As a mechanic, he is well known As a fcholar, he has propofed a new alphabet, and a reformed orthography; neither of which any man in his fenfes will ever think of adopting. As a philofopher, he has commented on German electricity, and recommended conductors for lightning; though his pointed iron-rods were incapable of protecting Harvard College, the Alma Mater of his native province, from it's moft pernicious effects. those who were unhappily employed The following epitaph, which is faid The Body Of BEN FRANKLIN, Printer, And ftripped of it's Lettering and Gilding) Yet the Work itself shall not be loft; And most beautiful Edition, By The Author. The conclufion of this infcription, however, will probably remind many perfons of the link-boy's celebrated repartee to Pope, with which we shall conclude this article. As Mr. Pope was one evening haftily croffing the ftreet, an officious link-boy impeded his expedition; and the poet,greatly enraged, instead of rewarding him, exclaimed-God mend me, ftand out of the way! As a politician, he has certainly fuc- God mend you,' muttered the lad,' you LUXBOROUGH, IN ESSEX, THE SEAT OF REAR-ADMIRAL SIR EDWARD HUGHES, K.B. TH HIS elegant and fuperb villa, which is fituated in the parish of Chigwell, near Woodford in Effex, about a quarter of a mile from the road near Woodford Bridge, and nine miles pedlar through the country; wherein, to questions that never were made, he calculated anfwers to tleman SIR EDWARD HUGHES. LUXBOROUGH, the SEAT of REAR ADMIRAL Published as the Act directs, by Harrifan & C. Dec 1 1783. tleman of the name of Crockátt, from whom it was afterwards purchafed by Sir Edward Walpole. This laft gentleman for fome time refided at Luxborough; but having, as it is faid, in vain endeavoured effectually to drain the furrounding land, which was occafionally flooded, he difpofed of it to Mr. Samuel Peach, who purchased on fpeculation, and by whom it was again fold in August 1782, through the medium of Meffrs. Chriftie and Anfell, to Lady Hughes. her ladyship, who poffeffes the fineft tafte, united with the ftrongeft judgment and the most indefatigable perfeverance, has folely directed the various improvements and embellishments which have fince taken place, and which are but just compleated; as well with refpect to the external and internal decorations and conve niences of the edifice itself, and the feveral offices, as the elegant difpofition of the gardens and furrounding land, and the effectual prefervatives her ladyfhip has contrived and provided against all future encroachments of the river, which now feeds as well as adorns the fertile grounds it had too long been accustomed to disfigure and deflroy. In fhort, her ladyfhip has greatly and most fuccefsfully exerted herself to render this magnificent and delightful villa a refidence worthy of the brave admiral, who is fill ferving in the Eaft Indies, and who we ar dently hope will speedily return to his grateful country, and long enjoy all imaginable happiness with her ladyfhip, in their enchanting retreat at Luxborough. MISCELLANY. PHILOSOPHICAL SURVEY OF THE WORKS OF NATURE AND ART. A NUMBER XI. FLUIDS. Fluid is defined to be a fubftance, the parts of which may be put in motion by any the fmallest force impreffed upon them, as is the cafe with refpect to water, and all other proper fluids. The particles of all fluids being in their very nature moveable, they will always be in a voluble ftate when any partial force is impreffed upon their furface, which is not the cafe of a fixed body; and as thefe particles, as well as thofe of folid bodies, are equally affected by the attraction of gravity, they muft of course be equalTy ponderous: hence it is, that fluids prefs upon the bottoms of veffels which contain them, with a force always proportioned to the quantity of matter, and confequently proportionably to their height above them. Fluids, from their univerfal equi librium, or that state in which they mutually equipoife and fupport each other, exert a force of preffure equal to their gravity in all directions, and thereby produce a ftate of reft through their feveral parts. This being evidently the cafe with all perfect fluids, it is certain that every particle of the fluid mafs must have a force equally affecting it on every fide; fince, were it greater on one part than on another, motion would be produced in that particle, and it's equilibrium or tranquil ftate would be deftroyed; for it is a felf-evident axiom in philofophy, that a body urged equally in every direction, will be as perfectly at reft as if it were not at all affected by any force whatever. That action and re-action are equal between any two bodies, in contrary directions, is another axiom 'equally true; and will be almost as self-evident, if we only confider that, when one body acts upon another, that action is but one and the fame thing between both, and confequently muft affect them equally: thus, if one ftone falls upa |