the British as escaped, though not pursued, made their way to Dunbar's camp as fast as possible; where, communicating the like panic to him and his men, the whole decamped from the frontiers to Philadelphia. On the whole, says Dr Smollett, "this was the most extraordinary victory that ever was obtained, and the farthest flight that ever was made."

Poor Braddock, being borne from the field with difficulty, died in a few days. One of his attendants told Franklin, that on the first day he was completely silent, and only said at night, Who would have thought it!' On the second day he said nothing more than that he should know how better to deal with them another time, and expired shortly after. The waggons, baggage, and papers, of the general falling into the enemy's hands, Franklin was afterwards told in France, that there were copies of seve ral, which Braddock had sent to the ministry, speaking highly of his services; but he had to meet at home with the more important opinions of the waggon-owners and others. Some of them began to bring suits against him for his bonds, which amounted to 20,000l., and the payment of which would have been his complete ruin; but general Shirley appointed a commis sioner to examine the claims, and finally ordered them to be discharged.

Just before the news of this defeat arrived at Philadelphia, some of Franklin's friends presented him with a subscription-paper for raising the expenses of an exhibition of fireworks, to be made when the news of taking Fort Duquesne should arrive. “It would, I think," said he, "be time enough to prepare for the rejoicing, when we know we should have occasion to rejoice." One of them afterwards said, he never liked Franklin's prognostications.

These events again roused Franklin's military ardour. A new volunteer association was formed, and 60,000l. voted by the assembly towards its establishment and expenses, to which the proprietaries themselves ordered 5000l. to be added, as a sort of

apology for their exemption from the general tax. Franklin wrote a dialogue, proposing and answering all objections to such militia; and was prevailed upon, while the measure was maturing, to superintend the erection of a line of forts on the frontier. The governor gave him a sort of general's commission, with blank commissions for officers, to be distributed at his pleasure. His son, who had been an officer in the preceding war with Canada, acted as his aid-de-camp; and he soon had between five and six hundred men at his command.

In January 1756, sending forward one detachment of his men towards the Minisink, he proceeded with the main body to Guadenhut, a settlement of the Moravians near Salem, which had been recently destroyed by the enemy. They had first the unpleasant task of burying the numerous dead around them; when, considering this a good situation for the purpose, they proceeded to mark out one of their forts, which was to measure in circumference four hundred and fifty-five feet. Its external construction was of pines, formed into palisades of eighteen feet long, and an average of about one foot in diameter, planted in a trench of three feet deep within; a platform was erected of about six feet high, on which the men were to stand, and fire out of the loop-holes. Franklin says, that in six minutes their wood-cutters would cut down a pine of fourteen inches diameter. This fort, or stockade, was finished in a week, though the weather was very tempestuous; and though it mounted but one swivel-gun, was a sufficient defence against the Indians, who had no artillery. But they also had their tactics. Franklin was particularly struck with their mode of concealing their fires. Instead of kindling them on the surface of the ground, they dug holes of about three feet diameter, and as many deep, in which they burnt charcoal, and so discovered neither flame, sparks, nor smoke.

While here, Franklin saw much of the manners of the Moravians; and remembering they had obtained

an act of parliament, exempting them from military duties in the colonies, was much surprised at first to find their chief settlement at Bethlehem so well defended and appointed. They had a regular fort, at which the brethren mounted guard regularly: they obtained from New York arms and ammunition, and actually crammed the windows of their houses with large stones, for their women to throw down upon the heads of the Indians. He frequented their church, and was much struck with what this sect had always been famous for-the excellence of their music. The whole of each establishment was one family. All worked for a common stock, partook of a common table, and lodged in common dormitories; but their sermons were not delivered to mixed congregations. The married of each sex were separately addressed; as also the unmarried women and men, and the children. Their behaviour, on all occasions, was discreet and methodical, but their general appearance unhealthy and pensive. Franklin inquired respecting the use of the lot in their marriages, and was told, that it was by no means general; but as they lived much together, the young persons of each sex generally consulted the elders of their class as to their choice in marriage; and these persons, being observant of the tempers and dispositions of the young people, commonly gave them advice, upon which they acted. If it occurred, that two or more young women were thought equally proper for a young man, the lot was appealed to, and the decision final. When Franklin observed, that such matches, not made by mutual choice, might end unhappily, "So they might," said the Moravians, "if the parties were to choose for themselves."

Our officer, with all his scepticism, had an established religion, and a zealous presbyterian minister, in his little camp. This gentleman, complaining that the men did not regularly attend prayers, Franklin called his attention to their punctuality in coming morning and evening for their half gill of rum.

"Now," said he to the chaplain," it is perhaps below the dignity of your profession to act as steward of the rum; but if you were to distribute it out after prayers, you would have them all about you." The plan was adopted with general satisfaction; and "never," says Franklin, “ were prayers better attended."

His forts being completed, and colonel Clapham, an experienced officer, having taken the command of them, Franklin returned to his legislative duties in Philadelphia; where he found the association in high prosperity, the subordinate officers chosen, and all ranks expecting him to take upon himself the colonelcy. To this he now consented, and found himself in the command of twelve hundred men, with a company of artillery having brass field-pieces, in the use of which they were very expert. The home government however quickly interfered, and again suppressed by law this rising military spirit. Franklinassures us, that his military honours never disturbed his philosophical mind, but that the case was otherwise with his electrical machines, which were half destroyed by a salute fired at his door after the first review of his regiment. Envy had her eye upon him also. Some busybody informed a proprietor, that his officers on one occasion had escorted Franklin out of Philadelphia with drawn swords; an honour which he, the proprietor, gravely complained of as never having been paid to him, or to any of his governors, and which he represented to the minister as a proof of the popular intention to take the government from him by force! He also described Franklin as the great obstacle in Pennsylvania to the king's service, and as constantly interfering to prevent the proper form of money-bills being adopted in the colony. These facts the postmaster-general of England communicated to him, with hints to observe a more cautious conduct.

Very different was the opinion of him which the proprietors' representative, the governor, entertained at this time. On the discomfiture of Braddock, and the cowardly retreat of Dunbar, he offered Franklin

a general's commission, and pressed him to attempt the reduction of Fort Duquesne with the provincial troops. To this however the latter did not feel himself equal, and steadily declined it. Shortly afterwards, Mr Morris was superseded in the government. Franklin considers himself, upon the whole, to have been treated respectfully by this governor. They were each the chief of a party. Morris was educated for the law, and Franklin candidly attributes much of his love of disputation to professional habit; not forgetting the maxim of the profession, that lawyers

though so keen,

Like sheers, cut not themselves, but what's between."

While our philosopher, if not fond of dispute, was at least fond of discussion, although he had the faculty of conducting it with great good will.

He

Captain Denny, who succeeded Mr Morris, entered upon his government with endeavours to flatter Franklin into the views of the proprietors. brought over with him a gold medal which had been voted to Franklin in 1753 by the Royal Society of London, and delivered it to him, with many compliments, at a public entertainment given by the corporation of Philadelphia. Warmed with wine, he became profuse in his attentions and offers. Franklin endeavoured to draw from him what were his instructions; but Denny was cautiously silent upon this topic. Their nature however quickly transpired in the renewal of the old disputes: until the Assembly, wearied with the perpetual efforts of the proprietary to interfere, as they conceived, with their privileges,

Captain Denny at this time, having heard of Franklin's intimacy with RALPH, told him, that though Pope had cut short his poetical pretensions by honouring him with a place in the Dunciad, he was now reckoned a very able political writer, and had a pension of 300l. per annum from the party of prince Frederick. The principal works of this early associate of Franklin's were, The Use and Abuse of Parliaments, 2 vols. octavo; A History of England, during the reigns of Charles II, James II, and William III, 2 vols. folio; and the Case of Authors by Profession, octavo. He died at Chiswick in 1762,