the Autobiography and the Bagatelles, the keen wit, playful humor, light fancy and easy style are equal to those of his master. His works are not adorned with studied or imitated figures of speech; short words and sentences, force, clearness, good humor and good sense characterize them. He always had something definite to say and after having made it clear he spent little time in polishing. The idea was first, the style second, both peculiarly his own. His qualities were natural, his humor neither too subtle nor too obvious, his words such as he used in conversation. These things show the well-rounded, independent, fearless man.

His phenomenal common sense and his vast experience in the world helped to clarify his thoughts and his success in almost every endeavor gave him a confidence and a sureness of movement rarely found in a mere man of letters. In all his writing, grave and gay, severe and lively, one sees his brilliancy, his wisdom, his humanity and his helpfulness to the people. His success was the result of a natural genius stimulated by a desire of being helpful. His mind was alert to every possible opportunity of advancing the colonists.16 His club, ending in a national association, his village school destined to become a great university, his opening of a subscription library,17 to be copied in every town of the land, show us that, while his efforts were meant for Philadelphia, their results extended throughout the nation.

The philosophy of his life was utilitarian; he enforced morality as cleanliness or honesty, not from principle, but because it was the best policy; frugality and economy, optimism and contentment brought happiness.18 The scheme of arriving at moral perfection by practicing thirteen virtues

16 For the organization of the Junto and its development into the American Philosophical Society (1743), see Chapter 2, page 56.

17 For the establishment of the first subscription library (1731), see Chapter 2, page 58. 18 See a letter to Ezra Stiles, March 9th, 1790.

in as many weeks, then conducting a self-examination and marking on a page ruled with red ink, a black spot for every fault committed, is ludicrous. He believed in God the creator, who should be reverenced by sympathy with man. He thought Christ's system of morals the best ever given, but he doubted His divinity. The immortality of the soul depended on a man's conduct in life; he expected a happy future, because he had enjoyed earthly felicity, and saw no reason for a change. Notwithstanding the fact that he was non-sectarian, most people honored and trusted him; he was asked to defend Massachusetts and her religious intolerance against English criticism; he was respected and followed by Quakers; he was safe in relying on the Indians19 and able to make satisfactory treaties with them; he was reverenced by atheists; in fact, his religion was so honest and so honorable that any man could accept it.

In a letter of July 18, 1784, to Messrs. Weems20 and Gant, the light, flippant attitude toward things spiritual is evident. These gentlemen could not be ordained without taking the oath of allegiance, and Franklin advised self-ordination, "to follow the example of the first clergy of Scotland, soon after the conversion of that country to Christianity." He added: "If the British Islands were sunk in the sea (and the surface of this globe has suffered greater changes) you would probably take some such method as this."

The alterations of the Prayer Book and the revision of the parables appear really humorous to us. There was not in him a deep appreciation and a reverence for spiritual things. The philosopher calmly probed into the matter and approved of whatever brought universal happiness. In this way he was like his age, speculative in philosophy, am

19 A rare Franklin reprint of a Treaty with the Indians, July, 1742, with many names of those in attendance, is valued at $125.

20 Later the famous "Parson Weems."

bitious in all fields of learning, with a preference for the prose rather than the poetry of life, not overburdened with delicacy or with scrupulousness of any kind, but emphasizing the practical and realistic in economy, philanthropy and politics. In no one of these fields was he the greatest; the controlling eloquence of Pitt was not his birthright; in political philosophy he could not equal Burke; in economics Adam Smith surpassed him; in balance of character and genius Washington was superior to him; Dr. Johnson was a better critic; Frederick the Great a more daring leader of men; Voltaire a more pronounced man of letters. Yet, Franklin shows a balance, which was most typical of his age, noted for its prose and reason. Furthermore, Franklin is a notable product of Americanism.

Benjamin Vaughan, in the preface to his collection of Franklin's works in 1779, said very truly: "Yet he who praises Dr. Franklin for mere ability praises him for that quality of his mind, which stands lowest in his own esteem. Reader, whoever you are and how much soever you think you hate him, know that this great man loves you enough to wish to do you good. His country's friend, but more of human kind.”

,, 21

21 A new and fuller edition of Franklin's writings edited by Prof. Albert H. Smyth is now appearing, but the first volume came too late to be much utilized in this chapter. The Introduction gives a full account of the interesting fortunes of Franklin's manuscripts and a valuable running commentary upon his works. On p. 24 we find that the translator of Buisson's edition of the Autobiography was Dr. Jacques Gibelin, but how he came by his copy is still a mystery.

CHAPTER IV

PRE-REVOLUTIONARY POETS

Thomas Godfrey, Life, Verse, Chaucerian Imitations-Influence of English Poets-Condition of the Drama and Theatres in Philadelphia-Godfrey's Prince of Parthia, His Borrowings from Shakespeare and Congreve-Nathaniel Evans, Life, Poems, Friendship with Miss Graeme, Versified Correspondence-Work of Mrs. E. Graeme Ferguson-Appreciation.

In a number of the American Magazine1 for 1758, a poet who signed himself "Junius" was introduced by the editor in the following manner: "This little poem (The Invitation) was sent us by an unknown hand, and was dated as an original; if it is so, we think it does honor to our city." In a few weeks odes on Friendship and Wine and a Night Piece followed with this introduction: "These pieces fell into our hands by accident. . . . We reckon it one of the brightest instances of good fortune that has befallen us, during the period of our magazine, that we have had an opportunity of making known to the world so much merit."2

The gentleman thus spoken of was Thomas Godfrey, 1736-63, whose father Logan3 and Franklin pronounced to be the inventor of the quadrant. The father died when the son was very young and the mother was able to give him only an elementary education. At an early age he was apprenticed to a watchmaker; the boy's inclinations, however, were for poetry, painting, and music rather than for mechani

1 The American Magazine was edited by the Rev. William Smith and published by William Bradford in Philadelphia, from October, 1757, to October, 1758.

2 Introduction to Juvenile Poems of Thomas Godfrey. Edited by N. Evans, Philadelphia, 1765.

See Logan's letters to Edmund Halley in Memoirs of Logan, by Armsted.

cal employments. In 1758 he obtained a lieutenant's commission in the Pennsylvania forces and served in the expedition against Fort Du Quesne. After the troops were disbanded, he accepted a situation as factor in North Carolina, where he remained three years. On the death of his employer he returned to Philadelphia, thence sailing as a supercargo to the island of New Providence. After a few months he came again to North Carolina, where, because of the heat, he contracted a malignant fever and died at the age of twenty-seven, after a week's illness.

During his life most of his poems appeared in the American Magazine, and portions were copied by the London Monthly Review. The latter said of him: "He certainly has genius; and we are sorry he had not the education to improve it. They wish for learning in the Colonies, and we would not discourage any efforts that way by the rigors of criticism." Nathaniel Evans was much concerned for the success of the quarto volume, Juvenile Poems on Various Subjects (Philadelphia, 1765), brought out under his direction, and bespoke "the candour of the public in behalf of the collection, as the first of the kind which the colony has produced."

Godfrey's forms of verse were three-fold: familiar verse, longer imitative poems, and drama. Of the first there were light, airy poems, to Sylvia, Celia and Chloris, concerning walks through groves, filled with sonnets of love, the renunciation of fashionable toys, and satisfaction in the sweet delusions of nature. The longer odes on Peace and Friendship, and the occasional verses are conventional. The use of personified abstractions like Peace, Virtue, Fancy and Melancholy was in the fashion of the day, as exemplified by Akenside, Gray and Collins. In 1742 Gray had written his ode, on a Distant Prospect of Eton, and