In examining the English books, that were printed between th_The Complete Works in Philosophy, Politics and Morals of the late Dr. Benjamin Franklin, Vol. 2 [of 3]

restoration and the accession of George the Second, we may observe,

that all the substantives were begun with a capital, in which we

imitated our mother tongue, the German. This was more particularly

useful to those, who were not well acquainted with the English,

there being such a prodigious number of our words, that are both

verbs and substantives, and spelt in the same manner, though

often accented differently in pronunciation. This method has, by

the fancy of printers, of late years been entirely laid aside;

from an idea, that suppressing the capitals shows the character

to greater advantage; those letters prominent above the line,

disturbing its even, regular appearance. The effect of this change

is so considerable, that a learned man of France, who used to read

our books, though not perfectly acquainted with our language, in

conversation with me on the subject of our authors, attributed the

greater obscurity he found in our modern books, compared with those

of the period above mentioned, to a change of style for the worse in

our writers: of which mistake I convinced him, by marking for him

each substantive with a capital, in a paragraph, which he then easily

understood, though before he could not comprehend it. This shows the

inconvenience of that pretended improvement.

From the same fondness for an uniform and even appearance of

characters in the line, the printers have of late banished also the

Italic types, in which words, of importance to be attended to in the

sense of the sentence, and words, on which an emphasis should be put

in reading, used to be printed. And lately, another fancy has induced

other printers to use the round _s_ instead of the long one, which

formerly served well to distinguish a word readily by its varied

appearance. Certainly the omitting this prominent letter makes a

line appear more even, but renders it less immediately legible; as

the paring of all men's noses might smooth and level their faces,

but would render their physiognomies less distinguishable. Add to

all these improvements backwards, another modern fancy, that _grey_

printing is more beautiful than black. Hence the English new books

are printed in so dim a character, as to be read with difficulty

by old eyes; unless in a very strong light and with good glasses.

Whoever compares a volume of the Gentleman's Magazine, printed

between the years 1731 and 1740, with one of those printed in the

last ten years, will be convinced of the much greater degree of

perspicuity given by black than by the grey. Lord Chesterfield

pleasantly remarked this difference to Faulkener, the printer of the

Dublin Journal, who was vainly making encomiums on his own paper, as

the most complete of any in the world. "But Mr. Faulkener," says my

lord, "don't you think it might be still farther improved, by using

paper and ink not quite so near of a colour?"--For all these reasons,

I cannot but wish, that our American printers would, in their

editions, avoid these fancied improvements, and thereby render their

works more agreeable to foreigners in Europe, to the great advantage

of our bookselling commerce.

Farther, to be more sensible of the advantage of clear and distinct

printing, let us consider the assistance it affords in reading

well aloud to an auditory. In so doing, the eye generally slides

forward three or four words before the voice. If the sight clearly

distinguishes what the coming words are, it gives time to order

the modulation of the voice to express them properly. But if they

are obscurely printed or disguised, by omitting the capitals and

long _ʃ_'s, or otherwise, the reader is apt to modulate wrong; and

finding he has done so, he is obliged to go back and begin the

sentence again; which lessens the pleasure of the hearers. This

leads me to mention an old error in our mode of printing. We are

sensible, that when a question is met with in the reading, there is a

proper variation to be used in the management of the voice. We have

therefore a point, called an interrogation, affixed to the question,

in order to distinguish it. But this is absurdly placed at its end,

so that the reader does not discover it till he finds, that he has

wrongly modulated his voice, and is therefore obliged to begin again

the sentence. To prevent this, the Spanish printers, more sensibly,

place an interrogation at the beginning as well as at the end of the

question. We have another error of the same kind in printing plays,

where something often occurs, that is marked as spoken _aside_. But

the word _aside_ is placed at the end of the speech, when it ought

to precede it, as a direction to the reader, that he may govern his

voice accordingly. The practice of our ladies in meeting five or six

together, to form little busy parties, where each is employed in some

useful work, while one reads to them, is so commendable in itself,

that it deserves the attention of authors and printers to make it as

pleasing as possible, both to the reader and hearers.

My best wishes attend you, being, with sincere esteem,

Sir,

Your most obedient and very humble servant,

B. FRANKLIN.

FOOTNOTE:

[66] This letter is taken from an American periodical publication

entitled the Columbian Magazine. _Editor._

_A Scheme for a New Alphabet and reformed Mode of Spelling; with

Remarks and Examples concerning the same; and an Enquiry into its

Uses, in a Correspondence between Miss S----[67] and Dr. Franklin,

written in the Characters of the Alphabet[68]._

TABLE OF THE REFORMED ALPHABET

To face page 357,

Vol. II.

|Characters

| |_Sounded_ respectively, as in

| |the Words in the Column below.

| |

| | |_Names_ of Letters as expressed in

| | |the reformed Sounds and Characters.

| | |

| | | |_Manner of pronouncing_ the Sounds.

+-----+-----------------------+-----+--------------------------------------+

| o |Old. | o |The first VOWEL naturally, and deepest|

| *ϖ |John, folly; awl, ball.| ϖ |The next requiring the mouth opened a |

| a |Man, can. | a |The next, a little more. |

| e |Men, lend, name, lane. | e |The next requires the _tongue_ to be a|

| i |Did, sin, deed, seen. | i |The next still more. |

| u |Tool, fool, rule. | u |The next requires the _lips_ to be |

| *ų |Um, un; as in umbrage, | ų |The next a very short vowel, the sound|

| h |Hunter, happy, high. | huh |A stronger or more forcible aspiration|

| | | | |

| g |Give, gather, | gi |The first CONSONANT; being formed by |

| k |Keep, kick. | ki |A kindred sound; a little more acute; |

| *Ի |(sh) Ship, wish. | ish |A new letter wanted in our language; |

| *ŋ |(ng) ing, repeating, | ing |A new letter wanted for the same |

| n |End. | en |Formed _more forward_ in the mouth; |

| r |Art. | r |The same; the tip of the tongue a |

| t |Teeth. | ti |The tip of the tongue more forward; |

| d |Deed. | di |The same; touching a little fuller. |

| l |ell, tell. | el |The same; touching just about the |

| s |Essence. | es |This sound is formed by the breath |

| z |(ez) Wages. | ez |The same; a little denser and duller. |

| *ɧ |(th) Think | eɧ |The tongue under, and a little |

| *ƕ |(dh) Thy. | eƕ |The same; a little fuller. |

| f |Effect. | ef |Formed by the _lower lip_ against the |

| v |Ever. | ev |The same; fuller and duller. |

| b |Bees. | b |The _lips full together_, and _opened_|

| p |Peep. | pi |The same; but a thinner sound. |

| m |Ember. | em |The _closing_ of the lips, while the |

+-----+-----------------------+-----+--------------------------------------+

* _N. B._ The six new letters are marked with an asterisk (*) to

distinguish them, and show how few new characters are proposed. B. V.

[Transcriber Note: The original text used italic styling on each

character in columns 1 and 3 above, and column 1 below. This

styling (underscores) has been removed from the tables for clarity.]

REMARKS [_on the Alphabetical Table_.]

{ It is endeavoured to give the alphabet

o { a _more natural order_; beginning first with

{ the simple sounds formed by the breath,

to { with none or very little help of tongue,

{ teeth, and lips, and produced chiefly in

huh { the windpipe.

{ Then coming forward to those, formed

g k { by the roof of the tongue next to the

{ windpipe.

r n { Then to those, formed more forward,

t d { the forepart of the tongue against the

{ roof of the mouth.

{ Then those, formed still more forward

l { in the mouth, by the tip of the tongue

s z { applied first to the roots of the upper

{ teeth.

ɧ { Then to those, formed by the tip of the

ƕ { tongue applied to the ends or edges of

{ the upper teeth.

f { Then to those, formed still more forward,

v { by the under lip applied to the upper

{ teeth.

b { Then to those, formed yet more forward

p { by the upper and under lip opening

{ to let out the sounding breath.

{ And lastly, ending with the shutting

m { up of the mouth, or closing the lips while

{ any vowel is sounding.

In this alphabet _c_ is _omitted_ as unnecessary; _k_ supplying

its hard sound, and _s_ the soft; _k_ also supplies well the place

of _q_, and with an _s_ added the place of _x_: _q_ and _x_ are

therefore omitted. The vowel _u_ being sounded as _oo_ makes the _w_

unnecessary. The _y_, where used simply, is supplied by _i_, and

where as a dipthong, by two vowels: that letter is therefore omitted

as useless. The jod _j_ is also omitted, its sound being supplied by

the new letter _Ի_, _ish_, which serves other purposes, assisting in

the formation of other sounds;--thus the _Ի_ with a _d_ before it

gives the sound of the jod _j_ and soft _g_, as in "James, January,

giant, gentle," "_dԻeems_, _dԻhanueri_, _dԻųiant_, _dԻentel_;" with

a _t_ before it, it gives the sound of _ch_, as in "cherry, chip,"

"_tԻeri_, _tԻip_;" and with a _z_ before it, the French sound of the

jod _j_, as in "jamais," "_zԻame_."

Thus the _g_ has no longer _two different_ sounds, which occasioned

confusion, but is, as every letter ought to be, confined to one. The

same is to be observed in _all_ the letters, vowels, and consonants,

that wherever they are met with, or in whatever company, their

sound is always the same. It is also intended, that there be _no

superfluous_ letters used in spelling; i. e. no letter that is not

sounded; and this alphabet, by six new letters, provides, that, there

be no distinct sounds in the language, _without letters_ to express

them. As to the difference between _short and long vowels_, it is

naturally expressed by a single vowel where short, a double one

where long; as for "mend," write "mend," but for "remain'd," write

"remeen'd;" for "did" write "did," but for "deed" write "diid," &c.

What in our common alphabet is supposed the third vowel, _i_, as

we sound it, is as a _dipthong_, consisting of two of our vowels

joined; [viz.] _ų_ as sounded in "unto," and _i_ in its true sound.

Any one will be sensible of this who sounds those two vowels _ų i_

quick after each other; the sounds begins _ų_ and ends _ii_. The

true sound of the _i_ is that we now give to _e_ in the words "deed,

keep--[69]."

FOOTNOTES:

[67] Stephenson. Editor.

[68] For the nature and intention of this alphabet, &c. I must refer

to what Dr. Franklin has himself said upon the subject, in answer

to Miss S----n's objections; as the reader may understand the whole

in an hour or two.--It is necessary to add, that the new letters;

used in the course of printing this paper, are exactly copied from

the _manuscript_ in my possession; there being no provision for a

distinction in the character as _written_ or _printed_. I have no

other way therefore of marking the scored parts of the manuscript

(answering to _italics_) than by placing such passages between

inverted commas.--As to _capitals_, I should have provided for them

by means of larger types, but the form of some of them would have

made them too large for the page: however, were the author's general

system ever adopted, nothing would be easier than to remedy this

particular. B. V.

[69] The copy, from which this is printed, ends in the same abrupt

way with the above, followed by a considerable blank space; so that

more perhaps was intended to be added by our author. B. V.

EXAMPLES [_of writing in this Character_.]

_So huen sųm EndԻel, bųi divųin kϖmand, Uiƕ rųiziŋ tempests Իeeks

e gilti Land; (SųtԻ az ϖv leet or peel Britania past,) Kalm and

siriin hi drųivs ƕi fiuriųs blast; And, pliiz'd ƕ' ϖlmųitis ϖrdųrs tu

pųrfϖrm, Rųids in ƕi Huųrluind and dųirekts ƕi Stϖrm._

_So ƕi piur limpid striim, huen fϖul uiɧ steens ϖv rųԻiŋ Tϖrents and

disendiŋ Reens, Uųrks itself kliir; and az it rųns rifųins; Til bųi

digriis, ƕe flotiŋ mirųr Իųins, Riflekts iitԻ flϖur ƕat ϖn its bϖrdųr

groz, And e nu hev'n in its feer Bųzųm Իoz._

_Kensiŋtųn, Septembųr_ 26, 1768.

_Diir Sųr_,

_ųi hav transkrųb'd iur alfabet, &c. huitԻ ųi ƕink mųit bi ϖv sųrvis

tu ƕoz, hu uiԻ ta akuųir an akiuret pronųnsieԻųn, if ƕat kuld bi

fiks'd; bųt ųi si meni inkϖnviiniensis, az uel oz difikųltis, ƕat

uuld atend ƕi briŋiŋ iur letųrs and ϖrɧϖgrafi intu kϖmųn ias. ϖϖl ϖur

etimϖlodԻiz uuld be lϖst, kϖnsikuentli ui kuld nϖt asųrteen ƕi miiniŋ

ϖv meni uųrds; ƕi distinkԻųn tu, bituiin uųrds ϖv difųrent miiniŋ

and similar sϖund uuld bi iusles, ųnles ui liviŋ rųiters pųbliԻ nu

iidiԻųns. In Իϖrt ųi biliiv ui mųst let piipil spel ϖn in ƕeer old

ue, (az ui fųind it iisiiest) du ƕi seem ϖurselves._ With ease and

with sincerity I can, in the old way, subscribe myself,

Dear Sir,

Your faithful and affectionate Servant,

M. S.

Dr. Franklin.

ANSWER TO MISS S****.

_Diir Madam,_

_ƕi ϖbdԻekԻyn iu meek to rektifųiiŋ ϖur alfabet, "ƕat it uil bi

atended uiƕ inkϖviniensiz and difikųltiz," iz e natural uųn; fϖr it

ϖluaz ϖkųrz huen eni refϖrmeԻųn iz propozed; hueƕųr in rilidԻųn,

gųvernment, lϖz, and iven dϖun az lo az rods and huil karidԻiz.

ƕi tru kuestԻųn ƕen, is nϖt hueƕhųr ƕaer uil bi no difikųltiz ϖr

inkϖnviniensiz, bųt hueƕer ƕi difikųltiz mê nϖt bi sųrmϖunted;

and hueƕeųr ƕi kϖnviniensiz uil nϖt, ϖn ƕi huol, bi gretųr ƕan ƕi

inkϖnviniensiz. In ƕis kes, ƕi difikųltiz er onli in ƕi biginiŋ ϖv ƕi

praktis: huen ƕê er uųns ovųrkųm, ƕi advantedԻez er lastiŋ.--To ųiƕųr

iu ϖr mi, hu spel uel in ƕi prezent mod, ųi imadԻin ƕi difikųlti ϖv

tԻendiŋ ƕat mod fϖr ƕi nu, iz nϖt so grêt, bųt ƕat ui mųit pųrfektli

git ovųr it in a uiiks rųitiŋ.--Az to ƕoz hu du nϖt spel uel, if

ƕi tu difikųltiz er kųmpêrd, viz. ƕat ϖv titԻiŋ ƕem tru speliŋ in

ƕi prezent mod, and ƕat ϖv titԻing ƕem ƕi nu alfabet and ƕi nu

speliŋ akϖrdiŋ to it, ųi am kϖnfident ƕat ƕi latųr uuld bi byi far

ƕi liist. ƕê natųrali fϖl into ƕi nu meɧųd alreadi, az mųtԻ az ƕi

imperfekԻųn ϖv ƕer alfabet uil admit ϖv; ƕêr prezent bad speliŋ iz

onli bad, bikϖz kϖntreri to ƕi prezent bad ruls: ųndųr ƕi nu ruls

it uuld bi gud.--ƕi difikųlti ϖv lųrniŋ to spel uel in ƕi old uê iz

so grêt, ƕat fiu atên it; ɧϖuzands and ɧϖuzands rųitiŋ ϖn to old

edԻ, uiƕϖut ever biiŋ ebil to akuųir it. 'Tiz, bisųidz, e difikųlti

kϖntinuali inkriisiŋ az ƕi sϖund graduali veriz mor and mor frϖm ƕi

speliŋ; and to fϖrenųrs[70] it mêks ƕi lųrniŋ to pronϖns ϖur laŋuedԻ,

az riten in ϖur buks, almost impϖsibil._

_Nϖu az to "ƕi inkϖnviniensiz" iu menԻųn.--ƕi fųrst iz, ƕat "ϖϖl ϖur

etimϖlodԻiz uuld bi lϖst, kϖnsikuentli ui kuld nϖt asųrteen ƕi miiniŋ

ϖv meni uųrds."--etimϖlodԻiz er at present veri ųnsųrteen; bųt sųtԻ

az ƕê er, ƕi old buks uuld stil prizųrv ƕem, and etimolodԻiz uuld

ƕêr fųind ƕem. Uųrds in ƕi kors ϖv tyim, tԻendԻ ƕer miiniŋs, az uel

az ƕer speliŋ and pronųnsieԻųn; and ui du nϖt luk to etimϖlodԻi fϖr

ƕer prezent miiniŋs. If ųi Իuld kϖl e man e Neev and e Vilen, hi uuld

hardli bi satisfųid wiɧ mųi teliŋ him, ƕat uųn ϖv ƕi uųrds oridԻinali

signifųid onli e lad ϖr sųrvant; and ƕi ųƕųr, an ųndųr plϖuman, ϖr ƕi

inhabitant ϖv e viledԻ. It iz frϖm prezent iusedԻ onli, ƕi miiniŋ ϖv

uųrds iz to bi ditųrmined._

_Iur sekųnd inkϖnviniens iz, ƕat "ƕi distinkԻųn bituiin uųrds ϖv

difųrent miiniŋ and similar sϖund uuld bi distrϖųid."--ƕat distinkԻųn

iz ϖlreadi distrϖųid in pronϖunsiŋ ƕem; and ui rilųi ϖn ƕi sens alon

ϖv ƕi sentens to asųrteen, huitԻ ϖv ƕi several uųrds, similar in

sϖund, ui intend. If ƕis iz sųfiԻent in ƕi rapiditi ϖv diskors, it

uil bi mutԻ mor so in riten sentenses, huitԻ mê bi red lezԻurli, and

atended to mor partikularli in kes ϖv difikųlti, ƕan ui kan atend to

e past sentens, huųil e spikųr iz hųryiŋ ųs alϖng uiɧ nu uųns._

_Iur ɧųrd inkϖnviniens iz, ƕat "ϖϖl ƕi buks alredi riten uuld bi

iusles."--ƕis inkϖnviniens uuld onli kųm ϖn graduali, in e kors ϖv

edԻes. Iu and ųi, and ųƕųr nϖu liviŋ ridųrs, uuld hardli fϖrget ƕi

ius ϖv ƕem. Piipil uuld long lųrn to riid ƕi old rųiting, ƕo ƕê

praktist ƕi nu.--And ƕi inkϖnvinens iz nϖt greter, ƕan huat hes

aktuali hapend in a similar kes, in Iteli, Fϖrmerli its inhabitants

ϖϖl spok and rot Latin: az ƕi laŋuedԻ tԻendԻd, ƕi speliŋ fϖlo'd it.

It iz tru ƕat at prezent, e miir ųnlarn'd Italien knϖt riid ƕi Latin

buks; ƕo ƕe er stil red and ųndųrstud bųi meni. Bųt, if ƕi speliŋ

had nevųr bin tԻendԻed, hi uuld nϖu hev fϖund it mųtԻ mor difikųlt

to riid and ryit hiz on laŋuadԻ; fϖr riten uųrds uuld hev had no

rilêԻųn to sϖunds, ƕe uuld onli hev stud fϖr ƕiŋs; so ƕat if hi uuld

ekspres in rųitiŋ ƕi ųidia hi hez, huen hi sϖunds ƕi uųrd_ Vescovo,

_hi mųst iuz ƕi leterz_ Episcopus.--_In Իϖrt, huatever ƕi difikųltiz

and inkϖnviniensiz nϖu er, ƕe uil bi mor iizili sųrmϖunted nϖu, ƕan

hiraftųr; and sųm tųim ϖr ųƕųr, it mųst bi dųn; ϖr ϖur rųitiŋ uil

bikųm ƕi sêm uiƕ ƕi TԻųiniiz[71], az to ƕi difikųlti ϖv lųrniŋ and

iuzing it. And it uuld alredi hev bin sųtԻ, if ui had kϖntinud ƕi

Saksųn speliŋ and rųitiŋ, iuzed bųi our forfaƕers._

_ųi am, mųi diir frind,_

_iurs afekԻųnetli,_

B. FRANKLIN.

_Lųndųn_,

_Kreven-striit, Sept. 28, 1768._

FOOTNOTES:

[70] Dr. Franklin used to lay some little stress on this

circumstance, when he occasionally spoke on the subject. "A

dictionary, formed on this model, would have been serviceable to

him, he said, even as an American;" because, from the want of

public examples of pronunciation in his own country, it was often

difficult to learn the proper sound of certain words, which occurred

very frequently in our English writings, and which of course every

American very well understood as to their meaning. B. V.

[71] Chinese.

_Rules for a Club formerly established in Philadelphia[72]._

Previous question, to be answered at every meeting.

Have you read over these queries this morning, in order to consider

what you might have to offer the Junto [touching] any one of them?

viz.

1. Have you met with any thing, in the author you last read,

remarkable, or suitable to be communicated to the Junto? particularly

in history, morality, poetry, physic, travels, mechanic arts, or

other parts of knowledge.

2. What new story have you lately heard agreeable for telling in

conversation?

3. Hath any citizen in your knowledge failed in his business lately,

and what have you heard of the cause?

4. Have you lately heard of any citizen's thriving well, and by what

means?

5. Have you lately heard how any present rich man, here or elsewhere,

got his estate?

6. Do you know of any fellow citizen, who has lately done a worthy

action, deserving praise and imitation? or who has lately committed

an error, proper for us to be warned against and avoid?

[7. What unhappy effects of intemperance have you lately observed or

heard? of imprudence? of passion? or of any other vice or folly?

8. What happy effects of temperance? of prudence? of moderation? or

of any other virtue?]

9. Have you or any of your acquaintance been lately sick or wounded?

If so, what remedies were used, and what were their effects?

10. Who do you know that are shortly going voyages or journies, if

one should have occasion to send by them?

11. Do you think of any thing at present, in which the Junto may be

serviceable to _mankind_? to their country, to their friends, or to

themselves?

12. Hath any deserving stranger arrived in town since last meeting,

that you heard of? and what have you heard or observed of his

character or merits? and whether think you, it lies in the power of

the Junto to oblige him, or encourage him as he deserves?

13. Do you know of any deserving young beginner lately set up, whom

it lies in the power of the Junto any way to encourage?

14. Have you lately observed any defect in the laws of your

_country_, [of] which it would be proper to move the legislature for

an amendment? or do you know of any beneficial law that is wanting?

15. Have you lately observed any encroachment on the just liberties

of the people?

16. Hath any body attacked your reputation lately? and what can the

Junto do towards securing it?

17. Is their any man whose friendship you want, and which the Junto,

or any of them, can procure for you?

18. Have you lately heard any member's character attacked, and how

have you defended it?

19. Hath any man injured you, from whom it is in the power of the

Junto to procure redress?

20. In what manner can the Junto, or any of them, assist you in any

of your honourable designs?

21. Have you any weighty affair in hand, in which you think the

advice of the Junto may be of service[73]?

22. What benefits have you lately received from any man not present?

23. Is there any difficulty in matters of opinion, of justice, and

injustice, which you would gladly have discussed at this time?

24. Do you see any thing amiss in the present customs or proceedings

of the Junto, which might be amended?

Any person to be qualified, to stand up, and lay his hand on his

breast, and be asked these questions; viz.

1. Have you any particular disrespect to any present

members?--_Answer._ I have not.

2. Do you sincerely declare, that you love mankind in general; of

what profession or religion soever? _Ans._ I do.

3. Do you think any person ought to be harmed in his body, name

or goods, for mere speculative opinions, or his external way of

worship?--_Ans._ No.

4. Do you love truth for truth's sake, and will you endeavour

impartially to find and receive it yourself and communicate it to

others?--_Ans._ Yes.

FOOTNOTES:

[72] This was an early performance, and carries along with it an

air of singularity, accompanied with such operative good sense and

philanthropy, as characterizes it for Dr. Franklin's. The club, for

which it was written, was held at Philadelphia; and, if I am well

informed, was composed of men considerable for their influence and

discretion; for though the chief measures of Pensylvania usually

received their first formation in this club, it existed for thirty

years without the nature of its institution being publicly known. B.

[73] Queries No. 7 and 8 follow here, in the original. B. V.

_Questions discussed by the Junto forming the preceding Club[74]._

Is _sound_ an entity or body?

How may the phenomena of vapours be explained?

Is self-interest the rudder that steers mankind, the universal

monarch to whom all are tributaries?

Which is the best form of government, and what was that form which

first prevailed among mankind?

Can any one particular form of government suit all mankind?

What is the reason that the tides rise higher in the Bay of Fundy

than the Bay of Delaware?

Is the emission of paper-money safe?

What is the reason that men of the greatest knowledge not the most

happy?

How may the possession of the Lakes be improved to our advantage?

Why are tumultuous, uneasy sensations, united with our desires?

Whether it ought to be the aim of philosophy to eradicate the

passions?

How may smoaky chimneys be best cured?

Why does the flame of a candle tend upwards in a spire?

Which is least criminal, a _bad_ action joined with a _good_

intention, or a _good_ action with a _bad_ intention?

Is it consistent with the principles of liberty in a free government,

to punish a man as a libeller, when he speaks the truth?

FOOTNOTE:

[74] These questions are from the Eulogium of Dr. Franklin, delivered

before the American Philosophical Society, in 1791, of which the

Junto was the foundation. On the formation of that society, a

book, containing many of the questions discussed by the Junto, was

delivered into Dr. Smith's hands, for the purpose of being digested,

and in due time published among the transactions of that body.

Many of the questions Dr. Smith observes are curious and curiously

handled, and he selects the above as answering the description.

_Editor._

_Sketch of an English School; for the Consideration of the Trustees

of the Philadelphia Academy[75]._

It is expected that every scholar, to be admitted into this school,

be at least able to pronounce and divide the syllables in reading,

and to write a legible hand. None to be received, that are under

[___]years of age.

_First, or lowest Class._

The Complete Works in Philosophy, Politics and Morals of the late Dr. Benjamin Franklin, Vol. 2 [of 3] · 第 24 / 34 段

In examining the English books, that were printed between the