Transcribed from ALS (draft with all but the final sentence in
phonetic spelling): American Philosophical Society
i have transkrib’d iur Alfabet &c. huit i
ink mit bi v srvis tu oz hu ui tu akuir an akiuret pronnsien if at
kuld bi fiks’d, bt i si meni inknvinienses az uel az difikultis at
uuld atend i brii iur letrs & rgrafi intu kmn ius. l ur
etimlodis uuld bi lst, knsikuentli ui kuld nt asrteen i miini v
meni urds; i distinkn, tu, bituiin urds v difrent miini &
similar sund uuld bi ron daun; and l i buks lredi riten uuld bi
iusles nles ui livi ritrs pbli nu idins. In rt i biliiv ui
mst let pipil spel n in eer old ue, and (az ui al find it isiiest)
du i seem urselvs. With ease & with sincerity I can in the old
way subscribe myself Dear Sir, Your affectionate humble
Servant,
Dr. Franklin
[Kensington, Sept. 26, 1768]
I have transcribed your Alphabet &c. which
you think might be of Service to those who wish to acquire an
accurate pronunciation if that could be fix’d, but I see many
inconveniences as well as difficulties that would attend the
bringing your letters and orthography into common use. All our
etymologies would be lost, consequently we could not ascertain the
meaning of many words; the distinction, too, between words of
different meaning and similar sound [would be thrown down, and all
the books already written] would be useless unless we living
writers publish new editions. In short I believe we must let people
spell on in their old way, and (as we shall find it easiest) do the
same ourselves. With ease and with sincerity I can in the old way
subscribe myself Dear Sir Your affectionate humble Servant