I believe my last Letter to you was of May 16. 1783. I am therefore much in your Debt as a Correspondent. I have now before me all your Letters since receiv’d, and shall endeavour as well as I can to answer them. They are dated June 23. Aug. 15. Sept. 1. Nov. 19. and Nov. 21 1783. Jan. 2. Jan. 14. Feb. 10. Oct. 10. 1784. and Jan. 14. 1785. I confess that a Man who can leave so many Letters so long unanswer’d does not deserve so valuable a Correspondence as yours. But I am grown very old, being now in my 80th Year; I am engag’d in much Business that must not be neglected, Writing becomes more and more irksome to me, I grow more indolent, Philosophic Discussions not being urgent like Business, are postponed from time to time till they are forgotten; besides I have been these 20 Months past afflicted with the Stone, which is always giving me more or less Uneasiness, unless when I am laid in Bed, and when I would write it interrupts my Train of Thinking, so that I lay down my Pen and seek some light Amusement.
I hope Mr. Weinbrenner’s Agent succeeded in his Voyage to America. Too much Goods have been sent there since the Peace from all Parts of Europe, which has overstock’d the Market, and made the Prices so low as to afford but little Profit and sometimes none to the Adventurers. Time and Experience will bring the Commerce into a more regular Train.
I consent to your Request respecting my Paper on the Weathercock struck by Lightning. Dispose of it as you please.
You will find an Account of the first great Stroke I received, in Pages 161, 162 of my Book, 5th Edition 1774. The second I will now give you. I had a Paralytick Patient in my Chamber, whose Friends brought him to receive some Electric Shocks; I made them join Hands so as to receive the Shock at the same time, and I charg’d two large Jars to give it. By the Number of these People I was oblig’d to quit my usual Standing, and plac’d my self inadvertently under an Iron Hook which hung from the Ceiling down to within two Inches of my Head, and communicated by Wire with the Outside of the Jars. I attempted to discharge them, and in fact did so, but I did not perceive it, tho’ the Charge went thro’ me, and not thro’ the Persons I intended it for. I neither saw the Flash, heard the Report, nor felt the Stroke. When my Senses return’d, I found my self on the Floor. I got up not knowing how that had happened. I then again attempted to discharge the Jars; but one of the Company told me they were already discharg’d which I could not at first believe, but on Trial found it true. They told me they had not felt it, but they saw I was knock’d down by it, which had greatly surpriz’d them. On recollecting my self and examining my Situation, I found the Case clear. A small Swelling rose on the Top of my Head, which continued sore for some Days; but I do not remember any other Effect good or bad. The Stroke you received, and its Consequences, are much more curious. I communicated that Part of your Letter to an Operator encourag’d by Government here to electrify epileptic and other poor Patients, and advis’d his trying the Practice on mad People according to your Opinion. I have not heard whether he has done it.
It is so long since you wrote the Letters I am answering that I am apprehensive you may have forgotten some of the Particulars, and that thereby my Answers may be unintelligible. I therefore mark the Dates of your Letters in the Margin, that if you kept Copies you may recur to them.
Lady Dowager Penn was here about the Time of the Treaty, and made Application to me with great Complaints, but I found she was not well inform’d of the State of her Affairs, and could not clearly show that she had suffer’d any Injury from the Publick of Pennsylvania, whatever she might from the Agents of the Family. Her Husband’s Lands I understand were not confiscated as represented; but the Proprietary Government falling with that of the Crown, the Assembly took the Opportunity of insisting upon Justice in some Points, which they could never obtain under that Government. A kind of Compromise then was made between the Assembly and the Family, whereby all the vacant Lots and unappropriated wilderness Lands were to be thenceforth in the Disposition of the Assembly, who were to pay £130,000 Sterling to the Family within 3 Years after the Peace, all other Demands on both sides being thus abolish’d. I am told that this Arrangement was satisfactory to most of them. But as the Lady intended to send her Son over to solicit her Interests, I gave him a Letter of Recommendation to the Governor, proposing it for Consideration, whether it might not be advisable to reconsider the Matter, and if the Sum of £130,000 should be found insufficient, to make a proper Addition. I have not heard what has since been done in the Affair, or whether any thing. In my own Judgment, when I consider that for near 80 Years, viz. from the Year 1700, William Penn and his Sons receiv’d the Quitrents which were originally granted for the Support of Government, and yet refus’d to support the Government, obliging the People to make a fresh Provision for its support all that Time, which cost them vast Sums, as the most necessary Laws were not to be obtain’d but at the Price of making such Provision; When I consider the Meanness and cruel Avarice of the late Proprietor, in refusing for several Years of War to consent to any Defence of the Frontiers, ravaged all the while by the Enemy, unless his Estate should be exempted from paying any Part of the Expence; not to mention other Atrocities too long for this Letter, I cannot but think the Family well off, and that it will be prudent in them to take the Money and be quiet. William Penn the First Proprietor, Father of Thomas the Husband of the present Dowager, was a wise and good Man, and as honest to the People as the extream Distress of his Circumstances would permit him to be. But the said Thomas was a miserable Churl, always intent upon Griping and Saving; and whatever Good the Father may have done for the Province, was amply undone by the Mischief receiv’d from the Son, who never did any thing that had the Appearance of Generosity or Public Spirit, but what was extorted from him by Solicitation and the Shame of Backwardness in Benefits evidently incumbent on him to promote, and which was done at last in the most ungracious manner possible. The Lady’s Complaints of not duly receiving her Revenues from America are habitual; they were the same during all the Time of my long Residence in London, being then made by her Husband as Excuses for the Meanness of his Housekeeping and his Deficiency in Hospitality; tho’ I knew at the same time that he was then in full Receipt of vast Sums annually by the Sale of Lands, Interest of Money, and Quitrents. But probably he might conceal this from his Lady, to induce greater Economy: as it is known that he ordered no more of his Income home than was absolutely necessary for his Subsistence, but plac’d it at Interest in Pennsylvania and the Jerseys, where he could have 6 and 7 per Cent, while Money bore no more than 5 per Cent in England. I us’d often to hear of these Complaints and laught at them, perceiving clearly their Motive. They serv’d him on other as well as on domestic Occasions. You remember our Rector of St. Martin’s Parish, Dr. Saunders. He once went about during a long and severe Frost, soliciting charitable Contributions to purchase Coals for poor Families. He came among others to me, and I gave him something. It was but little, very little; and yet it occasion’d him to remark, “You are more bountiful on this Occasion than your wealthy Proprietary Mr. Penn; but he tells me he is distress’d by not receiving his Incomes from America”! The Incomes of the Family there must still be very great, for they have a Number of Manors consisting of the best Lands, which are preserv’d to them, and vast Sums as Interest well secur’d by Mortgages; so that if the Dowager does not receive her Proportion, there must be some Fault in her Agents. You will perceive by the length of this Article that I have been a little échaussé by her making the Complaints you mention to the Princess Dowager of Lichtenstein at Vienna. The Lady herself is good and amiable, and I should be glad to serve her in any thing just and reasonable; but I do not at present see that I can do more than I have done.
As to Wharton, I am amaz’d at his Conduct towards you. Dr. Bancroft tells me, that he believes your Money is spent, and that Wharton has it not at present to pay: But that he has Lands and enjoys a profitable Office; so that there are hopes, that he may pay in time. In my Opinion, you would do well to make the Voyage, and when there you may at least obtain some Land. The Emperor will be glad enough to give you leave to accompany your old Friend. I purpose returning to America in the ensuing Summer, and shall be happy to have your Company. But if this cannot be, send me your Power of Attorney or Procuration, with what Proofs you have of the Debt, and I will do my best Endeavours when there to recover it for you.
I do not know that my Contrivance of a Clock with 3 Wheels only, which show’d Hours, Minutes, and Seconds, has ever been publish’d. I have seen several of them here at Paris that were made by Mr. Whitehurst, and sent over I believe by Mr. Magellon. You are welcome to do what you please with it. Mr. Whitehurst’s Invention is very simple, and should be very effectual, provided the foot of the Rod and the Situation of the Clock are invariably fix’d so as never to be at a greater or less Distance from one another, Which may be by fixing both in a strait-grain’d Piece of Wood of about 4 feet long, Wood not changing its Dimensions the length way of the Grain, by any common degree of Heat or Cold. But this cannot be trusted to the Wood of a Clock Case, because in Sawing Boards the Grain is frequently cross’d, and Moisture and Dryness will change their Dimensions.
You are at liberty also to publish if you think fit the Experiment of the Globe floating between two Liquors. I suppose you remember to have seen it or my Chimney-piece. Tho’ it is a matter of no Utility. Something of the same nature has been done more than 100 Years since by another Person, I forget who.
What I formerly mention’d to you of hanging a Weight on a spiral Spring to discover if Bodies gravitated differently to the Earth during the Conjunctions of Sun and Moon compar’d with other Times was this. We suppose that by the Force of Gravity in those Luminaries the Water of the Ocean, an immense Weight, is elevated so as to form the Tides; if that be so, might we not expect, that an iron Ball of a pound suspended by a fine spiral Spring, should, when the Sun and Moon are together both above it, be a little attracted upwards or rendered lighter, so as to be drawn up a little by the Spring on which it depends; and the contrary when they are both below it. The Quantity tho’ very small might perhaps be rendred visible by a Contrivance like this in the Margin. It is not difficult to make this Experiment, but I have never made it. With regard to the Tides I doubt the Opinion of their being but two High Waters and two Low Waters existing at the same time on the Globe. I rather think there are many, and those at the Distance of about 100 Leagues from each other. The Tides found in the River Amazones seem to favour this Opinion. Observations hereafter in the Isles of the Pacific Ocean, may confirm or refute it.
If I were in a Situation where I could be a little more Master of my Time, I would as you desire, write my Ideas on the Subject of Chimneys. They might I think be useful. For by what I see every where the Subject seems too little understood, which occasions much Inconvenience and fruitless Expence. But besides being harass’d with too much Business, I am expos’d to numberless Visits, some of Kindness and Civility, but many of mere idle Curiosity, from Strangers of America and of different Parts of Europe as well as the Inhabitants of the Provinces who come to Paris. These devour my Hours, and break my Attention, and at Night I often find my self fatigu’d without having done any thing. Celebrity may for a while flatter one’s Vanity, but its Effects are troublesome. I have begun to write two or three Things which I wish to finish before I die. But I sometimes doubt the possibility.
Your Ideas of the long Conservation possible of the Infection of some Diseases, appears to me well-founded. I heard in England of one Instance. In a Country Village where the Small Pox had not been for 30 Years, a Grave was opened for the Interment of a Person dead of some common Distemper, whose Funeral was accompanied by most of the Inhabitants of the Village. The Grave digger, had in his Operation broke the Coffin of a neighbouring Corpse which had dy’d of the Small Pox thirty Years before. Those who attended the Ceremony of the Interment were sensible of a bad Smell issuing from the Grave, and after some Days were all taken down with that Distemper. You may yourself remember a stronger Instance. It happen’d during my Absence from England between August 1762 and December 1764, and therefore I may not be perfect in the Circumstances. A Number of Physicians, as I heard, amus’d themselves with the Dissection of an Egyptian Mummy, which must have been more than Two Thousand Years old, and several of them dyd soon after of putrid Fevers, suspected to be caught at that Dissection.
The Circumstances of the Royalists in the United States are daily mending, as the Minds of People irritated by the Burning of their Towns and Massacre of their Friends, begin to cool. A Stop is put to all Persecutions against them, and in time their Offences will be forgotten. By our last Advices from thence, the Government acquires continually more Consistence, and every thing is getting into the best Order. The English still misrepresent us and our Situation: relating things as they wish them rather than as they are. But be assured our People are happy in the Change, and have not the least Inclination to return to the Domination of Britain.
I immediately sent to Mr. Bartram our celebrated Botanist of Pennsylvania, the Orders of Count Chotck for a Quantity of American Seeds. It came so late to me, that it was impossible it should arrive there in time to make the Collection of the Seeds of the Year 1783. consequently it would be necessary to wait for those that would be ripe in the Autumn of 1784. But having then in hand a Box of seeds obtain’d from him at the Request of some Friends here, I divided them, and sent you some of each Sort. I delivered them to the Bishop Nekrep, who said he had a good Opportunity of forwarding them, and that he would do it with Pleasure. I thought you might oblige your Friend the Count with those for the present, as they would be in time for Planting in the Spring of 1784. But I never heard whether you receiv’d them. I had a Letter last Winter from my Son-in-law, Mr. Bache, acquainting me that Mr. Bartram had brought the Box of Seeds to him, which he should pay for; but that he was uncertain whether he ought to send it by way of Holland as ordered, the Newspapers having announc’d a War between the Emperor and that State, which might obstruct its Passage to Vienna. I wrote to him in answer, that he should nevertheless comply with the Order, and immediately, lest the Seeds should arrive too late for planting this Season, so that I hope they may be now in Holland, tho’ I have heard nothing farther. I enclose a Copy of the List of those I sent you, except some Deficiencys.—Part of Letter Ap. 29. 1785.