Ioncepurpos'dansweringtheabbe, andactuallybegantheanswer; but, onconsiderationthatmywritingscontainedadescriptionofexperimentswhichanyonemightrepeatandverify, andifnottobeverifi'd, couldnotbedefended; orofobservationsoffer'dasconjectures, andnotdelivereddogmatically, thereforenotlayingmeunderanyobligationtodefendthem; andreflectingthatadisputebetweentwopersons, writingindifferentlanguages, mightbelengthenedgreatlybymistranslations, andthencemisconceptionsofoneanother'smeaning, muchofoneoftheabbe'slettersbeingfoundedonanerrorinthetranslation, Iconcludedtoletmypapersshiftforthemselves, believingitwasbettertospendwhattimeIcouldsparefrompublicbusinessinmakingnewexperiments, , andtheeventgavemenocausetorepentmysilence; , oftheRoyalAcademyofSciences, tookupmycauseandrefutedhim; mybookwastranslatedintotheItalian, German, andLatinlanguages; andthedoctrineitcontain'dwasbydegreesuniversallyadoptedbythephilosophersofEurope, inpreferencetothatoftheabbe; sothathelivedtoseehimselfthelastofhissect, exceptMonsieurB——, ofParis, hiseleveandimmediatedisciple.
Whatgavemybookthemoresuddenandgeneralcelebrity, wasthesuccessofoneofitsproposedexperiments, , ', whohadanapparatusforexperimentalphilosophy, andlectur'dinthatbranchofscience, undertooktorepeatwhathecalledthePhiladelphiaExperiments; and, aftertheywereperformedbeforethekingandcourt, , noroftheinfinitepleasureIreceiv'dinthesuccessofasimilaroneImadesoonafterwithakiteatPhiladelphia, asbotharetobefoundinthehistoriesofelectricity.
, anEnglishphysician, whenatParis, wrotetoafriend, whowasoftheRoyalSociety, anaccountofthehighesteemmyexperimentswereinamongthelearnedabroad, , onthis, resum'dtheconsiderationofthelettersthathadbeenreadtothem; , andofallIhadafterwardssenttoEnglandonthesubject, ; andsomemembersofthesocietyinLondon, , havingverifiedtheexperimentofprocuringlightningfromthecloudsbyapointedrod, andacquaintingthemwiththesuccess, , theychosemeamember, andvotedthatIshouldbeexcus'dthecustomarypayments, whichwouldhaveamountedtotwenty-fiveguineas; [110] fortheyear1753, thedeliveryofwhichwasaccompaniedbyaveryhandsomespeechofthepresident, LordMacclesfield, whereinIwashighlyhonoured.
NOTES:
[106] TheRoyalSocietyofLondonforImprovingNaturalKnowledgewasfoundedin1660andholdstheforemostplaceamongEnglishsocietiesfortheadvancementofscience.
[107] Seepage327.
[108] AcelebratedFrenchnaturalist (1707-1788).
[109] Dalibard, whohadtranslatedFranklin'sletterstoCollinsonintoFrench, wasthefirsttodemonstrate, inapracticalapplicationofFranklin'sexperiment, thatlightningandelectricityarethesame."ThiswasMay10th, 1752, onemonthbeforeFranklinflewhisfamouskiteatPhiladelphiaandprovedthefacthimself."—McMaster.
[110] AnEnglishbaronet (diedin1709), donatorofafundofL100, "intrustfortheRoyalSocietyofLondonforimprovingnaturalknowledge."
GoldmedalofSirGodfreyCopley.
