The Select Works of Benjamin Franklin Author:Benjamin Franklin Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: which he might have extended if he had consecrated to his favorite pursuits his thoughts and his time, he added high political distinction. To this man, happy be... more »cause he was intelligent, great because he had an active genius and a devoted heart, was accorded the rare felicity of serving his country skilfully and usefully for a period of fifty years ; and, after having taken rank among the immortal founders of the positive sciences, of enrolling himself among the generous liberators of the nations." With a scientific and literary reputation familiar to all Europe, Franklin was hospitably received in England on the occasion of his second visit, which lasted from July 27, 1757, to the latter part of August, 1762. At this time Dr. Johnson was publishing his Idler; Burke had just given to the world his "Essay on the Sublime and Beautiful," and was editing the Annual Register for Dodsley ; Hume was about completing his History of England; Sterne was publishing his Tristram Shandy; Swedenborg was residing obscurely in London, engaged upon his mystical writings; Goldsmith was just launching upon a literary career in the same great metropolis; Garrick was electrifying the town with his acting; and the brothers Wesley were engaging in their extraordinary labors for the establishment of a reformed Protestantism. Sir Isaac Newton had died thirty years before. Franklin, when in London before, had been promised a sight of him, but the promise was not kept. It does not appear that Franklin ever became personally acquainted with any of these distinguished persons, excepting Hume, Garrick and Burke. After partaking of the hospitality of his friend and correspondent, Mr. Collinson, he took lodgings at a house in Craven-street, a few doors from the Strand, which had been recommended to him by ...« less