Scientific Experiments

Before I proceed in relating the part I had in public affairs under this new governor's administration, it may not be amiss here to give some account of the rise and progress of my philosophical reputation.

Before I describe my role in public affairs under the new governor, I will pause here. I will give an account of how my scientific reputation began and grew.

In 1746, being at Boston, I met there with a Dr. Spence, who was lately arrived from Scotland, and show'd me some electric experiments. They were imperfectly perform'd, as he was not very expert; but, being on a subject quite new to me, they equally surpris'd and pleased me. Soon after my return to Philadelphia, our library company receiv'd from Mr. P. Collinson, Fellow of the Royal Society¹⁰⁶ of London, a present of a glass tube, with some account of the use of it in making such experiments. I eagerly seized the opportunity of repeating what I had seen at Boston; and, by much practice, acquired great readiness in performing those, also, which we had an account of from England, adding a number of new ones. I say much practice, for my house was continually full, for some time, with people who came to see these new wonders.

In 1746, while in Boston, I met a Dr. Spence who had just arrived from Scotland. He showed me some electric experiments. They were imperfectly performed because he was not very skilled. The subject was new to me, so they both surprised and pleased me. Soon after I returned to Philadelphia, our library company received a gift from Mr. P. Collinson, Fellow of the Royal Society¹⁰⁶ in London. The gift was a glass tube with instructions for using it in such experiments. I eagerly seized the chance to repeat what I had seen in Boston. With much practice I became very quick at performing the experiments we had heard of from England. I also invented many new ones. By much practice I mean that, for a time, my house was constantly full of people who came to see these new wonders.

To divide a little this incumbrance among my friends, I caused a number of similar tubes to be blown at our glass-house, with which they furnish'd themselves, so that we had at length several performers. Among these, the principal was Mr. Kinnersley, an ingenious neighbour, who, being out of business, I encouraged to undertake showing the experiments for money, and drew up for him two lectures, in which the experiments were rang'd in such order, and accompanied with such explanations in such method, as that the foregoing should assist in comprehending the following. He procur'd an elegant apparatus for the purpose, in which all the little machines that I had roughly made for myself were nicely form'd by instrument-makers. His lectures were well attended, and gave great satisfaction; and after some time he went thro' the colonies, exhibiting them in every capital town, and pick'd up some money. In the West India islands, indeed, it was with difficulty the experiments could be made, from the general moisture of the air.

To share this burden among my friends, I had several similar tubes blown at our glasshouse. They provided themselves with these, so we soon had several demonstrators. The principal among them was Mr. Kinnersley, an ingenious neighbor. He was out of business, so I encouraged him to demonstrate the experiments for pay. I prepared two lectures for him. I arranged the experiments and their explanations so that earlier ones helped in understanding the later ones. He obtained an elegant apparatus, in which the instrument-makers neatly made all the little machines I had roughly fashioned myself. His lectures were well attended and gave great satisfaction. After some time, he went through the colonies, exhibiting them in every capital town and earning some money. In the West India islands, however, it was difficult to perform the experiments because the air was generally moist.

Oblig'd as we were to Mr. Collinson for his present of the tube, etc., I thought it right he should be inform'd of our success in using it, and wrote him several letters containing accounts of our experiments. He got them read in the Royal Society, where they were not at first thought worth so much notice as to be printed in their Transactions. One paper, which I wrote for Mr. Kinnersley, on the sameness of lightning with electricity,¹⁰⁷ I sent to Dr. Mitchel, an acquaintance of mine, and one of the members also of that society, who wrote me word that it had been read, but was laughed at by the connoisseurs. The papers, however, being shown to Dr. Fothergill, he thought them of too much value to be stifled, and advis'd the printing of them. Mr. Collinson then gave them to Cave for publication in his Gentleman's Magazine; but he chose to print them separately in a pamphlet, and Dr. Fothergill wrote the preface. Cave, it seems, judged rightly for his profit, for by the additions that arrived afterward, they swell'd to a quarto volume, which has had five editions, and cost him nothing for copy-money.

Since we were obliged to Mr. Collinson for his gift of the tube and other things, I thought it right that he should hear of our success in using it. I wrote him several letters containing accounts of our experiments. He had them read in the Royal Society, where at first they were not thought worth enough notice to be printed in its Transactions. One paper I wrote for Mr. Kinnersley, on the sameness of lightning and electricity,¹⁰⁷ I sent to Dr. Mitchel. He was an acquaintance of mine and also a member of that society. He wrote back that it had been read but was laughed at by the experts. However, the papers were shown to Dr. Fothergill, who thought them too valuable to be suppressed and advised printing them. Mr. Collinson then gave them to Cave for publication in his Gentleman's Magazine. But Cave chose to print them separately in a pamphlet, and Dr. Fothergill wrote the preface. Cave, it seems, judged rightly for his profit. With the additions that arrived later, they swelled to a quarto volume, which has had five editions and cost him nothing in payment to the author.

It was, however, some time before those papers were much taken notice of in England. A copy of them happening to fall into the hands of the Count de Buffon,¹⁰⁸ a philosopher deservedly of great reputation in France, and, indeed, all over Europe, he prevailed with M. Dalibard¹⁰⁹ to translate them into French, and they were printed at Paris. The publication offended the Abbé Nollet, preceptor in Natural Philosophy to the royal family, and an able experimenter, who had form'd and publish'd a theory of electricity, which then had the general vogue. He could not at first believe that such a work came from America, and said it must have been fabricated by his enemies at Paris, to decry his system. Afterwards, having been assur'd that there really existed such a person as Franklin at Philadelphia, which he had doubted, he wrote and published a volume of Letters, chiefly address'd to me, defending his theory, and denying the verity of my experiments, and of the positions deduc'd from them.

However, it took some time before those papers attracted much attention in England. A copy fell into the hands of the Count de Buffon¹⁰⁸. He was a philosopher of well-deserved reputation in France and across Europe. He persuaded M. Dalibard¹⁰⁹ to translate them into French. They were printed in Paris. The publication offended the Abbé Nollet. He was tutor of Natural Philosophy to the royal family and a skilled experimenter. He had formed and published a theory of electricity that was then generally popular. At first he could not believe such a work came from America. He said it must have been fabricated by his enemies in Paris to discredit his system. Later he was assured that a man named Franklin really lived in Philadelphia, which he had doubted. He then wrote and published a volume of Letters. They were mainly addressed to me. In them he defended his theory and denied the truth of my experiments and the conclusions I drew from them.

I once purpos'd answering the abbé, and actually began the answer; but, on consideration that my writings contained a description of experiments which anyone might repeat and verify, and if not to be verifi'd, could not be defended; or of observations offer'd as conjectures, and not delivered dogmatically, therefore not laying me under any obligation to defend them; and reflecting that a dispute between two persons, writing in different languages, might be lengthened greatly by mistranslations, and thence misconceptions of one another's meaning, much of one of the abbé's letters being founded on an error in the translation, I concluded to let my papers shift for themselves, believing it was better to spend what time I could spare from public business in making new experiments, than in disputing about those already made. I therefore never answered M. Nollet, and the event gave me no cause to repent my silence; for my friend M. le Roy, of the Royal Academy of Sciences, took up my cause and refuted him; my book was translated into the Italian, German, and Latin languages; and the doctrine it contain'd was by degrees universally adopted by the philosophers of Europe, in preference to that of the abbé; so that he lived to see himself the last of his sect, except Monsieur B——, of Paris, his élève and immediate disciple.

I once intended to answer the abbé, and actually began the answer. But I considered that my writings contained descriptions of experiments that anyone could repeat and verify, and if they could not be verified, they could not be defended. Or they contained observations offered as conjectures, not stated dogmatically, which therefore put me under no obligation to defend them. I also reflected that a dispute between two people writing in different languages might be greatly lengthened by mistranslations, and by the misunderstandings of each other's meaning that follow from them. Much of one of the abbé's letters was founded on an error in the translation. So I decided to let my papers fend for themselves. I believed it was better to spend what time I could spare from public business in making new experiments than in disputing about those already made. So I never answered M. Nollet, and the outcome gave me no cause to regret my silence. My friend M. le Roy, of the Royal Academy of Sciences, took up my cause and refuted him. My book was translated into Italian, German, and Latin. The doctrine it contained was by degrees universally adopted by the philosophers of Europe, in preference to the abbé's. So he lived to see himself the last of his sect, except Monsieur B—— of Paris, his élève and immediate disciple.

What gave my book the more sudden and general celebrity, was the success of one of its proposed experiments, made by Messrs. Dalibard and De Lor at Marly, for drawing lightning from the clouds. This engag'd the public attention everywhere. M. de Lor, who had an apparatus for experimental philosophy, and lectur'd in that branch of science, undertook to repeat what he called the Philadelphia Experiments; and, after they were performed before the king and court, all the curious of Paris flocked to see them. I will not swell this narrative with an account of that capital experiment, nor of the infinite pleasure I receiv'd in the success of a similar one I made soon after with a kite at Philadelphia, as both are to be found in the histories of electricity.

My book became suddenly and widely famous because one of its proposed experiments succeeded. It was performed by Messrs. Dalibard and De Lor at Marly to draw lightning from the clouds. This engaged the public attention everywhere. M. de Lor had an apparatus for experimental philosophy and lectured on that subject. He undertook to repeat what he called the Philadelphia Experiments. After he performed them before the king and court, all the curious of Paris flocked to see them. I will not swell this narrative with an account of that notable experiment. Nor will I describe the immense pleasure I received from the success of a similar experiment I made soon after. It was done with a kite in Philadelphia. Both are to be found in the histories of electricity.

Dr. Wright, an English physician, when at Paris, wrote to a friend, who was of the Royal Society, an account of the high esteem my experiments were in among the learned abroad, and of their wonder that my writings had been so little noticed in England. The society, on this, resum'd the consideration of the letters that had been read to them; and the celebrated Dr. Watson drew up a summary account of them, and of all I had afterwards sent to England on the subject, which he accompanied with some praise of the writer. This summary was then printed in their Transactions; and some members of the society in London, particularly the very ingenious Mr. Canton, having verified the experiment of procuring lightning from the clouds by a pointed rod, and acquainting them with the success, they soon made me more than amends for the slight with which they had before treated me. Without my having made any application for that honour, they chose me a member, and voted that I should be excus'd the customary payments, which would have amounted to twenty-five guineas; and ever since have given me their Transactions gratis. They also presented me with the gold medal of Sir Godfrey Copley¹¹⁰ for the year 1753, the delivery of which was accompanied by a very handsome speech of the president, Lord Macclesfield, wherein I was highly honoured.

Dr. Wright, an English physician, while in Paris, wrote to a friend who was a member of the Royal Society. He described how highly my experiments were regarded by scholars abroad. He also said they wondered that my writings had received so little attention in England. The society then resumed consideration of the letters they had been shown. The celebrated Dr. Watson prepared a summary of those letters and of everything I later sent to England about the subject. He included some praise of the author. This summary was printed in their Transactions. Some members of the society in London repeated the experiment. In particular, the very clever Mr. Canton showed they could draw lightning from clouds with a pointed rod. They told the society about their success. They soon more than made up for the earlier neglect. They elected me a member without my applying for the honor. They voted to excuse me from the usual fees. Those fees would have been twenty-five guineas. Since then they have sent me their Transactions free. They also awarded me the gold medal of Sir Godfrey Copley¹¹⁰ for the year 1753. When he presented it, the president, Lord Macclesfield, gave a very flattering speech. I was highly honored.