Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-06-21

others succumb he made to yield, and bent
| 10 his own purposes successful leader OF
a revolt that ended in complete triumph
nftcr appearing desperate for years, n great
dlscovercr in philosophy without the ord
nary helps to knowledge; n writer famed
for his chaste style without n classical edu
cation; a skillul ncgo,iator, though never
| bred to politics; ending az favori,c, nay,
a pattern of fashion, when the guest OF
frivolous Courts, the life which he had
begun in garrets and in work shops.
Lastly, combination of faculties, in others
deemed impossible, appeared easy and
natural in him. The philosopher, delight.
ing IN speculation, was also eminently q
man Of action. Ingenious reasoning, re-
fined and subtle consultation, were IN him.
combined with prompt resolution, and in
flexible firmness of purpose. To n lively
fancy, he joined n. learned and deep reflec-
ton; his original and inventive gerus
stopped to the CONVENIENT alliance OF the
most o. binary prudence in every day affairs;
The mind that SCARED above the clouds. aud
was conversant with the loftest of human
contemplalons, dsdained not to make pro-.
verbs and fclgn parallels for the guidance
and the hands that ske,ched free cons,i.
tuition for whole continent, or drew down
the lighting from heaven, easily and cheer.
fully lent themselves to simplify the appa-
ratus by which truths were to be Illustrated
or discoveries pursued
His discoveries were made with hardly
any apparatus at all; and if, at any time be
had been led to employ instruments of
somewhat less ordinary description he
never rested satisfied until he bad, as it
were, afterwards translated the process, b.
resolving the problem with such simple
machinery, that you might say he had done
1t wholly unalded by apparatus. The ex.
permenis by which demonstrated, were
made with sheet of brown paper, bit OF
twlne, silk thread and an iron key.
Upon the integrity Of this man, whether
IN public or in private life, there rests no
stain. Strictly honest, and even scrupu-
lousy punctua in all his dealings, he pre-
served in the highest fortune that regularity
which he had practised as well as lnculca-
ted 10 the lowest.
In domestic life he was fnultless, and in
the intercourse of society, deIightful.-
There was constant good humour and
playful wit, easy and Of high relish, without
any ambition to shine, the natural fruit of
his lively fancy, his solid, natural good
sense, and his cheerful temper, that gave
his conversation an unspeakable charm,
and alike suited every circle, from the
humblost to the most elevated. With all
his strong opinions, so often solemny de-
clared, so lmperlshably recorded in his
deeds, he retained n tolerance for those
who differed with him which could not be
surpassed IN men whose principles hang so
loosely about them as to BE- taken up for u
convenient cloak and laid down when
found to impede their progress. In his
family he was every thing that worth,
warm affections, and sound prudence could
contribute, to make man both useful and
amlabIe, respected and beloved. In religion
he would be reckoned by many Ia,ltudlna.
RAN, yet it is certain that his mind was
imbued with deep sense of the divine
projections, constant impression of our
accountable nature and lively hone of
future enjoyment. Accordingly his death
bed, the test of both faith aud works, was
easy and placid, resigned and devout, and
Indicated at once an unilnchlng RETROSPECT,
of the past and a comfortable assurance Of
the future.
If we turn from the truly great man
whom we have been contemplating, to his
celebrated contemporary in the Old World,
Frederick the Great who only affected
the philosophy that Franklin possessed, and
employed his alents for civil and military
affairs, in eXtinguIshing that independence
which Frank Inns lIfn wos conSocrotod to
establish, the contrast is marvellous indeed,
between the Monarch and the Printer.