Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-01-22

means for protecting them from lightning
Franklin drew up report, which was accept
ed, in which the erection Of pointed rods were
advised. A controversy OF some notoriety in
its day grew out of the dissent of one member
of this committee, a Mr.. Wilson, who contended
that the conductors ought to be blunt, mas
much as if pointed they would attract the
lightning. To this Franklin replied that the
attraction was the very thing desired, for the
charge is thereby silently and gradually drawn
from the building, and conveyed without dan
ger to the earth. Mr.. Wilson still clung to his
theory in regard to blunt conductors, and per-
suaded the king to change his pointed ones for,
blunt at Buckingham House. One of Frank
Inns friends, (Dr. Ingenhonse, member of the
Royal Society," wrote Of Wilson's charlatanry
in so heated manner, that Franklin withly
remarked, " He seems as much heated about
this one point as the Jansenists aud Molinists
were about the fve." The following clever
epigram, upon the subject Of the king yielding
to Wilson's arguments in opposition to Frank
Inns, appeared about this time:
awhile you great George, for safety hunt,
And sharp conductors change for blunt,
The empires out of joint;
Franklin wiser course pursues,
And all your thunder fearless views,
BY keeping to the point"
t4"ts FRANKLIN AT VERSAILLES. =
He appeared at this royal audience very
simply attired, with straight, unpowdered hair,
a brown cloth coat, and round hat. A crowd
had collected to see him. His age, his vener-
able aspect, his simple dress, contrasted with
the inery around him, the recollection of his
services to science and humanity, all combined
to waken the utmost enthusiasm of the specta-
tors. The king received him with much cordi-
alty, charging him to assure the United States
Of his friendship and expressing his satisfaction
with the conduct Of their commissioner during
his residence in France. On his Withdrawing
from this audience, the crowd in the passage
ways received Franklin with renewed manifes-
tations of welcome, and followed him for some
distance.
HIS INTERVIEWS WITH voLTAIRE.
The enthusiasm of which he had been the
object at Versailles, was renewed at Paris.
Voltaire had recently arrived there, after an
absence of thirty years. He was in his eighty
fifth year. Franklin called upon him, and was
received with evident pleasure. Voltaire at first
accosted him in English; but, having lost the
habit Of speaking it, he resumed the converse
ton in French, adroitly remarking, could
not resist the temptation Of speaking for a mo-
ment the language Of Franklin" The Phila-
delphia sage then presented his grandson to
the patriarch Of Ferney, and asked his blessing
upon him. God and Liberty said Voltaire,
raising his hands over the young mans head !;
that is the only benediction appropriate to
the grandson Of Franklin"
VI A few days after this interview the same par
ties met at the Academy Of Sciences, and were
placed side by side. The sight Of these dis
tinguished old men elected another outbreak
of Parisian enthusiasm. The cry arose that
they should embrace They stood up, bowed,
took each other by the hand, and spoke. But
this was not enough. The clamor continued.
q II fauf's embrasser a la Francaise," was the
cry; whereupon they kissed each other on the
cheek, and not till then did the tumult subside.
The scene was classically compared by the
literature Of the day, to Solon embracing
Sophocles." Voltaire lived only month after
this second encounter with his American con-
temporary.
CONVERSATIONAL POWERS.
His features were an index Of the good tenn
per, amenity, cheerfulness, and affability which
were his characteristics. John Adams repre-
sents him as tactturn on committees and in
Congress. In society he was far from being
loquacious; but no one possessed more en-
tertaining fund of conversation, or used it more
happily on fitting occasions. Childhood, that
best detector of n gentle heart was ever
welcome to his knee. For the young, his
manners and his words of sage advice and
pleasantly had an indescribable charm. Sir
Francis Romily, when young man, called on
him at Passa (l782) with a friend. "Dr. Frank
lin," he writes, :" was indnlgent enough to con-
verse good deal with us, whom he observed
to be young men very desirous of improving
by his conversation. Of all the celebrated
characters, in my life / have chanced to see,
DR.. F., both from his appearance and his con-
versation, seemed to me the most remarkable.
His venerable, patriarchal appearance, the
simplicity of his manners and language, and
the novelty Of his observations--at least the
novelty Of them at that time to me-impressed
me with an opinion of him as one of the most
extraordinary men that ever existed"
FRANKLIN IN LOVE IN HIS OLD AGE.
He had an especially affectionatc regard for
Madame Helvetius, whom he called "Our Lady
OF Auteuil," and who came every week to dine
at least once with him aud his little colony at
Passa.( He had lost his wife in 1879, and not
withstanding his 76 years, he made PROPOSE
ton of marriage to Madame Helvetius, shortly
before the close of the war; But she had re-
fused the hand of Turgot, and did not accept
his. Franklin thereupon wrote her letter,
which is model of wit and grace.
CLOSING YEARS OF HIS LIFE.
Very beautiful is the spectacle Of the closing
years of Franklin's long and laborious life
Though not without his share of physical mfr
mites, he retained his lively interest in public
affairs, his warm, social and domestic sympa-
thies, his amenity and serenity of temper, his
active and vigorous intellect, his abiding faith
in another and better life. He seems to have
realized the wish expressed in another's behalf
by Wordsworth:
"Thy thoughts and feelings shall not die.
A melancholy slave
But an old age, serene and bright
And lovely as thee Lapland night,
Shall lead thee to thy graveh
His correspondence at this time, in the viva
city, humor justice Of thought, and happy rel-
ance on Providence which it exhibits, is a
model of style and mood.
INsATIAsE DEsIREs.--When DIR. Franklin was
asked why those who had acquired more wealth
than was sufficient for all the purposes Of com