New-York tribune., 1868-05-01
NEW PUBLICATIONS
MR. BIGELOW's FRANKLIN'S AUTOBIOG-
RAPHY.


pincOtt Il Co.
The discovery of the original autograph of Ben
Iamin FTanklins Characteristic narrative OF his own
life one Of the fortunate events in Mr.. Bigeows
diplomatic 1t has given him the opportunity
Of producing volume of rare photographed inter
est and performing valuable service to the cause
of letters. lie has engaged in his task with the en-
thusiasm Of American scholar and completed 1t III
manner highly creditable TO his judgment and in
dustry. The way in which he came into possession
Of the manuscript is clearly described IN the preface
20 the work. The original memoir was prepared at
the solicitation of one of DR.. Franklins intimate
friends, NJ e Veillard, who received copy OF tne
portion of the sketch then finished toward tne close
of 17S9 the year previous to the authors death' 10
gether with other papers, the autograph then passed
Into the hands of the Doctors grandson william
Temple Franklin, who undertook to prepare
an edition of the writings of bis grand
father for a publishing house in London
For the convenience of the printer, William Temple
franklin exchanged the original manuscript for the
oopv in the hands of Madame 10 Veillard, who was
then widow and thus the autograph passed out OF
the hands of the Franklin family. At the death OF
Madame lie Veard, in 1884 this manuscript became
the property of her cousin, NJ. de Senarmont, from
whose grandson Mr.. Bigelow received it in January,
1867, with several other interesting memorials OF
Franklin, which had descended to the former with
the manuscript itself. Upon cOllating the auto
graph with the London edition of 1Sl7the first and
only one that ever purpOrted to have been printed
irom the manuscript-Mr. BigelOw discovered
more than twelve hundred variations from the orig
inal text the last eight pages of the manuscript
which equal in value to any portion OF the work,
having been entirely omitted. Many of the changes
are merely matters of STYLE substituting modern ex-
oil lipgy IN
gress of English prose from the time of Goldsmith TO
that of Southey. "Some Of these changes" says Mr..
Bigclow, Franklin might have approved of; others
he might have tolerated. but it is safe to presume
that very many he would have rejected without
ceremony"
The literary history of the Memoirs is suecnctly
related by the editor of which we will present the
principal points to our readers. The first eighty
seven pages Of the manuscript, embracing the period
of FTanklns life TO the time of his marriage at the
age of twenty-five, were written in III, during
visit At the country-seat of the Bishop of St Asaphs,
IN England. 1t appears that the work was under
taken for the of his family ard without any view
70 publication. The manuscript of the part written
at that time shown TO NJ. de VeillaTd. Mr.. Ben
Iamin Vaughan and other friends of the author who
were much pleased with it that they urged him to
complete and publish 1t. He consented TO do this, and
In 1854. while residing at Passy, then suburb OF
Paris wrote the succeeding pages of the manuscript
10 page 1O4. His public duties prevented him from
continuing the work until 1885, when he resumed
the composition of the Memoirs and probably wrote
about this time all OF tho remainder that has hitherto
been published in English The first publication of
the work was in French translation which appeared
In 1921, the year after the authors death. 1t cOn
talSed only the first eghty-seven pages of the manu-
script. The translation is ascribed to a Dr. Jacques
Gibeln, naturalist Of some repute, who had occa-
sionaly been in England, and had made translatiOns
from English philosophical writers. How he obtained
possession of the English manuscript remains
known to this day. The first edition in English
was translation from this French version. 1t was
published in 1913, and the only English version in
print until 1877 This is the text of the popular ed
tions which have been largely circulated both in
Europe and America, under the impression that it is
genuine and complete.
The autograph Memoirs filed two hundred and
twenty pages Of fOolscap written on both sides of
the page. margin of half its width was left on
each page for additions and corrections Of this the
Doctor often took advantage. His handwriting
distinct, that although the manuscript abOunds
with interlineatiOns and erasures, it is perfectly
legibe. The last eight pages only betray any marks
of ago and infirmity, though they also be read
with ease. They must have been written in the
Doctors eighty fourth year. and in the intervals of
those intense pains which tornented the latter
DAYS of his life.
An interesting document found by Bir. Bigelow in
the lie Vellad collection is skeleton sketch of the
topics which Dr. Franklin proposed to treat in the
Autobiography. 1t no doubt formed the first outline
Of the work 1t is written upon letter-sheet, the
first three pages in black ink and in the hand of
eopyist while the continuation of seven lines on
the fourth page in red ink, and in the hand of
Franklin himself This sketch is valuable an
illustration of the systematic manner in which he set
about the preparation of the Memoirs and the ex-
PLANTATION it gives Of the unfinished portion of his
plan. II shows what were the experiences of the
most momentoGs period of his life which he thought
most worthy of being rescued from oblivion, while
they enhance the regret that he did not accomplish
his original intention.
OF the variations from the autograph in the
edition of 1917, we give few Of the specimens
which Mr. Bigelow has exhibited at length. The
very first words of that edition are interpretations
1t begins ITO William Franklin. Governor of New
jersey Dear Son." &C., while the autograph has
only the words Dear SoG." without naming any
ono.
tf%sginmg it may BE Imagining Il may be
Car. I the eircSnsanees Of ,,o the circumstance Of
my life many Of which you my life, many OF which you
expecting the enjoyment Of and expecting oees ni
nU weeks uninterrupted eTruptcd leisure if 1aD pres
leisure down to write et country Retirement sit
them. Besides there are down 20 write them for gOu
soine other Inducements To ohieh hare besides
Ltat eIcie me 10 HiS under some other Inducements
taxing From the poverty HGring emerged from the
and Obscurity in which was poverty and obscnrty In
born. and ts whieh passed which horn and bred
aU earliest yeug, hare a state OF afiaence and
raised pgself state OF some degree 81 reputation In
ariuence and degree Of the world. and hdpy gone
ceebrtv I'm the world. As so fur through lie toM con-
eosa,ii good fortune hds Go siderable share ~ JeiCy e
eoaDu,led me epen Gd conducting made
oGs.sed period OF le my pos O Whteh with the bessn0o
tsrttv tcH peytdDs be desTouS God re succeeded mn
SI Isnfig me means ohich poStefy may like 20 knOt,
IeuiDLOVed and tch h aitkslQs they may Jd OF