The Library of Benjamin Franklin

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American Philosophical Society, 2006 - Reference - 966 pages
Beginning in the 1950s, Edwin Wolf 2nd embarked on a biblio'l. quest to reconstruct the library of Benjamin Franklin, which was the largest & best private library in Amer. at the time of his death & was subsequently dispersed. The contents of Franklin's library were virtually unknown until Wolf identified the unique shelfmarks that Franklin used to organize his books. That discovery allowed Wolf to locate 2,700 titles in 1,000 vols. that Franklin actually owned. Wolf also identified a further 700 titles owned by Franklin. After wolf's death, Kevin Hayes took up the project & brought it to fruition. This catalogue includes almost 4,000 books known to have been owned by Franklin, & the Intro. tells the complete story of Franklin's library, its dispersal, & its reconstruction.

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Page 542 - Good," which, I think, was written by your father. It had been so little regarded by a former possessor that several leaves of it were torn out, but the remainder gave me such a turn of thinking as to have an influence on my conduct through life; for I have always set a greater value on the character of a doer of good than on any other kind of reputation ; and if I have been, as you seem to think, a useful citizen, the public owes the advantage of it to that book.
Page 193 - AB, do declare my unfeigned assent and consent to all and everything contained and prescribed in and by the Book entitled the Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, according to the use of the Church of England; together with the Psalter, or Psalms of David, printed as they are to be sung or said in Churches ; and the form or manner of making, ordaining, and consecrating of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.
Page 747 - I took some of the tales and turned them into verse; and, after a time, when I had pretty well forgotten the prose, turned them back again. I also sometimes jumbled my collections of hints into confusion, and after some weeks endeavored to reduce them into the best order, before I began to form the full sentences and complete the paper.
Page 6 - Essays to do Good, which perhaps gave me a turn of thinking that had an influence on some of the principal future events of my life.
Page 242 - A True Relation of the Apparition of one Mrs. Veal, the next Day after her Death, to one Mrs Bargrave, at Canterbury, the 8th of September 1705...
Page 599 - Public good: being an examination into the claim of Virginia to the vacant western territory, and of the right of the United States to the same. To which is added, proposals for laying off a new state, to be applied as a fund for carrying on the war, or redeeming the national debt.
Page 194 - The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments ' and other rites and ceremonies of the Church according to the use of the Church of England, together with the Psalter or Psalms of David, pointed as they are to be sung or said in churches ; and the form or manner of making, ordaining, and consecrating of bishops, priests, and deacons.
Page 535 - An Account of the Growth of Popery and arbitrary Government in England; more particularly, from the long prorogation of November 1675...
Page 767 - Predictions for the year 1708; wherein the month, and day of the month are set down, the persons named, and the great actions and events of next year particularly related, as they will come to pass. Written to prevent the people of England from being further imposed on by vulgar almanac-makers.
Page 598 - OF THE ORIGIN AND DESIGN OF GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL. WITH CONCISE REMARKS ON THE ENGLISH CONSTITUTION. SOME writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our...

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