A SONG We have an old Mother that peevish is grown, She snubs us like Children that scarce walk alone; She forgets we’re grown up and have Sense of our own; Which nobody can deny, deny, Which no body can deny. If we don’t obey Orders, whatever the Case; She frowns, and she chides, and…
All posts in The Writings of Benjamin Franklin, Vol III: London
Invectives Against the Americans
To the PRINTER. I would fain know what good purpose can be answered, by the frequent invectives published in your and other papers against the Americans. Do these small writers hope to provoke the nation by their oratory, to embrue its hands in the blood of its, perhaps mistaken children? And if this should be…
We Might As Well Have Hinder’d the Suns Setting
To Charles Thomson Dear Friend London July 11th: 1765 I am extreemly obliged by your kind Letters of Aprill 12th. and 14th. and thank you for the Intelligence they Contain. The Outrages continueally commited by those misguided people, will doubtless tend to Convince all the Considerate on your side of the Water of the Weakness…
The Old Songs Versus Modern Music
To Lord Kames My dear Lord Cravenstreet, London, June 2. 1765. I receiv’d with great Pleasure your friendly Letter by Mr. Alexander, which I should have answer’d sooner by some other Conveyance, if I had understood that his Stay here was like to be so long. I value myself extreamly on the Continuance of your…
The Grand Leap of the Whale
To the Printer of the Public Advertiser. SIR, In your Paper of Wednesday last, an ingenious Correspondent that calls himself the SPECTATOR, and dates from Pimlico, under the Guise of Good-Will to the News-Writers, whom he allows to be “an useful Body of Men in this great City,” has, in my Opinion artfully attempted to…