All posts in The Writings of Benjamin Franklin, Vol II: Philadelphia

Impia sub dulci melle venena latent. Ovid. Naturam expellas furca licet, usq; recurret. Hor. There is scarce any one Thing so generally spoke against, and at the same time so universally practis’d, as Censure or Backbiting. All Divines have condemn’d it, all Religions have forbid it, all Writers of Morality have endeavour’d to discountenance it,…

My Correspondent Mrs. Celia, must excuse my omitting those Circumstances of her Letter, which point at People too plainly; and content herself that I insert the rest as follows. Mr. Gazetteer, I must needs tell you, that some of the Things you print do more Harm than Good; particularly I think so of my Neighbour…

Mr. Gazetteer, I am an honest Tradesman, who never meant Harm to any Body. My Affairs went on smoothly while a Batchelor; but of late I have met with some Difficulties, of which I take the Freedom to give you an Account. About the Time I first address’d my present Spouse, her Father gave out…