U.S. History

The People’s Favorite Literature (1744)

BY BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Courteous Reader,

THIS is the Twelfth Year that I have in this Way laboured for the Benefit——of Whom? of the Publick, if you’ll be so good-natured as to believe it; if not, e’en take the naked Truth, ’twas for the Benefit of my own dear self; not forgetting in the mean time, our gracious Consort and Dur chess the peaceful, quiet, silent Lady Bridget. But whether my Labours have been of any Service to the Publick or not, the Publick l must acknowledge has been of Service to me; I have lived Comfortably by its Benevolent Encouragement; and I hope I shall always bear a grateful Sense of its continued Favour,

My Adversary J——n J———n has indeed made an Attempt to out-shine me, by pretending to penetrate a Year deeper into Futurity; and giving his Readers gratis in his Almanack for 1743 an Eclipse of the Year 1744, to be beforehand with me: His Words are, "The first Day of April next Year 1744, there will be a GREAT ECLIPSE of the Sun: it begins about an Hour before Sunset. It being in the Sign Aries, the House of Mars, and in the 7th, shows Heat, Difference and Animosities between Persons of the highest Rank and Quality," &c. I am very glad, for the Sake of these Persons of Rank and Quality, that there

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is no manner of Truth in this Prediction: They may, if they please, live in Love and Peace. And I caution his Readers (they are but few, indeed, and so the Matter’s the less) not to give themselves any Trouble about observing this imaginary Great Eclipse; for they may stare till they’re blind without seeing the least Sign of it. I might, on this Occasion, return Mr. J———n the Name of Baal’s false Prophet he gave me some Years ago in his Wrath, on Account of my Predicting his Reconciliation with the Church of Rome, (tho’ he seems now to have given up that Point) but I think such Language between old Men and Scholars unbecoming; and I leave him to settle the Affair with the Buyers of his Almanack as well as he can, who perhaps will not take it very kindly, that he has done what in him lay (by sending them out to gaze at an invisible Eclipse on the first of April) to make April Fools of them all. His old thread bare Excuse which he repeats Year after Year about the Weather, "That no Man can be infallible therein, by Reason of the many contrary Causes happening at or near the same time, and the Unconstancy of the Summer Showers and Gusts," &c will hardly serve him in the Affair of Eclipses ; and I know not where he’ll get another.

I have made no Alteration in my usual Method, except adding the Rising and Setting of the Planets, and the Lunar Conjunctions. Those who are so disposed, may thereby very readily learn to know the Planets, and distinguish them from each other.

I am, dear Reader,
Thy obliged Friend,
R. SAUNDERS.

The COUNTRY MAN.

Happy the Man whose Wish and Care
A few paternal Acres bound,
Content to breathe his native Air,
In his own Ground.
Whose Herds with Milk, whose Fields with Bread,
Whose Flocks supply him with Attire,
Whose Trees in Summer yield him Shade,
In Winter Fire.
Blest, who can unconcernedly find
Hours, Days and Years slide soft away,

In Health of Body, Peace of Mind,
Quiet by Day,
Sound Sleep by Night; Study and Ease
Together mixt; sweet Recreation;
And Innocence which most does please
with Meditation.
Thus let me live, unseen, unknown,
Thus unlamented let me die,
Steal from the World, and not a Stone
Tell where I lie.

[Benjamin Franklin], Poor Richard, 1744. An Almanack, etc. (Philadelphia), 1–3.