Several pages of the book contain a [description and examples] of a modified alphabet proposed by B.F. There are six new characters in his alphabet; these, and the example text using them (pages 360-366 in the original book) are shown as images in this ebook.
For consistency and clarity, the pound abbreviation 'l.' has been italicized, so for example '123,321l.' has been replaced by '123,321l.' in the etext.
For consistency, the date and salutation at the beginning of each letter, and the closing and name at the end of each letter, have been put on separate lines (they were sometimes placed on the same line in the original printed text).
A '[List of the Plates]' has been created and added in front of the Errata.
Asterisks were used by the editor to indicate omitted text. For consistency, '****' is used when at the beginning or end of a letter, otherwise a line of 5 spaced asterisks is used.
A deliberate blank space in the text, eg [pg 70], is indicated by [ ].
All the changes noted in the Errata ([pg vi]) have been applied to the text.
Many Footnotes have the signature 'B. V.' rather than 'Editor'. This is explained in Vol 1 p 399 Footnote [90], and is copied below for the reader's convenience:—
Wherever this signature occurs, the note is taken from a volume of Dr. Franklin's writings, entitled Political, Miscellaneous, and Philosophical Pieces, printed for Johnson, 1779. The editor of that volume, though a young man at the time, had already evinced extraordinary talents, and was the friend and correspondent of our author. As he has chosen to withhold his name, we conceive ourselves not entitled to disclose it: but we shall take the freedom of an acquaintance to use the notes occasionally, deeming them in many instances valuable historical records. Editor.
Except for those changes noted below, misspelling in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. For example, compleat; cieling; inclose; watry; smoak; spunge; Pensylvania; Massachussets; newspaper, news-paper; midnight, mid-night.