[6] Mr. Fearon's.—Welby.
For a brief note on Fearon, see Flint's Letters, volume ix of our series, note 119.—Ed.
[7] I have since seen beggars.—Welby.
[8] An account of Joseph Bonaparte's career in America will be found in volume xi of our series, note 36.—Ed.
[9] It was burned down, it is supposed by incendiaries, the following winter, and many valuable pictures and much furniture and papers lost.—Welby.
[10] Franklin did not present a library to Philadelphia, but he is properly regarded as the founder of the Philadelphia Library, which he called "the mother of all the North American subscription libraries." Conceiving the idea of establishing such an institution, he drew up a plan (1731), and solicited subscriptions among his friends. By March following, twenty-five persons had paid their subscription of forty shillings each, and an order was sent to England for books. Franklin continued to take an active interest in the enterprise, aiding in selecting books, and from time to time donating volumes. The Philadelphia Library now occupies two large buildings, and contains over 190,000 volumes.—Ed.
[11] In his will Franklin left £2,000 (still due him for his salary as president of Pennsylvania) for the improvement of the Schuylkill River. Learning that that work of improvement was likely to be delayed, he made a codicil revoking the bequest to the Schuylkill improvement, and devoting it to a scheme of continuous benevolence—£1,000 each were given to Boston and to Philadelphia; under the direction of a certain board of selectmen, small sums (not exceeding £60), were to be loaned to young married artificers at five per cent interest. He estimated that in a hundred years the principal would be vastly increased, and the greater part was then to be devoted to public works. However, many borrowers were unable to repay, and their security proving worthless, the sum at the end of the first century was far below Franklin's expectation.—Ed.
[12] The cent is about the value of one half-penny; one hundred is four shillings and sixpence sterling.—Welby.
[13] The traveller's route westward was by way of the Lancaster Turnpike and the Pennsylvania Road, through Bedford and Greensburg to Pittsburg. For this route, see Harris's Journal, volume iii of our series, note 3.—Ed.
[14] Cove Mountain forms the western boundary of Franklin County. The road crosses it about fifteen miles west of Chambersburg. Scrub Ridge lies parallel to Cove Mountain, a few miles to the west.—Ed.