and Read them with a grat deal of Pleasure and I think you yourself would if you could find time tho there may be many things in them not altogether Agreable to your Sentiments, which I sopose may be the case with Every Volume you Read on any Subject.”
Stillman, Samuel.
A Sermon Preached before the Honorable Council
. Boston, 1779.
Jane sent a copy of this sermon to her brother on October 29, 1781: “I have at length found the Sermon you were desierous to see among Mr Stillmans & now send it.”
Swift, Jonathan. Unidentified work.
Jane referred to Swift in her letters on various occasions. For instance: “I am often Afflected with grat Dizenes & Expect or fear if I live much Longer to be in such Circumstances as Dean Swift was.” 23 These references don’t prove that she read Swift’s work, only that she was aware of him. But she mentioned him often enough that I suspect she knew him in the way a reader knows an author.
Trenck, Friedrich.
The Life of Baron Frederic Trenck.
Philadelphia, 1789.
Jane referred to this book in a letter to her brother in 1789, to which he replied in a letter dated December 17, 1789. She might well have borrowed Trenck’s life fromJohn Lathrop; it is listed in the catalog of Lathrop’s library, printed after his death in 1816. 24
Weld, Ezra
. A Sermon on Sacred Musick
. Springfield, 1789.
In a letter dated November 24, 1789, Jane wondered about whether or not to send her brother a copy of this sermon: “I have a strong Inclination to send you a Sermon on Sacred musick tho my Friend Dr Lathrop & his wife tell me the Dr has been ust to Read composition on the subject so much beter it may not appear to him as I Expect, it Pleasd me & I know you will give it a Reading & tell me if it is not a Pritty Discorse from a country minester who has Every circumstance to Depres him.” She did eventually send him the sermon. Franklin replied, in a letter dated December 17, 1789, “I thank you for the Sermon on sacred Music; I have read it with Pleasure—I think it a very ingenious Composition.”
Willard, Samuel.
The Complete Body of Divinity
. Boston, 1726.
This work was in Jane’s father’s library when she was growing up. Franklin mentions it in his autobiography.
Wollstonecraft, Mary.
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
1792.
It seems not altogether likely that Jane read Wollstonecraft’s treatise, but it is listed in Lathrop’s catalog. 25
Works printed by Benjamin Mecom in Boston, 1757–62.
Because it seems likely that Jane had a chance to read books printed by her son during his years in Boston, below is a list of Benjamin Mecom’s Boston output.
1757
C OTTON M ATHER .
God’s Call to His People.
1758
B ENJAMIN F RANKLIN .
Father Abraham’s Speech
.
J OHN M AYLEM .
The Conquest of Louisburg
.
———.
Gallic Perfidy
.
New-England Magazine
.
New-England Psalter
.
The Prodigal Daughter
.
J OSEPH S TEWARD .
Poor Joseph
.
1759
J AMES B URGH .
Britain’s Remembrancer
.
J OHN C USHING .
Gospel Ministers to Preach Christ
.
T HOMAS J ONES .
The Religious Remembrancer
.
I SAAC W ATTS .
Christian Discipline
.
1760
All Canada in the Hands of the English
.
W ILLIAM B ALCH .
Simplicity and Sincerity
.
W ILLIAM B URKE .
Remarks on the Letter
.
W. H. D ILWORTH .
Lord Anson’s Voyage Round the World
.
Directions Concerning Inoculation
.
J OHN D OUGLASS .
A Letter Addressed to Two Great Men
.
B ENJAMIN F RANKLIN .
The Beauties of Poor Richard’s Almanack for the Year 1760.
———.
Father Abraham’s Speech
.
———.
The Interest of Great Britain Considered
.
J AMES J ANEWAY .
A Seasonable and Earnest Address
.
R ICHARD L UCAS .
Rules relating to Success in Trade
.
J OHN M ELLEN .
A Sermon Preached at the West Parish.
A New Thanksgiving Song Revised.
J AMES O TIS J R .
A Dissertation on Letters
.
———.
The Rudiments of Latin Prosody
.
T HOMAS W ALTER .
The Grounds and Rules of Musick Explained
.
S AMUEL W OODWARD .
The Offices, Duties,
Stillman, Samuel.
A Sermon Preached before the Honorable Council
. Boston, 1779.
Jane sent a copy of this sermon to her brother on October 29, 1781: “I have at length found the Sermon you were desierous to see among Mr Stillmans & now send it.”
Swift, Jonathan. Unidentified work.
Jane referred to Swift in her letters on various occasions. For instance: “I am often Afflected with grat Dizenes & Expect or fear if I live much Longer to be in such Circumstances as Dean Swift was.” 23 These references don’t prove that she read Swift’s work, only that she was aware of him. But she mentioned him often enough that I suspect she knew him in the way a reader knows an author.
Trenck, Friedrich.
The Life of Baron Frederic Trenck.
Philadelphia, 1789.
Jane referred to this book in a letter to her brother in 1789, to which he replied in a letter dated December 17, 1789. She might well have borrowed Trenck’s life fromJohn Lathrop; it is listed in the catalog of Lathrop’s library, printed after his death in 1816. 24
Weld, Ezra
. A Sermon on Sacred Musick
. Springfield, 1789.
In a letter dated November 24, 1789, Jane wondered about whether or not to send her brother a copy of this sermon: “I have a strong Inclination to send you a Sermon on Sacred musick tho my Friend Dr Lathrop & his wife tell me the Dr has been ust to Read composition on the subject so much beter it may not appear to him as I Expect, it Pleasd me & I know you will give it a Reading & tell me if it is not a Pritty Discorse from a country minester who has Every circumstance to Depres him.” She did eventually send him the sermon. Franklin replied, in a letter dated December 17, 1789, “I thank you for the Sermon on sacred Music; I have read it with Pleasure—I think it a very ingenious Composition.”
Willard, Samuel.
The Complete Body of Divinity
. Boston, 1726.
This work was in Jane’s father’s library when she was growing up. Franklin mentions it in his autobiography.
Wollstonecraft, Mary.
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
1792.
It seems not altogether likely that Jane read Wollstonecraft’s treatise, but it is listed in Lathrop’s catalog. 25
Works printed by Benjamin Mecom in Boston, 1757–62.
Because it seems likely that Jane had a chance to read books printed by her son during his years in Boston, below is a list of Benjamin Mecom’s Boston output.
1757
C OTTON M ATHER .
God’s Call to His People.
1758
B ENJAMIN F RANKLIN .
Father Abraham’s Speech
.
J OHN M AYLEM .
The Conquest of Louisburg
.
———.
Gallic Perfidy
.
New-England Magazine
.
New-England Psalter
.
The Prodigal Daughter
.
J OSEPH S TEWARD .
Poor Joseph
.
1759
J AMES B URGH .
Britain’s Remembrancer
.
J OHN C USHING .
Gospel Ministers to Preach Christ
.
T HOMAS J ONES .
The Religious Remembrancer
.
I SAAC W ATTS .
Christian Discipline
.
1760
All Canada in the Hands of the English
.
W ILLIAM B ALCH .
Simplicity and Sincerity
.
W ILLIAM B URKE .
Remarks on the Letter
.
W. H. D ILWORTH .
Lord Anson’s Voyage Round the World
.
Directions Concerning Inoculation
.
J OHN D OUGLASS .
A Letter Addressed to Two Great Men
.
B ENJAMIN F RANKLIN .
The Beauties of Poor Richard’s Almanack for the Year 1760.
———.
Father Abraham’s Speech
.
———.
The Interest of Great Britain Considered
.
J AMES J ANEWAY .
A Seasonable and Earnest Address
.
R ICHARD L UCAS .
Rules relating to Success in Trade
.
J OHN M ELLEN .
A Sermon Preached at the West Parish.
A New Thanksgiving Song Revised.
J AMES O TIS J R .
A Dissertation on Letters
.
———.
The Rudiments of Latin Prosody
.
T HOMAS W ALTER .
The Grounds and Rules of Musick Explained
.
S AMUEL W OODWARD .
The Offices, Duties,
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