Rare Benjamin Franklin Hoax of 1764

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Eric C. Caren - How History Unfolds on Paper:...

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Sep 8, 2017 - Sep 9, 2017

Set Reminder 2017-09-08 10:00:00 2017-09-09 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Eric C. Caren - How History Unfolds on Paper: Live Salesroom Auction https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/eric-c-caren---how-history-unfolds-on-paper-live-salesroom-auction-2575
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• Lot Description

  The St. James's Chronicle, or, the British Evening-Post. London: April 19-21, 1764. No. 488. 4pp, 11.5 x 16.5 in.

  On the second page, second column, is a letter to the printer:

  Sir,

  Some Time ago, being in Company with a Friend from North America, as well known throughout Europe for his ingenious Discoveries in natural Philosophy, as to his Countrymen for his Sagacity, his Usefulness, and Activity, in every public spirited Measure, and to his Acquaintance for all the social Virtues; the Conversation happened to turn on the Subject of Persecution. My Friend, whose Understanding is as enlarged as his Heart is benevolent, did not fail to urge many Unanswerable Arguments against a Practice so obviously repugnant to every Dictate of Humanity; At length, in Support of what he had advanced, he called for a Bible, and turning to the Book of Genesis, read as follows:

  Chap. XXVII

  And it came to pass, after these Things, that Abraham sat in the Door of his Tent, about the Going-down of the Sun.

  2 And behold, a Man, bowed with Age, came from the Way of the Wilderness, leaning on a Staff.

  3 And Abraham arose, and met him, and said unto him, Turn in, I pray the, and wash thy Feet, and tarry all Night, and thou shall arise early on the Morrow, and go on thy Way.

  4 But the Man said, Nay, for I will abide under this Tree.

  5 And Abraham pressed him greatly; so he turned; and they went into the Tent; and Abraham baked unleavened Bread, and they did eat.

  6 And when Abraham saw that the Man blessed not God, he said unto him, Wherefore dost thou not worship the Most High God, Creator of Heaven and Earth?

  7 And the Man answered and said, I do not worship the God thou speaketh of, neither do I call upon his Name; for I have made to myself a God, which abideth alway in mine House, and provideth me with all Things.

  8 And Abraham's [Zeal was kindled] {paper damaged at fold} against the Man, and he arose and fell upon him, and drove him forth with Blows into the Wilderness.

  9 And at Midnight, God called unto Abraham, saying, Abraham, where is the Stranger?

  10 And Abraham answered and said, Lord, he would not worship thee, neither would he call upon thy Name; therefore have I driven him out from before my Face into the Wilderness.

  11 And God said, Have I borne with him these hundred ninety and eight Years, and nourished him and clothed him, notwithstanding his Rebellion against me; and couldst not thou, that art thyself a Sinner, bear with him one Night?

  12 And Abraham said, Let not the Anger of my Lord wax hot against his Servant: Lo, I have sinned; forgive me, I pray thee.

  13 And he arose, and went forth into the Wilderness, and sought diligently for the Man and found him:

  14 And returned with him to his Tent; and when he had entreated him kindly he sent him away on the Morrow with Gifts.

  15 And God spake again unto Abraham, saying, For this thy Sin shall thy Seed be afflicted four hundred Years in a strange Land.

  16 But for thy Repentance will I deliver them; and they shall come forth with Power, and with Gladness of heart, and with much Substance.

  I own I was struck with the Aptness of the Passage to the Subject, and did not fail to express my Surprize that in all the Discourses I had read against a Practice so diametrically opposite to the genuine Spirit of our Holy Religion, I did not remember to have seen this Chapter quoted; nor did I recollect my having ever read it, though no Stranger to my Bible. Next Morning, turning to the Book of Genesis, I found there was no such Chapter, and that the whole was a well-meant Invention of my Friend, whose Sallies of Humour, in which he is a great Master, have always an useful and benevolent Tendency.

  With some Difficulty I procured a Copy of what he pretended to read, which I now send you for the Entertainment of your Readers; and you will perhaps think it not unseasonable at a Time when our Church more particularly calls upon us to commemorate the amazing Love of HIM, who possessing the Divine Virtue of Charity in the most supreme Degree, laid down his Life even for his Enemies.

  I am, Sir, your's &c. W.S.

  This is one of the earliest printings of Benjamin Franklin's "Parable against Persecution," printed just a few days after the earliest known print version in the London Chronicle, April 17, 1764, sent by William Strahan ("W.S."). Although Stahan claims to have "procured a copy with some difficulty," he does not say where he obtained it. Franklin reportedly was dismayed at this publication. Since it was now in print, "I was always unwilling to give a Copy of the Chapter for fear it should be printed, and by that means I should be depriv'd of the Pleasure I often had in amusing People with it. I could not however refuse it to two of the best Men in the World, Lord Kaimes and Mr. Small, and should not to the third, if he had not been a Printer. But you have overpaid me for the Loss of that Pleasure, by the kind things you have so handsomely said of your Friend in the Introduction."

  This parable has a complex bibliographical history, beginning with the fact that it apparently was not written by Franklin, but rather by Persian writer Sa'di, as translated by Georgius Gentius. When the charge of plagiarism was raised in Gentleman's Magazine by "H.S." in 1781, Benjamin Vaughan came to Franklin's defense, pointing out that it was Franklin who wrote it in the scriptural (King James) style. Franklin, himself, never claimed authorship. He also never gave it a title, referring to it sometimes as "the Chapter," and others as "the Chapter of Abraham and the Stranger." Today it is usually referred to as "A Parable against Persecution." At various times, it has been called Chapter 22, 25, 27 (as here), 39 and 51.

  Even Franklin's "translation" has a complex history, with at least two main versions and many variations of those (some by misprints, or spelling errors, etc.). For a full accounting of these, see "A Parable Against Persecution, [July 1755]" at the National Archives website [https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-06-02-0063].

  This version has been classified as a variant of the "Dick" version. After visiting Scotland in 1759, and "tricking" his friends, Lord and Lady Alexander Dick, Edinburgh physician, Franklin seems to have (eventually) sent a copy to Lady Dick, written in William Franklin's hand. The only copies surviving today in Benjamin's hand are in French. The primary difference in this from the Dick version is that verse 13 is divided into 13 and 14 in this printed version.

  Condition

  Top cropped, cutting off half of the top line of the masthead. Closely cropped columns on the remaining pages, though not much text is lost. There is some loss of text at the folds, which have scuffed and begun to separate, as in the above quote.

  Light toning and handling wear, as expected.

  
  
  toning throughout, but accentuated along edges of sheet, tape at top corners, mildly deckled edges at left, right, and bottom. Heavy toning on reverse of sheet.
  
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