ut Franklin, all absorbed in his social festivities,
his scientific researches, and his intense patriotic labors, could
find no time to devote to that subject--the immortal destiny of
man,--which is infinitely more important to each individual than all
others combined.[22] It was indeed a sad circle of unbelievers, into
whose intimacy Franklin was thrown. Dr. Priestly writes,

"In Paris, in 1774, all the philosophical persons to whom I
was introduced, were unbelievers in Christianity, and even
professed atheists. I was told by some of them, that I was
the only person they had ever met, of whose understanding
they had any opinion, who professed to believe in
Christianity. But I soon found they did not really know what
Christianity was."

[Footnote 22: Mr. Parton, in his excellent Life of Franklin, one of
the best biographies which was ever written, objects to this
withholding of the Christian name from Dr. Franklin. He writes,

"I do not understand what Dr. Priestly meant, by saying that
Franklin was an unbeliever in Christianity, since he himself
was open to the same charge from nine-tenths of the
inhabitants of christendom. Perhaps, if the two men were now
alive, we might express the theological difference between
them by saying that Priestly was a Unitarian of the Channing
school, and Franklin of that of Theodore Parker." Again he
writes, "I have ventured to call Franklin the consummate
Christian of his time. Indeed I know not who, of any time,
has exhibited more of the Spirit of Christ."--_Parton's
Franklin Vol. 1. p. 546. Vol. 2. p. 646._]

It was Franklin's practice to spend a part of every summer in
traveling. In 1767, accompanied by Sir John Pringle, he visited Paris.
With Franklin, one of the first of earthly virtues was courtesy. He
was charmed with the politeness of the French people. Even the most
humble of the working classes, were gentlemanly; and from the highest
to the lowest, he, simply as a stranger, was treated with
consideration which surprised him. He writes,

"The civilities we everywhere receive, give us the strongest
impressions of the French politeness. It seems to be a point
settled here universally, that strangers are to be treated
with respect; and one has just the same deference shown one
here, by being a stranger, as in England, by being a lady."

Two dozen bottles of po