r days, during which time Franklin was
loaded with civilities.

If these attentions were really designed to make Franklin more manageable,
as the representative of the colonies in the contest that was going on,
they wholly failed of their object; for in the negotiations which
followed, Franklin continued as firm and intractable as ever. In fact, not
long after this, he came directly into conflict with Lord Hillsborough
before the Board of Trade, when a certain measure relating to the
colony--one which Lord Hillsborough strongly opposed, and Franklin as
strenuously advocated--was in debate. At last after a long contest Franklin
gained the day; and this result so changed his lordship's sentiments
toward Franklin that for some time he treated him with marked rudeness. At
one time Franklin called to pay his respects to Lord Hillsborough on a day
when his lordship was holding a levee, and when there were a number of
carriages at the door. Franklin's coachman drove up, alighted, and was
opening the carriage for Franklin to dismount, when the porter came out,
and in the most supercilious and surly manner rebuked the coachman for
opening the door of the carriage before he had inquired whether his
lordship was at home; and then turning to Franklin he said, "My lord is
_not_ at home."

[Illustration: Franklin and Hillsborough.]

Lord Hillsborough, however, recovered from his resentment after this, in
the course of a year; and at length on one occasion his lordship called
upon Franklin in his room, and accosted him in a very cordial and friendly
manner, as if no difficulty between them had ever occurred.

In the mean time the determination in America to resist the principle of
the supremacy of Parliament over the colonies, became more and more
extended. A disposition was manifested by the several colonies to combine
their efforts for this end, and one after another of them sent out
commissions to Franklin to act as their agent, as well as agent for
Pennsylvania. Things went on in this way until a certain tragical affair
occurred in Boston, known generally in American accounts of these events
as the Boston massacre, which greatly increased the popular excitement
among the people of the colonies.

This massacre, as it was called, was the shooting of some persons in a
crowd in State-street in Boston, by the British soldiers. It originated
thus: A company of boys one day undertook to burn effigies of certain
merch