f him in the highest terms.
The motion was advocated too, by Lord Camden, another of the British
peers, who made an able speech in favor of it. On the other hand it was
most violently opposed by other speakers, and Franklin himself was
assailed by one of them in very severe terms. When the vote came to be
taken, it was lost by a large majority; and thus all hope of any thing
like a reconciliation disappeared.

[Illustration: Lord Camden.]

A great variety of ingenious devices were resorted to from time to time to
propitiate Franklin, and to secure his influence in America, in favor of
some mode of settling the difficulty, which would involve submission on
the part of the colonies. He was for example quite celebrated for his
skill in playing chess, and at one time he was informed that a certain
lady of high rank desired to play chess with him, thinking that she could
beat him. He of course acceded to this request and played several games
with her. The lady was a sister of Lord Howe, a nobleman who subsequently
took a very active and important part in the events of the revolution. It
turned out in the end that this plan of playing chess was only a manoeuvre
to open the way for Franklin's visiting at Mrs. Howe's house, in order
that Lord Howe himself might there have the opportunity of conferring with
him on American affairs without attracting attention. Various conferences
were accordingly held between Franklin and Lord Howe, at this lady's
house, and many other similar negotiations were carried on with various
other prominent men about this time, but they led to nothing satisfactory.
In fact, the object of them all was to bring over Franklin to the British
side of the question, and to induce him to exert his almost unlimited
influence with the colonies to bring them over. But nothing of this sort
could be done.

[Illustration: Mrs. Howe.]

Ten years had now passed away since Franklin went to England, and it began
to appear very obvious that the difficulties in which his mission had
originated, could not be settled, but would soon lead to an open rupture
between the colonies and the mother country. Franklin of course concluded
that for him to remain any longer in England would be of no avail. He had
hitherto exerted all his power to promote a settlement of the dispute, and
had endeavored to calm the excitement of the people at home, and restrain
them from the adoption of a