man of science. The universities of Oxford and Edinburgh honored him by
conferring upon him their highest degrees. He was now _Doctor_ Benjamin
Franklin. But in America people still thought of him only as a man of
affairs, as a great printer, and as the editor of _Poor Richard's
Almanac_.

All this happened before the beginning of his career as ambassador from
the colonies to the king and government of England.

I cannot tell you of all of his discoveries in science. He invented the
lightning-rod, and, by trying many experiments, he learned more about
electricity than the world had ever known before.

He made many curious experiments to discover the laws of heat, light,
and sound. By laying strips of colored cloth on snow, he learned which
colors are the best conductors of heat.

He invented the harmonica, an ingenious musical instrument, in which the
sounds were produced by musical glasses.

During his long stay abroad he did not neglect his scientific studies.
He visited many of the greatest scholars of the time, and was everywhere
received with much honor.

The great scientific societies of Europe, the Royal Academies in Paris
and in Madrid, had already elected him as one of their members. The King
of France wrote him a letter, thanking him for his useful discoveries in
electricity, and for his invention of the lightning-rod.

All this would have made some men very proud. But it was not so with Dr.
Franklin. In a letter which he wrote to a friend at the time when these
honors were beginning to be showered upon him, he said:

"The pride of man is very differently gratified; and had his Majesty
sent me a marshal's staff I think I should scarce have been so proud of
it as I am of your esteem."

* * * * *

XV.--THE LAST YEARS.

In 1776 delegates from all the colonies met in Philadelphia. They formed
what is called the second Continental Congress of America.

It was now more than a year since the war had begun, and the colonists
had made up their minds not to submit to the king of England and his
council.

Many of them were strongly in favor of setting up a new government of
their own.

A committee was appointed to draft a declaration of independence, and
Benjamin Franklin was one of that committee.

On the 4th of July, Congress declared the colonies to be free and
independent states. Among the signers of the Declaration of Independence
was Benjamin Franklin of Pennsyl