amitie amoureuse::In his london years every thursday he attended the club of honest whigs, and every monday a coffeehouse called the george and vulture amitie amoureuse

amitie amoureuse::In his london years every thursday he attended the club of honest whigs, and every monday a coffeehouse called the george and vulture.
His conviviality is part of my theme; but especially his congeniality with women.
Scientist and statesman, of course.
We bow to lending.
Above all he helped to design and invent the united states of america, and by example, to inspire the free and mobile society that inhabits our states.
But tonight i celebrate his relationships with and his treatment of women.
Let me dispose at once of any image of him as young playboy or old lecher.
He was always responsible in his relationships.
He helped to raise and educate temple franklin, the bastard son of his bastard son, who stayed loyal to him as grandfather.
She bore two children and managed his print house and bookkeeping.
She was halfliterate and afraid of the ocean; and so may be thought to have been spared the high politics and intellectual life of england and france.
In his duties overseas, franklin was absent fifteen of the last seventeen years of her life.
While i have my senses, and god vouchsafe me his protection, i shall do nothing unworthy the character of an honest man, and one that loves his family.
That is not to say that he lacked interesting friendships with other women.
Four long and intense ones are worth special mention: one american, one english, and two french.
Over the course of their lives they exchanged more than 40 letters.
He was 51 when he met her; she, 18.
Her intellectual quotient was high, like katie, and he talked science with her.
They exchanged 130 letters.
She, as a widow, was at his deathbed 33 years later.
Charles wilson peale came upon franklin one day in london, and later sketched what he saw: sitting with a young lady on his knee.
She is thought to be polly.
But we should not treat that as a tabloid photo.
He was sincere in urging polly to raise a family rather than pursue more learning.
Was a famous harpsichordist and a supporter of the american revolution.
When they met, she was 33 and married; he 71 and a widower.
In an eightyear relationship, he sent her 29 letters; she to him, 103.
She finally turned aside his inquiries about a more corporeal relationship.
Annecatherine helvetius was a lively and beautiful widow near 60 when she met franklin at age 73.
He eventually went beyond the bounds of his usual dance between sincerity and selfdeprecating playfulness.
He ardently proposed marriage to her.
She found this entreaty a bit wearying.
But when in the winter of 1785 he finally departed france, she was there, visiting his home.
Jefferson, his friend and successor in paris, noted on his last day before sailing that the ladies were smothering him with embraces.
He told franklin that as well as the duties transferred to him, he wished to have those privileges as well.
May his example of loving friendship enfold and inspire the members of our club named for him.