Note 79 — § 3. FIRST VISIT TO LONDON.
Reading edition
[60] Responsible for the payment of a note.
[61] The owners or proprietors of Pennsylvania, which Charles II. had given William Penn, were Penn's sons. They lived in England.
[62] A street in London.
[63] A pistole was a Spanish gold coin worth about four dollars.
[64] A comedian of some note.
[65] A hackney writer, or hack writer, is one employed to write according to direction.
[66] Inns of Court in London, occupied by lawyers.
[67] Setting type.
[68] A celebrated physician and naturalist. To him Franklin wrote:
"
Sir
: Having lately been in the northern parts of America, I have brought from thence a purse made of the asbestos, ... called by the inhabitants 'salamander cotton.' As you are noted to be a lover of curiosities, I have informed you of this; and if you have any inclination to purchase or see it, let me know your pleasure by a line for me at the Golden Fan, Little Britain, and I will wait upon you with it. I am, sir, your most humble servant,
" B. Franklin."
[69] This press is now preserved at the Patent Office in Washington.
[70] A French expression meaning "welcome."
[71] Pieces in a font of type.
[72] "A printing house used to be called a chapel by the workmen, and a journeyman, on entering a printing house, was accustomed to pay one or more gallons of beer 'for the good of the chapel,'"—W. F. Franklin, quoted by Bigelow.
[73] "Never making," etc., i.e., never making a holiday of Monday. The heavy drinkers of Saturday night and Sunday needed Monday to recover from their excesses.
[74] The woman who, according to legend, wiped the face of Jesus on his way to Calvary, and carried away the likeness of his face, which had been miraculously printed on the cloth.
[75] A suburb of London, north of the Thames.
[76] Don Saltero had been a servant to Sir Hans Sloane, and had learned from him to treasure curiosities. He now had a coffeehouse at Chelsea.
[77] A name given to a part of London. The distance Franklin swam was about three miles.
[78] Settlement.
[79] Pay.
[80] This plan has never been found.