large/9176/mentorbenjaminfranklin_1509_librivox_64kb_mp3/mentorbenjaminfranklin_05_hart_64kb_13
large/9176/mentorbenjaminfranklin_1509_librivox_64kb_mp3/mentorbenjaminfranklin_05_hart_64kb
English
9176
Public business and long years of diplomatic service interrupted the original study of science to a great extent; but even so, in England, in France, and in the closing years of his life in Philadelphia, Franklin found time, now and then, to devote to that loving investigation of Nature, which, after his thirtieth year, became the great passion of his life. PUBLIC BUSINESS AND LONG YEARS OF DIPLOMATIC SERVICE INTERRUPTED THE ORIGINAL STUDY OF SCIENCE TO A GREAT EXTENT BUT EVEN SO IN ENGLAND IN FRANCE AND IN THE CLOSING YEARS OF HIS LIFE IN PHILADELPHIA FRANKLIN FOUND TIME NOW AND THEN TO DEVOTE TO THAT LOVING INVESTIGATION OF NATURE WHICH AFTER HIS THIRTIETH YEAR BECAME THE GREAT PASSION OF HIS LIFE
with various theatrical embellishments in the telling. “Franklin,” writes one of his biographers, “cannot be ranked among the great men of science, the Newtons, the Keplers, or the Humboldts, Huxleys or Darwins. He belongs, rather, in the second class, among the minor discoverers. But his discovery of the nature of lightning was so striking and so capable of arousing the wonder of the masses of mankind and his invention of the lightning rod was regarded as so valuable that he has received more popular applause than men whose achievements were greater and more important. His command of language had seldom been put to better use than in explaining the rather subtle ideas and conceptions in the early development of electricity. Even now, after the lapse of one hundred and fifty years, we seem to gain a fresher understanding of that subject by reading his homely and beautiful explanations; and modern students would have an easier time if Franklin were still here to write their text-books.” EAD OVER THE WORLD AND WITH VARIOUS THEATRICAL EMBELLISHMENTS IN THE TELLING FRANKLIN WRITES ONE OF HIS BIOGRAPHERS CANNOT BE RANKED AMONG THE GREAT MEN OF SCIENCE THE NEWTONS THE KEPLERS OR THE HUMBOLDTS HUXLEYS OR DARWINS HE BELONGS RATHER IN THE SECOND CLASS AMONG THE MINOR DISCOVERERS BUT HIS DISCOVERY OF THE NATURE OF LIGHTNING WAS SO STRIKING AND SO CAPABLE OF AROUSING THE WONDER OF THE MASSES OF MANKIND AND HIS INVENTION OF THE LIGHTNING ROD WAS REGARDED AS SO VALUABLE THAT HE HAS RECEIVED MORE POPULAR APPLAUSE THAN MEN WHOSE ACHIEVEMENTS WERE GREATER AND MORE IMPORTANT HIS COMMAND OF LANGUAGE HAD SELDOM BEEN PUT TO BETTER USE THAN IN EXPLAINING THE RATHER SUBTLE IDEAS AND CONCEPTIONS IN THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTRICITY EVEN NOW AFTER THE LAPSE OF ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS WE SEEM TO GAIN A FRESHER UNDERSTANDING OF THAT SUBJECT BY READING HIS HOMELY AND BEAUTIFUL EXPLANATIONS AND MODERN STUDENTS WOULD HAVE AN EASIER TIME IF FRANKLIN WERE STILL HERE TO WRITE THEIR TEXTBOOKS
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