Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, July 31, 1744

July 31. 1744

Sir

The above is a Copy of my last (via Corke). 5 This encloses Bills for Twenty Pounds Thirteen Shillings Sterling, for which when receiv’d please to give my Account Credit, and send me by the first Ship a Fount of about 300 lb. weight of good new English Letter, which I shall want to compleat a little Printing house for our common Friend Mr. Hall. I send you per this Ship a Box containing 300 Copies of a Piece I have lately printed here, 6 and purpose to send you 200 more per next Ship. 7 I desire you to take the properest Measures for getting them sold at such a Price as they will readily fetch, and I will take Books of you in Exchange for them. This kind of Commerce may be advantageous to us both, and to Mr. Hall; since if [we] have a reasonable Sale where we live for such Things as we print, what we do over and above, and can get dispos’d of at a foreign Market, is almost so much clear Gain. I have only time to add, that I am, with sincere Regards Your obliged humble Servant

B Franklin