William Nixon to Benjamin Franklin, August 10, 1783

Off the Downes, 10th. August 1783.

May it please your Excellency

You will please to call to Mind that I presumed to inclose to your Excellency a little
Book, which I published, Viz. Prosody made easy . The very
polite Answer, which you returned, & your unexpected Liberality at so seasonable a
Time can never be forgotten by me. 4 The
Mode of paying the Debt due by me to you was such a Proof of Politeness, Liberality,
& universal Benevolence, as impressed me with the deepest Sense of the Favour. I
take the Liberty of troubling you with a short Specimen of a few little Books, which I
humbly hope would facilitate the Acquisition of the Roman Language &, by smoothing
the Way, give more Time for other Studies. Should the Plan merit your Approbation, I
would be proud of the Honour of being permitted to dedicate all the little Books
(mentioned in it, including the Prosody), to your Excellency, for I think your Name
would be an Advantage to me, & would be glad to make a public Acknowledgment of your
Kindness to me & Mankind in general. 5

The Letter, which you did me the Honour of sending me, when I was a Prisoner at
Valognes in Normandy about two years ago, would now, if I had it, be of much service to
me, because I am now sailing past the Downes on my Way to Portsmouth in Virginea, but
about half a year after I burnt it, on hearing, that some people had been lodged in
Newgate in London, on a Suspicion of holding a Correspondence with the Enemy & tho’
the Letter, which I had the Honour of having from your Excellency contained nothing
political, yet I then thought it prudent to annihilate it, tho’ I was very sensible,
that, being preserved, it might be one Day useful to me & answer the End of a Letter
of recommendation to a Professorship in some of the American Colleges, for you there did
me the Honour of saying, that there was no Doubt, but I would make a useful Member of
Society in America either as a Professor in a College or as a Clergy-man. The Colleges,
I suppose, will be re-established soon, and I humbly hope, that I am not altogether
unqualified for undertaking a Professorship in Latin, Greek, Logic, Geometry, Astronomy,
Natural or Moral Philosophy. I trust that I can produce such Testimonies, as may not be
disapproved of.

Tho’ I cannot ask, yet I cannot help wishing for a Letter from your Excellency, which
could not but be a most Advantageous Introduction of me into the new World to which I am
now bound. Should your Excellency think proper to honour me with an Answer, please to
direct to me in Portsmouth Virginea.

I have the Honour of remaining with much Gratitude your Excellency’s very much obliged
& very humble Servant

William Nixon