Jefferson ordered this edition from Samuel Pleasants of Richmond in a letter dated from Monticello August 11, 1813. The books were sent on August 17, price $ 10.00 .

In 1817 Duane added a sixth volume. The title reads the same as far as containing, and then continues: his Diplomatic Correspondence, as Minister of the United States, at the Court of Versailles; his Private Epistolary Correspondence, Miscellaneous, Literary, and Philosophical Subjects, between the Years 1753 and 1790, developing the Secret History of his Political Transactions and Negotiations. Published from the Originals by his Grandson, Wm. Temple Franklin.

Concerning the publication of this volume Duane wrote to Jefferson from Philadelphia on August 17, 1810: “. . . There is another circumstance upon which I meant to write you on some day--It was mentioned to me, that on your passage thro’ this city several years ago, Dr Franklin put into your hands a manuscript, entreating you to keep it, and as the fittest person to trust it to; that you returned it, and it was put into your hands again; but that on the death of that great man, you conceived yourself bound to put the Manuscript in the hands of Mr Temple Franklin as his grandfathers legatee; and thus it is lost to the world, unless a copy of it was preserved by you for posterity; it was suggested to me that this was the case; from what I learn of Mr T. F.’s course in Paris, there appears to me no hope of the most valuable part of the Doctor’s writings ever appearing; and it would be at least useful, if no copy exists, to be certain that this anecdote is truly stated. I have obtained from the venerable Cha ^s Thomson the Journals of D ^r F. Mr Adams, and Mr Jay; but Mr Adams’s late publications shew how scanty his officially registered journal was. I was promised some more but although I have kept the Edition back now 18 months, with 4 volumes already printed ready fr [ sic ] delivery under expectation of gaining more materials for the biography, I have been disappointed. perhaps you may possess fragments concerning him epistolary or otherwise that at a favorable moment you might oblige me with. I should have paid you my respects personally long since had I not determined to consider your resolutions in preference to my own wishes . . .”

Jefferson replied from Monticello on September 16: “ . . . the anecdote respecting the paper put into my hands by D ^r. Franklin has not been handed to you with entire correctness. I returned from France in Dec. 1789. and in March following I went on to N. York to take the post assigned me in the new government. on my way through Philadelphia I called on D ^r. Franklin who was then confined to his bed. as the revolution had then begun, indeed was supposed to be closed by the completion of a constitution, and he was anxious to know the part all his acquaintances had taken, he plied me with questions for an hour or two with a vivacity, & correctness which astonished me. when I had satisfied his enquiries I observed to him that I had heard, & with great pleasure that he had begun the history of his own life and had brought it down to the revolution. (for so I ”