mddm 27: Franklin

[Bandwraith at aol.com]

I find it interesting that Ben ends up giving more info to
both Mason and Dixon than he gets from either of them. 
I wonder if in fact that was more his intention. He is so
adept. It is difficult to believe that the meeting between
M&D and Franklin is anything but planned, especially with
"Lewis" strategically planted in the alley.

And yet, he is so smooth that Mason and Dixon both are
given to think that it is they that have smoaked out his
apparent attempts to turn a profit, and that he is disorganized
and unfocused. Meanwhile, the seeds have been planted.

Franklin is way, way ahead of the game, but I'm not sure what
to make of his motives, or Pynchon's treatment of him here.
During this period, he would have been in his fifties, already
independently wealthy from a series of skillful business deals;
he was ruthlessly competitive, not always fair, and a very 
hard worker- besides a string of important inventions to his credit,
he would have already started the first lending library in America, 
the first fire brigade, the first philosophical society, founded 
the Pennsylvania Militia (to the chargrin of Penn) etc., etc. Of 
course, the honorariums and contacts with the R.S. are accurate, 
as well.

Apologies if this url on Franklin's Armonica has already been
posted:

http://www.glassarmonica.com/armonica/franklin/

Franklin is such a rich character, hard to mythologize, it is
fascinating to see Pynchon use him only as bit player. It begs
the question once again, does it not: Why M&D?