Study Edition · Essay 26
The Levee
Source: Written c. 1779 in France. Text from Benjamin Franklin: Representative Selections, ed. F. L. Mott and C. E. Jorgenson (1936), Project Gutenberg #35508. Archaic verb forms modernized; vocabulary kept and glossed.
A short, mischievous political sermon. Franklin rereads the first chapter of the Book of Job, where Satan appears in God's heavenly court and slanders the faithful Job, as if it were a scene at the morning reception (the “levee”) of an 18th-century king. His moral is pure American Revolution: if even God's court could be poisoned by a whispering courtier, never trust one man with power.
23 sentences: 8 simple, 10 moderate, 5 complex. Hover a number for its paraphrase; click it for the full note.
Key Vocabulary
- leveea king's morning reception, where courtiers gathered (from French lever, “to rise”)
- viz.namely; that is to say (Latin videlicet)
- calumnya false statement meant to damage someone's reputation
- detractionunfair criticism that lowers someone's reputation
- benignitykindness; gracious goodwill
- exemplifiedshown by example
- whencefrom where
- malignancemalice; a wish to do harm
- designingscheming; crafty
- for naughtfor nothing; without reward
- places and pensionsgovernment jobs and payments given as political favours
- divinesreligious scholars; clergymen
- industriouslybusily; with great effort
- interestedacting from self-interest (old sense)
- sapto weaken gradually from underneath
- absolutehaving unlimited power
- emolumentsalary or profit from a job
The Essay
In the first chapter of Job we have an account of a transaction said to have arisen in the court, or at the levee, of the best of all possible princes, or of governments by a single person, viz. that of God himself.1
At this levee, in which the sons of God were assembled, Satan also appeared.2
It is probable the writer of that ancient book took his idea of this levee from those of the eastern monarchs of the age he lived in.3
It is to this day usual at the levees of princes, to have persons assembled who are enemies to each other, who seek to obtain favor by whispering calumny and detraction, and thereby ruining those that distinguish themselves by their virtue and merit.4 And kings frequently ask a familiar question or two, of every one in the circle, merely to show their benignity.5 These circumstances are particularly exemplified in this relation.6
If a modern king, for instance, finds a person in the circle who has not lately been there, he naturally asks him how he has passed his time since he last had the pleasure of seeing him?7 The gentleman perhaps replies that he has been in the country to view his estates, and visit some friends.8 Thus Satan being asked whence he comes? answers, From going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it.9 And being further asked, whether he had considered the uprightness and fidelity of the prince's servant Job, he immediately displays all the malignance of the designing courtier, by answering with another question: Does Job serve God for naught?10 Have you not given him immense wealth, and protected him in the possession of it?11 Deprive him of that, and he will curse you to your face.12 In modern phrase, Take away his places and his pensions, and your Majesty will soon find him in the opposition.13
This whisper against Job had its effect.14 He was delivered into the power of his adversary, who deprived him of his fortune, destroyed his family, and completely ruined him.15
The book of Job is called by divines a sacred poem, and, with the rest of the Holy Scriptures, is understood to be written for our instruction.16
What then is the instruction to be gathered from this supposed transaction?17
Trust not a single person with the government of your state.18 For if the Deity himself, being the monarch, may for a time give way to calumny, and suffer it to operate the destruction of the best of subjects; what mischief may you not expect from such power in a mere man, though the best of men, from whom the truth is often industriously hidden, and to whom falsehood is often presented in its place, by artful, interested, and malicious courtiers?19
And be cautious in trusting him even with limited powers, lest sooner or later he sap and destroy those limits, and render himself absolute.20
For by the disposal of places, he attaches to himself all the placeholders, with their numerous connexions, and also all the expecters and hopers of places, which will form a strong party in promoting his views.21 By various political engagements for the interest of neighbouring states or princes, he procures their aid in establishing his own personal power.22 So that, through the hopes of emolument in one part of his subjects, and the fear of his resentment in the other, all opposition falls before him.23
Sentence Notes
In plain English: The first chapter of the Book of Job tells of an event at the court, or royal reception, of the best possible ruler, the best possible one-man government: that of God himself.
Why this phrase is worth keeping: Franklin sets up his trap: if even the perfect monarch's court goes wrong, what hope for human kings?
Reference & context: The Book of Job tells how God allowed Satan to test the faithful Job by taking away his wealth, children and health. “The best of all possible” echoes Voltaire's satire Candide (1759), which mocked the idea that this is “the best of all possible worlds.”
In plain English: At this reception, where the sons of God had gathered, Satan turned up too.
Reference & context: Job 1:6: “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.”
In plain English: The author of that ancient book probably based this scene on the courts of the Middle Eastern kings of his own time.
In plain English: Even today, royal receptions usually include rivals who try to win favour by whispering lies and insults, and so destroy people who stand out for their goodness and ability.
In plain English: And kings often ask each person in the circle a friendly question or two, just to show how kind they are.
In plain English: Both of these features are clearly shown in the Bible story.
In plain English: For example, if a modern king sees someone at court who hasn't been there for a while, he naturally asks how he's been spending his time since they last met.
In plain English: The gentleman might answer that he's been in the country looking over his estates and visiting friends.
In plain English: In the same way, when Satan is asked where he has come from, he answers, “From wandering back and forth across the earth.”
Why this phrase is worth keeping: A famous biblical phrase given a new, comic courtly meaning.
Reference & context: Job 1:7. Franklin's joke is that Satan answers exactly like a courtier back from a tour of his country estates.
Modernized: cometh → comes
In plain English: And when asked whether he had noticed how honest and loyal the king's servant Job was, he at once shows all the spite of a scheming courtier by answering with another question: “Does Job serve God for nothing?”
Reference & context: Job 1:8–9.
Modernized: Doth → Does
In plain English: “Haven't you given him enormous wealth and protected it for him?”
Reference & context: Paraphrasing Job 1:10.
Modernized: Hast thou not → Have you not
In plain English: “Take that away and he'll curse you to your face.”
Reference & context: Job 1:11.
Modernized: thee → you; thy → your
In plain English: In today's language: “Take away his government posts and salaries, and Your Majesty will soon find him voting with the opposition.”
Why this phrase is worth keeping: The essay's best joke: Satan's ancient slander translated into the cynical language of Georgian party politics.
Reference & context: In 18th-century Britain, the king's ministers kept members of Parliament loyal by handing out “places” (official jobs) and “pensions.” Critics called it corruption.
In plain English: This whispered accusation against Job worked.
In plain English: He was handed over to the power of his enemy, who took his wealth, killed his family and ruined him completely.
Reference & context: Job 1:12–19. Job loses his oxen, sheep, camels, servants and all ten of his children.
In plain English: Theologians call the Book of Job a sacred poem, and like the rest of the Bible it is understood to have been written to teach us.
Reference & context: Compare Romans 15:4: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning.”
In plain English: So what lesson are we meant to learn from this story?
In plain English: Never put one person in sole charge of your country's government.
Why this phrase is worth keeping: Franklin's moral, stated with biblical bluntness. It is the central principle of the American republic he was helping to create.
In plain English: If God himself, as a king, could for a time be swayed by slander and allow it to destroy the best of his subjects, how much harm must we expect from that kind of power in the hands of a mere man, even the best of men, from whom crafty, selfish and spiteful courtiers busily hide the truth and feed him lies instead?
Reference & context: Franklin wrote this in Paris during the American War of Independence (1775–1783), against the background of George III's rule and the French court of Louis XVI, where he served as American envoy.
In plain English: And be careful about trusting him even with limited powers, in case sooner or later he undermines and destroys those limits and makes himself an absolute ruler.
Reference & context: This was a real fear in 1787, when the US Constitution was debated. Franklin, then 81, argued at the Constitutional Convention for a weak, even unpaid, executive.
In plain English: By handing out government jobs he wins the loyalty of everyone who holds one, plus their many relatives and friends, and everyone who expects or hopes for one. Together they form a powerful party to push his plans.
Why this phrase is worth keeping: “Expecters and hopers of places” is a wry coinage for the crowd of job-seekers who keep any patronage system alive.
In plain English: Through deals that favour neighbouring countries or rulers, he gets their help in building up his own personal power.
In plain English: So, because some of his subjects hope to profit and the rest fear his anger, all opposition collapses before him.
Why this phrase is worth keeping: A concise analysis of how tyranny works: through hope and fear, the carrot and the stick.
Fun Fact
Franklin liked rewriting the Bible for fun. Right after this piece he printed a “Proposed New Version of the Bible,” turning Job 1 into fashionable court language: “And it being levee day in heaven, all God's nobility came to court,” and Satan explains that he has been “at my country-seat.” He also wrote a fake “lost chapter” of Genesis on religious tolerance and loved reading it aloud to unsuspecting friends, who searched their Bibles for it in vain.