Benjamin Franklin and a Tutorial on Business Letters

April 6, 1777

"Sir, I have just been honoured with a Letter from you, dated 26th past, in which you express your self as astonised, and appear to be angry that you have no Answer to a Letter you wrote me of the 11th of Decemeber, which you are sure was delivered to me..... Whoever writes to a Stranger should observe 3 Points;

1. That what he proposes be practicable.
2. His Propositions should be made in explicit Terms so as to be easily understood.
3. What he desires should be in itself reasonable.

Hereby he will give a favourable Impression of his Understanding, and create a further Acquaintance... Now is happen'd that you were negligent in all these Points." --- Benjamin Franklin, in a tutorial on business letters from France to a stranger who identified himself only as "Lith".