This is a rather legendary tale about Franklin, oft told, maybe not true, but awesome nonetheless.
It comes from his long sojourn in France, when he was the darling of the world, the epitome of the new American, he WAS America. All the while trying to negotiate matters between France and the rebelling colonies. He was, at that time, one of the most well-known (if not the most well-known) faces in the world.
Franklin was playing chess with the Duchess of Bourbon, and she didn’t really know what she was doing, or how to play. She placed her king in check. Franklin, not following the rules either (but he KNEW he wasn’t following the rules) captured her king. She knew enough of chess to know that this was not right and scolded him. She said that in France “we do not take kings.”
Franklin replied, “We do in America.”
