[FRANKLIN, Benjamin (1706-1790) and David HALL (1714-1772), printers]. The Pennsylvania Gazette. Philadelphia: B. Franklin and D. Hall, 20 October 1748. No. 2036. Bifolium, 4to (311 x 210 mm), holes at centerfold, old staining and soiling, edges worn, a few small repairs. Woodcut vignette in masthead, woodcut vignette of a ship. REPORTING THE END OF KING GEORGE’S WAR. An exact printing of a letter appears here from Annapolist Royal (Nova Scotia) carrying the news that “Yesterday arrived the Greyhound Man of War from Louisbourg, and gives an Account of the Peace being signed, but not declared; and that the Dutch are to fortify Chebucto and Canso in Exchange for the Low Countries. This is the News from England; and the French of Nova Scotia made over to the French King; and Nova Scotia a Civil Government.” The Peace referred to is the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, signed on October 18, 1748, which put an end to the War of the Austrian Succession, which included King George’s War in North America, the third of the four French and Indian Wars. The result of the Treaty was the restoration of colonial borders in North America to their pre-war status, including the return to France of the fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, which had been captured by Massachusetts Governor William Shirley in 1745. The paper also carries notices of several runaway slaves and English and Irish servants. Franklin purchased the Pennsylvania Gazette in October 1729 and turned it into one of the finest and most influential newspapers of its time. Under his editorship, the Gazette became known for its witty and informative content, and it covered a wide range of topics, including news, opinions, advertisements, and educational content. Franklin used the Gazette as a platform to express his own views and promote civic engagement and public discourse. Outside of institutions, issues of the Gazette are among the scarcest examples of Franklin’s printing of this date.