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in respect to their funds, has ftill been continued full for the space of forty years; fo that allowing three years education for each boy and girl admitted into it, which is the general rule, at least twelve hundred children have received in it the chief part of their education, who might otherwife, in a great measure, have been left without the means of inftruction. And many of those who have been thus educated, are now to be found among the most useful and reputable citizens of this ftate.

The inftitution, thus fuccefsfully begun, continued daily to flourish, to the great fatisfaction of Dr. Franklin; who, notwithstanding the multiplicity of his other engagements and pursuits, at that bufy ftage of his life, was a conftant attendant at the monthly vifitations and examinations of the schools, and made it his particular study, by means of his extenfive correfpondence abroad, to advance the reputation of the feminary, and to draw ftudents and scholars to it from different parts of America and the Weft Indies. Through the interpofition of his benevolent and learned friend, Peter Collinfon, of London, upon the application of the truftees, a charter of incorporation, dated July 13th, 1753, was obtained from the honourable proprietors of Pennsylvania, Thomas Penn and Richard Penn, Efqrs. accompanied with a liberal benefaction of five hundred pounds fterling; and Dr. Franklin now began in good earneft to please himself with the hopes of a speedy accomplishment of his original defign, viz. the establishment of a perfect inftitution, upon the plan of the European colleges and univerfities; for which his academy was intended as a nursery or foundation. To elucidate this fact, is a matter of confiderable importance in respect to the memory and character of Dr. Frank

lin, as a philofopher, and as the friend and patron of learning and fcience; for, notwithftanding what is exprefsly declared by him in the preamble to the conftitutions, viz. that the academy was begun for "teaching the Latin and Greek languages, with all useful branches of the arts and fciences, fuitable to the state of an infant country, and laying a foundation for pofterity to erect a feminary of learning more extenfive, and fuitable to their future circumftances ;" yet it has been fuggefted of late, as upon Dr. Franklin's authority, that the Latin and Greek, or the dead languages, are an incumbrance upon a scheme of liberal education, and that the engrafting or founding a college, or more extenfive feminary, upon his academy, was without his approbation or agency, and gave him difcontent. If the reverfe of this does not already appear, from what has been quoted above, the following letters will put the matter beyond difpute. They were written by him to a gentleman, who had at that time published the idea of a college, fuited to the circumftances of a young country (meaning NewYork), a copy of which having been fent to Dr. Franklin for his opinion, gave rife to that correfpondence which terminated about a year afterwards, in erecting the college upon the foundation of the academy, and establishing that gentleman as the head of both, where he ftill continues, after a period of thirty-fix years, to prefide with diftinguished reputation.

From these letters also, the state of the academy, at that time, will be feen.

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SIR,

Philad. April 19th, 1753.

I received your favour of the 11th inftant, with your new piece on Education, which I fhall carefully perufe, and give you my fentiments of it, as you defire, by next poft.

I believe the young gentlemen, your pupils, may be entertained and inftructed here, in mathematics and philofophy, to fatisfaction. Mr. Alison + (who was educated at Glasgow) has been long accustomed to teach the latter, and Mr. Grew the former; and I think their pupils make great progrefs. Mr. Alifon has the care of the Latin and Greek school, but as he has now three good affiftants §, he can very well afford fome hours every day for the inftruction of those who are engaged in higher ftudies. The mathematical school is pretty well furnished with inftruments. The English library is a good one; and we have belonging to it a middling apparatus for experimental philofophy, and purpofe fpeedily to complete it. The Loganian library, one of the beft collections in America, will fhortly be opened; fo that neither books nor inftruments will be wanting; and as we are determined always to give good falaries, we have reason to believe we may have always an opportunity of choofing good mafters; upon which, indeed, the fuccefs of the whole depends. We are obliged to you for your kind offers in this refpect,

* A general idea of the college of Mirania.

The Rev. and learned Mr. Francis Allifon, afterwards D. D. and vice-provost of the college.

Mr. Theophilus Grew, afterwards profeffor of mathematics in the college.

Thofe affiftants were at that time Mr. Charles Thomson, late fecretary of congrefs, Mr. Paul Jackson, and Mr. Jacob Duche.

and

and when you are fettled in England, we may occafionally make ufe of your friendship and judgment.

If it fuits your conveniency to vifit Philadelphia before your return to Europe, I fhall be extremely glad to see and converse with you here, as well as to correfpond with you after your fettlement in England; for an acquaintance and communication with men of learning, virtue, and public fpirit, is one of my greatest enjoy

ments.

I do not know whether you ever happened to fee the first propofals I made for erecting this academy. I fend them inclofed. They had (however imperfect) the defired fuccefs, being followed by a fubfcription of four thousand pounds, towards carrying them into execution. And as we are fond of receiving advice, and are daily improving by experience, I am in hopes we fhall, in a few years, fee a perfect inftitution.

1 am very respectfully, &c.

Mr. W. Smith, Long-Island.

SIR,

B. FRANKLIN.

Philad. May 3d, 1753.

Mr. Peters has juft now been with me, and we have compared notes on your new piece. We find nothing in the fcheme of education, however excellent, but what is, in our opinion, very practicable. The great difficulty will be to find the Aratus*, and other fuitable perfons, to carry it

* The name given to the principal or head of the ideal college, the fyftem of education in which hath nevertheless been nearly realized, or followed as a model, in the college and academy of Philadelphia, and fome other American fe minaries, for many years past.

into

into execution; but fuch may be had if proper encouragement be given. We have both received great pleasure in the perufal of it. For my part, I know not when I have read a piece that has more affected me-fo noble and just are the fentiments, fo warm and animated the language; yet as cenfure from your friends may be of more ufe, as well as more agreeable to you than praise, I ought to mention, that I wish you had omitted not only the quotation from the Review *, which you are now juftly diffatisfied with, but those expreffions of refentment against your adversaries, in pages 65 and 79. In fuch cafes, the nobleft victory is obtained by neglect, and by shining on.

Mr. Allen has been out of town these ten days; but before he went he directed me to procure him fix copies of your piece. Mr. Peters has taken ten. He purposed to have written to you; but omits it, as he expects fo foon to have the pleasure of feeing you here. He defires me to prefent his affectionate compliments to you, and to affure you that you will be very welcome to him. I fhall only fay, that you may depend on my doing all in my power to make your visit to Philadelphia agreeable to you.

Mr. Smith.

I am, &c.

B. FRANKLIN

Philad. Nov. 27th, 1753.

DEAR SIR,

Having written you fully, via Bristol, I have now little to add. Matters relating to the acade

my

*The quotation alluded to (from the London Monthly Review for 1749), was judged to reflect too feverely on the

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