Oldalképek
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]

Franklin drew

a common English education. up a plan of an Academy to be erected in the city of Philadelphia, fuited to the ftate of an infant country," but in this, as in all his plans, he confined not his views to the prefent time only. He looked forward to the period when an inftitution on an enlarged plan would become neceffary. With this view he confidered his Academy as a foundation for posterity to erect a feminary of learning, more extenfive, and fuitáble to future circumftances." In pursuance of this plan the conftitutions were drawn up and figned on the 13th of November, 1749. In thefe twenty-four of the moft refpectable citizens of Philadelphia were named as truftees. In the choice of these, and in the formation of his plän, Franklin is faid to have confulted chiefly with Thomas Hopkinfon, Efq. Rev. Richard Peters, then fecretary of the province, Tench Francis, Efq. attorney-general, and Dr. Phineas

Bond.

The following article fhews a fpirit of benevolence worthy of imitation; and, for the honour of our city, we hope that it continues to be in force.

"In cafe of the inability of the rector, or any mafter, (eftablished on the foundation by receiving a certain falary) through ficknefs, or any other natural infirmity, whereby he may be reduced to poverty, the trustees fhall have power to contribute to his fupport, in proportion to his diftrefs and merit, and the stock in their hands."

The laft claufe of the fundamental rules is expreffed in language fo tender and benevolent,

R

fo truly parental, that it will do everlafting ho nour to the hearts and heads of the founders.

"It is hoped and expected, that the trustees will make it their pleasure, and in fome degree their bufinefs, to vifit the academy often; to encourage and countenance the youth, countenance and affift the masters, and by all means in their power advance the usefulness and reputation of the defign; that they will look on the ftudents as, in fome measure, their own children, treat them with familiarity and affection; and when they have behaved well, gone through their studies, and are to enter the world, they fhall zealoufly unite, and make all the intereft that can be made, to promote and establish them, whether in bufinefs, offices, marriages, or any other thing for their advantage, preferable to all other perfons whatsoever, even of equal merit."

The conftitutions being figned and made public, with the names of the gentlemen propofing themselves as truftees and founders, the defign was fo well approved of by the public-fpirited citizens of Philadelphia, that the fum of £.800 per annum, for five years, was in the course of a few weeks fubfcribed for carrying the plan into execution; and in the beginning of January following (viz. 1750) three of the schools were opened, namely, the Latin and Greek fchools, the Mathematical, and the English fchools. In pursuance of an article in the original plan, a school for educating fixty boys and thirty girls (in the charter fince called the Charitable School) was opened, and amidst all the difficulties with which the trustees have ftrug

gled in respect to their funds, has ftill been con- . tinued full for the fpace of forty years; fo that allowing three years education for each boy and girl admitted into it, which is the general rule, at leaft 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 purfuits, 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 correspondence abroad, to advance the reputation of the seminary, 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 truftces, a charter of incorporation, dated July 13, 1753, was obtained from the honourable proprietors of Pennfylvania, 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 col

"

leges and univerfities; for which his academy was intended as a nursery or foundation. To elucidate this fact, is a matter of confiderable importance in refpe&t to the memory and character of Dr. Franklin, as a philofopher, and as the friend and patron of learning and science; for notwithstanding 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 sciences, fuitable to the ftate of an infant country, and laying a foundation for pofterity to erect a feminary of learning more extenfive, and fuitable to their future circumfiances; 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 fcheme 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 circumstances of a young country, (meaning New-York) 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 at the head of both, where he ftill continues, after a period of

thirty-fix years, to prefide with diftinguished reputation.

From thefe letters alfo, the ftate of the academy, at that time, will be feen.

SIR,

Philadelphia, April 19, 1753:1

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

I believe the young gentlemen, your pupils, may be entertained and inftructed here, in mathematics and philofophy to fatisfaction. Mr. Aliiont, who was educated at Glafgow, has been long accustomed to teach the latter, and Mr. Grew the former; and I think their pupils make great progrefs. Mr. Alilon 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 instruction of thole who are engaged in higher ftudies. The mathematical school is pretty well furnithed with inftruments. The English library is a good one; and we have belonging to it a middling apparatus for experimental philofophy, and purpose fpeedily to complete it. The Loganian library,

* A general idea of the College of Marania.

The Rev. and learned Mr. Francis Alifon, afterwards D D. and Vice Provost of the College.

Mr. Theophilus Graw, afterwards profeffor of mathematics in the College.

Thofe affiitants, were at that time, Mr Charles Thompfon, late Secretary of Congrefs, Mr. Paul Jackson, and Mr. Jacob Dache.

« ElőzőTovább »