one of the best collections in America, will fhortly be opened; so that neither books nor in ftruments will be wanting; and as we are determined always to give good falaries, we have reafon 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, and when you are fettled in England, we may occafionally make use of your friendship and judg ment. If it fuits your conveniency to vifit Philadel phia before you return to Europe, I fhall be extremely glad to fee and converfe 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 enjoyments. I do not know whether you ever happened to fee the first proposals I made for erecting the Academy. I fend them enclosed. They had (however imperfe&) the defired fuccefs, being followed by a subscription 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, lee a perfect inflitution. I am very refpe&fully, &c. Mr. W. Smith, Long-Island. SIR, Philadelphia, May 3d, 1753. Mr. Peters has juft now been with me, and we have compared notes on your new piece. We may find nothing in the scheme 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 into execution; but fuch 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-so noble and just are the fentiments, fo warm and animated the language; yet as cenfure from your friends may be of more use, as well as more agreeable to you than praife, I ought to mention, that I wish you had omitted not only the quotation from the Reviewt, which you are now justly dissatisfied with, but those expreffions of resentment against your adverfaries, 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 pro'cure 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 seeing you here. He defires me * 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 Seminaries, for many years paft. The quotation alluded to (from the London Monthly Review for 1749.) was judged to reflect too feverely on the difcipline and government of the English universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and was expunged from the following editions of this work. to present his affectionate compliments to you? will be very welcome that you may depend on my doing all in my power to make your vifit to Philadelphia agreeable to you. Mr. Smith. I am, &c. B. FRANKLIN! Philadelphia, Nov. 27th, 1753. DEAR SIR, Having written you fully, via Bristol, I have now little to add. Matters relating to the Aca-, demy remain in ftatu quo. The truftees would be glad to see a rector established there, but they dread entering into new engagements till they are out of debt; and I have not yet got them wholly over to my opinion, that a good profeffor, or teacher of the higher branches of learning would draw fo many scholars as to pay great part, if not the whole of his falary. Thus, unless the proprictors (of the province) fhall think fit tợ put the finishing hand to our institution, it must, I fear, wait fome few years longer before it can' arrive at that state of perfection, which to me it feems now capable of; and all the pleasure I promised myself in feeing you fettled among us, vanishes into smoke. But good Mr. Collinfon writes me word, that no endeavours of his fhall be wanting; and he hopes, with the archbishop's affiftance, to be able to prevail with our proprietaries*. I pray God grant them fuccefs. *Upon the application of Archbishop Herring, and P. Collinfon, Efq. at Dr. Franklin's request, (aided by the let My fon prefents his affectionate regards, with, dear fir, Yours, &c. B. FRANKLIN. P. S. I have not been favoured with a line from you fince your arrival in England. Philadelphia, April 18th, 1754. DEAR SIR, I have had but one letter from you fince your arrival in England, which was a fhort one, via Bofton, dated October 18th, acquainting me that you had written largely by Capt. Davis-Davis was loft, and with him your letters, to my great difappointment.---Mefnard and Gibbon have fince arrived here, and I hear nothing from you. -My comfort is, an imagination that you only omit writing because you are coming, and purpole to tell me every thing viva voce. So not knowing whether this letter, will reach you, and hoping either to fee or hear from you by the` Myrtilla, Capt. Buddon's fhip, which is daily. expected, I only add, that I am, with great efteem and affection, Mr. Smith. Yours, &c. B. FRANKLIN. About a month after the date of this laft letter, the gentleman to whom it was addressed. arrived in Philadelphia, and was immediately placed at the head of the feminary; whereby ters of Mr. Allen and Mr. Peters) the Hon. Thomas Penn, Elq. fubfcribed an annual fum, and afterwards gave at leaft, 5000l. to the founding or engrafting the College upon the Academy, S Dr. Franklin, and the other trustees were eñabled to profecute their plan, for perfecting the inftitution, and opening the College upon the large and liberal foundation on which it now ftands; for which purpofe they obtained their additional charter, dated May 27th, 1755. Thus far we thought it proper to exhibit in one view Dr. Franklin's fervices in the foundation and establishment of this feminary. He foon afterward embarked for England, in the public fervice of his country; and having been generally employed abroad, in the like fervice, for the greatest part of the remainder of his life (as will appear in our subsequent account of the fame) he had but few opportunities of taking any further active part in the affairs of the feminary, until his final return in the year 1785; when he found its charters violated, and his ancient colleagues, the original founders, deprived of their truft, by an aft of the legiflature; and although his own name had been inferted among the new trustees, yet he declined to take his feat among them, or any concern in the management of their affairs, till the inftitution was restored by law to its original owners. He then affembied his old colleagues at his own house, and being chofen their prefident, all their future meetings were, at his request, held there, till within a few months of his death, when with reluctance, and at their defire, left he might be too much injured by his attention to their business, he fuffered them to meet at the college. useful Franklin not only gave birth to many inftitutions himfelf, but he was alfo inftrumen |