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that the project is not likely to be undertaken for many years to come-and having entertained another idea, which I hope may be found more extensively useful, I do hereby revoke and annul the bequeft, and direct that the certificates I have for what remains due to me of that falary, be fold towards raising the sum of two thoufand pounds fteiling, to be disposed of as I am now about to order.

It has been an opinion, that he who receives an estate from his ancestors, is under fome obligation to tranfmit the fame to pofterity. This obligation lies not on me, who never inherited a fhilling from any ancestor or relation. I fhall, however, if it is not diminished by fome accident before my death, leave a confiderable eftate among my defcendants and relations. The above obfervation is made merely as fome apo-> logy to my family, for my making bequefts that do not appear to have any immediate relation to their advantage.

I was born in Bofton, New-England, and owe my first instructions in literature to the free grammar-fchools established there. I have therefore confidered thofe fchools in my will.

But I am under obligations to the state of Maffachusetts, for having, unasked, appointed me formerly their agent, with a handsome salary, which continued fome years; and although I accidentally loft in their service, by tranfmitting Governor Hutchinson's letters, much more than the amount of what they gave me, I do not think that ought in the leaft to diminish my gratitude. I have confidered that, among artifans,

good apprentices are most likely to make good. citizens; and having been myself bred to a manual art, printing, in my native town, and afterwards affifted to set up my business in Philadelphia by kind loans of money from two friends there, which was the foundation of my fortune, and of all the utility in life that may be ascribed to me---I wish to be useful even after my death, ́ if poffible, in forming and advancing other young men, that may be serviceable to their country in both these towns.

To this end I devote two thousand pounds fterling, which I give, one thousand thereof to the inhabitants of the town of Boston, in Masfachusetts, and the other thousand to the inhabitants of the city of Philadelphia, in truft, to and for the uses, intents, and purposes, herein after mentioned and declared.

The faid fum of one thousand pounds fterling, if accepted by the inhabitants of the town of Boston, shall be managed under the direction of the felect men, united with the minifters of the oldeft epifcopalian, congregational, and prefbyterian churches in that town, who are to let out the fame upon intereft at five per cent. per ann. to fuch young married artificers, under the age of twenty-five years, as have ferved an apprenticeship in the faid town, and faithfully fulfilled the duties required in their indentures, fo as to obtain a good moral character, from at least two respectable citizens, who are willing to become fureties in a bond, with the applicants, for the repayment of the money fo lent with intereft, according to the terms herein after prefcribed

all which bonds are to be taken for Spanish mil led dollars, or the value thereof in current gold coin: and the managers fhall keep a book, or books, wherein shall be entered the names of those who shall apply for and receive the benefit of this inftitution, and of their fureties, together with the fums lent, the dates, and other neceffary and proper records refpe&ting the bufinefs and concerns of this inftitution: and as thefe loans are intended to affift young married artificers in fetting up their business, they are to be proportioned by the difcretion of the managers, fo as not to exceed fixty pounds fterling to one perfon, nor to be less than fifteen pounds.

And if the number of appliers so entitled Should be fo large as that the fum will not fuffice to afford to cach as much as might otherwife not be improper, the proportion to each fhall be diminifhed, fo as to afford to every one fome affiftance. These aids may therefore, be fmall at firft, but as the capital increases by the accumulated intereft, they will be more, ample. And in order to serve as many as poffible in their turn, as well as to make the repayment of the ,principal borrowed more eafy, each borrower fhall be obliged to pay with the yearly intereft one tenth part of the principal; which fums of of principal and intereft fo paid in, shall be again let out to fresh borrowers. And it is prefumed, that there will be always found in Bofton virtuous and benevolent citizens, willing to bestow a part of their time in doing good to the rifing generation, by fuperintending and managing this inftitutien gratis; it is hoped that no

part of the money will at any time lie dead, or be diverted to other purposes, but be continu ally augmenting by the intereft, in which cafe there may in time be more than the occafion in Bofton fhall require: and then fome may be fpared to the neighbouring or other towns in the faid state of Maffachusetts, which may defire to have it, fuch towns engaging to pay punctually the intereft, and fuch proportions of the principal annually to the inhabitants of the town of Boston, if this plan is executed, and succeeds, as projected, without interruption, for one hundred years, the fum will be then one hundred and thirty-one thousand pounds; of which I would have the managers of the donation to the town of Bofton then lay out, at their discretion, one hundred thousand pounds in public works, which may be judged of moft general utility to the inhabitants; fuch as fortifications, bridges, aqueducts, public buildings, baths, pavements, or whatever may make living in the town more convenient to its people,and render it more agreeable to strangers reforting thither for health, or a temporary refidence. The remaining thirty-one thousand pounds I would have continued to be let out to intereft, in the manner above directed, for one hundred years; as I hope it will have been found that the inftitution has had a good effect on the conduct of youth, and been of fervice to many worthy characters and useful citizens. At the end of this fecond term, if no unfortunate accident has prevented the operation, the fum will be four millions and fixtyone thousand pounds fterling; of which I leave

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one million and fixty-one thousand pounds to the difpofition and management of the inhabitants of the town of Boston, and the three millions to the difpofition of the government of the ftate; not prefuming to carry my views any. farther.

All the directions herein given respecting the difpofition and management of the donation to the inhabitants of Boston, I would have obferved refpecting that to the inhabitants of Philadelphia; only, as Philadelphia is incorporated, I request the corporation of that city to undertake the management, agreeable to the faid directions and I do hereby vest them with full and ample powers for that purpose. And having confidered that the covering its ground-plat with buildings and pavements, which carry off moft rain, and prevent its foaking into the earth, and renewing and purifying the fprings, whence the water of the wells muft gradually grow worse, and in time be unfit for use, as I find has happened in all old cities; I recommend, that, at the end of the first hundred years, if not done before, the corporation of the city employ a part of the hundred thousand pounds in bringing by pipes the water of Wiffahickon creek into the town, fo as to fupply the inhabitants, which I apprehend may be done without great difficulty, the level of that creek being much above that of the city, and may be made higher by a dam. I ifo recommend making the Schuylkill completely navigable. At the end of the fecond hundred years, I would have the difpofition of the four millions and fixty-one thousand pounds

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