years, was in the course of a few weeks fubfcribed for carrying it into execution; and in the beginning of January following (viz. 1750) three of the fchools were opened, namely, the Latin and Greek schools, the Mathematical, and the English schools. In purfuance of an article in the original plan, a fchool 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 ftruggled in refpect to their funds, has still 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 otherwise, in a great measure, have been left without the means of inftruction. And many of those who have been

been thus educated, are now to be found among the most useful and reputable citizens of this state.

The inftitution, thus fuccessfully 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 stage of his life, was a conftant attendant at the monthly vifitations and examinations of the fchools, 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 trustees, a charter of incorporation, dated July 13th, 1753, was obtained from the honourable proprietors

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prietors of Pennsylvania, Thomas Penn and Richard Penn, Efqts. accompanied with a liberal benefaction of five hun dred pounds fterling; and Dr. Franklin now began in good earnest to please himfelf with the hopes of a fpeedy accomplishment of his original defign, viz. the establishment of a perfect inftitution, upon the plan of the European colleges and universities; for which his academy was intended as a nursery or foundation. To elucidate this fact, is a matter of confiderable importance in refpect to the memory and character of Dr. Franklin, as a philofopher, and as the friend and patron of learning and fcience; 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 fciences, fuitable to the ftate of an infant country, and laying a foundation

foundation for pofterity to erect a feminary of learning more extenfive, and fuitable to their future circumstances;" yet it has been suggested 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 extensive feminary, upon his academy, was without his approbation or agency, and gave him difcontent. If the reverse 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 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,

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wards, 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 diftin guished reputation.

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

Sir,

Philad. April 19th, 1753.

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

de

I believe the young gentlemen, your pupils, may be entertained and inftructed here, in mathematics and philofophy, to fatisfaction. Mr. Alifon + (who was

* A general idea of the college of Mirania. The Rev. and learned Mr. Francis Alison, afterwards D. D. and vice-provoft of the college.

- educated