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produce　their　good；　&　gratitude　to　you　for　ages；　and　in　the　way　to

which　you　have　devoted　a　long　life；　that　of　spreading　light　among

men。




　　　　　　　　We　have　in　that　state　a　college　（Wm。　&　Mary）　just　well　enough

endowed　to　draw　out　the　miserable　existence　to　which　a　miserable

constitution　has　doomed　it。　　It　is　moreover　eccentric　in　it's

position；　exposed　to　bilious　diseases　as　all　the　lower　country　is；　&

therefore　abandoned　by　the　public　care；　as　that　part　of　the　country

itself　is　in　a　considerable　degree　by　it's　inhabitants。　　We　wish　to

establish　in　the　upper　&　healthier　country；　&　more　centrally　for　the

state；　an　University　on　a　plan　so　broad　&　liberal　&　_modern_；　as　to

be　worth　patronizing　with　the　public　support；　and　be　a　temptation　to

the　youth　of　other　states　to　come　and　drink　of　the　cup　of　knowledge　&

fraternize　with　us。　　The　first　step　is　to　obtain　a　good　plan；　that

is；　a　judicious　selection　of　the　sciences；　&　a　practicable　grouping

of　some　of　them　together；　&　ramifying　of　others；　so　as　to　adapt　the

professorships　to　our　uses　&　our　means。　　In　an　institution　meant

chiefly　for　use；　some　branches　of　science；　formerly　esteemed；　may　be

now　omitted；　so　may　others　now　valued　in　Europe；　but　useless　to　us

for　ages　to　come。　　As　an　example　of　the　former；　the　oriental

learning；　and　of　the　latter；　almost　the　whole　of　the　institution

proposed　to　Congress　by　the　Secretary　of　war's　report　of　the　5th

inst。　　Now　there　is　no　one　to　whom　this　subject　is　so　familiar　as

yourself。　　There　is　no　one　in　the　world　who；　equally　with　yourself；

unites　this　full　possession　of　the　subject　with　such　a　knowledge　of

the　state　of　our　existence；　as　enables　you　to　fit　the　garment　to　him

who　is　to　_pay_　for　it　&　to　_wear_　it。　　To　you　therefore　we　address

our　solicitations；　and　to　lessen　to　you　as　much　as　possible　the

ambiguities　of　our　object；　I　will　venture　even　to　sketch　the　sciences

which　seem　useful　&　practicable　for　us；　as　they　occur　to　me　while

holding　my　pen。　　Botany；　Chemistry；　Zoology；　Anatomy；　Surgery；

Medicine；　Natl　Philosophy；　Agriculture；　Mathematics；　Astronomy；

Geology；　Geography；　Politics；　Commerce；　History；　Ethics；　Law；　Arts；

Finearts。　　This　list　is　imperfect　because　I　make　it　hastily；　and

because　I　am　unequal　to　the　subject。　　It　is　evident　that　some　of

these　articles　are　too　much　for　one　professor　&　must　therefore　be

ramified；　others　may　be　ascribed　in　groups　to　a　single　professor。

This　is　the　difficult　part　of　the　work；　&　requires　a　head　perfectly

knowing　the　extent　of　each　branch；　&　the　limits　within　which　it　may

be　circumscribed；　so　as　to　bring　the　whole　within　the　powers　of　the

fewest　professors　possible；　&　consequently　within　the　degree　of

expence　practicable　for　us。　　We　should　propose　that　the　professors

follow　no　other　calling；　so　that　their　whole　time　may　be　given　to

their　academical　functions；　and　we　should　propose　to　draw　from　Europe

the　first　characters　in　science；　by　considerable　temptations；　which

would　not　need　to　be　repeated　after　the　first　set　should　have

prepared　fit　successors　&　given　reputation　to　the　institution。　　From

some　splendid　characters　I　have　received　offers　most　perfectly

reasonable　&　practicable。




　　　　　　　　I　do　not　propose　to　give　you　all　this　trouble　merely　of　my　own

head；　that　would　be　arrogance。　　It　has　been　the　subject　of

consultation　among　the　ablest　and　highest　characters　of　our　State；

who　only　wait　for　a　plan　to　make　a　joint　&　I　hope　successful　effort

to　get　the　thing　carried　into　effect。　　They　will　receive　your　ideas

with　the　greatest　deference　&　thankfulness。　　We　shall　be　here

certainly　for　two　months　to　come；　but　should　you　not　have　leisure　to

think　of　it　before　Congress　adjourns；　it　will　come　safely　to　me

afterwards　by　post；　the　nearest　post　office　being　Milton。




　　　　　　　　Will　not　the　arrival　of　Dupont　tempt　you　to　make　a　visit　to

this　quarter？　　I　have　no　doubt　the　alarmists　are　already　whetting

their　shafts　for　him　also；　but　their　glass　is　nearly　run　out；　and　the

day　I　believe　is　approaching　when　we　shall　be　as　free　to　pursue　what

is　true　wisdom　as　the　effects　of　their　follies　will　permit；　for　some

of　them　we　shall　be　forced　to　wade　through　because　we　are　emerged　in

them。




　　　　　　　　Wishing　you　that　pure　happiness　which　your　pursuits　and

circumstances　offer；　and　which　I　am　sure　you　are　too　wise　to　suffer　a

diminution　of　by　the　pigmy　assaults　made　on　you；　and　with　every

sentiment　of　affectionate　esteem　&　respect；　I　am；　dear　Sir；　your　most

humble；　and　most　obedient　servant。







　　　　　　　　〃A　SUBLIME　LUXURY〃




　　　　　　　　_To　Dr。　Joseph　Priestley_

　　　　　　　　_Philadelphia；　Jan。　27；　1800_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　In　my　letter　of　the　18th；　I　omitted　to　say　any

thing　of　the　languages　as　part　of　our　proposed　university。　　It　was

not　that　I　think；　as　some　do；　that　they　are　useless。　　I　am　of　a　very

different　opinion。　　I　do　not　think　them　essential　to　the　obtaining

eminent　degrees　of　science；　but　I　think　them　very　useful　towards　it。

I　suppose　there　is　a　portion　of　life　during　which　our　faculties　are

ripe　enough　for　this；　&　for　nothing　more　useful。　　I　think　the　Greeks

&　Romans　have　left　us　the　present　models　which　exist　of　fine

composition；　whether　we　examine　them　as　works　of　reason；　or　of　style

&　fancy；　and　to　them　we　probably　owe　these　characteristics　of　modern

composition。　　I　know　of　no　composition　of　any　other　antient　people；

which　merits　the　least　regard　as　a　model　for　it's　matter　or　style。

To　all　this　I　add；　that　to　read　the　Latin　&　Greek　authors　in　their

original；　is　a　sublime　luxury；　and　I　deem　luxury　in　science　to　be　at

least　as　justifiable　as　in　architecture；　painting；　gardening；　or　the

other　arts。　　I　enjoy　Homer　in　his　own　language　infinitely　beyond

Pope's　translation　of　him；　&　both　beyond　the　dull　narrative　of　the

same　events　by　Dares　Phrygius；　&　it　is　an　innocent　enjoyment。　　I

thank　on　my　knees；　him　who　directed　my　early　education；　for　having

put　into　my　possession　this　rich　source　of　delight；　and　I　would　not

exchange　it　for　anything　which　I　could　then　have　acquired；　&　have　not

since　acquired。　　With　this　regard　for　those　languages；　you　will

acquit　me　of　meaning　to　omit　them。　　About　20。　years　ago；　I　drew　a

bill　for　our　legislature；　which　proposed　to　lay　off　every　county　into

hundreds　or　townships　of　5。　or　6。　miles　square；　in　the　centre　of　each

of　which　was　to　be　a　free　English　school；　the　whole　state　was　further

laid　off　into　10。　districts；　in　each　of　which　was　to　be　a　college　for

teaching　the　languages；　geography；　surveying；　and　other　useful　things

of　that　grade；　and　then　a　single　University　for　the　sciences。　　It　was

received　with　enthusiasm；　but　as　I　had　proposed　that　Wm　&　Mary；　under

an　improved　form；　should　be　the　University；　&　that　was　at　that　time

pretty　highly　Episcopal；　the　dissenters　after　a　while　began　to

apprehend　some　secret　design　of　a　preference　to　that　sect　and　nothing

could　then　be　done。　　About　3。　years　ago　they　enacted　that　part　of　my

bill　which　related　to　English　schools；　except　that　instead　of

obliging；　they　left　it　optional　in　the　court　of　every　county　to　carry

it　into　execution　or　not。　　I　think　it　probable　the　part　of　the　plan

for　the　middle　grade　of　education；　may　also　be　brought　forward　in　due

time。　　In　the　meanwhile；　we　are　not　without　a　sufficient　number　of

good　country　schools；　where　the　languages；　geography；　&　the　first

elements　of　Mathematics；　are　taught。　　Having　omitted　this　information

in　my　former　letter；　I　thought　it　necessary　now　to　supply　it；　that

you　might　know　on　what　base　your　superstructure　was　to　be　reared。　　I

have　a　letter　from　M。　Dupont；　since　his　arrival　at　N。　York；　dated　the

20th；　in　which　he　says　he　will　be　in　Philadelphia　within　about　a

fortnight　from　that　time；　but　only　on　a　visit。　　How　much　would　it

delight　me　if　a　visit　from　you　at　the　same　time；　were　to　shew　us　two

such　illustrious　foreigners　embracing　each　other　in　my　country；　as

the　asylum　for　whatever　is　great　&　good。　　Pardon；　I　pray　you；　the

temporary　delirium　which　has　been　excited　here；　but　which　is　fast

passing　away。　　The　Gothic　idea　that　we　are　to　look　backwards　instead

of　forwards　for　the　improvement　of　the　human　mind；　and　to　recur　to

the　annals　of　our　ancestors　for　what　is　most　perfect　in　government；

in　religion　&　in　learning；　is　worthy　of　those　bigots　in　religion　&

government；　by　whom　it　has　been　recommended；　&　whose　purposes　it

would　answer。　　But　it　is　not　an　idea　which　this　country　will　endure；

and　the　moment　of　their　showing　it　is　fast　ripening；　and　the　signs　of

it　will　be　their　respect　for　you；　&　growing　detestation　of　those　who

have　dishonored　our　country　by　endeavors　to　disturb　our　tranquility

in　it。　　No　one　has　felt　this　with　more　sensibility　than；　my　dear　Sir；

your　respectful　&　affectionate　friend　&　servant。







　　　　　　　　THE　18TH　BRUMAIRE




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Breckinridge_

　　　　　　　　_Philadelphia；　Jan。　29；　1800_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favor　of　the　13th　has　been