begins of late to apply himself to business, and I hope will become an industrious man. He imagined his father had got enough for him, but I have assured him that I intend to spend what little I have myself, if it please God that I live long enough; and, as he by no means wants acuteness, he can see by my going on, that I mean to be as good as my word.

Sally grows a fine girl, and is extremely industrious with her needle, and delights in her work. She is of a most affectionate temper, and perfectly dutiful and obliging to her parents, and to all. Perhaps I flatter myself too much, but I have hopes that she will prove an ingenious, sensible, notable, and worthy woman, like her aunt Jenny. She goes now to the dancing-school.

For my own part, at present, I pass my time agreeably enough. I enjoy, through mercy, a tolerable share of health. I read a great deal, ride a little, do a little business for myself, now and then for others, retire when I can, and go into company when I please; so the years roll round, and the last will come, when I would rather have it said, He lived usefully, than He died rich.

Cousins Josiah and Sally are well, and I believe will do well, for they are an industrious loving young couple; but they want a little more stock to go on smoothly with their business.

My love to brother and sister Mecom, and their children, and to all my relations in general. I am your dutiful son, B. FRANKLIN.

FROM CADWALLADER COLDEN TO B. FRANKLIN.

Instructers in Colleges and their Location. - Subjects to be studied. The Learned Languages.

SIR,

Coldenham, November, 1749.

I received, by the last opportunity from New York, the proposals relating to the education of youth in Pennsylvania. I have read them with much pleasure, and heartily wish the gentlemen success, that are endeavouring to promote so useful a design. I have no objection to any thing in the proposals. I am pleased with every part of them. Though I do not pretend to have my thoughts so well digested as yours are, who have applied yourself particularly to the subject, (for, from your generous attempts on several other occasions for the good of your country, I take you to be principally the author of that performance,) yet I believe you will not be displeased with any hints, which may come from others, though in themselves but trivial, when compared with the greatness of the subject.

While you keep the great end of education in view, that is, to enable men and incline them to be more useful to mankind in general, and to their own country in particular, and at the same time to render their own life more happy, you cannot be in danger of taking wrong steps, while all of them tend to that end. But I think one of the principal things for this purpose will be in the choice of the trustees, and of the rector who is to oversee the masters and scholars, and direct both their lessons and studies; and, in this choice, as great a regard must be had to the heart as the head. Such a person will find so much employment for every hour in life, that he will have no time to take care

of his own private affairs, and therefore it will be necessary that he should have so much encouragement by a proper salary, as to make him easy in this respect; and it may not be amiss for him to have likewise a small gratuity from every scholar, that, as his care may increase the number of scholars and the number will increase his trouble, so he may find some benefit to himself in it. I do not think it proper, that his whole subsistence should depend upon such gratuity, because that might make him too dependent on the humors of the scholars or their parents. It seems to me, that the least part of his encouragement should come that way. But, as to the masters or teachers, the greatest part may come from the rewards they are to receive from the scholars, as this is likely to make them the more assiduous; and, while they are under the direction of the rector and trustees, I can see no inconvenience likely to happen by it.

I am pleased with your mentioning agriculture as one of the sciences to be taught, because I am of opinion it may be made as much a science as any of those that are not purely mathematical; and none of them deserves so much to be taught as this, at least none more, since it is truly the foundation of the wealth and welfare of the country, and it may be personally useful to a greater number than any of the other sciences. For this reason there should be a professor on purpose, who should likewise have a contingent allowance given him for making experiments, and to correspond with noted farmers for his information.

For this purpose, and for several other reasons, I am of opinion the college would do best in the country, at a distance from the city.

The scholars would thus be freed from many temptations to idleness, and some worse vices, that they

must meet with in the city, and it might be an advantage to many children to be at a distance from their parents. The chief objection to the college being in the country is, that the scholars cannot acquire that advantage of behaviour and address, which they would by a more general conversation with gentlemen. But this may be remedied by obliging them to use the same good manners towards one another, with a proper regard to their several ranks, as is used among wellbred gentlemen, and by having them taught dancing and other accomplishments, an easy carriage and address in company, and other exercises usually taught to gentlemen. Their being obliged to declaim, or dispute, or act plays, may take off that bashfulness, which frequently gives scholars an awkwardness on their first appearance in public; and, as no doubt they must be allowed to go to the city sometimes, I am of opinion the disadvantages from the country are rather less than may arise from the college being in or near the

town.

It is a common opinion, that the power and strength of a nation consist in its riches and money. No doubt money can do great things; but I think the power of a nation consists in the knowledge and virtue of its inhabitants, and, in proof of this, history shows us that the richest nations, abounding most in silver and gold, have been generally conquered by poor, but, in some sense, virtuous nations. If riches be not accompanied with virtue, they on that very account expose a nation to ruin, by their being a temptation for others to invade them, while luxury, the usual consequence of riches, makes them an easy prey.

I would not oblige all the students to learn Latin and Greek. I would be so far from making the knowledge of those languages, or of any foreign language,

a condition of the scholar's being admitted into the college, that I would have all the sciences taught in English. It would be of greater service to the generality of the scholars, to have the most eminent English authors, both in prose and verse, explained to them by showing the beauties and energy of our own language, than to have the learned languages taught to them, who afterwards in their course of life perhaps may never make use of them. Nevertheless, they, who are designed for the learned professions of Divinity, Law, and Physic, ought to understand the learned languages; and merchants and others, who may have business with other nations, ought to understand the French at least; but in all cases our own language ought to be our principal care. I am, &c.

CADWALLADER COLDEN.

TO SAMUEL JOHNSON.*

Value of Education in promoting the Strength of a State and the Virtue of the People.-Increase of Congregations in Churches.

DEAR SIR,

Philadelphia, 23 August, 1750.

We received your favor of the 16th instant. Mr. Pe ters will hardly have time to write to you by this post, and I must be short. Mr. Francis spent the last evening with me, and we were all glad to hear, that you

* This letter was first printed in the PORT FOLIO, in the year 1809. The following notice is there prefixed to it. "Dr. Samuel Johnson was the first President of King's (now Columbia) College, New York, the venerable father of the Episcopal Church of Connecticut, and the apostle of sound learning and elegant literature in New England. It appears to have been written at the time of the first establishment of the College of Philadelphia, the presidency of which institution had been offered to