Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/233

XXXI.

Meanwhile the work of the College proceeded amid all the clash of arms and wrangle of politics and the young men were being fitted for their stations in life by the faculty; the young Provost with his happy facility of devising pleasant exercises for the pupils and encouraging them by bringing them skillfully to the notice of the community, early arranged for one of the public exercises in which his management was so successful. Nothing could be more helpful to them as well as to the institution in furthering the interests of all than these efforts of Mr. Smith. Six months had not elapsed before he planned his first public exhibition of their oratorical powers, and 'the Pennsylvania Gazette of 14 November, 1754, affords us ajgraphic account of the entertainment in "Our Academy " which was of a novel character for the quiet city of Philadelphia, but full of great promise to all who had any interest in the furtherance of the cause of education in the Province. Last Tuesday the Students in Philosophy which compose the higher class in our Academy delivered a Series of publick Exercises before the Trustees. As their Exercises were the first of the Kind in our young Seminary, they drew together a large Audience of Ladies and Gentlemen, particularly his Honour our Lieutenant Governor; his Excellency John Tinker, Esq., Governor of Providence; the Honourable James Hamilton, Esq., our late Governor, with several other Persons of Distinction. The exercises were ushered in with a Prologue, which (excepting the Lines marked with the inverted Comma) was written by the ingenious young Author who spoke it. The marked lines were added or altered by the Hand that wrote the Epilogue, and digested the Whole. After the Prologue, the Exercises were as follows; ist On the Advantages of Education in General. 2nd An Enquiry into the several Branches of Education, in order to ascertain the just Importance or Moment of each. 3d. An Address to the Trustees of the Academy, and to his Honour the Lieutenant Governor, &c 4th On Logick 5th On Method 6th On Moral Philosophy 7th A Hymn to Philosophy