Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/348

LIV.

Provost Smith, as has been seen, was detained in England longer than was anticipated, and he arrived home early in October, the day before the monthly meeting of the Trustees. On the 9th, only three of the Trustees being in attendance, Messrs. Peters, Stedman and Strettell, business was proceeded with, the Provost was received, and the pleasant event recorded at full in the Minutes : The Reverend Mr Provost Smith arrived yesterday from England and was very kindly and affectionately received. He expressed great concern for his long absence, and hoped that as he had obtained the Royal order in his favour, he should for the future be able to discharge his Duty without any interruption. He informed the Trustees that this Academy was in high Esteem in Great Britain and was well assured the Institution would find many warm and good Friends among the best personages in that King- dom, and having had the Honour of receiving the Degree of Doctor of Divinity from the University of Oxford which had been conferred on him at the joint request and recommendation of the Archbishop of Canterbury and many of the principal Bishops, he produced his diploma, the preamble of which being much to his credit, as well as the credit of this Seminary, is here inserted 1 [at full in the minutes in the original Latin]. But a more substantial gift than this was the subject of the next minute: The Provost likewise brought over with him, and delivered to the Trustees, a Deed of Gift from the Honorable Thomas Penn assigning over to them in their Corporate Capacity for the use of the Institution his fourth part of the Manor of Perkasie in Bucks County containing Two Thousand Five hundred Acres which the Trustees considered as a noble Benefaction from that worthy gentleman, and was received with a due sense of gratitude. Thomas Penn's concern for the College had been kept warm by his Secretary, the President of the Trustees, who had furnished him from time to time as we have seen with the work of the 1 This refers to him, reverendum et egregium virum Gulielmum Smith, ex Academia Aberdonensi in Artibus magistrum, et Collegii apud Philadelphiam in Pennsylvania Proepositum, etc., etc., but does not allude to Aberdeen's Doc- torate. In the Minutes of the Trustees the ex Academia Aberdonensis in Artibus Magistrum is omitted.