The Commencement of 1763 held on 17 May, had the attendance of Dr. Franklin the only one of his College and Academy which won his presence, for he had sailed on his first Mission a month before the first Commencement, and before another he had sailed on his second mission. The Minutes of this meeting are comparatively meagre, but the faithful chronicler of all College events, the Pennsylvania Gazette of 26 May tells us how the Public Commencement was held at the College " in the Presence of a learned, polite and very brilliant Assembly. Every part of the public Hall was crowded with Spectators." But a more graphic account, and one worth transcribing here, is that of Dr. Peters to Dr. Smith in his letter of 28 May: 1
* * * I was forced to stay with the greatest reluctance till the very day before the Commencement which was held on the 1 7th instant before a very crowded audience. As it was Synod time, whilst only two of our own Clergy, Mr. Barton and Mr. Inglis could be spared from their Churches, being oblig'd to prepare their congregations for Whit Sunday which you know is a large Communion Day. Two of the graduates were preferred to vacant Tutorships, Davis 2 in the English School and Lang in the Latin School, and Mr. Hunt, of whom I have taken care for your sake,, will have a tutorship likewise in the English School which is full, in order to give Mr. Kinnersley leisure to teach all the boys of other schools that are wishing to learn how to read and speak properly in public. This you know has been disused and we have suffered much for want of it. 3 * * *
1 Pennsylvania Magazine, x. 350.
3 John Davis' name does not appear in the Treasurer's accounts.
8 This matter was the subject of a minute at the Trustees meeting of 13 June following Dr. Peters being present, as " some of the parents of the children had complained that their children were not taught to speak and read in publick." Mr. Kinnersley was called in who "declared this was well taught not only in the English School which was more immediately under his care, but in the Philosophy Classes every Monday afternoon and as often at other times as his other Business would permit." But it appeared to the Trustees that " no more could be done at present without partiality and great inconvenience * * * and they did not incline to make any alteration or to lay any Burthen upon Mr. Kinnersly. " A partial explanation of this may be in some of the parents resting under the belief that their children were not so favored as others in public speaking; but with Dr. Peters admission to Dr. Smith, the Trustees formal action must have been taken to shield Mr. Kinnersley. This action is so indefinite, and so contrary to that taken at the meeting of the Trustees on 8 February, 1763, on the motion of Dr. Franklin, that it can only leave an impress that some design existed to nurture rather the Classical and Mathematical branches of
