Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/422

In his letter of 1 1 February, 1764, the Provost gave a brief summary of the results of the collection. I can now assure you that our share (including the Proprietors ^500} will amount to Six thousand pounds nearly and clear of all expenses. This tells well and will be a noble sum in your Currency. But you will not let your Draughts from the beginning exceed four thousand pounds, till I see you or send further advice, for I must return to Stratford before I embark and one of the last things I do . There are 96001 Briefs come in and 1500 not come in, but the greatest part will be ready by the ist March and then I go to make a settlement with them. * * * I begin next week to publish a List of the Whole Collection that every Contributor may see the exactness of the Account * * * I find the Dissenters have not contributed so much as I hoped ; but many others have far exceeded all hopes. The Quakers have returned all their Briefs blank. But I do not find that they have tried much to dissuade others from giving, and so far we are obliged to them. His last letter, dated 10 March, is submitted to the Trustees at their Meeting of 8 May. Since I came to London from Ireland, I began to recover my usual strength, have preached on the Brief in three Capital Churches where it had been delayed for that purpose, viz : St. Mary, White Chapel, St. George the Martyr, and Lambeth Church ; I have made great Collections in the Parishes belonging to them, and do not doubt if I could stay a Month or two longer I might add at least a thousand Pounds more to the Collection, as I have raised near one hundred Pounds one Week with another since my return to London, part of which was on the Brief, and Part in private Collections. But I am determined to embark for Philadel- phia the end of March, as I am thoroughly tired out, and long earnestly to be with my Family, and Mr Peters is urgent for my return that he himself might embark for Liverpool to see his Relatives. There are only about seven or eight parishes now in London, where the Brief has not been collected, and I have engaged some of my friends to preach in them, and to give all possible attention to the Collection. That his work had been well done and his labors constant are testified to by the results already portrayed, and there needs not the confirmation of his English supporters. Thomas Penn writes him, 9 April, 1764, " the great zeal with which you have sol- licited the Contributions for the Benefit of the College of Phila- delphia must entitle you to the Regard and Esteem of every Person that wishes well to the Province of Pennsylvania," and