ornton and others, who, being
formerly of the Board of Trust, had been in friendly relations with
the founder, and patronized and cherished the seminary, in the
jeopardies of its infancy. With his eyes invariably on the object, by
an introductory letter from Dr. Macclion, to Ralph Griffith, Esq., LL.
D., he obtained friendly access to Mr. Straghn, member of parliament
and the king's printer, and became acquainted with his son-in-law, Mr.
Spotswood. This respected gentleman, largely connected, and concerned
in the agencies of Scotland, took a benevolent and decisive part in
consulting, and adopting measures to restore the fund, at Edinburgh,
in the care of the Society, to its primitive channel. Communications
were opened--the bills were paid; and the way prepared for future
negotiations, till the Society were convinced of the justice of the
claim. The money has since been applied to the support of the school
in its original design; and arrearages of interest remitted to the
president to cancel the debts overwhelming the seminary. He, also,
while in England, as on the continent, procured some coins and
articles appreciated by the _virtuosi_. By the benevolence of Paul
Wentworth, Esq., Doctor Rose, and other friends to the college, some
valuable philosophical instruments were obtained, and others promised,
the making of which the two former kindly engaged to superintend, and
forward the whole, so soon as completed, to America. A way, besides,
was preparing to provide natural curiosities for a museum. Those
instruments, with their additions, well constructed, forming an
apparatus sufficient for all the more important experiments and
observations in Natural Philosophy, afterwards arrived; and at the
same time a curious and valuable collection of stones and fossils from
India, and different parts of Europe, for the museums from the
beneficent Mr. Forsythe, keeper of the king's gardens, at Kensington.
All these with costs of transportation, were gifts received at the
college, by the Trustees. Only a word more; a large and elegant gold
medal was presented by Mr. Clyde of London, to Dr. Wheelock, in his
official character. It is wholly irrelevant to our purpose, and
needless to speak of the personal civilities and friendly notices of
Lord Rawden, by whose goodness he was introduced at the House of
Lords, of Sir John Wentworth, Sir J. Blois, Dr. Price, and others,
besides those before mentioned.
"Within three months after the P
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