Excellency,--

"We, the Ministers of the Congregational Churches in this Province of
New Hampshire under your Excellency's Government now assembled in an
Annual Convention in Somersworth, as has been our custom for several
years past, the design of which is to pray together for his Majesty
and Government, and to consult the interests of religion and virtue,
for our mutual assistance and encouragement in our proper business:
Beg leave to present a request to your Excellency in behalf of
literature, which proceeds, not from any private or party views in us,
but our desire to serve the Government and religion by laying a
foundation for the best instruction of youth. We doubt not your
Excellency is sensible of the great advantages of learning, and the
difficulties which attend the education of youth in this Province, by
reason of our distance from any of the seats of learning, the
discredit of our medium, etc. We have reason to hope that by an
interest among our people, and some favor from the Government, we may
be able in a little time to raise a sufficient fund for erecting and
carrying on an Academy or College within this Province, without
prejudice to any other such seminary in neighboring Colonies, provided
your Excellency will be pleased to grant to us, a number of us, or any
other trustees, whom your Excellency shall think proper to appoint, a
good and sufficient charter, by which they may be empowered to choose
a President, Professors, Tutors, or other officers, and regulate all
matters belonging to such a society. We therefore now humbly petition
your Excellency to grant such a charter as may, in the best manner,
answer such a design and intrust it with our Committee, viz.: Messrs.
Joseph Adams, James Pike, John Moody, Ward Cotton, Nathaniel Gookin,
Woodbridge Odlin, Samuel Langdon, and Samuel Haven, our brethren, whom
we have now chosen to wait upon your Excellency with this our
petition, that we may use our influence with our people to promote so
good a design, by generous subscriptions, and that we may farther
petition the General Court for such assistance, as they shall think
necessary. We are persuaded, if your Excellency will first of all
favor us with such a charter, we shall be able soon to make use of it
for the public benefit; and that your Excellency's name will forever
be remembered with honor. If, after trial, we cannot accomplish it, we
promise to return the charter with all thankfulness for your
Ex