building." The subscription papers show that the motive behind the enterprise was threefold: "The Education of our Youth, a constant supply of our Ministry and perhaps a foundation for ye Conversion of our neighboring Heathen (Indians) to the Christian Faith." Some money was subscribed but not sufficient." In May, 1691, the General Assembly appointed Dr. Blair to go to England and solicit a charter and funds for a college in Virginia." He was requested to seek the assistance of the Bishop of London in obtaining a charter from the Crown. His instructions were quite full, but so great was the Assembly's confidence in his character and ability he was told to do as he should "think necessarie" in presenting the supplications to their majesties.

In June, 1691, Dr. Blair set sail. On arriving in London, in September, the difficulties which confronted him were discouraging." King William was in Flanders seeing to the affairs of the war in which England was involved; the Bishop of London from whom Blair was to seek advice was sick; the Archbishop of Canterbury, whom the king trusted wholly in ecclesiastical matters, was at Lambeth, and as the winter came on he was frozen up there for five weeks before he could get to London; Parliament and Council were completely absorbed in the business of the war. Though the situation was most discouraging, Dr. Blair made the very best of it. He idled no time away, but spent his spare months in trying to raise money for the college, and these efforts resulted eventually in the donation, known as the Boyle fund and other gifts, in all, several hundred pounds sterling. In obtaining the charter, Dr. Blair showed excellent judgment. Late in the fall when the Bishop of London recovered, Blair went to him with the

10

College Papers, bundle 636, p. 5.

"Hartwell, Blair and Chilton's Present State of Virginia, p. 70. 12 America and West Indies papers, bundle 638, p. 10.

"Historical Collections, Virginia. W. S. Perry, pp. 3-8 or Blair's letters.

project. He received him cordially and promised his support. He advised Blair to take the college business before the council and committee on plantations. Dr. Blair did not wish to do this, but desired to present it through the bishop directly to the king and queen. For, he said, he wished not only to obtain a charter, but also as large funds as possible for a college. He explained that the church party was in the minority in the council and that, while the council might grant a charter, it would not be inclined to make any gift of money. Dr. Stillingfleet, Bishop of Worcester, favored Blair in this plan and told him that he had the right idea about accomplishing his mission, and to this the Bishop of London then agreed." While waiting for the king to return to London and for him to attend to urgent war matters, Dr. Blair used the time in explaining to the bishop and the queen his mission, winning their favor, and preparing all things as far as possible before the petition for a charter should be presented to the king and the council." When the Archbishop of Canterbury came to London, he aided the cause. In company with the archbishop, Dr. Blair went to Queen Mary and made known his mission. The queen welcomed the Commissary and

66

graciously approved" the founding of a college in Virginia. Later, when the college proposal was mentioned to the king, he was much pleased with it and frankly promised to give something toward it, if he could find any revenues in Virginia fit to give. When the time arrived to present the petition formally to the Council, Dr. Blair, having been introduced by the Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Effingham, presented it in an appropriate manner, and when he closed his remarks his Majesty said: "Sir, I am glad that colony is upon so good a design and I will promote it to the best of my power." Dr. Blair was asked to give to the Bishop of London a scheme for the college

14 Perry, P. 5.

15

99 16

College papers, Blair's letters. 10 Perry's Historical Collection, Virginia, p. 6 (Blair's letters).

and an account of what was expected for it, that it might be brought before the Committee on Plantations. All necessary steps in regard to the matter having been taken, the charter was granted February 19, 1693, the institution to be known by the name of "The College of William and Mary," in honor of the king and queen. With the charter the king and queen gave toward the college nineteen hundred and eighty-five pounds, fourteen shillings and ten pence out of the quit-rents of Virginia." They also granted for the same purpose a tax of one penny on every pound of tobacco exported from Virginia and Maryland; the fees and profits arising from the office of surveyor-general, which was put under the control of the college; and twenty thousand acres of land, ten thousand of which lay south of the Blackwater and the other ten in the Pamunkey Neck." Dr. Blair was sent with a royal order to Seymour, the attorney-general, to issue a charter. Seymour hesitated. He argued that England was engaged in an expensive war and could not afford means to erect a college in Virginia. Dr. Blair explained that the institution was to educate young men to preach the gospel. He said the Virginians had souls to be saved as well as their English countrymen. To which Seymour replied, "Souls, damn your souls! Make tobacco!" Such were the obstacles that confronted Blair in this enterprise. While it is true that the bishops and others in authority encouraged and supported the educational ambition of the American colony, yet many Englishmen, business men and men of office, cared nothing for the intellectual welfare of Virginia. By them "all possible objections were made to the project, as a design that would take our planters off from their mechanical employments and make them grow too knowing to be obedient and submissive.' Their ideas were to use

" College papers.

99 19

"Charter (attached to William and Mary Catalogues, Richmond, 1870).

19

Bishop Burnet's History of His Own Time, p. 597.

the inhabitants of the colony as instruments out of which to make all the money they could. But the attorneygeneral swore to no purpose. Blair was not a man who could be baffled. He went after the charter and he obtained it. He brought it over to Virginia in the spring of 1693. By the charter Blair was "created and established first president during his natural life." The General Assembly also elected him president of the college." The charter provided for the organization of the institution, stating that the faculty of the college should consist of a president and six professors or masters, and that it should be a place of universal study of "Divinity, Philosophy, Languages and other good arts and Sciences." It provided a board of trustees, sometimes called visitors and governors, that should not exceed twenty in number." These chose the president, professors, rector, and chancellor. The rector of the college was appointed yearly. Dr. Blair was the first one. The chancellor was appointed every seventh year. Dr. Henry Compton, Bishop of London, was the first chancellor. The board of trustees or visitors had general control of the school. But the charter provided that after the college should be founded and erected, the trustees should grant and transfer to the president and professors the "Lands, Manors, Tenements, Rents, Services, Rectories, Portions, Annuities, Pensions, and Advowsons of the churches, with all other inheritances, franchises, possessions, goods, chattels and

20 Charter.

"Blair was allowed 250 pounds for his trouble in getting the charter.

"In the charter the first trustees of the college are mentioned, "Francis Nicholson, our Lieutenant-Governor in the Colonies of Virginia and Maryland. Wm. Cole, Ralph Wormly, William Byrd and John Lear, Esquires; James Blair, John Farnifold, Stephen Fouace and Samuel Gray, clerks; Thomas Milner, Christopher Robinson, Charles Scarborough, John Smith, Benjamin Harrison, Miles Cary, Henry Hartwell, William Randolph and Matthew Page."

Personal estate." This was to be done in order that the president and professors might not be interfered with in any way. These persons should also form a "body politic and incorporated in deed and name." The faculty had full and absolute power to nominate and elect one of their number, or any able man they wished, to the House of Burgesses to represent the interest of the college." The salary of the president was one hundred and fifty pounds a year, and that of professors eighty pounds each, together "with twenty shillings entrance, and twenty shillings a year, for pupilage for each scholar." " Such, in brief, was the organization of the College.

As soon as Dr. Blair reached Virginia in 1693 he turned himself to the task of having the college building erected. The plan of this had been prepared by Sir Christopher Wren. It was begun but was not completed before there was need of more money. The House of Burgesses strengthened the royal endowment by permanently levying an export duty, of an average of seven and one-half per cent, on furs and skins for the support of the college." Nicholson, then Governor of Maryland, entered heartily in the good work and gave one hundred and fifty pounds. A considerable sum of money, twenty-five hundred pounds or more, had been subscribed by Virginians, but only a very small part of it could be collected." First, they had subscribed, some to oblige and curry favor with his excellency "-the governor who had issued a brief for subscriptions, " others hoping and supposing it (the college project) would come to nothing, and others for the Commissary's sake, that they might not be thought singular and enemies to so good a worke, putt their hand to the Briefe and could never be reconciled to the college" afterward." These not only

23 Charter.

"The Present State of Virginia, Hugh Jones, p. 27.

25 Hening, iii, pp. 123, 124.

"Hartwell, Blair and Chilton's Present State of Virginia, p. 70. 27 O College papers.