PROSPECTUS OF THE COLLEGE.

NEW YORK, May 31, 1754.

ADVERTISEMENT.

To such Parents as have now (or expect to have) Children prepared to be educated in the College of New-York.

I. As the Gentlemen who are appointed by the Assembly, to be Trustees of the intended Seminary or College of New-York, have thought fit to appoint me to take the Charge of it, and have concluded to set up a Course of Tuition in the learned Languages, and in the Liberal Arts and Sciences: They have judged it advisible that I should publish this Advertisement, to inform such as have Children ready for a College Education, that it is proposed to begin Tuition upon the first Day of July next, at the Vestry Room in the new School-House, adjoining to Trinity-Church in New-York, which the Gentlemen of the Vestry are so good as to favour them with the Use of it in the Interim, till a convenient Place may be built.

II. The lowest Qualifications they have judged requisite in order to Admission into the said College, are as follows, viz. That they be able to read well, and write a good legible Hand; and that they be well versed in the Five first Rules in Arithmetic, i. e. as far as Division and Reduction; And as to Latin and Greek, That they have a good Knowledge in the Grammars, and be able to make grammatical Latin, and both in construing and parsing, to give a good Account of two or three of the first select Orations of Tully, and of the first Books of Virgil's Aeneid, and some of the first Chapter of the Gospel of St. John, in Greek. In these Books therefore they may expect to be examined; but higher Qualifications must hereafter be expected: and if there be any of the higher Classes in any College, or under private Instruction, that incline to come hither, they may expect Admission to proportionably higher Classes here.

III. And that People may be the better satisfied in sending their Children for Education to this College, it is to be understood that as to Religion, there is no Intention to impose on the

Scholars, the peculiar Tenets of any particular Sect of Christians; but to inculcate upon their tender Minds, the great Principles of Christianity and Morality, in which true Christians of each Denomination are generally agreed. And as to the daily Worship in the College Morning and Evening, it is proposed that it should, ordinarily, consist of such a Collection of Lessons, Prayers and Praises of the Liturgy of the Church, as are, for the most Part, taken out of the Holy Scriptures, and such as are agreed on by the Trustees, to be in the best Manner expressive of our common Christianity; and, as to any peculiar Tenets, everyone is left to judge freely for himself, and to be required only to attend constantly at such Places of Worship, on the Lord's Day, as their Parents or Guardians shall think fit to order or permit.

IV. The chief Thing that is aimed at in this College is, to teach and engage the Children to know God in Jesus Christ, and to love and serve him, in all Sobriety, Godliness, and Righteousness of Life, with a perfect Heart, and a willing Mind; and to train them up in all virtuous Habits, and all such useful Knowledge as may render them creditable to their Families and Friends, Ornaments to their Country and useful to the public Weal in their Generations. To which good Purposes, it is earnestly desired, that their Parents, Guardians and Masters, would train them up from their Cradles, under strict Government, and in all Seriousness, Virtue and Industry, that they may be qualified to make orderly and tractable Members of this Society; and, above all, that in order hereunto, they be very careful themselves, to set them good Examples of true Piety and Virtue in their own Conduct. For as Examples have a very powerful Influence over young Minds, and especially those of their Parents, in vain are they solicitous for a good Education for their Children, if they themselves set before them Examples of Impiety and Profanness, or of any sort of Vice whatsoever.

V. And, lastly, a serious, virtuous, and industrious Course of Life, being first provided for, it is further the Design of this College, to instruct and perfect the Youth in the Learned Languages, and in the Arts of reasoning exactly, of writing correctly, and speaking eloquently; and in the Arts of numbering and measuring; of Surveying and Navigation, of Geography and History,

of Husbandry, Commerce and Government, and in the Knowledge of all Nature in the Heavens above us, and in the Air, Water and Earth around us, and the various kinds of Meteors, Stones, Mines and Minerals, Plants and Animals, and of every Thing useful for the Comfort, the Convenience and Elegance of Life, in the chief Manufactures relating to any of these Things: And, finally, to lead them from the Study of Nature to the Knowledge of themselves, and of the God of Nature, and their Duty to him, themselves, and one another, and every Thing that can contribute to their true Happiness, both here and hereafter.

Thus much, Gentlemen, it was thought proper to advertise you of, concerning the Nature and Design of this College: And I pray God, it may be attended with all the Success you can wish, for the best Good of the rising Generations; to which, (while I continue here), I shall willingly contribute my Endeavours to the Utmost of my Power.

Who am, Gentlemen, Your real Friend And most humble Servant

SAMUEL JOHNSON.

N. B. The Charge of the Tuition is established by the Trustees to be only 25s. for each Quarter.

The foregoing advertisement appeared in the "NEW-YORK MERCURY," No. 95, and also in the "NEW-YORK GAZETTE; or WEEKLY POST Boy" of June 3, 1754, No. 592. The following notice was published in the latter journal on July 1, 1754, No. 596:

This is to acquaint whom it may concern that I shall attend at the Vestry Room in the School-House, near the English Church, on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week, between the Hours of Nine and Twelve, to examine such as offer themselves to be admitted into the College.

SAMUEL JOHNSON.

LETTERS PATENT OF THE TOWNSHIP OF

KINGSLAND.

George the third, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland king defender of the faith and so forth.

TO all whom these presents shall come greeting.

Whereas the Governors of the College of the Province of New York in the city of New York in America by their humble petition presented unto our late trusty and well beloved Sir Henry Moore, Baronet then our Captain General and Governor-in-chief of our said Province and read in our Council for our said Province on the fourth day of February which was in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty seven, did set forth among other things, that the petitioners being desirous of extending and rendering as beneficial as possible the laudable institution committed to their care which had been distinguished by the countenance, protection and liberality of our said late captain general and governor in chief's predecessors, had been at some pains in discovering a tract of vacant land in hopes that our said late captain general and governor in chief from a consideration that there was a similar provision for learning in other colonies might be induced to appropriate the same for the better support of an establishment, in the prosperity of which they conceived the public to be deeply interested. That there was a tract of land which tho' very distant and uncultivated, they hoped and under proper improvement might contribute to this end. Situate on the west side of Connecticut river within our said Province and called and known by the name of Dasham, bounded to the eastward by a tract of land then lately petitioned for and to be called Gageborough; to the southward by a tract of land commonly called or known by the name of Tunbridge, to the westward by vacant land, and to the northward by a tract of land then lately petitioned for under the name of Chatham, and extending so far westward as to comprehend the quantity of twenty-five thousand acres. And therefore the petitioners do humbly pray that our said late captain general and governor in chief would be favorably pleased by our letters pat

ent to grant unto them and their successors the tract of land above described and that the same might be erected into a township with the usual privileges WHICH PETITION having been referred to a committee of our Council for our said Province our said Council did afterwards on the twelfth day of the same month of February in pursuance of the report of the said committee humbly advise and consent that our said late captain general and governor in chief should grant the prayer hereof and whereas the said petitioners by their farther petition presented unto our trusty and well beloved Cadwallader Colden, esquire, our lieutenant governor and commander in chief of our said Province and read in our said Council on the seventh day of February now last past did among other things set forth, that on the thirteenth day of May which was in the said year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty seven a certain other tract of land was advised to be granted to Nathaniel Marston and his associates situate on the west side of Connecticut river bounded easterly by a tract of land commonly called or known by the name of Corinth and southerly by the above mentioned tract of land known by the name of Dasham, northerly by a line beginning at the west line of the said tract of land known by the name of Corinth at the distance of about four miles and an half from the southwest corner of the said tract of land known by the name of Corinth and running parallel to the north boundary line of the said tract of land known by the name of Dasham and westerly by a line from the north line of the said tract of land known by the name of Dasham continued westward to the said parallel line and at such a distance from the said tract of land known by the name of Corinth and parallel thereto as to comprehend twenty-four thousand acres. That the said Nathaniel Marston and his associates had relinquished their claim thereto, intending with the consent of the petitioners to apply for a grant of the tract first above described in lieu thereof, that neither of the said tracts of land though within the limits formerly claimed by the government of New Hampshire had ever been patented or granted under that government and therefore the petitioners did humbly pray that our said lieutenant governor and commander in chief would be favorably pleased to grant to them.