I yet live in the little store house I erected for the use of the school, and which is now used for that purpose, on which account my family is much straitened for room, and I am not yet able to build for myself. I am sensible, that pensions have been much confined to a party; yet as his Majesty has been made, in some measure, sensible of the great utility of this undertaking to his American dominions, and has been graciously pleased, repeatedly to testify his royal approbation, and, especially, as the hearts of all are yet in God's hands, I am confident there is some hope of relief for me, by a proper application to him for it, which I wholly submit to your Lordship's wisdom.

God is graciously pleased to continue his loving kindness to this school, and the prospects are yet, I think, increasing. Some account of which, I have given the Honorable Trust, which, I suppose, your Lordship will see.

And, that God may graciously guide you, by his council, in your high and important sphere of action, and make you eminently, and very extensively useful to enlarge and build up the kingdom of his dear Son, is the earnest prayer of him, who begs leave, with sincerest duty, affection and esteem, to subscribe himself,

Your Lordship's most obedient and

Most humble servant,

Your brotherly letter of Feb. 20th, came to hand May 19th, on my arrival at Portsmouth, and was very refreshing to me. I have now snatched a minute to write to you; but am at a loss what to write; not for the want of matter, but because I

have so much. But, it is now, my dear Sir, but a little while, and, I hope, we shall meet, where we shall no more need the slow and imperfect manner and means, which we are now obliged to use, to interchange a little of our hearts; and have pain, that we neither give nor receive more in our correspondence. There we shall do it without interruption, as fully, freely, clearly, and swiftly, as thirst of soul and mutual love can dictate. And is this, my dear Sir, our hope through grace? Well then, let me be content to suspend the pleasure of such an interview with you, as I long for, to that happy period, when we may begin, and go through the whole detail of our journey through this thorny maze, and relate all the ways which the Lord our God has led us. In every passage of which, the glory of our great Redeemer will appear in its meridian lustre. This will be the book written not with ink; this the glorious medium of acquaintance with him, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints. Herein, especially, will shine forth that glory which shall be the object of our attention and admiration, and matter of our praise forever, John 17th, xxiv.

- I thank you and Mr. Keen for the friendship you have shown to Mr. BYou appear to have done the most faithful and friendly part in his case. Through want of health he is obliged to quit his studies, and, I fear, will never be able to pursue them further. He is gone home to his father's.

The church in this college and school consists of about 70 members, and near 50 of them are members of the collège and school. This I thought necessary to mention to you, not knowing but there may be some of your acquaintance who may have both ability and will, to contribute some decent furniture for the table of the Lord, as we have, as yet, none but the common utensils of my family.

You complain of failure of memory; I find it so with myself to a great degree; though I am not so old as you by some

years. I was 62 last May; but I do not impute this failure wholly to my age, but in some measure to a continual crowd of affairs.

I pray God to spare your valuable life for many years to come, and that the end of your usefulness may not have an early date.

I trust you will not cease to pray for me, and this dear cause which lies so near to your heart.

I find God is certainly a prayer hearing God, and I can bear witness to the truth of that precious word of Christ, “Ye shall ask what ye will in my name, and it shall be done." And I find (and especially when discouraged, and under rebukes of Providence) occasion to reflect with shame, and wonder at myself, that there is yet in me so much inadvertency, disinclination, and neglect to ask fervently. God says, open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. And I find it to be so, and give in to it. I think with my whole heart, that I am not straitened in him. Yet, after all, how soon I am straitened in my own bosom. And this my dear Sir, is the faulty cause of all my great leanness.

Please to accept most cordial affection from,

My dear and Honored Sir,

Yours, in the dearest bonds,

Mr. Samuel Savage.

ELEAZAR WHEELOCK.

My Dear Sir,

From the Hon. William Smith, Esquire.

New-York, August 31, 1773.

I congratulate you, most sincerely, upon the prosperity of the College under your care, concerning which, I have had favorable accounts from various hands, and some who attended your last commencement, of which they spoke with much pleasure.

Its friends here are of two sorts; such as wish well to it, from motives which induced you to erect it, and such as are willing to promote it, from its tendency to increase the value of the new patented lands on the west side of Connecticut river in that vicinity. But nothing can be raised for it in a way of subscription, unless a proper person is sent, to go about from house to house for collection. And this step I recommend to your consideration, with good hopes that it will answer your expectations. I think the gentleman you appoint for the service should be a clergyman of popular talents, who will be able to publish his errand from our pulpits, and procure collections from our own episcopal congregations, within the northeastern parts of our synod. That he may succeed among the Episcopalians, I think it will be necessary, that he bring letters from as many friends as you have in trade in Boston and New Hampshire, to our merchants; and some public recommendation from your governor and council, &c. &c. Letters of introduction from Mr. Wentworth, to Mr. Tryon, urging our attention to your undertaking, by all the principles of general benevolence and policy, by which he conceives we may be animated, either as christians, friends to humanity and science, or friends to our own interest in the growth of the notherly parts of this province.

I hope you have not omitted the present favorable opportunity which my lord Dartmouth's power* gives you, for the procuring an order for the grants of some valuable tract of land, with some inconsiderable reservation, or a suspension of the quit rents, for a long series of time. Bodies that live forever (as it is termed) should not slight these boons, which may one day, be necessary to their existence. The crown has granted a township to our New York College, another to Trinity church, and a third to the Dutch Calvanists, and lately absolved them from the payment of quit rents; so that you have prece, dent in your favor.

*Then Secretary of State.

1

I have taken some pains to convince my countrymen, that the institution under your direction will be of eminent service to the public, as well as beneficial to all that have estate in the new counties of Cumberland, Charlotte and Gloucester. And shall ever be ready in my small sphere to give success to any measures concerted for its lasting and most extensive utility. But I must, at the same time, declare, that until the nation shall undertake the work of civilizing the Indians, very little will be done, in my opinion, towards christianizing them. Unless more care is taken to establish a standing ministry on the edges of the interior frontier, among our own people, who, as they want the ordinary dispensation of the word, sink into barbarism, and become not only the corrupters, but the stum-" bling block of the savages. The interval between the Indians and the ordinances of the gospel has always been too great." And the most effectual way of bringing them nearer together would be by enabling the proprietors of large tracts upon the frontiers, to give and secure parsonages, and glebes to the new settlements of every protestant denomination. And there wants an instruction to the governors, enabling, and commanding them to give charters for the holding of lands to pious uses. Every other way of carrying the gospel standard into the wilderness will be too expensive a tax upon private charity. And if your ideas concur with mine upon this subject, I wish you would dilate the hint, and recommend it to Lord Dartmouth, who will, doubtless, rejoice in an opportunity of exerting himself in favor of a step, which, by humoring the avarice of landholders, will be advancive, not only of the interests of christianity; but the temporal weal of those plantations. When *. ministers are supported near the Indians, all along the conti-" nent, they may make excursions among them with care, and greatly relieve the burden that now lies upon our charity, and which is really too great for our abilities.

I am, Sir, with great respect,

Your most obedient servant,

WILLIAM SMITH.