sidency of Mr. Leverett, as " in a neglected and unhappy condition," and as "betrayed into vile practices"-so much so, that he thought it his duty, in some instances, to stay at home at commencement, praying that the college" might be restored, and become again a nursery of piety," etc. He complains of the commencement seasons, as "time sorrily enough thrown away"-as "a senseless, useless, noisy impertinency." pp. 224, 527. In fact, he speaks of the college as having no proper chartered existence, and of its curators and officers as without legal authority. He talks about the "pretended president," and "those unaccountably called the overseers," and "the six men who call themselves the corporation." pp. 330, 583. He sides with malcontents, in opposition to the corporation; favors the establishment of Yale College; and endeavors to turn away the bounty of Mr. Hollis from Harvard to Yale. pp. 227, 523.

Several causes contributed to render Mr. Mather dissatisfied with the condition of the college, during the greater part of the administration of President Leverett-perhaps more so than he ought to have been. It seems, however, that he was not alone in these feelings of dissatisfaction. They became, at length, so great, and so general, that in 1723 the overseers were induced to take the matter up, and by a committee of visitation, to make diligent inquiry into the condition of the college.* In their report, this committee state, among other things," that there is too common and general a neglect of the stated exercises among the undergraduates ;"—that "there has been a practice of several immoralities; particularly stealing, lying, swearing, idleness, picking of locks, and too frequent use of strong drinks; which immoralities, it is feared, still con

A list of inquiries has been found, in the hand-writing of Cotton Mather, without name or date, but purporting to have been "prepared by some who have newly passed through the first four years of their being at college." President Quincy assumes that these were really prepared, about this time, by Cotton Mather; and that each of the inquiries is an indirect charge or accusation against the college. But it seems to me unfair, in direct contradiction to the language of the paper, to consider Cotton Mather as its author. And if he were its author, I consider it still more unfair, to construe his inquiries into charges or accusations. pp. 341, 559.

tinue in the college;"-"that the scholars are, many of them, too long absent from the college ;"-that they "spend too much of the Saturday evenings in one another's chambers;"and "that the Freshmen, as well as others, are seen, in great numbers, going into town on Sabbath mornings, to provide breakfasts." Only a few years later, though subsequent to the death of President Leverett, another committee of the overseers report as follows:

"That the government of the college is in a weak and declining state, partly through a deficiency of laws, and partly by reason of some disputes and difficulties which have arisen, respecting the execution of the laws in being;-that religion, one great end of that society, is much upon the decay; a manifest evidence of which is, that the worship of God in the hall is scandalously neglected, or but partially and not seasonably attended by many;--that great disorders have appeared of late amongst the students;-that some gross immoralities are growing, and many customs that have a bad influence are indulged; that the long accustomed method of instruction requires alterations, and the general condition of the college calls loudly for the interposition of the wisdom and authority of the overseers.' 319, 388.

pp.

It would seem from these public documents, that Mr. Mather's impressions as to the state of the college were not altogether without foundation. And the fact that he recorded them, not in a way of public accusation, but in his private writings, and as matter of lamentation before God, cannot reasonably be urged as any objection to his character.

As to the college commencements, at the period of which we speak, and a little later, we have other information besides that which Mr. Mather has afforded us. President Quincy himself says: "Great excesses, immoralities and disorders, occurred about this period (1727). These were particularly annoying at the commencement season." Five years before (in 1722) the corporation and overseers had made a law, prohibiting, under severe penalties, expensive entertainments, and the use of "distilled liquors, or any composition made therewith," in the students' rooms, at commencement. But the disturbances incident to the day not being prevented by these measures, a vote passed, in 1727, that commencements, for time to come, be more private than has been usual." The next year, a request was made to the civil authorities to interpose, and prevent "the setting up of booths and tents" on commencement days. A few years later, the civil authorities were requested

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to establish a patrol, on "the evening of commencement day, and the night following, and in and about the entry of the college hall at dinner time, to prevent disorders." pp. 386, 387. In view of a state of things such as these facts and records indicate, our readers will judge whether Mr. Mather is greatly to be blamed for describing the commencements as "time sorrily enough thrown away;" and for preferring, in some instances, rather to stay at home, and pray for the college, than to patronize, by his presence, such a "noisy impertinency."

But Mr. Mather used language which implied that the college had no proper legal existence. And this was the truth respecting it. When the colonial charter was vacated, in 1684, the college charter, in the judgment of all concerned, died with it ;* nor could it be revived or reanimated, but by the royal authority. And hence the efforts which were made, through a series of years, to frame or procure a college charter, which should have the approbation of the crown. But not succeeding in these efforts, in the year 1707, at the time of the election of President Leverett, Governor Dudley conceived a plan, as President Quincy says, "in the depths of his own mind," to revive, by mere provincial authority, the old charter of 1650; a thing which could not be legally done, and of the impossibility of doing which no man, probably, was more fully sensible than Dudley himself. Yet this rotten, illegal foundation was all the chartered foundation which the college had, during the times of which we now speak. Indeed, it had no better foundation, except as this was occasionally propped by some judicial decision or legislative sanction, down to the period of the American Revolution. No wonder, then, that Cotton Mather thought the college in a precarious and unhappy situation; being, in fact, no proper college, as having no legal, chartered existence. No wonder that he spoke of Leverett as the "pretended president," and of the overseers and corporation as being such only in name.

The malcontent, with whom Mr. Mather is thought to have sided, in opposition to the corporation, was a Mr. Pierpont, who having applied, in 1718, for his second degree, was refused, on the ground of certain allegations brought against him by a tutor. The corporation sustained the faculty in their decision

* In the elegant language of Governor Dudley: "The cow was dead, and therefore the calf was dead in her belly."

respecting Pierpont; upon which he immediately commenced a suit against the tutor, at common law. Of the particular circumstances of this case, no record has come down to us. It is certain that Mr. Mather sympathized with Pierpont, considering him as an "abused and oppressed" man. It is certain, too, that Governor Shute, and both the Dudleys, and many of the overseers, did the same. Indeed, the opposition to the course pursued by the faculty and the corporation had become so formidable, that it is hard to determine what the consequences might have been, had not the justices at common law, when the matter came before them, ordered the complaint to be quashed, and the defendant to be dismissed.

That Mr. Mather felt a deep interest in the establishment of the new college in Connecticut, and solicited for it the patronage of the Hon. Elihu Yale, intimating that his munificence might procure for it the name of Yale College--is all very true. But should this be urged against him, as an objection to his character? Or should it not rather be recorded to his honor? He loved Harvard College, and had given it many proofs of filial affection and gratitude. No one can read its history, in the Magnalia, and doubt this for a moment. But (unlike some men) his regards were not all circumscribed in a little circle around Cambridge. They were not to be confined to a single institution. He believed that a college was needed in Connecticut, and he felt disposed to assist it, by such means as he had at his control.

That Mr. Mather ever attempted to turn away the bounty of Hollis from Harvard to Yale College, there is absolutely no proof. In support of his charge to this effect, President Quincy has naught to rely on but bare suspicion. It seems that Governor Saltonstall, of Connecticut, inclosed to Mr. Jeremiah Dummer, of London, an anonymous letter to Mr. Hollis, "recommending to him the collegiate school at New Haven." But that Cotton Mather wrote this letter there is not a particle of proof. And if he did write it, or whoever wrote it, it does not appear that the object of the letter was to withdraw the charities of Mr. Hollis from Cambridge, but merely to "recommend the collegiate school at New Haven." Mr. Hollis might have done all that he ever did, or thought of doing, for the college at Cambridge, and might have liberally assisted New Haven too.

Another of President Quincy's objections to Cotton Mather SECOND SERIES, VOL. VII. NO. II.'

2

grows out of his treatment of President Leverett; more particularly that, in a letter written after his death to Mr. Hollis, he should denominate him an "infamous drone." The alienation of feeling between the Mathers and Mr. Leverett commenced about the year 1698, and grew out of the controversy respecting the Brattle-street church; Mr. Leverett earnestly advocating the innovations then attempted, and the Mathers as strenuously opposing them. The breach was still farther widened, through the influence of Governor Dudley, who, during the first half of his administration, seems to have made it an object to increase the prejudices existing between these men, and to profit by their differences. It is likely that Mr. Leverett, though a good man and a Calvinist, was never that holy, spiritual, engaged Christian, which Mather would have liked to see at the head of the college. This is evident from the general course of his life. He was first a preacher; then for many years a civilian; and after he came to the government of the college, he assumed the character of a minister again.* Still, he was not such a minister as Increase Mather; nor did he labor as President Mather was wont to do, for the conversion and salvation of his pupils. It was matter of earnest complaint with Chief Justice Sewall and others, during his presidency, that he did not expound the Scriptures to the students in the hall. p. 494. Still, I am of the opinion that the expression quoted above from Mr. Mather's letter to Hollis, was altogether too strong, and quite inexcusable. President Leverett could not, with any propriety of language, be called a drone-much less "an infamous drone." It is possible that Mr. Hollis did not read Mather's letter right, not being able to decipher his chirography. He complains, in one instance, that he could not

* See his name, among those of the "ministers in and around Boston," attached to several public papers in Turell's Life of Colman. President Quincy is mistaken in speaking of him as a layman.

It is related of Increase Mather, while president of the college, that he would frequently call the young men, one by one, into the library, and there, with the affection of a parent, and the fidelity of a minister of Christ, would confer with them respecting the salvation of their souls, and solemnly charge them to renounce their sins, to embrace the gospel, and to devote themselves to the service of God." See Allen's Biog. Dictionary, p. 566.