Page:American History Told by Contemporaries, v2.djvu/285

No. 90] at which four young Gentlemen, who had before been graduated at the College at Cambridge, and one more, who had a private Education, received the Degrees of Master of Arts. This and several Commence ments following were held privately in the House of the Rev. Mr. Buckingham, because the Trustees by a preceding Act, had forbid all publick Commencements ; to avoid the Charge and other Inconveniencies attending them. . ..

The Trustees and the Colony in general were from the Beginning, not very well agreed in their Sentiments about the Place where to fix the College ; and most Men s Sentiments were influenced by their Situation ; and they generally chose that Place which would best accommodate themselves. Three or four Places were generally discoursed upon, viz. Saybrook, New-Haven, and Hartford or Weathersfield. The Scholars were also somewhat uneasy at their Situation, they thought that Saybrook was not compact enough for their Accommodation, since many of them were obliged to reside above a Mile from the Place of publick Exercises, and they were not pleased with their Instruction and Government ; there being no resident Rector, and the Tutors sometimes very young. . ..

The Collegiate School being in this broken and tottering State, the People in several Parts of the Country begun to Subscribe large Sums for Building the College, to induce the Trustees to set it where it would best accommodate them. About ₤. 700 Sterling was subscribed for New-Haven ; and tis said that about ₤. 500 Sterling was subscribed for Saybrook ; and a considerable Sum for Hartford or Weathersfield.

The Trustees met at the Commencement at Saybrook, September 12, 1716, and entered upon the Consideration of the State and Place of the Collegiate School, but not being perfectly agreed they adjourned to New-Haven, to meet on the 17th Day of October following. ..

And Voted, 'that considering the Difficulties of continuing the Collegiate School at Saybrook, and that New-Haven is a very convenient Place for it, for which the most liberal Donations are given, the Trustees agree to remove the said School from Saybrook to New-Haven, and it is now settled at New-Haven accordingly.'. ..

The Reason assigned by the Trustees in their Votes (and other Papers) for settling the College at New-Haven, were these ; the Difficulty of keeping it at Saybrook, which arose partly from the Uneasiness of the Scholars, partly from the continual Endeavours of some to carry it to Hartford, which they supposed to be at too great a Distance from the Sea, and would no ways accommodate the Western Colonies. That