Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/22

18 a scrivener; Thomas Godfrey, the mathematician; Nicholas Scull, a surveyor; William Parsons, afterwards surveyor general; William Maugridge, "joiner, but a most exquisite mechanic;" Hugh Meredith, "a Welsh Pennsylvanian, thirty years of age, bred to country work," and afterwards his partner for twelve years in the Pennsylvania Gazette; Stephen Potts, "a young countryman of full age, of uncommon natural parts, and great wit and humor, but a little idle;" George Webb, "an Oxford scholar;" Robert Grace, "a young gentleman of some fortune, generous, lively and witty;" and lastly, "William Coleman, then a merchant's clerk, about my age, who had the coolest, clearest head, the best heart, and the exactest morals, of almost any man I ever met with. He became afterwards a merchant of great note, and one of our provincial judges," who also became one of the original trustees of the Academy and College in 1749, and remained Franklin's most faithful coadjutor in this work until his death in 1769.

The Club continued almost as long, and was the best school of philosophy, morality, and politics, that then existed in the province; for our queries, which were read the week preceding their discussion, put us upon reading with attention upon the several subjects, that we might speak more to the purpose; and here, too, we acquired better habits of conversation, everything being studied in our rules, which might prevent us disgusting each other.

From this quiet but influential centre grew in 1743 the institution of the first American Philosophical Society of which Thomas Hopkinson was the first President, which had not long existence, but was revived again by the greater organization of 1769, with Benjamin Franklin as its first President, though he was at the time absent in London representing his adopted province. Thus early did this young man display and exercise his rare leadership, and attract to his side men of thought and ideas; for one but twenty-two years of age to secure the attention of men, mostly his seniors, to weekly meetings for the discussion of useful and informing topics, indicates as great an instance as any displayed by him in later years of his strong