Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/251

Rh fessor of the English Tongue and Oratory; but his want of success in training the lads discouraged him from inciting public exhibitions of their progress; and as Franklin ere long began his absences from Pennsylvania, the influence of the "Latinists," as he calls them, may have chilled any encouragement he sought in the faculty or the Trustees for the fuller development of his school. On Franklin's return home from his first mission, in November, 1762, he found this change in the English School, and at the meeting of 8 February 1763, we find this Minute, doubtless at his instance: The state of the English School was taken into consideration and it was observed that Mr Kinnersley's Time was entirely taken up in teaching little Boys the Elements of the English Language, 2 and that speaking and rehearsing in Publick were totally disused to the great Prejudice of the other Scholars and Students and contrary to the original Design of the Trustees in the forming of that school, and as this was a matter of great Importance it was particularly recommended to be fully considered by the Trustees at the next meeting. But consideration of this was not reached until the meeting of 12 April, at which only Messrs. Peters, Coleman, Duche, White, Stedman and Redman were present, when the following Minute appears: The State of the English School was again taken into Consideration, and it was the opinion of the Trustees that the original Design should be prosecuted of teaching the Scholars of that and the other Schools the Elegance of the English Language, and giving them a proper pronunciation, and that the old Method of hearing them read and repeat in public should be again used. And Mr. Franklin, Mr Coleman, Mr. Coxe, and Mr Duche were appointed a Committee to confer with Mr Kinnersley how this might best be done as well as what assistance would be necessary to give Mr Kinnersley to enable him to attend this necessary service, which was indeed the proper Business of his Professorship. Franklin's zeal and influence were felt, though his public duties forbad his regular attendance at the Trustees' meetings. In April he left for Virginia where he passed three or four weeks returning to Philadelphia in time to attend the meeting of the 2 In quoting this Minute in his Observations Franklin here inserts in parenthesis " (this is what it dwindled into, a school similar to those kept by old women, who teach children their letters)" Sparks, ii. 145.