Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/372

368 can Colonies ; also nine sealed Performances for the Medal proposed for the best Classical Performance. After reading three of the English performances adjourn- ment was had until the Afternoon, when Messrs. Redman, Lawrence and Inglis and Dr. Morgan gave their attendance, and the other six pieces were read. The Trustees little thought that the Author of the Prize Essay was one of their afternoon's company. Rereading three of the pieces, the Medal was unanimously decreed to the Piece having the Motto ' ' Force may subdue, but Commerce &c," which on opening the cover answering to the Motto was found to belong to John Morgan, M. D. F. R. S. and Pro- fessor of the Theory and Practice of Physic in this College. The second also was judged a Masterly, judicious and Sensible Performance, well worthy of a Medal also, if there had been another for the same subject ; and the third was likewise greatly approved of as a spirited Performance, so far as it went ; and it was agreed that the Publication of both, together with the Prize Piece, would be of service at this Crisis ; which Determina- tion was accordingly inserted in the public Papers ; in Pursuance of which, Stephen Watts, M. A., the modest and candid author of the second Piece, directly disclosed his Name with his Consent to publish it with the Piece. The author of the third Piece gave the same Leave, but for particular con- siderations desired his Name not to be affixed. This was Joseph Reed, an early student of the College, 2 the young lawyer of Trenton, a graduate in 1757 of the Col- lege of New Jersey, who was now to receive the honorary Master's Degree from the Philadelphia College, and thus be brought within reach of the Sargent Medal ; and whose political prominence in the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was to connect his name closely with the ill fortunes of the College in 1779. Dr. Smith says of this, in his Preface to the Disserta- tions, the author of the third Dissertation, wrote concerning his piece, that he had but two days to spare, from a particular hurry of business in his possession, to prepare it in; and that so far from thinking it disgraced by being the third best, he would have rejoiced, for the honor of the Semi- nary in which he received his first education, if all the others had been superior also; and that if there were any observations in it which had not 2 He was entered by his father Andrew Reed in 1751 and appears in the list of students the two years succeeding.