Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/458

454 3 1 st. After Prayer, this Day's Business proceeded as follows: i. A For- ensic Dispute, "Whether the present Situation of the Earth, or the inclina- tion of its axis to the Plane of the Ecliptic, could be changed for the better ? ' ' The Bachelors' Degrees were conferred, as in the above List. 2. A Speech on the Beauty and Order of the Creation, by Mr William White. The Masters' Degrees conferred as in the above List and Mr Sayre spoke the Salutatory Oration. 3. The Provost then delivered a speech, in which he gave an interesting but brief account of the present state of the Institution and with becoming Gratitude, mentioned the Kind Patronage of his sacred Majesty, the hon'ble Proprietors, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the noble Benefactions he had received in England, by which the Col- lege is now placed on a more secure and lasting Foundation ; concluding the whole with an affectionate address to the young Gentlemen who had taken the Bachelors' Degree. Dr Morgan then finished the Remainder of his learned and elaborate Oration ; and the whole Business was concluded with a Dialogue, Air, and Chorus suitable to the Occasion, the Dialogue spoken by Mr R. Peters and Mr W. Kinnersley with great Propriety, and the air by Mr Bankson in the sweetest and most delicate manner. The Vice Provost dismissed the Audience with Prayers, and the young Gentle- men in their several parts of the Exercises did Honor to the Institution, the whole being conducted with the Utmost regularity and Ease, without the least confusion or Mistake. 3 Dr. Smith had desired the presence of the Rev. Mr. Whitfield at this Commencement and invited him to preach a sermon on the occasion, but his farewell sermon he had preached in St. Paul's Church on 22 May and on the 24th he left Philadelphia. 4 He had however, in writing on the 8th of this month to the Sec- retary of the Propagation Society, used the following language : "Mr. Whitfield is here, but will receive no invitation from us to preach in our Churches, being determined to observe the same conduct as when he was here in October last, which our super- iors in England have approved." 5 But the Provost could rightly pursue a line of action with this great preacher in the building whose deed contained a proviso that he should preach there at will, different from that of a Church of England divine in admitting 3 The Solo air on Peace was sung by Master Bankson of the junior Philosophy Class with such an exquisite sweetness and Delicacy of Voice that the whole audi- ence was charmed with the Performance. Pennsylvania Gazette ', 6 June, 1765. 5 Smith, i. 384.
 * Pennsylvania Gazette. Smith, i. 363.