Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/462

458 our common cause. We at length, after a long and hard struggle, have gained so much ground, that there is now little doubt the Stamp Act will be repealed. 5 He gathered this not only from the debates in Parliament ; he could recognize in the course of his famous examination a few days before this in the House of Commons that his replies to their queries were having their effect on his auditors : The promptness and pertinency with which he replied to every ques- tion, the perfect knowledge of the subject manifested in his answers, his enlarged and sound views of political and commercial affairs, and the bold- ness and candor with which he expressed his sentiments, excited the sur- prise of his auditors, and were received with admiration by the public, when the results of the examination appeared in print. 6 Happy indeed was the coincidence that the tidings of the repeal, in which he had so effectual a part, reached his adopted city in time for his partner to issue a supplement (though we of to-day would call it an extra), copies of which were in the hands of many of the auditors who attended the glad Commencement of his College in 1766. The young graduates, whose Commencement Day had thus a historic significance, were Robert Andrews, Phineas Bond, son of Dr. Phineas Bond, and afterwards British Consul in Philadel- phia from 1791 to 1811, Samuel Boyd, Thomas Coombe, after- wards taking orders in the Church of England, 7 and for a brief period an assistant minister at Christ Church, Hans Hamilton, Thomas Hopkinson, also taking orders, 8 John King, Richard Lee, John Montgomery, also in orders, 9 Thomas Read, David 5 Bigelow iii. 457. 6 Sparks iv. 161-198. Mr. Vaughan's Notes fix the date : " 13 February, Ben- jamin Franklin having passed through his examination, was excepted from farther attendance." 7 17 October, 1771. 8 24 September, 1774. 9 23 July, 1770. He settled in Maryland, and while Rector of Shrewsbury Parish, married Margaret the daughter of Hon. Walter Dulany and niece of Hon. Daniel Dulany. Not sympathizing with the Revolution, he went to England with his family in 1778 and obtained a living in the Diocese of Hereford, subsequently becoming Vicar of Ledbury where he died in September, 1802, aged 55 years. From his daughter who married Rev. James Watts, M. A., who succeeded her father at Ledbury, descended her grandson, Rev. Robert Eyton, M. A., late Canon of Westminster.