Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

y^e 5^th speech

May this joyfull day be agood Omen to your Excellency, to the ^Hon:ble Gentlemen of the
Council, to Commissioners of our County's and cheif City, and to us all, and to the
whole Christian world: This happy day, the Kalends of May, which deserves to
be distinguish'd by a white mark in our Kalendar: The day in which Learning
has made its first entrance among us. From this day we may date Virginia's
happiness; for by the Divine providence, The wise disposer of things and persons, it
is now come to pass, that Virginia which till of Late has had the misfortune to
be almost the only Countrey in all Christendome without learning, begins to be
the seat of polite Literature & the Liberal arts.

Ye have heard briefly of the Excellency and Utility of Learning; of the ad-
vantage of haveing it here at home, of the great assistance the contriveing of a
good Town at this place, would be to the Colledge; and there has been made an
honourable mention of our Benefactors, where we made our hearty acknowledge-
ments to our Patrons, for this Stately Structure, the ornament of our Countrey;
and for the Donations and yearly Revenues conferred on the Colledge; It remains
that we humbly beg of your Honours, and the honoured Burgesses of our General—
Assembly (whose example the whole Countrey readily imitates) to take our Colledge,
or rather your Colledge, into your protection; and to afford it only your countenance.
And this is the head to which I'm commanded to confine my discourse.

We remember with all thankfullness that General Assembly which projected this
foundation, of which almost all of you that constitute this were members.
'Twas certainly some good Angel that put it into your minds to consult in so excellent
a way the good of your Countrey & posterity. No doubt ye considered how indifferently
your Pulpits, your Benches, & your Bars were Supplyed, & how ye were forced to be
obliged to other Country's for Divines, Lawyers & Phisitians, and how sorrily ye were
most commonly provided; and saw there was a Necessity not only of haveing the minds
of your own Youth formed with Christian and Gentleman-like Principles, but of haveing
them instructed in these and the like necessary arts and sciences; that we might be
Supply'd as well as other Nations with able Justices, Religious Divines, Learn'd Lawiers
and skillful Phisitians of the Youth of our own Countrey.

Methinks We see alreddy that happy time when we shall surpass the Asiaticans
in Civility, the Jews in Religion, The Greeks in Philosophy, The Egyptians
in Geometry, The Phenicians in Arithmetick, and the Caldeans in Astrology. O happy
Virginia!

I want expression, my Patrons, to tell you what excellent service you have
done your Countrey, and will yet do it, in encourageing you this accession of Learning
and ingenious Arts with your Countenance.

Your countenance is all we crave, we ask neither silver nor gold, but only
that you would unanimously Lay aside all prejudicate opinions, against so good a
work as this Royal foundation, and would not Suffer your selves to be moved with
the rash and foolish clamours of afew, which find fault with, & speak evil of,
what they don't understand; and who noise it abroad that the Colledge will be
a charge to the Countrey; and all the while the common people be nothing the
better for't, both which to all thinking persons are equally and notoriously
false.

For is it no advantage to the people (to name no more) to have acertain
number of their Sons educated without cost, and to have their Benches every
where filled with able Judges.

And as to that other calumny, that it will bring a charge on the Country,
The whole world must needs admire this Colledges destiny, that though it brings
in some hundreds of pounds every year into the Countrey, by means of the
Funds what their Majesty's, as also the Court of Chancery in England, out
of the Estate of the Hon^ble M^r Boyle, have Settled upon it, Yet it should
be reported to be a charge: Just all one as if the people of England should say
that neither the King nor England are a whit the better for Virginia, when
it must needs be granted to be the richest pearle in the Crown, and the best
exhaust and market for the Manufactury's of England.

More might be said to convince the Enemies of so good a work, but being
well Satisfy'd of your good affection to it, We matter not who are disaffected.

Ye have already given such testimony's and Demonstrations of your
good will towards it, that we are confident ye will espouse its interest
against all its opposers.

There are few but know, ye at least know very well, that there are—
multitudes of Schools and Colledges in all parts of Christendom. And why should
Virginia be the only exception from so General a Rule? Is it that the Youth of
other Nations are more teachable, and we are made of a werser Mold? Have not
Virginians (to use the words of the Late Queen of blessed Memory, speaking of the
Colledge) souls as well as other men? Have not we capacity's, memories, and
Judgements? Has God almighty the common father of us all, given teachable
tempers to all others, and denyed them only to us? Or to what end are they given
us, if they are not to be cultivated and improved by Learning?

If I mistake not, and if we may believe our Masters, we are no less—
teachable, nay (with the good leave of other Nations) far more docile and
tutorable, then the generality of the Youth of other Countrey's. God and nature
as given us dispositions, so capable of instruction that we can even invent
without a teacher; and our minds are so happily framed to apprehend what
we are taught, that we seem to our selves, not so much to Learn them of
Our Masters, as to call them to mind of our selves, according to that ancient
opinion of Plato and Pythagoras of preexistent Spirits.

How many flourishing schools and famous Colledges are in England, &
shall we that are descended of English progenitors be against haveing so
much as one? Shall we not rather with one consent & accord, with one heart
and mind & will welcome the Muses into our Countrey? That the Nations
of America taking example from us, may be excited to the Study and—
exercise of Learning & verture, and may confess and acknowledge that the
Colledge of William and Mary in Virginia is the Mansion house of vertue, the
Parnassus of the Muses, and a Seminary of excellent men.

Orations or Speeches.
N^o 18