The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-07-25
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

and iimple. The hiitory Of poverty is uiuaiy
neither very various, nor very interefting. Thofc
who are accuhomed TO contemplate only the
ancient and exteniive literary establishments of
Europe, and who meaiure every object by Eu-
ropean ftandards, NUT look upon all that the
Weitern hemilphere has hitherto prefented, eff
pecially until within few years pait, as trivial
and unworthy of regard. But thoie who re-
collect the origin and progrefs of the fettements
which now form the United States, and who
make an impartial Ultimate of what may be iuft-
ly expected from people lituated as their inha-
bitants have been and are, will entertain more
relpe6ful opinion of the inall portion Of litera-
ture which our country contains.
The original iettiers in the American States
may be divided into three clailes, viz. /. Emf
grants from England, who fed from perfscu-
ton, and came to enjoy liberty of confidence {;
OF this clafs were the hrft fettlers in New
England. Q. Emigrants from the fame coun-
try, who were prompted chiefly by the hope of
temporal enolulnent OF this defcription were
the fri fettlers in Virginia ard the Carolnas. 3.
Emigrants from Sweden AID Holland, who plan
ted themfelves in New-York, and certain parts
OF New-Jerfey and Pennsylvania. The Engli!h
colony etablihed fome years afterwards in
Pennsylvania by the luxurious WILLIAM.PENN,
rs well rs that in Maryland by Lord BALTI-
MORE, may be coniidered as bearing the mix
cd character of iettements prompted both by
religious and worldly motives.
1t might have been expected that the cclonihs
OF New-England would be mott early and yea
lous in their attention to literature. Their cha
raGer, both for learning and piety, and the cir
cumfances attending their eitabifhment, were
fuiiicent pledge of their difpofiton to pro-
mote the interefs of knowledge, which they
we'll knew to be one of the mott important pill
lars of the church as well rs of the fate. Ac-
cordingly, during the greater part OF the feven-
teenth century, the literature OF the American
colonies was III agreat meaiure confined to New
England. There the firft College in America was
iritituted there the Erit printing PRES was eff
tablilhed - and thofe who are acquainted with
the characters of Hooker, Davenport, Stone,
Warham, Cotton, Dunfter, Eliot, the Mathers,
and other difinguifhed clergymen; and of
Winthrop, Haynes, Eaton, Hopkins, Wylys,
and Wolcet, eminent civilians of Mahachufetts
and Connecticut, need not be informed that the
number Of learned men, at that period in New
England, was by no means fnall.
The kind Of learning mott in vogue among
fuch of the clergy and laity of that country as
devoted themelves to ftudy, during the 9TH
century, was precifely that kind which was mott
faihonable in their native country when they
left it. Accordingly they were generally well,
and fome OF them profoundly, read in the Latin,
Greek, and Hebrew languages, in theology,
cient hileory, metaphysics, and fome parts fma-
lnctDdtiCGI anu ASTRONOMICAL lClSlCCs USIc IS
good reaion TO believe that the clergy and other
fcholars of New-England, for near an hundred
years after their irt fettlement, that is, till after
the commencement OF the eighteenth century,
were more eminent for claflical and theological
crudtion than men of the fame protection at this
day. They were, in particular, much better
acquainted with the Latin and Greek writer's
than their defendants can now boat of being
and many of them were matters of the Hebrew
lccted.
Beiides the eAablifhment ofa college in Maj
fachufetts the inhabitants of that colony direct
ed early ard particular attention to the erection
OF subordinate fchoos in every part of the coun.
try. In 641 the following law was enacted.
" IF any do not teach their children and apprcn-
tees 70 much learning rs may enable them to
read perfectly the Engl!h language, to forfeit
twenty lhillings; and fele6tmen Of every town
are required to know the fate of the families,
&C." Not long afterwards law was made,
that when any town increafed to the number of
one hundred families, they ihould fct up a gram
mar fchool, the mater thereof being able to in
fruct youth 70 far as they may be fitted for the
Univerlity, under certain penalties. To thefe
fchoo!s, after few years, academies were adj
ded thus forming a fyitem of general educa-
ton, which has been from time to time inpro-
we'd, and which in the eighteenth century be-
came one of the diftinguihed honourS of New
England.
1t was not till towards the clofe Of the feven- !
teenth century that fe5ninary of Respectable /
character, for general infru9ion in literature 8,
fcence, was eftablifhed in Virginia The orig- !
nal FILTERS nf that cc!3ay zero, il itvrid rel I
poets, of very different deGcription from their !
Countrymen who fettlcd in Tew-England But !
afinall portion Of them could boat of any con-
hderable requirements or taae in literature
A6tuated chiefly by the love OF gain in coming |
TO rude and uncutivated country, they direct |
cd their principal attention 10 this object, and |
neglected n1oH other concerns. BcGjes, not be- !
ing 70 much under the influence ofreligious prin- /
ciples as their eafen brethren,+ nor feeling in !
70 high degree the neceliity of literary innitu- !
tons for the promotion of ecclcliafica as well !
as civil PROPERTY, they might naturally have
been expected to be more Indifferent about !
their eGabliihment. And 70 crown all, !
being formed Of members who, though !
chiefly of one country, were lefq equal |
in Ration, lcls homogeneous in character, and |
leis united by common iiI6erngs, it was not to
be fuppoe.d that they would act with the fame
harmony aud zeaE,ir any pUrluit which had pub
Tic good For is object.
llcrce, during great part Of The f.Ycntcenth /
century, tic lonthern coloniGs paid but ltlc at
tcntiUn to literary in0itutions. Such as willed
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