L a n g u a g e .
Literature.
UmveriitieS.
On the termination of the war with England the rancour of -a few
propofed the adoption of a new language; and a wit. recommended the
Hebrew. The- Englifh however remains ; but within, thefe- te^'years
has become more and more corrupt, fo that a Britifh reader'fometiihes
cannot divine the meaning of an American phrkfe.^ Hence it m a *
forefeen that, in the courfe of a century br two, the North American
will have become an' entirely diftind dialed, perhaps as different .as Hie
Portuguefe from the Spanifh.
The books puhlifhed m BritiJh America were, chiefly of a rdpous
kind; and thofe of Mather printed in the end of the lyt^ce^ur'yfct
Bofton, concerning fome fuppofcd witches in that city, are remembered
on account of their fanatic, cruelty. But before the emancipation
Eranklin had become a diflinguifhed name in' letters g and many I fe r s
of coafiderable merit have 'fince^arifen in the United States. ' “Eferary
academies publifh their tranfaftfons ; while magazines andnew^aOers
contribute to the popular diffufion of ufeful knowledge. „ g « | p n
feemsalfoto attraâ more and more attention, and to be®pw|;ed in
■ numerous feminaries with the moft laudable care, 'in the^i^mÏKfn
■ provinees, called New England* fchook are eftablifhed in almofjj eVery
townfhip. Even the Catholics have a college in Maryland.
In New York a college was founded, by an a£t of'the: BnfMh parliament
175.4, which is now called Columbia Collège, and is fait tigjé
frequented by more, than one hundred Budents. Naflau Hall pas
founded at Prince Tow®, in New Jerfey,the ftudents being eftiniatài at:
eighty. In 1782 another foundation, called Wafhingtôî^Ccilîege,
arofe at Cheftertown in Maryland. Even in Tennaffee there is a^ptety
for promoting ufefal knowledge, which is far more laudable thaft tpofe
in fome countries for promoting ufelefs knowledge ;||nd
riaere is alfo an academy, with many grammar fohools. YalejRtege,
in Connedicut, was founded in 1717, and rebuilt iiy 17j o ; maintaining
about 130 {Indents.1 In Fennfylvania there are many jEforary
Societies, particularly the American Philofophîcal Society, formed in
1769; and which lias published in T'77i.ànd 1786 two v61ume| of
their tranfadions. The Univerfity of Pennfylvania was founded at
* Morfe, 358.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia during the war; -and feeing f e e united /withfecallege,,
has become refpedable feat of/learning.-. In this province there ate ’I1S3‘
alf® iBickenfon College, and TrfelinaGdlfege; *Har-ward •Univerfity,
in the province-of Maffachufetts, iwasrfimnded in fefigty a®d,is generally
regarded as- the^Mef foundation -in North* America'. : f e . f e 5 rfity of
‘"at T.ouifville’;-aiid> foike-jUstfe; provinces feoaft of tether
cdle^i, or rather considerable academies. Thefe jdetached inftitaitions
fteiif better, calculated for the promotion [of^knowledge, than haej,e±''
two great univerikiesh In.New MamlAird^BamroitMaU^e jwas
foundsd’ttn 1769, -for the inftnudie'n *of feTavages ;, but ihjfs efisnee be-
coif^an Sample "endowment for'the youth-of thepkthern :pEOvi®ces.*
With • regard 'toTWe fe'-Co^ifequence th e^ it^ ^ ’t y WMIe«^tates Cirie*.
muft5be thus arranged; 'Fhmilpiia, New "York, -lWltp&i, BaTtMOre,
. Charfoffown ; hut :in relation to corfemei-pe New York pVee^eg ■
and Ghkfleffcwn ranks above Baltimord-'Before.proceeding
t0 & raCC°U^t °*v.' c^ es ^ 'wll^ be proper to defciijjei’that of
WaMtfgton, fhe intended metropolis of the United States.
“ Wafhingtdtr,. in'the terVitofy’bf Columbia,: was* ceded Waihngtoa*.
VirgiAfe ahd'! Maryland to'the artd by
as the feat of their government, after ^fe'^yeair
Tj l cItF> whifelP^is now building, Bands at the jun’dfion of the rivers-
P^Jg^^nd the Eaftern branches, latitude 3$® 53'North, ekte'nding
f eaM ^ ' r m^es UP ea^ ) ’and including a traft^SF■ territory fe&eetedfed,.
®| PG10£t «f eonvenience, falubrity, and beauty, by" ’n^del|ilf,'Ameri^ mv
for although the land in general appeal level, yet by-geUtle- and gradual
lwe! lm a variety of elegant prolpefts* is produced,'-and
defeat formed forxonveying olfthe water occal5onfd1%- tains, ■ ‘‘“Within,
^ rap are a Sreat ^bdlbdr of excellent fprlngs •,[ and by
digging wells water of the beft quality may readily be had. Befidmhe
^ M fefling Breams that now run through thatterli^ory maydlfa be1 I j
•toileted for the ufe of the city. The Waters of Reedyfif^|?^|and of
i K H h o p e d there is'.now no-room, for tlje^obfemtion of Kalm, that the French in Ga-
E I V d a-n great(r tafl;€ Anjct other parts of l i t e r a t u r e , . t h e * I
"S'llh colonies, where it'was every body’s foie cafe and employment to fcrap.e.a fortune.to. ,
8*®*m#nd where the fciences were held in univcxfal contempt.” ii. j.85.
Tiber