Cambridge instead of three" which vote seems to have been so impolitic as not to have been carried into effect till about the year 1655, when "seventeen of the scholars went away from college without any degree."

We are told in Pierce's History of Harvard University, (page 237) that a century after the establishment of the college, in the days of President Holyoke-1737 -1769-and probably for many years before, the textbooks were Virgil, Cicero's Orations, Cicero's Offices, the Greek Testament, and a little of Homer, Ward's Mathematics, Gordon's Geographical Grammar, Gravesend's Philosophy, Euclid's Geometry, Woltebius' Compend of Theology, and Brattles' Compend of Logic, both in Latin, Watt's Logic, and Locke on the Human Understanding. To those add instruction in Hebrew, the professors' lectures - respectively in divinity and mathematics—the president's expositions after evening prayers twice in each week, and the disputations of the seniors and juniors, and the whole collegiate course at that period is classified, leaving the just inference that the Oriental languages were not then so much studied and so well understood as in former periods.

There was a "placing" of the scholars on the catalogue, as it was called; that is, an arrangement of their names in each class, which was to the college authorities a perplexing affair, as it occasioned much discontent among the students. For this was not the country to rate young men by the rank of their parentage, but by the grade of individual merit. It was evidently a badge of servility borrowed from the universities in

Europe, and yet it still prevails in Columbia College, New York, though it was laid aside at Yale in 1768, and at Harvard in 1773. This prerogative of placing was exercised within six or nine months of the freshman year, and their names, written handsomely in German text, were then posted in a conspicuous place beside the classes of the other undergraduates, where the names of all were kept suspended till they left college. Each freshman, apprised of his station, took it at recitation, at commons, in the chapel, and on other occasions. Nor was it ever afterward altered in college or in the catalogue, "however the rank of their parents might be varied." The "place" was ideal, as it was a precedence which gave to the higher part of the class some substantial advantages. Generally they had the most influential friends, and the best chambers assigned to them. At the table in commons, they had the right to help themselves first, and might, perhaps, raise their expectation of better appointments at comThere were also some other injudicious usages, such as giving the seniors the right to command the waiting services of the freshmen; all which, the spirit of republicanism during the American Revolution, gradually subdued to the rites and rules of equality.

mencement.

At the annual commencement there were no other performances in English than the president's prayers, and no other printed order of exercises, than the "Theses" which were all in Latin, the caption of which was an adulatory address or dedication to the rulers, magistrates, ministers, and patrons of the college. A

Thesis, for instance this: "Hebrew is the mother of tongues was discussed in Latin by the appointed members of the senior class, after which the president made his remarks upon the subject in the same language. It is supposed that exercises in English were introduced about the year 1758; and now there is at most of the colleges none other, except a salutatory in Latin.

As Harvard University has been the prototype and pattern of all the colleges in New England, as well as the Alma Mater of so many learned, distinguished men, rulers, ministers and statesmen, this notice is only a tribute of respect richly due to its merits and exalted usefulness, especially before we proceed to record some biographical sketches of its scholars, whose abilities, labors and piety have been of such essential service to Maine, as well as to other states.

REV. RICHARD GIBSON.

At

The first preacher of the Gospel in Maine of whom we have any knowledge was Rev. Richard Gibson. He arrived from his native England in the spring of 1636, and after visiting Saco took up his abode on the banks of Spurwink river, toward its mouth a short distance westerly of the celebrated Richmond's island.1 that time, all the inhabitants within the present limits of this state did not exceed fifteen hundred, and the number of settlements between the river Piscataqua and Broad bay was only ten or twelve, the oldest of which were York, Saco and Monhegan, planted A.D.

1 Some say he resided upon the island itself. Willis, History of Portland.

1623-24; Broad bay and Pemaquid, in 1624-25; Pejepscot, in 1626; Falmouth, 1628; Kittery, Berwick, and Scarborough, 1631.

Mr. Gibson was educated, without doubt, at one of the universities in England, for none in that country are permitted to assume the sacerdotal vestments and the clerical character, till he is thorough in literature and divinity. It was conceded by his opponents, Gov. Winthrop of Massachusetts, and others equally qualified to judge, that Mr. Gibson was a man of distinguished abilities and scholarship. His notions of church polity were exclusively Episcopal, and he was supremely devoted to the English hierarchy. Admitted to the grade of priests' orders before he left home, he believed he had a right here, as well as there, to administer baptism and the Lord's supper, and to solemnize marriages. He was furnished with a very decent service for sacramental occasions, and he resolved to adopt entirely the forms of worship, the rites and ceremonies. of the mother church. He was a gentleman of unblemished reputation, and his manners and appearance were commanding.

It was meet, and might be expected, that such a clergyman would be chosen by those who had obtained the several territorial patents within which the settle, ments had been commenced, such as Sir Ferdinando Gorges, Richard Vines, Thomas Cammock, George Cleeve, Robert Trelawny, Moses Goodyear, Alderman Aldworth, Giles Eldridge, John Pierce, and others, for they were, in general, of the same religious sentiments with Mr. Gibson, though several of them never

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came into this country, and some of them might be Puritans. His ministrations were not confined to Spur, wink, and Casco; they were extended to Saco, and from expressions in the records and transactions of that period, relating to his and his successors' supportwe may infer there was an attempt to introduce the English policy of exacting tithes or tenths of productsthough paid by way of an equivalent or composition in money.

A minister who first settles among a people has often to encounter discouragements of no ordinary magnitude. Being strangers to each other, and having different opinions and views, they are not readily bound together by any bond of sympathetic union. His parishioners, too, being poor, are only able to contribute proportionately toward their minister's support. To justify their covetousness, they will often times complain without cause; and some will not restrain their tongues from uttering bitter reproaches. Mr. Gibson probably gathered a church and received from Mr. Goodyear and others, some presents, still his support was quite slender, hardly sufficient for himself and wife. Moreover, controversy and ill-treatment begot disconIn 1640 he brought an action of slander against John Bonyton of Saco, for calling him "a base priest, a base knave, a base fellow," and recovered in damages. only £6, 6s, 8d, though £500 were the damages alleged in the writ.

tent.

The same year the people of Portsmouth, opposed to Puritanical sentiments, formed an Episcopal society, erected a chapel and parsonage house, and made choice