their associated life. The thought of an earlier date than 1749 for their beginnings was never entertained by them or by the five generations succeeding, and only recently arose to exercise the pleasing thought of a more extended existence by the term of nine years.
Neither Dr. Peters nor any of his associates could have entertained such a thought, for in the paragraph of the Sermon immediately preceding the one above quoted, he records the birth, which met with no contradiction by any cotemporary, as of 1749, as follows:
Nor should it be concealed, that this present institution, tho' one of those kind which generally have for their Founders, sovereign Princes, or branches of Royal Families, or Nobles of the first rank and dignity, owes likewise its being to a sett of private Men, who from the Necessity of such a Seminary of learning set themselves at the close of the war, seriously to think about one * * * At last they agreed on the general heads and confident of the continuance of the publick spirit of their fellow citizens, they ventured to publish their Proposals relating to the education of youth in this province. * * * After these were found to give general satisfaction, twenty-four Trustees, without regard to differences in religious persuasions, were appointed to carry them into execution: Merchants, Artificers, some likewise of the learned professions. * * * Thus successful, it became a matter of debate where to place the Academy, &c., &c., &c.
In announcing in the Pennsylvania Gazette, 2 August, 1750, the contribution of the City of Philadelphia, Franklin speaks of this as for the encouragement and support of the Academy and of the Charity School which the Trustees of the Academy have likewise undertaken to open in this city, for instructing poor children, &c., &c.
Dr Smith wrote in June, 1753:
A few private Gentlemen of this city have in the Space of two or three years, projected, begun, and carried to surprising Perfection, a very noble Institution, &c., &c.
And in his Eulogium on Franklin in 1791: the next institution in the foundation of which he was the principal agent, was the academy and charitable school of the City of Philadelphia; the plan of which he drew up and published in the year 1749.
