Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/468

LXXVII.

The year 1766 closed with the purchase by the Trustees of Mr. Dove's houses on Fourth Street and the adjoining Arch Street Lot, which now made their frontage on Fourth Street two hundred and eighty-four feet, and one hundred and ninety- eight feet on Arch Street. These had been purchased by him in 1753, at the time the Trustees added materially to their premises, and negotiations to secure them were opened in 1765, but the uncertainty of public affairs and indeed of all private concerns due to the excitement caused by the Stamp Act broke these off; the delay was fortunate for the Trustees in that they were finally enabled to secure the properties at their own price. Having at the close of 1765 rented out their vacant Arch Street and Fourth Street lots " for any Term not exceeding Seven Years on the best Yearly rents they can obtain," they were thus enabled to meet their interest charges on this new pur- chase. Dr. Smith continued to respond to requests for his sermons, for no one in this or the adjoining Provinces excelled him in pulpit reputation. On 10 April of this year he preached " a suitable sermon" in Burlington, New Jersey, at the funeral of the Rev. Colin Campbell, many years a Missionary there. 1 And on 2 September we find him 2 preaching in Trinity Church, New York, "an excellent sermon on the occasion" of the induction of his friend Rev. Samuel Auchmuty to the Rectorship of the parish, and again in the afternoon at St. George's Church. 3 It was in this year, as we have seen, he assumed the Rec- torship of Trinity Church, Oxford. 4 He appears to have remained the incumbent of this parish for at least five years, for on 3 May, 1771, he writes to the Propagation Society : l ftnna. Gazette, 14 April, 1766. 2 New York Mercury, 3 September, 1766. 8 In the following year we find him taking Dr. Peters' duties at Christ Church. He writes to Thomas Penn 23 August, 1767 : " Mr. Peters is in a very low state and I have been obliged to preach for him for some time past," and on 26th," Mr. Peters is got a little better since my last, but not yet able to do any duty." 4 Smith i. 406, 407.