quished and postponed for almost two generations, the favorite project, already entertained and matured, of founding a college in the colony of New Haven, because it might interfere with the then infant institution of Massachusetts. Nay more-they appropriated to the college of the sister colony, a portion of the income of their farms, sending on annually their contributions, in kind, to aid in sustaining the common cause of liberal education.

Founding of Yale College.-In the course of fifty years however, when population had increased, and it appeared that there was room in New England for another college, the original design was resumed; benefactors were raised up, especially among the clergy, who, as well as others, gave liberally, in proportion to their means; a distinguished individual in England, a native of New Haven, bestowed a large donation, for that day, and the infant College assumed the name which we all delight to honor.

Location fixed.-Our early annals record the startling fact, that, for half a generation of human life, our College was without a fixed local habitation. Some humble stones are still pointed out in Saybrook, on the seat of its temporary abode, and it took up more than one intermediate migration, from town to town, before it was determined, in 1716, after much heat and controversy, to establish the College in New Haven. In October, 1716, the students and their instructors assembled here, and the first commencement was celebrated in this city on the 12th of September, 1718. The first charter was granted by the legislature in 1701, and a new charter in 1745, which, with some important modifications, was fully confirmed in the new constitution of the State in 1817. The corporation consisted of the president and ten clergymen until 1792, when a considerable pecuniary

grant was made to the College by the legislature, upon the condition, that the governor, lieutenant governor, and the six senior members of the council or state senate, should be, ever after, ex-officio members of the College corporation-the clerical part of which board retaining the right of filling its own vacancies.

Union of civil and ecclesiastical power.-The proposition being promptly accepted, the College senate, now composed of distinguished civilians as well as eminent clergymen, was no longer regarded as an exclusive body, and soon secured the public favor, in a much greater degree than before. This organization has now continued for fifty years, and has been attended with happy results.

With the final establishment of the College in New Haven, its success was secured, and about forty students were enrolled in its classes in 1718.

Retrospect. During the greater part of the first century of the existence of the College, the colonies, as dependencies of England, were engaged in numerous wars on her account, and their frontiers, then far within the limits of regions now filled with towns and with a dense population, were ravaged by frequent incursions of the French and Indians; and hardly were these murderous conflicts ended, before the parent country became the scourge instead of the protector of the infant colonies.

Still, Yale College advanced with a variable but encouraging progress, and the following synopsis of the relative numbers of its graduates in different periods will confirm this statement.*

*The statistics of this address are founded upon the triennial catalogue of 1841, corrected by such notices of the demise of individuals as have come to the writer's knowledge; doubtless death has made other inroads unknown to him, especially among the ancient graduates.

84.50

68.2

374

Average of the two last decades, (20 years,)
Average of the four last decades, (40 years,).
Average by the entire College catalogue, per annum,

The class of 1826 is the only one before the present year that has graduated 100. The class that will be graduated to-morrow numbers 105, the largest ever graduated in Yale College. The classes of 1837 and 1840, were each in number 98. The average of those two years and of 1826 and the present year, is 100.25-the four largest classes that have been graduated here. The class of 1839 was in number 93. The five classes now named, are all that have exceeded 90, and their average is nearly 99.

The first 26 classes of graduates averaged 7; the 13 classes under Rector Williams, from 1727 onwards, 16; the 27 classes of President Clap, 28; the 11 classes of Dr. Daggett, 30; the 17 classes of Dr. Stiles, 38; the 22 classes of Dr. Dwight, 50; the 25 classes of President Day, 72. The average by the presidencies through 140 years, is as the numbers, 7, 16, 28, 30, 50, and 72. The actual undergraduate classes have advanced from 1 to 135; and the graduates from 1 to 105.

Statistics of the dead and the living.-The oldest graduate of the College is found in the class of 1769, in which there is only one survivor-Mr. William Plumbe, of Middletown, Conn. This class was graduated 74 years ago. President Dwight was a member of it, as was the late Rev. Dr. Nathan Strong of Hartford; also the late Rev.

Dr. David Ely of Huntington, and the venerable Dr. Samuel Darling of this city, recently deceased at the age of 91 years.

In the classes of 1770, 71, 72, and '73, there is one survivor in each.

In the classes of 1775 and '76, there are, in each of them, two survivors.

From the foundation of the College in 1700 to 1768 inclusive, 69 years, there were 1190 graduates, of whom not one survives.

From 1769 to 1800 inclusive, 32 years, there were 1190 graduates; the same number in less than half the time. Of these, 356, or nearly one third, are living; a large proportion, considering that the youngest class of them was graduated 42 years ago, and the eldest 73 years since; 834 are dead, out of 1190 graduates of this period.

From 1801 to 1842 inclusive, being 42 years, the number of graduates is 2837, of whom five sixths survive, being 2359; the dead are one sixth, in number 478.

The graduates of the first 100 years are 2350, of whom only 356 survive. The dead of that century are 2024.

The entire number of alumni (1842 included) is 5200, of whom 2716, considerably more than half, survive-an astonishing result for 143 years. It is explained, in part, by the smallness of the early and the largeness of the later classes; but after making every allowance, it would appear that literary and professional pursuits are favorable to longevity; doubtless owing in part to sober and regular habits of life, and to occupations, generally, adapted to cherish pure and benevolent moral feelings.

It must not be forgotten, that the number of persons who have received degrees is far short of all who have been members, during the transit of the respective classes through their college life. Instances have occurred when