tensively in the country, and their pernicious influence was too obviously felt in the various seminaries of learning. Owing to the bad state of the College commons, the students had been indulged in the practice of providing entertainments at their rooms. This naturally produced a great degree of inattention to their studies, and gave rise to scenes of revelry and riot, in the highest degree injurious to the pursuits of literature. It is not surprising, that in such a state of things the practice of gambling had become unhappily prevalent in College. Under all these disadvantages, young Dwight gained considerable reputation for genius and acquirements. His information and address rendered his society generally pleasing. It was courted, even by members of the higher classes, who strongly solicited him to join them in their pernicious amusements. But the instructions of his parents had made so deep an impression upon his mind, that no importunities of this nature could prevail upon him to engage with them in gambling. He was at length so far wrought upon, however, as to play for amusement; and, not being necessitated to study his lessons, gradually yielded to their solicitations, until much of his time was wasted in this manner. In no instance, however, did they influence him to play for money, or to stake even a farthing. Yet playing for amusement had so far become a habit, that when he returned to College, upon the commencement of his second year, he entered upon the practice with considerable ardour. From this danger he was fortunately rescued by the exertions of his tutor and kinsman, the Hon. Stephen Mix Mitchell, late Chief Judge of the Supreme Court of Connecticut; to whom, for this and many other acts of kindness, shown him while a member of College, he ever after acknowledged himself to be most deeply indebted. During the sophomore year, he was badly poisoned; by reason of which he was confined at his father's house four months, and obliged to discontinue his studies during that period.

It is apparent, from the foregoing recital, that the two first years of his collegiate life must have been in a great measure lost.

On commencing his junior year, he devoted himself seriously to study. He was now fifteen: had lost a great part of the two preceding years, and had but two remaining, in which he might hope to redeem his loss, and lay the foundation for future usefulness and respectability. He entered on the studies of the year with great zeal, and pursued them with unremitting assiduity and perseverance. At that time College-prayers were attended at half past five o'clock in the morning, in the winter, and at half past four in the summer. He began the year by qualifying himself, every morning, to construe and parse a hundred lines in Homer before prayers. This lesson, which formed no part of the regular College-exercises, was, of course, acquired by candle-light; and his object in attending to it was, to render himself more thoroughly master of the Greek language, than he could expect to become in the com

mon round of studies pursued by his class. The lesson, as he advanced, was gradually increased to a much larger quantity. His eyes being seriously affected by this intense application, at such unseasonable hours, it is not improbable that the foundation was thus early laid of that weakness in them, which caused him so much distress during the remainder of his life.

In addition to the ordinary pursuits of the year, he devoted a considerable portion of his time to the improvement of his handwriting; and by dint of his own exertions, attained a degree of excellence in penmanship, that has rarely been equalled. So elegant, indeed, was his writing, that it was with difficulty distinguished from the handsomest engravings. We have seen several of the Diplomas which he wrote for his particular friends, and think some of them decidedly more beautiful than the usual copper-plate impression.

This is the earliest period in which he is known to have paid any attention to poetry and music. The date of his first poetical composition cannot be precisely ascertained. Two or three specimens, however, are preserved, which bear the date of 1767, and, of course, were written when he was fifteen years of age. His attachment to music, particularly sacred music, was ardent. His voice was at once melodious and powerful; and his ear exquisitely discriminating. He began a collection of church music in the course of the year, but left it unfinished, probably because it interfered with his more severe and important pursuits.

This may, with propriety, be considered as the era of his excessive devotion to study, and the acquisition of knowledge. At the commencement of the year he formed a resolution, to which he faithfully adhered during the remainder of his collegiate life, co employ fourteen hours each day in close application to his studies. Such intense and unwearied diligence, with the aid of his natural genius, soon established his reputation as a scholar, and placed him among the first of his class. He received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the year 1769, when he was a little past seventeen years of age. At the Commencement, but a single appointment was made from the class which received the degree of Bachelors. Before giving it out, the President sent for Dwight and Strong, and informed them that, in the view of the officers of College, they were at the head of the class, and equally deserving of the appointment; but as Strong was the elder of the two, it would be given to him at that time, and to Dwight when the class. entered on the degree of Masters.

A short time after leaving College, he was employed to take charge of a grammar-school, at New-Haven. In this situation he continued two years, highly esteemed as an instructer, both by his pupils and their parents. This was the commencement of that

• The late Dr. Strong, of Hartford.

course of life, which, with very little interruption, he pursued for nearly fifty years: a course of life, in which Providence had peculiarly qualified him to excel. Probably few men have lived, who, in the same mode, have rendered more eminent services to mankind.

During these two years, he made great advancement in literature and science. His time was regularly divided, and occupied: six hours in each day in school; eight hours in close and severe study; and the remaining ten hours in exercise and sleep.

In September, 1771, when he was past nineteen, he was chosen a tutor in Yale College. In this situation he remained for six succeeding years, performing its duties with distinguished success and reputation.

When he entered upon the office, more than half the members of his class were older than himself; and the freshman who waited upon him was thirty-two years of age. Notwithstanding a circumstance generally so disadvantageous, he proceeded in the discharge of his official duties with firmness and assiduity; and, in a short time, gained a reputation for skill in the government and instruction of his class rarely known in the former experience of the College. It ought here to be observed, that the study of the classics and of the mathematics had been for a number of years vigorously pursued, owing to the exertions of several superior men; and the discipline of the seminary raised to a higher standard. His associates were men of distinguished talents; and by their united efforts the institution soon acquired a new and most important character. The study of rhetoric had been, till then, in a great measure neglected. The period from 1771 to 1777, will ever be considered as forming an era in the history of the College. Through the exertions and influence of Howe, Trumbull, and Dwight, a taste for those pursuits was excited, the effects of which have been experienced to the present time. The "art of speaking" had previously been thought scarcely worthy of attention. Of so much importance, however, was it considered by these gentlemen, that they not only taught it to their respective classes, but, from time to time, went upon the College stage to enforce their precepts by their example. Poetry was cultivated by them, especially by Trumbull and Dwight, with all the enthusiasm of genius. It was in the first year of his tutorship, at the age of nineteen, that the subject of this memoir commenced writing the CONQUEST OF CANAAN, a regular epic poem, founded upon the portion of sacred history to which its title refers, and which was finished in the year 1774, when he was twenty-two years of age.

No tutor was ever more faithful in the instruction of his class. His attention to their oratory, has been mentioned. In addition to

* DAVID BUSHNELL, a man of strong mechanical genius, and the inventor o "the Submarine Boat."

the customary mathematical studies, he carried them through spherics and fluxions, and went as far as any of them would accompany him into the Principia of Newton. He also delivered to them a series of lectures on style and composition, on a plan very similar to that contained in the Lectures of Blair, which were not published until a considerable time afterwards. His application to study during the time he remained in office was intense. He began to study so early in the morning as to require candle-light, and continued the employment until late at night.

While a tutor, he was inoculated for the small-pox. The disease affected him mildly; but, upon his recovery, he too soon resumed his former habit of severe application to study. Long before this, his eyes had been greatly weakened, and probably for that reason were more sensibly affected by the small-pox. On being subjected to such rigorous exercise, before they had recovered their natural energy, they were so far injured as to cause him, through life, a great degree of pain and embarrassment.

In the year 1772, he received the degree of Master of Arts. On that occasion he delivered, as an exercise at the public Commencement, "A Dissertation on the History, Eloquence, and Poetry of the Bible." This production, composed and delivered by a youth of twenty, on a subject then so new and of such high interest, was received by the audience with the strongest marks of approbation. A copy was immediately requested for the press; and it was afterwards re-published, both in this country and in Europe. We have seen it mentioned, in several instances, with very high respect, on the other side of the Atlantic. It is now rarely to be met with Those who have read it, need not be informed, that it was an effort of no common character. It unfolded, at that early age, the bolder features of the author's mind; and evinced uncommon maturity of judgment and taste. The style is dignified and manly, and formed by a standard truly classical. The field of thought was new in this country. The Lectures of Lowth, if then published, were not known on this side of the Atlantic; nor do we know of any work, except the Bible itself, to which the author appears to have been indebted for his plan or his illustrations. The knowledge of criticism displayed in it is profound; the conceptions are bold and original; the images are beautiful and distinct; and the very spirit which breathes in the Sacred Writers, appears to animate his own mind. This was his only effort, in public, which his father ever witnessed.

At a subsequent period, during his residence in College as a tutor, he engaged deeply in the study of the higher branches of the Mathematics. Among the treatises on this science to which his attention was directed, was Newton's Principia, which he studied with the utmost care and attention; and demonstrated, in course, all but two of the propositions, in that profound and elaborate work. This difficult but delightful science, in which the mind is always

guided by Certainty in its discovery of truth, so fully engrossed his attention, and his thoughts, that, for a time, he lost even his relish for poetry; and it was not without difficulty that his fondness for it was recovered.

During the second year of his tutorship, he attempted, by restricting his diet, to remove the necessity for bodily exercise, and yet to secure himself from the dulness incident to a full habit and inactive life. He began by lessening the quantity of his food at dinner, and gradually reduced it, until he confined himself to twelve mouthfuls. After a six-month's experiment of this regimen, being still somewhat dissatisfied with its effects, and feeling less clearness of apprehension than was desirable, he confined himself for a considerable period to a vegetable diet, without, however, increasing the quantity. His other meals were proportionally light and abstemious.

After this system of study and diet had been pursued about a twelve-month, his health began insensibly to decline, and his constitution, naturally vigorous, to give way. During the summer of 1774, he first perceived the reality of this change, but had no suspicion of the cause. Though he had suffered several distressing attacks of the bilious colic before the College-Commencement, yet after the vacation he renewed the same course of regimen and of application to study. But a short time had elapsed before these aticks were repeated with increased violence; and his friends becoming seriously apprehensive of the consequences, informed his connexions of his situation. His father, on his arrival at NewHaven, found that his disorder had indeed made dreadful ravages in his constitution. His frame was emaciated, and his strength so far reduced, that it was with extreme difficulty he could be conveyed to Northampton. When he left New-Haven, his friends and his pupils took leave of him, as they supposed, for the last time; and he had himself relinquished all hope of recovery. In the course of two months he had nineteen severe attacks of the disease. An eminent physician, whom he now consulted, after successfully administering to his immediate relief, recommended to him, among other things, a daily course of vigorous bodily exercise, as the only means of restoring his constitution to its primitive vigour. He followed his advice, and, within a twelve-month, walked upwards of two thousand miles, and rode on horseback upwards of three thousand. To his perseverance in this system, he was probably indebted for his recovery, as well as for the uninterrupted health and vigour of constitution which he enjoyed for the ensuing forty years.

In the year 1774, Mr. Dwight united himself to the College church. At this time, it was his expectation to pursue the practice of law; and, towards the close of his residence in College as a tutor, his studies were directed towards that object.

The first class which he instructed entered on the degree of