twenty feet. Being originally an unsubstantial piece of masonry, it grew weak by age, and was finally taken down in 1780." It is said to have been injured by the great earthquake in 1755. 1

1

The following inscription was on the front of old Stoughton-Hall:

DEO OPT. MAX. BONISQ. LITERIS S.

GULIELMUS STOUGHTON ARMIGER PROVINCIE MASSACHUSET. NOV-ANGLORUM VICE-GUBERNATOR COLLEGII HARVARDINI OLIM ALUMNUS

SEMPER PATRONUS FECIT

ANNO DOMINI 1699. 2

1 See further particulars in the Columbian Magazine, for 1788, p. 673. For a description of Harvard Hall, burnt in 1764, see the same Article.

[The Editor has been informed by a near relative, now deceased, and who was in college at the time, that the walls of Stoughton Hall had then begun to settle and lean considerably; and that the shock of the earthquake restored them to their perpendicular direction.] 2 Donation Book, I.

CHAPTER VIII.

On the very day that President Mather quitted the superintendence of the College, the Rev. Samuel Willard of Boston entered upon it under the title of VicePresident.

The father of this distinguished clergyman was Mr. Simon Willard, a gentleman of respectable standing both in civil and military life. Samuel was graduated at Harvard College in 1659. He was afterwards settled in the ministry at Groton; but the ravages of Philip's war, which destroyed that place and scattered his flock, drove him to Boston about the year 1676.

"The providence," says Dr. Pemberton, "that occasioned his removal to this place, was an awful judgment upon the whole land; yet it was eventually a mercy in this respect, that it made way for the translation of this bright star to a more conspicuous orb; where his influence was more extensive and beneficial; and in this it was a great blessing to this congregation, to this town, nay, to all New-England." 1 Great indeed, in the estimation of his contemporaries, must have been that merit, which could authorize one of the wisest of them to intimate, that his removal to Boston was any compensation for the disasters of that terrible Indian War! He was settled as a colleague with Mr. Thacher, the first minister of the Old South Church,

1 Pemberton's Sermons, p. 137.

1

April 10th, 1678, (March 31st, old style);1 and in 1700 Mr. Ebenezer Pemberton was chosen his assistant.

Notwithstanding the order that had been recently passed, his connexion with the church in Boston appears to have been continued after his appointment to the charge of the College; and this circumstance will probably account for his having the title of Vice-President; and never having been inaugurated. He officiated as President six years, when he was removed by death, September 12th, 1707, in the 68th year of his age.

3

The sermon, preached on the death of this eminent person, by his colleague Mr. Pemberton, is referred to by some distinguished writers, as containing "his just character." The following passage is a brief summary of it: "In him bountiful Heaven was pleased to cause a concurrence of all those natural and acquired, moral and spiritual excellencies, which are necessary to constitute a great man, a profound divine, a very considerable scholar, and an heavenly Christian. In the light and influence of these perfections he appeared as a star of the first magnitude in the orb of the church." To all these talents and accomplishments, if, indeed, not included in them, he added "a natural genius and spirit, which seemed superior to all narrow and selfish interests," and "a native modesty, which might seem to some to veil the brightness of some of his public appearances; though in the opinion of others it was but a

1 Mass. Hist. Coll. IX. p. 193, First Series.

2 [At this place Mr. Peirce has made the following note, in pencil, on the margin of his Manuscript: "Enquire further about this."― EDIT.]

3 Eliot's Biographical Dictionary, art. S. Willard. "He was taken at dinner in his study, so that he quickly grew delirious." - Chief Justice Sewall's MS. Diary, under date of April 9th, 1707.

4 Dr. Sewall, Mr. Prince, Dr. Chauncy.

1

foil to his greater excellencies." The Rev. John Barnard of Marblehead, in a letter to Dr. Stiles, says, "He was an hard student, of great learning for that day, of a clear head, solid judgment, excellent both in preaching and in prayer, an exemplary Christian, pleasant in conversation, whose name is had in remembrance among us, and his works praise him." 2

993

His publications were numerous. "No divine," says Dr. Eliot, "except Dr. Cotton Mather, in this country, prepared more works for the press; and they were all calculated to do honor to the writer, and edify pious people.' They were principally sermons, and tracts on controversial divinity. He wrote also on witchcraft; and was one of the few clergymen, who stemmed the torrent of delusion in 1692. His largest work, entitled, "A Compleat Body of Divinity" &c., was published in 1726. It is said to have been the first folio volume of divinity that was printed in the country. The preface is signed by Joseph Sewall and Thomas Prince, two of the most eminent divines and scholars in the province; and, in recommending the work, they might well observe, "We need only say-'T is Mr. Willard's"; for, surely, a more decisive proof can hardly be imagined of a man's credit in the world, and of the value attached to his performances, than the mere fact, that a folio volume containing more than 900 pages of speculative theclogy, should have issued from the press nineteen years after the author's death! A late Orthodox writer, in speaking of this work, observes, "Though it appears under some of the disadvantages usually attending posthumous publications, it must be allowed to possess great merit. Few

1 Pemberton's Sermons, pp. 131, 132.

2 Mass. Hist. Coll. X. p. 168, First Series. 3 Eliot's Biog. Dict. art. Willard.

4 See its Preface, p. i.

systems of theoretic and practical divinity are to be found, even at the present day, exhibiting such a variety of matter, such a compass and depth of thought, and such an intimate acquaintance with the word of God." 1 The importance of a name is, also, somewhat discernible in the following anecdote,; though, no doubt, the whimsical occurrence was very much owing to the cause assigned by the writer. The Rev. Samuel Treat of Eastham married a daughter of Mr. Willard, and was sometimes invited to preach in his pulpit. "Mr. Willard possessed a graceful delivery, a masculine and harmonious voice; and though he did not gain much reputation by his 'Body of Divinity' which is frequently sneered at, particularly by those who have not read it, yet in his sermons are strength of thought and energy of language. The natural consequence was, that he was generally admired. Mr. Treat, having preached one of his best discourses to the congregation of his father-in-law, in his usual unhappy manner, excited universal disgust; and several nice judges waited on Mr. Willard, and begged that Mr. Treat, who was a worthy, pious man, it was true, but a wretched preacher, might never be invited into his pulpit again. To this request Mr. Willard made no reply but he desired his son-in-law to lend him the discourse; which being left with him he delivered it, without alteration, to his people a few weeks after. The hearers were charmed; they flew to Mr. Willard, and requested a copy for the press. See the difference, they cried, between yourself and your son-inlaw; you have preached a sermon on the same text as

1 Panoplist, III. pp. 100, 101.