¥ r 19/3 iliMm'^X'A-^^^^^^-^^-' o Vnv rNr^oo >« BROWN UNIVERSITY BROADSIDES * BY GEORGE PARKER WINSHIP Librarian of the John Carter Srown Library Providence 1913 •r~Q ■J Two hundred copies reprinted by The Palmer Press, Stonington, Connecticut, with an added fac- simile, from The Brown Alumni Monthly for May, 1913 THE UNIVERSITY BROADSIDES At Brown's first Commencement, the audience, "consisting of most of the principal Gentlemen and Ladies of this Colony, and many from the neighbour- ing Governments," were provided with the equivalent of a Programme of Exer- cises in the shape of a full sized sheet of paper measuring 18 1-2 by 15 inches. The XJrinted matter on this broadside was prepared in the style at that time com- monly used by Harvard and the other American colleges, which in turn had copied the usage of the English Cam- bridge, where the traditions of the me- diaeval universities still survived. At the head was the name of the Chancel- lor of the College in the largest type, preceded by the doubtless well-deserved characterization "Benevolentissimo ac eximia virtute, doctrinaque utilissima praedito, Viro. " Below this were the names of the faculty, consisting of the President, James Manning, and a single tutor, David Howell, and then the fa- mous seven of the first graduating class, with the careful note revealing the demo- cratic tendencies of the time which were doing away with distinctions of birth and official position, "N. B. Nomina al- phabetice disposita sunt. ' ' Below these, in three columns, were the titles of sub- jects which the graduates were prepared to discuss. The whole was a product of the printing press of Solomon Southwick of Newport. Southwick was the printer of "The Newport Mercury," which contained a very satisfactory report of the first grad- uating exercises. This report was re- printed on a small broadside, and a copy of this which was carefully filed away among his business papers by the elder Nicholas Brown, from whom it has de- scended to the John Carter Brown Li- brary, is the only one now known to be in existence. It tells how the seven "young Gentlemen commenced Bachelors in the Arts," with a salutatory oration in Latin, pronounced with much Spirit, and forensic disputes on two of the one hundred and fourteen subjects which were listed on the programme. The first of these, which occupied most of the morning, was happily in English, on the timely subject, "The Americans, in their present Circumstances, cannot, consistent with good Polic}', affect to become an independent State." This was followed by an oration on Benevolence, in which Mr. Rogers "particularly noticed how greatly that infant Seminary stands in Need of the salutary Effects of that truly christian Virtue." At three in the af- ternoon the audience again convened for a syllogistic dispute on the Thesis, listed as number 8, under the head of "Pneu- matologia," "Materia cogitare non po- test." The reporter warily records that "the principal Arguments on both Sides were produced, towards settling that crit- ical Point." After the distribution of various degrees, which included the hon- orary Degree of Masters of Arts, "at their own Request," to ten worthy clergymen, the Valedictorian "took a most affectionate Leave of his Class- Ml5234i mates. — The Scene was tender — The Subject felt — and the Audience affected. " Throughout, we are told, the audience, "tho' large and crouded, behaved with the utmost Decorum." The College Library possesses an incomplete set of the old broadside "Theses" which were issued for each Commencement day, from the first in 1769 until 1811. After this, the Com- mencement programmes were printed in the more convenient size of the ordinary pamphlet. The second and third "Theses," for 1770 and 1771, have at the bottom the interesting statement, "Typis Johannis Carter, in Papyrum Providentiae con- fectam." The first paper mill in Prov- idence had been established five years be- fore this. In "A Providence Ga/ette Extraordinary," dated August 24, 1765, William Goddard wrote that "a large and very complete paper mill is just fin- ished, about a Mile and an Half from this Town, and in a few Days will be set to work. By the Fabric of Paper here, a vast saving will accrue, and will stop just so much Mone}^ in the Country as the Quantity made will amount to." This mill was located at 01ne3^ville. The statement that the programme was printed on paper of local manufacture suggests the paragraph in the report of the previous Commencement which re- cords the fact that "The President and all the Candidates were dressed in Amer- ican Manufactures, " a practice still fash- ionable with the families of Presidents on Inauguration Day. The set of "Theses" belonging to the College is complete from 1769 to 1774, and then there is a break until 1786. During this war time interval, classes were graduated in 1775, 1776 and 1777, in 1782 and 1783. This was the pe- riod when the "college edifice," Univer- sity Hall, was occupied as barracks and hospital for the Continental and French soldiers engaged in the Revolutionary struggle. The college exercises contin- ued intermittently, in temporary quarters. It is, however, probable that these five Commencements were held with all the usual formalities, including the distribu- tion of the printed "Theses" or pro- grammes. Somewhere, among the treas- ured papers of the descendants of the graduates and students of those years, there must be copies of these old broad- sides, which the college itself does not possess. Besides the five "Theses" of the Rev- olutionary years, which are lacking from the College collection, there are five others, for 1787, 1793, 1801, 1806 and 1807, of which no copies are now known to exist. Two others, for 1792 and 1799, have been badly torn, so that parts of the text is missing. If any alumnus of Brown can secure these for the College Library, he will make a contribution of considerable interest, toward completing the University ar- chives. The printed "Theses" contained the titles of all the subjects, in every branch of learning, upon which the candidates for the Bachelor's degree were supposed to be prepared to hold opinions which they could maintain in public argument. The regular exercises, in the earlier years, consisted largely of a carefully prepared debate upon one or two of these subjects. This gave place before long to exercises more in the modern style. The first Commencement for which a regular printed programme has been preserved is 1799. One "Dispute" B««M»«MUM« BEN E V.O L^E NT I S S I M O ^^ Ac eximia vutjite, doonnaque ualuTima prxdko^ Viro, STEPHANO HOPKINS, Armigero, Colkp {i<)jiifc^ jnira Colon* fofula JUKWSUEVJiS FiiM. CANCBLLARIOi Admodum Revcrcndo stque ac Honorando J A C O B O M 4 N N I N G, PndidL <2lBiiibu> Artibiu liberalibui £ckp(ifqo<, a P«utt Prz&gni iaJoM, ci^m fiib moilIhgnPifcm3)as| THESES ticfii (Numaefi^) Jmm^ ujtrtUmi imlitli, irfafai, fiSl Jofephus Be&oa 1 Gulielmus- Rogers Mi Joiephus CatCHi 2 Richardus Stites ■|||Af « Nomina iiph*cUxofin tint. J Cardus Thompfott Jacofius MitchelVamutn Gulielmus Williams Stmmt Olfirvtittia, DJ>J>JC^ CRAMUAtlCA. ♦ I. Una quaiiouiailWtY»Jtt» "1^^'"" '"*'«» coodimt ♦ 5. Otniua cauft fuum codwn clfiaBm. Boir. rrort- &. Idea rdaoonis, in tl««™, archctypum ncm liabet ,. AlphuUlici »ilic«.J o™« foni =♦ io. .CyUnilriTun. i.t„ lii u, quadrao dumct™u;„'„ .iuorfi. 1 '" *'*"'*^ '~^'**^'-^^'-* "" '«'" "^ fimpljcf J noftn t;(pruiii non^poffunt * ''■■^" X" ^TTT I'T? ' icribendi, iJocct. ^ 9- Inicr quamitatn jnfiAioi ad mfii 4-H-i-f-H4j '*" it^it)x, fkciHime iccfuirii P VB U M A.TO LOG I ji. 9 coiponbat junAi. o (crcluioiie fulum ro^nofci potrft. „• funt "^ Jl. 5ij)ui wffuj, c»^f"i« arciudufbjc in dimidimn radii rqtu* ♦ . £rco. X listil QUaJrato Cnj» tliirjdii fiuJJcm arcui. " ♦, *%»miiu •t/m ^■kr'i a ^ _ n ~ t-" ^'\ ^--^ . Ad-ob.i«™lv,m«snm.^m li^ * U. «. .r^nf^rfl diamrw cU,pfc6, ad conjugatom. Be «,a J "^ P*^"""'^'^'""'? '"'^•*"^**^T« imgUcaiue acolraan, mulii fctnii ♦ orcui;, c\^ditniCTi:r,duiiiem)cUipfc6iijanfvcrib«<]uali> J ,. An oiftaM feiriaj. opts eft. J ''^ ^ atram eljipfco*. ^ (uIl _ 5. Cognnio grrornnaur, compofomem fj.'.. vtrbownin- * 13- Ara: duajutn Jyiprrbolanm <,uibui idon eC aranfwrfu!, j j. Spinrilnn per 4 coiiiiraro nullum ri» ubi. trlliptndo» nvihiim pcndct l.fa«, , ^ turn ut coojugao. X ♦• Ancrli poecftatcm maamam nioiirndiiianirfiwMi 6. On«a hogjia ncc /clicilcr diOii poaft. n«)iie Joccn, nili ad ♦ a4- E9uaiu i«rr fr tun omnia paraMoprammara, eofdem dia- J ,. Vo&raaii comix-tii libmajL ^^ a ..^ ruto.m«imta„.„l.w. > marc Vpcrt«,lx ora..,ili:,i!Knua. ? t So^m Je nartbrn non conflam. E™^ r,.bftanm-o ficpc ufurpatur; ^ I ^i„„r.. vZ" j^"-,- _,^ * 8. «• JK-rrmj «»./«« «,«««. 1 mcun .Hwr! -i- -—..r^trJyllSL^ . . ,^ HETOIHC.*eftat«,iTioc>.a4t(«fr«»iaoaaiiTio«iiounv*l. Aurora boreaii prr cIcanwaRm opomt trplkanir. ri iJ? "^ 'ri^"Ji- Is ycB«auo.rirfc^rkkan^«gm.t _ 1 1' ^ « • Deo wni.^ e c)w voluoutc ogi nos, < ipfint. 6. Minima Daracul* manrax ^ nuxlmum datum fpachim ita * * ^'^ « « 4^ wiu«. pnMflHiOKm dd mlum hibcK data a. Act adpflui per igwm punfican pMtft. * J ^"^ "«>" '"'"''x™ pravaiom rffc aigwt r, (ctOKia M- ■> 0. SolillJ in ilviUia Jl-cuoium magrunxtun iolan aUcvantnr. i •- K«»n>CTatio, a opera citalutjc, nihil ptndet. ' ' p- ' J'k's 5 9' o"*™' imprrflione ircipienda. meni at aAnx f. 6cu4ivnl j:roppetaq^ pei^picniraui et dlgnitam, ad ccfnpo- £tioi;ii rli^amiaoi, mul(um cooducii. J. ^MCTjftlnftio, a)> -irijynf, noo eft naluw compqfilioiua. Elgo, 4. Vox, Ln Irgrndo, per piinOa non Gt moduUnda. * ;. Vapocea Iciiuks per igncaa pankulaa in lora cairiau liuit. 5. Suioma pcffi-^io anil oriloricT ex omnibus pilTKVublls JT^ 4 Animen, i-xitrinienJit, mJU'incpcndct hj^Q, 6. Oranjr, i itjvs -ftVititcci r'lciniav: conrmovcnuir, rii)U\} optimu^i dt tuim* 7. Scvdiuin natuo: an acuunrnJun ]u.ic aiTan> valde ncccQari- umelt 5. /)f> rhctodca, niii pfr vwxm vivain. acciiraw: -doccri I 1> , K=.iJi»Jiifq«:f"™>"™ican,l>. t grnerauv .0 hun&^ ex flvud... t-Bo. J 1 pi HtCA e« fcxw.iTraaica i|d fcUcnaKo kom:ne. per 2. Ci«tniriurwMrn!itum,f4fcmavrmJilUnKirt». etbtnec»-X l^ Hiccravior, ille4^^^ • 1_» vinutcni aditocroa. ' ^ ^ ™iiri*e^niriae(L * ,t OmnVbui fonis cuiufcunqueinienfiutf^ oJcmcft velocttaa^ » Morali. oMlgaMfl Del voluntas folumpe«d«. J. loideannnruceemoncnul!-,, in.-eoalton inter jdearare-JiJ. Su«» in nTum n^iut. noo dat«. ;? t- hIJca.polin»i,i.l.iHKg«i»i.ivewlJtenceeni:e(t. J „ . . °"1"''^ « «. N -JU paffK., in fua narura c»,l,Jcr»ta eft maofa. 6. Sunt muln: .cotate., q« deawnllraii ^jcqwimr, « 18. Si ol>)<*orum imagmH exteraonim in rewa dep^* funt t 7- I*"* "•'I"'"- « """"^ P"^ . . EfE* 7. Modieifeur«a,ibcnJratiocinandum,nunnTOfuafumiK.* necelfc eft ut inverte f.nt 2 I. Ollom. Jamnationem fuam velli:,,n.aturxoppug»«. (rtiraril J ij. Teitipua nanirali motu ullim coijiooi cqualiterdi»idi, non i »• Cwcunque, jui fuum pn»atuni. Taa efl vi icnen:,cumhge 8. Omnia arginnenta ad primflOi Sffliram irduci po0io& Erffi, J ^ pon-ft. T . , - / non potefL o. Afc 6ri^ neeeJTani |«»i fuot J ,0. Sol minin agatu in linia ecripSca irvol%Tna, quam fi ui li- J "O. Afticano* in (aviton.™ perpetuam mluceitiiec juridi«inOk la MitacuU extitilTc ex lwmanote«im!»ioo.Tti fieri po(Iumin.» nea »jufor.a (empcr movufrt, terot pnbrt. J nc^ue buoiano coneniit. 1 1. Pauca uinum fynihetjca mnhoilo probanda funt. ♦ 1 1 Uuaquiquc pjaneo centntm Cbi loUim pijprium circum- .<>. , ! ' T rolvit ^ 1 «ccctcratur. la Corpora m.ign.nKlini>m inTequalimn qu3r in medio raoore " '°- ^'^'l>uli\ derivatur. Ergo, j,VAi«m»j.ur,wow'i^iiwdiVidi"iliel»,ficet ibejuaj ' afceiifcoa m arietr< Soiatui ptyulis .L^'tigJliaimpeinendi. qu, in djollnacu partibus aliquotis dividi queat J »5- Pnceffio AqmnoAotum m cydo lunan »ananit. J _ rejKitaijntur, jus noo eft. p Dato numero'in riuas panes ignotnt divifo» djtfcT^tja quo- que' data, Cnffuli: piitesTadltime inveniancur. 4. Kullus numerji lie dtvidi porcft, ut uniui parvi qiijdratum \ toti in altero Jndu^n, crii atquile. K. 11. ty. ^ 5. Quadratum neGaiivum in rrrvni natura eflc non poeeft. * 6. Omeibui angtdis triani^uli iliifcelis ignofis, pmjionio eri^ ut ♦ jiimma omnlu'n bterum ad fummam omnium angukynun, * iu unum lam. ad anuultm oppofitum. J >• Nullum 7. Vof prcdicabilia dc aliquibui ti^u.-is guu m ejiicia dcraonftn. ^ j. Deiu ^36. ]4inx: ecliptic* plar * 17 Eclipici fiili /requenU'is a:qilacon» planum w^'*- 4 lunt quam lunx 1 fed, ecliplcs ^ vijcantur. -l ON70LOCIA t. /^NTOI OGIA cnutatrm tptmie prupnetates fin^iliciur \_/ ^ cunb.mpuuv. r 4. Sunia Ebcnaus civUii ad ftudiiim aniuoa a Ajenuanlni mat. ^ ime cooducit. ^ 5. Literature ad locietarem lirinanddni h bcac aodcraoJuiie > mulium adjui^ ^ 6 «y Amerlcami in r " a adinittuni. figffuoiciaRpolcIt ErE% ^4. llnilinlubftraiuiTinMVumaMriaecofMiHinc accidie. trim /Uiii frtfinti m mva miUri, , 1 njlrvidt JUtrtin mtU c—vrm't. i T »»«■»» I > » n > »♦»♦»»»»»»»»»»»»»»_ I I Ms frrcedit ORATIO Salutatmia. Habitt in Comitiia Acadetneia ^wd JViUiMti^ antra Ctl. InrRfaod. /c Pror. Plant Fsw. d. 7" • ld.Sirr. A. D. MtXXXlCIX. »t— ♦o»»»»»«a»«M« » »— »o>»o»»»«»««»o«aoo»»a M «a»« o— oo»»««t»»i Ap«d .Moyva^-PcwT^K. tx Trrit StstoaioNia SovmwicJC. was still retained, between four members of the graduating class, on the question ''Whether Civil Government can be maintained without an Idea of future Rewards or Punishments?" As this, however, was only one of ten parts, not counting the two intermissions for Mu- sick, scheduled for the forenoon's exer- cises, and as nine more were to follow in the afternoon, the four disputants can hardly have approached their task with the seriousness of thirty years earlier. Similar programmes must have been is- sued for other years, before and after 1799, but the only other ones that are now in the possession of the College Li- brary are for the commencements of 1803 and 1813. The programme for 1799 came to the Library with the Rider Col- lection, which was presented to Brown by Mr. Marsden J. Perry, in 190S. The Alumni Catalogue first appeared on one side of a single sheet, measuring 13 1-4 by 11 1-4 inches, in 1775. There were then forty-four regular graduates in Arts, and sixty-seven holders of honor- ary degrees. The next issue was eleven years later, when the total number of names had risen to one hundred and sixty - three, but the increase was almost en- tirely in actual graduates, only eleven honorary degrees having been allotted in this period. In 1789, two hundred and fifteen names could still be accom- modated on a sheet only slightly lai'ger than the first catalogue. In 1795, the number had risen to three hundred and eighty, and a sheet of the largest size, 21 1-4 by 17 inches, was used. In October, 1800, it was thought de- sirable, for the first time so far as the college archives show, to print the Cata- logue of the names of the undergrad- uates. This was done on one side of a large sheet, like the catalogue of gradu- ates, and gives the names of seven mem- bers of the faculty, and the names, with their home addresses, of twenty-two Seniors, thirty Juniors, thirty-three Sophomores, and twenty-two Freshmen. Of the undergraduates, twenty-two were registered from Rhode Island, four from Connecticut, one from New York, two from Virginia and four from South Car- olina. The others were from Massachu- setts. Similar lists were probably printed each year, but the only ones now in the College Library are dated April 1st, 1805, 1806 and 1807, with a second is- sue for 1805, dated May 1st. The L^niversity is indebted to Clarence S. Brigham, '99, of Worcester, for the only copy known to exist of a broadside poster announcing a course of what would nowadays be called "University Exten- sion" Lectures. These were ofifered by the Rev. Peres Fobes, in June, 1790, and the course of twehe lectures covered the whole range of natural science as it was then popularly understood. Professor Fobes, who graduated at Harvard in 1762 and became pastor of the Congre- gational church in Raynham four years later, was elected Vice-President of Rhode Island College in 1786, to take the place of President Manning while the latter was absent performing his duties as a member of Congress. He was appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy the same year, and continued to teach at the col- lege until 1798, continuing at the same time his pastoral duties in Raynham. Af- ter President Manning's death in 1791, he was again acting-President for a short time, and, doubtless in recognition of this service, received the degree of LL.D. at the commencement of 1792. THE REVEREND PERES F ProfefTor of Natural and Experimental Philofophy, in Rhode-Ifland College, propoles to exliibit A COURSE of LECTURES upon NATURAL PHILOSOPHY and ASTRONOMY, viz. Upon the Dodrine of Attraction, in which will be explained the firft Principles of Agriculture and Botany ; upon the Me- chanical Powers ; Hydroftatics and Hydraulics ; Pneumatics 5 Optics ; Aftronomy ; Eleftricity ; Magnetifm, and a Sketch of Anatomy. The Whole illuftrated by a Variety of curious and entertaining Experiments. The Courfe will conflft of Twelve Le^res, two or three to be exhibited per Week, at the Philofophy-Room in College. The Price Twelve Shillings, for the whole Courfe, or One Shilling and Three Pence for a fingle Lefture.— To com- mence on FRIDAY, the 25th Inftant, at 4 o'Clock, P. M. TICKETS may be had this Afternoon, by applying to Mr. George Benfon, Mr. Jofeph Jenckes, orto cither of the Officers of College. Providence^ June 24, 1790. LOAN DEPT. ^....JZirj.::^^'o>^;r^^:^:^^^ W) 2lA-50w-3,'62 (C7097slO)476B General Library . UaiversityofCaWorma Berkeley Ml5234i ^^^1^ I9l3 THE UNIVERSITY OF CAUFORNIA UBRARY "^.'-■:'--^:«?f:l*^|l| ■^^f-'