22 



Elizabeth Seymour, who was descended by a female line from the 

 ' ancient Percies, and by the subsequent creation of George the Third 



* in 1766, became the first Duke of Northumberland. His son and 

 1 successor, the brother of the testator, known in the history of our Rev- 

 1 olutionary war by the name of Lord Percy, was present, as a British 

 ' officer, at the sanguinary opening scene of our Revolutionary war at 

 ' Lexington, and at the battle of Bunker Hill; and was the bearer to 



* the British Government of the despatches from the commander-in-chief 



* of the Royal forces announcing the event of that memorable day : and 



* the present Duke of Northumberland, the testator's nephew, was the 



* ambassador extraordinary of Great Britain sent to assist at the corona- 

 ' tion of the late King of France, Charles the Tenth, a few months only 

 ' before the date of this bequest from his relative to the United States 

 ' of America." 



Is it not rather a strange coincidence, that, from a near relative of the 

 man who first drew sword against the liberties of this country, should 

 proceed the means of perpetuating and consolidating those liberties by 

 the diffusion of education, that main pillar and foundation of republican 

 institutions? Let us, on our side, then, obey this striking interference 

 and dispensation of an all-wise Providence, and lose no more precious 

 time in carrying such noble intentions into salutary operation. 



The venerable and eloquent reporter continues in the following 

 beautiful strain : " The father of the testator, upon forming his alliance 



* with the heiress of the family of the Percies, assumed by an act of 

 1 the British Parliament that name, and under it became Duke of Nor- 

 ' thumberland. But, renowned as is the name of Percy in the histori- 

 ' cal annals of England ; resounding as it does from the summit of the 



* Cheviot Hills to the ears of our children, in the ballad of Chevy chase, 

 ' with the classical commentary of Addison ; freshened and renovated 



in our memory as it has recently been, from the purest fountain of 

 poetical inspiration, in the loftier strain of Alnwick castle, tuned by a 

 bard of our own native land, (Fitz Greene Halleck;) doubly immor- 

 talized as it is in the deathless dramas of Shakespeare ; ' confident 

 against the world in arms,' as it may have been in ages long past, and 

 may still be in the virtues of its present possessors by inheritance, let 

 the trust of James Smithson to the United States of America be 

 faithfully executed by their Representatives in Congress let the 

 result accomplish his object, ' the increase and diffusion of knowledge 

 among men/ and a wreath of more unfading virtue shall entwine 



