90 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



fine order, and lay upon the table in that room. It was 

 sold at the general sale of effects, when my father's estate 

 was settled, but its place was traced out a few years ago, and, 

 although injured, it was repaired by the kind offices of a 

 friend. This chamber is connected with very interesting 

 associations, and when I entered it my emotions were very 

 strong. The front hall or entry remains as it was ; the oaken 

 pannels and staircase, painted by the Buddingtons probably 

 ninety years ago, remain as they were. In this entry, espec- 

 ially up the stairs, we children were used to amuse ourselves, 

 sitting on the trunks, at our plays. The two bedrooms below, 

 at the extreme of the dining-room, remain ; and I explained 

 to my children how the Tories stormed the house at one 



o'clock in the morning of May 1st, 1779 I should 



have been glad of more time to go around the farms and 

 see where I used to set my snares and traps, where I used 

 to skate, to gather nuts, peaches, and apples, &c. ; but time 

 forbade, and we took leave of the old house, with a half 

 promise on my part, that I would return at some future 

 time, with some other members of my family. 



It was a great satisfaction to me at the old house to 

 remember that it had been a house of prayer, and for 

 several generations the residence of the wise and the good, 

 all its tenants, with one exception, having been hopefully 

 pious people. 



When Professor Silliman had reached the age of 

 seventy, he felt that he might properly seek a release 

 from his long-continued service in College. His 

 proposition to vacate his office in the autumn of 

 1850, the response of the Corporation, and his reply 

 to the same, are here given. 



To the President and Fellows of Tale College, 



GENTLEMEN, I beg leave to avail myself of the occa- 

 sion of your annual meeting for the present season, to com- 



