12 THOMAS HUTCHINSON 



place. In the class of 1727, which numbered thirty- 

 seven students, the only names above Hutchinson's 

 were those of the two Brownes, one of whom was after- 

 ward son-in-law of Governor Burnet and father of one 

 of the "mandamus councillors" of 1774. Another 

 distinguished member of the class was Jonathan 

 Trumbull, the great "war governor" of Connecticut 

 and valued friend of Washington, and according to 

 one tradition, the original " Brother Jonathan." 



It was after Hutchinson had left college, and become 

 an apprentice in his father's counting-room, that the 

 scholarly impulse seized and mastered him. He fell 

 in love with the beauties of Latin, and diligently used 

 his leisure evenings until he had become fairly accom- 

 plished in that language ; to this he soon added a 

 practical knowledge of French. Of history he was 

 always fond. As a child he would rather curl down 

 in the chimney corner and pore over Church's " Indian 

 War " arid Morton's " New England Memorial " than 

 coast and snowball with boys in the street; and his 

 Puritan education did not prevent him from shedding 

 tears over the sufferings and death of King Charles. 

 The seventy-fours and frigates that now and then 

 sailed into Boston harbour, stately and beautiful, and 

 symbolic of England's empire, had a special charm for 

 him. In their snug cabins he found agreeable com- 

 panions, among them Lieutenant Hawke, afterward to 

 be known as one of the greatest of British sea kings. 

 Still pleasanter society was found in the household 

 of a widow lady, with three beautiful daughters, who 

 had lately moved to Boston from Rhode Island. To 

 Margaret Sanford, the second daughter, aged seven- 

 teen, Hutchinson was married in 1734. In the course 



