358 Nations lately become Literary. 



produced effects by no means so general or im- 

 portant as the friends of knowledge could wish : 

 but from this time the advantages of liberal edu- 

 cation were more frequently enjoyed in the pro- 

 vince, and some of those who were destined after- 

 wards to fill the most conspicuous stations began 

 to receive, at home, that instruction which before 

 could only be received in other colonies, or in 

 European seminaries. 



The interests of literature were, at this time, 

 going on prosperously in Massachusetts. A few 

 years before, Mr. Thomas Hollis, 6 of London, 

 an active friend to literature, as well as to civil and 

 religious liberty, had made several valuable dona- 

 tions to the University of Cambridge. He was 

 followed in this munificence by his nephew, of the 

 same benevolent disposition. To these generous 

 benefactors that institution owes much. They esta- 

 blished two Professorships, one of Theology, the 

 other of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy; 

 they presented many valuable books to the Uni- 

 versity Library;' and made other donations of 

 considerable value. One of the College buildings, 

 erected in 1762, was called, in memory of these 

 benefactors, Hollis-Hall. 



While the Hollis family exercised this genero-- 

 sity towards the institution, benefactors were not 

 wanting in our own country, to imitate their lauda- 

 ble munificence. Thomas Hancock/ Esq. of Bos- 



b Different members of the Hollis family continued their liberal do- 

 nations to this College, at different times, from an early period of the 

 century till the commencement of the revolutionary war. 



c The Library of Harvard College took its rise soon after that Institu- 

 tion was founded. In 1764 it consisted of about five thousand volumes. 

 In the winter of that year, the greater part of this Library was destroyed 

 by fire, with one of the College buildings. Since that time it has been gra- 

 dually growing, and now consists of about thirteen thousand volumes. 

 The chief contributors to this Library were the Mollis family, Thomas 

 Hancock, Esq. Governor Bowdoix, Dr. Franklin, and several others. 



d Thomas Hancock, Esq. was uncle to the Honourable John Han- 

 cock, President of Congress, and afterwards Governor of Massachusetts. 

 The nephew, as well as the uncle, was also a benefactor to the College* 



