378 Nations lately become Literary. 



stantly growing in the number of its votaries, and 

 in the degree of attention which it has received. 



The attention which was paid to this College by 

 Lord Botetourt, one of the last Governors of 

 Virginia, while a British Colony, deserves to be 

 noticed here, as honourable to himself, and as use- 

 ful to the institution. His exertions to promote 

 its interests were zealous and unremitted. Among 

 other things, he instituted an annual contest among 

 the students, for two elegant gold medals, of the 

 value of five guineas 3 one for the best Latin ora- 

 tion on a given subject ; the other for superiority 

 in Mathematical science. And though the useful 

 effects of his exertions were rendered in a great 

 measure abortive, by the scenes of war and con- 

 fusion which soon followed, yet they were by no 

 means without their value. 



About the year 1774, another College was 

 founded in Virginia. It was for some time no- 

 thing more than a respectable Academy; but af- 

 ter a few years assumed the name, and became 

 invested with the powers of a College. The Rev. 

 Samuel S. Smith, now President of the College 

 of New-Jersey, and whose literary eminence is 

 well known, may be considered as the founder of 

 this institution. It is called Hampden Sidney Col- 

 lege, and has been useful in training up a number 

 of good scholars; but is not now considered as in 

 a very nourishing situation. 



But among the various remarkable periods in 

 the progress of American Literature, there are few 

 more worthy of our notice than the American Re- 

 volution; a grand struggle, which both awakened 



o Lord Botetourt made a point, for a long time, of sanctioning, by 

 his presence, morning and evening prayers in the College. No com- 

 pany, no avocations, prevented his attendance on this service. This no- 

 bleman was extremely fond of literary characters. No one of this class, 

 who had the least claims to respect, was ever presented to bun whora 

 foe did not foster and encourage. 



