Nations lately become Literary. 381 



enterprize which had been directed against the 

 common enemy were now turned towards domes- 

 tic improvement. 



In 1780 an act passed the Legislature of Mas- 

 sachusetts for establishing the American Academy 

 of Arts and Sciences . v Its design was to promote 

 every species of liberal knowledge that might tend 

 to " advance the interest, honour and happiness of 

 a free, independent and virtuous people." This 

 institution soon rose into importance; and, from 

 the character of its members, and of the publica- 

 tions which it has made, may be considered as 

 among the most respectable and useful associa- 

 tions in the United States. 



About this time three gentlemen of the name of 

 Phillips," one residing at Andover, in Massachu- 

 setts, another at Exeter, in New-Hampshire, and 

 a third in Boston, exercised a degree of munifi- 

 cence, which is equally rare, in this country, and 

 honourable to their generosity and love of litera- 

 ture. In 1778 the Honourable Samuel Phillips, 

 of Andover, founded and liberally endowed an 



i> The Hon. James Bowdoin, afterwards Governor of the Common- 

 wealth, and a man of taste and science, was the first President of the 

 American Academy. He was also a liberal benefactor to the institution, 

 and continued to preside over it with honour until his death, in 1790. Ano- 

 ther conspicuous benefactor to this association was Josiah Quincy, 

 Esquire, a learned and eloquent counsellor, a distinguished patriot, and 

 an able political writer. To these may be added, the Hon. John Adams, 

 late President of the United States, and now President of the Academy, 

 and Dr. Franklin, who also made important donations to the institu- 

 tion. But the greater part of the funds of the Academy consist of five 

 thousand dollars, presented to it by our illustrious countryman Count 

 Rum ford, who, in 1796, made a donation of the above sum, the interest 

 of which is to be applied and given once every second year, as a premium 

 to the author of the most important discovery, or useful improvement, 

 which shall be made known to the public in any part of the Continent of 

 America, or in any of the American islands, during the preceding two 

 years, on Light or on Heat. 



u The family of Phillips, in Massachusetts and New-Hampshire, 

 has been long distinguished for its great wealth, and also, for its love 

 of religion and literature. A complete history of the munificence exer- 

 cised towards public institutions at different times, by the members of this 

 family, would probably furnish an amount of benefactions seldom equalled 

 pi this country. 



