£18 Nations hteli^ become Literajy. [Ch. XXV^I* 



more extensive plan than any which had hitherto 

 been known in tlie province. Animated by the 

 exertions made to found a college at Philadel- 

 phia, they undertook to erect a similar institu- 

 tion in their ov/n city. At the head of the asso- 

 ciation formed for this purpose was Mr. James 

 de Lancey *, lieutenant-governor of the province, 

 who, beside the aid of the rev. Dr. Barclay f, 

 and other literary gentlemen of New York, was 

 also assisted by the counsels and cooperation of 

 the rev. Dr. Johnson J, of Connecticut, and the 



* Mr. James de Lancey was a native of New York. His fa- 

 ther, Mr. Stephen de Lancey, came from Normandy, in France, 

 among the protestants who fled from persecution in that country. 

 The son was sent to England for his education, where, about the 

 year 1725, he entered the university of Cambridge. Here he 

 had the honour of having for his tutor Dr. Plerring, afterward 

 archbishop of Canterbury. Soon after his return home in 1729, 

 he was appointed a member of the governor's council ; after- 

 ward filled the office of chief justice ; became lieutenant-gover- 

 nor in 1753 J and had long an extensive and commanding in» 

 fluence in the province. He died about the year 1700. 



t The rev. Dr. Henry Barclay was a native of xllbany, and 

 received a liberal education at Yale college, where he graduated 

 in the year 1734'. Soon after leaving college he went to Great 

 Britain, where he received orders in the episcopal church, andf 

 was appointed missionary to the Mohawk Indians. Having 

 served m this capacity for some years, he was called to the city 

 of New York, and appointed rector of Trinity church. In this 

 respectable situation he continued till his death, which took place 

 hi 1765. 



J The rev. Dr. Samuel Johnson was born at Guilford, in Con- 

 necticut, October 1 4, 1696. He was educated at Yale college, 

 where he took his first degree in the year 1714-. In 1720 he was 

 ordained by a council of congregational ministers, and installed 

 pastor of a church at West Haven, in Connecticut. After re- 

 maining in this situation a little more than two years, he altered 

 his views concerning the doctrine, worship, and government of 



