Sect. III.] United States of America. 275 



seminaries of Europe, were usually more accu- 

 rate and profound than could ordinarily be ob- 

 tained from the native citizens, it must follow, of 

 course, that those who derived their classical 

 learning from the former of these sources, were 

 in general more thoroughly instructed them- 

 selves, and consequently more capable of instruct- 

 ing others, than those who had access only to the 

 latter. 



In the study of Oriental Literature, it is be- 

 lieved that New England has generally excelled 

 the middle and southern states. Certain it is, 

 that we hear of more eminent orientalists in the 

 former than in the latter ; if we except a few fo- 

 reigners occasionally residing in America. This 

 we may ascribe to the great oriental learning of 

 several of those distinguished divines who came 

 with the first settlers to New England, or who 

 soon afterward followed them thither. The in- 

 fluence of these men has continued, in some de- 

 gree, to the present day. To this circumstance it 

 may be added, that the university of Cambridge, 

 in Massachusetts, is the only seminary of learning 

 in the United States in which a professorship for 

 instruction in the oriental languages has been 

 steadily maintained through the whole of the 

 eighteenth century. 



In the cultivation of Mathematics and Natural 

 Philosophy, it is difiicult to say to vv'hat part of 

 the country the preference ought to be given. 

 Prol^ably an impartial judge, taking the whole 

 history of the country together, would give the 

 palm, in this respect, to Pennsylvania and Massa- 



cliusetts. 



T2 



