AMEKICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 17 



cussed, discussions thereon, and with the decisions 

 given upon them and essays written by the members 

 and read at the meetings. It is useless to enter into 

 details upon this subject, the proceedings will speak 

 for themselves. I shall only take notice of what 

 appears the most worthy of remark. 



At the date when the volume begins, the members 

 were: Francis Eawle, Charles Thomson, J. Woolley, 

 Peter Chevalier, William Franklin, (son of Benjamin, 

 and afterwards Governor of New Jersey), J. Mather, 

 Philip Syng, J. Paschall, Edmund Physick, J. Howell, 

 and W. Hopkins (eleven members). Those absent 

 are noted. Thirty years had elapsed since the forma- 

 tion of the Club, and therefore it is not astonishing 

 that there should be a total change of its members. 

 William Coleman, one of the founders, was still alive, 

 [but] many causes might prevent him from continu- 

 ing his attendance. 



Nor do we find among these names those of Ben- 

 jamin Franklin and of his friend Hugh Roberts. The 

 former was in England, and it was unknown when 

 he should return. He was probably more considered 

 at that time as the founder and patron of that Club 

 (for such, in fact, it was) than as one of its active 

 members. 



The membership of a Club for mutual improvement 

 is not like that of a Society for the promotion of 

 knowledge; it does not look forward to perpetuity, 

 and it is not considered an honor to be on the list of 



