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PROPOSITION

FOR

The ADVANCEMENT of EXPERIMEN

TAL PHILOSOPHY [a].

THE COLLEGE.

THA

HAT the philofophical college be situated within one, two, or (at fartheft) three miles of London, and, if it be poffible to find that convenience, upon the fide of the river, or very near it.

That the revenue of this college amount to four thousand pounds a year.

[a] Ingenious men delight in dreams of refirmation. In comparing this Propofition of Cowley, with that of Milton, addreffed to Mr. Hartlib, we find that thefe great poets had amused themselves with fome exalted, and, in the main, congenial fancies, on the fubject of education: that, of the two plans, propofed, this of Mr. Cowley was better digefted, and is the lefs fanciful; if a preference, in this refpect, can be given to either, when both are manifeftly Utopian: and that our universities, in their prefent form, are well enough calculated to anfwer all the reasonable ends of fuch inftitutions; provided we allow for the unavoidable defects of them, when drawn out into practice.

That

That the company received into it be as follows:

1. Twenty philofophers or profeffors. 2. Sixteen young scholars, fervants to the profeffors. 3. A chaplain. 4. A bailiff for the revenue. 5. A manciple or purveyor for the provifions of the house. 6. Two gardeners... 7. A mafter-cook. 8. An under-cook. 9. A butler.

10. An under-butler. 11. A furgeon. 12. Two lungs, or chemical fervants. 13. A library-keeper, who is likewife to be apothecary, druggift, and keeper of inftruments, engines, &c. 14. An officer to feed and take care of all beasts, fowl, &c. kept by the college. 15. A groom of the stable. 16. A messenger to fend up and down for all uses of the college. 17. Four old women, to tend the chambers, keep the houfe clean, and fuch like services.

That the annual allowance for this company be as follows: 1. To every profeffor, and to the chaplain, one hundred and twenty pounds. 2. To the fixteen scholars twenty pounds apiece, ten pounds for their diet, and ten pounds for their entertainment. 3. To the bai liff, thirty pounds, befides allowance for his journies. 4. To the purveyor, or manciple, thirty pounds. 5. To each of the gardeners, twenty pounds. 6. To the mafter-cook, twenty

1

pounds.

pounds. 7. To the under-cook, four pounds. 8. To the butler, ten pounds. 9. To the under-butler, four pounds.

10. To the furgeon,

11. To the library-keeper,

thirty pounds.

12. To each of the lungs,

thirty pounds. twelve pounds.

13. To the keeper of the beasts, fix pounds. 14. To the groom, five pounds. 15. To the meffenger, twelve pounds. 16. To the four neceffary women, ten pounds. For the manciple's table, at which all the fervants of the house are to eat, except the scholars, one hundred and fixty pounds. For three horfes for the fervice of the college, thirty pounds.

All which amounts to three thousand two hundred eighty-five pounds. So that there remains, for keeping of the house and gardens, and operatories, and inftruments, and animals, and experiments of all forts, and all other expences, feven hundred and fifteen pounds.

Which were a very inconfiderable fum for the great uses to which it is defigned, but that I conceive the industry of the college will in a short time so enrich itself as to get a far better ftock for the advance and enlargement of the work when it is once begun; neither is the continuance of particular mens liberality to be defpaired of, when it fhall be encouraged by the fight of that public benefit which will accrue to

all

all mankind, and chiefly to our nation, by this foundation. Something likewise will arise from leafes and other cafualties; that nothing of which may be diverted to the private gain of the profeffors, or any other use besides that of the search of nature, and by it the general good of the world, and that care may be taken for the certain performance of all things ordained by the institution, as likewife for the protection and encouragement of the company, it is propofed :

That fome perfon of eminent quality, a lover of folid learning, and no stranger in it, be chofen chancellor or prefident of the college; and that eight governors more, men qualified in the like manner, be joined with him, two of which shall yearly be appointed visitors of the college, and receive an exa&t account of all expences even to the smallest, and of the true eftate of their public treafure, under the hands and oaths of the profeffors refident.

That the choice of profeffors in any vacancy belong to the chancellor and the governors: but that the professors (who are likeliest to know what men of the nation are most` proper for the duties of their fociety) direct their choice, by recommending two or three persons to them at every election: and that if any learned perfon

within

within his majesty's dominions difcover, or eminently improve, any useful kind of knowledge, he may upon that ground, for his reward and the encouragement of others, be preferred, if he pretend to the place, before any body else.

That the governors have power to turn out any profeffor, who fhall be proved to be either fcandalous or unprofitable to the fociety.

That the college be built after this, or fome fuch manner: That it confift of three fair quadrangular courts, and three large grounds, inclofed with good walls behind them. That the first court be built with a fair cloifter; and the profeffors lodgings, or rather little houfes, four on each fide, at fome diftance from one another, and with little gardens behind them, just after the manner of the Chartreux beyond sea. That the inside of the cloister be lined with a gravel-walk, and that walk with a row of trees; and that in the middle there be a parterre of flowers, and a fountain.

That the fecond quadrangle, just behind the first, be fo contrived, as to contain these parts, 1. A chapel. 2. A hall, with two long tables on each fide, for the scholars and officers of the house to eat at, and with a pulpit and forms at the end for the public lectures. 3. A large and pleasant dining-room within the hall, for the profeffors to eat in, and to hold their assemblies

and

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