deavours to promote its welfare and reputation were constantly exerted on all proper occasions, accompanied with his best wishes and prayers, to the end of his life. It may, therefore, be proper to mention some of the more remarkable events relating to King's College after this pe riod.

Dr. JOHNSON's resignation was in February, 1763; and previously to the commencement in May following Mr. COOPER was chosen President. He extremely wanted the assistance of another tutor or professor, and had engaged one of his friends in the university of Oxford to come over, in whom he would have been happy. But this gentleman died just as he was ready to embark for America. At length Dr. CLOSSY, a gentleman from Dublin, who had been educated in Trinity College, had taken the degree of Doctor of Physic, and was a Fellow of the Irish College of Physicians, came to New-York. As he was soon discovered to be a good scholar, and fond of a college life, the Governors appointed him their Professor of Natural Philosophy, with such a salary and perquisites as he was willing to accept; upon which he removed into the college, and entered upon duty. A grammar school, under the government of the

college, was soon after established, and Mr. CUSHING, a gentleman from Boston, was sent for, and employed to take care of it.

The several classes were now taught by Mr. COOPER, Mr. HARPER, and Dr. CLOSSY; and under such able instructors they had peculiar advantages, such as but few seminaries of so young a standing, especially in America, have ever been able to boast of. The improvements of the students in general were, in some good measure, answerable to these advantages. The college, from year to year, produced a number of young gentlemen, as candidates for its preferments, that would do honour to any academical institution. In 1766 Dr. JOHNSON made his last visit to New-York, at the time of the commencement; and he had the unspeakable satisfaction of finding the college in a flourishing state, and of seeing the public exercises performed in a manner that far exceeded his expectations.

In his peaceful retreat at Stratford, Dr. JOHN SON was once more happily situated, in the enjoyment of ease and leisure, surrounded by his old friends, most agreeably accommodated and provided for in his son's house, and accompanied by his little grand-children; whose blandishments and caresses, in some measure, comL

pensated for the late losses he had met with in

his family.

The year before the Doctor's return to Stratford, Mr. WINSLOW had requested from the society a removal from this mission, on account of the peculiar circumstances of his family; and the mission of Braintree, in the neighbourhood of his friends in Boston, being offered him, he thought proper to accept it. This was some time after Dr. JOHNSON had fixed his residence with his son. On this occasion, the Doctor intimating to the society his inclination to resume the charge of his old mission, as he had been used to a life of action, and was desirous of finishing the remainder of his days in the immediate service of religion, the society very gladly replaced him in it; and he was again kindly received by the people of Stratford, in the character of their Minister, in 1764, upwards of forty years after he had first entered into this relation to them.

He now applied himself diligently to the duties of his mission, and thought and felt himself as able to discharge them, at nearly the age of seventy, as he had been twenty or thirty years before. Indeed, he had always been remarkably healthy, having never suffered more than two slight fits

of illness, and two or three turns of the fever and ague: but now the fine air of Stratford seemed to inspire him with more vigorous health than he had enjoyed for many years before. He was, however, subject to a soreness in his legs, which sometimes confined him to his room. This he looked upon as partly the consequence of a broken leg which he received in 1747, and as aggravated by his sedentary life, occasioned by the intenseness of his studies: and he often considered it as next to a miracle, that he had so much health with so little exercise.

About this time his thoughts were much engaged on the subject of an American Episcopate. The Rev. Mr. APTHORP, missionary at Cambridge, near Boston, had published a small pamphlet in vindication of the conduct of the society in establishing missions in New-England. This publication was occasioned by some scurrilous reflections on that venerable body, that were propagated through the country in the common newspapers. In answer to Mr. APTHORP, Dr. MAYHEW, a man of distinguished abilities and assurance, came forward in a huge pamphlet of 176 pages, treating Mr. APTHORP contemptuously, reflecting grossly on the Church of England in general, charging the society more parti

At the

cularly with flagrant injustice in misapplying their money for the support of missionaries in New-England, and raising an hideous outcry against the scheme of sending Bishops to America. This called forth from Dr. JOHNSON a short vindication of the society, a paralytic tremour in the hand preventing him from writing largely. It was printed by way of appendix to a much fuller vindication, which has generally been ascribed to the Rev. Dr. CANER. same time was published in England, a candid and masterly reply to Dr. MAYHEW, which is known to have been the work of Archbishop SECKER, and is worthy of his admirable pen. To both these pamphlets Dr. MAYHEW rejoined. On this occasion he showed his abilities and address as a disputant, availing himself in the best manner of every little accidental advantage, and pushing his antagonists with vigour on every turn. He seems to have established some of his particular facts, but to have fallen much short of supporting his, general charge; and he was brought by his opponents to make some important concessions, particularly with regard to an American Episcopate. He had also been attacked in another pamphlet, entitled, Remarks on Dr. MAYHEW's incidental Reflections relative