July? 1747?

Ad Phoenephoelenicorum Societatim.1 Honrd. Getlm., Upon Consideration of the Declension of the Phonephoelenick I2 tho't myself Obligd, Standing in Relation thereto, to endeavour the Recovery thereof.

Getlm., I Beg you'd Consider from whence ye have fallen from what good beginnings you've declin'd: at first, we were as Constant in Our Meetings, hebdomically, as the Sun in its Diurnal Revolutn. But Alas! how is it now. Not above three or four Times this Quarter past. Then we were Sedulous & diligently prepar'd before we came, Stimulating one another in pursuit of Knowledge. But ah! how Indolent & Slothfull now. When we meet, not half knows in Reading where we begin, & so are unprepar'd for Criticism, None knows whose 'tis to pronounce His Oration, or Read His Dissertation, so that (at best) there is Confusion and it's necessary Concomitants. And, Srs., without presuming I may Say 'at present' tis no advantage, neq Nomine, neq Realitate;3 and Our present poor Management must of necessity be utterly Subversive of our promising Beginnings: and Rather render us worse than better. Therefore without a New-Regulation, & more resolute pursuit after & continued Observance of Some better Steps than have been taken, we at last Shall turn out but Scandals to of our Pretensions, and Philosophosters in Our Professions.

Gentl. Upon These & Suchlike Considerations I Am fully Determin'd Never to join with you any more, unless there is a more Constant Attendance upon, & greater Regulations in Our meetings. And if ye shall think fit & come in to Some New Resolves & better Observance of them, I will, & if not I Desire Mr. Clerk to Cross my Name and put an Asterism to,

ANTEA PHILOPHENEPHOELENICORUM4

RC ; addressed: "Mr. Robert Treat Paine at Harvard College These"; endorsed in RTP's hand: "Abijah Thurston Letter &c ad Phinnephilence."

1.

The "Phinphilenici" Club, or "Fifth Day Club," was organized by RTP and certain of his classmates in Nov. 1746 to encourage literary pursuits (RTP Diary, Nov. 6, 13, 1746). Although RTP records in his diary entry of Dec. 18, 1746, that "it was laughed at much about college," the club continued to meet irregularly through his college years. The only original members mentioned in RTP's diary are RTP himself, Edward Wigglesworth, Nathaniel Appleton, Jr., and Abijah Thurston. Members at time of its revival on Dec. 24, 1747, were Cotton Tufts, RTP, Joshua Green, Samuel Haven, Abijah Thurston, and Ezekiel Dodge (RTP Diary).

23 2.

Abijah Thurston (1730–1750), a Harvard classmate of RTP, returned to his native Wrentham after graduation. He began preaching shortly after leaving college but died shortly before his twentieth birthday. See Samuel Haven to RTP, July 19, 1750 ( Sibley's Harvard Graduates , 12:488–489).

3.

Neither in name nor in reality.

4.

Formerly of the Phinphilenici.

Wrentham August 19th: 1747 Dear Class-mate,

I have many things to write but being in a very bad State of health & unable to write anything legible &c. As to my health, on last Saturday I was taken with a violent fever, and it continued very hard upon me untill next morning &c when taking a Vomit seem'd something better, yet on monday again was Seiz'd with a very hard fit, from whence they call it the Tertian Fever, & how soon I shall git well, God only knows. This is therefore to desire you to acquaint Mr. Hancock1 my Tutor concerning me if he asketh after me. And farthermore that if my Chamber-mate Dodge is come down (wc. I don't much expect if I Had, I should have sent him an Epistle) & my Chamber is altered to have him send me a Letter where &c—& a List of the Freshmen's Class.

And

Finally let nothing hinder you in the Course of Theological Studies, but persevere, hold on from Day to Day & week to week untill you arrive at the fullness of the Stature of your proavi,2 ye as far transcend 'm as the Sun Excells the brightest Star in Glory &c—from your loving Classmate,

ABIJAH THURSTON

P:S: If Dodge is not down be pleased to Send me a Letter By the man that brings up Pond's3 horse, & you will Exquisitely oblige yrs. &c

RC ; addressed: “To Mr. Robert Treat Pane Student at Harvard=College QDC per Mr. Timothy Pond"; endorsed by RTP: "Abijah Thurston August 19th 1747" with the following unfinished note: "Whirling his Electrisity Huzza boys Mr. Winthrop's4 now a. . . . “

1.

Belcher Hancock (1709–1771), a 1727 graduate of Harvard, was appointed tutor in 1742 and held that position until 1767. The Class of 1749 was one which was placed under his instruction. Tutorship, until 1766, involved teaching all subjects to the through its four years ( Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 8:137–140).

2.

Great-grandfather. Rev. Samuel Willard (1639/40–1707), RTP's great-grandfather, was pastor 24of Boston's Old South Church from 1678. His collected sermons were published posthumously as the Compleat Body of Divinity (Boston, 1726) ( DAB ).

3.

Timothy Pond (1729–1804), a classmate, also lived at Wrentham. After graduation he taught school for several years and then bought a farm in his native town (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 12:483).

4.

John Winthrop (1714–1779), a 1732 graduate of Harvard and Hollis Professor of Mathematics and Natural and Experimental Philosophy there, was one of the great colonial scientists (Lawrence Shaw Mayo, The Winthrop Family in America [Boston, 1948], 167–193; Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 9:240–264).