John Harvard and his times . due to him for that amount, no matter whatill chance may have prevented some of it fromreaching the college treasury. Nor, in esti-mating the generosity of that gift, should weforget to once more multiply those seventeenth-century figures by eight, in order that themodern mind may arrive at an adequateconception of the relative value of Harvardslegacy. That, half a century after his death, the peo-ple of New England had learnt to appreciate theaction of the young minister at its real value* isobvious. By that time Harvard College had en-tered in good earnest on its
John Harvard and his times . due to him for that amount, no matter whatill chance may have prevented some of it fromreaching the college treasury. Nor, in esti-mating the generosity of that gift, should weforget to once more multiply those seventeenth-century figures by eight, in order that themodern mind may arrive at an adequateconception of the relative value of Harvardslegacy. That, half a century after his death, the peo-ple of New England had learnt to appreciate theaction of the young minister at its real value* isobvious. By that time Harvard College had en-tered in good earnest on its triumphant careeras the centre of learning in America, and thename of its earliest benefactor had already gath-ered around it the beginnings of that honourin which it was to be more securely enshrinedin the thought of later generations. Nowhere,perhaps, does that reverence find more attrac-tive record than in this page from the diary ofJudge Sewall, which is dated January, 1696:I lodged at Charlestown at Mrs. Shepherds, 298. TLE-PAGE OF THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE. PRESERVED IN THE LIBRARYOF HARVARD UNIVERSITY.— P«(/f 299. THE PRAISE OF JOHN HARVARD who tells me Mr. Harvard built that house. Ilay in the chamber next the street. As I layawake past midnight, in my meditation, I wasaffected to consider how long ago God hadmade provision for my comfortable lodgingthat night; seeing that was Mr. Harvardshouse. Remorseless, indeed, has been the oblivionwhich has overtaken and utterly effaced everyrecord of the footsteps of John Harvard onAmerican soil. Even that house in whichJudge Sewall spent such a comfortable nighthas shared in the general fate, for there is norecord of its existence subsequent to the con-flagration of June 17th, 1775. Eleven yearsearlier, too, the same devouring element hadreduced to ashes all the books of John Har-vards carefully gathered library, save onevolume, which seems to have owed its escapeto having been in the hands of a borrower onthat wild January nigh
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