The annals or history of Yale-College, in New-Haven, in the colony of Connecticut, from the first founding thereof, in the year 1700, to the year 1766: : with an appendix, containing the method of instruction and government, with the officers, benefactors and graduates. / By Thomas Clap, A.M. president of the said college.

THE PREFACE.

THE Knowledge of the History of any Society is very necessary to direct the Governors of it, how to conduct with Wisdom, Uniformity and Justice; and may be useful and entertaining to many Others.

At the Desire of the Reverend Trustees of this Col|lege, in the Year 1744, I compiled the Substance of this History, to that Time; which was read and ap|proved by them.—It was collected principally from the Records and original Papers; but several Circum|stances, tending to set the Whole in a clear Light, I received from sundry Gentlemen, who were contempo|rary with the Facts related; among which were some of the Founders of the College, with whom I was per|sonally acquainted in the Year 1726.

As my principal Design, in writing this History, was to preserve these important Facts from Oblivion, and to transmit them down, for the Use of Posterity; I have confined myself to the proper Province of an Historian; which is to give a just and simple Narra|tion of Facts, without interspersing many Embellish|ments, Observations or Reflections; leaving them to be made by the judicious and candid Reader.

And since the Want of a certain and exact Know|ledge of some ancient Facts, has oftentimes been the Occasion of Controversies and Disputes, I have been more minute in the Relation of some Circumstantials, than may probably be entertaining to Strangers; yet not more than may, hereafter, be really necessary, for those who will be immediately concerned.

I have digested this History in the Form of ANNALS, as supposing that the chronological Order will be most easily understood and remembered: Yet, sometimes, where Things are necessarily connected, I have put them into the same Paragraph, altho' they occurred in different Years.

The greater Part of this History being wrote when the Paper-Currency of New-England was in a de|preciating State, it was thought best that all Sums of Money should be reduced to the Sterling Value. — The College-Accounts, before the Year 1726, are somewhat obscure; and therefore it is probable that some Receipts and Disbursements of Money, before that Time, have not come to my Knowledge; yet, since that Time, they stand very fair and clear.

To render this History the more complete, I have recited or referred to all the Acts of the Honorable the General Assembly, relating to the College.

I had Thoughts of adding something upon the civil and ecclesiastical Privileges of Colleges and Universi|ties, but shall only refer the Reader to those Authors who have wrote largely on that Subject, viz. — Dr. Ayliffe's ancient and present State of the University of Oxford; Wood's Institutes of the common Law; Bp. Stillingfleet's Discourse in the House of Lords; Conringius, de Antiquitatibus Academicis; and a short Piece I printed, in the Year 1754, entitled The Religious Constitution of Colleges.

I have made Minutes of several other Things, which may be useful to Some; and may hereafter pre|pare Materials for the Continuation of this History.

YALE-COLLEGE, March 1, 1766.

THOMAS CLAP.