Eleazar's Advice to Freshmen
THE following letter, dated 1765, four years before the founding of Dartmouth College, was written by Eleazar Wheelock to David Avery and David McClure, pupils of his at Lebanon, Conn., who had become freshmen at Yale College.
Lebanon, November 5th, 1765
MY DEAR CHILDREN
I had heard so much of the rough, savage, clownish, ungenteel Manner of Conduct towards Freshmen; particularly in the young Gentlemen who are more especially appointed to inspect and form the Manners of raw and unpolished Boys, when they first come to College, as inclined me to give my Attention to that subject, as I travelled home alone. And I could not refrain from indulging some Concern for you, how you would overcome the many Temptations, and persevere in a modest, meek and becoming Behaviour, through such a new Scene of Trials, as I apprehended to be before you. I wanted again to see you, to refresh your minds anew with what I have heretofore so often inculcated upon you. And tell you again with particular Application to the present Occasion.
Ist. That you are to know, and always remember, whatever Examples or Instructions you may have to the contrary, that Christ's Example and Precepts are the Rules by which you are continually to walk. - And he was meek and lowly, kind and benevolent, courteous and gentle towards all Men. We never once in all his History, find him stamping or furious, or haughty in Word or Behaviour towards any, even the meanest of Men, and especially towards such who were willing to do right, so far as they knew, and were willing to be influenced farther. Much less did he ever seek Occasion to make any seem to be guilty of an Error, when none was intended. Nor ever any Thing like the commanding a Youth, a Stranger, one ignorant of Persons and Customs, to go, and stand an Hour in a Room alone, as a Punishment for he knew not what. (I refer to the Account which Pomeroy gave me of their Treatment of honest Backus.) This, and several other Instances I heard, as clownish, savage and ungenteel as that, and done too in a College, and by Young Gentlemen (so called), who were appointed to teach Freshmen good Manners, and a decent, comely Behaviour towards all Men.
One morning after I came home, I walked abroad, and saw my large Herd of fatting Hogs shut up in the long Yard in the Street, and to their Number were added several Strangers which were brought down from the Farm to be fatted with them. The extraordinary Discipline among them, exercised towards these new Comers the whole Length of the Yard, commanded my Attention, and the more so because it seemed to be so exact a Resemblance of, and even an acting over, the Scene which had before so much engrossed my Thoughts; but only with this Difference, these were really Hogs; and in that View their Discipline seemed tolerable, though very cruel, and inhumane. But had they been young Gentlemen of a liberal Education, and honoured with the important Trust and Office of forming the Minds and Manners of the junior Members of that very respectable Society to Rules of the most polite and decent Deportment among their Fellow Men; the Sight, instead of diverting me, must needs have filled me with Indignation.
I charge you, my Children, that you take heed that you don't grow into a liking, or a less Abhorrence of such Conduct, by seeing it practiced by others, and by your Superiors in standing. And that you don't indulge the least Disposition ever to imitate it, if, by the Providence of God, you should ever have an Opportunity for it. Leave that Manner of Conduct intirely to the Hogs....
2nd. That you watch and guard against those Vices and Evils to which you are in a special Manner exposed by the various Temptations before you - such as Anger and Disaffection towards others - Contemptuous Behaviour - Pleasure in disobliging them - Lying - or any breaking over the good and wholesome Laws of College, in Compliance with the Solicitations of others. For Instance. If you should be enticed by your Superiors to comply with any fashionable Practice which is forbidden by the Laws of College, such as playing Cards - clandestinely bringing forbidden Liquors into College
- Reviling Authority — or planning or devising any mischievous Plots, &c., modestly, but resolutely refuse, and every thing else whereby you shall expose yourselves to guilty Fears of being detected, or expose yourselves to Temptations to injure the Truth, if you should be called in Question for it. The loss of your Peace is an evil too great to be repaired by any thing you will have in Return for such Compliance with others. Never be afraid to be unfashionable, when Truth and Vertue are so.
Yours very affectionately,
