The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

254 LETTERS, TRACTS, tfft.for ourfelvcs and our ftudents, and may alfo fet agood many feats by way of au6lion ; or we may fell200 tickets at a crown a-piece, which will be abovethree guineas to each of us, which is ftill fomething.It puts us into a little perplexity, that, by the ftatutesof the college, women are not to be admitted withincur gates : On the one hand, it is feared, that if werigidly obferve that ftatute, feveral of our ftudentsmay choofe to go to fome church in the city whichis frequented by the ladies -, on the other hand, it isforefeen,that if young ladies are allowed to come tothe hall, the ftudents will entice them to their chambersto drink tea after the fervice ; that a freer andopener intercourfe between females and the collegegentlemen than hath hitherto fubfifted may take place,and that there may be a violent fufpicion of diforderlyfamiliarities, which will bring fcandal upon thecollege, and upon the ladies who refort to it. Oneach hand there is certainly fome danger ; but it will,we judge, be rather wifer to admit the ladies, whichwill prevent our meeting from being thin, and ourorator from being no more but vox clamar.tis in deferto.We will take all the care we can that there be no outwardindecency. Old ftatutes, when found to be inconvenient,deferve to be exploded. At the worft,this inconveniency will only be fuffered while we ufetJie hall as a chapel ; it will be totally removed wheneverthe new chapel is erecled. And, to balance thatinconveniency, whilft we meet in the hall, we willnot need to preach, nor hire any laxl to preach in vacationtime. It is true, that when v/e have roupedour feats in the Blackfriar's we will have no room forourfelves in any church : But when any of us hiip-^"pens to go to a church in fummer, the town's peoplewin not grudge to give us a feat f»r oncejn a monthor fo. We will not choofe to give them too muchtrouble.And now, Sir, I fliallleave you to judge, from tlic