Letter from Judah Monis to the Harvard Corporation, 1729 March 24

A half-page handwritten letter from Judah Monis to the Harvard Corporation on one folio-sized leaf requesting that his service with the College be extended.

Mr. Monis's receipt, 1728 June 19

Slip of paper containing a receipt signed by Judah Monis to Treasurer Edward Hutchinson for "the charge in printing a specimen of the Hebrew Grammar."

About Mr. Monis's being taxed, 1731 December 21

Small slip of paper containing a handwritten statement signed by President Benjamin Wadsworth, Tutor Henry Flynt, Professor Edward Wigglesworth, and Tutor Nathan Prince declaring that Judah Monis as the Hebrew instructor should receive the tax exemptions granted to College officers and providing suggestions to claim the exemption.

Letter from Judah Monis to the Harvard Corporation, 1732 September 27

A half-page handwritten letter from Judah Monis to the Harvard Corporation on an octavo-sized leaf requesting a salary increase.

Petition of Judah Monis to the Harvard Corporation, 1733 September 14

A half-page handwritten request from Judah Monis to the Harvard Corporation on a folio-sized leaf requesting a salary increase due to the high cost of living. The petition was read to the Corporation on October 5, 1733.

Mr. Monis's account for printing, 1728

One-page handwritten itemized bill from Judah Monis listing the cost for printing a sample page of the Hebrew Grammar as well as lodging and transportation expenses for May 31-June 1, 1728.

Order for the salary of Judah Monis, 1725 October 21

Small slip of paper containing an order from President Benjamin Wadsworth to Treasurer Edward Hutchinson to pay Judah Monis's salary for half of one year.

[Letter from Thomas Clap to Royal Tyler,] 1764 August 1

One-page handwritten letter from Thomas Clap to Royal Tyler acknowledging his return of "Mr. Sewals Hebrew Grammar" to Tyler and noting that the work is "best especially for beginners." The letter is torn into three pieces and some text is missing. A portion of the missing text can be found in Box 4.

Notes : manuscript, [16---17--]

Notes on and excerpts of materials used by Harvard undergraduates in the 17th and early 18th cent.; including Prolegomena de arte in genere; William Brattle's A compendium of logick; Alexander Richardson's In dialecticam brevis commentatio; Grammatica hebraea; and other works.

Declaration signed by Harvard students to not speak in the vernacular for one year, 1712 August 23

The declaration, handwritten in Latin and signed by members of the junior and sophomore classes (Harvard Classes of 1714 and 1715), promises that the undersigned will not use the vernacular but instead "whenever, at meals, at banquets,...in our rooms, in all our gatherings, wherever and whenever" will speak in Latin, Greek, or Hebrew through the next May. Additional Latin text appears on both the front and back of the document. The original is accompanied by a typed transcription and two partial handwritten translations. Note at top of original: "Script. Leonardo Dowding, Composit. a Tho. Foxcroft."

Journal of Charles Coffin and David Gurney, 1781-1785

This diary appears to have been kept by two different students, both members of the Harvard College class of 1785. The first two pages contain entries made by a student named David, believed to be David Gurney because the entries relate to the freshman curriculum and Gurney was the only student named David who was a freshman in 1781. Gurney originally titled the volume "A Journal or Diary of my concerns in College of important matters." He made entries from August 28 through October 21, 1781, recording his lessons on Virgil, Tully, Homer, the Greek Testament, Hebrew grammar, English author John Ash's "Grammar," and a text called "The Art of Speaking." At the top of one of the pages recounting these studies, Gurney wrote in large, bold letters: "About how I misspent my precious time." Charles Coffin's entries begin on October 25, 1781 and fill the bulk of the journal. Coffin kept this diary while a student at Harvard College from 1781 to 1785. Although most of Coffin's entries are written in Latin, an account of his July 1781 examination for admission to the College is in English.

Diary of Henry Flynt, 1723-1747

This diary, effectively a commonplace book, documents Flynt's daily activities and personal reflections from 1723 to 1747. Many entries concern his dealings with family members, business associates, acquaintances, ministers, and political officials. The diary includes a list of books Flynt loaned to others from 1723 to 1743 and detailed financial entries from 1724 to 1747. These entries provide information about the costs of goods and services, as well as Flynt's consumption habits; they detail where he traveled, what he ate and drank (including, apparently, many pounds of almonds), what he read, and many other aspects of daily life. The diary also contains entries related to Flynt's land holdings and other investments, as well as copies of meeting minutes from several sessions of the Harvard Board of Overseers.

Diaries of Benjamin Guild, 1776, 1778

These diaries of Benjamin Guild document his travels as a Presbyterian pastor in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The daily entries describe people Guild met and dined with, the food he ate (including strawberries, currants, watermelon, English cherries, and lobster), the funerals he attended, and the sermons he gave. Many entries relate to his health concerns (the ague and eye trouble), sleeping habits, and widespread public health concerns (including smallpox, dysentery, "nervous fevers," consumption, and "putrid fever"). The diaries also contain passing references to the activities of American, British, French, and German soldiers during the American Revolution; the invasion of Canada and battles occurring in New York are noted. In August 1778, after visiting Providence, Rhode Island, Guild comments on the disordered state of the city after American soldiers passed through it. He also recounts a visit by officers of the French fleet to the Harvard College library in September 1778 and describes his dinner on board the French man-of-war, Sagitaire. One entry describes an elaborate ball sponsored by John Hancock, held for French soldiers and "Boston ladies," and another refers to the "incursion" of Indians. Many of Guild's diary entries pertain to his work as a Harvard College Tutor; these entries describe his lectures at the College, meetings with colleagues, personnel decisions, and the examination of students. He also describes books he is reading and his opinions of them, the purchase and sale of books, and his desire to learn Hebrew and French. In addition, multiple entries refer to a man named Prince, who was perhaps Guild's slave. Prince sometimes accompanied Guild on his travels.

Diary of Thomas Marsh, 1751

Diary kept in an interleaved almanac from 1751. Entries in the diary are brief and sporadic, recording events including travel, visitors, weather, sermons heard, holidays, illnesses and deaths. Occasional expenses are noted, including ones for hay, cider, bottles, shoes, and doctoring. A few dates of college events are noted, including the semi-annual Corporation meeting and Commencement. On the last page is a list of student names, presumably those tutored by Marsh.

Student notebook of Ebenezer Parkman, 1720

The small hardcover notebook contains a manuscript copy of Charles Morton's Natural Philosophy copied by student Ebenezer Parkman (Harvard Class of 1721) in 1720, as well as notes on Hebrew grammar. The flyleaf has a faded note, "[This copy] was probably made by Parkman H.U. 1721 afterward minister of Westboro." The title page of the volume includes the handwritten title "Phylosophia Natvralis: Naturall Philosophy, By the Reverd Mr. Charles Morton Pastor of a Church in Charles Town, Beegan [sic] to recite it December 11, 1720 Willm Brattle's Book 1720 ended January 30 Anno Domini 1720 [January 30, 1720/1721]." The final page of the transcription is signed and dated "June 18, 1720 Parkman." The last pages of the volume consist of notes on Hebrew Grammar titled "Instruction in Hebrew."