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Kingsley, James Luce, Ll.d.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

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Kingsley, Charles

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an eminent and one of the most successful American educators, born in Scotland, Conn., Aug. 28,1778, was a lineal descendant of John Kingsley, one of the seven men who in 1636 constituted the first Church in Dorchester, Mass. Iel entered Williams College at the age of seventeen, and at the end of the freshman year was transferred to Yale, where he graduated in 1799. After teaching in Windham and Wethersfield for two years Mr. Kingsley was appointed tutor in Yale College in 1801, and in 1805 was promoted to the professorship of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin languages and of ecclesiastical history, a position which he retained till his death in 1852. His studies were chiefly in language and history, but he was well versed iii mathematics, theology, metaphysics, political science, and general literature. The study of the classics had disciplined his judgment and refined his taste, so that his writings were clear, finished, and forcible to the highest degree. As a writer of English, Dr. Dwight called him the American Addison; in Latin, Prof. Thacher says that ' Cicero was his model, and he was certainly a successful imitator of his style-surprisingly successful, when we consider how he was dependent on himself for instruction." Prof. Kingsley was at the same time remarkably modest and retiring, the usual accompaniments of true greatness. He very rarely made a public address, although so eminently qualified for the task; and the editions of classical authors which he published as text-books, together with the numerous articles which he contributed to quarterly and monthly periodicals, were commonly anonymous.

His Latin compositions were numerous, but rarely published. The congratulatory address which he gave at the inauguration of president Day in 1817, and a similar address at the inauguration of president Woolsey in 1846, have not even been found among his papers. The memorandum of one of his associates attributes to him six such monumental tributes, viz. president Dwight, 1817; colonel David Humphreys, 1818; professor Alexander M. Fisher, 1822; professor M. R. Dutton, 1825; tutor Amos Pettingill, 1832; and Osgood Johnson, 1837. The most elaborate of his writings was the address delivered on the two hundredth anniversary of the settlement of New Haven in 1838. It remains a model of thorough investigation and judicious combination. The letters of Prof. Kingsley have been very much admired. With president Sparks, Edward Everett, Dr. Palfrey, Mr. Savage, and other literary gentlemen, he was in constant correspondence, but more particularly with Dr. J. E. Worcester. In the American Quarterly Register for April, 1835, and August, 1836, will be found his sketch of the History of Yale College, which was also printed as a separate pamphlet (46 pages 8vo). This is regarded as a chief authority in relation to the early history of this celebrated college. The productions of Prof. Kingsley found a large place in the leading American periodicals; he ranked especially prominent among the contributors to the New Englander, the Christian Spectator, the Biblical Repository, and the North American Review. For a complete list of his works, see Allibone, Diet. Engl. and Am. Auth. vol. ii, s.v. See also Thacher (Thomas A.), Commemorative Discourse on Prof. Kingsley (Oct., 1852).