The college-edifice at Princeton is a stately and durable one, constructed of stone; and it will afford satisfaction to the reader, to be informed, that in this building is deposited the Rittenhouse Orrery. He will derive additional pleasure from learning, that this grand machine has, lately, been repaired in some considerable degree, and at a great expence, by the ingenious Mr. Henry Voight, of the Mint: by whom, that belonging to the University of Pennsylvania, has likewise been put in good order. Neither of these Orreries appeared to have suffered any material injury from the British troops, during the war of the revolution; though it has been generally believed, they did. The libraries, indeed, and some of the apparatus, belonging to both the colleges in which the Orreries are placed, experienced great losses from the presence of an hostile army in their vicinity: but the officers of that army seem to have respected these greater works of human ingenuity.[239] ----- Footnote 239: Dr. Morse observes, that, before the American war, the College of New-Jersey was furnished with a philosophical apparatus, valued at more than thirteen hundred dollars; “which, except the elegant Orrery constructed by Mr. Rittenhouse,” says the Doctor, “was almost entirely destroyed by the British army, in the late war; as was also the library, which now” (this was in 1789) “consists of between two and three thousand volumes.” With a view to the obtaining, with greater certainty, information respecting the condition &c. of the Orrery in Princeton College, the writer of these memoirs addressed a letter on the subject, to his worthy and much respected friend, the Rev. Samuel Stanhope Smith, D. D. then president of that institution:[239a] To that letter the learned president promptly returned the following answer: _Princeton_, May 3d, 1812. “Dear Sir, “I just redeem a moment, before the closing of the mail, to inform you, that Dr. Rittenhouse’s Orrery cost at first 300_l._ Pennsylvania currency. It was his own moderate price, and immediately paid him by Dr. Witherspoon,[239b] on behalf of the College.