CHAPTER I.

(1787-1791.)

THE Memoirs in which Dr. Priestley had related, with characteristic simplicity, the most important and influential occurrences and occupations of a greatly varied life, from infancy to his 54th year, have been found to afford the most attractive and interesting passages to the former part of this biography. The reputation he had now acquired, from his researches in experimental philosophy, amidst still more favourite pursuits, was thus described by a very competent observer:

To enumerate Dr. Priestley's discoveries, would, in fact, be to enter into a detail of most of those that have been made within the last fifteen years. How many invisible fluids, whose existence evaded the sagacity of foregoing ages, has he made known to us! The very air we breathe he has taught us to analyze, to examine, to improve; a substance so little known, that even the precise effect of respiration was an enigma, till he explained it. He first made known to us the proper food of vegetables, and in what the difference between these and animal substances consisted. To him pharmacy is indebted for the method of making artificial mineral waters, as well as for a shorter method of preparing other medicines; metallurgy, for more powerful and cheaper solvents; and chemistry, for such a variety of discoveries as it would be tedious to recite; discoveries which have new-modelled that science, and drawn to it, and to this country, the attention of Europe. It is certain that since the year 1773, the eyes and regards of all the learned bodies in Europe have been directed to

this country, by his means. In every philosophical treatise his name is to be found, and in almost every page. They all own that most of their discoveries are due, either to the repetition of his discoveries, or to the hints scattered through his works.*

I shall now anticipate the period of Dr. Priestley's emigration, and of his final settlement in America, to introduce the very short Continuation of his Memoirs, finished at "Northumberland, March 24, 1795, in which,” he adds, "I have completed the sixty-second year of my age."

(188.) When I wrote the preceding part of these Memoirs, I was happy, as must have appeared in the course of them, in the prospect of spending the remainder of my life at Birmingham, where I had every advantage for pursuing my studies, both philosophical and theological; but it pleased the Sovereign Disposer of all things to appoint for me other removals, and the manner in which they were brought about was more painful to me than the removals themselves. I am far, however, from questioning the wisdom or the goodness of the appointments, respecting myself or others.

(189.) To resume the account of my pursuits, where the former part of the Memoirs left it, I must observe that, in the prosecution of my experiments, I was led to maintain the doctrine of phlogiston against Mr. Lavoisier,† and other chemists in France, whose opinions were adopted not only by almost

* Vindicia Priestleianæ, addressed "to the youth of the two Universities," (1788,) pp. 67-69, where the passage is thus introduced by Mr. Lindsey:

"When, in 1787, I asked one who will be allowed a most capable judge, well known to the philosophical world by his own discoveries, how he would, in a few words, express our common friend's merits in philosophy, the next time I saw him he gave me the following sketch."

Mr. Belsham attributes this sketch, no doubt on sufficient authority, to "Mr. Kirwan, the present (1812) venerable and learned President of the Royal Society of Ireland." Mem. of Lindsey, p. 198.

↑ "Antony Laurence Lavoisier, a celebrated French chemist, was guillotined in 1794," (aged 51,) under Robespierre's "reign of terror."

all the philosophers of that country, but by those in England and Scotland also. My friends, however, of the Lunar Society,* were never satisfied with the anti-phlogistic doctrine. My experiments and observations on this subject were published in various papers in the "Philosophical Transactions."† At Birmingham I also published a new edition of my publications on the subject of Air, and others connected with it, reducing the six volumes to three, which, with his consent, I dedicated to the Prince of Wales.‡

(190.) In theology, I continued my "Defences of Unitarianism,"§ until it appeared to myself and my friends that my antagonists produced nothing to which it was of any consequence to reply. But I did not, as I had proposed, publish any address to the bishops, or to the legislature, on the subject. The former I wrote, but did not publish. I left it, however, in the hands of Mr. Belsham, when I came to America, that he might dispose of it as he should think proper. |

(191.) The pains that I took to ascertain the state of early opinions concerning Jesus Christ, and the great misapprehensions I perceived in all the ecclesiastical historians, led me to undertake a " General History of the Christian Church to the Fall of the Western Empire," which accordingly I wrote in two volumes octavo, and dedicated to Mr. Shore. This work I mean to continue.**

(192.) At Birmingham I wrote the "Second Part" of my "Letters to a Philosophical Unbeliever," and dedicated the whole to Mr. Tayleur, of Shrewsbury,++ who had afforded the most material assistance in the publication of many of my

* See I. 339.

+ From 1788 to 1791. Phil. Trans. LXXVIII. 147, 313; LXXIX. 7, 139, 289; LXXXI. 213.

In 1790. See W. XXV. 368.

"For 1788 and 1789, containing Letters to Bishop Horsley, Revds. Barnard, Dr. Knowles, and Hawkins." W. XIX. 1–110.

Four of the six Letters Mr. Belsham published, 1815. See W. XIX. 509. The other two I have lately printed, by favour of Mr. Belsham's executor. See W. XXV. 188.

In 1790. See W. VIII. 3; I. 61, ad fin. 215. ** See W. IX., X.

tt In 1787. See W. IV. 313.

theological works, without which, the sale being inconsiderable, I should not have been able to publish them at all.*

(193.) Before I left Birmingham, I preached a funeral sermon for my friend, Dr. Price,† and another for Mr. Robinson, of Cambridge, who died with us on a visit to preach our annual charity-school sermon. I also preached the last annual sermon to the friends of the college at Hackney.§ All these three sermons were published. ||

(194.) About two years before I left Birmingham, the question about the "Test and Corporation Acts" was much agitated both in and out of Parliament. This, however, was altogether without any concurrence of mine. I only delivered and published a sermon on the 5th of November, 1789,¶ recommending the most peaceable method of pursuing our object. Mr. Madan, however, the most respectable clergyman in the town,** preaching and publishing a very inflammatory sermon on the subject,†† inveighing in the bitterest manner against the Dissenters in general, and myelf in particular, I addressed a number of " Familiar Letters to the Inhabitants of Birmingham” in our defence. This produced a reply from him, and other letters from me.‡‡ All mine were written in

§ "April 27, 1791," in the Old Jewry, on "the Proper Objects of Education in the present State of the World." The design and progress of the Institution had been thus announced:

"The Dissenters are establishing an University of their own. A large house and extensive grounds have been purchased at Hackney, for 5,6007., to which a wing is to be added, and they have 9000/. in hand. An anonymous benefactor has just sent them 500l., for which their gratitude is expressed in the newspapers. The expense of board, lodging and tuition for each session is 60 guineas to such as are not on the foundation." Lond. Chron., (July 3, 1787,) LXII. 8.

See W. XV. 404, 420, 441.

¶ On "the Conduct to be observed by Dissenters in order to procure the Repeal of the Corporation and Test Acts." This sermon was " printed at the request of the Committee of the seven congregations of the three denominations of Protestant Dissenters in Birmingham." See W. XV. 389. ** See I. 413.

++"The Principal Claims of the Dissenters considered." See W. XIX.139. ‡‡ See ibid. pp. 135-304.

an ironical and rather a pleasant manner, and in some of the last of them I introduced a farther reply to Mr. Burn, another clergyman in Birmingham, who had addressed to me " Letters on the Infallibility of the Apostical Testimony concerning the Person of Christ," after replying to his first set of letters in a separate publication.*

To these very scanty notices, by Dr. Priestley, of the events which had engaged his attention, and the different pursuits in which he had been occupied during several years, I am happy to add a variety of information from his numerous letters. Of these, that very large proportion, written to Mr. Lindsey in the unreserved confidence of an assured friendship, will, I trust, be found peculiarly interesting.

TO REV. T. LINDSEY.†

DEAR FRIEND,

Birmingham, 1787.

I SHALL be obliged to you if you will get me from Hayes,+ "Histoire de l'Homme," provided, on looking into it, you think it of any consequence to my purpose, which is, to collect facts concerning human nature that may be depended upon, having in view, at some time or other, to illustrate and extend

See W. XIX. 258, 305. I have mentioned, (ibid. p. 458,) on most respectable information, how cordially Mr. Burn, in 1821, appeared to unite for general Christian purposes with Unitarian Dissenters. On a late very public occasion that gentleman thus candidly censured the spirit into which he had been occasionally betrayed in this controversy:

“Whatever might have been the defects of his own conduct in the earlier periods of his life, he now felt himself better established in the principles of his religion than at any former period. Yet, had he to live his past life over again, he should have to correct the asperity of feelings and expressions which it was his misfortune to have used, in his controversies with a late respectable and highly-talented individual (Dr. Priestley). Whatever degree of error there might have been in that procedure, he begged to say, that it did not arise from any disrespect to that highly-respected individual, but from what he then considered to be his duty See "Low Bailiff's Dinner," Col. 2, "Birmingham Journal, Oct. 29, 1825 " + Catalogue.

+ Essex Street.