It

in arms: the empire of mind is a charm which is continually present to their ambition, and in which dialectics may yet make great conquests. was that which apparently tempted Priestley, and who would not pardon him? Authority is so bewitching, and that of which persuasion alone is the instrument, appears so pleasant!

Perhaps he had also the weakness to think, that in times of incredulity, it is necessary to lighten faith, as dur ing a storm, we clear the ship of the grosser part of her cargo. In effect, one would believe that, in rejecting so many tenets, he had only one step to make, to fall into absolute incredu lity; but farther he did not advance: on the contrary, in theology, as in physics, he wished to be at his post, how perilous soever it might be, and trusted to his courage to defend it.* He could not suffer any person to stay behind, or to proceed farther than himself. Thus he attacked the orthodox, and repulsed the incredulous; and scarcely did there appear a publication in Europe, which seemed in the least directed either against revelation in general, or against his manner of explaining it in particular, that he did not think himself obliged to refute.

In this species of war, his activity knew no bounds: Atheists, Deists, Jews, Arians, Quakers, Methodists, Calvanists, Episcopalians and Catholics, he equally combatted. He has written against each of those particular creeds; and I would have difficulty in arriving at a conclusion, if I were only to mention their titles.

A proof of his having performed all this with good faith is, that he believed, that from the Scriptures, he could predict future events. Prophets who are not inspired, make predictions of a long term, that they may not be ridiculed during their lives.

* The French writer, with all his prejudices against the system of Priestley, is yet more candid than many of the Doctor's country-men. For they have often charged him with a disbelief of Christianity, because he did not believe exactly as much as they did. Cuvier more fairly bears testimony to Dr. Priestley's adherence to the cause of revelation, although he explained it in a manner different from some others.

B.M.M.

Priestley, persuaded of the truth of this faculty, in 1799, published an address to the Jews, in which, according to the revelation of Daniel and St. John, he announced their approaching re-establishment in Palestine, the reunion of all sects, and the commencement of the reign of glory. Besides his calculation of years, which had some relation to the commencement of the 19th century, the symptoms of this great event were to be the destruction of Papal power, the overthrow of the Turkish Empire, and the kingdoms of Europe. The French monar chy, said he, which appeared so solid, has fallen, others will quickly follow: the Pope is dethroned and exiled: and the Turk subsists only by the sympathy of his neighbours. He himself lived to see some of those symptoms vanish.

I would, gentlemen, have disguised a part of these extraordinary details, if our cloge were not historical; if it were not prescribed to speak for, and against the character, as expressly ordained by the first and most illustrious of our predecessors.

Besides, is there not also some utility in seeing, by facts, to what length the best minds may suffer themselves to be drawn away, when they forsake those limits which Providence has marked out for the human understanding?

The wanderings of so noble a genius are a better safeguard than real misfortunes; for where is the generous man, who would not be willing to endure still greater hardships, if he were sure of announcing the truth, and promoting happiness?

It was not precisely the theology of Priestley which won the affections of his friends, and excited the hatred of his enemies, for, in England, the right of dogmatizing is common to allbut a system of politics which was closely connected with his theology; I mean the politics of Dissenters, which are almost always those of the opposition.

testants were republicans by religion: In France, it was believed, that Prothey were so by oppression. In Ireland, the Catholics have this character, and the Protestants, who domineer over them, are royalists, becaue the king is of their party.

This natural opposition is, in England, more violent than elsewhere, precisely because the Dissenters are half tolerated, and only half. There, they are far removed from places of honour or of profit they are rigorously compelled to pay tithes for the support of a worship not their own: their children are not even admitted into the national university, and, in the mean time, they are numerous and wealthy: they assemble, they speak, they publish, and enjoy all the means of increasing their resentment.

Priestley, during thirty years, was their most eloquent organ, and we may say, the boldest pleader in their behalf. Twenty volumes on this subject have issued from his pen. In this sense only he wrote against those famous letters of Edmund Burke, in which the latter predicted, in a manner so frightful and so true, the miseries which were to result from the French revolution. Apparently they did not well understand, in Paris, the object of this answer of Priestley, for it was the means of admitting him to the rank of French citizen, and member of the convention, two titles which then did not seem very suitable to so ardent a defender of revelation, and universal toleration. In the mean time, he made use of the first, but eluded the exercise of the second, under the pretext that he had not a sufficient acquaintance with the French language.

Without pronouncing decisively on this point, I would observe, that the political writings of Priestley unite a rare moderation in terms, to a loyalty in sentiment, not less rare.

He demands nothing for the Protestant Dissenters which he does not equally demand for the Catholics, and even with more force, because they suffer more. No Catholic has painted more lively than he the oppression under which nine tenths of the people of Ireland have long groan

ed.

I know not whether the Catholics were much attached to a Unitarian for these efforts in their favour; but it is easy to conceive, that the extension of his benevolence was not fitted for a reconciliation with those of the English pale; for the hatred of the

high church was almost wholly direct, ed against his person: all who wrote against him were sure of a rich reward; many of them had even bishopricks conferred upon them, which made him say (in pleasantry) that it was he who held the list of of the benefices of England. But the aversion which he inspired, was not bounded by lawful means, and it appears but too true, that the writings and fanatical sermons of some epscopal ministers, contributed to create those vexations of which he was the victim.

It was at that epoch when the commencement of the French Revolution had not divided France only, but all the states, and towns, and I may say, all the families of Europe. The war was then confined to France, but they disputed in all countries; and a singular thing it was, that among nations the most free, they showed the greatest ardour for revolution. It was at a moment When the British government saw no other resource, than in those means which then served so well the purpose of the enemies of the government of France. Those who were revolutionists, or who were considered as such, were assailed by a mob.

One of the most terrible was that of Birmingham of the 14th of July, 1791. Some individuals of different sects, among whom were also Bishops, celebrated a banquet in honour our revolution.* It was published abroad, that Priestley was the promoter of this féte: billets of invitation, couched in the most seditious terms, were forged, and attributed to him. It was declared, that the most absurd or criminal toasts were given, which was boldly contradicted by those who were present.

An enraged populace assembles from all quarters; calumny circulates and increases; there is no horror of which the guests are not accused.

*There appears some inaccuracy in this statement. No Bishops attended the fele at Birmingham. Dr. Priestley himself speaks" of the celebration of the anniversary of the French revolution, by several of his friends, but with which he had little to do."

B. M. M.

house, in which they were asled, is attacked, broken open, desolated: the furious multitude repeats the name of Priestley; a dissenting minister, the chief evolutionists; on him the hatred nglishmen has long been conred: now is the moment for ge!

he unfortunate old man was so a stranger to what was imputhim, on this occasion, that he not even what took place in own, and had not been present e feast; but the seditious troop to nothing: they suppose he scaped; supplied with torches, all the instruments of destruction, fly to his house.

was

:

a modest country seat, uit of the savings of his frugality, ed at the distance of half a mile the town there he lived, with wife and two sons, in all the icity of ancient manners. It was he had received the homage many travellers, illustrious by birth, or by their fortune, who unwilling to quit England withbeing acquainted with this great It was there where, during n years, his hours were divided en the study of the sciences, ducation of youth, and the ex= of charity, the principal duty s ministry.

s place exhibited an incompara, Ornament, and only one; this the immense collection of instrus, most of which were invented, onstructed by himself; the storee from which issued so many truths, so many discoveries, useful ose frantick people themselves; Imost all were artizans of Birham, and among the numerous afactures in this town, there is ely one, the process of which not been improved by the disries of Priestley.

t against the spirit of party what gratitude perform? Does a mob

any thing of his services in line? All is reduced to dust!apparatus in use for many months, which was to resolve important tions, was immediately destroyed; registers of observations, kept g many years, were delivered

to the flames; half finished works, a considerable collection of books, with notes, additions, and commentaries, underwent the same fate. In a few minutes, the whole house was burned or razed to the ground.

How frightful was the moment !—— An old man, in his seventieth year,* sees in an instant extinguished that which had been procured by fifty years of assiduity, and the economy of a whole life; not his moderate fortune, for that was nothing; but the work of his hands, the concep tions of his mind; all that he reserved of thought and experience for the meditation of the remainder of his days. His family, whom he had conducted to some distance from the approach of the mob, were stiil gazing at this horrible spectacle.

The tumult lasted during three days, and the houses of his friends experienced the fate of his. As it always happens, it was the victims who were accused, and the journals failed not to announce, that among the papers of Priestley were found proofs of a great conspiracy.

This calumny was sufficiently refuted by his publick residence, dur ing two years, in the dissenters' college of Hackney, near London, where he gave lessons on chemistry, and as minister, occupied the, place of the celebrated Dr. Price. He could at all times, have been brought to justice, and their benevolence would not have prevented this, if the least proof could have been produced against him.

They contented themselves with painting him in the most frightful colours, in periodical writings, and political pamphlets. There are few examples of so violent a hatred;and such animosity against a man who was so great an honour to England, would be inexplicable, if during fifteen years, we were not furnished with many examples of the influence of the spirit of party in poisoning every opinion; if fifteen centuries had not evinced, to what degree of fury, accusations may be carried, when the pretext is sacred.

At the time of the riots, he was only in his 59th year. B.M.M.

There was nothing personal in his character which could draw upon him such vengeance; his controversies had no influence over his feelings, and as a proof of this, it may be observed, that although they often wrote against each other, he and Dr. Price were always friends.

Far from having any thing in his manners that was proud or turbulent, he showed, in his conversation al the modesty of his writings; and nothing was more easy or common to him than these words-I know not; a phrase which few of those, whose profession is literature, know how to pronounce. His physiognomy bore more the impression of melancholy than of inquietude, and he was not averse to the society of a few friends, nor to the pleasant gaiety of open conversation. This man, so profound in many branches of science, passed several hours every day in instructing children. This was the occupation with which he was always most pleased, and his scholars venerated him with a filial tenderness, many of them even with genuine enthusiasm. But he was arrested by no consideration when he thought be had some truth to defend, and this trait of character, so respectable in itself, extinguished the effect of his amiable qualities, and proved the torment of his life; because he pursued it to an extreme, because he forgot, that reason is but the least of those means which are necessary for the reception of opinions, that attack the habits, or the momentary interests of men.

The insults heaped upon him, and the fear of again endangering the life and fortune of his friends, made his residence, in his native country intolerable. His new establishment at Hackney, where by patience and industry he had already repaired a part of the disasters at Birmingham, could no longer retain him; and to come to France, during a state of war, would have justified all the imputations of his enemies: he could anticipate no repose but in the United States of America, and some time elapsed, before he found it there: English prejudices pursued him across

the seas, and till the event of

the

sidency of the United Sta not without fear of being abandon that asylum.

The dedication of his tory to this great magistr titude for the tranquillity and the answer of Mr. J fer the finest models of lations which may exist be of letters and statesmen, paraging either.

Priestley proposed to co rest of his life to this wor he could combine, in d the developements and pr theological opinions; but } in his fourth volume, by cident. His aliment wa by unknown means pois his family were in danger self, from that period, but languish. After thre suffering, a gradual decay his days.

H

His last moments wer with the overflowings of which had animated all part of his life, and whic it was not well regulated cause of all its errors. scriptures read, and tha for having given him a and a peaceable death. in the list of the princip he received from the Su ing, that of being personall ed with almost all his cele temporaries. I go to sleep said he to his grand-child they were conducting to th but, added he, looking at standers, we shall awake to I hope, for the enjoyment happiness; thus giving an mony to the sincerity of in which he died. These last words.

Such was the end of a n his enemies long accused

*This relation is probably In the continuation of the Me life by his son, no mention is He speaks of his having a vi of fever at Philadelphia in th 1801, which weakened him c Indigestion followed, and incr period of his death, which w

ning the destruction of all religion, and morality, and whose greatest error was in forgetting his vocation, and in attaching too much importance

to particular opinions on subjects, concerning which the most important of all sentiments, is the love of peace.*

Patent of Messrs. Phillip Londen, sen. and jun. of Chelsea, for new and improved methods of manufacturing Muriate of Soda, or common salt, dated April, 1809. THE THE specification of this patent

states the new method of manufacturing sea salt, to consist in purifying rock salt, or that obtained from brine springs, sea water, &c. by fusion and calcination; and by the application of soda, its nitrate, sulphate, or carbonate, or any other of its combinations; potash, volatile alkali, lime, or their sulphates, nitrates, carbonates, or their other combinations; or by the addition of any other material or re

agents, that will effect the decomposition, precipitation, or separation of the whole or part of the earths and metals, or earthy or metallic salts, combined with the muriate of soda; which re-agents, or any of them, we apply, at any part of the processes hereafter mentioned, as circumstances may require.

The sea salt, with the necessary reagents and materials, is to be put into a reverboratory furnace, or into any suitable vessel, and brought to a state of fusion, and kept so for a sufficient time, so that the earthy and metallic parts may be precipitated, or separated. The salt is then drawn off into proper

Had such timid counsels prevailed with the reformers of the various ages, the work of reformation and of approximation towards truth, would not have advanced; and an error once adopted would never be eradicated. In metaphysical and theological investigations much may remain to elude the strictest research; but many advances may be made in this knowledge if mankind were as much engaged in the discovery of religious, as other truth. They who would not trust

vessels as long as it continues to come off fit and clear (or it may remain in the furnace to cool) leaving the sediment of the precipitated, earthy, and metallic matter, with some muriate of Soda. Afterwards the salt, so puri. fied, may be broken into grains for common use. This process may be managed so as to produce salt of any inferior degree of purity, by properly regulating the heat. The salt remaining, with the impure residue, may be recovered by solution and evaporation; or where less purity is required, calcination alone may be emyloyed, and the salt afterwards be farther refined by solution and evaporation.

The salt refined in this manner,

the patentee asserts, will be purer, and more fit for curing fish and provisions, and for common use, than any small salt at present manufactured; and that its use may supercede the necessity of importing any foreign bay salt altogether.

Observations. The specification of this patent is an instance of obscurity, either effected for the unjust purpose of concealing the process, or ignorantly incurred by attempting to monopolize every possible method of applying it. Patentees, by attempts, such as this, at steering along the very utmost limits of law, frequently defeat their designs, another to make a bargain for them by which their pecuniary interests might be endangered, will yet confide implicitly in the opinion of others in religiou; and, adopting a traditionary belief, surrender our noble privilege to examine. Cuvier through the entire of this sketch, so interesting, and truly liberal, in other respects adopts the plan, of submiting to authority in matters of religion.

B.M.M.