SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF THE LATE DR. PRIESTLEY.

(Continued from page 476.)

IN his publication of Hartley's Theory he had expreffed fome doubts as to the common hypothefis, that man poffeffes a foul, or immaterial substance, totally diftinct from his body. For this opinion he had undergone obloquy

as a favourer of Atheism; but, as no perfonal imputation was of weight with him in the pursuit of what he thought to be the truth, he did not fcruple, in 1777, to publish "Difquifitions relating to Matter and Spirit;" in which he gave a history of the philofophical doctrine concerning the foul, and openly fupported the material fyftem, which makes it homogeneous with the body. Perhaps of all Dr. Priestley's deviations from received opinions, this has fubjected him to the greatest odium, and has most startled the true friends of reafon and free inquiry, on account of its fuppofed confequences. The na tural proofs of a future ftate appear to be fo much invalidated by the rejection of a feparate principle, the feat of thought, which may efcape from the perishing body to which it is temporarily united, that he feemed to have been employed in demolishing one of the great pillars upon which religion is founded. It is enough here to obferve, that in Dr. Prieftley's mind, the deficiency of these natural proofs only operated as an additional argument in favour of revelation'; the neceffity of which, to support the most important point of human belief, was thereby rendered more ftrikingly apparent. It may be added, that as he materialized fpirit, fo he, in fome measure, fpiritualized matter, by aligning to it penetrability and other fubtle qualities.

Vol. I. No. 11. 6ss

At this time he alfo appeared in great force as the champion of the doctrine of philofophical neceffity; a doctrine not lefs obnoxious to many, on account of its fuppofed effects on morality, than the former. To him, however, it was the fource (as he always afferted) of the highest fatisfaction, both religious and moral; and a number of his fol

lowers have found it, in like manner, compatible with all the best principles of human conduct. With his intimate friend Dr. Price, whose opinions in both the last mentioned points were radically different from his, a correfpondence relative to them took place, which was published in a volume, and affords a moft pleafing example of debate, carried on with perfect urbanity, and every token of mutual refpect and affec

tion.

Such was the wonderful compass and verfatility of his mind, that at this very period he was carrying on that courfe of difcovery concerning aëriform bodies, which has rendered his name fo illustrious among philofophical chemists. In the Philofophical Tranfactions for 1773, we find a paper con taining "Obfervations on different Kinds of Air," by Dr. Priestley; which obtained the honorary prize of Copley's medal. These were reprinted, with many important additions, in the first volume of his "Experiments and Obfervations on different kinds of Air," 8vo. 1774. A fecond volume of this work was published in 1775, and a third in 1777. To give the flightest view of the original matter in thefe volumes, would occupy more time and space than this sketch permits; but it may with justice be affirmed, that they added a greater mafs of fact to the hiftory of aëriform fluids than the united labours of all others employed upon the fame

fubject. Some of the most striking of his difcoveries were thofe of nitrous, and dephlogisticated, or pure, air; of the restoration of vitiated air by vegetation; of the influence of light on vegetables, and of the effects of refpiration upon the blood. In these volumes he did not attempt theory or fyftematick arrangement, thinking that the knowledge of facts was not fufficiently advanced for that purpose; and he threw them out haftily as new matter occurred, in purfuance of his liberal principle already noticed, that fellow-labourers in matters of fcience fhould as foon as poflible be apprized of difcoveries which might put them in the track of making others.

The name of Pricftley was by these publications spread through all the enlightened countries of Europe, and honours from fcientinck bodies in various parts were accumulated upon him. The votaries of phyfical feience now, doubtlefs, flattered themfelves that the ardour of his powerful mind was durably fixed upon the advancement of natural philofophy and chemiftry; but an intimation at the clofe of the laft volume, of his intention to intermit thofe purtuits in order to engage in other fpeculative topicks, fufficiently proved to all who knew him, that experimental inquiries could occupy only a fecondary place in his mind. Thefe other and more favourite topicks, were the metaphyfical theories, which have been already mentioned, and the theological difcuffions which he refumed with fresh zeal and industry. The continuation of his "Inftitutes of Religion;" his "Letters to a Philofophical Unbeliever;" his "Harmony of the Evangelifts ;" and various tracts on moral and religious topicks, marked his return to his former ftudies.

The term of his engagement with Lord Shelburne having expired, Dr. Priestley, with a pension for life of 1501. per annum, was at liberty to choose a new fituation.

He gave the preference to the neigh bourhood of the populous town of Birmingham, chicly induced by the advantages it afforded, from the nature of its manufactures, to the purfuits of chemical experiments. It was alfo the re

dence of feveral men of science; among whom the names of Watt, Withering, Bolton, and Keir, are well known to the publick. With these he was foon upon terms of friendly reciprocation of knowledge and mutual aid in research; and their Lunarian Club presented a constellation of talent which would not easily have been assembled even in the metropolis.

He had not long occupied his new habitation, before he was invited to undertake the office of paftor to a congregation of Diffenters in Birmingham, upon which he entered with great fatisfaction towards the clofe of 1780. He found a fociety cordially attached to his perfon and doctrines: and he merited their esteem by the most affiduous performance of all the paftoral duties. Some of the most important of his theological works foon iffued from the Birmingham prefs. Of these were his "Letters to Bithop Newcome, on the duration of Chrift's miniftry"; and his "Hiftory of the corruptions of Chriftianity;" afterwards followed by his

66

Hiftory of early opinions." Controverlies upon theological topicks multiplied around him, to all of which he paid the attention they seemed to require. The warm difputes which took place on occafion of the applications of the Diffenters for relief from the difabilities and penalties of the Corporation and Teft Acts, fupplied a new fubject of conteft, into which he could not forbear to enter, both as a friend to toleration in general, and as one of the body aggrieved. His hoftility to the eftablishment became more decided, and he appealed to the people on the points of difference, in his "Familiar Letters to the Inhabitants of Birmingham," writ ten with much force, but with his ufual difregard of caution.

Little has hitherto been faid of the

political exertions of Dr.Prieftiey, which, indeed, form no confpicuous part of his literary life. He had difplayed his attachment to freedom by his "Effay on the firit Principles of Government,” and by an anonymous pamphlet on the state of publick liberty in this country; and had fhewn a warm intereft in the caufe of America at the time of its unfortu nate quarrel with the mother country

The French revolution was an event which could fcarcely fail of being contemplated by him with fatisfaction. His fanguine hopes faw in it the dawn of light and liberty over Europe; and he particularly expected from it the eventual downfal of all establishments inimical to truth. Such expectations he was at no pains to conceal; and as parties now began to take their decided ftations, and to be inspired with all the ufual rancour of opponents in civil contests, he was naturally rendered a prominent mark of party hatred.

In this state of mutual exafperation, the celebration of the anniverfary of the deftruction of the Baftile, by a publick dinner, on July 14, 1791, at which Dr. Priestley was not prefent, gave the fignal of thofe favage riots, which have thrown lafting difgrace on the town of Birmingham, and in fome degree on the national character. Amid the conflagration of houfes of worship and private dwellings, Dr. Priestley was the great object of popular rage; his houfe, library, manufcripts, and apparatus were made a prey to the flames; he was hunted like a proclaimed criminal, and experienced not only the furious outrages of a mob, but the most unhandsome treatment from fome who ought to have fuftained the parts of gentlemen, and friends of peace and order.

It would be painful to dwell upon thefe fcenes. Suffice it to fay, that he was driven for ever from his favourite refidence; that his loffes were very inadequately compenfated; and that he palled fome time as a wanderer, till an invitation to fucceed Dr. Price in a congregation at Hackney gave him a new fettlement. This was rendered more interefting to him by a connection with the new diffenting-college, established at that place. His mind, by its native elafticity, recovered from the fhock of his cruel loffes, and he refumed his usual labours.

(To be continued.)

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF REV. JOSEPH WILLARD, PRESIDENT OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY.

Prefident WILLARD was born at Scarborough, on the 29th December,

1738.

His father, the Rev. Samuel Willard, the minifter of a Parifh in that town, died while his fon was a minor. His attachment to a literary life commenced when very young, but during his minority, his fituation rendered an application to books imprac ticable. After he was of age, he determined to fupply the deficiency of his early education under the tuition of the late venerable Preceptor of Dummer Academy, who delighted in aiding the genius and talents of his. pupils, and in facilitating their advancement to literary eminence. So conftant was the application of his pupil, and fo judicious the employ ment of his time, that in eleven months he acquired a competent knowledge of the Greek and Latin Claflicks, and was admitted a ftudent of Harvard College in 1761. While a ftudent, he purfued his ftudies with unremitted affiduity, in every branch of literature then taught in the univerfity: and when he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts, in 1765, he was unquef tionably the beft geometrician, the best aftronomer, and the best claffical scholar in his clafs. He had read most of the poets and hiftorians of Greece and Rome; and fo familiar was his acquaintance with the language of the former, that he wrote Greek poetry with facility and correctnefs. Wifely diftributing his time among his various ftudies, none were neglected; and his manuscripts, when an under-graduate, were replete with calculations, the refult of his progrefs in the fciences of geometry and aftronomy.

In 1767 he was elected a Tutor of the University for the Greek department; the duties of which he discharg ed with uncommon ability; and on the ed a member of the Corporation; of 25th of November, 1768, he was electwhich body he was an active and useful member, until the year 1772, when he fettled in the miniftry at Beverly. He confidered the Bible as a fuflicient and

perfect fyftem of theology; and he affiduously employed his great talents and profound learning in acquiring a correct knowledge of the contents of the facred volumes. What he there learned, he feriously and affectionately

charged the duties of his ftation is witneffed by all who have fhared in his inftruction. In the civil department, and as a member of fociety, he was no lefs eminent than as an inftructer in

College. We might alfo add his ufefulnefs in the church of Chrift at this place, of which he was long a worthy member, and high in the esteem and affections of his chriftian brethren.

His remains were interred on Tuefday the 28th. The Rev. Doctor Smith delivered upon the occafion a well adapted Difcourfe. The Officers, Traftees, and members of the College joined as mourners with the afflicted family, and the folemnities were attended by a very numerous collection of friends and acquaintance.

The alumni of Dartmouth will join with its prefent officers and members in deploring the lofs of a faithful and able inftructer. Thofe who visited him in his late illness have had a fpecimen of decaying greatnefs, alleviated by an approving confcience, and fuftained by refignation, and hope. The friends of fcience will lament the de

parture of one of its enlightened patrons. Society fympathizes with the bereaved family, retaining a lively fenfe of his publick and domestick virtues; and a numerous acquaintance will mingle their grief in bemoaning the lofs of a fincere friend, a valuable citizen, and an exemplary christian.

At Concord, LEONARD MELLEN, Efq. of Charlestown, aged 28. The unfeigned regret, which all who knew this gentleman, have expreffed at his deceafe, is the most eloquent tribute to his memory. Their fenfe of the worth of his character would be offended by the application of fictitious ornaments. His portrait needs no affiftance from the pencil of imagination. To excellent endowments of nature, he added induftry and ardent ambition. At the University in Cambridge, whofe honours he received in 1797, he made rapid progrefs in literature and the liberal arts.

His conduct, as a member of that feminary, evinced in the various relations which he fustained, the correctnefs of his moral fentiment, and the chaftened and dignified fenfibility of his heart. He was an early

and a valuable member of the focieties, which there exift for literary purpofes. Without the envy of his equals, he received from his inftructers the laurel of fuperiour merit. After leaving the University, his progress did not difappoint the expectations of his friends and the community. He was efteemed an honourable practitioner of the fcience of the law. His influence in fociety was gradually extending; he was rifing to fhare the honours which are due to real worth, when his progrefs was fuddenly and fatally arrefted. Unavailing were the tears of friendship, and the fighs of conjugal affection. We may, without murmuring at the law of heaven, indulge the natural expreffions of grief, while we contemplate, in this inftance, how brief and uncertain is the tenure of human felicity.

At Providence, R. I. Sept. 7, where he had gone for his health, Mr. JONATHAN HOMER, only child of Rev. Mr. Homer, of Newton, aged 21. If flattering, profpects, most affectionate parents, purity of mind and manners, and the univerfal efteem of a numerous acquaintance could have enfured long life, this young gentleman would have attained a patriarchal age; but alas! the tallest and most useful plants are levelled by the tempeft, whilft the grovelling weed ef capes the blaft, and thrives. His early efcape from the contagion of vice and folly with which the world abounds, as far as it regards himfelf, is not to be lamented; but the fufferings of his parents, deprived of the hope and folace of their declining years, must be felt by every heart of sensibility.

In Philadelphia, Rev. Dr. JOHN BLAIR LINN, aged 27. He was diftinguished by the early and brilliant specimens of his talents, in profe and poetry, perhaps beyond any writer this country has produced, and was the youngest doctor of divinity ever created in the United States.

At Frankfort, Kentucky, Rev. JOHN GANO, aged 78. In this pious and refpectable old gentleman the Revolution