Priestley, will convince us, that he was a man of extraordinary talents and virtues. Indefatigable in the pursuit of truth, the great primary object of all his studies; profound in research; and clear in his illustrations of many useful discoveries in science. Strictly honest in his pecuniary transactions; justice was his guiding star, and his ethical works inculcate piety to the great Creator, and universal philanthropy.

With regard to his speculative opinions, he is accountable only to God: "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant; to his own master he standeth or falleth."

The following observations on this subject, communicated by a friend, seem well entitled to the consideration of persons who, from a mistaken zeal, or fanatical malignity, may be too ready to judge rashly of things above their comprehension:

"I shall be glad to see a life of Dr. Priestley. Your object is to do good, by giving the public a fair account of the life of a great and useful man. As a philosopher, I highly esteem him, and consider him an honour to his country.

I have often regretted that he ever meddled with politics, which were foreign to his calling, as an experimental philosopher and chymist; and still more so that he ever meddled with experimental divinity, which I am certain he never properly understood.

"Many of the religious world imagine the Doctor to have been a bad man, because he had a bad creed. But the one is by no means a necessary consequence of the other. I have known very bad men who had a sound creed, and I have certainly known good and useful men, who held, what I thought, a very bad creed. Dr. Priestley, as far as I ever had an opportunity of knowing, was a strictly honest upright man: and when his outside was so fair, and his life so useful, it would be a most infamous usurpation of the prerogative of God, to judge his heart, or even suspect his motives."

That the sentiments of Dr. Priestley were inimical to church establishments, he never attempted to conceal. In the preface to the first volume of his " Experiments on Different Kinds of Air," he says, "It was ill policy in Leo X. to patronize polite literature. He was cherishing an enemy in disguise, and the English

hierarchy (if there be any thing unsound in its constitution), has equal reaon to tremble, even at an air pump, or an electrical machine." These hostile sentiments raised many opponents, and the Doctor himself might be compared to an electrical machine. He certainly produced fire, but his enemies were the conductors.

As the powerful champion of civil and religious liberty, he is entitled to our veneration ; and while we acknowledge that his zeal was too violent, we cannot withold our approbation of the motive, which undoubtedly was, a desire to promote universal happiness.

His magnanimity and resolution, on the most trying occasions, evinced heroic fortitude.

A steady advocate for what he thought right; no danger could shake his resolution. This firmness of character has been branded by his enemies with the epithet of obstinacy; but, although he was, in common with all human beings, liable to err, his dignified deportment and sentiments, amid the most severe and unmerited revilings and persecution, certainly deserved the more honourable appellation of fortitude. It now will best become his countrymen, and the

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friends of science throughout the world, to remember only his valuable philosophical discoveries; his manly opposition to petty tyranny; and his philanthropy. Let us with a friendly and careful hand pluck the nettle of detraction from his grave, and be ready to controvert the misrepresentations of the base satellites of ministerial corruption, who would doubtless rejoice, were they able to vilify the memory of a man whom they feared whilst living!

But as well the North's tyrants surveying their skies, When electrical splendour's ascend to the pole, May forbid the sublime corruscations to rise,

AS ATTEMPT TO EXTINGUISH THE LIGHT OF THE SOUL!

In philosophic retirement he was a most amiable character. Affectionate to his friends, kind to his domestics, benevolent to mankind, and pious to his Creator. His genius, though bold and decisive, was not adapted to public life. He had too much sincerity to live in a world in masquerade; and in this respect resembled his philosophic predecessor, Lord Bacon.

**

"Hapless in his choice,

Unfit to stand the civil storms of state."

**

"Him for the studious shade

Kind nature form'd, deep, comprehensive, clear,
Exact and elegant, in one rich soul,

Plato, the Stagyrite, and Tully join'd.

THOMSON.

Since the days of the pious and illustrious Boyle, we can boast of no experimental philosopher equal to Priestley, and when we consider the wonderful versatility of his talents, and the activity of his mind, he appears almost a prodigy.

Of the great majority of mankind it can only be said, that they were born, lived so many years, and died; but to such a man as Dr. Priestley, may be applied the salutation once paid to the Oriental kings, " live for ever!"

Fame has inscribed his name in the temple of immortality; and like other men of genius, he must live in spite of his own doctrine of materialism.

As an advocate for freedom of enquiry, and