The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-10-21
.HafaeeHanp.
FROM THE PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE,
For 1906.
Short account IF sse life Of IL. lat. DR.. Psrrsr1rr.

Jof.ph PrieGley, LIZ ID. r. r. S. and member of
many foreign literary fooietes, was born a. Field
Head, near Leeds, in Yorkshire, on March Is, old
Hy!e, in the year 1888. His mother died when he
was very young and his father, WHO was engaged
IN the cloth mandatory. marrying again, and having
large family JoiePh, when eight years of age was
taken into the houe of relation, lady emf
nent Tor piety and bcnevolence, who adopted and
educated him as her fon.
lie acquired the ru6iments of the Latin AMI Greek
languages under the nltruction of MIR. Hauuc a re-
pectable clergyman, matter of free grammar fchool
IN the neighbourhood, and during the vacations he
applied TO the fuzzy of the Hebrew, ChalSee, and
other oriental languages. BY the alliance of MIR.
Haggeriton, who had been a pupil of the celebrated
Maelaurn, he made a comfortable proficiency in geo.
metry, both speculative and practical algebra, and
natural Philofophy. He acquired ALTO fon,e Kill in
modsrn languages, in order to qualify himfelf for
merchants countnghoufe the delicaev of his conifi-
tuition rendering it at time doubtful whether he
would be able to Purfue his udies for learned pro-
FELTON,.
In his nineteenth year he entered as ftudent of
divinity at the academy OF Daveniry, which was the
fucccloT of that kept by DR. Doddridgc Il, Northamp
ton, and was conducted by DIR. Afhworth, whole firl
pupil young Prieftey is faid to have been. When
about the age of twenty-five he was chofen alIGant
mnii'er to the independent congregation Of Need
hsnl-narket, in Suffolk; and after Gay of three
years at that place, he accepted an Invitation to be
pafor OF fn,ail congregation at Namptwieh in Che
fhire, where he opened day fchoo in the MANAGE
rnent of which he exhibited that turn for ingenious
reiearch. and that fpirit of Improvement which
were to be his d;ftinguifhing eharaSerGics. He
enlarged the minds ofhis pupils by Philosophical ex-
psriments, and drew up an EngEn grammar
on an improved plan, which was his earliet rubli-
cation.
On the death OF the reverend DR.. Taylor the tu-
tor in divinity at Warrington academy, Dr. Akin
was chofen to fupPy his place, and Mr.. Priealey
was invited to undertake the vacant department in
the Bellies Leures. He accordingly removed TO
Warrington in the year FOL, and icon after marri-
ed daughter of Mr.. Wlinfon of Berfham foundry
near Wre1ham, a lady of an excellent hear. and
fsrong understanding, and the faithful partner of all
the vciiiitudes of his life
At Warrington the literary career of this eminent
perion properly commenced, and variety of publ
eatinns loon announced TO the public the extent and
originality of his talents. One OF the fira was chart
OF biography, in which he ingenioufly conuived TO
preent an ocular image of the proportional duration
of exitence and of the chronological period and fyn
chromium OF all the MOI eminent perlons of all age,
and countriss in the great departments of fcience
art, and public life. The favourable reception which
this work experienced, fuggeied fecond chart of hf-
tory, which exhibited in the like manner the extent
time, and duration of the different Nate, and en-
pres
Having long amufcd himielf with an electrical ma
chino Z, taten ;rr-ea j., .he .-o-cG: a:n-o-
in that branch Of phyics, he was induced to under
take FRory OF Electricity, with account of its
preient fate. taPpears from his preface, that while
engaged in this deGgn he had enjoyed the advantage
OF perional intercourse with fome eminent philofo-
pliers, among whom he acknowledge. as coadjutor.
DIR. Walton, DIR. Franklin, and MIR. Canton The
work was hr0 publihed at Warrington in ICY, 4to
and IN well it received that underwent fifth
edition in Ito in 1794. It u.s. indeed an admirable
model OF icientihc hhory; full without fuperfuity
clear, niethodcal, candid, and unaffected. The orr
giaa experiments detailed in it are highly ingenious,
and gave foretae of that fertility of conrivanee and
fagacity of obiervaton by which rhe author was af-
forwards 70 much diinguifhed.
His connection with Warrington ceafed in 176S,
1t which time he accepted an invitation to oficate
as Paftor to large and Respectable congregation of
proeitant difl.hters at Leeds. The favourable re.
eepton bis Hitory of Electricity had experienced in
duced him to adopt the grand deGgn of tracing out
the rifle and progrefs of the other licences in Gor-
cal form, and much of his time this place was en-
ployed in his econd work of this kind entitled" The
ttory and preent State of the Discoveries relating
10 Vi!ion, Light, and Colours - which appeared in
two vols. Ito, l772. This work, though poiIeed of
comfortable merit, did not attain to the fame popu-
iarty as the Hory of Electricity, aud proved to be
the termination of his plan hue cience wasno loier
by this circumstance, the activity of his mind was
turned from the confederation of the discoveries of
others to the attempt OF making difeoveries Of his
own; and nothing could be more brilliant than hi,
fuccels II appears that this period he had begun
thoe experiments upon air which have given the
createf celebrity bis name as natural philolo-
pher.
In I770 DR. PriefIey quilted Leeds; and having
been recommended by his friend Dr. Price to the late
marquis of Ispdown then earl Of Sheburne, he lived
with his crdihip in the capacity of his librarian, or
rather as his literary and Philosophical companion
During this period his family refded at Calne, in
Wlthire, adjacent to the country-ieat of lord Shell
burue. Dr. Prielley frequently accompanied his NO.
Bile patron to London, and mixed at his houe with fe-
veral OF the eminent characters Of the time, by whom
he was treated with every refpea due to his charae-
ter and talents. lie alto attended his lordihip on vi
lit Paris, where he was introduced to mott of the
celebrated men Of letters and fceHee in that capitol
To give detailed account Of DIR. Priefley's phi
loiophieal abours would require far room than
can I've allotted to fueh important object III milf
-lany OF this kind mutt therefore content our
feiy.s with the following ihor notice. In the Philo-
fophieal ranfselious for i773 he publifhed paper
containing o. er>s. ions different kinds of air,
which obtained the bonvrary prize Of Copley's me-
DIAL Thels were reprinted, with many Important
additions, in le fri volume of his Experiments ans
Obirrvations on different Kinds OF Air, Svo, M.
A feeond volume Of this work appeared in lfTj, and
a third in 1777. Some Of the mott E,iking Of his
dfeoveres were tho, Of nitrous ard dephlogiteated
air on oxygen gas; OF ne reGoration Of Sitiated air
~ vegetation Of the infus. flight on veg ctabes
and Of the effects Of refpira;,>2n on the blooas ny
theie publications DIR. PrienleyE fame was cad
,l1 tbo OF Euroo.s,