New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-29
STUDIES IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
BY CHARLES T. CONGDON.
JOSEPH PRIESTLY.

An encyclopedia of Biblical and cognate litel"-
ture before me-tbat of Messrs McClintock ana
Strong-speaks of Joseph Priestly as one oil the
most noted of the English dosts of the eighteenth
century" Upon sac whole this strikes me as rather
unfair but then have 10 doubt that IN the eyes OF
Messrs McC!intock and Strong and of the person
who furnished the article. PTieStly with his nj
tartan views appeared deist. Considering how
ever with what force and ability and learning Dr.
Prestly defended Christianity. it seems little
had that he should I've written down dest, merely
because ne defended it in his own way The man
who fought a good fight against Nolney and Vol
taire IN support OF revelation ought not to have
been thus spoken of. Ii was his hard fate TO be
laughed at in Paris as believer, and 10 he he
nounced at home as an atheist, which he most GER
tainly not.
In 1875. after Priesty had been driven from Eng
land BY the violence Of tie Church and King party,
and, coming to this country. had settled at North
cumberland Penn, he continued his Memoirs, begun
in England very succnctly, and these were sup
plemented after his death by his son Joseph, ana
published 'Northumb erland Penn. vols. Svo
1906. The Memoirs, however, occupy but small
portion of the work. | shall follow them with such
light as | have been able to command from other
sources.
PriestIv begins by saying: If NY writings in
general have been useful TO my contemporaries,
hope that this account of myself viii not be with
out its use TO those who may come after me- ana
especially in promoting virtue and piety, which
hope | nav say it has been my care to practice my
self. as IT has been my business to incucatc them
upon Others" He was the son of a maker and
dresser of wooi,en CLOTH He born March l3
TO- S. 1888, at the village OF Blrsta-l icld-head,
near Leeds Yorkshire. BY reason Of the narrow
ness of domestic circumstances he was transferred
in his boyhood from relation to another, until
he fell into the hands of an amt who sent MN TO
various schools, where he learned something OF
Greek and Latin, and caught a smattering OF
Hebrew He also acquired, outside OF school,
French Italian aud High Dutch. lie got also some
KNOWLEDGE of Syriac and Chadcan, and began to
learn Arabic. lie was intended for the ministry,
and was as much confirmed as he well could he III
all the principles of Calvinism.' The weakness OF
his constitution gave him the impression that he
would not be iongIved, and this contributed to
render his mind still more serious lie passed
through great mental distress having read many
books of experiences" and feeling that God had
forsaken him. In this state CT mind h" says 81
remember reading the account Of the man in the
iron cage in the Pilgrims Progress with the
greatest perturbation lie soon however became
an Arminian. though he did not by any means en-
tiTcly reject tie doctrine of the Atonemcnt. LORD
Broughaw says, IN his Lie of PIicstiy' that ms
whole education was exceedingly imperfect. ana
that even in chemistry the science which Lc best
knew, he was only half taught He studied after
ward in the academy Of which Or. Doddrdgc had
been PRINCIPAL at Daycntry, where he remained
for three years. When he left Dayeutry lie was APP
pointed minister Of a congregation at NccuhUm
Market. IN SUFFOLK. upon a salary Of $50 His peo-
ole did not like him because he would not preach
the eternity Of he'll torrents" His pulpit minis
tratiohs were hndcred 10y an imIcaimeut IN his
speech which be never wholly got nd Of Bat he
SAYS extraordinarily: Without some such check as
LOO, lr
might have been seduced by the love of popular APP
plause as a preacher: whereas my conversation ana
my delivery in the pulpit ha wing nothing IN them
that was generally striking, hope l have been
moro attentive 20 qualifications Of superior kind
Priestlys amt died and left him nothing but
silver tankard. RmOyng to NantWlch he set mp q
school for Young ladies' which Lcttcrcd his finances
He procured some simple apparatus, ana began TO
study natural philosophy. lie admits that he had
great aversion TO the business of a schOolmaster,
bat his circumstances left him no other resource
Here he was able t. purchase few looks, and some
philosophical Instruments, such q, a small "lr-iuhp
and an electrical machine. Here, besides preach
ing to a very small congregations he lerht" 10 play
little on tie German flute. lie recommends thc
knowledge and practice Of music TO all studous
persons especially If they hare no fine ear ana eX-
ouisite taste as by this means they VIII br more
easily pleased and be less apt 10 be offended when
the performances they hear are but Indifferent
Removing TO take charge OF an academy at W a.lhg-
ton he married Miss Wilkinson ! like to put IN
what the men whose lives am considering say Of
their wives PIicsly says of his marriage This
proved a very suitable and happy connection, my
wife bcu- a woman of excellent understanding,
much improved by reading, Of great Iortltudc and
strength Of mind. AMI Of temper IN the highest
degree aHectiouate and generous; feeling strongly
for others and little for herself. Also, greatly cX-
ceiling in everything relating to household affairs
she entirely relieved me Of all concern Of that KIND
which allowed me to give all my time II the prose
cuton of my stulie, and the other duties OF my
station" lie does not say that she was eager to
vote but she certainly helped him to discover
oxygen.
Becoming acquainted with pr. Franklin, that
great man encouraged him to write a History of
Electricity" auI furnished him with material for
II. The University OF Edinburgh about this time
made lin Lid, and Ac became also a Fellow OF
the Royal Society. lie went 10 take charge OF q
congregation at Mil Hill Chapel in 1867, where he
STAYED six years. And now began the really great
business of his lic lie happened to lnh1blt a
house adjoining public brewery. He amused nm
self with a,rg experiments on the hNeI ar
which he found read -madc IN the process OF Ter
mentation. When ne removed he wa5 under the
necessity of making the fixed air lo; hms If; one
experiment lei to another. lie admits that he had
then but little knowledge OF chemistry, but he
thinks that upon the whole this 10 dsadyau-
taqe 60 him; as lie was thus led TO devise an appa
rains ana processes Of his adapted - his pecu-
liar views lie began to be celebrated, and the
Grand Duke of Tuscany commissioned um % buy
a very large electrical machine. Only bigotry pre-
vented his accompanying Captain Cook III irs
second VOYAGE TO the south Seas. But >Ir Joseph
Banks wrote TO him that the clergymen in the