England and abroad; and from them I will not deny that I received much satisfaction, as it appeared that the friends of liberty, civil and religious, were of opinion that I was a sufferer in that cause. From France I received a considerable number of addresses; and when the present National Convention was called, I was invited by many of the departments to be a member of it; but I thought myself more usefully employed at home, and that I was but ill qualified for a business which required knowledge which none but a native of the country could possess, and therefore declined the honour that was proposed to me.*

(204.) But no addresses gave me so much satisfaction as those from my late congregation, and especially of the young persons belonging to it, who had attended my lectures. They are a standing testimony of the zeal and fidelity with which I did my duty with respect to them, and which I value highly.

(205.) Besides congratulatory addresses, I received much pecuniary assistance from various persons and bodies of men, which more than compensated for my pecuniary losses, though what was awarded me at the assizes fell two thousand pounds short of them; but my brother-in-law, Mr. John Wilkinson, from whom I had not at that time any expectation, in consequence of my son's leaving his employment, was the most generous on the occasion. Without any solicitation, he immediately sent me five hundred pounds, and afterwards transferred to me ten thousand pounds, which he had deposited in the French funds, and until that be productive, he allows me two hundred pounds per annum.

(206.) After the riots, I published my "Letters to the Swedenborgian Society,"+ which I had composed and prepared for the press just before.

(207.) Mr. Wakefield living in the neighbourhood of the college, and publishing at this time his objections to public

See W. XV. 525; XIX 506. "The first legislative Assembly met Oct. 1, 1791.” N. A. Reg. XIII. 115.

+ "The New Jerusalem Church, formed by Baron Swedenborg." W. XXI. 43.

worship, they made a great impression on many of our young men, and in his preface he reflected much on the character of Dr. Price.† On both these accounts I thought myself called upon to reply to him, which I did in a series of "Letters to a Young Man." But though he made several angry replies,‡ I never noticed any of them. In this situation I also answered Mr. Evanson's "Observations on the Dissonance of the Evangelists, in a Second Set of Letters to a Young Man."§ He also replied to me, but I was satisfied with what I had done, and did not continue the controversy.

(208.) Besides the Sermon which I delivered on my acceptance of the invitation to the meeting at Hackney,¶ in the preface to which I gave a detailed account of my system of catechising, I published two " Fast Sermons," for the years 1793 and 1794, in the latter of which I gave my ideas of ancient prophecies, compared with the then state of Europe; and in the preface to it I gave an account of my reasons for leaving the country.** I also published a "Farewell Discourse."++

(209.) But the most important of my publications in this situation were a series of "Letters to the Philosophers and Politicians of France on the Subject of Religion." I thought that the light in which I then stood in that country, gave me some advantage in my attempts to enforce the evidence of natural and revealed religion. I also published a set of "Discourses on the Evidences of Revealed Religion,"§§ which I first delivered by public notice, and the delivery of which was attended by great numbers. They were printed just before I left England.

The following correspondence, including Addresses to Dr. Priestley from public bodies, and several of his

* In "A Short Inquiry into the Expediency and Propriety of Public or Social Worship." Ed. 3, 1792. See W. XX. 303. †These passages were omitted in the third edition. See ibid. pp. 306, 313, notes.

|| In "A Letter to Dr. Priestley's Young Man." Dec. 4. 1791. W. XV. 458.

++ March 30, 1794. Ibid. p. 552.

§§ Dedicated to Mr. Belsham. W. XV. 193.

See ibid. p. 307. § Ibid. p. 352.

** Ibid. pp. 494–552. ‡‡ See W. XXI. 87.

replies, will further describe his various occupations during the period which elapsed between his escape from Birmingham, which he never again visited, and his finally quitting England.

TO REV. T. LINDSEY.*

DEAR FRIEND,

Dudley,† July 15, 1791.

WHEN I wrote my last, little did I foresee what soon after happened; but the will of God be done.

The company were hardly gone from the inn,‡ before a drunken mob rushed into the house, and broke all the windows. They then set fire to our meeting-house, and it is burned to the ground. After that they gutted, and, some say, burned the old meeting.

In the mean time, some friends came to tell me that I and my house were threatened, and another brought a chaise to convey me and my wife away. I had not presence of mind to take even my MSS.; and after we were gone, the mob came and demolished every thing, household goods, library, and apparatus. Indeed, they say the house itself is almost demolished, but happily no fire could be got,§ so that many things, but I know not what, will be saved.

We thought that when it was day, the mob would disperse, and therefore we kept in the neighbourhood; but finding they rather increased, and grew more outrageous with liquor, we were advised to go off, and are now on our way to Heath. My wife behaves with wonderful courage. The recollection of my lost MSS. pains me the most, especially my Notes on the New Testament, which I wanted only five days of getting all transcribed. But, I doubt not, all will be for

Essex Street.

+ See Narrative, W. XIX. 377.

"They dispersed about five o'clock." Ibid. p. 374.

§ "My son having taken the precaution to put out all the fires in the house, and others of my friends got all the neighbours to do the same. I afterwards heard that much pains was taken, but without effect, to get fire from my large electrical machine, which stood in the library." Ibid. pp. 376, 377.

|| Ibid. p. 380, note.

good in the end. I can hardly ever live at Birmingham again.

In great haste, with my wife's best respects, yours and Mrs. Lindsey's most affectionately.

I am impatient to hear from you and my son at Manchester. We left William safe, though he had been in the mob.*

DEAR SIR,

TO REV. C. ROTHERAM.t

London, July 21, 1791. As Mr. Lindsey has a cover for you, I take the opportunity of giving you a line myself. I thank God that myself and family are safe: but since, as far as I know, all my sermons are gone, I beg you would send me those of Mr. Graham,§ that you had of me. I am obliged to keep at a distance from Birmingham at present, and once thought of going to CastleHead, where I should have had the pleasure of seeing you; but it is rather too far off.

I give you joy of the increase of your family, and hope your happiness will never meet with such an interruption as I have had; but I find no want of health or spirits, and my friends abundantly supply all my wants.

I am, in haste, with my best respects to Mrs. Rotheram, dear Sir, yours sincerely.||

DEAR SIR,

To MR. RUSSELL.¶

London, July 29, 1791. I AM willing to hope, from the account of Mr. Lewis and others, that your inquiry goes on pretty well, though not so

* Orig. MS. See "Letter to the Inhabitants of Birmingham, London, July 19," W. XIX. 540.

+ Kendal.

Having arrived" on Monday morning, July 18." W. XIX. 378.

Copy of a hand-bill distributed in London, the day after I arrived there: 'Dr. Priestley is a damned rascal, an enemy both to the religious and political constitution of this country, a fellow of a treasonable mind, consequently a bad Christian; for it is not only the duty, but the glorious ambition of every good Christian, to fear God and honour the King."" Appeal, p. 147; W. XIX. 394.

§ See I. 41.

well as you once expected. Every thing I find, as I expected, depends upon yourself, and I much fear your health will suffer by your constant exertions. I hope, however, you are apprized of this, and that you are not insensible how much depends upon your valuable life. May God preserve you, and give a happy termination to this affair!

On Wednesday I dined with Mr. Sheridan, in order, as he said, to meet Mr. Fox, who, however, was not there, but desired Mr. Sheridan to tell me that he was ready to take the matter up in the House of Commons in whatever manner we should think proper. They conceive that the encouragement given by the court to the high-church party was intended to crush Mr. Fox, and those who took our part, and to intimidate both them and us. I cannot, however, think that there is much in this, and I am very unwilling to connect our cause with that of any political party, as, upon the face of it, it is evidently of a purely religious nature. I therefore differ from most of our friends here, and wish, with you, to shew no distrust of government, since our end will be answered, whether they appear in earnest to redress our grievances or not. Our tribunal is our country and the world; and before this our court, as well as ourselves, must appear, and we cannot doubt an equitable decision.

The same bad spirit pervades the whole kingdom, though the storm was, I doubt not, directed to break out here. Had Dr. Price been living, it is taken for granted that Hackney would have suffered as much as Birmingham, and that the College would not have been spared. Mr. Walker's* letter, which I inclose, and which I wish you to preserve, will shew you the spirit that prevails at Manchester, and we have similar accounts from all the west of England. It is, indeed, an alarming crisis that things are come to. But we cannot doubt that a wise and good Providence superintends and directs the whole. I long to be with you on many accounts. Mr. Keirt

• Thomas Walker, the subject of a vexatious prosecution by "Church and King," as will appear in the later correspondence.

+ See I. 325, ad fin.