and I hear they will apply to me to fill it, or depend upon my recommendation of another.* If I think it worth your acceptance, I will name you; but the state of Pennsylvania wish to have a college in the back country near our settlement, and that I shall have the direction of it. If this succeed, it will, I hope, bring us together as usual, and we shall be able to take our walks with more satisfaction than even at Hackney. I go to Philadelphia this week, and when I know more on this subject I shall write to you.

The tutors of the college in this city have about 600 or 700 [dollars] per annum, and I believe that in general the provision is very ample, so that the tutors have no occasion to preach. It is, my son says, the wish of the founders of this college to have all the tutors from England.†

FROM THE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

Philadelphia, June 20, 1794. THE American Philosophical Society, held at Philadelphia, for promoting useful knowledge, offer you their sincere congratulations on your safe arrival in this country. Associated for the purposes of extending and disseminating those improvements in the sciences and the arts which most conduce to the substantial happiness of man, the society felicitate themselves and their country, that your talents and virtues have been transferred to this republic. Considering you as an illustrious member of this institution, your colleagues anticipate your aid in zealously promoting the objects which unite them; as a virtuous man, possessing eminent and useful acquirements, they contemplate, with pleasure, the accession of such worth to the American commonwealth; and, looking forward to your future character of a citizen of this your adopted country, they rejoice in greeting, as such, an enlightened republican.

In this free and happy country, those unalienable rights

* The trustees informed Mr. Wansey, "that a recommendation from Dr. Priestley would insure a friendly attention, and a preference for any gen. tleman." Ibid. P. 158.

+ Orig. MS.

which the Author of nature committed to man as a sacred deposit, have been secured. Here we have been enabled, under the favour of Divine Providence, to establish a government of laws, and not of men; a government which secures to its citizens equal rights and equal liberty, and which offers an asylum to the good, to the persecuted, and to the oppressed, of other climes.

May you long enjoy every blessing which an elevated and highly-cultivated mind, a pure conscience, and a free country, are capable of bestowing.*

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

GENTLEMEN,

Philadelphia, June 21, 1794. Ir is with peculiar satisfaction that I receive the congratulations of my brethren of the Philosophical Society in this city, on my arrival in this country. It is, in great part, for the sake of pursuing our common studies without molestation, though for the present, you will allow, with far less advantage, that I left my native country and have come to America; and a society of philosophers who will have no objections to a person on account of his political or religious sentiments, will be as grateful as it will be new to me. My past conduct, I hope, will shew that you may depend upon my zeal in promoting the valuable objects of your institution; but you must not flatter yourselves, or me, with supposing that at my time of life, and with the inconvenience attending a new and uncertain settlement, I can be of much service to it.

I am confident, however, from what I have already seen of the spirit of the people of this country, that it will soon appear that republican governments, in which every obstruction is removed to the exertions of all kinds of talents, will be far more favourable to science and the arts than any monarchical government has ever been. The patronage to be met with

"By order of the society, David Rittenhouse, president." He "died at Philadelphia, 1796, aged 64, and was buried under his observatory." See Porcupine's Works, I. 137; Dr. Holmes's American Annals, (1808,) II. 404.

there is ever capricious, and as often employed to bear down merit as to promote it,' having for its real object, not science, or any thing useful to mankind, but the mere reputation of the patron, who is seldom any judge of science; whereas a public, which neither flatters, nor is to be flattered, will not fail, in due time, to distinguish true merit, and to give every encouragement that is proper to be given in the case. Besides, by opening, as you generously do," an asylum to the persecuted and oppressed of all climes," you will, in addition to your own native stock, soon receive a large accession of every kind of merit, philosophical not excepted, whereby you will do yourselves great honour, and secure the most permanent advantage to the community.*

TO REV. T. LINDSEY.†

DEAR FRIEND,

Philadelphia, June 24, 1794. THIS is my third letter to you. The last was by the Hope, from New York. On Thursday last I arrived at this place. Our journey was very pleasant, and the aspect of the country better than I expected. ‡

This city is by no means so agreeable as New York; but upon the whole more eligible than any other for my residence, till our settlement be ready for me. With respect to religion, things are exactly in the same state here as in New York. Nobody asks me to preach, and I hear there is much jealousy and dread of me,§ and on the whole I am not sorry for the

* Porcupine's Works, I. 138.

+ Essex Street.

Mr. Wansey has agreeably described his "Journey to Philadelphia." Excursion, pp. 84-97.

§ This "jealousy and dread" had not subsided, a few months later. Mr. Bakewell, whom I had occasion to quote, (I. 208,)" arrived at Philadelphia Nov. 1." He says,

"I went several times to the Baptist meeting in Second Street, under the care of Dr. Rogers. This man burst out, and bade the people beware, for 'a Priestley had entered the land; and then, crouching down in a worshiping attitude, exclaimed, 'Oh, Lamb of God! how would they pluck thee from thy throne!'

"For this indecorous and unmanly conduct, Dr. Rogers was reprimanded

circumstance, as it offends many, who have on this account the greater desire to hear me; so that I have little doubt but that I shall form a respectable Unitarian society in this place. The alarm of the danger of Unitarianism has been sounded so long, that it has ceased to be terrific to many, and I stand so well

in the public prints, and given to understand that such contumelious usage ill became a member of the Philosophical Society. He seemed to feel the impropriety he had been guilty of, and made an acknowledgment of his error." M. R. I. 393, 394.

I cannot forbear, here to anticipate Dr. Priestley's later visits to Philadelphia, that I may add the following interesting anecdote, from several communicated to me by Mr. James Taylor, of Philadelphia, in 1825, while on a visit to England. Mr. Taylor says,

"The first of these anecdotes was related to me a very few years ago by the late Rev. William Rogers, D.D., a Baptist minister, whose sentiments were highly Calvinistic, but who was strongly attached to Dr. Priestley, and took pleasure in cultivating his acquaintance.

"The doctor, when in Philadelphia, would occasionally call on Dr. Rogers, and without any formal invitation, pass an evening at his house. One afternoon he was there when Dr. Rogers was not at home, having been assured by Mrs. Rogers that her husband would soon be there. Meanwhile, Mr. a Baptist minister, called on Dr. Rogers, and being a person of rough manners, Mrs. R. was a good deal concerned lest he should say something disrespectful to Dr. Priestley in case she introduced the Doctor to him. At last, however, she ventured to announce Dr. P.'s name, who put out his hand; but instead of taking it, the other immediately drew himself back, saying, as if astonished to meet with Dr. P. in the house of one of his brethren, and afraid of being contaminated by having any social intercourse with him, ‘Dr. Joseph Priestley! I can't be cordial.'

"It is easy to imagine that by this speech Mrs. Rogers was greatly embarrassed. Dr. P. observing this, instantly relieved her by saying, and with all that benevolent expression of countenance and pleasantness of manner for which he was remarkable, 'Well, well, Madam, you and I can be cordial; and as Dr. Rogers will be soon with us, Mr. and he can con

verse together, so that we shall all be very comfortable.' Thus encouraged, Mrs. Rogers asked Dr. Priestley some questions relative to the Scripture prophecies, to which he made suitable replies; and before Dr. Rogers arrived, Mr. was listening with much attention, sometimes making a remark, or putting a question. The evening was passed in the greatest harmony, with no inclination on the part of Mr. to terminate the conversation. At last Dr. P., pulling out his watch, informed Mr. that as it was ten o'clock, it was time that two old men like them were at their quarters. The other at first was not willing to believe that Dr. P.'s watch was accurate; but finding that it was correct, he took his leave with apparent regret, observing, that he had never spent a shorter and more

with the country in other respects, that I dare say I shall have a fair and candid hearing; and at my return from the Susquehannah, where I propose to go the next week, I believe some place will be prepared for me. In the mean time I am printing an edition of my Appeal, and Trial of Elwall, which will be ready, I am told, by the next Monday. Part of the impression will be sent to New York, where things are in as great forwardness as here.

If I do not greatly deceive myself, I see a great harvest opening upon me, and there is room for many labourers; but it will require great prudence and judgment at first. Also, those that come must not be discouraged at first appearances, and be able to support themselves, and at a greater expense than would be necessary in England; and in New York, or here, greater than in London itself. This unexpected expense makes a great proportion of the emigrants repent of their coming, the women especially, who do not easily find any society.

Notwithstanding the flattering attention that is paid to me, I cannot help sometimes regretting the society I had in England; but I am fully satisfied that I did right to leave it; and I firmly believe that much good will be done here by my removal, and in this I rejoice.

An embargo was laid here on all shipping for England. I fear that when this was heard of with you, an embargo would also be laid on ships going from England to America, and that this may be the reason why we have not yet heard from any body, and indeed have had no news of any kind from England. We must have patience, but we are very anxious to hear what passes on the continent of Europe. Here, both the Indians and the English are making encroachments; and if orders from England do not stop those proceedings, a war will be inevitable, and people in the back settlements are so eager for it, that they can hardly be restrained even now.

pleasant evening. He then went away, Dr. P. accompanying him, until it became necessary to separate. Next morning he called on his friend Dr. Rogers, when he made the following frank and manly declaration: 'You and I well know that Dr. Priestley is quite wrong in regard to his theology, but, notwithstanding this, he is a great and good man, and I behaved to him at our first coming together like a fool and a brute."" Orig. MS.