Since I wrote the former part of this letter, I have almost determined to make my residence in Northumberland, and spend a few months of the winter in this city. This will, on many accounts, be better than living chiefly here. The expense will be prodigiously less. I shall have more leisure for all my pursuits, and I shall be on the whole of as much use in propagating Unitarianism as if I resided constantly in the towns.* I see so great a certainty of planting Unitarianism on this continent, that I wish you and Mr. Belsham would look out for proper persons to establish in New York and Philadelphia; and to supply the college, which you may take for granted will be established at the place of my residence.

A place of worship is building here by a society who call themselves Universalists.† They propose to leave it open to any sect of Christians three days in the week; but they want money to finish it. My friends think to furnish them with money, and engage the use of it for Sunday mornings. The society itself, I hear, intend to apply to me to open it, which I shall gladly do. A person with a proper spirit and prudence may do great things here. I find I have great advantages, and I hope to make a good use of them.

I shall inclose an address to me from the Philosophical Society in this place, which is the only one that I have received, and also the preface to the American edition of my Appeal.‡ Thompson superintends the office where it is printed §.

* Mr. Priestley says, "What had greater weight with him than any thing else was, that my mother, who had been harassed in her mind ever since the riots at Birmingham, thought that by living in the country, at a distance from the cities, she should be more likely to obtain that quiet of which she stood so much in need." Continuation.

+ Mr. Winchester, on his return from England this year, (1794,) became the preacher." His first introduction to Dr. Priestley," the late Mr. Titford thus describes :

"We went together to his house at Clapton; he was not at home. Mrs. Priestley said the Doctor wished much to see Mr. Winchester, and if we would call at the Rev. Mr. Palmer's at Hackney, we should find him there. We went, and were introduced to Mr. Palmer, Mr. Belsham, and Dr. Priestley, who received Mr. Winchester in a most friendly manner." M. R. VIII. 211.

See W. XXV. 336.

§ Orig. MS.

DEAR SIR,

To MR. SAMUEL PARKER.

Philadelphia, June 27, 1794.

YOUR very obliging proposal to send me any philosophical instrument that I had occasion for, when I last had the pleasure of seeing you, emboldens me to request that, in addition to the glass vessels with which your father has always been so good as to supply me, you would be so good as to procure me a M. De Luc's hygrometer. When I was at New York, I saw one in the hands of Dr. Mitchell, professor of chemistry in the college there, made by Mr. Blunt, which I liked very much. Before the riots in Birmingham, I had one made by M. De Luc himself, and which he gave me. It is a most valuable instrument.

As far as I have seen of this country, I think I shall like it very well, and it promises to be a happy asylum during the troubles in Europe. But there is a great drawback in the expense of living here, which is higher than in London, the price of every thing having been doubled the last two years. On this account, and with a view to having more leisure, I think I shall settle in the back part of this state, at Northumberland, near the place where my sons are making their establishment. I shall prefer the climate of this country to that of England very much, especially as I hope that here I shall be able to make much more use of the excellent burning lens with which your father supplied me,† than I could ever have done in England.

People here are very anxious about the result of Mr. Jay's negociation. They wish for peace, but are every where preparing for war, and in the back country hostilities seem to be breaking out not only with the Indians, but with the British, who are universally considered as their instigators, and those

* He died, 1817, aged 90. See his high respect for Dr. Priestley, amidst their disagreeing theology and metaphysics, W. III. 211, notes. + See I. 216.

"Nov. 19. A treaty of amity, commerce and navigation, was signed at London, by the Earl of Grenville and John Jay." Amer. Ann. II. 401.

who supply them with arms and ammunition. In these parts the people are eager for war. I am one who wish for peace, and hope that in this case I may some time hence visit my native country, for which I shall always feel a very strong attachment.

With my best respects to your father, and gratitude for all his favours to me, I remain, dear Sir, yours sincerely.*

TO REV. T. LINDSEY.†

DEAR FRIEND,

Philadelphia, July 5, 1794.

I CANNOT describe the pleasing feeling I had on the sight of your hand-writing, after being so long without seeing it, and at this distance from you. Indeed, I was not aware that this single circumstance would have affected me as it did.

The letter I have received is dated May 6, and refers to another sent in a package, which is at New York, and which I do not expect to receive for three or four weeks, as, on Tuesday next, we propose to set out for Northumberland, which is at a great distance from this place, and where is a post only

* Orig. MS., communicated by my friend Mr. Samuel Parker. + Essex Street.

+ "About the middle of July, 1794, my father left Philadelphia for Northumberland, a town situated at the confluence of the north-east and west branches of the Susquehannah, and about one hundred and thirty miles north-west of Philadelphia." Mr. Priestley's Continuation.

Mr. Bakewell, who arrived at Northumberland in the spring of 1795, says, "On each side of the opposite shores of the two branches, the mountains lift their towering heads, and preclude all prospect, but what their barren sides afford. From thence, turning our eyes down the river to the junction of its streams, which spread about a mile across, a sight, in some degree romantic and of pleasing aspect, strikes the view.

"At Northumberland, as in some other places in America which may probably rise to eminence, a plot of ground of considerable extent was laid out, divided into streets and building lots; but, at the time I was there, it did not contain more than a hundred houses. As a temporary residence, Dr. Priestley bought a small house, and fitted it up decently for himself, while one of considerable magnitude was building on a plot of land at the upper part of the town, on the north branch of the river. This house was very pleasantly situated, having two fronts; one towards the street, and the other towards the river, with a large garden and orchard." M. R. I. 505.

once a week. This delay and uncertainty is a great trial of patience, longing, as I do, to hear from you and my other friends in England.

*

I shall be very glad to see Mr. Paley's work. Mr. Martin will do well to observe in how different senses the phrase beyond Jordan is used in the books of Moses, Joshua, and Judges. I was particularly struck with it in my late reading of the Hebrew Bible.

I see every thing ripe for the propagation of Unitarianism in this city and New York, and I doubt not through this continent in general. But the first missionaries must have something else to depend upon for a subsistence, at least for some. time, and the expense of living is excessively high, and this city would be to me very irksome. There is no such thing as taking a walk half a mile from the town, or by the river side. Excepting a square, adjoining to the State House, there is not, in or near this city, any thing like a plantation, or any thing else calculated for the pleasure, I may say the health, of the inhabitants. It is only a place for business, and to get money in.

I am told, and I believe it, that if I were to reside here, and open a course of lectures in chemistry, I should get money, and be able to live here. But I think that upon the whole I shall spend my time to better purpose if I live in the country, where I can have leisure for my pursuits, and spend a month or two in the winter or spring in this city or New York, and this my present funds will enable me to do. As to society, I am sure I shall find enough at Northumberland; but I am alarmed at the difficulty and expense of getting all my packages thither. There is no such thing as a made road in all this country, and the shaking of their best carriages, at the best state of the roads, is very great. But the next time that I write I shall be able to give you a better account of them.

I am reprinting my Letters to the Philosophers of France, prefixing to them my Observations on the Causes of the Prevalence of Infidelity. I hope to send you a copy with this

"Evidences of Christianity," of which there was a judicious "Analysis," by Rev. Jeremiah Joyce. N. A. Reg. XV. [175]; XVI. [196]; M. R. XII. 704.

letter, as well as of my Fast and Farewell Sermon, and an edition of my Appeal to the Professors of Christianity, with a new preface.

Since I wrote the above, I have been inclined to take a house at Germantown, or within some miles' distance from this city. I can then preach almost constantly, and remove my apparatus, &c., with less trouble and expense; but I cannot determine till my return from Northumberland whither we go on Friday next. The rain that fell lately made travelling impossible on Tuesday.

I rejoice that Mr. Belsham goes on so well, especially in the lectures to young persons, though there was no reason to doubt it. But here is the great field for rational Christianity, and many labourers will soon be wanted. Many attend no public worship, merely because there is not any they can attend with satisfaction; and the disposition to infidelity produced by this circumstance, may, I am confident, be easily removed. I have no doubt but that my coming will be of great use in this respect. When I return from the country, a place will be ready for me; and the ministers, seeing how I am received, cannot conceal their alarm. They are, however, very civil.*

DEAR SIR,

TO REV. T. BELSHAM.†

Northumberland, Aug. 27, 1794.

I HAVE had great satisfaction from the sight of your letter by Mr. Davy. Living, as I do, at so great a distance from England, and even from the coast of America, I cannot describe the pleasure I receive from the letters of my friends in England, nor the longing I sometimes feel for an interview with them, especially Mr. Lindsey and yourself. I sometimes wish I were with you, and sometimes that you were with me here, and, as things now are, and I fear are like to be, I should prefer the latter.

I do not think there can be, in any part of the world, a more delightful situation than this and the neighbourhood,

* Orig. MS.

+ Hackney College, near London.