the Susquehannah, and thence by water hither; and the water is so low at this time of the year, that it is not navigable. It is expected to rise a little towards the end of this month; but the best time for it is in the spring, and till midsummer; but then there are few waggons going to Middletown.

Inconvenient as this circumstance and some others make a residence in this place, I prefer it on the whole. Philadelphia is unpleasant, unhealthy, and intolerably expensive; and there I should have little command of my time. Here I can command the whole; and when I get my books and instruments, I hope to do as much as ever I have done. In the mean time, I am not idle. I have some books, and every day do something towards the continuation of my Church History. I shall finish the next period, which will carry the History to the rise of Mahometanism, in about a month, tasking myself every day. My materials will not carry me much farther.

I never read so much Hebrew as I have since I left England. I have nearly finished all the Old Testament, and I never read it with so much satisfaction, especially the prophecies, which I am now attending to. I think I shall read more or less of the Hebrew Bible as long as I live; and shall, when I get my Polyglots, and other helps, take much pleasure in translating more than I undertook before. Having leisure for miscellaneous reading, I have read almost the whole of Tacitus, which I had not done before, and I admire him more than I expected. I shall read many of the best ancient writers, especially the historians, when I get my library.

I have nearly printed the Continuation of my Letters to the Philosophers and Politicians of France, and to a Philosophical Unbeliever; the latter in answer to Mr. Paine's Age of Reason, which is much read, and has made great impression here; nor will you wonder at it, when you consider what kind of Christianity is preached here. I am told that the Quakers read it with great avidity, and they have no knowledge at all of the proper evidence of Christianity, or the doctrines of it. Many of them, therefore in this country, either actually are, or are

* Early recommended to his attention. See I. 10.

éasily made unbelievers. There are great expectations, I am told, from my answer to Paine, and I hope it will do good.

I told you that when I came hither, I was asked to preach at the Presbyterian meeting-house; but though I am sure I said nothing which could give any Christian just offence, they never asked me again,* and I have contented myself with reading a sermon in my own house.† Yesterday, however, the officer of a company of soldiers who are passing this way, requested me to preach to them, and they got the use of the meetinghouse, and some of the people of the place attended; but little can be done before I get a place to myself, which, if a few persons from England join us, will soon be accomplished, especially if the college be established here, and of this no doubt is now entertained ; and the person whose property the greatest part of the town is, has consented to give the ground to build it on. We therefore hope to have the buildings raised the next year, and begin some business, when I hope to be of some use. In the spring, however, I shall go to Philadelphia, and preach a sermon, which I have already composed and transcribed, from Acts xvii. 18-20;§ but I want your cool judgment in this and all my other compositions. I feel myself as a ship without a rudder,

"When Dr. Priestley preached in the Presbyterian chapel, one of the ministers was so displeased thereat, that he declared if they permitted him any more, he would never enter into the pulpit again." Mr. Bakewell, M. R. I. 396. See supra, p. 257, note *.

↑ "As I had never heard a proper Unitarian discourse, it became an object of curiosity to me to hear one. I believe I went regularly to hear him on a Lord's-day morning through the summer. (1795.) His discourses were usually practical, easy to be understood, and reducible to common life. In his prayers he was devout, and free from the error which many fall into, of multiplying words, when addressing the Divine Being, as though he wanted information.

"Since the death of this venerable disciple of Jesus Christ, I have sometimes been led to wonder that some persons, to the dishonour of Christianity, should treat his faith as no better than that of an heathen, and as unable to afford him any more ground of certainty respecting his future state in his dying moments, than theirs. A man more satisfied with the dispensations of Divine Providence I never saw, nor one that had imbibed more of the spirit of Christianity." Mr. Bakewell, M. R. I. 394, 395.

See supra, p. 271, note.

§ See W. XV. 475.

*

The last news we had from Europe, the French were in Brussels, and we have an obscure account of their having taken St. Sebastian's in Spain. We often wish to know what is doing in England, but we must wait with patience. We are without disturbance here. The excise law has been opposed by force, and the President is marched with 15,000 men, and we hear that the insurgents are already dispersed.‡ After this, I hope we shall be quiet.

We still are not without apprehension of a war with England,§ which will affect both countries very much, and I wish well to both. We have had the yellow fever in many places, but all on the coast, though in the autumn there is much of the ague, especially near rivers. This is reckoned one of the healthiest places in all America.

With respects to all friends, especially Mrs. Rayner, I am yours and Mrs. Lindsey's most affectionately.

P. S. My wife enjoys good health, and desires to be remembered to you.

* Which they entered, July 15. N. A. Reg. XV. 399.

↑ "Aug. 2. A single division of the French army seized the port of the Passage. On the 3d, St. Sebastian was invested, and capitulated on the succeeding morning. The garrison (2000 men) surrendered prisoners of war. More than 180 pieces of brass cannon were taken, with considerable magazines and stores; and after the reduction of these places, two Spanish ships, laden with powder and ball, wine and cod-fish, entered the port of the passage." Ibid. p. 413.

The President issued a proclamation, Sept. 25. Ibid. p. 112. “Governor Lee, appointed to conduct the militia army, marched 1500 men into the western counties of Pennsylvania. The insurgents laid down their arms, solicited the clemency of government, and promised future submission to the laws." Amer. Ann. II. 399.

§ See supra, p. 267, ad fin.

Orig. MS. inclosing a paper in the hand-writing of Dr. Toulmin, entitled "Extracts from Mr. William Davy's Journal of his Voyage, &c., to America." (See supra, p. 273.) Mr. Davy writes,

"1794, Oct. 2. Dr. Priestley visited us at Sunbury, looks well and cheerful, has left off his perriwig, and combs his short grey locks, in the true style of the simplicity of the country. He is on the whole so well pleased, that he is preparing to build a very good brick house, the foundation of which, and a well, he has already dug.

"Oct. 3. Dined very pleasantly with Dr. Priestley. He has bought a lot of eleven acres, (exclusively of that which he is building on,) which

TO THE SAME,

DEAR FRIEND, Northumberland, Nov. 12, 1794. THE uncertainty there must now be in the conveyance of letters to England, is a most unpleasant and distressing circumstance; but the stop that will be put, in a great measure, to emigration, is more afflicting still.

We have been much affected by the capture of Mr. Russell, when we were every day expecting to see him. All that can be done here to procure his release has been done; and I hope that in consequence of the representations that have been made on the subject, it will sooner or later be effected. As soon as I heard of it, I wrote to the French minister, with whom I am acquainted, particularly to shew the connexion of his case with my own, and the gratification that it would be to the English ministry that such a person as Mr. Russell should suffer as he has done.

commands a delightful view of all the rivers, and both towns, i. e. Sunbury and Northumberland, and the country. It cost him 100%. currency.

"Oct. 12. Dr. Priestley, being requested by the officers and many principal inhabitants, preached to the troops in the Presbyterian meeting, (where he had once before preached,) on a general subject, but composed an excellent prayer for the occasion, and was well attended to, though it is unusual to hear preaching with notes.

"Oct. 13. Dr. Priestley appears perfectly pleased with this situation; and having a printing press close by him, is a great satisfaction and entertainment. He is now printing a Sequel to his Letters to the French Philosophers, and an Answer to Paine's Age of Reason, a book much read in this country. He is very anxious for the arrival here of his books and apparatus, and they are coming by water, that he may resume his favourite studies; but still more anxious to get society, that he may again pursue his principal object, by public instruction in a place of worship, and by lectures to youth, as well as the establishment of a public seminary; and he declares that he would happily engage in them, without any prospect of fee or pecuniary reward.

"The Doctor enjoys a game at whist; and although he never hazards a farthing, is highly diverted with playing good cards, but never ruffled by bad ones."

* Mr. Russell had "embarked with his family, two daughters and a son, in August, 1794. He did not, however, arrive in America till September, 1795, having been taken prisoner soon after his sailing from Falmouth, by a French squadron, and detained in Brest Harbour, notwithstanding the immediate intercession of the American minister." M. R. XIII. 153, 154.

A new state of some important

The power of the French at sea appears to us most astonishing, after their loss of so many ships of war. Indeed, the present state of things confounds all speculation. things is certainly about to take place, and prophecies, I believe, are about to be fulfilled. The late events, and my continued attention to the prophecies, make me see this in a stronger light than I did when I wrote my Fast Sermon.* Many more of the prophecies than I was then aware of indicate the great destruction that will be made of mankind before the restoration of the Jews. See particularly Is. xxiv. 26, &c., xxxiv. 60, 63, &c., lxiii. 6; Jer. xxv. 30, &c., xlvi. 28, li. 20. The destruction of kings seems to be particularly mentioned, Is. xxiv. &c. I shall perhaps republish that sermon, with farther remarks, or write something larger on the subject.

I have made some important additions to my "Observations on the Causes of Infidelity," and think to publish it as a separate tract. I hope you will receive with this some copies of additional "Letters to the Philosophers and Politicians of France." and my answer to Mr. Paine, which I find is well received in this country. I shall soon print an edition on better paper.

I have just received an invitation to the professorship of chemistry at Philadelphia, and for some time was determined to accept of it, chiefly on account of the opportunity it would give me of forming an Unitarian congregation in that city; but when I considered that I must then pass four months of every year from home, my heart failed me, and I declined it. If my books and apparatus had been at Philadelphia, I might have acted differently; but part of them are now arrived here, and the remainder I expect in a few days, and the expense and risk of the conveyance of such things from Philadelphia hither is so great, that I cannot think of taking them back. Besides, there are many circumstances in favour of my residing in this place. The situation is very pleasant; the climate much better

*

"Feb. 28, 1794. The present State of Europe compared with ancient Prophecies." See W. XV. 519.