392 Addresses delivered at the Commemoration 



one of them, — namely, his merit in the character I have last men- 

 tioned. I would not be understood as wishing; to pass by the great 

 merits of others, his fellow-labourers in the field of science at that 

 time. I would not deprive of one tittle of their well-deserved fame, 

 our countrymen Cavendish and Black I I would not pass by without 

 due mention those splendid names, Lavoisier and Scheele. No, 

 Sir; they have done their part; they made discoveries; they deduced 

 accurate inferences from facts which they observed. But Priestley 

 invented a new department of science. He taught us to confine, to 

 manipulate with, to collect gases; he invented the pneumatic trough; 

 he invented the mercurial bath; he gave us our instruments; and from 

 his time pneumatic chemistry has been cultivated with increasing zeal 

 and success. It is with this explanation that I consider him as the 

 founder of pneumatic chemistry. 



It is delightful to think that that low estimate of Dr. Priestley's 

 scientific character which was once entertained, — so low, indeed, that 

 it was said his discoveries were made by accident, — it is pleasing to 

 think, that not only in this room, not only in this country, are his 

 merits fully recognised ;" but if we go to rival nations, — rivals now 

 only, I may say, in science, — if we go to France, we find there due 

 honour done to the scientific merits of Priestley by one whose re- 

 cent loss science is now deploring, by one, of whose great talents the 

 whole community of science unite in testifying and recording their 

 admiration, — I mean the lamented Cuvier. He has passed a just 

 eulogy on the merits of Dr. Priestley, which will never be forgotten 

 by this country or by the world. 



The merits of Dr. Priestley, then, are duly recognised. But I 

 cannot sit down without drawing the attention of this Meeting to 

 one other point in the character of Dr. Priestley. Mr. Faraday has 

 held him up as a pattern for that facility of change of opinion, that 

 openness of mind, which every philosophic spirit ought to possess. 

 To every one who cultivates science I would further hold him up 

 as a pattern of philosophic liberality and candour. Dr. Priestley, 

 when he had made a discovery, did not lock it up in his closet, in 

 order that he alone might pursue the inquiries suggested by it, and 

 deprive others of the merit of assisting in the research : he brought it 

 out before the public, and made it the property of every one. This 

 trait in the character of Dr. Priestley cannot be too much praised. 

 Allied to this was the ingenuous feeling which led Dr. Priestley 

 to make known the very mistakes which he committed ; these he 

 gloried in telling. " I could," says he, " have kept this blunder 

 to myself, but I publish it to tell the world with what little skill 

 persons may make discoveries." 



The Philosophical Society of Birmingham, and its President, the 

 Rev. John Corrie, having received an expression of respect from the 

 Meeting, the subjoined observations were addressed to it by that 

 gentleman. 



I beg to thank you for the honour you have done the Society with 

 which I have the pleasure of being connected. I am very sensible 



