Biographical Memoir of Dr Priestley, 5227 



powerfully contributed to the troubles of whicli he was the vic- 

 tim. 



It was the period when the first dawnings of the Revolution 

 divided not only France, but all the states, all the cities, and in 

 a manner all the families of Europe. Open war was as yet car- 

 ried on in France only, but dissension and dispute were already 

 universal ; and, what is singular, it was in the freest countries 

 that the greatest ardour for a revolution displayed itself. It was 

 at a time when the partizans of the British government saw no 

 odier resource left, than to use the means which had been then 

 so successful against the enemies of the French government ; 

 mobs assailed the revolutionists, or those who were accused of 

 being such. 



One of the most terrible was the Birmingham mob of the 

 14th July 1791. Some persons of different sects, among whom 

 there were also individuals of the episcopalian persuasion, cele- 

 brated a feast in honour of our revolution. It was noised abroad 

 that Priestley was the promoter of this festival. False tickets 

 of invitation, expressing very seditious sentiments, were fabri- 

 cated, and attributed to him. It was asserted that absurd or 

 criminal toasts had been drunk, while the assembly pronounced 

 them entirely the reverse. At length the inflamed populace as- 

 semble from all points ; the calumny circulates and increases ; 

 there are no horrors with which the guests are not charged. 

 The house in which they are assembled is attacked, forced, and 

 destroyed ; the furious multitude have only the name of Priest- 

 ley in their mouths, the dissenting minister, the chief of the re- 

 volutionists, against whom the hatred of the episcopalians had 

 long been directed ; this was the moment when they were to 

 avenge themselves. The unfortunate old man was sq little 

 aware of what was imputed to him on diat day, that he was 

 even ignorant of what was going on in the town, and had not 

 assisted at the dinner. But the band of rioters hear nothing ; 

 they imagine him to have fled ; armed with torches and all 

 sorts of destructive instruments, they fly to his house. It was 

 a humble retreat, half a mile in the country, the fruit of his 

 savings and frugahty ; he lived there with his wife and two 

 of his children, in the simplicity of ancient manners. It was 

 there that he had received the homage of so many travellers, 



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