6 A Tribute to the Memory of 



It was probably in consequence of the publication of these 

 inquiries, that Mr. Henry was admitted into the Royal Society 

 of London, of which he became a Fellow in May 1775. The 

 persons most active in promoting his election, were Sir John 

 Pringle and Dr. Priestley ; and he had the advantage not 

 only of the vote, but of the favourable influence of Dr. Franklin, 

 who happened at that time to be in London. Several years 

 afterwards, the same venerable philosopher, when in the 81st 

 year of his age, presided at the meeting of the American Phi- 

 losophical Society, at which Mr. Henry was elected a member, 

 and again honoured him with his suffrage*. 



The writings of the celebrated Lavoisier were introduced by 

 Mr. Henry to the notice of the English reader in 1776. The 

 earliest work of that philosopher was a volume, consisting partly 

 of an historical view of the progress of pneumatic chemistry 

 from the time of Van Helmont downwards ; and partly of a 

 series of original essays, which are valuable as containing the 

 germs of his future discoveries. To this work, Mr. Henry added, 

 in the notes, occasional views of the labours of contemporary 

 English chemists. A few years afterwards he translated, and 

 collected into a small volume, a series of Memoirs, communi- 

 "cated by M. Lavoisier to the Paris Academy of Sciences, when 

 the views of that philosopher, respecting the anti-phlogistic 

 theory of chemistry, were more fully unfolded. In under- 

 taking the translation of these works, he was influenced by a 

 desire to place within the reach of English readers, among whom 

 the knowledge of the French language was then confined to 

 comparatively few, the pleasure and conviction which he had 

 himself derived from these beautiful models of philosophical 

 inquiry. 



Notwithstanding the large share of professional employment 

 to which Mr. Henry had now attained, he still continued to 

 engage frequently in experimental pursuits, the results of which, 

 at this time, were communicated to the world, chiefly through 



* This circumstance is stated in a letter from Dr. Rush to Mr. Henry, 



dated Philadelphia, 29th July, ITHfi. 



