cftlie late Dr. Vriestley. 167 



at the academy of Daventry, which was the successor of 

 that kept by Dr. Doddridge, at Northampton, and was con- 

 ducted by Dr. Ashuorlh, whose first pupil young Priestley 

 is said to have been. When about the age of twenty-two 

 he was chosen assistant minister to the independent con- 

 gregation of Needhani-market, in Suffolk j and after a 

 stay of three years at that place, he accepted an invitation 

 to be pastor of a small congregation at Namptwich, in Che- 

 shire, where he opened a day school, in the management of 

 which he exhibited that turn for ingenious research and that 

 spirit of improvement which were to be his distinguishing 

 characteristics. He enlarged the minds of his pupils by 

 philosophical experiments, and drew up an English gram- 

 mar on an improved plan, which was his earliest publica- 

 tion. 



On the death of the reverend Dr. Taylor, the tutor in 

 divinity at Warrington academy, Dr. Aikin was chosen to 

 supply his place, and Mr. Priestley was invited to under- 

 take the vacant department in the belles lettres. He ac- 

 cordingly removed to Warrington in the year 1/61, and 

 soon after married a daughter of Mr. Wilkinson, of Ber- 

 sham foundry, near Wrexliam, a lady of an excellent heart 

 and a strong understanding, and the faithful partner of all 

 the vicissitudes of his life. 



At Warrington the literary career of this eminent person 

 properly commenced, and a variety of publications soon an- 

 nounced to the public the extent and originality of his ta- 

 knts. One of the first was a chart of biography, in which 

 he ingeniously contrived to present an ocular image of the 

 proportional duration of existence, and of the chronological 

 period and synchronism of all the most eminent persons 

 of all ages and countries, in the great departments of sci- 

 ence, art, and public life. The favourable reception which 

 this work experienced suggested a second chart of history, 

 which exhibited in the like manner the extent, time, and 

 duration of the different states and empires. 



Having long anmsed himself with an electrical machine, 

 and taken an interest in the progress of discovery in that 

 branch of physics, he was induced to imdertake a History 

 of Electricity, with an account of its present state. It aj)- 

 pears from his preface, that while engaged in this design he 

 had enjoyed the advantage of personal intercourse with some 

 eminent piiilosophers, aniong wh^wn he acknov.lcdgcs a» 

 coadjutors Dr. Watson, J^r. Frank lin, and Mr. Canton. 

 The work was first |)ublished at Warrington in 17'J7, 4to; 

 and so well was it received that it underwciu a fifth edition 

 L A \n 



