88 PRIESTLEY. 



dependence, consent to make America dependent 

 upon France. The indifferent reception which he met 

 with in society was probably owing to this party vio- 

 lence full as much as to the dislike of his Unitarian 

 opinions. But it must be added, that his temper was 

 so mild, and his manners so gentle, as to disarm his 

 most prejudiced adversaries whensoever they came into 

 his society. Many instances of this are given in his 

 correspondence, of which one may be cited. He hap- 

 pened to visit a friend whose wife received him in her 

 husband's absence, but feared to name him before a 

 Calvinistic divine present. By accident his name was 

 mentioned, and the lady then introduced him. But he 

 of the Genevan school drew back, saying, "Dr. Joseph 

 Priestley ?" and then added in the American tongue, 

 " I cannot be cordial." Whereupon the Doctor, with 

 his usual placid demeanour, said that he and the lady 

 might be allowed to converse until their host should 

 return. By degrees the conversation became general ; 

 the repudiator was won over by curiosity first, then by 

 gratification; he remained till a late hour hanging 

 upon Priestley's lips ; he took his departure at length, 

 and told the host as he quitted the house, that never 

 had he passed so delightful an evening, though he ad- 

 mitted that he had begun it "by behaving like a fool 

 and a brute." One such anecdote (and there are many 

 current) is of more force to describe its subject than a 

 hundred laboured panegyrics. 



After the loss of his wife and his younger and 

 favourite son, he continued with unabated zeal to pur- 

 sue his theological studies, and published several works, 

 both controversial and historical, beside leaving some 

 which have been given to the world since his decease. 

 He endeavoured, too, as far as he could, to propagate 

 the tenets of Unitarianism, and to collect and extend 

 a congregation at Philadelphia attached to that doc- 

 trine. At one time, in the summer of 1797, enter- 

 taining hopes of peace in Europe, he had resolved to 



