PRIESTLEY. 405 



ation as his scanty and rambling education had laid. 

 That education, however, far from redounding to his 

 discredit, very greatly enhances the merit of the man. 

 He presents one of the memorable examples of know- 

 ledge pursued, science cultivated, and even its bounds 

 extended, by those whose circumstances made their ex- 

 ertions a continued struggle against difficulties which 

 only virtue and genius like theirs could have overcome. 

 He went to study for some years at the dissenting 

 academy founded by Mr. Coward, at Daventry, and 

 since transferred to London, where it is in a kind 

 of union, mutually beneficial, with the University Col- 

 lege. Mr. Ashworth had succeeded the learned and 

 pious Dr. Doddridge as its principal teacher, and 

 under him Priestley remained till 1755. During the 

 three years that he studied here, he and his intimate 

 friends used to make a point of reading, daily, ten pages 

 of Greek, and every week one Greek play, a practice 

 which they continued after they left the school, corre- 

 sponding with each other on the subject of their studies. 

 On quitting Daventry, having taken orders, he was 

 appointed minister of a congregation at Needham Mar- 

 ket, in Suffolk. He had been brought up by his father 

 and aunt in the strictest Calvinistic principles, most 

 of which he very soon from conviction abandoned ; 

 and so early did his spirit of free inquiry show itself, 

 that having before he left his aunt's house desired to 

 be admitted as a communicant at the chapel which she 

 attended, he was rejected by the minister on his prepa- 

 ratory examination, in consequence of doubts expressed 

 respecting original sin, and eternal damnation as its 

 punishment. He describes the deep distress into which 



