108 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



he fled from persecution, and took refuge with his family at 

 Northumberland, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River. 

 Here he resumed his philosophical pursuits, and made 

 occasional visits to Philadelphia. It was on one of these 

 occasions that I was invited to meet him at Dr. Wistar's 

 table, and the interview was to me very gratifying. In 

 person he was small and slender, and in general outline of 

 person not unlike the late President Stiles. His age was 

 then about seventy. His dress was clerical and perfectly 

 plain. His manners were mild, modest, and conciliatory ; so 

 that, although in controversy a sturdy combatant, he always 

 won kind regard and favor in his personal intercourse. At 

 the dinner, Dr. Priestley was, of course, the honored guest, 

 and there was no other except one gentleman and myself. 

 Some of Dr. Priestley's remarks I remember. Speak- 

 ing of his chemical discoveries, which were very numerous, 

 he said : " When I had made a discovery, I did not wait 

 to perfect it by a more elaborate research, but at once 

 threw it out to the world, that I might establish my claim 

 before I was anticipated." He remarked upon those pas- 

 sages in the Epistle of John which relate to the Trinity, 

 that they were modern interpolations, not being found in 

 the most ancient manuscripts.* He spoke much of New- 

 ton and his discoveries, and the beauty and simplicity of 

 his character ; and I think that he claimed him as thinking 

 in religion as he himself did. He mentioned being present 

 at a dinner in Paris given by the Count de Vergennes 

 during the American Revolution, and the seat next to him 

 was occupied by a French nobleman. At another part of 

 the table were two gentlemen dressed in canonicals. When, 

 said Dr. Priestley, I inquired of the nobleman the names of 

 those two gentlemen, he replied : " One of them is Bishop 

 So-and-so, and the other Bishop So-and-so; but they are 

 very clever fellows ; and, although they are bishops, they 

 don't believe anything more of this mummery of Chris- 

 * Dr. Priestley doubtless referred to 1 John v. 7. F. 



