SIR JOSEPH BANKS. 383 



DR. PRIESTLEY TO MR. BANKS.* 



" DEAR SIR, "Leeds, December 10, 1771- 



" After the letter which I received about a fortnight 

 ago from Mr. Eden, who informed me that he wrote at your 

 request, I cannot help saying that yours and his, which I 

 have now received, appear a little extraordinary. In the 

 former letter there was far from being the most distant hint 

 of any objection to me, provided I would consent to accom- 

 pany you. You now tell me that, as the different Professors 

 of Oxford and Cambridge will have the naming of the 

 person, and they are all clergymen, they may possibly have 

 some scruples on the head of religion ; and that, on this 

 account, you do not think you could get me nominated at 

 any rate, much less on the terms which were first mentioned 

 to me. Now what I am, and what they are, with respect to 

 religion, might easily have been known before the thing was 

 proposed to me at all. Besides, I thought that this had been 

 a business of philosophy and not of divinity. If, however, 

 this be the case, I shall hold the Board of Longitude in 

 extreme contempt, and make no scruple of speaking of them 

 accordingly, taking it for granted that you have just ground 

 for your suspicions. 



" I most sincerely wish you a happy voyage, as I doubt 

 not it will be greatly to the emolument of science ; but I am 

 surprised that the persons who have the chief influence in 

 this expedition, having (according to your representation) 

 minds so despicably illiberal, should give any countenance 

 to so noble an undertaking; and I am truly sorry that a 

 person of your disposition should be subject to a choice 

 restricted by such narrow considerations. 



" I am, dear Sir, 

 " Your obedient, humble servant, 



" J. PRIESTLEY." 



See ' Life of Pries tley,' vol. i. 



