broad-mindedness of the Rector of Thorn- 

 hill that he entered into the friendliest 

 relations with the Unitarian dissenter. 

 He could hardly fail to be interested in 

 the publication of Priestley's volume on 

 The History and Present State of Electricity 

 which made its appearance in this same 

 year 1767. During the lapse of a few 

 years much friendly personal intercourse, 

 as well as correspondence, arose between 

 the two men. Priestley had then begun 

 to collect material for another work on 

 physical science which was published in 

 1 772 *. During the five years over which 

 the writing of this treatise extended, he 

 frequently consulted the Rector on the 

 various questions which he had to discuss, 

 and he fully acknowledged the value of 

 the assistance which was always willingly 

 forthcoming from that source. He has 

 stated that "in writing the History of the 



1 The title of this work is History and Present 

 State of Discoveries relating to Vision, Light and 

 Colour j, 2 vols. 4 to, 1772. 



77 



