Discoveries relating to Vision* I was much 

 assisted by Mr Michell, the discoverer of 

 the method of making artificial magnets. 

 Living at Thornhill not very far from 

 Leeds, I frequently visited him, and was 

 very happy in his society 1 ." 



In the two quarto volumes to which 

 Priestley refers in this quotation, he ac- 

 knowledges in detail his indebtedness to 

 Michell. From his statements and his 

 quotations from the Rector's letters we 

 learn what were MichelFs views on a 

 number of physical questions on which 

 he does not appear ever to have himself 

 published anything. Thus in reference 

 to the seat of vision, Priestley remarks : 

 " I shall beg leave to present to my 

 readers some other arguments which 

 escaped the notice of previous observers, 

 but which were suggested to me by my 

 friend Mr Michell 2 ." Later in the same 



1 Life cmd Correspondence of Joseph Priestley^ by 

 J. T. Rutt, 1831, vol. I, p. 78. 



Op. at. vol. i, p. 198. Michell as a staunch 



78 



