420 PRIESTLEY. 



would have taken care to avoid, after lie had himself 

 felt the weight of the popular hand when called in to 

 settle theological disputes. 



Having taken, as was his wont, an active but not a 

 very temperate part in the controversy to which the 

 French Revolution gave rise, and having published a 

 ' Reply' to Mr. Burke' s famous pamphlet, he was early 

 in 1791 made a citizen of the French Republic. An 

 ironical and somewhat bitter pamphlet against the 

 high church party still further excited the feelings of 

 the people against him ; and a dinner being given on 

 the 14th of July to celebrate the anniversary of 

 the attack upon the Bastille, the mob attacked the 

 tavern where the party were assembled, Dr . Priestley 

 was not present, but his chapel and house were 

 immediately after assailed. His library, manuscripts, 

 and apparatus were destroyed ; his person and his 

 family escaped. The compensation which he ob- 

 tained, by an action against the hundred, fell short, 

 according to his own account, by 2000/. of his loss. 

 As, however, an ample subscription was made for 

 him, and as his brother-in-law generously gave him 

 10,000/., with an annuity of 200/. for life, he could not 

 be other than a large gainer by the execrable violence 

 of which he had been the victim ; and as he never 

 allowed any of his writings to remain unpublished for 

 even the shortest time after they were finished, it is not 

 likely that any loss of an irreparable kind was incurred 

 by the burning of his papers. He found, however, 

 that he could no longer reside with comfort in the 

 scene of such outrageous proceedings, and among a 

 community which had so shamefully countenanced 



