100 JOSEPH PRIESTLEY. [LECT. 



strikingly characterised sailors, does not appear ; but, 

 at any rate, they objected to Priestley " on account of 

 his religious principles," and appointed the two 

 Forsters, whose "religious principles," if they had 

 been known to these well-meaning but not far-sighted 

 persons, would probably have surprised them. 



In 1772 another proposal was made to Priestley. 

 Lord Shelburne, desiring a " literary companion," had 

 been brought into communication with Priestley by 

 the good offices of a friend of both, Dr. Price ; and 

 offered him the nominal post of librarian, with a good 

 house and appointments, and an annuity in case of 

 the termination of the engagement. Priestley ac- 

 cepted the offer, and remained with Lord Shelburne 

 for seven years, sometimes residing at Calne, sometimes 

 travelling abroad with the Earl. 



Why the connection terminated has never been 

 exactly known ; but it is certain that Lord Shelburne 

 behaved with the utmost consideration and kindness 

 towards Priestley ; that he fulfilled his engagements 

 to the letter ; and that, at a later period, he expressed 

 a desire that Priestley should return to his old 

 footing in his house. Probably enough, the politician, 

 aspiring to the highest offices in the state, may have 

 found the position of the protector of a man who was 

 being denounced all over the country as an infidel 

 and an atheist somewhat embarrassing. In fact, a 

 passage in Priestley's "Autobiography" on the oc- 

 casion of the publication of his " Disquisitions relating 

 to Matter and Spirit," which took place in 1777, indi- 

 cates pretty clearly the state of the case : 



