12 



JOSEPH PRIESTLEY 



himself to London. But even his scientific col- 

 leagues gave him a cold shoulder ; and though he 

 was elected minister of a congregation at Hackney, 

 he felt his position to be insecure, and finally de- 

 termined on emigrating to the United States. He 

 landed in America in 1794 ; lived quietly with his 

 sons at Northumberland, in Pennsylvania, where 

 his posterity still flourish ; and, clear-headed and 

 busy to the last, died on the 6th of February 

 1804. 



Such were the conditions under which Joseph 

 Priestley did the work which lay before him, and 

 then, as the Norse Sagas say, went out of the 

 story. The work itself was of the most varied 

 kind. No human interest was without its attrac- 

 tion for Priestley, and few men have ever had so 

 many irons in the fire at once ; but, though he 

 may have burned his fingers a little, very few 

 who have tried that operation have burned their 

 fingers so little. He made admirable discoveries 

 in science ; his philosophical treatises are still 

 well worth reading ; his political works are full of 

 insight and replete with the spirit of freedom ; and 

 while all these sparks flew off from his anvil, the 

 controversial hammer rained a hail of blows on 

 orthodox priest and bishop. While thus engaged, 

 the kindly, cheerful doctor felt no more wrath or 

 uncharitableness towards his opponents than a 

 smith does towards his iron. But if the iron 



