206 Memoir of liev. John Prince, LL. D. 



portant suggestions in its construction, to " a clergyman." The 

 purpose of Mr. Hill's communication seemed to be, in part to make 

 known the improvement, and in part to draw out the clergyman 

 who invented it. Dr. Prince's attention was directed to Mr. Hill's 

 publication by his London correspondent, but I do not find that he 

 answered the enquiry, at the time, or took any steps to secure the 

 credit, with the readers of the Gentleman's Magazine, of the beauti- 

 ful and truly ingenious construction which had attracted so much 

 curiosity and admiration. He, probably, preferred to let the sub- 

 ject drop, rather than keep it before the pubhc to the disadvantage 

 of the memory of his friend.* 



After the death of Mr. Adams, his successor in business, Mr. Wm. 

 Jones, sought Dr. Prince's correspondence in language of which the 

 following is a specimen, extracted from a letter, dated London, Feb. 

 18, 1797: 



" A correspondence with you, sir, will be as flattering to me as It 

 is desirable. I have long heard of your knowledge and expertness 

 in science, and shall be happy to receive any communications that 

 have resulted from your study and experience." 



In a letter, dated July 3d, 1797, Mr. Jones repeats his solicita- 

 tions as follows : " Your celebrity as a philosopher is not a little 

 known in this country. Mr. Jefferson many years ago, mentioned 

 your name to me, and showed me the description of your air pump. 

 A correspondence with you respecting science and instruments, will 

 be highly gratifying to me, and what small leisure an unremitting 

 attention to business will permit, I shall be happy to snatch occa- 

 sionally for your information." 



The correspondence, thus commenced with this enlightened and 

 philosophical mechanician, was continued with him, and after his 

 death, with his brother, without intermission, to the close of Dr. 

 Prince's life, and became the foundation of a sincere and most inter- 

 esting friendship. It is indeed delightful to witness the genial influ- 

 ence of scientific pursuits upon the affections, binding together the 

 hearts of those between whose persons an ocean had always rolled. 



The letters of Messrs. William and Samuel Jones are full of ex- 

 pressions of admiration and gratitude towards Dr. Prince. In one 



* Genileman's Magazine, vol. 66, 2d part, 1796, pp. 897, 1080. When Mr. 

 Dobson of Philadelphia, published the Supplement to the Enc}''clopaedia Brittan- 

 nica. Dr. Prince caused Mr. Hill's description to be reprinted in it, under the arti- 

 cle Optics. 



