356 Sketch of the Life and Character of the late Dr. Pritftley. [May 1, 
of erudition. Befides the Latin and Greek 
languages; he was capable of giving in- 
ftruétions in the Hebrew; and his pupil 
carried with him the knowledge of all the 
three to the academy of Daventry; at 
which he was entered, in his rgth year, as 
a fiudent of divinity. This academy was 
the fucceflor of that kept by Dr. Dod- 
dridge at Northampton, and was conduét- 
ed by Dr. Athworth, whofe fir pupil 
Mr. Prieftiey is faid to have been. When 
about the age of twenty-two, he was 
chofen as an affiffant-ininifter to the Inde- 
pendent congregation of Needham-market, 
in Suffolk. He had at this time begun to 
imbibe theological opimions different from 
thofe of the fchool in which he had been 
educated. He had likewife become a 
ftudent and admirer of the metaphyfical 
philofupby of Hartley, of which, during 
fife, he was the zealous advocate, and the 
acute elucidator. 
Afier an abode of three years at Need- 
ham, he accepted an invitation to be paf- 
tor of a fmall fick at Namptwich, in 
Chefnire. There he cpened a day-{chool, 
in the condu& ef which, heexhibited that 
turn for ingenious refearch, and that {pivit 
of improvement, which were to be his 
diftinguifhing characteriftics. He en- 
Jarged the minds of his pupils by philo- 
fophical experiments, and he drew up an 
Englihh Grammar upon an improved 
pian, which was his carlieft publication. 
His reputation as aman of uncommon 
talents and active enquiry {eon extended 
itfelfemong his profeffional brethren 3 and 
when; upon the death of the Rev. Dr. 
‘Taylor, the tutorin divinity at Warring- 
ton academy, Dr. Aikin was choten to 
fupply his place, Mr. Prieftley was invited 
to ‘undertake the vacant department of 
belles-lettres. It was in 176 that he 
removed (oa ftuation happily accommo- 
dated to -bis perfonal improvement, by 
the free fociety of men ct large intellectual 
attainments, and tothe difolay of his own 
Various powers of mind. He foon after 
made a matrimonial conneétion with Mary, 
daughter to Mr. Wilkinfon of Berfham- 
Foundery, near Wrexham ; a Jady of an 
excellent heart, anda ftrong wnderfianding, 
and his faithful partner in all the vicifh- 
tudes of his life. 
At Warrington properly commenced 
the literary career of this eminent perfon, 
and a variety of publications foon an- 
nounced to the world the extent and ori- 
ginelity of his purfuits. One of the frt 
was a Chait of Biography, in which he 
wgenioully contrived to prefent an ocular 
wage both of the proportional duration 
x 
_publications. 
of exiflence, and of the chronological 
persed and fynchronifin of all the molt emi- 
nent perfons of all ages and countries, in 
the great departments of fcience, art, and 
public life. This was very favourably 
received, and fuggelled a ‘econd Chart of 
Hiftory, in like manner offering to the - 
view the extent, time, and duration of 
ftates and empires. Subjeéts of hiftory 
and general politics at this time engaged 
much of his attention. He delivered !ec- 
tures upon them, of which the fubftance 
was given to the world in various ufeful 
His nations of government 
were founded on thofe principles of the 
original and indefeafible rights of man, 
which are the fele bafis of all political 
freedom. He was an ardent admirer of 
the Britith Conftitution, according to his 
conceptions of it, and ably iliuftrated it 
in his leétures. . 
With refpeét to his proper academical 
department of the belles-lettres, he dif- 
piayed the enlargement of his views ina 
fet of Lectures on the Theory and Hiftory 
of Language, and on the Principles of 
Oratory and Criticifm; in the Jaiter of 
which, he fuccefsfully applied the Hart- 
leian thecry of aflociation, to objects of 
tafte. Although his graver purfuits did 
not allow him to cultivare the agreeable 
parts of literature as a practitioner, he 
fufficiently thewed, by fome light and play- | 
ful efforts, that he would have been ca- 
pable of excelling in this walk, had he 
given his attentionto it. But he was too 
intent upon thizgs.to expend his regards ' 
upen words, and he remained contented 
with a ftyle of writing accommodated to 
the great bufinefs of isitru€tion, ef which 
the characteriftics were accuracy and per- 
{picuity. 
Fully a& his time might feem occupied 
by the academical and literary employ- 
ments above enumerated, he found means, 
by perpetual activity and indefatigable 
indutiry, to accomplith tne firfl great work 
in natural phiiofophy, which laid a felid 
foundation for his fame in that department 
of humen knowledge. Having long 
amufed himfelf with an eleG&trical machine, 
and taken an intereft in the progrefs of 
difcoevery in that branch of phyfics, he 
was induced to undertake a Hiltory of 
Electiicity, with an account of its prefent 
ftate. As the fcience was of late date, 
and all its facts and theories lay within a 
moderate compals of reading, he thought 
it a tafk not beyond his powers to eff<é& 
completely what he propofed ; although 
his plan included an extenfive courfe of 
experiment of his own, to verify a> 2 
; cen 
