The history of ELECTRICITY was composed by Dr. Priestley in one year. The three editions of the work in less than eight or nine years sufficiently shew that, in the opinion of men of science, it was well composed: otherwise the celerity of its composition, would no doubt derogate from, instead of adding to, the well earned reputation of the author; and rather tend to shew that he was too careless or too conceited to take the necessary pains and employ the necessary time to make it fit for public inspection. Every man owes to the public, that if he professes to instruct them, he should dedicate as much labour as the subject demands, or at least as much time as it is in his power to devote to it. I fully accede to the ingenious correction of the _nonum prematur in Annum_, suggested by the witty Dr. Byrom of Manchester; but something of the _Limæ Labor_, respect for the tribunal of the public demands of every man who appears before them in the character of an author. Dr. Priestley has in more instances than one, been accused of unnecessary if not of culpable rapidity in his literary compositions: but he never professed to be a fine writer; he never sought after the beauties of stile; and his common language was sufficiently neat and expressive, to communicate the facts and the arguments upon which it was employed. It is also to be remarked, that the facility of composition which he acquired from long practice, made that labour light to him, which would have been too much for a less skilful and a less experienced composer. In many instances indeed of his rapid publications, he had not to _seek_ for arguments, but to express in his unornamented and unaffected manner, the ideas that forced themselves upon him relating to a subject previously considered and upon which he had long made up his mind.