Memoirs of Dr. Joseph Priestley : $b To the year 1795, written by himself: with a continuation, to the time of his decease, by his son, Joseph Priestley: and observations on his writings, by Thomas Cooper, President Judge of the 4th. district of Pennsylvania: and the Rev. William Christie.Priestley, Joseph
Religion
Memoirs of Dr. Joseph Priestley : $b To the year 1795, written by himself: with a continuation, to the time of his decease, by his son, Joseph Priestley: and observations on his writings, by Thomas Cooper, President Judge of the 4th. district of Pennsylvania: and the Rev. William Christie.
Priestley, Joseph
Chemists -- Great Britain -- Biography; Priestley, Joseph, 1733-1804
At Nantwich I found a good natured friendly people, with whom I lived
three years very happily; and in this situation I heard nothing
of those controversies which had been the topics of almost every
conversation in Suffolk; and the consequence was that I gave little
attention to them myself. Indeed it was hardly in my power to do it,
on account of my engagement with a school, which I was soon able
to establish, and to which I gave almost all my attention; and in
this employment, contrary to my expectations, I found the greatest
satisfaction, notwithstanding the confinement and labour attending it.
My school generally consisted of about thirty boys, and I had a
separate room for about half a dozen young ladies. Thus I was employed
from seven in the morning untill four in the afternoon, without any
interval except one hour for dinner, and I never gave a holiday on
any consideration, the red letter days, as they are called, excepted.
Immediately after this employment in my own school rooms, I went to
teach in the family of Mr. Tomkinson, an eminent attorney, and a man of
large fortune, whose recommendation was of the greatest service to me;
and here I continued until seven in the evening. I had therefore but
little leisure for reading or for improving myself in any way, except
what necessarily arose from my employment.
Being engaged in the business of a schoolmaster, I made it my study
to regulate it in the best manner, and I think I may say with truth,
that in no school was more business done, or with more satisfaction,
either to the master, or the scholars, than in this of mine. Many of my
scholars are probably living and I am confident that they will say that
this is no vain boast.
At Needham I was barely able with the greatest economy to keep out of
debt (though this I always made a point of doing at all events) but at
Nantwich my school soon enabled me to purchase a few books, and some
philosophical instruments, as a small air pump, an electrical machine,
&c. These I taught my scholars in the highest class to keep in order,
and make use of, and by entertaining their parents and friends with
experiments, in which the scholars were generally the operators, and
sometimes the lecturers too, I considerably extended the reputation of
my school; though I had no other object originally than gratifying my
own taste. I had no leisure, however, to make any original experiments
until many years after this time.
As there were few children in the congregation (which did not consist
of more than sixty persons, and a great proportion of them travelling
scotchmen) there was no scope for exertion with respect to my duty as
a minister. I therefore contented myself with giving the people what
assistance I could at their own houses, where there were young persons;
and I added very few sermons to these which I had composed at Needham,
where I never failed to make at least one every week.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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