rejected. It was merely in the capacity of his Lordship's librarian, or, rather, his literary and philofophical companjon, in the hours that could be devoted to fuch pursuits, that Dr. Priestley became an inmate with him. The domeftic tuition of Lord Shelburne's fons was already committed to a man of merit, and they received from Dr. Priestley no other inftruction than that of fome courfes of experimental philofophy. During this period, his family refided at Calne, in Wiltshire, adjacent to Bowwood, the country-feat of lord Shelburne. Dr. Priestley frequently accompanied his noble patron to London, and

mixed at his houfe with feveral of the eminent characters of the time, by whom he was treated with the refpect due to his talents and virtues. He also

attended his Lordship in a vifit to Paris, where he faw many of the most celebrated men of fcience and letters in

that country; and he aftonished them by his affertion of a firm belief in revealed religion, which had been prefented to their minds in fuch colours, that they thought no man of fenfe could hefitate in rejecting it as an idle fable.

Whilft he was enjoying the advantages of this fituation, in every affiftance from books and a noble apparatus for the purfuit of experimental inquiry, he also appeared in the height of his fame as an acute metaphyfician. In 1775, he publifhed his " Examination of Dr. Reid on the Human Mind; Dr. Beattie on the Nature and Immutability of Truth: and Dr. Ofwald's Appeal to Common Senfe" The purpofe of this volume was to refute the new doctrine of comnon fufe, employed as the criterion of truth by the metaphyficians of ScotJand, and to prepare the way for the reception of the Hartleian theory of the human mind, which he was then engaged in prefenting under a more popuJar and intelligible form. They who conceive Dr. Priestley to have been triumphant in argument on this occafion, agree in difapproving (as he Limfelf did afterwards) the contempt and farcafm with which he treated his antagonifts, which they do not think excufed by the air of arrogance and felffufficiency affumed by thefe writers in their ftrictures upon other reafoners.

But this was not the only instance in which he thought it allowable to enliven the drynefs of controverfy by strokes of ridicule. He never intentionally mifreprefented either the arguments or the purposes of an opponent; but he measured the refpect with which he treated him, by that which he felt for him in his own mind.

(To be continued.)

Died in Bofton, on Monday 13th Auguft, greatly beloved and lamented, but particularly fo by his Church and Congregation, Rev. SIMEON HOWARD, D. D. Paftor of the Society at Weft-Bofton, in the 72d year of his age, and 37th of his miniftry. Perhaps no one ever paffed through a life, so occupied as his was, with fewer enemies, and more and fincerer friends; for he was fo amiable, diffident, and conciliating in his manners, that if he ever had any, they could find nothing in him to cenfure, while the latter had every thing to admire. Striving always for a

confcience void of offence towards God and man, his whole life was an affemblage and one uniform exhibition of all the chriftian virtues. An ardent lover of his country, he was an early advocate for its freedom and independence; and he conftantly recommended the practice of the focial duties, as highly neceflary to its peace and glory :-And if he differed from fome in his political creed, it was in that mild and ingenious manner, that his opponents were almoft induced to become his converts. In domeftic life he was the kind and cheerful husband, the tender affectionate parent, and the meek condefcending mafter. With a difpofition fo engaging, and a mind fo modeft and unaffeming, and fhrinking as it were from the public eye, it is not to be wondered at, that the honours of many diftinguished focieties followed him in the retirement of the cloiet, for we foon faw him the Pref ident of fome, and a member of almost all thofe literary inftitutions, which are the ornament of our country. Eut amidit all thofe great public avocations, he did not forget the great bufinef which he had undertaken to da minifter of the gufpel, we behold him,

As a

like his divine Mafter, both by precept and example, adorning the doctrines he profeffed. His fermons were always upon fubjects the most interesting and important to man; and they were written in fuch a luminous and elegant ftyle, and delivered in fo ferious and devout a manner, that it was as impoffible not to liften to the preacher, as it was not to love and venerate the man, as a clofe, correct, and deep thinker. In the fcience of Divinity, perhaps there were few who equalled him, certainly not many who excelled him; and although he was not naturally eloquent, he was however copious in prayer, and uncommonly pertinent when occafion require ed it. In a word, no man of taste ever heard Dr. Howard, who did not wish to hear him again, and no one ever knew him, who did not wifh with him a more intimate acquaintance. "He was a preacher, fimple, grave, fincere; In doctrine uncorrupt ; in language plain, And plain in manner; decent, folemn, chafle, And natural in gefture; much impreffed Himfelf, as confcious of his awful charge, And anxious mainly that the flock be feeds May feel it too; affectionate in look, And tender in addrefs, as well becomes A meffenger of grace to guilty men. Bebold the picture! is it like? it is."

The remains of Dr. Howard were entombed on Wednesday the 15th day, with every token of love and refpect for his memory. The corpfe was conveyed to the Weft-Boston meeting houfe, which was dreffed in fable habiliments, where the funeral fervices were performed. The Rev. Dr. Lathrop addrefled the throne of grace, in a very feeling and fervid manner, on the mournful occafion;-and an affecting and very pertinent difcourfe was delivered by the Rev. Prefident Willard, from part of Rev. ii. 10.-" Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Hymns and an anthem were interiperfed in the fervices. The Committee, Members of the Church, and the Congregation," from lifping infancy to hoary eld," preceded the corpfe to the place of interment; which was followed by the mourning relatives, 2 numerous body of the Clergy of all denominations of this and the neighbouring towns, the late Profident of the

United States, the Lieutenant-Governour, Chief Juftice Dana, the Profeffors and other Governours of the University, the Profident, Officers, and Members of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Humane Society, and other Inftitutions, and a long train of private citizens. The pall was borne by the Rev. Prefident Harvard College, Rev. Dr. Lathrop, Rev. Dr. Eckley, Rev. Dr. Eliot, Rev. Mr. Porter, and Rev. Mr. Emerson. Many of the fhops and stores were clofed in the streets through which the proceffion paffed.

At Concord on the 1ft Aug. Dr. TIMOTHY MINOT, in the 79th year of his age. He was the fon of the pious and amiable Mr. Minot, who, for many years in that town, was employed as an inftructer of languages, and who was defcended from the ancient and respectable family of the fame name in the town of Dorchester. Dr. Minot received the honours of Harvard College in the years 1747 and '50. He early devoted himself to the study of medicine, was an approved practitioner, and in the treatment of rheumatic and chronical cafes, eminent. He was one of the founders of the Middlefex Medical Affociation, and an officer of it until he died. As an inhabitant of the town in which he lived, he fuftained with fidelity important offices. A christian by education and profeffion, he manifested the fpirit of his religion in the intercourfes of life. In the fociety of a beautiful and excellent wife, from whom he was feparated but a little while, he reared a numerous and refpectable family, to whom he has left a fair inheritance, and a gud name which is better than precious ointment.

At Rowley, Mrs. APHIA GAGE, Æt. 88, relict of the late Col. Thomas Gage. Her defcendants are 2 children, 36 gr. children, 32 great-grand-children, and 1 whole 77; of which 64 are now living. of the 4th generation, making in the

At Berwick, (Maine) Elder DANIEL LIBBEY, Æt. 88. His defcendants are 16 children, 113 grand-children, and 72 great-grand-children; in all 201.