Part 1 (1/2)

Heads of Lectures on a Course of Experi Chemistry

by Joseph Priestley

THE PREFACE

Situated, as I happily ae at Hackney_, an institution that does honour to the Dissenters, an institution open to all persons without distinction[1], and connected as I aive it every assistance in my power; and therefore undertook to read the _Lectures on History and General Policy_ which I had coive another course on the subject of _Experi _Heads of Lectures_; and, to save the students the trouble of transcribing them, they are now printed To other persons they may serve as a co to the subject

[Footnote 1: One gentleman of the Roland, are now in the College]

As it was found most convenient, with respect to the other business of the college, to confine this course to one lecture in a week, I contrived to bring within that compass as much of the subject of experimental philosophy as I well could, and especially to include the whole of what is called _cheiven, and which presents so ation

Besides that the plan of the young gentlemen's studies would not adinners with e outline of any branch of science By thisan attention to any one subject, a greater variety of articles ht before them, and in future life they may pursue any of them as much farther as their inclination may dispose, and their ability and opportunity shall enable, theive any account of the _experiments_ introduced into the several lectures They will be sufficiently indicated by the subjects of them They were as many as I could conveniently make within the time; and where the experiments themselves could not be made, I usually exhibited both the different substances employed in them, and those that were the result of them

As these lectures were calculated for the use of the students at the New College, I prefix an _Address to them_, the same in substance with that which I delivered to them at the close of the session of 1791 In it e we hold to them on the subject of _politics_, which with reasonable men will serve as an answer to the ainst us, as disaffected to the government of this country

Such institutions will, indeed, always be objects of hatred and dread to _bigots_ and the advocates for _arbitrary power_, but the pride of a truly _free country_ I therefore conclude with my earnest prayer (the accoe does not allow us to doubt) ESTO PERPETUA

THE DEDICATION

TO THE STUDENTS AT THE NEW COLLEGE IN HACKNEY

My young Friends,

Having drawn up the following _Heads of Lectures_ for your use, I take the liberty thus publickly to dedicate them to you; and as I earnestly wish for your improvement and happiness in all respects, excusea few observations, and giving you soe and circumstances

As you will soon leave this place of education, and enter upon your several professions and employments, I hope your conduct will dees of this institution, and that the great expence attending it, and the best attention of the ers, have not been bestowed in vain

Many liberal friends of science, of virtue, and of religion, have contributed to procure you the advantages which you enjoy They have spared no pains to provide able and careful tutors, and you have had every other advantage for the prosecution of your studies that they could procure you, unclogged by any subscription to articles of faith, or obligation of any other kind, besides such as they have deeive the institution its greatest effect This is an advantage you could not have found elsewhere, at least in this country And in every seminary of education much more depends upon opportunity for study, free from any obstruction, and undue bias, than upon the ability of tutors; though there is an additional advantage when they are able men, and eminent in the branches of science which they undertake to teach But this is by no means so essential as many other circumstances

Whatever be the qualifications of your tutors, your improvement must chiefly depend upon yourselves They cannot _think_ or _labour_ for you They can only put you in the best way of thinking and labouring for yourselves If, therefore, you get knowledge, you must acquire it by your own industry You must form all conclusions, and all maxims, for yourselves, from premises and _data_ collected, and considered by yourselves And it is the great object of this institution to rereatest scope to true freedoent and virtuous ret to the friends of this institution, if, with respect to _religion_, or _politics_, you adopt systems of principles, and maxims of conduct, very different fro you as _young est a caution on a subject, of the importance of which it is hardly possible that you should be sufficiently aware, because it is only impressed by that _experience_ which you have not yet had I enerally accoe make in places of liberal education, and the contempt they are too apt to entertain for those who have not made the same proficiency with themselves And I assure you, that in the observations I shallthat I have observed, or heard, of any of you in particular But I have been in your situation myself, and I know the ieneral

You are now at an age in which young persons usually e, and in which the understanding appears to ripen the most rapid manner You are able to say every year, every month, and almost every day, what particular advances you have made, and how ht, and accusto, you find yourselves qualified to do this in a manner of which you had no idea, or expectation, but a little tio You also perfectly remember what you have so recently learned, and many respects may be more particular and exact than even your tutors theh idea of your oers and attainments, and too often a proportionable contees, cannot do what you are easily capable of A certain degree of vanity is, therefore, excusable in young persons; and, indeed, it is by means of it that they are excited to exert themselves in a manner that they would not otherwise have done

But be careful that this teed to excess, for it will then be found to have serious ill consequences; the least of which is the precluding future i already satisfied with yourselves, and conscious of a sufficient superiority over others

The foundation of this self-conceit, on account of literary attainments, will be found to be extremely weak In fact, we learn more before the period to which you are now arrived, and I hope you will continue to learnso much noticed; and the _ability_ that is discovered in the acquirereater than appears on other occasions Only they are not so conspicuous

What we all learn in the first three years of our lives, is much more extraordinary in its nature than all that we acquire afterwards I mean the perfect use of our limbs, and the elements of speech What we learn in a month in that early period of life, could not, if ere brought up in the ignorance of it, be learned in a year at any subsequent period But these acquire universal, and what the circumstances in which we are all necessarily in compel us to learn, it does not appear extraordinary in any particular individual Also, the proficiency that boys uages only are taught (a knowledge of which is commonly the result of severe application) is too common to be the cause of much self-conceit But the advances that are made at places of liberal education are both less common, and of a more conspicuous nature