air of the old system.

It must be remembered that in these days, also, he had Thomas Cooper
with him. With this gentleman he discussed his scientific studies and
with him also he carried on many arguments upon the burning subject of
infidelity, about which he continuously wrote his friends in this
country and in England. It was quite generally believed that Cooper was
an infidel. Never, however, did their intimacy suffer in the slightest
by their conflicting views.

The _Church History_ continued to hold Priestley's first thought. He was
a busy student, occupied with a diversity of interests and usually
cheerful and eager to follow up new lines of endeavor. The arrival of
vessels from the home country was closely watched. Books and apparatus
were brought by them. While, as observed, he was singularly cheerful and
happy, he confessed at times that

my character as a philosopher is under a cloud.

Yet, this was but a momentary depression, for he uttered in almost the
same breath--

Everything will be cleared up in a reasonable time.

Amid the constant daily duties he found real solace in his scientific
pursuits; indeed when he was quite prepared to abandon all his
activities he declared of his experiments that he could not stop them
for

I consider them as that study of the works of the great Creator,
which I shall resume with more advantage hereafter.

He advised his friends Lindsey and Belsham--

I cannot express what _I_ feel on receiving your letters. They set
my thoughts afloat, so that I can do nothing but ruminate a
long time; but it is a most pleasing melancholy.

Far removed from European events he was nevertheless ever keen and alert
concerning them. Then the winter of 1797 appears to have been very
severe. His enforced confinement to home probably gave rise to an
introspection, and a slight disappointment in matters which had formerly
given him pleasure. For example, he puzzled over the fact that on his
second visit to Philadelphia, Mr. Adams was present but once at his
lectures, and remarks--

When my lectures were less popular, and he was near his
presidentship, he left me, making a kind of apology, from the
members of the principal Presbyterian Church having offered him a
pew there. He seemed to interest himself in my favour against M.
Volney, but did not subscribe to my Church History ... I suppose
he was not pleased that I