I avail myself, with pleasure, of the present opportunity of sending you a new Edition of a Father’s Instructions; which is just come from the Press, and has been considerably enlarged.

It will afford you much satisfaction that the people of Great Britain are now awakened, by the example of America, to a just sense of the iniquity and cruelty of the Slave Trade. The regulating Bill, of the present Session of Parliament, I trust is the forerunner of the final abolition of this infamous traffic.

Our Friend, Dr. Price, is engaged in forming calculations for a new mode of provision for the Poor. The Plan of County Workhouses, proposed by Mr. Gilbert, is very generally reprobated, as expensive, unfavourable to Morals, and a violation of natural Liberty.

I shall inclose Mr. Nicholson’s Proposals for a continuation of Dr. Priestley’s History of Electricity. The work I believe, meets with encouragement. Mr. Bennet, an ingenious Clergyman is publishing a little piece on Atmospheric Electricity, which, I doubt not, will contain much interesting matter. Dr. Falconer has sent me a paper for our Lity Society in which he endeavours to shew, that your method of drawing down Electrical Fire from the Clouds was known to Numa Pompilius; and that his successor, Tullus Hostilius, perished by his unskilful management of so dangerous a process. The Paper will probably be published in our 3d. Vol. of Memoirs, now ready for the Press. The arguments are plausible, but, as you may well suppose, not very satisfactory.

Mr. Anderson, Professor of Nat. Philosophy at Glasgow, informs me of an invention by which, in his electrical experiments he defies the moisture of a rainy day, and of 200 Lungs. It is by defending the machine and Battery with a close Pent-house of Silk.

I shall rejoice to hear of the continuance of your health. With every good wish, and the most cordial esteem and respect, I have the honor to be, Dear Sir, Your Obliged, and Affectionate humble Servant