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In 1773, Priestley gave up his ministry at Leeds and went to work for the Earl of Shelbourne. He received 250 pounds a year and a house in Calne as librarian and literary companion to Shelbourne and a tutor to two young boys in the household. One drawback was that he was required to live in London in the winter months while his family stayed in Calne but, otherwise, it was an ideal position. He was financially secure, he moved in social circles where he was able to meet many important persons, his duties were light and agreeable to him, and, best of all, he had more time than ever before to do what he liked.
Although Priestley had started his experiments with gases in Leeds, his most important work dates from his time with Shelbourne when he had the money, equipment, and time for serious scientific experimentation and writing. Indeed, the first of his six volumes on Air, published in 1774, is dedicated to Lord Shelbourne.
As noted by Anne Holt in her biography, he could "never resist the temptation of using his prefaces for these scientific books as gilding for a theological pill with which to dose his unbelieving scientific readers." Of course, as he often stated that he did science only in order to demonstrate God's wonders to man this is not too surprising.
A sample of Priestley's approach in all his endeavors can be seen in his first book on electricity. He was unable to find anyone to draw the illustrations of the instruments he described so he decided to do it himself. He looked for a book explaining perspective and, not finding a suitable one, he wrote one himself. This investigation into how we see things undoubtedly led him into his work which resulted in his second scientific study on Vision, Light, and Colors.
In all his accounts of his experiments Priestley never hesitated to describe the complete experience. He would recount not only his successes but would describe in detail his mistakes, false conclusions, and dead ends. One amusing illustration of this was his experiment with nitric oxide which he thought might work as a food preservative. He impregnated some meat with nitric oxide and, six months later, tried to eat it. He found it to be horrible.His reputation as a scientist might very well have been greater if he had reported only his triumphs.
In 1774 Priestley accompanied Lord Shelbourne on a tour of the continent. It was the only time Priestley ever crossed the channel. He made the acquaintance of many of the leading philosophers and scientists including the French chemist Lavoisier.
In London he was able to visit his many good friends and benefactors and he spent much time with Benjamin Franklin. They attended meetings of the Royal Society together and became very close. When, finally, Franklin had to return to America because of the worsening relations between England and the colony, he spent his last day entirely with Joseph Priestley. They were never to meet again but did manage to correspond even during the war.
During this time, Priestley refrained from any political writing that might embarrass his employer. Priestley sympathized with the colonists case against the king and, in a letter to Shelbourne in 1778, encouraged him to use his influence in the government to recognize their independence. Shelbourne, however, continued to resist independence but tried to limit the war until reconciliation could be worked out.
Relations between the two men grew increasingly difficult although cordial. Shelbourne was increasingly embarrassed by Priestley's unorthodox religious views and his support of the American revolution. There was also an unfounded charge that Shelbourne was corresponding with the enemy based on the fact that Priestley maintained correspondence with Benjamin Franklin.
For these and other reasons it was decided that they should separate and they did so, in 1780. Priestley continued to receive 150 pounds from Lord Shelbourne for the rest of his life.