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Vicar of Caerleon seven or eight years. He was considered a fine reader, and his sermons were generally good compositions, if any can be called such that are not expositions of evangelical truth, and addressed to the heart and conscience. Doubtless he designed to promote the improvement of his young relation in those qualities that would fit him for a respectable situation in life; but the principal aim of his nephew was to please God, without regard to the honours and wealth of the present world. His residence at Caerleon was of great service to him in pursuing his studies. It was likewise the test of his religious principles. His relation evidently intended, by giving him more refined views, and elevating his mind, to draw him away from the Methodists. In the first point he succeeded; but in the second he failed. After spending some time at Caerleon, where he had been treated with great kindness, Mr. Hughes resolved to return to Brecon, renouncing all prospect of entering the Church, as he believed that he could not become a Clergyman without violating his conscientious convictions. He therefore went home, renewed his connexion with his former Christian friends, and waited the openings of Providence in diligent attention to duty. He therefore became a Local Preacher. It was not long, however, before it was judged proper to recommend him to the Conference as a candidate for the ministry. He was accepted, and appointed to the Cardiff Circuit. This was in the year 1796. Caerleon, where he had so lately resided, was in that Circuit. An aged widow had recently opened her house for preaching, and Mr. Hughes visited the place in his turn. One evening, while he was preaching, some young persons came to the house and behaved rudely. When the Vicar was informed of this, he was greatly displeased. The next morning he called upon Mr. Hughes, and kindly blamed him for not coming to his house to pass the night there. He was very affectionate to his nephew, and told him, somewhat humorously, that he had hardly nerve enough for such rough work, and that he "would never be promoted among the Methodists." It was not for ecclesiastical preferment that he had undertaken the office to which he had devoted his life; but he knew that fidelity would secure esteem, and the experience of his whole life proved that his judgment was correct.

Mr. Hughes's fourth Circuit was Welsh-pool, including part of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, which had hitherto belonged to the Brecon Circuit. "Mr. Hicks," he says, "was the Superintendent. We had indeed a rambling round. Had our situation permitted us to see each other more frequently, it would have lightened our cares and fatigues; but we had that pleasure only for an hour or two once a fortnight. We were at that period miserably accommodated at the nominal head of the Circuit. To describe some of the scenes through which we passed would really be amusing, though at the time they were inconvenient enough. Not long before, there had been a very disgraceful riot in the town. Mr. Jennings, who was about to remove, had held a lovefeast at the close of the Sabbath-evening service, and had taken leave of his friends; but when the congregation began to retire, they were followed by a mob, uttering fierce imprecations, and yelling like savages. Some of the members of the society accompanied Mr. Jennings to the house of Mr. Roberts, where he was usually entertained. When they left the house, they found a crowd waiting for them, who followed them out of the town, knocked them down, and

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otherwise ill-treated them, before they allowed them to depart. The disturbance was occasioned, however, only by some of the baser sort,' and happily was never afterwards repeated."

In the course of the winter a society was formed at Kington. At first considerable opposition was experienced; but this hindered not the prosperity of the rising cause. The word of God, as preached by his servants, prevailed even mightily, and before long a pleasing reformation was visible in the town.

Not long afterwards, Mr. Hughes spent a few weeks in the Shrewsbury Circuit, in the course of which he visited Madeley; and had, what he felt to be, the pleasure and privilege of an interview with Mrs. Fletcher. The sight of the residence of the venerable John Fletcher both powerfully and profitably affected his mind. The pious lady first requested Mr. Hughes to engage in prayer, and then prayed herself. He observes, referring to this, "There was such solemn weight in the matter of her prayer, united to such sweetness of tone and manner, that I felt as in the presence of a Christian lady of a superior order, one who was most truly 'an Israelite indeed;' and the impressions then made on my mind will never be erased.”

At the Conference of 1800, Mr. Hughes was received into "full connexion." Some time before there had appeared providential openings for the promotion of religion through the instrumentality of Wesleyanism, in some parts of North Wales; and it was proposed by Dr. Coke that the Rev. Owen Davies, with Mr. Hughes, should be sent there to further what had been so happily commenced. The measure was adopted, and what was then called the "Welsh Mission" was thus formed. Its successful results are now matters of history. He spent several years in the neighbourhood. It was a period in which his labours were incessant and heavy; but he experienced great joy and satisfaction in witnessing the triumphant spread of true religion. Some literary duties connected with his native language likewise devolved on him. A new edition of the Welsh Hymn-book being called for, the task of preparing it was committed to him. Though he was almost continually travelling, he found time for devoting the necessary attention to the work. It was published in 1803.

In 1805 he was appointed to superintend the Welsh Mission in Liverpool. He was likewise required to pay monthly visits to Manchester, to attend to the spiritual interests of the little flock of Cambrian Wesleyans there. They were chiefly young persons, well disposed to piety and truth. The late Dr. Adam Clarke was then stationed in the Manchester Circuit; and a friendship commenced between Mr. Hughes and him which continued to the death of that great man. A number of interesting and instructive letters from the Doctor are now before the writer. They strongly express his high opinion of the literary and religious character of his correspondent.

His next appointment was to Swansea: he had therefore what was to him the painful task of bidding farewell to his much-loved friends in the Vale of Clwyd. On his way to his new Circuit he spent some days at Ruthen and Denbigh, among the fruits of his Missionary labours, places, which, for some years, he had regarded as his home. He wrote some verses at the time, expressing his feelings; and, because they do so, a few lines are now extracted from them :—

"O thou Supreme! lead on my wandering steps,
And guide a pilgrim to thy holy hill;
'Midst rocks and mountains, as in flowing vales,
Thy presence cheers, thy arm protects from ill.

"Through nature's charms, I look to nature's God;
Without His aid, I languish, droop, and fall:
Cheer with thy love; correct me with thy rod;
Be thou my friend, my everlasting all."

After labouring two years in Swansea, Mr. Hughes was stationed at Bristol, with the Rev. James Wood and Richard Reece. Pleasing, however, as such an appointment was, he felt that pleasure was not to be set in comparison with duty; and he believed that it was his duty to return to his old sphere of labour in North Wales. He therefore only continued in Bristol one year, and, at the next Conference, went again to North Wales. Dr. Coke visited the Principality soon afterwards, and proposed to Mr. Hughes to translate into Welsh the Doctor's Commentary on the New Testament, considerably abridged. His Commentary on the Old Testament, also abridged, had been translated already. Mr. Hughes was to be assisted in his Circuit labours by another Minister, that he might be the better able to attend to the work of translation. At first it was intended that the work should be printed in Wales; but in January the Doctor finally deterImined that it should be done in London. That Dr. Coke attached great importance to the assistance of Mr. Hughes, is plain from his letters to him on the subject. He says in one of them, "You are my all in all, under God, in this business. You must, therefore, indeed you must, go through with the whole, and not stop at the Gospels." In February, (1809,) Mr. Hughes went to London, in pursuance of this engagement; but in consequence of some typographical errors which had escaped notice, after some time he declined to proceed with the translation. The following extract from a letter, written to him by Dr. Coke, will explain the matter:-"I can easily conceive the difficulties under which you laboured both as the translator and corrector, especially having to correct from a proof composed by one who is entirely ignorant of the Welsh language. I have no doubt but that Mr. P. and his son did all they could; but all was insufficient. Deeply concerned as I am at your resignation of the work of the Welsh Commentary, I must submit to it, as you have so completely made up your mind. I shall, therefore, take every proper method immediately to get another translator. But, depend on it, my dear friend, I shall proceed in this whole business with all that esteem and respect which dwell in my heart towards you. I value not only your piety and integrity, but also your talents."

While Mr. Hughes was in London, Sir Alexander Johnston returned from the island of Ceylon, where he had been the Supreme Justiciary. He represented the state of the island to Dr. Clarke, and expressed a wish that some young Ministers, whom he might recommend, should be sent at once to instruct the natives in Christianity, as he believed there was a favourable prospect of success. In 1811, Mr. Hughes received the following letter from Dr. Coke, which is as honourable to his own Missionary zeal, as it is creditable to his countryman, to whom it was addressed :

"MY DEAR FRIEND,-Will you go to Ceylon after the next Conference? I should wish that six Missionaries should go together: two to Ceylon, where there are about half a million of professing Christians; two for Tanjore, which is just close to Ceylon on the continent, where Mr. Schwartz left about fifty thousand professing Christians; and two for Travancore, where there are about one hundred thousand professing Christians. A person may pass from Ceylon to Tanjore in a boat in fine weather. In the province of Jaffna, in Ceylon, there were, some years ago, Dutch Ministers; now there is not one. Favour me with an answer. My very heart is in the work. If we establish an Indian Mission, there must be an independent subscription opened for it; and I have no doubt but we shall have money enough to support it. Half the world, in regard to population, are in that part of Asia. You go, of course, (if you go,) to learn the Ceylonese language. I by no means wish you to remain there more than six years; * but I should suspect your zeal for the work if you were to go there without an intention of staying for life, if God should succeed your labours, and you could live there in tolerable health. Consent to go in the spirit of martyrdom. Give my love to your colleagues, and pray for

"Your affectionate and faithful friend,

"T. COKE."

There is no record of the reply which this letter occasioned.

At the Conference of 1811, Mr. Hughes was removed from Glasgow, and appointed to the Northwich and Warrington Circuit, his colleagues being the Rev. Dr. Townley and Timothy Crowther. In this year he was married to Miss Esther Clarke, eldest daughter of Mr. Edward Clarke, of Knutsford, who still survives her lamented husband. He wrote to Dr. Clarke on taking this important step, and received from him this characteristic rejoinder:-" Though our Connexion holds out no flattering prospect to a Preacher and his family in a secular point of view, yet I think you do well to get a prudent, sensible, pious wife, if you should be obliged to buy her a gown to go to church in. I am perfectly of the mind of the blessed God, 'It is not good for man to be alone." Even a bad wife is better than to be a poor, neglected, vile bachelor, who is in all things both the centre and circumference of his own existence. I am glad to hear that comfortably married." She was indeed a help-meet for him, and did him "good, and not evil, all the days of his life."

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The following year he was stationed at Macclesfield, which Circuit then included many places in Derbyshire. He was involved here in a controversy respecting the Sunday-schools, which had been originated by that well-known and excellent man, the Rev. David Simpson, and which were now carried on by the Methodists. On one side was Mr. Joseph Cook, who signed himself "Civis," and afterwards received ordination in the Establishment; and on the other, Mr. Hughes and Mr. Warren. In the course of it "Civis" published a pamphlet, entitled, "The Danger of Schism," in reply to one written by Mr. Hughes, "A Plea for Religious Liberty." In his pamphlet, " Čivis"

* India and its climate were less known then than now, and greater apprehensions respecting European health and life were entertained than at present. Schwartz devoted more than six years to the labours that have made his name immortal in Missionary annals.-EDIT.

charged the Rev. Joseph Benson, Editor of the Wesleyan Magazine, with being the Editor of "Moore's Almanack." He said that he wrote on unquestionable authority; and adding some strong remarks, highly criminatory, in reference to Mr. Benson's character as an Englishman. He had, however, to make a very explicit apology, in a letter, addressed to Mr. Benson, which the writer has now before him, and in which regret is expressed for "the mistake," as it is termed. He evidently feared that his libellous attack might produce an action at law, the consequence of which he dreaded. Mr. Benson forwarded "the apology" to Mr. Hughes, and thus wrote to him :

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"MY DEAR BROTHER,-I was obliged to you for sending me the pamphlet. I gave yours a hasty perusal, and approve of its contents. I then put them into Mr. Macdonald's hands, requesting him to read them carefully, and give me his opinion of them, and whether he thought it would be edifying to our readers to publish a review of them in our Magazine. Before I received his opinion, a parcel from Macclesfield came seasonably to hand, enclosing the pamphlet, signed 'Civis,' and a letter to me from Mr. Joseph Cook, its author. You will observe, that this gentleman, who styles himself, 'Civis,' acknowledges in his Preface that it is a hasty and ill-digested tract;' and in his letter he proves that it is hasty indeed, and that he was eager to catch at any story, true or false, to blacken the Methodists. Did ever any man of common sense take up with any evidence of a fact like that which, by his own confession, determined him to write and publish that postscript? I wish you would ask Mr. Clulow, the Attorney with you, whether he thinks it might be necessary or expedient to make him publish an acknowledgment of his error in your public papers, or in any London paper, that is much read in Macclesfield and its neighbourhood, and let me have an answer as soon as convenient.

"Your affectionate Brother,

"JOSEPH BENSON."

Mr. Hughes was appointed to Newcastle-under-Line in 1817. While in this Circuit he published his excellent work, Hora Britannica. A copy fell into the hands of that able and profound scholar, the late Dr. Burgess, then Bishop of St. David's, who expressed to a friend of Mr. Hughes the pleasure which he had derived from its perusal. The following letter, on the same subject, was received by Mr. Hughes from a gentleman whose historical fame has long been established:

"It was with great pleasure that I received a copy of your Hora Britannica. Nothing is more gratifying to me than to see the attention of literary gentlemen drawn to the important subject of our British antiquities; as they form one of the most curious and least investigated portions of our history. I shall read it with great interest; and in the meantime will beg you to do me the favour to accept of the two volumes of English History which I have published since the Anglo-Saxon period. I have desired my bookseller to send them to you, and a line to say that they have come safe to hand will give much pleasure to

"Your obliged and thankful servant,
"SHARON TURNER."

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