the pleasure of a visit from a countryman of mine, Mr. John Tabb, of Amelia county, Virginia. At that time he lived in Liverpool, being in partnership with Messrs. Rumbold and Walker, merchants in that town. Mr. Tabb had heard I had come to town, and came to the inn on purpose to befriend me-and the many great civilities and essential kindnesses he shewed me, there, and during my stay in England, impressed on my mind such sentiments of gratitude to him, as no length of time can ever eradicate. I found him a friend indeed. To mention all his civilities and essential services, might be tedious in this place-but they are all engraven on the tables of my heart, nor can I think of him, at any time, without a sensible glow of gratitude.

I was also courteously received by Mr. Charles Gore, the alderman of the town, in whose ship we had sailed to England. He invited me and the other passengers to dine with him, and treated us all in a princely manner. And, after staying two or three days in Liverpool, I set out, in the stage coach, for London, accompanied by the rest of the passengers, and reached that Metropolis on the Saturday night following.

I waited on the bishop of London, as soon as I could, and put all my papers in his hand. He read them, and told me my credentials were very authentic, and referred me to his chaplain, Dr. Fortin, for examination-but told me there would be no ordination till Christmas. I said, my wish was to be dispatched sooner, as I never had the small pox, I was in great danger every day I staid in the city. His reply was, he could not have ordinations every day. I knew I must wait his leisure, and so took my leave of his lordship, for that time. I then waited on Dr. Fortin, and past my trials before him with approbation, and he promised to present me to the bishop. He did so, and I was ordained deacon, in the King's chapel, at Christmas, in the year 1762, after I had staid in London about four weeks. There were several others ordained at the same time, all Englishmen, except myself. Some of these had studied at Oxford, and some at Cambridge. We all, by appointment, waited on the bishop, in the afternoon of the same day, on which we had been ordained. We were received very politely, and, I remember, he addrest himself to us in words to this effect-that he had never been so well pleased with any ordination before, as he

then was-"Your performances, at your examination, which I have now in hand, said he, are all well done;" and, fixing his eyes on me, added, "especially yours from Virginia." You may be sure it was very gratifying to me, to find myself, who had never seen the inside of a college, or any other public seminary, one hour in my life, thus distinguished, and placed before Oxonians and Cantabrigians.

The bishop of Chester was to hold an ordination, in the city, the Sunday following, and I requested and obtained from my lord of London, letters dismissory to him. And, having passed my trials before his chaplain, I was ordained priest, by the bishop of Chester, just one week after I had been ordained a deacon.

By the 10th of January, 1763, I had all my letters of ordination, &c. ready for returning back to Virginia, but was detained in London, for more than three months after this. At first, a hard frost blocked up the river Thames, that no ship could sail out for many weeks. This detention, however contrary to my wish, gave me an opportunity of preaching several sermons in the churches of that great city, and of bearing my testimony to the truth, before several thousands. Perhaps, I might not, then

and there, preach the truth, in such clear, and pointed terms, as I ought-yet, as I found out, I preached in a manner, so different from what was customary with the clergy, that it was strongly suspected I was a Methodist, or something else besides a churchman. Though, at that time, I had never seen, or conversed with a Methodist in all my life, nor did I know what the principles of the Methodists were. True, while I staid in London, I heard both Mr. Wesley and Mr. Whitfield, and also one of the laypreachers of the latter. But I got little edification from either of the three, though the two first spoke well, and to the purpose.

me.

Before the frost broke off, another circumstance took place, which still detained It was, I think, towards the last of February, when I was hoping to sail soon to my native country, I took the small pox-a disorder which, at that time, was extremely formidable to Virginians. But here again, I can truly say, that, when it was pronounced, that I had the small pox, I felt no alarm at all. I took it in the natural way, and yet had it pretty favorably. I was so well in eight or nine days, that I was tempted to resume my favourite employment of reading. But my eyes were

still too weak for such business, and were so affected by it, that I was struck with such a violent pain, in one of them, espe cially, that I never endured such misery before. This brought on a high degree of fever, which, notwithstanding the frequent attendance of an eminent physician and apothecary, could not be removed for five or six weeks. Here I had an opportunity of seeing and knowing the very different respect shewn, by the faculty, to clergymen, in England, from what is shewn in Virginia. Dr. Thomas Reeves, eminent in his profession, waited on me several times, during the fever, and prescribedbut, understanding I was a clergyman, would receive no fee or reward. The apo

thecary also, Mr. John Walton, who at tended me two or three times a week, and often once or twice every day, for six or seven weeks, would receive nothing for his trouble. So that the expence of every thing, during the small pox, and the fever that followed, in that strange land, was very trifling and inconsiderable. Whereas had I gone through the same in Petersburg, Richmond, or any other town in Virginia, I must have paid, I suppose, fifty or sixty pounds, at least.