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How I fupported this long dreary fcene, I know not; the bare recollection of which is exceedingly painful, even at this distance of time. At last, when every thing that seemed to promife relief had been tried in vain, fome old woman recommended Cephalic fnuff. I own I had not much faith in it; however I procured it, and in a fhort time after she was much relieved from the intolerable pain in her head, but yet continued in a very bad state of health; her conftitution having fuffered fuch a dreadful fhock, I thought that no means could be used fo likely to restore it, as a removal to her native air. Accordingly I left my feat of work at Bristol, and returned with her to Taunton, which is about feven miles from Petherton, her native place. But in Taunton I could not procure so much work as I could do; fo that as foon as I thought she could bear the air of Bristol, we returned thither, where the foon relapsed, and we again went back to Taunton. This removing to Taunton was repeated about five times in little more than two years and a half.

But

But at laft, finding that she had long fits of illness at Taunton alfo, as well as at Briftol, with a view of having a better price for my work I refolved to vifit London; and as I had not money fufficient to bear the expences of both to town, I left her all the money I could fpare, and took a place on the outside of the stage coach, and the fecond day arrived in the metropolis, in Auguft 1773, with two fhillings and fixpence in my pocket; and recollecting the address of an old townsman, who was also a spiritual brother.

"Whose hair in greafy locks hung down,
"As ftrait as candles from his crown,
"To fhade the borders of his face,

"Whose outward figns of inward grace

"Were only visible in spiteful

"Grimaces, very stern and frightful."

BUTLER'S Pofth. Works.

This holy brother was alfo a journeyman fhoe-maker, who had arrived at the fummit of his expectations, being able to keep a house over his head (as he chose to express himself) that is by letting nearly the whole

of

of it out in lodgings, he was enabled to pay the rent. This house was in White-crossftreet, which I found out the morning after my arrival, where I procured a lodging, and Mr. Heath, in Fore-ftreet, fupplied me with plenty of work.

I laugh'd then and whiftl'd, and fung too moft fweet,
Saying, juft to a hair I've made both ends to meet.

Derry-down.

I am,

Dear Friend,

Yours, &c.

LETTER

LETTER XIX.

"I'll travel no more-I'll try a London audience-
"Who knows but I may get an engagement."

Wild Oats.

"When fuperftition (bane of manly virtues !)
"Strikes root within the foul; it over-runs
"And kills the power of Reason."

PHILIPS of Gloucester.

DEAR FRIEND,

AT this time I was as vifion

ary and fuperftitious as ever I had been at any preceding period, for although I had read fome fenfible books, and had thereby ac-quired a few rational ideas, yet having had a methodistical wife for near three years, and my keeping methodistical company, together with the gloomy notions, which in spite of reason and philofophy I had imbibed during the frequent, long, and indeed almost conftant illness of my wife, the confequence was, that thofe few rational or liberal ideas

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which I had before treasured up, were at

my coming to London in a dormant ftate, or borne down by the torrent of enthufiaftic whims, and fanatical chimeras.

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Oh! what a reafonless machine

"Can fuperftition make the reas'ner man!"

MILLER'S Mahomet.

So that as foon as I procured a lodging and work, my next enquiry was for Mr. Wefley's Gofpel-fhops and on producing my class and band tickets from Taunton, I was put into a class, and a week or two after admitted into a band.

But it was feveral weeks before I could firmly refolve to continue in London; as I really was ftruck with horror for the fate of it; more particularly on Sundays, as I found fo few went to church, and fo many were walking and riding about for pleasure, and the lower clafs getting drunk, quarrelling, fighting, working, buying, felling, &c.

had feen fo much of the fame kind in Bristol, that I often wondered how God permitted it

to

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