was offered work by Mr. Cash, I prevailed on him to accept of it, affuring him that I had no doubt of my being able to get work at Taunton: but in that I was disappointed, nor could I get a conftant feat of work until I came to Exeter, and of that place I was foon tired; but being informed that a Mr. John Taylor of Kingsbridge (forty miles below Exeter) wanted fuch a hand, I went down, and was gladly received by Mr. Taylor, whose name inspires me with gratitude, as he never treated me as a journeyman, but made me his companion. Nor was any part of my time ever spent in a more agreeable pleasing manner than that which I paffed in this retired place, or I believe more profitable to a mafter. I was the first man he ever had that was able to make ftuff and filk fhoes, and it being also known that I came from Bristol, this had great weight with the country ladies, and procured my mafter cuftomers, who generally fent for me to take measure of their feet, and I was looked upon by all to be the beft workman in the town, altho' I had not been brought up to ftuff-work, nor had ever entirely L 2 entirely made one ftuff or filk fhoe before. Nor fhould I have prefumed to proclaim myfelf a stuff-man, had there been any fuch workmen in the place; but as there were none, I boldly ventured, and fucceeded very well; nor did any one in the town ever know that it was my first attempt in that branch. During the time that I lived here, I as ufual was obliged to employ one or other of my acquaintance to write my letters for me; this procured me much praise among the young men as a good inditer of letters. (I need not inform you that they were not good judges.) My mafter faid to me one day, he was furprized that I did not learn to write my own letters; and added, that he was fure that I could learn to do it in a very short time. The thought pleased me much, and without any delay I fet about it, by taking up any pieces of paper that had writing on them, and imitating the letters as well as I could. I employed my leisure hours in this way for near two months, after which time I wrote my own letters, in a bad hand, you may . may be fure; but it was plain and easy to read, which was all I cared for: nor to the prefent moment can I write much better, as I never would have any perfon to teach me, nor was I ever poffeffed of patience enough to employ time fufficient to learn to write well; and yet as foon as I was able to fcribble, I wrote verfes on fome trifle or other every day for years together. Out of fome thousands I at present recollect the following, which I placed by the fide of the figure of a clergyman in his robes, with his hands and eyes lifted up; this image ftood over the fire-place in my room. Here's a fhoemaker's chaplain has negative merit, How folemn he ftands, his eyes fix'd above! As a kind of contrast I will infert an epi gram that I wrote but a few days fince on an ignorant methodist preacher. A ftupid fellow told me t'other day, That by the spirit he could preach and pray; , Let none then say that miracles have ceas'd, As God ftill opes the mouth of beast; And affes now can speak as plain 'As e'er they could in Balaam's reign, But I always wrote as faft as I could, without endeavouring to write well, and that this is my prefent practice I need not inform you. I came to this place in but a weak state of body; however, the healthy fituation of the town, together with bathing in the falt water, foon restored me to perfect health. I paffed thirteen months here in a very happy manner; but the wages for work being very low, and as I had spent much time in writing hymns to every fong-tune that I knew, befides a number of love-verfes, letters, &c. 1 was very poor; and to complete all, I began to keep a deal of company, in which I gave a loose to my natural gaiety of difpofition, much more than was confiftent with the grave, fedate ideas which I had formed of a religious character; all which made me refolve to leave Kingsbridge, which I did in 1770 I tra I travelled as far as Exeter the first day, where I worked about a fortnight, and saved fufficient to carry me to Bridgewater, where I worked two or three weeks more. Before I arrived there Mr. John Jones had gone back to refide at Bristol, but as foon as he heard of my being in Bridgewater, he and his brother Richard fent me an invitation to come to Bristol again and live with them. Finding that I did not immediately comply, they both came to Bridgewater, and declared their intentions of not returning to Bristol without me; fo that after a day or two I yielded to their folicitations, and again lived very comfortably with them, their mother and fifter. I think it was about this period, that I went feveral times to the Tabernacle, and heard Mr. George Whitefield; and of all the preachers that eyer I attended, never did I meet with one that had fuch a perfect command over the paffions of his audience. In every fermon that I heard him preach, he would fometimes make them ready to burst with L4 |