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In every place where he came, Mr. Wesley was attentive to the things which passed round about him. We cannot therefore wonder that the wretched situation of the negroes should attract his notice, "I have observed much, and heard more,” says he, “of the cruelty of masters towards their negroes; Lut now I received an authentic account of some horrid instances thereof. I saw myself, that the giving a slave to a child of its own age, to tyrannize over, to abuse and beat out of sport, was a common practice: nor is it strange, that being thus trained up in cruelty, they should afterwards arrive at such a perfection in it."

Mr. Wesley mentions several methods of torturing the poor slaves that were common, and even talked of with indifference by some who practised them-For instance, Mr. Starr informed Mr. L., with whom Mr. Wesley was intimate, that he had ordered a slave, first to be nailed up by the ears, and then to be whipt in the severest manner; and to finish the whole, to have scalding water thrown all over his body; after which the poor creature could not move himself for four months.

"Another, much applauded punishment," says Mr. C. Wesley, "is drawing the teeth of their slaves-It is universally known, that Colonel Linch cut off the legs of a poor negro, and that he kills several of them every year by his barbarities."

"It were endless to recount all the shocking instances of diabolical cruelty, which these men, as they call themselves, daily practise upon their fellow-creatures, and that upon the most trivial occasions-1 shall only mention one more, related to me by an eyewitness. Mr. Hill, a dancing-master in Charles-Town, whipt a female slave so long, that she fell down at his feet, in appearance dead: when by the help of a physician she was so far recovered as to show some signs of life, he repeated the whipping with equal rigor, and concluded the punishment with dropping scalding wax upon her flesh-fer crime was, over filling a tea-cup-1 hese horrid cruelties are the less to be wondered at, because the law itself, in effect, countenances and allows them to kill their slaves, by the ridiculous penalty appointed for it.—The penalty is about seven pounds sterling, one half of which is usually remitted if the criminal inform against himself."

These instances, to which ten thousand others might be added, of deliberate, merciless cruelty, exercised by one part of mankind over another, often without any cause that can be called a provocation, show us to what a wretched state of depravity and insensibility human nature may be reduced by vicious habits. How much less would have been the suffering of these miserable negroes, if they had fallen into the power of their more merciful enemies, the lions, bears, and tigers of Africa! Yet these wild beasts are hunted and destroyed as enemies to the human species: what then do the cruel slave-holders and masters deserve? who have more cruelty, and ten times the art of exercising it, even upon their own species. Eut what is more wonderful than all the rest, if possible, is, that in this free and enlightened country, which boasts of the mild and equitable principles of Christianity, there is a large body of men who defend the slave-trade, the source of all these miseries, and

from which it can never be wholly separated. And they defend it too, on the principle of advantage. Now what is it which these men, in fact, say to us in their defence of the slave-trade? Do they not tell us, that they would reduce all other men to a state of slavery for their own advantage, if they had the power of doing it? -Lut I say no more: the British nation has at length awaked from its deep sleep; it has opened its eyes, and viewed the enormity of the crimes attendant on the slave-trade; it has called on the legislature to put a stop to them by abolishing it; and, for the honor of our country, the British House of Commons has condemned the trade as cruel and unjust, and has determined to abolish it. Every friend to humanity waits with impatience to see this resolution fully and effectually executed. Had the two Mr. Wesleys been now living, they would have rejoiced greatly, and have praised God, for the present prospect of a total abolition of the slave-trade. While Mr. Wesley stayed at Charles-Town, his bloody flux and fever hung upon him, and rather increased. Notwithstanding this, he was determined to go in the first ship that sailed for England. His friends endeavored to dissuade him from it, both because the ship was very leaky, and the captain a mere beast of a man, being almost continually drunk. But he was deaf to their advice. "The public business," says he, "that hurried me to England, being of that importance, as their Secretary, I could not answer to the Trustees for Georgia, the loss of a day." Accordingly he engaged his passage on board the London Galley, which left Charles-'I own on the 1th of August. Eut they soon found, that the captain, while on shore, had neglected every thing to which he ought to have attended. The vessel was too leaky to bear the voyage; and the captain, drinking nothing scarcely lut gin, had never troubled his head about taking in a sufficient quantity of water; so that on the 2uth they were obliged to be reduced to short allowance. Meeting afterwards with stormy weather, the leak became alarming, and their difficulties increased so fast upon them, that they were obliged to steer for Boston in New England, where they arrived, with much difficulty and danger, on the 24th of September.

Mr. Wesley was soon known at Boston, and met with a hospitable reception amongst the ministers, both of the town and neighborhood. Having experienced much difficulty at Frederica, to prevent his letters to his brother from being read by others, he learned Lyrom's short-hand, and now for the first time wrote to his brother in those characters. He tells him, "If you are as desirous as I am of a correspondence, you must set upon Eyrom's shorthand immediately." Mr. John Wesley did so, and their correspondence was afterwards carried on chiefly in it.

This letter was evidently written in a hurry, probably in the midst of company. A part of it is in Latin, which, as it shows the facility with which he wrote in this language, and also discovers something of the turn of his mind, I shall transcribe it below." The substance of it I sh..ll give in English.

"Todet me populi hujusce qżožere, ita me urbanitate sua divexant et persequuntur. Non patiuntur me esse solum. E rure veniunt invisentes clerici;

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Boston, Oct. 5. "I am wearied with this hospitable people, they so vex and tease me with their civilities. They do not suffer me to be alone. The clergy, who come from the country on a visit, drag me along with them when they return. I am constrained to take a view of this New England, more pleasant even than the old. I cannot help exclaiming, O! happy country, that cherished neither flies,* nor crocodiles, nor informers. About the end of this week we shall certainly go on board the ship, having to pay a second time for our passage: even here, nothing is to be had without money. It vexes me to be obliged to purchase this delay, and to pay a great price for my departure."

"My disorder, once removed by this most salubrious air, has again returned. All my friends advise me to consult a physician, but I cannot afford so expensive a funeral."

Mr. Wesley did not go on board as he expected, the ship being detained some time longer. During his stay here, his disorder returned with violence, and reduced him to a state of very great weakness. On the 15th of October he wrote to his brother, and continues his letter in a kind of journal to the 25th, when he went on board the ship, and sailed for England. His account of himself is as follows.

"I should be glad for your sake to give a satisfactory account of myself, but that you must never expect from me-It is fine talking while we have youth and health on our side; but sickness would spoil your boasting as well as mine. I am now glad of a warm bed; but must soon betake myself to my board again."

"Though I am apt to think that I shall at length arrive in England to deliver what I am entrusted with, yet I do not expect, or I wish for a long life How strong must the principle of self-preservation be, which can make such a wretch as I am willing to live

me revertentes in rus trahunt. Cogor hane Angliam contemplari, etiam antiqua amœniorem; et nequeo non exclamare, O fortunato regio, nec muscas alens, nec crocodilos, nec delatores! Sub fine hujus hebdomadis navem certissime conscendimus, duplicato sumptu patriam empturi. Carolinesium, nemo, viatica suppeditavit; et hic itidem nil nisi cum pretio. Pessime me habet quod cogor moram hanc emere, magnumque pretium digressionis solvere."

"Morbus meus, aere hoc saluberrimo semel fugatus, iterum rediit. Suadent amici omnes, ut medicum consulem; sed Funera non possum tam pretiosa pati."

*When Mr. Wesley was at Frederica, the sand-flies were one night so exceedingly troublesome, that he was obliged to rise at one o'clock, and smoke them out of his hut. He tells us that the whole town was employed in the

same way.

He means that species of the crocodile called the alligator. When at Savannah, he and Mr. Delamotte used to hathe in the Savannah river between four and five o'clock in the morning, before the alligators were stirring, but they heard them snoring all round them. One morning Mr. Delamotte was in great danger; an alligator rose just behind him, and pursued him to the land, whither he escaped with difficulty.

He puts informers in good company; they are always troublesome, and sometimes destructive creatures. They seldom or never confine themselves to simple facts; suspicion supplies much inatter, and invention more. After what he had suffered, it is no wonder he speaks of them in so feeling a manner.

at all!-or rather unwilling to die; for I know no greater pleasure in life, than in considering that it cannot last for ever."

"The temptations past

No more shall vex me; every grief I feel
Shortens the destin'd number; every pulse
Beats a sharp moment of the pain away,
And the last stroke will come. By swift degrees
Time sweeps me off, and I shall soon arrive

At life's sweet period: O! Celestial point
That ends this mortal story."-

"To-day completes my three weeks' unnecessary stay at Boston. To-morrow the ship falls down-I am just now much worse than ever; but nothing less than death shall hinder me from embarking. "October 18. The ship that carries me, must meet with endless delays: it is well if it sails this week. I have lived so long in honors and indulgences, that I have almost forgotten whereunto I am called; being strongly urged to set up my rest here. But I will lean no longer upon men; nor again put myself into the power of any of my own merciless species, by either expecting their kindness or desiring their esteem. Mr. Appy, like an errant gentleman as he is, has drawn me into monstrous expenses for ship stores, &c. So that, what with my three weeks' stay at Charles-Town, my month's stay here, and my double passage,-from courtier I am turned philosopher.*

"October 21. I am worried on all sides by the solicitations of my friends to defer my winter voyage till I have recovered a little strength. Mr. -I am apt to think would allow me to wait a fortnight for the next ship; but then if I recover, my stay will be thought unnecessary. I must die to prove myself sick, and I can do no more at sea. I am therefore determined to be carried on board to-morrow, and leave the event to God."

"October 25. The ship fell down as was expected, but a contrary wind prevented me from following till now. At present I am something better: on board the Hannah, Captain Corney; in the state-room, which they have forced upon me. I have not strength for more. Adieu."

On the 27th, Mr. Wesley had so far recovered strength that he was able to read prayers. The next day the captain informed him that a storm was approaching. In the evening it came on with dreadful violence and raged all night. On the 29th in the morning they shipped so prodigious a sea, that it washed away their sheep, half their hogs, and drowned most of their fowl. The ship was heavy laden, and the sea streamed in so plentifully at the sides, that it was as much as four men could do by continual pumping, to keep her above water. "I rose, and lay down by turns," adds Mr. Wesley, "but could remain in no posture long. I strove vehemently to pray, but in vain; I still persisted in striving, but

Among the ancients a philosopher and a beggar were almost synonymous terms. In modern times, the philosopher holds a respectable rank in society. We commonly associate the ideas of a poet and a garret, but then we mean a poet by profession; one who procures a livelihood by writing verses.

without effect. I prayed for power to pray,* for faith in Jesus Christ; continually repeating his name, till I felt the virtue of it at last, and knew that I abode under the shadow of the Almighty."

At three in the afternoon the storm was at the height; at four, the ship made so much water, that the captain, finding it otherwise impossible to save her from sinking, cut down the mizzen-mast. "In this dreadful moment," says Mr. Wesley, "I bless God I found the comfort of hope; and such joy in finding I could hope, as the world can neither give nor take away. I had that conviction of the power of God present with me, overbalancing my strongest passion, fear, and raising me above what I am by nature, as surpassed all rational evidence, and gave me a taste of the divine goodness."

On the 30th the storm abated; and "On Sunday the 31st," he observes, "my first business was, may it be the business of all my days, to offer up the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. We all joined in thanks for our deliverance most of the day."

They soon met with another storm, but not so violent as the former, and continuing their voyage with some intervening difficulties and dangers, till the third of December, the ship arrived opposite Deal, and the passengers came safe on shore. "I kneeled down," says Mr. Wesley, "and blessed the hand that had conducted me through such inextricable mazes, and desired I might give up my country again, whenever God should require it."

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CHAPTER VI.

SECTION III.

OF MR. CHARLES WESLEY FROM DECEMBER 3d, 1756, unTIL TEE
END OF JUNE, 1738.

MR. CHARLES WESLEY, had been absent from England upwards of thirteen months; during this time he had passed through a series of trials and difficulties, which in all their circumstances are not very common. He had indeed been in the wilderness, where the hand of God had been manifested in his preservation, and finally in his deliverance. Here God had proved him, and tried him, and shown him what was in his heart. In this state of suffering, he was led to a more perfect knowledge of human nature, than he could have obtained from books and meditation, through the whole course of his life. His knowledge was derived from experience, which is the most certain, and the most useful in the conduct of life, and makes the deepest impression on the mind. In his distress the Scriptures became more precious than he had ever found them before. He now saw a beauty in them, which the most learned and refined criticism can never discover. From the

*He means with confidence and comfort.

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