he could not do. "If you cannot do it as you wish, yet do it as well as you can; (said his friend,) you have just now bound yourself to do all you can for this purpose, and I must keep you to your word." Being thus caught through his own zeal, he could get off no other way, than by promising that he would write, if he could not prevail on any one more competent to undertake it. We then all united in saying, "Do by all means write your thoughts down as soon as you can; but be not in a hurry to print them; let us look over them, and see if any thing need be omitted, altered, or added.' Thus encouraged, he soon applied himself to the work, and showed us the substance of the pamphlet afterwards printed, which we found needed very little correction. So much had this young man attained of the knowledge of geography and history, and several languages, in the midst of the pressures of poverty, and while obliged to support himself and his family at first as a journeyman shoemaker, and afterwards as a village schoolmaster; since his people could raise him but ten or eleven pounds a year, besides five pounds from the London fund.*

I never formally examined the proficiency he had then made in learning Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, Dutch, Italian, &c. but one anecdote will illustrate what, indeed, his subsequent attainments render unnecessary to be proved.

Between Carey and Fuller there never was a moment's rivalship, and I have no bias on my mind to take a grain of praise from one to give to the other: but wishing to regard both with impartial esteem, and truth beyond both; I must consider the Mission as origin

I one day had occasion thus to address him: "Well, Mr. Carey, you remember I laughed at you when I heard of your learning Dutch, for I thought you would never have any use for that language; but now I have the first opportunity of profiting by it. I have received a parcel from Dr. Erskine of Edinburgh, who has long been used to send me any interesting publications which he receives from America, or which have been printed in Scotland; and this parcel contains several of those sorts: but he says I shall wonder that he has inclosed a Dutch book. This, he informs me, is a volume of Sermons written by a Divine now living in Holland; at the end of which is a Dissertation on the Call of the Gospel, which, if any friend of mine or Mr. Fuller's understands the language sufficiently to translate it for us, we should be glad to see. "Now (said I to Mr. Carey,) if you will translate this Dissertation for me, I will give you the whole book." He soon brought me a good Dissertation on the subject, and afterwards an extraordinary Sermon, on Hosea, Chap. iii. which I doubt not were translated from this book. I once also, in an accidental way, made a trial of his skill in French; and hence, at that early period, I inferred, that, as his motives. to learn Latin, Greek, and Hebrew must have been stronger than those that excited him to acquire French and Dutch, his proficiency in them could not be less. His present eminence in Oriental literature every one acknowledges— But it is pleasant to trace the rise of the oak from an

acorn.

ating absolutely with Carey; and Mr. Fuller's acknowledgment that he had at first some feelings like the desponding nobleman, in 2 Kings vii. 2. is a confirmation of my opinion. This, however, is of small consequence. Sometime after the conversation in my study, occurred the minister's meeting at Clipstone, in April, 1791. An uncommon degree of attention seemed to me to be excited by both sermons: I know not under which I felt the most, whether Brother Sutcliff's, on being very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts, or Brother Fuller's, on the pernicious influence of delay. Both were very impressive; and the mind of every one with whom 1 conversed, seemed to feel a solemn conviction of our need of greater zeal, and of the evil of negligence and procrastination. I suppose that scarcely an idle word was spoken while I stayed, and immediately after dinner, Carey introduced the subject of beginning a Mission. I had to preach at home that night, fourteen miles off, and was obliged to leave the company before the conversation ended. At the ensuing Association, held at Oakham, it was announced that these sermons would be immediately sent to the press. The next Association was at Nottingham, May 30, 1792, when Brother Carey delivered a most impressive discourse, from Isa. liv. 2, 3. chiefly endeavouring to enforce our obligations to expect great things

from God, and to attempt great things for God. If all the people had lifted up their voice and wept, as the children of Israel did at Bochim, (Judges ii.) I should not have wondered at the effect, it would have only seemed proportionate to the cause; so clearly did he prove the criminality of our supineness in the cause of God. A resolution was printed in this year's Letter, That a plan be prepared against the next minister's meeting at Kettering, for forming a Baptist Society for propagating the Gospel among the Heathens.' Brother Carey generously engaged to devote all the profits that might arise from his late publication on this interesting subject, to the use of such a Society.

This Society was actually formed in Mrs. Beeby Wallis's back parlour, on Oct. 2, 1792. As all the friends of the Baptist Mission know, we began with a subscription of £13. 2s. 6d. but at a second meeting, at Northampton, Oct. 31, Brother Pearce brought the surprising sum of £70. from his friends at Birmingham, which put new spirits into us all. Still we knew not how to proceed, whom to send, nor where to begin our operations. Pearce had read the account of the Pellew Islands, and was inclined to propose them for the object of our first attempt. But just at this time, Mr. John Thomas returned from Bengal. He had repeatedly written from thence to Dr. Stennett, to my father, and to Mr. Booth, and given

some account of his conferences, with the natives: we found he was now endeavouring to raise a fund for a Mission to that country, and to engage a companion to go out with him. It was resolved to make some farther enquiry respecting him, and to invite him to go back under the patronage of our Society. I had visited Bristol in the latter end of August and beginning of September preceding; and took a second journey thither, to supply the church in Broadmead the last. Lord's-day in 1792, and the first three in 1793; consequently I was not present when the Committee met at Kettering, Jan. 10, when Carey first offered himself to go as a companion to Mr. Thomas: but the particulars are stated in the Narrative of our Mission. One circumstance has not yet been made public. Dear brother Pearce went to London with Thomas and Carey. He examined if it would be prudent to apply for the leave of the Directors. He found that we should in all probability meet with a refusal; which would be more embarrassing to our minds, and would render it more offensive to the Company, should they get out in defiance of them, than if they went without leave and without prohibition. A captain who had known Mr. Thomas, offered to take them out without leave. We did not know what to do: conscious that we meant no ill to any one, and were aiming to discharge a most important duty,