Lackington, Janics, 1 740-1 8 1^. Memoirs of the forty-fi\^e first years of the James Lackinglon, ihe present bookseller ii Chisweil-street Moorfieids, London. 6 ■' MEMOIRS O F The FORTY-FIVE FIRST YEARS O F The LIFE OF JAMES LACKINGTON. [ Price Five Sliillings and Sixpence, in boards. ] ^( // ■/7c'/y//^//c^/iJ^' /-" f/ ///r '///vf/:> .i///rr /•/v/fr// /■//.'//u'Ai fr//A /^/'r//rr/y^''i^> C ' PuHiihed oj the Jcr liitvcU D H E firft edition of my Memoirs was -■- no foouer publi(hed, than my old envious friends, mentioned in the third clafs of my dedication, found out that it was *' d— n'd fluff! d— nM low!" the produdion of a cobJer^ and only fit to amufe that honour- able fraternity, or to line their garrets and ftalls ; and many gentlemen, who are my cuftomers, have informed me, that when they afl Friend Unknown, fuch improvement^ conveys, 'Tis but jufticeto you that this Tribute repays ; For v/hen in the Bofom mild Gratitude burns, *Tis a pleafing relief, which the Feeh'ng returns : For as dear as the Light to the thoughts of the Blind, Is the Pen, or the Voice, that enlightens the Mind ; And the more, as from Nature and Genius untaught Your various adventures and humour are brought. Which difplay all the farce of the Methodift Plan, The (hame of Religion, of Reafon, and Man; While no Libertine Motives their Secrets difpenfe, £ut Propriety joins hand-in- hand with good Senfc, Ohf 32 VERSES ADDRESSED to the AUTHOR. Oh ! with thee, could the Crowd view each fanflified fccne, Where the Hypocrite oft wears Simplicity's mien ; Where youth, fecond-childhood, and weaknefs of Sex, Are objefts they ever prefer to perplex ; Like thee, they'd contemn, or indignantly leave. Whom Folly, and Knav'ry, combine to deceive ; And whofe Newgate Converfions blafphemoufly paint The wretch moft depra'v'd, the moft excellent Saint. Go on J and difcover each latent defign. And your rivals expofe, who 'gaintt Learning combine : O'er fuch craft fhall fair conduit, like thine, ftiil prevail. And an cnvy'd fuccefs lay them low in the Scale. But as Time is too fhort all your fteps to retrace. Let vour Life fpeak the reft, and fucceed in their place ; How Books mend the manners; and now fo abound. Where Rudenefs and Ignorance lately were found. But plain Truth, for itfelf, it muft itill be confeft. Is the faithfulleft advocate— therefore the bed ; So I rife from the Feaft with a fatisfied mind. That the fame every Tafte, and each Temper, may find. Still to drop all comparifon. Mental's the fare. That needs only good tafte to invite us to (hare ; Entertainment and Knowledge, the objefts in view ; Then receive, as the Donor, the Praife that is due. C. H S. BuBY St. Edmund's. THE LIFE b p y. LJckiNcroN, BOOKSELLER. LETTER I. ♦* Others with wiftiful eyes on Glory look, " When they have got their pidliire toward a book, " Or pompous title, like a gaudy Sign *' Meant to betray dull fots to wretched wine. ** If at his title L had dropt his quill, " L might have paft for a great genius ftill : " But L , alas ! ^excufe him if you can) ** Is now a Scribbler, who was once a man." Young's Love of Fame, DEAR FRIEND, JL OU haVe often requefted me to devote what few lelfure moments I could fpare, in minuting down fome of the principal occurrences of my life, with a view^ fooner or later, of exhibiting the ac- Jf count 30 LFFE OF J. LACKINGTON. count to the public eye ; who, as you were pleaCed to fiiy, could not but be fomewhat curious to learn fome well-authenticated par- ticulars of a man, well known to have rifen from an obfcure origin to a degree of notice, and to a participation of the favor of the Public, in a particular line of bufinefs, I may without vanity fay, hitherto unpre- cedented. This will appear more confpi- cuous if you confidcr, that I was not only poor, but labo.iire^ ;under every other difad- vantage ; being a flranger in London, and without friends, &c. Ever willing to pay a becoming deference to the judgment of a perfon of your acknow- ledged merits, and whom I have the felicity of numbering among my 'firmefl friends, yet being lefs anxious to appear as an adventurer among the numerous tribe of authors, than to continue a confiderable' vender of the pro- duce of their labours, I have continually de- layed complying with your kind wiflies.-— By the bye, does the publication of a Cata- logue of Books entitle the compiler to the name LIFE OF J. LACKINGTOK. 31 tiame of Author ? If it do,es, many Book- fellers have long had a claim to that diftinc-^ tioii, by the annual publication of their Cata- logues, and myfelf, as author of a very volu- minous one every fix months. The reafon for my afking this queftion is, I laft year obferved, that a certain bookfeller publifhed his firft Catalogue with this introdudlion % '* As this is the firft Catalogue ever the Author made, and is done in great hafte, he hopes inaccuracies vvill be treated with lenity." But to return from this digreflion. I fhould probably have ftill delayed compiling my narrative, if the editors of a certain peri- odical publication, who monthly labor to be witty, had not deemed me of fufficlent confequence to introduce into their work, what they are pleafed to call a Portrait of me ! and though it was by them intended as a caricatura, yet I am perfuaded it will ap- pear to thofe who befl: know me, as a daub- ing more charaderlflic of the heavy brufh of a manufa6turer of figns, than the delicate B 3 pencil 32 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. pencil of a true portrait-painter; and on tliat account I fhould moft certainly have con- fidered it as unworthy notice, had they not daubed me with falfe features. This at once determined my wavering refolution, and I am now fully refolved to minute down fuch particulars of my pafTage through life, as, though not adorned with an elegance of ftyle, will, I afTure you, poffefs what to you, I flatter myfelf, will be a greater recommen- dation, viz. a {lri(5t adherence to truth. ** To pomp or pathos I make no pretence, •* But range in the broad path of common fenfe, *' Nor ever burrow in the dark fublime." And though no doubt you will meet with fome occurrences in which you may find caufe for cenfure, yet I hope others wiil prcfent themfelves, which your candour will Induce you to commend. *• Difdain not then thefe trifles to attend, *• Nor fear to blame, nor ftudy to commend." Lord Hervev. » Should you be able to afford the whole a patient perufal, and think the account meriting LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 33 meriting the public eye, I (hall chearfully fubmit to your decifion, convinced that you will not, *• With mean complacence e'er betray your trult, ** Nor be fo civil as to prove unjuft." John Dunton, a brother Bibliopole, long iince exhibited a whole volume of dulnefs, which he called his " Life and errors,''^ The latter term I believe might be a very proper appendage to the title page of the innume- rable lives which have been, and which will be publlflied : For what man will dare to fay of hlmfelf, his life has not been loaded with errors ? That mine has been fuch, I readily acknowledge ; and (hould this nar- rative be publiflied, many perhaps may deem that a6l another (poflibly the greateft) error. To thofe I (hall only obferve, that *' to err is human, to forgive divine." As an additional ftlmulus, I can afTure you as an abfolute fadt, that ieveral gentlemen have at different periods (one very lately) B 3 intimated 34 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. intimated to me their intentions of engaging in the tafk, if I any longer declined it. Of my firft- mentioned kind Biographers \ {hall take my leave, with a couplet, many years fince written by an eminent poet, ^n4 not inapplicable to the prefent cafe. *' Let B — charge low Qrub- Street on my quill, ** And write whate'cr he pleafe, except my Will. And of you, for the prefent, after informing you, my next {hall contain a faithful account of particulars relative to the early part of my life, with alTuring you that I am, Dear Friend, your ever obliged. LETTER LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 35 LETTER n. «' Why fhould my birth keep down my mounting Spirit ? *' Are not all creatures fubjed unto time j *• To time, who doth abufe the world, *' And fills it full ot hotch-podge baftardy ? " There's legions now of beggars on the Earth, *' That their original did fpring from Kings ; *' And many monarchs now, whofe fathers were '* The rifF-rafFof their age ; for time and fortune *' Wears out a noble train to beggary ; " And from the dunghill millions do advance " To ftate ; and mark, in this admiring world *' This is the courfe, which in the name of fate ** Is feen as often as it whirls about ; ** The river Thames that by our door doth run, *' His firft beginning is but fmall and fliallow, " Yet keeping on his courfe grows to a fea." Shakespear's Cromwell. DEAR FRIEND, In my Lift I hinted that I fhould confine myfelf to a plain narrative of fafts, iinembellifhed with the meretricious aid of loftv figures, or repreJentations of things which never had exiftence, but in the brain of the author. I fhall therefore not trouble you with a hiftory of predictions which foretold the future greatsefs of your B 4 humble 36 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. humble fervant, nor with a minute account of the afpeds of the planets at the very aufpicious and important crlfis when firft I inhaled the air of this buftllng orb, « "Whatever ftar did at my birth prevail, ** Whether my fate was weigh'd in Libra's fcalej * * Or Scorpio reign'd, whofe gloomy pow'r " Rales dreadful o'er the natal hour ; " Or Capricorn with angry rays, " Thofe tyrants of the weftcrn Ikies." Horace. * For, extraordinary as it may appear, it has never yet occurred to me, that any of the adepts in the aftrological fcience have made a calculation of my nativity ; 'tis pro- bable this high honor is by the planets def- tined to adorn the fublime lucubrations of the very ingenious Mr. Sibley, in the next edition of his ftup-^endous work I And here, for the honor of the craft let me re- mark, that this moil fublime genius has, with myfelf, to boafl: (and who would not boaft of their genealogy in having a prince for their anceftor ?) in being a Son of the renowned PRINCE CRISPIN. A vo- LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 37 A volume has been written with the title of '* The Honor of the Taylors ; or, the Hiftory of Sir John Hawkwood." But were any learned writer to undertake The honor of the Shoemakers, or the Hiftory of , how infjgnificant a figure would the poor Taylors make, when compared with the honorable craft ! ** Coblers from Crifpin boaft their Public Spirit, " And all are upright downright men of merit." Should 1 live to fee as many editions of my Memoirs publifhed, as there have been of the Pilgrim's Progrefs, I may be induced to prefent the world with a Folio on that important fubjedl. But to begln- Were I inclined to pride myfelf In genealogi- cal defcent, I might here boaft that the family were originally fettled at White Lacklngton, in Somerfetfhire, which obtained its name from one of my famous anceftors, and give you a long detail of their grandeur, &c. but having 38 life! of J. LACKINGTON. having as little leifure as inclination to boaft of what if true would add nothing to my merits, I lliall for the prefent only fay, that . I was born at Wellington in Somerfetfliire, on the 31(1 of Auguft, (old ilyle) 1746. PvJy father, George Lackington, was a Jour- neyman Shoemaker, who had incurred the difpleafure of my grandfather for marrying my mother, whofe maiden name was Joan Trott. She was the daughter of a poor weaver in Wellington ; a good honcfl: man, whofe end was remarkable, though not very fortunate ; in the road between Taunton and Wellington, he was found drowned in a ditch, where the water fcarcely covered his face : He was, 'tis conjedured, " Drunk when he died." This happened fome years before the mar- riage of my Father and Mother. My grandfather, George Lackington, had been a Gentleman Farmer at Langford, a village two miles from Wellington, and acquired a pretty confiderable property. But my LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 39 jny father's mother trying wlien my father was but about thirteen years of age,my grand- father, who had tuo daughters, bound my father apprentice to a Mr. Hordly, a mafter fhoemaker in Wellington, with an intentioa of fetting him up In tliat bufuiefs at the ex- piration of his time. But my father worked a year or two as a journeyman, and then dif- pleafed his father by marrying a woman without a fliUHng, of a mean family, and who fupported herfelf by fpinning of wool into yarn, fo that my mother was delivered of your friend and humble fervant, her firft- born, and hope of the family. In my grand- mother Trott's poor cottage ; and that good old woman carried me privately to church, unknown to my father, who was (nominally) a Quaker, that being the religion of his anceftors. About the jear 1750, my father having three or four children, and my mother prov- ing an excellent wife, my grandfither's relentment had nearly fubfided, fo that he fupphed him with money to open a fhop for himfelf. 40 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. hlmfeJf. B'Jt that which was intended to be of very great fervice to him and his family, eventually proved extremely unfortunate to hJmfelf and them ; for, as foon as he found he was more at eafe in his circumftances, he contraded a fatal habit of drinking, and of courfe his bufinefs was negle£led ; fo that after feveral fruitlefs attempts of my grandr father to keep him in trade, he was, partly by a very large family, but more by his ha- bitual drunkennefs, reduced to his old ftate of a journeyman flioemaker : Yet fo infa- tuated was he with the love of liquor, that the endearing ties of hufband and father could not redrain him : by which baneful habit himfelf and flimily were involved iu the extremeft poverty. ** To mortal men great loads allotted be; " But of all packs, co pack like poverty." Herrick. So that neither myfelf, my Brothers, or Sif- ters, are indebted to a Father icarcely for any thing that can endear his memory, or caufe us to refledt on him with pleafure. «• Children, LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 41 *♦ Children, the blind efFe(fts of love and chance ** Bear from their birth the imprefllon of a Slave. Dryden. My father and mother might have fald with Middleton, '* How adverfe runs the deftiny of fome creatures I " Some only can get riches and no children, " We only can get children and no riches ; " Then 'tis the prudent part to check our will, " And, till our ftate rife, make our blood ftand ftill." But to our mother we are indebted for every thing. *' She was a woman take her for all in all, I {hall not look upon her like again." Never did I know or hear of a woman who worked and lived fo hard as (he did to fupport Eleven children : and were I to relate the particulars, it would not gain credit. I fhall only obferve, that for many years together, (he worked generally nineteen or twenty hours out of every twenty-four; even when very near her time, fometimes at one hour fhe was fecn walking backwards and forwards by her Spinning-wheel, and her midwife fent for the next. Whenever (he was afked to 42 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. to drink a half pint c f ale, at any fhop where fhe had been laying out a trifling fum, Hie always allied leave to take it home to her huiband, who was always fo mean and felfifli as to drink it. Out of love to her family fhe totally ab- jftained from every kind of Liquor, water excepted, her food was chiefly broth, (little better than water and oatmeal) turnips, pota- toes, cabbage, carrots, &c. her children fared Something better, but not much, as you may well fuppofe. When I reflect on the aftonifli- ing hardlhips and fufferings of fo worthy a woman, and her helplefs infants, I find my- felf ready to curfe the hufl^and and father that could thus involve them in fuch a de- plorable fcene of mifery and diftrefs. It is dreadful to add, that his habitual drunken- nefs Shortened his days nearly one half, and that about twenty years fince he died, unre- gretted by his own children ; nay more, while nature (hed tears over his grave, reafon was thankful ; *• A parting tear to nature muft be paid, " Nature in fpite of us, will be obey'd." Thankful LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 43 Thankful that the caufe of their poverty and mifery was taken out of the way. ** The pious tear the fons and daughters flied j *' Thus they, whom long he wrong'd, bewail'd him dead : *• With rev'rence they perform his obfequies, '• And bear their forrows as befeems the wife. Cooke. Read this, ye inhuman parents, and fliudderl Was "a law -made to- hanifh all fuch fathers, would it not be ajiift, nay even a mild lawr I have my doubts whether children fhould not be taught to defpife and deteft an unna- tural brutal parent, as ,much as they are to love and revere a good one. Here, fir, permit me to drop fo gloomy a fubjedl, and relate an uncommon circum- ftance that happened about this time. •Mr. James Knowland, who for many years kept the fign of the Eight Bells in WeUing- ton, had a fon that appeared weakly and infirm ; when he was about nine years old, he was taken very ill, and (to all appearance) died; he had laid in the coffin five days, when 44 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. when in bringing him down ftairs in order to bury him, they thought that fomething moved in the coffin, and on opening it, they found him alive, and his eyes open. About two years after this, the boy was again taken ill, and in a day or two after, was to all ap- pearance dead; but his father refolved not to have him interred, until he beca-ne offenlive ; he laid in this flate fix days, and again came to life. . I am, Sir, Yours. LETTER LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 45 LETTER in. ** So have I wander'd ere thofe days were paft, *' That childhood calls her own. Ah, happy days, "' That recolledlion loves, unftain'd with vice, ** Why are ye goije fo foon ? ■ Village Curate* DEAR FRIEND, XjLS I was the eldefl:, and my fiither for the firil: few years a careful hard worknig man, I fared fomethhig better than my brothers and iifters. I was put for two or three years to a day-fchool, kept by an old woman ; and well remember how proud I ufed to be to fee feveral ancient dames lift up their hands and eyes with aftonilhment, while I repeated by memory feveral chapcers out of the New Teftament, concluding me from this fpeclmen to be a prodigy of Science. But my career of learn- ing was foon at an end, when my mother became fo poor that flie could not afford the mighty fum of two-pence per week for my fchooling. Befides, 1 was obliged to fupply C the 4.6 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. the place of a nurfe to feveral of my brothers and fifters. The confequence of which was, that what little I had learned was prefently forgot ; inflead of learning to read, &c. it very early became my chief delight to excel in all kinds of boyilh mifchiefs ; and I foon arrived to be the captain and leader of all the boys in the neighbourhood. *' The fprightlieft of the fprightly throng, " The foremoft of the train." Mifs BOWDLER, So that if any old woman's lanthorn was kicked out of her hand, or drav/nup a fign- poft, or if any thing was faftened to her tail, or if her door was nailed up, I was fure to be accufed as the author, whether I really were fo or not. But one of my tricks had nearly proved fatal to me. I had obferved that yawning was infectious j and with a determination to have fome fport, I coUeded feveral boys together one market-day evening, and in- ilructtd them to go amongft the butchers ; whither LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 47 whither 1 accompanied them. We placed ourfelves at proper diftances, and at a iignal given, all began to yawn as wide as we could ; which immediately had the defired efFe6l', the whole butcher-row was fet a ya.v/ning ; on which 1 and my companions buril out into a hearty laugh, and took to our heels. The trick pleafed us fo well, that two or three weeks after, we attempted to renew it. But one of the butchers, who was half drunk, perceiving our Intention, Snatched up his cleaver and threw it at me, which knocked off my hat without doing me any harm. I was about ten years of age, when a man began to cry apple-pies about the flreets, I took great notice of his methods of felling his pies, and thought I could do it much better than him. I communicated to a neighbouring baker my thoughts on the fubjedl in fuch a manner as gave him a very good opinion of my abilities for a pie-merchant, and he pre- vailed on my father to let me live with him. My manner of crying pies, and my activity C 2 in 48 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. in felling them, loon made me the favourite of all fuch as purchafed halfpenny apple-pies, and halfpenny plum-puddings, fo that in a few weeks the old pie-merchant fhut up his fliop. You fee, friend, that I foon began to '* make a noife in the world." I lived with this baker about twelve or fifteen months, in which time I fold fuch large quantities of pies, puddings, cakes, &c. that he often declared to his friends in my hearing, that 1 had been the means of extricating him from the embarrafling circumftances in which he was known to be involved prior to my enter- ing his fervice. During the time I continued with this Baker, many complaints were repeatedly made againfl me for the childifh follies I had been guilty of, fuch as throwing fnow- balls, frightening people by flinging ferpents and crackers into their houfes, &c. I alio happened one day to overturn my mafter's fon, a child about four years old, whom I had been driving in a whecl-barrow. Dread° ing the confequences, 1 immediately flew from LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 49 from my mafter's houfe, and fit being even- ing) went to a glazier's, and procured a par- cel of broken giafs ; I alfo provided myfelf with a pocketful of peas ; and thus equipped, made fine diverfion for myfelf and my un- lucky companions, by going to a number of houfes, one after another, dlfcharging a handful of peas at the windows, and throw- ing down another handful of glafs in the ftreet at the fame inflant, which made fuch a noife as very much frightened many people, who had no doubt of their windows being broken into a thoufand pieces. This adven- ture, together with throwing the child out of the wheel-barrow, produced fuch a cla- mour againft me amongil: the old women, that I would not return to my mafler, and not knowing what elfe to do, I went home to my father, who, you may eafily conceive could not afford to keep me idle, fo I was foon fet down by his fide to learn his own trade; and I continued with him feveral years, working u hen he worked, and while he was keeping Saint Mo7iday^ 1 was with C 3 boys 50 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. boys of iny own age, fighting, cudgel-play- ing, wreftling, &c. &c. The following flory has been varloufly flated i my father alTured me that the origin of it was as foUov/s : He and fome other young fellows being one Eafter Sunday morning at the clerk*s houfe at Langford, near Wellington, drink- ing the clerk's ale, they overheard the old man reading the verfes of the pfalms that hfe was to read that morning at church ; and in order to have fome fun with the oldiclerk, one of the company fet oft early to church, and on the word tree tliey ll:uck on, the word horfe, fo that when the old man came to that place, he read as follows, *' And they fhall flourifli like a young bay horfe." Horfe ! it fliould not be horfe ; but, by the Lord, it is horfe ! The above old man was called Red Cock for many years before his death, for having one Sunday flept in church, and dreaming that LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 51 that he was at a cock-fighting, he bawled, out, " A fhlUIng upon the red cock." And behold the fanriily are called Red Cock unto this day. The preceding reminds me of an odd cir- cumftance that happened but a few yeurs lince at W . As the good doctor was one Sunday morning going through the ftreet towards the cathedral, he heard a woman cry " Mackerel, all alive, alive O !** And on his arriv^al at the church, he began the fervice as follows, *' When the wicked man turneth away from his wickednefs and doth that which is lawful and right, he fhall lavc his foul alive, alive O !" Thefe laft words the dodlor proclaimed aloud, in the true tone of the firti-woman, to the great furpriie of the congregation ; but the good doctor was fo ftudious and abfent, that he k;new not what he had done. Yours, &c, C 4 LETTER 53 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. LETTER IV. *' Who gather round, and wonder at the tale «* Of, horrid apparition, tall and ghaftly, ^* That walks at dead of night, or takes his ftand, " O'er feme new-open'd grave : and (ftrange to tell !) ** Evanifhes at crowing of the cock." Blair's Grave. DEAR FRIEND, X Muil: not forget an odd ad- venture that happened when I was about twelve years of age, as it tends to lliew ia part my dauntlefs difpofition, which difco^ vered itfelf on many occafions in the very early part of my life, I had one day walked with my father to Holywell lake, a village two miles from Wellington, where meeting with fome good ale, he could not find in his heart to part from it until late at night. When we were returning home by the way of Rockwell- Green, (commonly called Rogue Green, from a gang of robbers and houfe- breakers who formerly lived there) having juft paffed the bridge, LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 53 bridge, we- were met by feveral men and women, who appeared to be very much frightened, being in great agitation. They informed us that they were returning back to Rogue-Green, in order to fleep there that night, having been prevented from going home to Wellington by a dreadful Appari- tion, which they had all feen m the hollow way, about a quarter of a mile diftant ; add- ing, that a perfon having been murdered there formerly, the ghoft had walked ever iince j that they had never before paid much attention to the well-known report ; but now they were obliged to credit it, having had occular demonftration, ♦* Aided by Fancy, terror lifts his head, ♦' And leaves the dreary manfions of the dead ; '* In (hapes more various mocks at human care, *' Than e'er the fabled Proteus us'd to wear; " Now, in the lonely way each trav'Uer's dread, *' He ftalks a giant-fhape without a head. ** Now in the haunted houfe, his dread domain, *' The curtain dfaws, and fhakes the clinking chain ; •' Hence fabled ghofts arife, and fpedres dire, " Theme of each ev'ning tale by winter's fire." Prall's Superfliticn. My 54 LIFE OF T. LACKINGTON. My father had drank too large a quantity of ale to be much afraid of any thing,, and I (who could not let flip fuch an opportunity of fliewing my courage) feconded matters for the poor terrified people to return with us ; and as I offered to lead the van, they were prevailed on to make the attempt once more i but faid, that it was rather prefumptuous, and hoped that no dreadful confequence would enfue, as all the company, they trufted, were honefl-hearted, and intended no harm to any perfon : they moreover added, that ** God certainly was above the devil." I then advanced, and kept before the company about fifty yards, ** VVhiftling aloud to bear my courage up." But when we had walked about a quarter of a mile, I faw at fonpe dillance before us in the hedge, the dreadful apparition that had fo terrified our company. Here it is ! (faid I). " Lord have mercy upon us !'* replied fome of the company, making a full ftop ; and would have gone back, but fhame pre- vented them. I ftill kept my diftance be- fore, LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 55 fore, and called out to them to follow me, afTuring them that I was determined to fee what It was. They then fell one behind another, and advanced In iingle files. As I proceeded I too was felzed with a timid ap- prehenfion, but durft not own It ; ftlll keep- ing on before^ although I perceived my hair to heave my hat from my head, and my teeth to chatter in my mouth. In fa61:, I was greatly agitated at what I faw ; the ob- ject much refembled the human figure as to fhape, but the fize was prodigious. How- ever, I had promlfed to fee what it was, and for that purpofe I obftinately ventured on about thirty yards from the pbce where I firfl: had fight of It. I then perceived that it was only a very fliort tree, whofe limbs had been newly cut ofi"', the doing of which had made It much refemble a giant. I then called to the company, and informed them, with a hearty laugh, that they had been frightened at J:he flump of a tree. This 56 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. This ftory caufed excellent dlverfion for a long time afterwards in Wellington, and I was mentioned as an hero. The pleafurc and fatisfa^lion I received from the difcoverv, and the honour I acquired for the courage I pofTeffed in making it, has, I believe, had much influence on me ever fuice ; as I cannot recoiled^ that in any one inftance I have ever obferved the leaft fear of apparitions, fpirlts, Sec, fnice. *• What education did at firft receive, " Our ripen'd age confirms us to believe." PoMFRET. Not that I have always fteadily difbelieved what has been related of fuch appearances, a few accounts of which feem fo well authen- ticated, as at leaft to make me doubt whether there might not exift in the fcale of beings fome of a more a<;rial fubftance than man- kind, who may poffefs both the inclination and the power of affuming our fliapc, and may perhaps take as much delight in teazing the human fpecies, as too many of our fpecies do LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 57 do in teazlng and even tormenting thofe of the brute creation. t " Some aftral forms I mull invoke by pray'r ; " F'ram'd all of pureft atoms of the air : ** In airy chariots they together ride, " And fip the dew, as thro' the clouds they glide ; ** Vain fpirits, You, that fliunning heav'n's high noon, " Swarm here beneath the concave of the moon, *' Hence to the tafic affign'd you here below ! " Upon the ocean make loud temperts blow ; *• Into the wombs of hollow clouds repair, •* And cralh out thunder from the bladder'd air ; ** From pointed fun-beams take the mifts they drew : ** And fcatter them again in pearly dew ; *' And of the bigger drops they drain below, ** Some mould in hail, and others fift in fnow." Drvden'. While I am on this fubje^:, I cannot re- fift the temptation of relating a truly ridi- culous affair that happened about this time at Taunton. In the workhoufe belonging to the parifli of St. James, there lived a young woman who was an idiot. This poor creature had a great averfion to fleeping in a bed, and at bed-time would often run away to a field in th9 58 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. the neighbourhood called the Priory, where ihe flept ill the cowlheds. In order to break her of this bad cuftom, two men agreed to try if they could not frighten her out of it. And one night, when they knew that (he was there, they took a white fheet with them, and coming to the place, one of the men concealed him- felf to fee the event, while the other wrap- ped himfelf up in the flieet, and walked backwards and forwards clofe before the cowflied in which fhe was laid. It was fome time before Molly paid any attention to the apparition ; but at laft up flie got. *' Aha ! (faid llie) a white devil !" and by her manner of expreffing herfelf fhe thought it was very flrange to fee a wbife devil. And foon after ihe exclaimed, " A black devil too ! a black devil too !*' With that the man who had the fheet on, looked over his flioul- der, and faw (or imagined he faw) a perfon all over black behind him ; the fight of which made him take to his heels. Molly then clapped her hands as fafl as fhe could, crying / LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 59 crying out at the fame time, " Run, black devil, and catch white devil ! Run, black devil, and catch white devil !'* and was highly diverted. But this proved a ferious adventure to the white devil, as he expired within a few minutes after he had reached his own houfe ; and from that time poor Molly was left alone to fleep in peace. About ten years after the above affair, at Wivelfcombe, nine miles from Taunton, a gentleman farmer's houfe was alarmed every night between twelve and one o'clock. The chamber doors were thrown open, the bed- clothes pulled off the beds, and the kitchen furniture thrown with violence about the kitchen, to the great terror of the family, infomuch that the fervants gave their mafter and miftrefs warning to leave their places, and fome of them aftually quitted their fer- vice. This dreadful afrair had lallied about fix weeks, when a young gentleman who was there on a vifit, being in bed one night, at the ufual hour he heard his cham- ber door thrown open, and a very odd nolle about 6o LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. about his room. He was at firfl: frightened, but the nolfe continuuig a long time, he became cahn, and laid ftill, revolving in his mind what he had befl do. Whe.n on a fuddeii he heard the fpirit creep under his bed, which was immediately lifted up, &c. This convinced him that there was fome fubftance in the fpirit ; on which he leaped out of bed, fecured the door, and with his oaken ftafF belaboured the gholl: under the bed as hard as he could, until he heard a female voice imploring mercy. On that he opened his chamber door, and called aloud for a light. The family all got up as fafl as poifible, and came to his room. He then informed them that he had got the fpirit under the bed ; on hearing which, mod of them were terribly frightened, and would have run off fafter than they came, but he afiured them, they had nothing to fear : then out he dragged the half-murdered fpirit from its fcene of aftion. But how great was their furprife and fhame, when they difcovered that this tormenting devil was no other than one of their fervant girls about LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 6i about fixteen years of age, who had been confined to her bed feveral months by ilhiefs* This ghoft was no fooner laid, than two others alarmed the neighbourhood ; one of which for a long time fhook a houfe every night, and terribly dlftreffed the family; at length they all refoived one night to go over the whole houle in a body, and fee what it was that fo agitated the building* They ex- jimined every room, but in vain, as no caufe could be difcovered. So they very feriouflj^ as well as unanimoufly concluded, that it mufl be the devil. But about a fortnight after this, one of the family being out late in the garden, faw a great boy get in at the window of an old houfe next door (part of which was in ruins)^ and foon after the houfe began to fhake as ufual, on which the family went out of their own habitation, and entered the old houfe where the boy was feen to get in ; yet for a long time they could not difcover any per- fon, and v/ere juft turning to come out D again. 62 iLIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. attain, when one of the company obferved the boy fufpended above their heads, Itridlng over the end of a large beam that ran acrofs both houfes. It was then apparent, that the violent agi- tation of the adjoining houfe was occafioned by nothing more than his leaping up and down on the unfupported end of this beam. Another apparition had for a long time flolen many geefe, turkeys, &c. and altho* It had been feen by many, yet nobody would venture to go near it, until at length one perfon a little wifer than the reft of his neighbours, feeing the famous apparition all over white ftealing his fowls, was determined to be fully fatisfied what kind of fpirit it could be that had fo great a predile(5lion for poultry. He accordingly went round the yard, and as the apparition was coming over the wall, he knocked it down. This ter- rible ghoftthen proved to be a neighbouring woman, who had put on her fliroud, in order to deter any perfon s that ihould by chance LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 63 chance fee her, from coming near her. Thus, though (he had for a long time fuccefs fully praflifed this ingenious way of procuring poultry, the old fox was caught at lad. This is fo prolific a fubjeft, that T could fill many pages with relations of dreadful (pe and finding him in bed, and apparently very ill, propofed fending for a phyfician, but the poor devil refufed to take any thing, and re- jected every affiftance, faying his time was nearly LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 91 nearly come. Soon after this the fervant informed her mafter that he would not have the bed made, and that (he had juft obferved fome blood on one corner of the fheet. The mafler then went up ftairs again, and by lift- ing up the bed-clothes found that he had flabbed himfelf in feveral places, and that ia this flate he had lain three or four days. . *' When innocence and peace are gone, ** How fad, how teazable to live!" Secundus. On the furgeon's appearance, he refufed to have the wounds infpedled, and the furgeon being of opinion that is was too late to render him any kind of fervice, they let him lie ftlll. The mafler foon after this preffed him much to know the myfterious caufe of fo much mifery, and fo unnatural an end. The dying wretch exclaimed, *' a wounded con- fclence, who can bear." The mafler then endeavoured to comfort him, and afTured him that his confcience ought not to wound him. ** I know you (continued he) to be a good man, and the befl of fervants." Hold! hold I exclaimed the wretch, your words are dag- gers 92 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. gers to my foul I I am a villain, I have robbed you of hundreds, and have long fuffered the tortures of the damned for benig thus a con- cealed villain; every ad of kindnefs fhewn to me by you has been long like vultures tearing my vitals. Go, fir, leave me, the fight of you caufes me to fuffer excruciating tortures} he then (hrunk under the bed-clothes, and the fame night expired in a {late of mind unhappy beyond all defcription* ** Hope gone! the guilty never reft! *• Difmay is always near ; *' There is a midnight in the bread, ** No morn can ever cheer," Night Scenes. Terrible as the above relation is, I aflure you that I have not heightened it : when an ungrateful villain Is punilhed by his own reflections, we acknowledge it to be but juft. In Morton's Hiftory of Apparitions are feverai (hocking ftories of perfons, who by their abandoned practices, have brought on them- felves all the horrors of a guilty conlcience. ** O treacherous confcience ; while {he feems to fleep *• On rofe and myrtle, lull'd with fyren fong : •' While (he feems nodding o'er her charge to drop •* On headlong appetite the flacken'd rein, " And LIFE OF \ LACKINGTON. 93 "^^ And gives op to licence inrecall'd, " Unmarked ; fee from bthiiid her fecfct Hand, " The fly informer minutes every fault, " And her dread diary with horror fills. *' A watchful foe ! the formidable fpy, " Lift'ning, o'erhears the whifpers of our camp : ** Our dawning purpofes of heart explores, *' And fteals our embryos of iniquity. ** As all rapacious ufurers conceal, *' Their doomfday-book from all confuming heirs, " Thus with indulgence mofl fevere fhe treats, *' Writes down our whole hiftory, which death fhall readj *' In evVy pale delinquent's private ear.'' Night Thoughts* But the cafe is otherwife amongft the metho- difts, they work on the fears of the mofl: virtuous ; youth and innocence fall victims daily before their threats of hell and darina- tion, and the poor feeble-minded, inllead of being comforted and encoi iged, are often by them funk into ar recoverable ftate of gloomy defpondence mid horrible dcfpair. It is true that many of their hearers are not only method ifticaily convinced, or alarmed, but are alio /jocus pocufly converted^ for as lome of their preachers employ all their F art 94 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. art and rhetoric, to alarm and terrify, fo others of them ufe their utmoft (kill, to give them affu ranee of their fins being pardoned ; which remind us of the law-fuit, where one party fued for a forged debt, and the other produced a forged receipt. But with thou- fands that is not the cafe, even with thofe who join their fociety, where fo much of divine love, aiTurance, and extafies are talked of, where enthufiaftic, rapturous^ intoxicating hymns are fung, and befides the unhappy mortals in their own community, thoufands there are who have loft their peace of mind by occafionally hearing their fermons. And even thofe among them who have arrived to the higheft pitch of enthufiafm, and who at times talk of their foretafte of heaven, and of their full aflurance of fins forgiven^ and of talking to the Deity as fa- miliarly as they will to one another; (all which, and much more, I have heard a thoufand times) yet even thofe very pre- tended favorites of heaven are (if we be- lieve themfelves) miferable for the greatefl: part LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 95 part of their time, having doubts, fears, horrors of mind, &c. continually haunting^ them wherever they are. " The fuperftltious man, fays Cicero, is miferable in every fcene, in every incident of life : even fleep itfelf, which banifhes all other cares of unhappy mortals, affords to him matter of new terror, while he examines his dreams, and finds in. thofe vifions of the night, prognoftication of future calamities.'* Between twenty and thirty years fince, fome thoufands of them in London took it into their heads that the World would be at an end on fuch a night, and for fome days previous to this fatal night nothing was attended to but failing and praying, and when it came, they made a watch-night of it, and fpent it in prayer, &c. expe£ling every moment to be the lafl; and it is remarkable, that thoufands who were not methodifts gave credit to this ridi- culous prophecy, and were terribly alarmed ; but the next morning they were afhamed to look at one another, and many durfl not appear in their Ihops for fometime after- wards. But others of them faid that God F z had 96 LIFE OF J. LACKTNGTON. had heard the prayers of the righteous, and fo fpared the world a little longer. Some years after that Mr. Wefley alarmed his people all over England, with the tall of a comet; great numbers were dreadfully ap- prehenfive left this comet fliould fcorch the earth to a cinder; but the faints by prayer made the comet keep a proper diftance. Chariiock, of the laft century, in his dif- courfe on Providence, has proved (in his .way) that the unlverfe was created and is kept agoing for the fake of theele£l, and that as foon as their number is complete, the whole will be deftroyed. This is genuine calvlnifm. The fanatics in every age have found their account in making their followers believe the end of the world was at hand. In fome of the wills and deeds, by which eflates have been given to monafteries, &c. in France, they have expreflld their belief of the world's being nearly at an end, as a reafon for mak- ina. fuch liberal donations to the church. But LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 97 But it is happy for us that in England fiich wills would be feC afide. A cafe of this na- ture occurred while Lord Northington was at the head of the law department. Reilly the preacher, had wheedled, or frightened, an old woman (Mrs. Norton) out of a deed of gift of fifty pounds per year, but after the old woman's panic and fear of damnation was over, flie had recourfe to Chancery, and his Lordfhip annulled the deed of gift. His Lordfhip's remarks on fuch kinds of impo- fition are very curious, and worth your reading. See Collectanea Juridica, vol. i. p. 458. In fa6l, the very heft of the methodifts are like children, elated or deprefled by mere trifles ; and many who joined them while young and ignorant, quit their fociety as they attain to years of difcretion, or as their judgment is better informed. Love or anger, ambition or avarice (fays a great man) have their root in the temper and affections, which the foundefl rcafon is F 3 fcarce 98 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. fcarce able fully to corredl; but fuperftition, being founded on falfe opinion, mufl imme- diately vanifh, when true philofophy has in- Ipired jufler fentiments of fuperior powers. I am, Dear Friend, Yours. LETTER LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 99 LETTER VIIL ** Religion's luftre is by native innocence ** Divinely fair, pure, and fimple from all arts ; ** You daub and drefs her like a common miftrefs, ** The harlot of your fancies ; and by adding *• Falfe beauties, which fhe wants not, make the world •• Sufpeft her angel face is foul within." Rowe's Tamerlane* *• Be careful to deftroy the book of James. " Subftantial virtues that vile papift claims ; ** Forgetting Paul, he fpurnsat faith alone, *' And bids our faintfhip by our lives be known : *" All Cato's virtue wasjiot worth a pin, ** And Pocion's exit but a fliining fin. DEAR FRIEND, X HE cnthufiaftlc notions which 1 had imbibed, and the defire I had to be talking about religious myfteries, &c. anfwered one valuable purpofe ; as it caufcd me to embrace every opportunity to learn to read, fo that I could foon read the eafy parts of the Bible, Mr. Wefley's Hymns, &c. and ♦very leifure minute was fo employed, F 4 III 100 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. In the winter I was obliged to attend my work from (ix in the morning until ten at night. In the fummer half year, I only worked as long as we could fee without can- dle ; but notvvithllanding the cloie attention I was obliged to pay to my trade, yet for a long time I read ten chapters in the Bible every day : I alfo rend and learned many hymns, and as foon as 1 could procure fome of Mr. Wefley's Tra61:s, Sermons, &c. I read them alfo ; many of them I peruled in Cloacinas Temple, (the place where my Lord Chefterfield advifed his fon to read the claffics, but I did not apply them after read- ing to the farther ufe that his Lordfhip hints at.) I had fuch good eyes, that I often read by the light of the JVIoon, as my maAer would never permit m.e to take a candle inio my room, and that prohibition I looked upon as a kind of perfecution, but I always comforted myfelf with the thoughts of my being a dear child of God; and as fuch, that itwasim- poffible for me to efcape perfecution from the LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. loi the children of the devil, which epithets I very pioujly applied to my good mailer and miftrefs. And lo Ignorantly and imprudently zealous (being a real methodifl:) was 1 for the good of their precious fouls, as fometlmes to give them broad hints of it, and of the dangerous ft ate they were in. Their pious good old mlnifter, the Reverend Mr. Har- rifon, I called " a blind leader of the blind -y^ and I more than once afllired my miftrefs, that both he and his whole flock were in a ftate of damnation, being without the affu- rance of their fins being pardoned, they muft be " ftrangers to the hope of Ifratl, and without God in the world/' My good miftrefs wifely thought that a good ftick was the beft way of arguing with fuch an ignorant infatuated boy as I was, and had often recourfe to it; but I took care to f^ive her a deal of trouble ; for whenever I was ordered in my turn to read in the Bible, I always lelected Inch chapters as I thought militated agaliift Arians, SoriulcUis, &c. and fuch verfes as I deemed favourable to the doc- trine of Original Sin, Juftihcation by Fairb, imputed 102 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. imputed Righteoufnefs, the dodrine of the Trinity, 6cc. On fuch parts I always placed a particular emphalis, which puzzled and teazed the old lady a good deal. Among other places I thought (having {a been taught by the methodifts) that the fix- teenth chapter of Ezekiel very much favoured the do£lrines of original fin, imputed righte* oufnefs, &c. that chapter I often fele£led and read to her, and (he as often read the , eighteenth chapter of the fame prophecy, for the fake of the parable of the Father's eating four grapes. Whenever I read in St. PauFs Epiflles on juftifi cation by faith alone, my good miftrefs would read in the Epiftle of St. James, fuch paffages as fay that a man is not juftified by faith alone, but by faith and works, which often embarrafled me not a little. However, I comforted myfelf with the conceit of having more texts of Scripture on my fide of the quef^ion than fhe had on her fide. As to St. James, I was almod Teady to conclude, that he LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 103 he was not quite orthodox, and fo at laft I did not much mind what he faid, i " •— — Falfe opinions rooted in the mind, ** Hoodwink the foul and keep our reafon blind, ** In controverted points can reafon fway, ** When paffion or conceit hurries us away V* Hitherto I had not frequented the metho- dift meetings by the confent or knowledge of my mafter and miftrefs ; nor had my zeal been fo great as to make me openly violate their commands. But as my zeal increafed much fafter than my knowledge, I foon dif- regarded their orders, and without hefitatiou ran away to hear a methodiftical fermon as often as I could find opportunity. One Sun- day morning at eight o'clock my miftrefs feeing her fons fet off, and knowing that they were gone to a methodift meeting, de- termined to prevent me from doing the lame by locking the door, which fhe accordingly did ; on which in a fuperftitious mood, I opened the Bible for dire£lion what to do (ignorant methodifls often pradife the fame fuperftitious 164 LIFE OF j. LACKINGTON. fuperftitious method) and the firil words I fead were thefe, '" He has given his .angels charge concerning thee, left at any time thou fhouldeft dafh thy foot againft a ftone.*' This was enough for me ; fo without a mo- ment's hefitation, I ran up two pair of ftairs to my own room, and out of the window I leaped, to the great terror of my poor mif- trefs. I got up immediately, and ran about two or three hundred yards, towards the meeting-houfe ; but alas ! I could run no farther ; my feet and ancles were mofl into- lerably bruifed, fo that I was obliged to be carried back and put to bed ; and it was more than a month before I recovered the tife of my limbs. 1 was ignorant enough to think that the Lord had not ufed me very Well, and refolved not to put fo much trufl in him for the future. Tliis my rafh adventure made a great noilc in the town, and was talked of many miles round. Some few admired my ama- zing ftrength of faith, but the major part pitied UlE OF J. LACKINGTON. 105 pitied me, as a poor Ignorant, deluded and infatuated boy. *' The neighbours ftarM and figh'd yet blefs'd the lad, " Some deem'd him wond'rous wife, fome believ'd hira mad. Dr. Beatti?, am, Pear Friend, Yours, LETTER ic«. LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON, L E T T E R IX. ** One makes the rugged paths fo fmooth and cveir, ** None but an ill-bred man can mifs of heaven, ^' Another quits his ftockings, breeches, fhirt, •' Becaufe he fancies virtue dwells in dirt : •* While all concur to take away the firefs, ** From weightier points, and lay it on the lefs." Stillingfleet on Converfation* *• 'Gad I've a thriving traffic in my eye. ** Near the mad manfions of Moorfields I'll bawl j •* Friends, fathers, mothers, fitters, fons and all, *• Shut up your {hops, and liften to my call. Foots, DEAR FRIEND, JLN the fourth year of my ap- prenticefhip, my mafter died ; now although he was a good huiband, a good father, and a good mafter, &c. yet as he had not the methodlftical faith, and could not pronounce the Shibboleth of that feci, I pioujly feared that he was gone to hell. My miflrefs thought that his death was haflened by his uneafy refledlions on the bad LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON, 107 bad behaviour of his Tons, after they com- menced methodifts, as before they were con* verted each was dutiful and attended to his trade, but after they became faints they attended fo much to their fpiritual concerns that they a£led as though they fuppofed they were to be fed and cloathed by miracles, like Mr. Huntingdon, who informs us in his book called *' The Bank of Faith/* that the Lord fent him a pair of breeches, that a dog brought him mutton to eat, fifh died at night in a pond on purpofe to be eaten by him in the morning ; money, and in fhort every thing he could defire, he obtained by prayer. Mr. Wefley ufed to cure a violent pain in his head the fame way, as he relates in his Journals, Thus as Foote fays, ** With labour, toil, all fecond means difpenfe, " And live a rent-charge upon providence." To give you a better idea of metho- tliftical ignorance and negleft of ordinary means of living, &c. I will relate one inftance more. Mary Hubbard (an old woman of Mr. Welley's fociety) would often io8 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. often walh her linen, hang it out to dry, and go away to work hi the fields, or to Taunton market, four miles from her houfe ; and when blamed, fhe would anfwer " that the Lord watched over her, and all that (he had, and that he would prevent any perfon from ftealing her two old fmocks, or if he permitted them to be ftolen, lie would {end her two new in their ftead." And I ferioufly affure you, fir, that there are many thoufand Mary Hubbards amongfl the methodifts. As I had been bound to my miftrefs as Well as my mafler, i wasof courfe an appren- tice flill. But after my maiter's death I ob- tained more liberty of confcience (as I called It) fo that I not only went to hear the me- thodift fermons, but was alfo admitted into their foclety ; and I believe they never had a more devout enthufiafUcal member ; for feveral years I regularly attended every fer- mon and all their private meetings. *' I, like a hackney. coachman, knew *' Short way to heav'n by a clew, ' •* Cou'd cut acrofs, and fave the road, " That guided to the blefs'd abode." As LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 109 As you are probably unacquainted with the nature of thefe private meetings^, a (hort account of them may perhaps afford you fome amufement* Mr. Wefley inflituted amongft his peoplcj befides the public preachings, feveral kinds of private meetings; and as the prayer-^ meeting is the leafh private of any of them, I will firft take notice of that. To the prayer- mectinjrs, which were in general held in private houfes, they often invited people who were not of their fbciety. An hymn was firft fung, then they all knelt, and the firfl perfoii who felt a motio'i, roade an extemporary prayer ; when he xiaa clone another began, and fo on, for about two hours. *' There every foul a face of forrow wears* ** And not one figii of happinefs appears; ** But looks of terror and deje(fted eyes, *• Defpai ring murmurs, and heart-rending fighs ! ** No eye doth wander, and no lip doth fmilc, " But holy horrors chill us all the while. YouNo OyyicEH* G - It 110 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. It fo happened fometimes, that one oT the brethren began to pray without havnig the gift of prayer (as they call it), and thea he often ftuck fafl:, like fome of the young orators at Coach-maker's Hall, &c. Prayer- meetings were held in fuch high efteem amongft them that they afierted, more were *' born again^^ and more *' made free ironi all the remains of fin,** or in other words of their own, " made perfect as God is perfeft,'* in thefe kinds of meeting, than at public preach- ing, &c. Thus, as Pomfret fays, ** The fpirits heated will ftrange things produce," But it is impoffible for you, my friend, to form any juft idea of thefe affemblies, except you had been prefent at them : one wheedles and coaxes the Divine Being, in his addreffes; another is amorous and lufcious ; and a third fo rude and commanding, he will even tell the Deity that he mufl be a liar if he does not grant all they afk. In this manner will they work up one another's imaginations until they may adlually be faid to be in a flate of intoxication, and whilfl: in this intoxicated flate^ LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. iii ftate, it often happens that fome of them recoUefl a text of fcripture, fnch as, " thy fins are forgiven thee,'* or ** go and fin no more," &c. and then they declare themfelves to be born again, or to be fandified, &c. They have another kind of private meet- ing after the public preaching on Sunday evenings, in which the preacher meets all the members of the fociety, who flay behind after the general congregation is difmiifed. To this fociety the preacher gave fuch advice as he deemed better fuited to a godly few than to a promifcuous multitude of *' ouiward^court worfhip^ers," Their Love-fiaft is alfo a private meeting of as many members of the community as pleafe to attend ; and they generally come from all parts, within feveral miles of the place where love-feafts are held. When all are met they alternately fing and pray; and fuch amongfh them as think that their experience (as they call it) is remark- G 2 able. it2 LIFE OF J. LACRINGTON. able, fland up In their place and relate all the tranfa^lions between God, the devil, and their fouls, •* Difcurfing evils, which begin, ** In every foul, that taftes of fin! *' As head of chofen, doth foreknow, ** How fat the devil means to go." Pious Incendiary, At fuch feafons as this I have heard many of them declare they had jufl received the pardon of all their fins while Brother fuch- a-one was in prayer ; another would then get up and aflert that he was jufl: at that inftant made perfectly free from fin. At thefe times the Spirit is fuppofed to be very powerfully at work amongft them ^ and fuch an unifon of fighing and groaning fucceeds, that you would think they had all loft their fenfes. In this frantic ftate, many apply to themfelves fuch texts of fcripturc as happen to come into their heads. In the Love-feaft they have buns to eat, which are mutually broken between each brother LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 113 brother and fifter, and they have alfo water to drink, which they hand from one to ^ another. Thefe meetings begin about feven o'clock, and lafl until nine or ten. In London, Briftol, and other large places, they have fome private meetings, unknown to the community at large. Thefe meetings confift of all married men at one time, young and unmarried men at another time : the married women by themfelves, and the fingle women by themfelves ; and to each of thefe clafTes Mr. Wefley went, and gave fuch advice or exhortations as he thought fuitable to their (ituation in life, feldom fail- , ing to fpeak much in praife of celibacy, to the Maids and Bachelors under his paftoral care. I will in my next give you an account of their watch-nights, clafs-meetings, bands, and other particulars. I am, Dear Friend, Yours. G 3 LETTER 114 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. LETTER X. Here Gamaliel fage *• Trains up his babes of grace, inftruded well *' In all the difcipline of prayer ; •♦ To point the holy ?eer : by juft degrees *' To clofe the twinkling eye ; expand the palms, ** Toexpofethe whites, and with the fightlefs balls •* To glare upon the crowd : to rife, to fink *' The docile voice ; now murm'ring foft and flow, *' With inward accent calm, and then again, *' In foaming floods of rapt'rous eloquence ** Let loofe the ftorm, and thunder, thro* the nofe ** The threatened vengeance," SoM£K.VILI.E* PEAR FRIEND, J HE Watch-night begins about feven o'clock. They fing hymns, pray, preach, fing, and pray again ; then exhort, fing and pray alternately, until twelve o'clock. The hymns which they fmg on thofe nights, are wrote for fuch occafions, and abound with gloomy ideas, which are increafed by the time of night ; and it mufl: be remarked, that the major part of thofe who LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 115 who attend thefe no6luriial meetings, having fafted the whole of the day (accorduig to Mr, Wefley's orders) are in a very proper flate of mind to entertain the moft extrava- gant whims or enthufiaftic notions that can poflibly enter the heads of any vifionaries. So that fuch nights are often very proHfic, as numbers are faid to be born again, and be- come the temples of the Holy GhoU: on watch-nights, which makes thofe nights efleemed by them. Mr. Wefley, in every place where his peo- ple were numerous, had divided them into clajjes^ confiding of twelve or fourteen bro- thers or (ifters. Sometimes men and women met together in the fame clajs (as they called it) and other clalfes confined of nil men or all women. Each of thefe clafles had one in it who was called the leader. In fuch clalTes where men and women meet together, the leader was always a brother : and foof courfe when the clafs confifted of men alone. But in the women's claffes a fifter was always the leader. G 4 When ji6 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. When they met together, the leader nrft gave out a hymn, which they all fang ; after the hymn they all knelt, and their leader made an extemporary prayer; after which they were feated, and when the leader had informed them of the Hate of his own mind, he enquired of all prefent, one after another, how they found the ftate of their fouls. Some he found were full of faith and (iffurance, others had dreadful doubts and fears ; fome had horrid temptations, ** It doth affetT: my inward man, " To think of Satan's wicked plan; ** Ah ! me, how doth that fiend confpire, '.* To drag each faint to lading fire." Fanaticifra Difplayed. Others complained of a lukewarm flate, &c. In thefe meetings, fome of the members fpoke of themfelves, as though they were as pure as angels are in heaven, but with the generality of them, it w^s far otherwife, and nothing was more common among them than to hear thp major part exclaiming againft themfelves, and .ieclaring that they were the inoft vile abandoned wretches on this iidehell, that they wondered why the earth did not open LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 117 open and fwallow them up alive. But they generally added, that '* the blood of Chrift cleanfes from all lin/* and that *' where fin abounded there would grace much more abound.** Indeed it was eafy to remark that the reafon why they painted themfelves in fuch odious colours, was only to boaft of an aflonifhing quantity of grace that God had beftowed on them, in thus pardoning all their abominations, and numbering them with the houfehold of faith, who ought to have been fhut up in the nethermoft hell. The greater the finner (fay they) the greater the faint. To each of thefe the leader gave a word of comfort, or of corredtion in the beft manner he was able. They then fang and prayed again. This lafted about one hour. And every one in Mr. Wefley's connexion did, or was expelled to meet, each in his own ,clafs once in a week. In thefe claffes each made a weekly contribution towards the ge- neral fupport of the preachers, &c. Such as were very poor contributed a penny per week, others two-pence, and fome who could afford it fixpence. This money was entered ii8 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. entered in a book kept for that purpofe, and one In every clafs called the fteward, had the care of thecaOi. I now come to fpeak of the Bands, which Confided only of juftijied perfons ; that is, fuch as had received the <7^r^;zr^ of their fins being pardoned. In the clafles, both the awakened (as they call them) and the jufli- fied, and even thofe that were made perfetl, met all together, as did the married and the fingle, and often men and women. But none were admitted into any band but fuch as were at leafl in a jufllfied ftate, and the married of e;^cli fex met by themfelves, and the fingle by themfelves. About ten was the number generally put in one band ; all thefe mull: belong to and meet in fome clafs, once a week, when not hindered by ficknefs, &c. and they were alfo to meet weekly in their band. When met, they firft fung, then made a fhort prayer ; that done, the band- leader informed them of the ftateof his mind during the laft week, &c. He then made inquiry into the ftate of all prefent, and e?-ch related LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 119 related what had palTed fince they lad met j as what vifitatlons they had received from. God, what temptations from the devil, the flelh, &c. And It is a maxim amongft them that expofing to one another what the devil has particularly tempted them to commit, will make the old fellow more careful how he tempts, when he knows that all his fe- crets will be told the next meeting. This they call fliaming the devil. In the claffes they only confefled la general terms, that they have been tempted by the w^orld, the fiefli and the devil. But in the bands they confefled the particular fins which they had been tempted to commit, or had adually committed^ The laft time I met in band was in Lon- don, where an old man (near feventy years of age) informed us that he had for leveral weeks together laboured under a very griev- ous temptation of the devil, who all this time had been conftantly tempting him to commit adultery ; he further Informed u>, that having let too much of his houfe to lodgers. I20 riFE OF J. LACKINGTON. lodgers, they were obliged to put the maid's bed in the room where he and his wife flept; and that one morning he had feen the maid lying aflcep, nearly or quite uncovered, and he again aflured us, that ever fince that time the devil had been every day tempting him to do that which was nought with the maid. I could not help thinking the old gentleman was right in charging it on the ilevH, as there was little reafon to think it was any temptation of the Jlejh, Permit me to add, x.\\2it xKis old buck had a wife about half his own age. I have been informed, that fome youtig men of the brotherhood have at times difguifed themfelves in women's clothes, and have fo got into the women's bands ; it may be very curious to hear the confeffions of the holy fillers. By this time I fuppofe you have had enough oi band-meetings, Mr. Wefley inftitnted another kind of private meeting for the higheft order of his people, called the y^/^^^^;?^j; to which none were admitted but fuch as were fandified, or made perfect in love, and freed from all the remains LIFE OF J. LACKINGTOK. 121 remains of fin. But as I never profefled per- fediion^ I was not permitted to enter into this holy of holies. But I have known a great number of thefe perfe<5l faints, of both fexes; and I alfb lived in the fame houfe a whole year with one of thefe intire holy fifters. A few days before I came to live in Chifwell- Street, one of thefe ^erfe£l: filters was de- tefted in ftealing coals out of the (hed of one of the fanilified brothers, but fhe, like the old fellow above mentioned, faid it was th^ devil that tempted her to do it. Four times every year new tickets are dif- tributed to all Mr. Wefley's people through- out the three kingdoms. Their ticket is a very fmail flip of paper, with a text of fcrip- ture on it, which is exchanged every quarter for fome other text. Such as are only in a clafs, have a different text from fuch as are in a band, fo that no one can be admitted into a general meeting of the bands, appointed by any of the preachers when he intends to give them an exhortation, nor into any particular band, by a common fociety ticket. On the common 122 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. common tickets are fuch texts as thefe: " Now is the accepted time." — " x\wake thoU that fleepeft,'* and fuch like. But thole for the bands are in a hi. her ftrain ; as, " Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfed:.'* — ** Go on unto perfection." — " Ye are child- ren of the light." — *' Your bodies are temples of the Holy Ghoft ;" and other texts of a flmilar tendency. For thefe tickets, each poor perfon paid one Ihilling, fuch as were rich paid more ; indeed the money leemed to be the principal end of ilTuing tickets, at leaft in country places, the members in the commu- nity being fo well known to each other, that they fcarce ever (hewed their tickets in order to gain admittance. I forgot to inform you that prayer-meetings, clafs- meetings, band- meetings, &c. were in general held in private houfci), belonging to fone of the brethren. I am, Dear Friend, Yours. LETTER LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 123 LETTER XL ** Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong ; *' Was every thing by ftarts and nothing long.' *• Then all for women, panting, rhiming, drinking, ** Befides ten thoufand freaks that died in thinking." DEAR FRIEND, Jl OU now fee what fort of a fociety I was got into. In country places particularly, they confiil: of farnaers, huf- bandmen, fhoemakers, woolcombers, wea- vers, their wives, 6cc. I have heard Mr. Wefley remark that more women are con- verted than men ; and I believe that by fir the greateft part of his people are females; and not a few of them four, difappointed old maids, with fome others of a lefs prudifh difpofition. " Who grown unfit for carnal blifs, •* Long to tafte how Spirits hifs." Lavater in his eflay on phyfiognomy fays, ^' Women fink into the moft incurable me- lancholy. 124 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. lancholy, as they aHo rile to the moft en-* raptured heights." In another place he fays, *' By the irritability of their nerves, their incapability for deep inquiry and firm deci- cifion, they may eafily from their extreme fenfibilitv, become the moft irreclaimable, the mod rapturous enthufiafts.** There is, fays Mr. Hume, only one fub" je£t on which I am apt to diftruft the judgment of females : and that is, concerning books of gallantry and devotion, which they com- monly afFed: as high-flown as poflible ; and inoft of them feem more delighted with the warmth, than with the juftnefs of the paf- fion. I mention gallantry and devotion as the fame fubjedl; becaufe, in reality, they become the fame when treated in this man- ner; and we may obferve, that they both depend on the very fame comple£lion, as the fair fex have a great fhare of the tender and amorous difpofition, it perverts their judg- ment on this occafion, and makes them be eafily affeded, even in what has no propriety in the expreiTions, nor nature in the fenti- meut. LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 125 ment. Mr. Addifon's elegant difcourfes of religion have no relifli with them, in com- parlfon to books of myftic devotion : and Otway's fine tragedies are rejeded for the rant of Mr. Drjden. There are thoufands in this fbclety who will never read any thing befides the Bible, and books publi(hed by Mr. Wefley. For feveral years 1 read very little elfe, nor would I go (at leaft very feldom) to any other place of worfhip ; fo that inftead of hearing the fenfible and learned miniflers of Taunton, I would often go four, five, or fix miles, to fome country village, to hear an infpired hufbandman, fhoemaker, blackfmith, or wbolcomber j and frequently in froft and fnow have I rofe a little after midnight (not knowing what time of night it was) and have wandered about the town until five o'clock, when the preaching began ; where 1 have often heard a fermon preached to not more than ten or a dozen people. But fuch of us as did attend at this early hour, ufed afterwards to congratulate each other on the H great 126 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. great privilege we enjoyed, then off we went to our work, fhivering with cold. I was firft converted to methodifm when 1 was about fixteen years of age, from that time until I was twenty-one I was a fincere en- thufiaft, and every fpare hour I enjoyed I dedicated to the ftudy of the Bible, reading methodiftical books, learning hymns, hearing fermons, meeting in focieties, &c. My me- mory was very tenacious, fo that every thing I read I made my own. I could have repeat- ed feveral volumes of hymns j when I heard a fermon, I could have preached it again, and nearly in the fame words; my Bible had hundreds of leaves folded down, and thou- fands of marks againfl fuch texts as I thought favoured the dodrines (or whims) which I had imbibed. So that I flood forth as the champion of methodifm wherever I came. But alas ! my godly ftrld life at length fiifFered interruption, I will give you a far- ther account of the methodifls when I come to the time when I finally left their fociety. The LIFE OF J. LACKtNGTON. 127 The eledion for two members ot Parlia- ment was ftrongly contefted at Taunton, jufl as I attained vny twenty-firft year ; and being now of age, the fix br feven months, \Vhlch I had to ferve of my apprenticeftiip were purchafed of my mlftrefs of fome friends of two of the Contending candidates; fo that I was at once fet free in the midfi: of a fcene (of riot and diffipation. " Prefent Example gets within our guardj " And ads with double force, by few repell'd." YotJNG. ♦* Nor fliame, nor honour could prevail, *' To keep me thus from turning tail," As 1 had a vote, and was alfo pofTefTed of a few ideas above thofe of my rank and fitua- tion, my company was courted by fome who were in a much higher fphere j and (proba- bly what they partly intended) in fuch com- pany I foon forgot my godly or methodlftical conne6lIons, and run into the oppofite ex- treme: fo that for feveral months mofl of my fpare hours were devoted to the H2 *' Young- 128 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. " Young-ey'd God of Wine ! Parent of joys ! " Frolic and full of thee, while the cold fons I ** Of temperance, the fools of thought and care, •' Lay ftretch'd in fobcr flumbers," Mallet's Eurydice. Here I had nearly funk for ever into meannefs, obfcurity and vice ; for when the eledlon was over, I had no longer open houfes to eat and drink in at free colt. And having refufed bribes, I was nearly out of ca(h. I began the world with an unfufpe^ting heart, was tricked out of about three pounds (every (hilling I was pofleffed of) and part of niy cloaths, by fome country (harpers. Having one coat and two waiftcoats left, I lent my beft waiftcoat to an acquaintance, who left the town and forgot to return it. However, I did not fink quite fo low as the commonalty of journeymen (hoemakers, but in general worked very hard, and (pent my money in better company. •• To LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 129 *;* To know good prefering fpecious ill. ** Reafon becomes a cully to the will, ** Thus men, perverfly fond to roam aflray, ** Hood-winks the guide afligned to fliew the way ; ** And in Life's voyage, like the pilot fares, '• Who breaks the compafs, and contemns the liars." Fen TON. Notwithflanding, at times I was veryun- eafy, and although I had not been at any methodiftical meeting during the time that I had hved this diflipated life, yet my mind was not freed intirely from the fuperflitious fears I had there imbibed ; fo that whenever any perfbn afked me, what would become of me (that had lived fuch an holy life) if I ihould die in the ftate of bachjliding from *' the good old way ?** I always acknowledged that I fhould be eternally damn*d, were that to be the cafe. But I muft confefs that I was not much afraid of dying in fuch a ftate, as I wis too much prepofreffed with the methodiftical notions oi free-grace, that would not let me be finally loft, prefuming that I mufl: wait as it were for d. fecotid calho repentance, jufti- ficatlon, &c. which I had been taught to be- H 3 lieve 13© LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. jieve might take place inflantaneoufly, and put the devil to flight in a hurry, and fo matters would be all right again. And I have known many who having thefe ideas, have continued to live very profligate Lives to the end of the chapter. I often privately took the Bible to bed with me, and in the long fummer mornings read for hours together in bed, but this did not in the lead influence my condu£l. As you know great events often arife from little caufes, I am now going to relate a circum- fiance, trivial in itfelf, though produdive of a more confiderable change in my lituationj than any I had yet experienced. I was tvi^enty-one years of age the nth of September 1767, the election w^as over the latter end of March 1768. It was in this year that my new mafter's wife infifled on my piirchafing milk of a milk- maid who was a cuftomer at the ftiop ; which command I refilled to comply with, as I had a fmart little milk m.aid of my own. But as my miftrefs LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 131 miftrefs wore the breeches, my mafter was obliged, by his wife's order, to inform me that I mufi: comply with her mandate, or get another mafter. I left him without hefita- tion ; and the fame afternoon went to Wel- lington, took leave of my father and mo- ther, and informed them of my intention to go to Briftol. After two or three days, I returned back to Taunton, where I flayed a day or two more. In which time I became enamoured with, or infatuated by, the beau- tiful Nancy Troit ; and although I faw the impropriety of the meafure, yet I could not refift the fair tempter, who prevailed with me to permit her to accompany pie in my journeyo ** Rcafon was given to curb our headftrong will, " And yet but Ihews a v/eak phyfician's flcill ; ** Gives nothing while the raging fit does laft, " But ftays to cure it when the worft is paft. *' Reafon's a ftafF for age, when Nature's gone ; *' But Youth is ftrong enough to walk alone." DRYDEN'sCon. of Grano We refted a week in Bridgewater, where I worked hard and got money to convey us to H 4 Exbridge, s^z LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON, Exbrldge, feventeen miles on this fideBrifloI ; and there I faw my condufl in fuch a poln^ of view as made nie to refolve to leave her, ** In well-feign'd accidents, now they hail my ear, ** My life, my love, my charmer, or my dear. *• As if thefe founds, thefe joylefs founds could provo ** The fmalleft particle of genuine love. *' O ! purchas'd love, retail'd through half the town^ •? Where each may fhare on paying half-a-crown ; •* Where every air of tendernefs is art, •' And not one word the language of the heart; ** Where all is mockery of Cupid's reign, «' End in remorfe, in wretchednefs and pain. Art of living in London. My finances amounted to three fliillings and one penny, out of which I gave her half-a- crown, and with the remaining fevenpence, without informing her of my purpofe, I fct pfF for Briftol ; where I arrived in a few {lours, and got work the fame evening. A few days after, I went to the ir^n where the Taunton carrier put up, to enquire after M{fs Trof/, as I wanted to know if fhe ha4 returned fafe to Taunton. I was informed that ftie was in Briflol nearly as foon as I was, LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 133 was. Knowing but little of the world, and ftill lefs of women of her defcription, I was quite unhappy on her account, for fear that being in a ftrange place fhe might be in want anddiftrefs; which thought induced me to offer to feveral of my countrymen five (hillings to the firfl who fliould bring me an account where I might find her ; but I did not fee her until feveral weeks after that. •* Some foe to his upright intent, '* Finds out his weaker part, ♦' Virtue engages his aflent, *f But pleafure wins the heart. f* 'Tis here the folly of the wife, ** Through all his arts we view, *• And while his tongue the charge denies, ** His confcience owns it true," COWPER. The Taunton carrier gave me a letter from my good Miftrefs Bowden (who by marry- ing again had changed her name to Dingle). The contents of this letter very much fur- prifed me. It informed me that a day or two before I fell out with my laft mlftrefs (which was the trifling caufe of my leaving Taunton) Betty Tucker, a common lafs, had fvvorn ^34. I-IFE OF J. LACKTNGTON. fworn a child to me; that the parifli officers had been to my mafter's (hop withui an hour after I had left it to go to Welluigton, and that they had been at WelHngton juft as I had left that place, and afterwards hearing that I was in Bridgevvater they had purfued me thither. But the morning on which they arrived, I had fet off for Exbridge ; and believing that I had intentionally fled before them, they had given over this chafe for thq prefent. Refledling on this afBiir, although my conduct was very far from entitling me to entertain fuch a fuppofition? yet I was then weak enough to imagine, that being a parti- cular favourite of heaven a kind of miracle had been wrought to fave me from a prifoua or from marrying a woman I could not bear the idea of living with a fingle week ; and as I had not any knowledge of her being with child (not having feen her for three months before) I had not taken any meafure to avoid the confequence, but put myfelf in the way of the officers : for, as I have jufl told you, aftei: LUE OF J. LACKINGTON. 135 after I had taken leave of my father and mo* ther, I went back to Taunton, and walked about publicly one wholp day, and part of another. This girl was delivered about two montlis afterwards of a ftill-born child, fo that I was never troubled for expences. Methinks you ^ire ready to fay with Pomfret, ** 'Tis eafy to defcend into the fnare, ** By the pernicious conduft of the Fair ; *' But fafely to return from their abode, <^* Requires the wit, the prudence of a God,." I am, Dear Friend, Yours. LETTER J36 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. LETTER XIL :*• Terror in dtcams the anxious mother moves, *' Or bids fond virgin's mourn their abfcnt loves. " Sylvia in vain her wearied eyes would clofe, •' Hark ! the fad death watch dicks — adieu repofe ; *' The diftant owl, or yelling maftifF near, •' Terror ftill vibrates on the lift'ning ear, " And bids the affrighted Sylvia vigils keep, *' For F^ncy like Macbeth has murder'd fleep. Mr. Prall. DEAR FRIEND, X HE fubje£t of my laft re- calls to my mind a ridiculous affair, which excited much mirth in that part of the country. During the Ele^lion at Taunton^ a gen- tleman one day came in a poft-chaife to the White-hart Inn, kept by Mr. Baldwin, and after having refrellied himfelf, flroUed into the yard, and feeing the hoftler, afked him if he could inform him where they took in the newsf Thehofller underftanding him in a literal LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 137 a literal fenfe, directed him to a bookfeller's (hop on the oppofite fide of the way ; this fhop was kept by Mils A — d — n, a beautiful young lady of irreproachable chara6ler, and one whofe fine underftanding and pollflied tafte did honour to the profeflion ; whicFi profeffion fhe only adopted for an amufe- ment, as fhe poflefled an independent for- tune. i Our gentleman on entering the fhop, en- quired of the (hopmaid for her miftrefs, but the maid being ufed to ferve in the fhop, and knowing that her miftrefs had fome ladies with her, informed the gentleman that fhe could help him to any thing that he wanted. But on his faying he had fome private bufi- nefs with her miftrefs, he was fhewed into a back parlour, and the miflrefs being in- formed a gentleman wanted to fpeak to her, fhe went dire6lly to him. The moment fhe entered the room, he clafped her in his arms, called her a divine creature, &;c. This fo alarmed Mifs A — d — n, that (he fcreamed aloud J on hearing of which, the ladles, pre- ceded 138 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. ceded by the houfemald and fhopmald, re- paired to the parlour, where they found Mifs A — d— n almofl in fits. The gentleman thinking that it was only a trick to raife her price, took but little notice, on which one of the maids ran out and called in feveral of the neighbours, who on coming into the par- lour, faw with aftonilhment our Sir Harry Wildair taking improper liberties with Mifi A — d — n, and defired him to defift. But he defired them not to attempt to put tricks on travellers, and ordered them to leave the room. Inftead of obeying his injunctions they in a refolute tone ordered our fpark to go inftantly about his bufuiefs. However he ftiil kept his ground, until the mayor of the town, who happened to live jufl by, was called in. Mr. Mayor demanded to know why he took fuch freedom with the lady ? Our gentleman, feeing that the affair began to look very ferious, now became calm, and informed the company that having an incli- nation for a frolic, he had enquired for a bad houfe, and had been direded there; adding that if there had been any mifiake, he was veiy LJFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 139 Very forry for it, and would beg the lady's pardon. On hearing this the company was more furprized than before, and demanded of the gentleman, who had informed him that that houfe was a bawdy-houfe ? He, without hefitation, replied, the hoftler at the White Hart. Upon this the hofller was fent for, and on his being afked, if he had di- re6led that gentleman, to Mifs A — d — n's as to a bawdy-houfe? The poor fellow, with marks of terror and furprife, anfwered. No. The Gentleman never afked me for a bawdy- houfe, he only afl<.ed me for a houfe where they took in the news. So that the hofller's imderftanding him in a literal fenfe, caufed all the confuficn. The affair however had got {o much air, that our fpark was glad to leave the town immediately. A very flrange unaccountable circumftance happened in this Inn, about the fame time ; one of thofe occurrences that puzzle the philofopher, and flrengthen iuperflition in Weak minds. Three or four gentlemen of the neighbourhood were drinking wine iji one Uo LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. one of the rooms, when the landlord of ths Irin (as it appeared to them) walked Into the room, and coming up to the table, aroundi ■which they were feated, they addreffed him with Mr. Baldwin how do you do ? fit down and take a glafs of wine with us ; but inftead of doing as requefted, the fuppofed Inn- keeper walked out of the room, withoi>t making any reply; which not only fur- prized, but offended the company, who rung the bell violently, and on the waiter's ap- pearance, they ordered him to fend In his mafter. The waiter informed them that his mafter was not at home. The gentlemen replied that he was at home a few minutes iince, and therefore they infixed on feeing him ; but the man aflured them they were miftaken, a;s his mafter was in Briftol, and had been there feveral days. They then or- dered the waiter to fend in Mrs. Baldwin,' who immediately appearing, the gentlemen afked her where Mr. Baldwin was, and fhe informed them as the waiter had already done, that he was in Briilol, and had been there feveral days, on which the gentlemen grew LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 141 grew very angry, and fwore that Mr. Bald- win had JLift before come into the room, and on their reqnefting him to partake of their wine, had iiifulted them by going out of the room, without deigning to give them an anfwer. Mrs. Baldwin then drew out of her pocket a letter flie had that morning re* ceived from Mr. Baldwhij by which it was apparent, that he really was in Briftol. The flory v/as then told round the neighbourhood, and all the old women concluded that Mr. Baldwin muft certainly be dead, and that he died at the very inftant that the gentlemea faw him come into the room ; but Mr. Baldwin returning two days after, rendered it neceffary for them to vary their Itory ; they then aflerted that it was a token, or fome warning of his death, and had no doubt but it would very foon happen. It was ge- nerally thought that Mr. Baldwin was weak enough to pay fuch attention to the flory and the inference, as to hurt his health, as he really died within a year after, and the old women were not a little plealed at the event, I as 142 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON; as it tended to juftify the truth of their predi<£lion. A more ridiculous affair happened about ten years finee, at the Two Bells, oppofite Whitechapel Church. The landlord was fitting one night with fome jovial company, one of whom happening to fay that he prayed to God, that fuch a thing {hould not come to pafs, the landlord replied in a good hu- moured manner, your prayers will neither do good or harm ; upon which the other faid a deal to perfuade the hoft that his prayers would do great things ; but the more he faid in praife of his prayers, the more the landlord laughed at, and ridiculed him. The man at lafl: infiiled that he could pray the landlord to death in two months time, and offered to bet him a crown bowl of punch to the truth of it, which the landlord accepting,- the wager was laid, and almoil: every night after this, the man came to the houfe, and conftantly laughed at the landlord, and af- fured him that he would lofe his wager ; and however flrange it may appear, our hoft did die LIFE OF j. LACKlNGTON. 143 die within the time, and his widow paid the wager. I think there cannot remain a doubt but that the ridiculous talk of the fellow actually affe(fled the landlord's mind, and haftened his death; and the following in- ftances tend alfo to fhew how eafily the lives of fome are fhortened. Jofeph Scales, Efq. about five yc^rs fince. In turning fhort one day in one of the ftreets of London, met a man whom he had hot feen for fome time, and innocently ad- drefled him with, Ha ! what are you alive yet ! which had fucli an efFe£l on the poor man that he died a few hours after. Being at Briftol about four years fmce, I enquired after a worthy leatherfeller whom I had formerly known, and vv^as informed that he was lately dead, and that his death was fuppofed to have been haflened by a fa mous fortuneteller, who having caft his na- tivity, declared that he would die within lix months, which affedled his mind fo as to ac-* complifh the predi£lion. The ftory of the I 2 late 144 l^IFE OF J. LACKINGTON. late Dr. Pltcairn, of Edinburgh, and the colHer, is well known. This ftrong healthy collier was, on his way to Edinburgh, made to believe by the dodor*s {Indents, al- though iuperfc<5l health, that he was really very ill, and went home to bed and died. I have fet down the above inftances, in order to fliew how eafy it is to trifle away the lives of our fellow creatures, and furely fuch who wantonly do it, mufh afterwards have very gloomy refledions. im, Dear Friend, Yours. l:etter LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 145 LETTER xriL •* I had a Friend that lov'd me: •• I was his foul : he liv'd not but in me. ** We were fo clofe link'd in each other's breaft, " The rivets were not found that join'd ue firft." Dr YD en's All for Lqve. DEAR FRIEND, JL N my laft I mentioned my arrival at Brlftol, where I took a lodging in a flreet, called (I think,) Queen-Street, in Caftle-Street, at the houfe of a Mr. James ; a much more decent refidence, than com- monly falls to the lot of journeymen fhoe- makers. In this houfe I found a Mr. John Jones, a genteel young man, jufl turned of twenty-one years of age : He was alfo a fon of Cnfpm, and made women's ftuff fhocs ; which he fold by the dozen to warehoui'es. This Mr. Jones and I were foon very intimate ; we kept ourfelves neatly dreffed, and in general worked hard, fpending our money chiefly in the company of women. As, I 3 « AU 146 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. ^ *' All men have follies, which they blindly trace^ 4^ ' '' Thro' the dark turnings of a dubious maze. " But happy thofe, who by a prudent care, *• Retreat betimes from the fallacious fnare." , POMFRET, We followed this courfe about four months. During this time Mr. Jones once perfuaded me to go with him to the Playhoufe, where we fav.' Shakefpear's fine comedy of " As you like it." This was a feaft indeed to me, whq had never before feen nor even read any thea- trical produdion. 'Tis impoflible for me to defcribe my fenfations on the occafion. Be^ tween the play and the entertainment (which was the Mayor of Garrat) Mr, Edward Shu- ter performed a fliort piece called " The drunken man." This was the only time that I ever faw that extraordinary genius, but he made fuch an impreffion on my mind, that it is impoflible I ever ihould forget him. I believe it is not generally known, as few would ever have fufpedted, that this phild of Momus was alfo a child of grace. Since the publication of the firft edition of j:hefe memoirs, I have read *' The memoirs of LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 147 of Mr. Tate Wilkinfon/* patentee of the Theatres Royal of York and Hull, and was much furprized to learn that the famous Ned Shuter was a gracious foul, I wl give you a paflage or two out of Mr. Wllkinfon's me- moirs, vol. ill. page 27, &c. " My imitation of Mr. Whitefield was beyond compare. Mr. Foote was ftruck by ftepping in by chance, and once hearing Whitefield ; the mixture of whofe abfurdlty, whim, confequence and extravagance, pleafed his fancy, and enter- tained him highly, as Whitefield was that day dealing out damnation, fire and brim- flone, as cheerfully as if they were fo many blefiings. What pity it is that our fears only, andnot our reafon, will bring convic- tion; but reafon handed by unafFe£led pure piety and religion would be a day of woe to inethodifm, f Mr. Foote was only a fpy at White- field's academy, while I (fays Mr. Wilklnfon) had been a zealot for fome feafons before my encounter atCovent-Garden with Mr. Foote, my attendance had been conftant with my I 4 friend 148 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. friend Shuter, and as he adually was one of the new-born, and paid large fums to White- field, I was always pernfiitted to ftay with him, for he was really bewildered in his brains, more by his wifhing to acqi^ire ima- ginary grace, than by all his drinking, and whenever he was warm with the bottle, and with only a friend or two, like Maw-worm, he could not mind his fhop, becaufe he thought it a hn, and wifhed to go a-preach- ing; for Shuter like Maw-worm beheved he had a call. I have gone with Shuter at fix ' m the morning of a Sunday at Tottenham- Court-Road, then before ten to Mr. Wefley's in Long-Acre ; at eleven again at Totten- ham-Court-Road Tabernacle, dined near Bedlam (a very proper place for us both) with a party of the holy ones, went at three to Mr. Wefley's theatre ; then from that to Whitcfitld's till eight, and then fhut up, to commune with the flunily compact, page 29. I having had fo much pra6tice (while ^ zea-lot) I really obtained an^d exhibited a much fb'onger likencfs of Whitefield than Mr,Foote did. The week before my Covent- Gardei^ LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 149 Garden exhibition, I met Shuter at the Tabernacle; a great coohiefs liad continued for fome time, as we had not Ipukc, or even looked at each other fince the breach between us in 1758, but as we w^ere met together in a place of charity and forgivenefs to all who fubfcribed to ihe preacher, wc became very fociable, and before Whitefield's leclure was done we were perfectly reconciled ; we ad- journed to the Rofe, and by three the next morn- ing were /worn friends, and continued fo until his death. Ned Shuter was a lively, fpirited, fhrewd companion ; a fuperior in natural whim and humour furely never inhabited a human bread:, lor what he faid and did was all his own, as it was with difficulty he could read the parts he had to play, and could not write at all ; he had attained to fign an order, but no more. Nature could not here bellow lier gifts to greater advantage, than on poor Ned, as Vv'hat fhe gave he made Ihine, not only confpicuoufly but brilliantly, and to the delight of all who knew him on or ofr the ilage j he might truly be dubbed the child of nature. lie was nq man's enemy but his own, 150 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. own ; peace, reft, and happinefs, I hope he jiow pofleffes j for, the poor, the friendlefs and the flranger he often comforted, and when fometnnes reduced by his follies, he never could fee a real object in miferj and reiiH: giving at lead half he was worth to his dillreifed fellow creature.'^ Page 5, vol. iii, *' But, O ye, faints of your own creating! I will preach to you : Mark I judge not of play ^ and players^ lejl you be judged-, thofe who are the moil cenforious on the infirmities of others, are ufually mod: notorioufly guilty of flu- greater failings themfelves, and Jandiijied method'ifucal jlander is of all the mo fl fever e^ bitter and cruelT Page 6. "In the comedy of the Hypocrite, the Colonel fays he fuppofes they go to thq play for the benefit of the brethren. Cant- well anfwers, " the chanty cqvereth the fin ;'^ which was a£lually the cafe, for in 1757, a^ Shuier was bountful to the 'Tabernacle,, iV/^'. Whltefield not only permitted^ but advfed his hearers to attend Shuier* s benefit ; but for that night only." Alas, poor Shuter ! It LIFE OF J. LACKINGTONo i^i It is fingular enough that about this tune, although I could not write, yet I compofed feveral fongs, one of which was fold for a guinea; fome were given to the Briftol printers, who printed them, and the ballad- fingers fung them about the ftreets ; on which joccafions I was as proud as though I had jcompofed an opera. *' Obfcurely born — No generous friend he found, " To lend his trembling fteps o'er claffic ground, ** No Patron fill'd his heart with flatt'ring hope, " Notutor'd leffon gave his genius fcopc. f * ^And yet he foar'd beyond the fpells that bind *• The flow perception of the vulgar mind." Mrs. RoBJNSON. My friend Mr. Jones was my fecretary, who before I came to live with him had not theleaft reliOi for books, and I had only read a few enthufiaftic authors, together with Pomfret*s poems ^- this laft I could almofl: re- peat by memory ; however I made the moffc of my little {lock of literature, and ftrongly recommended the purcliafing of books to Mr. Jones. But io ignorant were we on the fubjedl, that neither of us knew what books wera 15^ LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. were fxt for our perufal, nor what to enquire for, as we had fcarce ever heard or feen even zny tifie pages, except a few of the reHgious fort, which at that time we had no rehfh for. So that we were at a lofs how to in- creafe our fmall ftock of fcience. And here I cannot help thinking that had Fortune thrown proper books in our way, we fhould have imbibed a juft tafte for literature, and foon made fome tolerable progrefs, but fuch was our oJ)fcurity, that it was next to im-" poffible for us ever to emerge from it. " The mind untaught in vain, *' Her powers, tho' blooming vigour nourifii, " Hopes in perfect pride to flourilh ; " Culture muft her might maintain." Mr. PlNKERTOK, As we could not tell what to alk for, wc were alhamed to go into the bookfellers fhops ; and I alTure you, my friend, that there are thoufands now in England in the very fame fituation : many, very many have come to my fhop, who have difcovered an enquiring mhid, but were totally at a lofs what LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 153 ■what to alk for, and who had no friend to direct them. *« —■ Reafon grows npace, and calls •• For the kind hand of an affiduous care. " Delightful talk! to rear the tender thought, *' To teach the young idea how to ihoot, •* To pour the frefli inflru^lion o'er the mind, " To breathe th' enlivening fpirit, and to fix '• The gen'rous purpofe in the glowing breaft." Thomson. One day as my friend Jones and I were ilrolling about the fair that is annually held in and near St. James's church-yard, we fav/ aftall of books, and in looking over the title pages, I met with Hobbes's Tranflation of Homer's Iliad and Odyffey. I had fomehow or other heard that Homer was a great poet, but unfortunately I had never heard of Pope's tranflation of him, fo we very eagerly pur- chafed that by Hobbes. At this ftall I ?.lfo purchafed Walker's poetical paraphrafe of Epi(5letus's morals ; and home we went, per- fedlly well pleafed with our bargains. We that evening began with Hobbe's Homer; but found it very difHcult for us to 254 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. to read, owing to the obfcurity of the traiiA lation, which together with the indifferent language, and want of poetical merit in the tranflator, fomewhat difappointed us : how- ever, we had from time to time many a hard puzzling hour with him.; But as to Walker's Epldetus, although that had not much poetical merit, yet it was very eafy to be read, and as eafily underftood. The principles of the Jfcics charmed me fo much, that I made the book my companion wherever I v/ent, and read it over and over in raptures, thinking that my mind was fecured againft all the fmiles or frowns of fortune. *' When foes revil'd, or friends betray'd, ** Our hearts have wrung, perhaps with forrowj ** Bat a firm effort always made '* Complete refources for to-morrow, ** Then why repine at vice elate, •' For injur'd worth our courage drown ; *' Let us who cannot alter fate, , *« Mind no men's bufinefs but our own. J. Robertson's Martial. I now LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 155 t now_grew weary of diffipating my time, and began to think of employing my fpare hours in fomething more fatisfadory. For want of fomething elfe to do, I went one even- ing to hear Mr. John Wefley preach in Broad- mead, and being completely tired of the way of life that 1 had lived (more or lefs) ever fince I had been out of my apprenticefliip^ and happening to have no other purfuit or hobby-horfe, there was a kind of vacuity in iriy mind j in this ftate I was very fufcepti- ble of any impreflions, fo that when I came to hear Mr. Wefley, my old fanatical notions returned full upon me, and I was once more carried away by the tide of enthufiafm. So that the following lines by Mr. S. Rogers might be applied to me with great propriety : ** His humour once o'er, v^ith a grave contrite face *' To the mead he repairs, that rich fountain of grace^ ** Where in fpiritual fervour he turn'd up his eyes, *' True mechanical faint ! and in unifon fighs ; ** With every true godly exterior indu'd, "«As if from his cradle this line he'd purfu'd." My friend Mr. Jones foon faw with grief and indignation the wonderful alteration in me ; 156 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. me ; who, from a gay, volatile, diflipated young fellow, was at once metarrorphofed into a dull, moping, praying, pfalm-Hnging fanatic, coDtinuaiJy reprehending all about me for their harmlefs mirth an>i gaietj'. «* For Saints themfclvcs will often be, *' Of gifts that coll them nothing-,, free." HUDIBRAS, Nothing is more common than to fee man- kind run from one extreme to another: which was my cafe once more. *• Whate'er the leading paffion be, •* That works the foul's anxiety, " In each extreme th' efFcft is bad, *' Senfe grows difeas'd and reafon mad." E. Lloyd, About this time we left our habitation in Queen -ftrect, and took lodgings of Mr. Jones's mother, on St. Philip*s Plain, where lived a brother of Mr. Jones, who Vv'-as about ieventecn years of age. Soon after we had removed to this place, the brother, whole name was Richard Jones, vvas permitted to work in the fai.u room with my friend and me. LIFE OP J. LACKINGTON. isy me. They had alfo a fifter about twenty years of age, who frequently joined our company. Our room over-looked the Ghurch-yard, which contributed to increafe my gloomy ideas ; and I had fo much of the fpiritual quix- otifm in me, that I foon began to think that it was not enough for me to fave my own foul, but I ought in confcience to attempt the converfion of my companions, who (I really believed) were in the high road to hell, and every moment liable to eternal dam- nation. Of this charitable difpofition are almoft all the methodifls ; who, as Hudibras fays, " Compound for fins they are inclined to, *• By danlning thofe they have no mind to.'* The frequency of newly-opened graves, which we faw from our windows, furnifhed me with opportunities for defcanting on the uncertainty of life and all fublunary enjoy- ments ; I affured them that nothing defervcd attention but what related to our e^verlafl- K ing 158 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. ing ftate, and that they might, on their repentance, receive in one moment the par- don of all their fins, have a foretafle of the joys of heaven, and know that their names were enrolled in the book of life. I farther protefted that they had no time to lofe ; that they all ftood on the very verge of hell, and the breaking-brink of eternal torments; with a great deal more of fuch edifying fluff. The youngeft brother foon became a con- vert ; and Mifs Betfy was born again foon after. ** Lo ! in the twinkling of an eye, •* Their fouls was frank'd for. Kingdom come. But I had a tight job to convert my friend John ; he held out, and often curfed me heartily, and fung prophane fongs all day long. But about four or five weeks after my re- converfion, John was alfo converted, and became a favourite of heaven, fo that we con- sidered ourfelves as a holy community. " Who LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 159 ** Who knew the feat of Paradife, ** Could tell in what degree it lies ; " Could deepeft myfteries unriddle, *' As eafily as thread a needle. " HUDIBRAS. A laughable affair happened dunng my refldence here. A captain of a fhip one day brought a parrot as a prefent to a family, the miflrefs of which being a methodift, hap- pened to have one of the preachers call in jufl as the dinner was putting on the table, fo that the captain and the preacher were both afked to flay. As * foon as the table was covered, the preacher began a long grace, In the midfl of which Poll, who had been put in a corner of a room, cried out, *' jD n your eyes, tip us none of your jaw** This, with the immoderate laughter of the captain, entirely dlfconcerted the pious chap-*- lain ; at laft he began his grace again, but he had not got to the end before Poll again in- terrupted him with, '^ Tou d — — n canting fon of a b h** By the above it appeared that the captain had tutored Poll on purpofe to have fome 'fun in this canting family ; how- K 2 ever. x6o LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. ever, the good lady of the houfe made it a pohit of confclence to have Polly converted, but found it utterly impoflible to efFe£l that great change in the methodiftical way, that is, inJiantaneouJJy^ as after fhe had fcolded her fix months forfpeaking bad words, and had a£lually taught her a part of the Lord's prayer, yet Poll would not entirely leave off her fea language, fo that it often happened while the good lady was teaching her to pray, Poll would out with, '* D n your eyes, tumble up, you lubbers ;" and even after fhe had preached to her feveral years, fhe would not venture to fay that Poll was in a flate of grace j but be that as it will, Poll obtained the name of Methodifl, being called by the neighbours, the Methodifl Parrot. I mufl: inform you alfo that the poor preacher abovementioned was but jufl come out of Wales, and underftood Englifh .but very imperfectly, and in the courfeofhis fermon one day he had forgot the Englifh for the word lamb, and after hammering a good while LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. i6i while about it, he out with " Goddymighty's little Mutton, that took away the fins of the world," which caufed a good deal of diver- fion among the ungodly. I am, Dear Friend, Yours. K -J LETTER i62 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. LETTER XIV. " — He was a flirewd phllofopher, " And had read every text and glofsover ; *' Whate'er the crabbed'ft author hath» " He underftood b'implicit faith ; *• Whatever Sceptic could enquire for, ** For every why he had a wherefore ; " Knew more than forty of them do, *' As far as words and terms could go, " All which he underftood by rote, " And as occafion ferv'd would quote ; " No matter whether right or wrong, •' They might be either faid or fung." HUDIBRAS. DEAR FRIEND, Ml .R. John Jones and my- felf were now greater friends than ever, fo that one would on no account flir out of the houfe without the other. Mr. Jones had the advantage of me in temporals, he could get more money than I could ; but as to grace, and fplritual gifts, I had much the advantage of all our commu- nity ; LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 163 nityj fo that I was their fpiritual director, and if they thought that any of their ac- quaintance held any opinions that were not quite found and orthodox, fuch were intro- duced to me, in order that f might convince them of their errors. In fad, I was looked upon as an apoftle, fo that whatever I aflerted was received as pure gofpel; nor was any thing undertaken without my advice. We all worked very hard, particularly Mr. John Jones and me, in order to get money to purchafe books ; and for fome months every fliilling we could fpare was laid out at old book-fliops, ftalls, &c. infomuch that in a lliort time we had what we called a very good library. This choice colle6lion con- fifted of Polhil on precious Faith ; Polhil on the Decrees; Shepherd's found Believer; Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progrefs ; Banyan's Good News for the vilefl: of Sinners ; his Heavenly Footman ; his Grace abounding to the chief of Sinners; his Life and Death of Mr. Bad- man ; his Holy War in the town of Alanfou/ ; Hervey's Meditations ; Hervey's Dialogues ; K 4 Roger's j64 life of J. LACKTNGTON. Roger's Seven Helps to Heaven ; Hall's Ja-. cob's Ladder; Divine Breathings of a devout Soul ; Adams ovx the fecond epiftle of Peter ; Adams's Sermons on the black Devil, the '^hite Devil, &c. &c. Colling's Divine Cor^ dial for the Soul ; Pearfe's Soul's Efpoufal to Chrifl: ; Erfkine's Gofpel Sonnets ; the Death of Abel : The Faith of God's eled ; Manton on the eplftle of St. James i Pamble's Works ; Baxter's Shove for a heavy-arfed Chriftian ; his Call to thp Unconverted ; IVIary Magda- len's Funeral Tears 4 Mrs, Moore's Evidences for Heaven ; Mead's Almoft a Chriftian ; The Sure Guide to Heaven ; Brooks on AfTurance ; God's Revenge againfl: Murder; Brooks's Heaven upon Earth ; The Pathway to HccV veuji Wilcox's Guide to eternal Glory ; Der- ham's Unfearchable Riches of Chrift ; his Expolition of Revelations ; Alleine's Sure Guide to Heaven ; The Sincere Convert ; Watfqn's Heaven taken by Storm ; Heaven's Vengeance ; Wall's None but Chrifi: ; Arif- totle's Mafterpiece ; Coles on God's Sove- reignty ; Charnock on Providence ; Young's Short and fure Guide to Salvation ; Wedey's Sermons s LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 165 Sermons, Journals, Trails, &c. and others of the fame delcription. We had indeed a fev/ of a better fort, as Gay's Fables; Pomfret's Poems; Milton's Paradife Loft ; befides Hobbe's Homer, and Walker's Epidetus, mentioned in my laft letter. But what we wanted in judgment in choofing our library, we made up in appli- cation; fo anxious were we to read a great deal, that we allowed ourfelves but about three hours deep in twenty-four, and for fome months together we never were all in bed at the fame time. (Sunday nights excepted.) But left we ftiould overfleep the time allowed, one of us fat up to work until the time ap- pointed for the others to rife, and when all were up, my friend John and your humble fervant took it by turns to read aloud to the reft, while they were at their work, " Such there are, deny'd by ftars unkind, ^' The feafnns to exert the noble mind, f* Should watch occafions, and attend the hours, f ' And catch the moments, to indulge theic pow'rs. Cooke. But i66 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. But this mad fcheme of ours had nearly been attended with very ferious confe- quences. One night, it being my turn to watch, I removed to the fire-fide, to read fome particular paiiage, and the candleftick which we worked by not being convenient to move about, and there being no other at that time In the room, I fet up the candle againft the handle of a pewter pot, and was fo extremely heavy (owing to much watch- fuinefs) that I fell faft afleep, and had like never to have awaked again; for the candle burned down to the handle of the pot, melted it off, and then fell on the chair on which it flood ; fo that Mr. Jones found me in the morning, faft afleep, and part of the chair confumed ; which alarmed us all very much, and made us more cautious. But ftill we continued our plan of living, fo that we made a rapid progrefs in what we called fpiritual and divine knowledge ; and were foon mafters of the various arguments made ufe of by moil polemical divines, &c. And LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 167 And the better to guard my pupils from what I called falfe dodirines, I ufed often to engage them in various controverfieSj in which I fometimes took one fide of the queftion, fometimes the other, in order to make them well verfed in controverfy, and acquainted with the ftrength of their adverfaries. So that I was, by turns, a Calvin ifl, an Armi- nian, an Arian, a Soclnian, a Deifl, and even an Athelfl:. And after they had faid all they could to confute me, I would point out where they had failed, and added fuch arguments as 1 was mafter of, and in general we were all fatisfied. But when we hap- pened to have any doubts, we had recourfe to the Bible and commentators of our own fide of the queftion, and 1 aflbre you my dear friend, this was a very fine hobby-horfe, which, like Aaron's ferpent, fwallovved up all the other hobby-horfes. ** Light minds are pleafed with trifles." Ovid. I am, Dear Friend, Yours. LLTTER i68 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. LETTER XV. ** Laugh where you muft ; be candid where you can." Pope, ** Know then, that always when you come, " You'll find me fitting on my bum : " Or lying on a couch, fjrrounded ** With tables, pens, and books, confounded ; *' Wrapt up in lofty fpeculation, " As if on the fafety of the nation." Hume. DEAR FRIEND, I .N the courfe of my reading, I learnt that there had been various feds of philofophers amongfl the Greeks, Romans, &c. and I well remembered the names of the moft eminent of them. At an old book-fliop I purchafed Plato on the Immortality of the Soul, Plutarch's Morals, Seneca's Morals, Epicurus*s Morals, the Morals of Confucius the Chlnefe Philofopher, and a few others. I now can fcarcehelp thinking that I received more real benefit from reading and ftudying them and Epidetus, than from all other books that LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. J69 that I had read before, or have ever read flnce that time. •* I read the labours of the pen, •* And thought them more than common men." I v^^as but about twenty-two years of age, when I firft began to read thofe fine moral produftions ; and I aflure you, my friend, that they made a very deep and lafting impref- Con on my mind. By reading them, I was taught to bear the unavoidable evils attending humanity, and to fupply all my wants by contracting or reftraining my defires. ** To mend my virtues, and exalt my thought, " What the bright fons of Greece and Rome have wrote, *' O'er day and night I turn ; in them we find ** A rich repaft for the luxurious mind." Cooke. It is now twenty-three years fince I firft perufed them ; during which time I do not recolle6l that I have ever felt one afixious painful wiili to get money, eftates, or any way to better my condition : *♦ Indeed, my friend, were I to find " That wealth co uld e'er my real wlfhes gain ; »' Had fjo LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. •* Had e'er diftarb'd my thoughtful mind, " Or coft one ferious moment's pain ; ** I Ihould have faid, that all the rules, " I learn 'd of moralifts and fchools, . " Were very ufelefs, very vain." And yet I have never fince that time let flip any fair opportunity of doing it. Be con- tented, fays Ifocrates, witli what you have, and feek at the fame to make the befl im* provement of it you can. So that all I mean is, that I have not been over foHcitous to obtain any thing that I did not poflefs; but could at all times fay, with St. Paul, that I have learned to be contented in all fituations, although at times they have been very gloomy indeed. Dryden fays, ** We to ourfelves may all our wifhes grant, " For, nothing coveting, we nothing want." Dr YD en's Indian Emperor. And in another place he fays, *' They cannot want who wifli not to have more : " Who ever faid an anchoret was poor ?" Dryden's Secret Love. The pleafures of eating and drinking I en- tirely defpifed, and for fome time carried this difpofition LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 171 dirpofition to an extreme ; and even to the prefent time I feel a very great indifference about thefe matters : when in company I frequently dine off one difh, when there are twenty on the table. The account of Epicurus living in his garden, at the expence of about a halfpenny per day, and that when he added a little cheefe to his bread on par- ticular occafions, he confidered it as a luxury, filled me with raptures. ** He talk'd of virtue, and of human blifs, ** What elfe fo fit for man to fettle well ? " And ftill his long refearches met in this, " This truth oi truths which nothing can repel. ** From virtue's fount the pureft joys outwell J " Sweet rills of thought that chear the confcious foul, *• While vice pours forth the troubled ftreams of hell, " Which, however difguis'd, at laft will dole ; ** Will through the tortur'd breall their fiery torrent roIL" Tom SON. From that moment I began to live on bread and tea, and for a confiderable time did not partake of any other viands, but in thofe I indulged myfelf three or four times a day. My reafons for living in this abftemious man- ner were in order to fave money to purchafe books, J72 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON* books, to wean myfelf from the grofs plea- fures of eating and drinking. Sec, and to purge my mind, and to make it more fufcep- tible of intelledlual pleafures ; and here I cannot help remarking, that the term Epicure, when applied to one who makes the pleafures of the table his chief good, cafls an unjuft reflexion on Epicurus, and conveys a wrong idea of that contemplative and very abftemious philofopher : for although he al- ferted that pleafure was the chief or fupreme good, yet he alfo as flrongly afferted, that it was the tranquility of the mind, and intel- ledual pleafure, that he fo extolled and re- commended. " This pleafure (fays he) that is the very centre of our happinefs, confifts in nothing elfe than having our mind free from difturbance, and our body free from pain ; drunkennefs, exceffive eating, nicenefs in our liquors, and all that feafons good cheer, have nothing in them that can make life happy; there is nothing but frugality and tranquility of mind that eftablilh this . happy fiate ; it is this calm that facilitates our diflinguifliing betwixt thofe things that ought LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 173 ought to be our choice, and thofe we ought to fhun; and it is by the means thereof, that we difcard thofe notions that difcompofe this firft mover of our life." •* When Epicurus to the w6rld had taught, " That pleafure was the chiefefl good, •' (And was perhaps in the right, if rightly underftood) " His life he to his dodlrines brought, '" And in a garden's (hade, that fovereign pledfure fought j " Whoever a true Epicure would be, «* May there find cheap and virtuous luxury." Cowley's Garden. St. Evremont in his vindication of Epicufus fays, " Ignorant men know not his worth* Wife men have given large and honourable teftimonies of his exalted virtue and fublime precepts. They have fully proved his plea* fures to be as fevere as the floick's virtue ; that to be debauched like Epicurus, a man mufl be as fober as Zeno.— *His temperance was fo great that his ordinary diet was nothing but bread and water. The ftoicks and all other philofophers agree with Epicurus in this ; that the true felicity of life is to be free from perturbations, to underftand our duty L towards 174 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON, towards God and Man, and to enjoy the pre- fent without any anxious dependance upon the future ; not to amufe ourfelves either with hopes or fears ; to curb and reftrain our un- ruly appetites, to reft fatisfied with what we have, which is abundantly fufficient, for he that is content wants nothing/' ** Some place the blifs in adion, fome in eafe ; ** Thofe callitpleafure, and contentment thefe ; *' Some funk to beafts, find plcafure end in pain ; ** Some fwell'd to Gods, confefs e'en viitue vain." Pope. I continued the above felf-denying life un- til I left Briftol, which was on Whitfunday in 1769. I had for fome time before been pointing out to my friend John Jones fome of the pleafures and advantages of travelling, fo that I eafily prevailed on him to accompany me towards the Weft of England j and in the evening we arrived at Bridgevt'ater, where Mr. Jones got work. He was employed by Mr. Cafii, with whom he continued near twelve months, and in the end married Mr. Calh's daughter, a very pretty and very amiable little woman, v.'ith fome foitune. When' my friend was LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 175 was offered work by Mr. Cafh, I prevailed on him to accept of it, aflliring him that I had no doubt of my being able to get work at Taunton ; but in that I was difappointed, nor could I get a conftant feat of work until- I came to Exeter, and of that placfe I was foon tired ; but being informed that a Mr, John Taylor of Kingfbridge (forty miles be- low Exeter) wanted fuch a hand, I went down, and was gladly received by Mr. Taylor, whofe name infpires me with gratitude, as he never treated me as a journeyman, but made me his companion. Nor was any part of my time ever fpent in a more agreeable pleafmg manner than that which I palTed in this re- tired place, or I believe more profitable to a mafler. I was the firfl man he ever had that was able to make {tuff and fdk (hoes, and it being alfo known that I came from Briflol, this had great weight with the country ladies, and procured my mailer cuftomers, who ge- nerally fent for me to take meafure of their feet, and 1 was looked upon by all to be the befl workman in the town, altho' I had not been brought up to ftuff-work, nor had ever L 2 entirely 176 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. entirely made one fluff or filk fhoe before. Nor flioiild I have prefumed to proclaim my- felf a ftufF-man, had there been any fuch workmen in the place ; but as there were none, I boldly ventured, and lucceeded very well ; nor did any one in the town ever know that it was my firfl: 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 praife among the young men as a good inditer of letters. (I need not inform you that they were not good judges.) My mafler 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 fhort time. The thought pleafcd 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 lelfure hours in this way for near two months, after which time I wrote my own letters, in a bad hand, you may LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 177 may be fure ; but it was plain and eafy 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 pofTeflTed of patience enough to employ time fufficient to learn to write well j and yet as foon as T was able to fcrib- ble, I wrote verfes on fome trifle or other every day for years together. Out of fotne thoufands I at prefent recol- lect 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 lloodover the fire-place in my room. Here's a flioemaker's chaplain has negative merit. As his vice he ne'er flatters or rufHes his fpirit ; No wages receiving, his confcience is clear ; Not prone to deceiving, he's nothing to fear. ■"Tis true he is filcnt — but that's nothing new ; And if you'd repent, his attitude view ; With uplifted hands all vice to reprove, How folemn he flands, his eyes fix'd above ! As a kind of contrad I will infert an epi- gram that I v^^rote but a few days fmce on an ignorant methodifl preacher, L 3 A ftnpic' 178 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON, A ftupid fellow told me t'other day. That by the fpirit he could preach and pray ; Let none then fay that miracles have ceas'd. As God ftill opes the mouth of beaft ; And affes now can fpeak as plain As e'er they could in Balaam's reign. But I always wrote as fafl as I could, without endeavouring to write well, and that this is my prefent pra6lice I need not inform you. I came to this place in but a weak ftate of body; however, the healthy fituatlon of the town, together with batliingin the f^lt water, foon reflored me to perfed: health. I paiTed thirteen months here in a very happy man- ner ; but the wages for work being very low, and as I had fpent much time in writing hymns to every fong-tune that I knew, be- fides a number of love-verfes, letters, &c. I was very poor ;' and to complete all, I began to keep a deal of company, in which I gave a loofe to my natural gaiety of difpofition, much more than was confident with the grave, fedate ideas which I had formed of a ^•eligious character ; all which made me re- folve to leave Kingibridge, which I did in J 770, I tra- LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 179 I travelled as far as Exeter the firft day, where I worked about a fortnight, and faved fufficietit 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 Brifiiol, but as foon as he heard of my being in Bridgewater, he and his brother Richard fent me an invitation to come to Briftol again and live with them. Finding that I did not immediately com- ply, they both came to Bridgewater, and declared their intentions of not returning to Briflol without me ; fo that after a day or two I yielded to tiieir lolicitations, and again lived very comfortably with them, their mo- ther and fifter. I think it was about this period, that I went feveral times to the Tabernacle, and heard Mr. Geoi^ge Whitefield ; and of all the preachers that ever I attended, never did I meet with one that had fuch a perfect com- mand over the paffions of his audience. In every fermon that I heard him preach, he would fometimes make them ready to burfl: L 4 with i8o LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. with laughter, and the next moment drown them In tears j indeed it was fcarce poflible for the moft guarded to efcape the efFe£t. ♦* He had fomething 'twas thought ftill more horrid to fay, *' When his tongue loft its powers and he fainted away ; »* Some fay 'twas his confcience that gave him a ftroke, *♦ But thoft who beft l^new him treat that as a joke ; *• 'Tis a trick which ftage orators ufe in their need, " The paffions to raife and the judgment miflead." Simkint, In one of my excurfions I paffed many agreeable hours with the late Mr. La Bute, at Cambridge, who was well known, he having taught French in that univerfity up- wards of forty years. He informed me that near forty years fince, Mr. Whitefield having advertifed himfelf to preach at Gog-Magogs Hill, many thoufand people colleded to- gether from many miles round. While he was preaching, he was elevated on the hlghefh ground, and his audience ftopd all round on the declivity ; during his fermon, a young countrywoman, who had come fome miles to hear him, and v^aited feveral hours, being- very faint, owing to the violent heat of tlie lu.n, the breaths of the multitude, as well as the ' LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. , i8i the want of refrefhmeiit ; and it Is very likely much agitated in her mind by the extraordinary dodlrines of the preacher, fhe fell backwards, juft under the orator, and there lay kicking up her heels. On feeing the poor girl lie in a kind of convulfion, fome of the company moved to afliil: h«er, and the women began to draw down her apron and petticoats over her feet; but Mr. Whitefield cry'd out, " Let her alone I Let her alo?ie ! A glorious Jight I A glorious fight V^ No doubt the holy man meant that it was a glorious fight to fee afinner fall before the power of the word; but the young college bucks and wits con- ftrued his meaning differently, and put the audience into fuch immoderate fits of laugh- ing, that even Mr. Whitefield's utmofi: efforts were not able to reftore their gravity, but he was obliged to difmifs his congregation abruptly. For a long time after this happened, the Cantabs as they reeled homewards in the night-time, diffurbed the iober inhabitants, by loudly exclaiming, " A glorious fight! A glorious fight! As Dr. Squintum fiys.'* I am, dear Friend, yours. LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON» LETTER XVL " Love the moft generous paffion of the mind, *' The fofiefl refuge innocence can find^ •' The foft direiflorof unguided youth, *' Fraught with kind wiihcs, and fecured by truth 5 *' The cordial drop heav'n in our cup has thrown, *' To mskc the navifeous draught of life go down; " On which one only blefiing God might raife, *' In lands of atheifts fubfidies of praife; *' For none did e'er fo dull and ftupid prove, " But felt a God, and blefs'd hispow'r, in love." Nonpareih DEAR FRIEND, * A. Muil nov/ requeft you to go back with me a few years, as I have not yet made you acquainted with my principal amours. I was about feventeen years of age when an adventure difcovered, that although I was fo very fpiritnal, as I before informed you, I was notwithftanding fufceptible of another kind of impreffion. Oh, LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 183 f* Oh, let me ftill enjoy the cheerful day, ** Till many years unheeded o'er me roll ; *' Pleas'd in my age I trifle life away, •' And tell how much I lov'd ere I grew old." Hammond's Love Elegies. Being at farmer Gamlln's at Charlton, four miles from Taunton, to hear a metho- dift fermon, I fell defperately in love with the farmer*s handfome dairy-maid. " Her home fpun drefs in fimple neatnefs lies, " And for no glaring equipage fhe fighs. '* She gratefully receives what heav'n has fent, " And, rich in poverty, enjoys content. *' Her reputation which is all her boaft, " In a malicious vifit ne'er was loft. " No midnight raafquerade her beauty wears, *' And health, hot paint, the fading bloom repairs. " If Love's foft paffions in her bofom reign, " An equal paffion warms her happy fwain." Gay. At that time I abounded in fpiritual gifls, which induced this honeft ruftic maid to be very kind to me, and to walk feveral fields with me in my road back to Taunton, talk- ing all the way of her fpiritual diftrels and godly concerns; while I poured heavenly pmfort into her fou), and talked fo long of divine iH LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. divme Love, until I found that my afFedllon for her was not altogether of that fpiriiual nature. And yet, *• We lov'd without tranfgrefling Virtue's bounds : *• We fixt the limits of our tendereft thoughts, *• Came to the verge of honour, and there ftopp'd; *' We warm'd us oy the fire, but were not fcorch'd, '* If this be fin. Angels might live with more; ♦' And mingle rays of minds lefs pure than ours." i Dryden's Love Triumphant. After this you may be fure that I did not let flip any opportunity of hearing fermons at farmer Gamlin*s ; and I generally pre- vailed with Nancy Smith, my charming fpiritual dairy-maid, to accompany me part of the way home, and at every gate I accom- panied my fpiritual advice with a kifs. . " Oh then the longeft furamer's day *' Seem'd too, too much in haftej ftill the full heart *« Had not imparted half: 'twas happinefs " Too exquifite to laft. Of joys departed ** Never to return, how painful the remembrance!" Blair's Grave. But alas ! thefe comfortable Sunday walks were foon at an end ; as my charming Nancy Smith, forfome reafon or other (I have for- got LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 185 got what) left her place, and went to live as dairy-maid with a farmer in the marlli coun- try, between Bridgewater and Briftol, feven- teen miles from Taunton ; fb that I did not fee her for near two years afterwards; during which time I gave fpiritual advice to another holy fif!:er, whofename was Hannah Allen. •* Sure philofophy, reafon, and coldnefs muft prove *' Defejaces unequal to fnield us from Love." C. J. Fox. I prevailed on this lovely maid to attend the methodid: preaching at five o'clock on Monday mornings, and we often met at three or four ; fo that we had an hour or two to fpend in walking and converfation on fpiri- tual affairs. Had you feen and heard us on the cold ffofty mornings, it would have put you in mind of Milton's Devils , whom he reprefents as at times ftarving with cold : *' Others apart, fat on a hill, retir'd, '• In thoughts more elevate, and reafon'd high *' Of Providence, foreknowledge, will, and fate ; " Fix'd fate, free-will, foreknowledge abfolute; ^ *' And found no end, in wandering mazes loft." Paradife Loft. But i86 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. But I affiire you, my friend, that we were fometimes like the Galatians of old ; we be- gan in the/^/r/V, and ended in tht JieJJj, *♦ Now onthemofs-bank, beneath the (hade, *' For hours of love, or meditation, made; •* To the foft paffion I my heart refign, ** To make the long obdurate maiden mine." Cocke, With this dear girl I fpent all my leifure time, for two or three years ; fo that we en- joyed together hundreds of happy, and I can truly add, innocent hours, . " Odaysofblifs! " To equal this ** Olympus ftrives in vain ; " O happy pair, " O happy fair! " O happy, happy fwain!" Joannes Secundus, But ftlll I never could entirely forget my charming innocent Dairy-maid. In fa6l, I had love enough for both, to have taken either for better or worfe j but my being an apprentice, prevented me from marrying at that time. Abfence, fays Rochefoucault, lelfens mo-^ derate paffions, but Increafes great ones; like the LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 187 the wind which blows out tapers, but kin- dles fire. It Is true, I had the greatefl: love for Nancy Smith ; but Hannah Allen had the advan- tage of Nancy, as I could fee Hannah almofl every day, and Nancy only once or twice in about three years. However, I at lad: fell out with Hannah (on what occafion I cannot re- collect) and I fent Nancy a letter, which made up matters with her ; for, like Sterne, I w^as " always in love with one goddefs or other ;'* and Xenophon in his banquet, informs us, that the divine Socrates faid, that he never remembered that he was ever without beins; in love, nor would he part from the con> pany without faying iomething on *' the attributes of that great power ; he refembles but a child, fays he, who by his power is mafter of all things, and is grafted into the very elTence and eonftitution of the foul of man.'* Soon after Nancy Smith came to live for a kittle time at her father's houfe at Pcthertoa near i8S LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. near Bridgewater, feven miles from Taunton. This happened during the eledion at Taurt- ton, when I was changed from a flricl me- thodift to a rake ; and although the wedding ring was purchafed, and we were to have been married in a few days, yet the marriage was put off on account of my diffipated cha- ra£ler. With wine, I ftrove to footh my love-fick foul. But vengeful Cupid da(h'd with tears the bowl: All mad with rage, to kinder nymphs I flow. Grainger's TibulluS, I foon after fetoff for Briftol, as I before informed you : nor did I fee her after that, until my return from Kingfbridge, when I faw her feveral times prior to my fetting off for Briftol with my friend Jones, and his brother Richard. 1 am, Dear Friend, Yours. LETTER LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON* 189 LETTER XVIl. *' The man who by his labour gets " His bread in independent ftate, ** Who never begs, and feldom eats, " Himfelfcanfix, or change his fate." Prior* ** If you will ufe the little that you have, *• More has not heav'n to give, or you to crave: ** Ceafe to complain. He never can be poor ♦* Who has fufficient, and whs wants no more* *' If but from cold, and pining hunger free, '• The richeft monarch can but equal thee." Horace Imitated. DEAR FRIEND, X Had not long refided a Se- cond time with my good Brlftol friends, be- fore I renewed my correfpondence with my old fweetheart Nancy Smith. I informed her that my attachment to Books, together with traveUing from place to place, and alfo my total difregard for money, had prevented me from faving any ; and that while I re- mained in a fmgle unlettled ftate, I was never likely to accumulate it. I alfo prelfed her M very I90 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. very much to come to Briftol to be married, which (he foon complied with : and married we were, at St. Peter's Church, towards the end of the year 1 770 ; near feven years after my firft making love to her. ** When join'd in hand and heart, to church we went^ *' Mutual in vows, and pris'ners by confent. *• My Nancy's heart beat high, with mix'd alarms, ** But trembling beauty glow'd with double charms. ** In her foft breaft a modeft ftruggle rofe, ** How (he Ihould feem to like the lot fhe chofe : ** A fmile Ihe thought would drefs her looks too gay ; *• A frown might feem too fad, and blaft the day. •* But while nor this, nor that, her will could bow, " Shs walk'd, and look'd, and charm'd, and knew not how. *^ Our hands at length th' utchanging Fiat bound, •* And our glad Souls fprungout to meet the found. '• Joys meeting joys unite, and ftronger fhine : *• For paffion purified is hklf divine : *• Now Nancy thou art mine, I cry'd — and (he ** Sigh'd foft— now Jemmy thou art Lord of me!" A. Hill, We kept our wedding at the houfe of my friends the Mefirs. Jones's, and at bed-time retired to ready-furnifhed lodgings, which we had before provided, at half-a-crown per week. Our finances were but jufl fufficient to .pay the expences of the day, for the next morning. LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 191 morning, in fearching our pockets (which we did not do in a carelefs manner) we difcovered that we had but one halfpenny to begin the world with. But — - ** The hearth was clean, the fire clear, •* The kettle on for tea ; ** Palemon, in his elbow chair, " As blefs'd as man could be. *' Clarinda, who his heart poffefs'dj ** And was his new-made bridc^ ** With head reclin'd upon his breafti ** Set toying by his fide; *• Palemon with a heart elate, •* Pray'd to Almighty Jove, *' That it might ever be his fate^ •* Juft fo to live and love." It is true, we had laid in eatables fufficient for a day or two, in which time we knew we could by our work procure more, which we very cheerfully fet about, finging together the following lines of Dr. Cotton : *' Our poftidh is not large indeed, *' But then how little do we need ? ** For Nature's calls are few ; *' In this the art of living lies, ** To want no more than may fufiicc, *' And make that little do." . M 2 The 192 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. The above, and the following ode by Mr» Fitzgerald, did we fcores of times repeat, even with raptures ! " No glory I covet, no riches I want, " Ambition is nothing to me : *• The one thing I beg of kind heaven to grants " Is, a mind independent and (ree. ** By paffion unruffled, untainted by pride, '* By Reafon my life let me fquare ; *' The wants of my nature are cheaply fupplled* '* And the reft are but folly and care. ** Thofe blefUngs which providence kindly has lent, " I'll juftly and gratefully prize; " While fweet meditation and cheerful content, " Shall make Hie both healthy and wife. " In the pleafures the great man's poffeffions difplay, *'^Unenvy'd I'll challenge my part ; - *• For every fair objeft my eyes can furvey, " Contributes to gladden my heart. " How vainly thro' infinite trouble and ftrife, " The many their labours employ; •* When all that is truly delightful in life, *• Is what all, if they will, may enjoy." After having worked on fluff- work in the country, I could not bear the idea of return- ing to the leather branch ; fo that I attempted and LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 193 and obtained a feat of Stuff in Briflol. But better work being required there than in Kingfbridge, &c. I was obliged to take fo much care to pleafe my mafter, that at firft I could not Q-ct more than nine fhiilinp-s a week, and my wife could get but very little, as 111© was learning to bind ftuff-fhoes, and had never been much ufed to her ne'edle ; fo that what with the expence of ready-furniilied lodging, fire, candle-s, &c. we had but little left for purchafing provifions. I'o increafe our flraits, my old friend being fomewhat difpleafed at our leaving him and his relations, took an early opportunity to tell me that I was indebted to him near forty fhillings, of two years ftanding. It is more di(honourable (faysRochefoucault) todiftrufl our friends, than to be deceived by them. I was not convinced of the juiVice of the claim, but to avoid difpute, I paid him in about tvv'o months. *' But if friends prove unfiiithful, and fortune's a whore, " Still may I be virtuous, although I am poor." A. Bourne. During nearly the whole of which time it M 3 was J94 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. was extremely fevere weather, and yet we made four fhillings and fixpence per week pay for the whole of what we confunaed in eating and drinking. Strong beer we had none, nor any other liquor (the pure ele- ment excepted), and inftead of tea, or rather coffee, we toafted a piece of bread ; at other times we fried fome wheat, which when boiled In water made a tolerable fubftitute for coffee ; and as to animal food, we made ufe of but little, and that little we boiled and made broth of. " The recoUedion of paft toils is fweet." Eurip'id, During the whole of this time we never once \\i{hed for any thing that we had not got, but were quite contented, and with a good grace, in reality made a virtue of ne- ceflity. We " Trembled not v/ith vain defires, " Few the things which life requires." Francis's Hor, And the fubje<^ of our prayer was, *• This day be bread and peace oi|r lot, •* All elfe beneath the fun, ?* Thou know'il if bed beftow'd or not, f And let thy \yill be done." I am, dear Friend, yours. LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON, 195 LETTER XVIII. ** To temper thus the ftronger fires, ** Of youth he ftrove, for well he knew, " Eoundlefs as thought tho' man's defires, *• The real wants of Life are few," Cartwricht. *' In adverfe hours an equal mind maintain." Francis's Horace. DEAR FRIEND, X N a few days after we had paid the laft five fhillings of the debt claim- ed by my friend Mr. Jones, we were both together taken fo ill as to be confined to our bed, but the good woman of the houfe, our landlady, came to our room and did a few trifles for us. She feemed very much alarmed at our fituation, or rather for her own, I fuppofe, as thinking we might in fome mea- fure become burthenfome to her. We had in cafli two fhillings and nine-pence, half a crown of which we had carefully locked up in a box, to be faved as a refource on any extraordinary emergence. This money fup- M 4 ported 196 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. ported us two or three days, In which time I recovered without the help of medicine : but my wife continued ill near fix months, and was confined to her bed the greateft part of the time ; which illnefs may very eafily be accounted for. Before {he came to Briftol, flie had ever been ufed to a very a£llve life, and had al- ways lived in the country, fo that in coming to dwell in a populous city, flie had ex- changed much exerclfe and good air for a fedentary life and very bad air ; and this I prefume was the caufe of all her illnefs from time to time, which at length, as unfortu- nately as effe6lually, undermined her con- illtutlbn. During her firft fix months illnefs, I lived many days folely on water-gruel. ** What nature requires, (fays Montaigne,) is fo fmall a matter, that by its Ilttlenefs it elcapes the gripes of fortune ;" for as I could not afford to pay a nurfe, much of my tune was taken up in attendance on her, and moft of my money expended in procuring fiiecjicines, together with fuch trifles as fhe could LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON, 197 could eat and drink. But what added ex- tremely to my calamity was the being with- in the hearing of her groans, which were caufed by the excruciating pains in her head, which for months together defied the power of medicine. It is impoffible for words to defcribe the keennefs of my fenfations during this long term ; yet as to myfelf, my poverty and be- ing obligeci to live upon water-gruel gave me not the leall uneafinefs. *• In ruffling feafons I was calm, t *' And fmil'd when fortune frown'd." Young, But the necefTiry of being continually in the fight and.hearing of a beloved object:, a young, charming, hand feme, innocent wife, ** Who fick in bed lay gafping for her breath ; *' Her eyes, like dying lamps, funk in their fockets, «* Now --lar'd and noA' drew back their feeble light: ** Fa iiily her fpeech fell from her fault'ring tongue .*• In interrupted accents, as (he ftrove *' With ftronc^ agonies that (hoc^k her limbs " And writh'ii her toituf'd fatui-'s into forms f ^lideous to light," BELi^ha's Injur'd Innocence. How 198 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. How I fupported this long dreary fcene, 1 know not ; the bare recoUedion of which is exceedingly painful, even at this diftance of time. ** Lo, from amidft afHiftions night *' Hope burft all radiant on the fight; *• Her words the troubled bofom footh, •' Why thus difmay'd ? ** Hope ne'er is wanting to their aid, *' Who tread the path of truth, *♦ 'Tis I, who fmooth the rugged way, ** I, who clofe the eyes of forrow, ** And with glad vifions of to-morrow, •• Repair the weary foul's decay." Beattie's Ode to Hope. At laft, when every thing that feerned to promife relief had been tried in vain, fome old woman recommended Cephalic fnuff. I own I had not much faith in it j however, I pro- cured it, and in a fliort time after Ihe was much relieved from the intolerable pain in her head, but yet continued in a very bad flate of health ; her conflitution having fuf- fered fuch a dreadful fhock, I thought that no means could be ufed fo likely to reftore it, as a removal to her native air. Accordingly I left LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 19^ I left my feac of work at Briftol, and return- ed with her to Taunton, which is about feven miles from Petherton, her native place. But in Taunton I could not procure fo much work as I could do ; fo that as foon as I thought (he could bear the air of Briftol, v/e returned thither, where fhe foon relapfed, and we again went back to Taunton. This re- moving to Taunton was repeated about five times in little more than two years and a half. " Of chance or change, O let not man complain, ** Elfe (hall he never ceafe to wail ! *• For, from the imperial dome, to where thefwain ** Rears the lone cottage in the filent dale, ** All feel th' affauk of fortune's fickle gale." Minstrel. But at laft, finding that fhe had long fits of illnefs at Taunton alfo, as well as at Briftol, with a view of having a better price for my work I refolved to vilit Lon- don ; and as I had not money fufficient to bear the expences of both to town, I left her ^11 the money 1 could fpare, and took a place on the outfide of the ftage coach, and the fe- f one) day arrived at the metropolis, in Auguft 200 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 1773, with two fhillings and fixpence in my pocket -, and recolle(5ling the addrefs of an old townfman, who was alfo a fpirltual brother, *• Whofe hair in gfeafy locks hung down, " As ftrait as candles from his crown, " To fliade the borders of his face, ** Whofe outward figns of inward grace *• Were only vifible in fpiteful *' Grimaces, very ftern and frightful." Butler's Pofth. Works. This holy brother was alio a journeyman fhoe-maker, who had arrived at the fummit of his expeflations, being able to keep a houfe over his head (as he chofe to exprefs himfelf ), that is, by letting nearly the whole of it out in lodgings, he was enabled to pay the rent. This houfe was in White-crofs- ftreet, which I fomid 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 fungtoo moft fweet. Saying, juft to a hair I've made both ends to meet. Derry-down. I am, dear Friend, yours. LETTER LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 201 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 Reafon." Philips Duke of Gloucefter^ DEAR FRIEND, jljlT this time I was as vifion- ary and fuperftitious as ever I had been at any preceding period, for although I had read fo'Tie fenfible books, and had thereby ac- quired a few rational ideas, yet having had a methodiftical wife for near three years, and my keeping methodiftical company, together with the gloomy notions which in fpite of reafon and philofophy I had imbibed during the frequent, long, and indeed almoft con- ftant ilhiefs of my wife, the confequence was, that thofe few rational or liberal- ideas which 1 had before treafured up, were at my coming to London in a dormant ftate, or borne 202 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. borne down by the torrent of enthufiaftij whims, and fanatical chimeras. « I Oh ! what a reafonlers machine ** Can fuperftition make the reas'ner man !" Millet's Mahomet. So that as foon as I procured a lodging and work, my next enquiry was for Mr. Wefley's GoJpel'Jloops \ and on producing my clafs and band tickets from Taunton, I was put into a clafs, 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 pleafure, and the lower clafs getting drunk, quarrelling, fighting, working, buying, felling, &c. I had feen fo much of the fame kind in Briftol, that I often wondered how God permitted it to ftand ; but London I found infinitely worfe, and ferioufly trembled for fear the meafure of iniquity was quite full, and that every LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON, 203 every hour would be its lafl:. However, I at length concluded, that if London was a fecond Sodoni^ I was a fecond hot ; and thefe comfortable ideas reconciled me to the thought of living in it. ** I faid it was a wretched place, ** Unfit for any child of grace; •* 'Tis ripe for judgment : Satan's feat, *• The fink of fin, and hell complete ; ** In ev'ry ftreet of trulls a troop, ** And ts'iy cook.maid wears a hoop," Somerville. And fome of Mr. Wefley's people gave me great comfort by alTuring me, that '' the Lord had much people in this city :'* which I foon difcovered to be true, as I got ac- quainted with many of thofe righteous cho- {^\\ faints, who modeftly arrogate to them- fclves that they are the peculiar favourites of heaven, and confequently that any place they re fide in muft be fafe. In a month I faved money fufficient to bring up my wife, and (he had a pretty tolera- ble ftate of health ;. of my mailer I obtained fome ftufF-fhoes for her to bind, and nearly as much 204 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. much as flie could do. Having now plenty of work and higher wages, we were tole- rably eafy in our circumftances, more fo than we ever had been, fo that we foon procured a few deaths. My wife had all her life before done very well with a fuperfine broad cloth cloak, but now I prevailed on her to have one of filk. Until this winter I had never found out that I wanted a great coat, but now I made that important difcovery. *' A winter garment now demands your care, " To guard the body from the inclement air ; " Soft be the inward veft, the outward ftrong, " And large to wrap you warm, down reaching long." Cooke's Hefiod. My landlord iliewed me one made of a coarfe kind of Bath-coating, which he pur- chafed new at a fliop in Rofcmary-lane, for ten fhillings a*id fixpence j fo that the next half-guinea I had to fpare, away I went to Rofemary-lane (and to my great furprife), was hauled into a fhop by a fellow who was walking up and down before , the door of a flopfeller, where I was foon fitted LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. ao^ fitted with a great coat of the fame fort as that of mv landlord. I afked the price ; but how great was my aftoniihment, when the honeft flopman told me, that he was fo takcri v/ith my clean, honeil:, induilrious looks, that he would let me have it cheaper than he w^ould his oivn brother, fo in one word he would oblige me with it for five and twenty ihillings, which was the very money that it Coft him. On hearing this, I croiTed the fhop In a trice, in order to fet off home again, but the door had a faftening to it beyond my comprehenfion, nor would the good man let me out before I had made him an offer. I told him, I had fo little money about me that I could not offer any thing, and again defired that he would let me out. But he perfifted, and at laft I told him that my landlord had informed me that he had purchafed fuch ano- ther coat for ten ihillings and fixpence ; on tvhich he began to give himfeif airs, and affured me, that however fome people came' by their goods, that for his part, he always paid for his, 1 heartily wiflled myfelf out of the fhop, but in vain ; as he feemed deter- N mined 2o6 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON, mined not to part with me until I had made fome offer. I then told him that I had but ten (hillings and fixpence, and of courfe could not offer him any more than I had got. I now expelled more abufe from him, but in- flead of that the patient good man told me, that as he perhaps might get fomething by me another time, I fhould have the coat for my half guinea, although it was worth more than double the money. About the end of November I received an account of the death of my grandfather, *' The good old gentleman expir'd, ** And decently to heav'n retir'd." I was alfo informed that he had left a will in favour of my grandmother-in-law*s relations, who became poffefTed of all his effe£ls, except a fmall f^ehold eflate, which he left to my youngefl brother, becaufe he happened to be called George (which was the name of my grandfather) and ten pounds a piece to each of his other grand-children. So totally unacquainted was I with the modes of tranfading bulinefs, that I could not LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 207 tioi point out any method of having my ten pounds fent up to London, at leafl, no mode that the executor of thfe will would approve of; it being fuch a prodigious fum, that the greateft caution was ufed on both fides, fo that it coft me about half the money in going down for it, and in returning to town again* This was in extremely hard frdfty weather (I think fome time in December), and being oil the outficle of a flage-coach, I was {o very cold; that when I came to the inn where the paflengers dinedj I weht dire(!^ly to the fire^ which ftruck the cold inward^ fo that I had but a very harrovv efcape from inftant death. This happened in going down. In returning back to town, I had other misfortunes to en- counter. The cold weather flill continuing, I thought the bafket warmer than the roof, and about fix tniles from Saliibury, I went back into it. But on getting out of it, in the inh yard at Sallfbury, I heard fome money jingle, and on fearching my pockets, I difcovered that 1 had loft about fixteen {hil- lings, two or three of which I found in the balket, the reft had fallen through on the N 2 road ; 2o8 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. road ; and no doubt the whole of what I had left of my ten pounds would have gone the fame way, had I not (for fear of highway- men) fewed it up in my eloaths. I recolledled that Seneca had faid, " A wife and good man is proof againfE all accidents of fate; and that a brave man is a match for fortune i and knowing myfelf t6 be both wife, good and hrave, 1 bore the lofs of my filver with the temper of a Ooick,, and like Epidetus rea- foned, that I could not have loft it, if I had not firft had it; and that as I had loft it^ why it was all the fame as though it had never been m my pofleffion. But a more dreadful misfortune befel me the next morning ; the extreme fevere wea- ther ftill continuing, in order to keep me from dying with cold, I drank fome purl and gin, which (not being ufed to drink any thing ftrong) made me fo drunk, that the coachman put me infide the carriage for fear I fliould fall ofF the roof. I there met with fome of the jovial fort, who had alfo drank to keep out the cold,, fo that I found them ia LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 209 in high glee ; being afked to fing them a fong, I immediately complied, and forgetting that I was one of the holy brethren, I fung fong for fong with the merrlell of them ; only fe- veral times between the adts, I turned up the whites of my eyes, and uttered a few ejacu- lations, as *'Lord forgive me !" " O Chrift! What am I doing?'* and a hw more of the fame pious fort, *' The verieft hermit rn the nation, ** May yield, God knows, t-o ftrcwjg temptation." Swift. However, after eating a good dinner, and re- fraining from liquor, I became nearly fober, and by the time I arrived in town, quite fo; jthough in a terrible agitation of mind, by refleding on what J had done^ and was fo afhamed of the affair, that I concealed it from my wife, that I might not grieve her righ- teous foul with the knowledge of {o dreadful a fall : fo that fhe \yith great pleafure ripped open the places in my clothes, which con-r jtained my treafure, and with an heart full of gratitude, pioufly thanked providence for affording us fuch a fupply, and honed that N 3 the ?io LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. the Lord would enable us to make a goo4 ufe of it. ** Whate'er can good or ill bcfallj " Faithful partner flie of all.'* Wesl e y's Mdiffa. Here perhaps I may with great propriety quote the following lines of Gray ; *' Let not ambition mock their ufeful toil, " Their homely joys, and deftiny obfcure ; *' Nor grandeur hear with a difdainful fraile, •' The fliort and fimple annals of the poor,'^ I ani Dear Friend, Yours. LETTER jLIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. air L E T T E R XX. 5* Thus dwelt poor ■ , of few good pofleft, ?* A bed, board, tankard, and fix cups at bcft; •* Item, Wefley's Head, old books, and rotten cheft, •* His bed was fcant, for his fliort wife too Ihort; •♦ His cups were earthen, all'of fmaller fort." Owen's Juvenal. *♦ Fixt in an elbow chair at eafe, ** I choofe companions as I pleafe.** Swirx, *• Hail, precious pages! that amufe and teach, *• Exalt the genius, and improve the breaft, ** A feaft for ages.— O thou banquet nice ! ** Where the foul riots with fecure excefs. ** What heart felt blifs ! What pleafure wing'd hours.'* Dr. S. Davis. DEAR FRIEND, VV 1 T H the remainder of the money \v^ purchafed houfhold goods, but as we then had not fufficient to furnifh a room, we worked hard, and lived ilill harder, fo that in a (hort time we had a room furnifhed with our own goods; and I believe that it is not poffible for you to imagine with what pieafure and fatisfadion we looked round the N 4 room 412 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. room and furveyed our property : I believe that Alexander the Great never refledled on his immenfe acquifitions with half the heart- felt enjoyment which we experienced on this capital attainment. '* How happy is the man whofe early lot, ** Hath made him mailer of a furnifti'd cot," After our room was furnifhed, as we flil| enjoyed a better ftate of health than we did at Brifl'ol and Taunton, and had alfo more work and higher wages, we often added fomething or other to our {lock of wearing apparel. '* Indufmous habits in each bofora reigns, *• And induftry begets a love of gain. " Hence all the good from opulence that fpring." Goldsmith, Nor did I forget the old-book fliops : bu^ frequently added an old book to my fmall coUedion ; and I really have often purchafed books with the money that ihould have been expended in purchafmg fomething to eat ; a Uriklng iaftance of which follows : At LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 213 At the time we vyere purchafing houfhold goods, we kept ourfelves very fliort of monevj and on Chriftmas-eve we had but half-a* crown left to buy a Chriftmas dhnier. My wife defired that I would go to market, and purchafe this feftival dinner, and off I fet for that purpofe | but in the way I faw an old- book (hop, and I could not refift the tempta- tion of going in ; intending only to expend fixpence or ninepence out of my half-crown. But I tumbled upon Young's Night Thoughts—forgot my dinner — down went my half-crown — and I haftened home, vaftly delighted with the acquilition. When my wife aflced me where was our Chrillmas din- ner ? 1 told her it was in my pocket. '' In your pocket (faid fhe), that is a ftrange place. How could you think of .(luffing a joint of meat into your pocket?" I afTured her that it would take no harm. But as I was in no hafte to take it out, flie began to be inore particular, and enquired what I had got, &c. On which 1 began to harangue on the fuperiorlty of intelledtual plealures over fen- fual gratifications, and obferved that the brute creation 5ty4 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. creation enjoyed the latter in a much higher degree than man. And that a man, that was not poffefTed of intelledual enjoyments, was but a two-legged brute, I was proceeding in this drain : ^' And fo, (faid fhe) inftead of buying a dinner, I fup- pofeyou have, as you have done before, been buying books with the money ?'* ^^ Pray what is the value of Newton of Locke ? •' Do they leffen the price of potatoes or corn ? «* When poverty comes, can they foften the (hock, *' Or teach us how hunger is patiently borne? " You fpend half your life-time in poring on books ; " What a mountain of wit muft be cramm'd in thatfkull ! *• And yet, if a man were to judge by your looks, "* Perhaps he would think you confoundedly dull." I confefTed I had bought Young's Night Thoughts : " And I think (faid I) that I have a£led wifely ; for had I boqght a dinner, we ftiould have eaten it to-piorrow, and the pleafure would have been foon over ; but fiiould we live fifty years longer, we (hall have the Night Thqughis to feafl: upon." This was top powerful an argument to admit of any tlFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 215 ^ny farther debate ; in Ihort, my wife was convinced, Down I fat, and began to read ^ith as much enthufiafm as the good dofloc poffefled when he wrote it; and fo much did it excite my attention as %ycll as approbation, that I retained the greatefl part of it in my memory. A couplet of Perfius, as EngHfli^ ed, might have been applied to me ; •' For this you gain your meagre looks> «* And facrifice your dinner to your books," Sometime in June 1774, as we fat at work in our room, Mr. Boyd, one of Mr. Wefley's people, called and informed me that a little (hop and parlour were to be let In Featherftone-flreet ; adduig, that if I was to take it, I might there get fome work as a matter. I without hefitation told him that I liked the idea, and hinted that I would fell books alfo. Mr. Boyd then afked me how I came to think of felling books? I informed him that until that moment it had never « once entered into my thoughts; but that when he propofcd my taking the (hop, it in- ilantaneoufly occurred into my mind, that for 2i6 LIFfe OF J. LACKINGTON. ■ for feveral months pail: I had obferved a great increafe in a certain old-book {hop; and that I was perfuaded I knew as much of old books as the perfon who kept it. I farther ob- ferved, that I loved books, and that if I could but be a bookfeller, I lliould then have plen- ty of books to read, which was the greatefl motive I could conceive to induce me to make the attempt. My friend on this affured me, that ]:ie v/ould get the fhop for me, and with a laugh added, " When you are Lord Mayor, you (hull ufe all your Intereil to get me made an Alderman," Which I engaged not to forget to perform. " In all my wand'rlngs round this world of care, «' In all my griefs, and God has giv'n my {hare 5 " 1 ilill had hopes to fee fame better days." Wy private library at this time confided of Fletcher's Checks to Antinomianifm, &c. 5 volumes; Watts's Improvement of the Mind; Young's Night Thoughts ; Wake's Tranflation of the Apoflolical Epiftles ; Fleetwood's Life of Chriil; the firft twenty numbers of Hinton's Dldlonary of the Arts and LITE OF J. LACKINGTON. 217 and Sciences ; fome of Wefley's Journals^ and fome of the pious lives publifhed by him ; and about a dozen other volumes of the latter fort, befides odd magazines, &c. And to ftt me np in (iyle, Mr. Boyd recommended me to the friends of an holy brother lately gone to heaven, and of whom 1 purchafed a bagful of old books, chiefly divinity, for a guinea. With this ftock, and fome odd fcraps of leather, which together with all my books wej-e worth about live pounds, I opened (hop on Midfummer-day, 1774, in Featherflone- ilreet, in the parifli of St. Luke ; and I was as well pleafed in furveying my little (hop with my name over it, as was Nebuchadnez- zar, when he fald, " Is not this great Babylon that I have built ?" and my good wife often perceiving the pleafure that I took in my (hop, pioufly cautioned me againil fettingmy mind on the riches of this world, and afTured me that it was all but vanity. " You are very right, my dear (I (bmetimes repHed), and to keep our minds as fpiritualas we can, we will always attend our clafs and band meetings, hear stS life of J. LACKINGTON. hear as many fermons, &c. at the Foundery on week days as poflible, and on fabbath days we will mind nothing but the good of our fouls : our fmall beer fhall be fetched in on Saturday nights^ nor will we drefs even a potatoe on the fabbath. We will ilill attend the preaching at five o'clock in the morning ; at eight go to the prayer meeting ; at tea to the public worfhip at the Foundery ; hear Mr. Perry at Cripplegate, at two ; be at the preaching at the Foundery at five* meet with the general fociety at fix ; meet in the united bands at feven, and again be at the prayer meeting at eight ; and then come home, and read and pray by ourfelves;" I arii^ Dear Friend^ Yours. LETTER LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. aig LETTER XXL Strange viciffitudes of human fatel ** Still alt'ri'ng, never in a fteady ftate ; ** Good after ill, and after pain delight ; *' Alternate, like the fcenesof day and night, ***" Since every one who lives is born to die, ** And none can boaft intire felicity : *' With equal mind what happens let us bear, ** Nor joy, nor grieve too much for things beyond our care. *' Like pilgrims, to the appointed place we tend : ** The world's an Inn, and death's the journey's end. Dry den's P^emon and Arcite, DEAR FRIEND, iN Otwithflanding the obfcu- rity of the ftreet, and the mean appearance of my (hop, yet I foon found cuflomers for what few books I had, and 1 as foon laid out the money in other old tralh which was daily brought for fale. At that time Mr. Wefley's people had a fum of money which was kept on purpofe to lend out, for three months, without intereft, to fuch of their fociety vvhofe charadlers were good, 220 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. good, and who wanted a temporary" relief. To increafe my little ftock, I borrowed five pounds out of this fund, which was of great fervice to me. In our new Situation we lived hi a very frugal manner, often dining on potatoes, and quenching our thirft with water, being abfo- lately determined, if poliible, to make fome provifion for luch difmal times as ficknefs,' Ihortnefs of w^ork, &cc, which we had been fo frequently involved in before, and could fcarce help expeding to be our fate again^ My wife foreboded it much more than I did, being of a more melancholy turn of mind. *i ,, Women ever love ** To brood o'er forrows, and indulge their woe, Fr A N c K L I N 's Sophocles,; I lived in this ilreet fix months, and hi that time increafed my flock from five pounds, to twenty-five pounds.- *' London the public there are candid and generous, and before my merit can have time to create me enemies, I'll fave money, and a fig for the Sultan and Sophy." Rover. This LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 221 This immenfe ftock I deemed too valua- ble to be buried in Featherftone-Street ; and a (hop and parlour being to let in Chifwell- Street, No. 46, I took them. This was at that time, and for fourteen years afterwards, a very dull and obfcure fituation : as few ever paffed through it, befides Spitalfield weavers on hanging days, and methodiifts on preaching nights } but ftill it was much better adapted ibr bulinefs than Featherftone-Street. A fhort time after I came into Chifwell- Street to live, an odd circumftance occurred which caufed a great deal of talk ; Mrs, Chapman, who many years kept a ^ivery {ta- ble in Coleman-Street, had a cat big with kitten ; this cat was one day feen to fly at a fowl, that was roafting by the fire, which {lie repeated feveral times, fo that {he was at lafl: put out of the room; when this fowl was drefifed and eat, they gave poor pufs the bones, but this was not enough, for when {he lay in, they found that {he had marked her kitten, as inftead of two feet before, {he had two wings, with fome fhort feathers on O them, %il LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. them, the fingularity of this kitten drew great numbers to vifit her, which occafioned fo much trouble to Mrs. Chapman, that flie figned the death warrant, and poor pufs was drowned, and afterwards buried in the dung heap. I thought this ftory would read as well in my life, as in the Philofophical Tranfadlions, which prevented me from troubling thofe learned authors with it. A few weeks after I came into this Street> I bade a final adieu to the gentle craft, and converted my little flock of leather, &c. into old books ; and a great fale 1 had, confider- ing my flock ; which was not only extremely fmall, but contained very little variety, as It principally confifled of divinity j for as I had not much knowledge, fo I feldom ventured out of my depth. Indeed, there was oneclafs of books, which for the firfl year or two that I called myfelf a bookfeller, I would not fell, for fuch was my ignorance, bigotry, fuperflition (or what you pleafe) that I con- fcientioufly LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 233 fclentioufly deftroyed fuch books as fell into my hands which were written by free- thinkers; for really fuppofing them to be didated by his fable highnefs, I would nei- ther read them myfelf, nor fell them to others. You will perhaps be furprifed when I In- form you, that there are in London (and I fuppofe in other populous places) perfons who purchafe every article which they have occafion for (and alfb many articles which they have no occafion for, nor ever will) at flails, beggarly (hops, pawnbrokers, &c. under the idea ofpurchafuig cheaper thzn they could at refpedable (hops, and of men pf property. A confiderable number of thefe kind of cuflomers I had in the beginning, who forfook my fhop as foon as I began to appear more refpe6table, by introducing better order, polTeffing more valuable books, and having acquired a better judgment, &c. Notwithftanding which, I declare to you, upon my honour, that thefe very bargain- hunters have given me double the price that O 2 I now 224 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. I now charge for thoufands and tens of thou- fands of volumes. For as a tradefman in- creafes in refpeT. door, and demanded admirtance ; our Benedl^ appeared at the door, and informed the hoft that his lady had been taken fuddenly ill in a kind of fit he believed, but that Ihe was bet- ter j and after the innkeeper's wife had been hnt into the room to iee the young lady, and had found her well, ail retired to bed. They had, however, not lain more than two hours, when the cry of murder, fire, &c, again alarmed the houfe, and drew many out of their beds once more. Ouryoung gentleman then dreffcd himfelf, zud opening the door, informed the company that he had that morning been married to the young lady in bed, and that being married, he had iniifted on being admitted to the privilege of an hufbnnd, but that the young Jady had talked much about the good of her poor foul, her Ipiritual hufband, &c. and that infread of ^rantino; what he conceived to be the right of every hufband, (he had thought proper to difturb all in the houfe. lie ad^ed, that having been thus made very ridiculous, LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 233 ridiculous, he would take efre fpreading through foclety, at length foftens manners, and obviates the excefles of the djf- temper ; 284 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. temper; for whenever it gets ground, the befl way is to fly from it and ftay till the air is purified. The laws and religion are no pre- fervative againft this mental peftilence ; reli- gion fo far from being a falutary aliment in thefe cafes, in infeded brains becomes poifon." *' The laws likewife have proved very inef- fedual againft this fpiritual rage ; it is indeed like reading an order of council to a lunatic. The creatures are firmly perfuaded, that the fpirit by which they areaduated is above all laws, and that their enthufiafm is the only law they are to regard." *' What can be anfwered to a perfon who tells you, that he had rather obey God than men ; and who, in confequence of that choice, is certain to gain heaven by cutting your throat ?'* Was it poffible to keep the enthufiaft at all times free from fiuiaticifm, I believe the mifchief to fociety v/ould not be (o great, as in LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 285 ill that cafe, enthufiarai would be a more harmlefs madnefs; but it Teems Impoffible to keep the two chara6lers feparate, which is the reafon that the terms are often ufed by- writers indifcriminately. Enthufiafts and fanatics are in general con- fcious of their own inability to realon, hence they.ail exclaim againfl it, and " immediate revelation being a much eafier way to eflablifli th-ir opinions," they have recourfe to it in ail difficulties, and nothing is more common among the methodifts, than to hear them af- fert that they become acquainted with the truth of all the myfteries of chriftianity, by their being revealed to them by " the Spirit of the Lord." Mr. Locke lays, (fpeaking of enthufiafls) *' They underftand that God has promiled to enlighten the mind, by a ray darted into the mind immediately from the fountain of lipht j and who then has fo good a title to expedl it, as thofe who are bis peculiar jreople.** " Their minds being thus prepared, what- ever groundlefs opinion comes to fettle itfclf S ilrouely 256 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTOjST. fliongly upon their fancies, is an illumina- tion from God. And whatever odd a<5lion, they find in themfelves a flrong inclination to do, that impulfe is concluded to be a call from heaven, and muft be obeyed ; it is a dommiffion from above, and they cannot err 111 executing it.. " This I take to be properly enthufiafm, which, though founded neither on reafon nor divine revelatioUj but rinng from the conceits of a warmed or over weening brain, works yet where it once gets footing, more powerfully on the perfuafions and actions of men, than either of thofe two, or both to- gether ; men being moft forwardly obedient to the impulfes they receive from themfelves^. and the whole man is fure to a£l more vigor- Gufly v«/here the whole is carried by a natural motion. For ftrong conceit, like a new principle, carries alleafily with it, when got above common fenie ; and freed from all reflraiiit, cf reafon, and check of refle6tion, it is heipjhtened into a divine authority, in concurrence with our own temper and i:i- clination," LIFE DF J. LACKINGTON. 287 I feel him now ** Like a (Irong fpirit, charm'd Into a tree, '* That leaps and moves the wood without a wind : ** The roufed god, as all the while he lay ** Entomb'd alive, ftarts, and dilates himfelf; ** He ftruggles, and he tears my aged trunk ** With holy fury ; my old arteries burft ; *' My (hrivell'd flcin, like parchment, crackles at the holy fire." Dryden's (Edipus. Thefe Impulfes and revelations have been made the pretext not only for thoufands of abfurdities and ridiculous whims, but alio for every kind of wickednefs. It is out a few years fince that there were in Poland a fe£t of thefe fanatics, who all at once was-feized with an impulfe to kill their own children, which they did mod: devoutly, in order to fecure the falvation of thofe children. Lu- cretius fays, ** Such impious ufe was of religion made, *' Such dev'lifli ads religion could perfuade." What, my dear friend, can preferve man- kind from this pedilence fo etfcdually as philofophy, which Roulfeau attempts to de- grade. *' Painful snd corporal punifliment § 2 (fays CiSS LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON, (fays Beccaria) fhould never be applied to fiinaticlfm, for being founded on pride, it glories in perfecution. Infamy and ridicule only fliould be employed againft fanatics ; in the firfl:, their pride will be overbalanced by the pride of the people ; and we judge of the power of the fecond, if we confider that even truth is obliged to fummon all her force, attacked with error armed with ridicule. Thus by oppofFng one pafiTon to another, and opinion to opinion, a wife legiflator puts an end to the admiration of the populace occafioned by a falfe principle, the original abfurdity of which is veiled by fome well deduced eonfequences." It is for the above reafons that I have held up to public ridicule that fe6l of fanatics, amof]g w^hom I lofl; io much of my time in the early part of my life ; and for the fame reafons 1 hope you will read with patience a few more uf my letters, in which I intend to make you laugh with me a little more at the ablurdities of the methodlfls. I am, dear Friend, yours. LI^E OF J. LACKINGTGN. 2S9 LETTER XXVIII. ** In Londen ftrcets is often feen *• A hum-drum faint with holy mein, ** His looks moft primitively wear ** An ancient Abrahamick air, *' And like bad copies of a face, ** The good original difgrace." Butler's Pollh. Works, ** Some there are who feek for private holes, •* Securely in the dark to damn their fouls, *' Wear vizards of hypocrlfy to fteal, *• And flink away in mafqnerade, to hell." DEAR FRIEND, JLT being generally known that I had for many years been a ftrl6t me- thodift, fince I have freed myfelf from their jhackles, I have been often afked if I did not believe or rather know, that the metho- difts were a vile fe<£l of hypocrites altoge- ther ? My reply has been uniformly in the negative. I am certain that they are not in general fo. The major part of them indeed are very ignorant (as is the cafe with enthu- liafls of every religion) ; but I believe that a S 3 great 39© LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. great uumber of the methodlfts are fincere, honeft, friendly people ; in juftice to thofe of that defcription it may not be amifs to ob- ferve, that many artful, fly, defigning per- fons, having noticed their chara6ter, con- nexions, &c.'and knowing that a religious perfon is iji general fuppofed to be honefh and confcientious, have been induced to join their focieties, and by afTuming an appear- ance of extraordinary fan£lity, have the bet- ter been enabled to cheat and defraud fuch as were not guarded againft their hypocritical wiles. Rochefoucault fays, that *' truth does not fo much good in the world, as its appearances do mifchief." " Making religion a difguife, ' ' Or cloak to all their villanies." Butler's Pofth. Works. I have alfo reafon to believe that there are not a few, who think that they can as it were afford to cheat and defraud, on the fcore of having right notions of religion in their heads, hearing whnt they deem ortho- dox teachers, going to prayer-meetings, &c. There LIFE OF J. LACKTNGTON. 291 There are again others who think, that ;grnce is fo free and fo eafy to be had, or in other words^ that as they can have pardon for all kinds of (ins, and that at any time whenever they pleafe, they under this idea make very little confcience of running up large fcores, to which prar his not felling tripe on that ,day, having fr.Il employment (though poflibly not fo inolTenfive) eifewhere. I alfo faw in a village near Plymouth in D.vonfliire, " Roger Tuttel, fy God's grace and mercy, kills rats, moles, and all forts of vermin and venomous creatures.'* But I need not have gone (o far for pious cant, as, no doubt you muft remember that a few years fince, a certain pious common- council man of of the metropolis, advertifed in the public papers for a porter that could carry three hun- dred vvtight, take care of horfes, zn^ferve the Lord. Of the fame worthy perfonage I have iieard it afferted, that fo^very coofcien- tlous is he, that he once flaved a barrel of beer in his cellar, becaufe he dete£led it working on the fr.bhath-day, which brought to my recolkdion four lines in drunken Barnaby's Journey : " To LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 297 *' To Banbury came I; O prophane one ! ** Where I faw a puritane one, •* Hanging of his cat on Monday, " For kiriing of a moufe on Sunday." Air. L e, a gentleman of my acquaint- ance informs me, that a mechodifl neighbour of his, in St. Martin's-lane, who keeps a parcel of fowls, every Saturday night makes a point of confcience of ty.ng together the legs of every cock he has, in order to prevent them from breaking the fabbath, by gallanting the hens on Sundays ; as CoL Lambert fays Do6lor Cantwell ufed to do by the turkey cocks. I have a few more obfervations to make on this remarkable feci, but fearing I have al- ready tired you, fhall referve them for my next. ** Seeming devotion doth but gild the knave, " That's neither faithful, honeft, juft, or brave, *' But where religion does with virtue join, ''' It makeb a hero like an angel fiiine." V/aller. I am Dear Friend, Yours. LETTER ^98 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. LETTER XXIX. *• Under this ftone refts Hudibras, " A Knight as errant as e'er was: •* The controverfy only lies, •* Whether he was more fool than wife ; *• Full oft he fufFer'd bangs and drubs, «* And full as oft took pains in tubs : ** And for the good old Caufe flood buff, ** 'Gainft many a bitter kick ani cufF, ** Of which the mod that can be faid, *' He pray'd and preach'd, and preach'd and pray'd" Butler's Pofth. Works. DEAR FRIEND, T is very remarkable that while I was writing the laft five lines of my former letter to you, on Wednefday the 2d of March 1791, I received the news of the death of Mr. John Wefley, who I am in- formed died that morning at his own houfe, in the City-road, Moorfields, in the Eighty- eighth year of his age. He had no illnefs, but the wheels of the machine being worn out, it flopt of courfe. As I am on the fub- je(5t IIFE OF J. LACKINGTONo. 299 je£l of methodifm, } hope you will not deem k impertinent, if I devote a few lines to this great parent of a numerous fe£l, whom I well knew, and feel a pleafure in fpeaking of with fome refpevSl. Several days preceding his interment, be- ing laid in his coffin, in his gown and band,, he was expofed to the view of all his friends who came, and the public j and I fuppofe that forty or fifty thoufand perlbns had a fight of kimk But the concourfe of people was fo great, that many were glad to get out of the crowd without feeing him at all ; and al- though a number of conftables were prefent^ yet the pick-pockets contrived to eafe many of their purfes, watches, &c. To prevent as much as pofable the dreads ful effe£ls of a mob, he was interred on V/ednefday March the 9th, between five and fix o'clock in the morning, in the burial ground behind his own cliapel in the City- road. After which Dr. Whitehead (the phyfician) preached his funeral fermon ; but 300 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. but natwitliflandlng the early hour, many thouliuds atteiidt-d more than the chapel would hold, although it is very large. As foon as it was knovvn that Mr. Wefley was decealed, a number of needy brethren deemed it a fair opportunity of profiting by it, and each immediately fet his ingenuity to work, to compofe what he chofe to call a life of him; and for fome weeks fince the fune- ral the chapel-yard and its vicinify has exhi- bited a truly ludicrous fcene, on every night of preaching, owing to the different writers and venders of thefe hafly performances exening themfelves to fecure a good fale ; one bawling out that his is the right life ; a fecond with a pious fliake of the head, declares his the real life ; a third protefls he has got tht only genuine account; and a fourth calls them all vile cheats aiid impoflois, &c. fo that between all thefe com[)etitois, the faints are fo divided and perplexed in tlieir opinions, that fome decline purchafing either; others willing " to try all, and keep that which is good," buy of each of thefe reipedable venders LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 301 Tenders of the life and laft account of that celebrated charadler; while the unlnterefted pafTenger is apt to form a conclufion that the houfe of prayer is again become a den of thieves. Thus we fee thofe holy candidates for heaven are fo influenced by felf-intereft that it *• Turns meek and fecret fneaking ones '** To Raw-heads fierce and bloody bones." Hudibras, I cannot help thinking that Mr» John Wefley, the father of the methodifts, was one of the mofl refpe0:able enthufiafts that ever lived; as it is generally thought that he believed all that he taught others, and lived the fame pious exemplary life, that he would have his followers praftife. The fale of his numerous writings produced nett profits to the amount of near two thousand POUNDS per annum ; and the weekly collec- tion of the claffes in London and Weflmin- fter amounted to a very large fum ; befides this, great fums were colledled, at the facra- ments and love-feafts, for quarterly tickets, private and public fubfcriptions, &c. &c. T hi :3o2 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. In a pamphlet which was publlfhed in the beginning of this year 1792, by an old mem- ber of their fociety, It is afferted that for the lafl: ten years, the fums colleded in Great Britain and Ireland, have amounted to no lefs than four hundred thousan1> POUNDS per annum, which reminds me of Peter Pindar's humorous lines, ** I've often read thofe pious whims, *^ Methodift's fweet damnation hymns, ♦* That chant of heav'nly riches, ** What have they done ? thofe heav'nly drains, ** Devoutly fqueez'd from canting brains, ' " But fill'd their earthly breeches." Befides the above, many private col!e£lions are made in all his focieties throughout the three kingdoms, fo that Mr. Wefley might have amafled an immenfe fortune, had riches been his obje£l. But inflead of accumulat- ing wealth, he expended all his own private property: and I have been often informed, ^rom good authority, that he never denied relief to a poor perfon that afked him. To needy tradefmen I have known him to give ten or twenty pounds at once. In going a few LtFE OF J. LACKINGTOK. 363 few yards from his ftudy to the pulpit, he generally gave away an handful of half- crowns to poor old people of his fociety. He was indeed charitable to an extreme, as he often gave to unworthy objeds, nor would he keep money fufficient to hold out on his journles. One of his friends informs me that he left but ^4. I OS. behind him : and I have heard him de* clare that he would not die worth twenty pounds, except his books for fale, which he has left to the " general methodift fund, for carrying on the work of God, by itinerant preachers," charged only with a rent of eighty-five pounds a year, which he has left to the wife and children of his brother Charles. His learning and great abilities are well known. But I cannot help noticing that in one of his publications (ftepping out of his line) he betrayed extreme weaknefs and cre- dulity, though no doubt his intentions were good. What I allude to is his Primitive Phyfc, a work certainly of a dangerous ten- T 2 dencv, 304 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. dency, as the majority of remedies therein prefcribed are moft affuredly inefficacious^ and many of them very dangerous, if ad- ministered. The confequence of the firfl is, that while poor ignorant people are trying thefe remedies (beiides the very great pro- bability of their miflaklng the cafe) the dif- cafes perhaps become fo inveterate as to refjfl: the power of more efficacious remedies pro- perly applied, and with regard to thofe of a highly dangerous nature, how rafh to trufh them in the hands of fuch uninformed peo- ple as this book was almoft folely intended for, efpecially when fan£lioned by the name of an author whofe influence impreffed the minds of the unfortunate patients with the moil powerful convldion. Many fatal effects, 1 fear, have been produced by a blind ad- herence to this compilation ; which carries with it more the appearance of being the production of an ignorant opinionated old. woman, than of the man of fcience and education. Onejnelancholy inftance is frefh in my memory ; a much efteemed friend having fallen an immediate facrifice to an im- prudent LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 305 prudent application of one of thefe reme- dies. Permit mejuftto give you one fpecimeii of the Author's wonderful abilities, by quoting a receipt, which if Dot an infallible remedy^ muft at lead be acknowledged to be a (ingu- iar one. ^' To cure a windy Cholic," " Suck a healthy woman dally ; this (fays Mr. Wefley) was tried by my father." Should you, my dear friend, be defirous of peruiing a variety of remedies, equally judicious as well as efficacious with thofe of Mr. Wefley, you will meet with ample fatls- fa£llon by turning to " "Dom Pernety^s Voyage to the Falkland IJlands^'' page 153 to 162. quarto edition. Some of the receipts there inferted are fo truly curious^ I can fcarce refrain from treat- ing you with a fpeclmen or two, but fome of them being very indelicate, I mufl take care in felecting, for, like Slmpkln, T 3 "I pity 3o6 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. •* I pity the ladies fo modeft and nice.'* Take the two following, one being no doubt an cfFedlual remedy for a grievous com- plaint of that ufeful quadruped the horfe ; the other at leail equally certain for the cure of one of the moil dangerous diforders human nature is fubje(£t to. *^ To Cure a Foundered Horfe." ** Let him take one or two fpoonfuls of common fait in half a pint of water !" *' For a malignant Fever." *' A live tench applied to the feet for twelve hours, then buried quietly, or thrown down the houfe of office, and the patient will foon recover." It was a clrcumflance peculiarly happy for the pra6lItioners of phyfic, though no doubt a terrible misfortune to the public, that the difference in religious principles of thefe two reverend gentlemen proved an effetSlual bar to the union of their medical abilities, which appear fo exadly correfpon" dent I LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON", 307 dent; had fuch an event taken place, that horrid monfter difeafe might by this time have been banlfhed from the earth, and the fons of ^fculapius would be doomed to feed on their own compofitions or ftarve ! The Rev. Dr. Fordyce, in a late publication, has alfo given the world a remedy for the cramp, as delicate as efficacious. But here, I think I fee you fmile at my cenfuring Mr. Wefley iox Jlepping out of his line^ when at the very moment I am com- mlttiiig the fame error by obtruding my judgment upon the fcience of phylic. — I fhali only reply, Many thought I did the fame when I commenced bookfeller : and a friend once taught me the adage, (be not offended, 'tis the only fcrap of Latin I fliall give you) " Ne Sutor ultra crepidam.** But the event has proved it otherwife, and I flat- ter myfelf every candid and judicious perfon capable of judging will think with me on the above fubje6V. And I alfo mull: inform you, that in one diforder I have been fuccelsful even in pbyfic. The fad is this : Mrs^ T 4 Lack. 3o8 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. Lackington having feveral times been cured of the dropfy in the chefl:, by broom tea j I prefcribed it to others, nor has it once failed. The lafl inftance was in 1792, a young lady, an only daughter, being nearly loft to her family, (he having had the dropfy two years, by my defire took broom tea, a jlttle at a time, once or twice a day, weak or ftrong as (he could bear. She continued this for feveral months, by which (lie per- fedly recovered her health, and I hope Hie will foon have a good hufband, and get ano- ther kind of dropfy. But to relume my narrative. What a pity that fuch a chara£ter as Mr. Wefley was, upon the whole, fhould have been a dupe and a rank enthuliafl: ! A believer in dreams, vifions, immediate revelations, miraculous cures, witchcraft, and many other ridiculous abfurdlties, as appears from many pafTages of his Journals, to the great difgrace of his abilities and learnings which puts one in mind of Cseuir, who in his commentaries turns bridge builder, and a maker of engines; of Peri^nder^ LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON; 309 Perlander, who although he was an excellent phyfician, quitted phyfic to write bad verfes ; Sir Ifaac Newton's Expofition of the Revela- tions, Milton's Paradife Regained, Dr. John- fon*3 unmanly and childifti Devotions, &c. &c. and (to compare fmall things with greater) J. L*s turning author, ** This Verro's fault, by frequent pralfes fir'd, •* He feveral parts at try'd, in each admir'd ; *• That Verro was not ev'ry way complete, *' 'Twas long unknown, and might have been (o yet, ** But — mad, th' unhappy man purfu'd, ** That only thing heav'n meant he never (hould ; ** And thus his proper road to fame negleded, ** He's ridicul'd for that he but effefted." DALAcouRti However, I think we may fafely affirm that Mr, Wefley was a good fmcere and honefl one, who denied himfelf many things ; and really thought that he difregarded the praife and blame of the world, when he was more courted, refpe6led, and followed than any man living, and he ruled over a hundred and twepty thoufand people with an abfolute fway, and the love of power feems to have been the main fprino- of all his adions. I am 310 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. am Inclined to believe that his death will be attended with confequences fomewhat fimi- lar to thofe which followed the death of Alexander the Great. His fplrltual generals will be putting in their pretenfions, and foon divide their maker's conquers. His death happened at a time rather critical to the methodifts, as the Swede?iborgians, or Neiv Jerufaleml/ls, are gaining ground very fail:. Many of the methodlfts, both preachers and hearers, are already gone over to their party, many more will now, undoubtedly, follow ; and the death of that great female champion of methodlfm, the Countefs of Huntingdon, which has fince happened, will In all proba- bility occafion another confiderable defedion from that branch of methodifts, and an addi- tional reinforcement to the Swedenborgians ; a proof of the fondnefs of mankind for no- velty, and the marvellous, even in religious matters. Great dlfcoveries and improvements have of late years been made in various branches of the arts and fciences; but valuable and important LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 311 important as thefe difcoveries are, how trifling do they appear, when compared with the aftonifhing and wonderful difcoveries which have been made by the Swedenbor- glans, who are, it feems, beyond a douht^ *'- the only true church of God i^ by them the " truejclence of the language of correfpondefice** is dlfcovered, fo that mankind are no longer left in the dark ; the divine arcana is now laid open, and myfteries are no longer my- fleries. ** God in me fpeaks to God in you ;** fo that I can talk to you of feafting on cha- riots and horfes, and be perfectly underflood. And although they read any chapter in the , Bible, without exception, publicly in the congregations, yet the mofl: prudifh lady, or the mofl: delicate virgin, do not blufli for being quite fpirltual, and being acquainted with the " true language of correfpondence^ They never notice indelicate exprefiions, being wholly occupied in applying the fpi- ritual correfponding words. Thefe, my friend, are glorious difcoveries indeed. And what a pity it is that fomany thoufand pious learned men fhould have wafled fo much time 3X3 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. time in endeavouring to explain the myfte- rious parts of the Prophets and the Revela- tions to no purpofe, but to make work for bookfellers. It was very providential for them that the Swedenborgians did not appear in the more early ages of the church ; but a very great lofs to mankind in general ; the more fo, as it feems the great man, after whom the fed are named, compofed the whole of his numerous works under the immediate guidance of the Holy Ghoft, and are more valuable than the Bible. I muft juft take notice of another wonderful com- munity. In the beginning of the year 1786, a {Irange fe£t of religious fanatics fprung up near Dumfrize in Scotland ; the firft of whom feems to have been a Lady Buchan, as from her they were called Buchanites. * They were but few in numl>er, and all lived in one houfe together, both men and women, and had all things in common. In 1791 art Englilliman of fome property joined their fociety, and gave all that he had to the common LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 313 common ftock. The next day Lady Buchaii proclaimed a faft, which was to be ftridly kept for fix weeks ,* this was no ways pleaf- ing to the Englilhman, fo that after he had fafted two days, he applied to the fheriff, in order to recover his property from out of the flock of the holy community ; but the fheriff informed him, that as it was a free gift, it was not in his power to recover it. Lady Buchan at times called herfelf the Holy Spirit, and in that charafler applied to many people in order to make them con- verts to this new fe6l. The chief article of their faith was, that they fhould never tafte of death, but fliould be tranflated, and when any one of them happened to die, the reft faid that it was for want of faith ; and when Lady Buchan died, they iniifled on keeping her unburied, de- claring that fhe could not be dead : under this affurance flie was kept a long time ; the magiflrates however at laft had her buried by force, to prevent any bad confequence that 314 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. might arlfe from the horrid flench, which began to make the neighbourhood infup- portable. A little before flie expired, (he called her followers near her, and informed them, that fhe had a fecret to communicate to them, which was, that fhe was the Virgin Mary, the real mother of Jefus ; the fame woman mentioned in the Revelations as being clothed with the fun, &c. who was driven into the wildernefs ; that (he had been wandering in the world ever fince our Saviour's days ; that though file here appeared to die, they need not be difcouraged, for fhe would only fleep a little, and in a fhort time vifit them again, and conduct them to the New Jerufaiem. I had this curious account from fome gentle- men in Scotland, except that part where fhe calls herfelf the Virgin, which I added from the Bee for July, 1791. A fhort time after Mr. W-^fley's chapel was finlfhed in the City Road, an old gen- tleman was buried in the burial ground be- hind LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 315 hind it, who on his death-bed informed his wife, that he fliould foon come to life again; on which account the door of the vault was not faftcned, and the old lady paid him a villt every day, to fee if he was come to life, and in this pra£lice did {he continue two years, when the poor old lady paid him her lafl vifit, and was laid by his fide. I will make fome further remarks on the tnethodifls in my next. I am. Dear Friend, Yours, LETTER 3i6 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. LETTER XXX. More haughty than the reft, the- " Appear with belly gaunt, and famlih'd face : •' Never was fo deform'd a babe of grace." Dryde n, '* Olios made of conflagration. *' Ofgulphs, of brimftonc, and damnation, •* Eternal torments, furnace, worm, " Hell-fire, a whirlwind, and a ftorm ; ** With Mammon, Satan, and perdition, •* And Belzebub to help the difli on j *• Belial, and Lucifer, and all ** The nicknames which Old Nick we call," E. Lloy0, DEAR FRIEND, Although Mr. Wefiey was pofTeffed of a very great fiiare both of natural and acquired abilities, yet I fuppofe it fcarcely necefiary to inform you, that this is by no means the cafe with his preachers in general j for although there are amongft them fome truly fenfible, intelligent men, yet the major part are very ignorant and ex- tremely illiterate : many of thefe excellent ipiritual guides cannot read a chapter in the LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 317 the bible, though contaimng the deep myfte- ries which they have the rafhnefs and pre- fumption to pretend to explain. Many others cannot write their own names. ** A motly crew, from various callings fpf-iihg, '• Some of you have been gipfics, others failorsj ** Some drays have whiftling driven, or carts of dung, " And others mighty barbers been and taylors. Mat. Bramble. But fo great is the ignorance of Mr. Weflc^y's people in general, that they often negle£t the more rational and feniible of their preachers, .and are better pleafed with fuch as are even deftitute of common fenfe ; really believing that the incoherent nonfenfe which they from time to time pour forth, is dl6lated by the Holy Spirit. As thefe noify declaimers never fcruple to call themfelves the " fer- vants of the moft high God," Ambaffadors from heaven, &c. Peter Pindar, fpeaking of one of that ftamp, feems to think that if he was fent from God, heaven had made a bad choice ; take his own words. ** Whene'er I hear that ftupid parfon H — , ** God's houfe with ev'ry nonfenfe fill, " And when with blafphemy each fentencc cramm'd ; U *' And 3i8 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. ** And wheni hear the impoflor cry, ** I've news, you raggamulKns, from the fky ; " I'm come to tell ye, that you'll all be damn'd : '* I'm come from God, ye ilrumpets — come from God— *' I'm God almighty's fervant— hear my voice. " Which if it were fo, would be vaftly odd, ** Since Heav'n would fhow bad judgment in the choice.** It is always obfervable, that the more ig- norant people sre, the more conFidence they polTefs. This confidence, or impudence, palTes with the vulgar, as a mark of their being in the right ; and the more the ignorance of the preachers is difcovered, the more are they brought down to their own Hiandard. Again, the more ignorant preachers having verycon- tra£led ideas of real religion and manly vir- tue, of courfe fupply the want of it with a ridiculous fufs about trifles, v*^hich paiTes with the ignorant for a more fan6lificd de- portment, and hence arifes much of the mifchief which has been fojuftly charged on the methodifts. For by making the path to heaven fo very narrow, and befet with ten thoufand bugbears, many defpairing -to be ever able to walk in it, have thrown off all religion LIFE OF J. LACKiNGTO>T. 319 religion and morality, and funk into the abyfs of vice and wlckednefs. Others have their tempers fo foured as to become loll to all the tender xronnexlons of hufband, wlfe^ father, child, &c. really believing that they are literally to hate father, mother, &c. for Chrifl:*s fake. Thus is fvveet domeflic peace and happlnefs for ever blafled. " Enlivening hope, and fond defire, ** Rcfign the heart to fpleen and care j ** Scarce frighted love maintains her fire> ** And rapture faddens to defpair." Dr. Jo«hnson. Many havq in .a fit of defpondency put a period to their exiftence, it having become a burthen too intolerable to be borne. Some have been fo infatuated with the idea of fafting to mortify the flefh, that their flrlft perfeverance in it has been produ6live of the moft ferlous confequences : Two inflances of which lately occurred In one family, in the City Road — The mlftrefs was deprived of herfenfes, and the maid literally h{\.td. herfelf to death ; and Bedlam and private mad- houfes now contain many very melancholy inflances of the dreadful effeds of rehglous U 2 defpoii- 320 LIFE OF J. LACKI-NGTON. defpotidency ; not to mention the hundreds that have died from tune to time in fuch places, and the numerous fulcldes which have been traced to the fame fource. I knew one man who for many years be- lieved himfelf to be the Holy Ghoft, and endeavoured to make his acquaintance believe the fame : in other refpe6ls he appeared to be in his right fenfes. Mr, Bentley fiys in his letter to the members of the houfe of commons, dated May 1 2th, 1 79 1, that although he had a fortune of one thoufand pounds, and natu- rally liked good living, yet that he lived on horfe and afs fiefli, barley bread, {linking butter, &c. and when he found that his eat- ing fuch things gave offence to his neigh- bours, he left off eating afs flefh, and only lived on vegetables, as the common fort of food by their dearnefs hurt his confcience^ A few years fince 1 faw in a field not (twtn miles from China-hall, Mr. Taylor, a fhip- carpenter, LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 321 carpenter, of Deptford, tofling up his bible in the air. This he often repeated, and raved at a flrange rate. Amongft other things, (pointing to a building at feme diflance) " That (faid he) is the devil's houfe, and it (hall not fland three days longer !'* On the third day after this I faw with furprize an account in one of the pub- lic papers of that very building having been fet on fire, and burnt to the ground ; and thus the poor itinerant dllblples of Thefpis loft the whole of their wardrobe and fcenery. This religious maniac foon after preached very often in Smithfield and Moorficlds ; but he did not wholly depend on the operations of the Ploly Spirit, as at laft he feldom be- gan to preach until he was nearly drunk, or filled with another kind of fplrit, and then he was " a very powerful preacher indeed." '• Great were his looks, his eyes with hallow ftare *' Deep, deep within the burning fockets roll'd, ** Like Gorgon's creft, orllern Ale(Ro's hair, " His tempeft-bcaten locks ereft and bold, " With horrid fhade his temples feeniM to fold, '* His beard, the reft conceal'd, a black difguife. Orlando FuRioso. 322 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. But the good man happening feveral times to exert himfelf rather too much, had nearly tumbled headlong out of his portable pul- pit ; thefe accidents the mob uncharitably af- cribed to the liquor that he had drank, and with mud, ftones, dead cats, &c. drove him otF every time he came, until at laft our preacher took his leave of them with faying, *' that he perceived it was in vain to attempt their converfion, as he faw that God had given them over to the hardnefs of their hearts," I mud inform you that this devout zealous preacher lived many years before this, and fome years after, with a very holy fifler, and begot fons and daughters, without being ' brought into bondage, by fubmitting to the carnal ordinance of marriage. I have been lately informed, that his enthufiafm and fuper- ftition, at laft, entirely deprived him of the fmali remains of reafon, and that he died in a private mad-houfe, BuC LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 3J5 But although this holy man deferted them, yet other fpiritual knights-errant were not wanting, fo that a little time hefore the heaps of ftones which lay for years in Moor- fields were removed, for the purpofe of build- ing on the fpot, I have feen five or fix in a day preaching their initiation fermons from thofe elevated fituations, until they could collect a fufficient fum of money to purchafe pulpits. Some of thefe excellent preachers received the whole of their divine education and took up their degrees in Moorfields, and in due time, after having given ample and fatisfa6lory proofs of being properly quali- fied, have been admitted to profeflbrfhips in the noble College fituated on the fouth fide of thofe fields, generally known by the name oi Bedlam, You mufi: know, Sir, that many of the lazy part of the community fet ip ftalls in Moorfields to buy and fell apples, old iron, &c. feveral of thefe having heard fuch edifying difcourfcs frequently repeated as they fat at their fialls, and obferving the fuccefs which thofe kind of preachers met with, boldly rcfolved to make trial of their U 4 fpirituaj 324 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. fpirltual gifts on the heaps of .(lones, and have now totally abandoned their flails, and are gone forth as anfibalTadors of heaven. *' Thus poor Crifpin crazy for the praife, •' Of pulpit eloquence, to preach effays, " His 'prentice clerk ; his cobbling ftool his ftage j •• Flies to the fields with tabernacle rage ! *♦ With Rowland's (kill ere(f\s his orbs of fight, *' Or turns them ravifh'd ! on the inward light ! " New faith, all faving faith, proclaims aloud ! *■* Now deals damnation to the trembling crowd, *' Afk'd wKy for preaching he deferts his ftall, •' (Bred at Moorfields, or Tot'nham} hear him bawj, ** Eecaufe as how I feels I has a call." BusB-^'s Age of Genius, One of thefe who cannot read, lately in- formed me, that he had quitted all temporal concerns for the good of poor ignorant fin- ners, John Turpln, a waiter of an Inn at Dart- mouth, fome time late in 1791, made free with fome of his mafler's plate, and was whipped at the tall of a cart round the town, after which he went to Totnefs, about 12 miles from Dartmouth, and commenced me- tlix)diO: preacher j and a few months after he LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 325 he had the affurance to return to Dart- mouth to proclaim his converfion, and to preach what he was plea fed to call the gos- pel, and in that capacity he foon coUcded together as great a number of people round , his pulpit as before he had done round his cart, and among others he made a convert of the clerk of the parifh, who entertained him In his houfe at free coft. Some time this fpring (i 792) as he was one Sunday morning going towards the church with the clerk, he pretended to be feized on a hidden with grip- ing pains, and told the clerk that he mufl go back, on which the old fool of a clerk gave him the key of his houfe, and alfo a key of a clofet where he kept lome brandy, and advlfed him to go and take a glafs. On the old man's return from church, he miffed a watch, and on farther fcarch he mifled ano- ther watch, and upwards of twenty guineas in gold. And as the preacher was not to be found, he hired horfes, and with a conflable fet off in purfuit of this heavenly minded raf- fill, and about iifteen miles from Dartmouth they 326 LTTE OF J. LACKINGTON. they took him, with the whole of the pro- perty on him. At Exeter Affizes in March he was tried, found guilty and condemned to be hung; but was reprieved, and is fince fent to Botany-Bay, where perhaps he may have addrefs enough to get himfelf made chaplain to Barring- ton. As on his trial he told the judge, that if he would fend him to Botany-Bay, he would do much towards the glory of God, in fending one among the abandoned tranfports, who could call them to repentance, and bring them to Chrift the friend of the chief of linners. But before I take my leave of the fubje and even to the prefent day is not entirely done away. This difficulty was, in making private purchafes of libraries and par- cels of books, many of my cuftomers for fe- veral years had no obje(5lion to buy'mg of me becaufe I fold cheap, but were not equally inclined to fell me fuch books as they had no ufe for, or libraries that were left them at the death of relations, &:c. They reafoned (very plaufibly, it muft be confefled) thus : *' Lackington fells very cheap ; he therefore will not give much for what is offered him for fale. I will go to thofe who fell very dear ; as the more they fell their books for, the more they can afford to give for them.** This mode of reafoning, however fpecious it feems at firfl, will on due refledlion appear nugatory and erroneous, for the following reafons : I believ^e no one ever knew or heard of a covetous man that would fell his goods cheap : Z g But 370 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. But every one has heard of fuch chara6lers felling very dear ; and when a covetous per- fon makes a purchafe, is it likely that he fhould offer a generous price ? Is he not when buying influenced by the fame avari- cious difpofition as when felling ? And on the other hand, I cannot help thinking (1 am aware of the inference) that one who has been conflantly felling cheap for a feries of years muft poffefs fome degree of generofity ; that this difpofition has prevailed in me when I have been called to purchafe, and when libraries or parcels of books have been fent to me, thoufands in the three kingdoms can witnefs. And however paradoxical it may appear, I will add, that 1 can afford to give more for books now, than I could if I fold them much dearer. For, were I to fell them dear, 1 fhould be ten times longer in felling them ; and the expences for ware- houfe-room, infurance from fire, together with the interefl of the money lying long in a dead ftock, would prevent my giving a large price when books were offered for fale. But LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 371 But it did not appear in this point of view to the public in the more early flages of my bufinefs, until being often fent for after other bookfellers had made offers for libraries, and finding that 1 would give more than they had offered, it was communicated from one to another until it became puljlicly known; and the following method which I adopted fome years fince has put the matter beyond the fhadow of a" doubt. When I am called upon to purchafe any library or parcel of books, either myfelf or my afTiftants carefully examine them, and if defired to fix a price, I mention at a word the utmoft that I will give for them, which I always take care (hall be as much as any bookfeller can afford to give : but if the feller entertains any doubts refpeding the price of- fered, and choofes to try other bookfellers, he pays me five per cent, for valuing the books ; and as he knows what I have valued them at, he tries among the trade, and when he finds that he cannot get any greater fum offered, on returning to me, he not Z 4 only 372 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. only receives the price I at firft offered, but alfo a return of the five per Cent, which was paid me for the valuation. But to fuch as fix a price on their own books I make no charge (if In, or very near town) either taking them at the price at which they are offered to me, or if that ap* pear too much, immediately declining the purchafe. This equitable mode I have the pleafure to find has given the public the utraofl fatlsfaclion. I am, Dear Friend, Yours, LETTER LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 373 LETTER XXXV. ** Behold, Sir Balaam, now a man of fpirit, ** Afcribes his gettings to his parts and merit," Pope, •• Weak truth cannot your reputation fave, *' The knaves will all agree to call you knave : ** Wrong'd (hall he live, infulted, o'er oppreft, •* Who dares be lefs a villain than the reft." Satyr againll Man. DEAR FRIEND, When I was flrft initiated into the various manoeuvres pra<3:ired by bookfellers, I found it cuftomary among them, (which practice ftill continues) that when any books had not gone off fo rapidly as expe£led, or fo faft as to pay for keeping them in ftore, they would put what re- mained of fuch articles into private fales, where only bookfellers are admitted, and of them only fuch as were invited by having a catalogue fent them. At one of thefe fales I have frequently feen feventy or eighty thou- fand volumes fold after dinner, including books 374 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. books of every defcription, good, bad, and indifferent ; by this means they were dlftri- buted through the trade. •o' When firft invited to thefe trade fales, I was very much furprifed to learn, that it was common for fuch as purchafed remainders, to dejlroy one half or three fourths of fuch books, and to charge the full publication price, or nearly that, for fuch as they kept on hand ; and there was a kind of {landing order amongft the trade, that in cafe any one was known to fell articles under the publica- tion price, fuch a perfon was to be excluded from trade fales ; fo blind were copy-right- holders to their own intereft. For a fhort time I cautioufly complied with this cuflom ; but I foon began to refledl that many of thefe books fo deftroyed, pof- fefled much merit, and only wanted to be better known j and that if others were not worth fix (hillings, they were worth three, or two, and fo in proportion for higher or lower priced books. From LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 375 From that time I refolved not to deftroy any books that were worth faving, but to fell them off at half, or a quarter of the pub- lication prices. By felling them in this cheap manner, I have dlfpofed of many hundred thoufand volumes, many thoufands of which have been intrinfically worth their original prices. This part of my condudl, however, though evidently highly beneficial to the com- munity, and even to bookfellers, created me many enemies among the trade ; fome of the meaner part of whom, inftead of employing their time and abilities in attending to the in- creafe of their own buf^nefs, aimed at reducing mine; and by a variety of pitiful infinuatlons and dark inuendoes, ilrained every nerve to Injure the reputation I had already acquired with the public, determined, (as they wifely concluded) thus to effed my ruin j which indeed they daily prognofticated, with a de- mon-like fpirit, muft inevitably very fpeedlly follow. This condudl, however, was far from intimidating me, as the effedl proved diredlly oppofite to what they wifhed for and expected. 376 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. expe£led, and I found the rerpe6t and con- fidence of the public continually increafing, which added very confiderably to the number of my cuftomers : It being an unqueftion- able faft, that before I adopted this plan, great numbers of perfons were very defirous of poffeffing fome particular books, for which however (from various motives) they were not Inclined to pay the original price j as fome availed themfelves of the opportunity of borrowing from a friend, or from a cir- culating library, or having once read them, though they held the works in efteem, might deem them too dear to purchafe ; or they might have a copy by them, which from their own and family's frequent ufe (or jeoding to friends) might not be in fo good a condition as they could wifh, though ra- ther than purchafe them again at the full price, they would keep thofe they had ; or again, they might be defirous to purchafe them to make prefents of i or they migfit have a commiliion from a correfpondent in the country, or abroad, and wifh to gain a Imall LIFE OF J, LACKINGTON. 377 fmall profit on the articles for their trouble, not to mention the great numbers that would have been given to the poor. Thoufands of others have been effediually prevented from purchafing, (though anxious fo to do) whofe circumftances in life would not permit them to pay the full price, and thus were totally excluded from the advan- tage of improving their underflandings, and enjoying a rational entertainment. And you may be affured, that it affords me the moft pleafing fatisfa£lion, independent of the emo- luments which have accrued to nie from this plan, when I refle61: what prodigious numbers in inferior or reduced fituations of life, have been effentially benefitted in con- fequence of being thus enabled to indulge their natural propenfity for the acquifition of knowledge, on eafy terms : nay, 1 could almoft be vain enough to alTert, that I have thereby been highly inftrumentai in diffufmg that general defire for reading, now xo prevalent amopg the inferior orders of fo- ci ety I 378 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. ciety ; which moft certainly, though it may not prove equally inflruftive to all, keeps them from employing their time and money, if not to bad, at leail to lefs rational purpofes. How happy fhould I have deemed myfelf in the earlier ftage of my life, if I could have met with the opportunity which every one capable of reading may now enjoy, of obtaining books at {o eafy a rate : Had that been the cafe, the Catalogue oi my juvenile library^ with which I prefented you in a former letter, would have made a more refpeftable appearance, and I might poffibly have been enabled when I purchafed Young's Night Thoughts for a Chrijitnas dinner, to have at the fame time bought a joint of meat, and thus enjoyed both a mental and corpo- real feaft, as well as pleafed my wife, (which 1 need not inform you the ladies fay every good hufband ought to do.) But after all, quere. Whether if I had enjoyed fuch an advantage, fhould I ever have thought of commencing bookfeller ? If not, iliould I have LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 379 have been the great man I now feel myfelf, and hope you acknowledge me to be ? In my next I will make a few obfervations on purchafing manufcripts, bookfellers libe- rahty, authors turning publilhers, &c. in the mean time, I am. Dear Friend, Yours. LETTER 38o LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. LETTER XXXVI. •* High In the world of letters and of wit, ** Enthron'd like Jove behold opinion fit ! •* As fymbols of her fway, on either hand •' Th' unfailing urns of praife and cenfure ftand ; ** Their mingled ftreams her motley fervants (bed ** On each bold author's felf devoted head," Haylev. DEAR FRIEND, A Promlfed in my lail to give you a few remarks on purchafmg manu- fcripts j and as 1 feldom make fuch pur- chafes, and but rarely publifli any new books, I think you may fairly credit me for impar- tiality. Nothing is more common than to hear authors complaining againft publifliers, for want of liberality in purchaiing their manufcripts. But I cannot help thinking that mofl: ofthefe complaints are ground lefsj and that were all things confidered^ publifhers (at leafl: many of thtm) would be allowed to pofiefs more liberality than any other fet of tradefmen, I mean fo far as relates to the purchafmg manufcripts and copy-right. Not LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 381 Not to trouble you with a long enumera- tion of inftances in confirmation of this affer- tion, I fhall barely mention the following : It is owing to the encouragement of book- fellers that the public is poflefled of that valuable work Johnfon*s Didlonary : and the fame liberality to the do6lor in refpe£t to that publication, his edition of Shakefpeare, and the Englifh Poets, will always reflect honour on the parties. So fenfible was the do6lor of this, that he afferted bookfellers were the beft Mi£cenas*s. Pope, the late Sir John Hawkins, Dr. Cullen, Hume, Dr. Hill, Dr. Robertfon, the prefent Mr. Gibbon, Sec. See. are all ftriking inftances of the truth of my obfer- vation. As 1 feel a pleafure in mentioning ads of liberality wherever they occur, fufFer me to quote the following palTage from Sir John Hawkins's Life of Dr. Johnfon : A a " The 382 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. *' The bookfellers with whom Mr. Cham- bers had contraded for his didllonary, find- ing that the work fucceeded beyond their cxpc<^ations, made him a voluntary prefent of, I think, 500I. Other inllances of the like generofity have been known of a pro- feffion of men, who, in the debates on the Queftion of literary property, have been de- fcribed as fcandalous monopolizers, fattening at the expence of other men*s ingenuity, and growing opulent by oppreflion." He alfo fays, that Do£lor Hill earned in one year 1 500I. by his pen. The late Mr. Elliot, bookfeller, of Edin- burgh, gave Mr. Smellie a thoufand pounds for his Philofophy of Natural Hiftory, when only the heads of the chapters was wrote. Hume received only 200I. for one part of the Hiftory of Britain, but for the remainder of that work he had 5000I. Dr. Robertfon was paid for his Hiftory of Scotland but 600I, but for his Charles V. he received 4500I. Dr. Blair obtained the higheft price for Ser- mons that ever was given ; they were pur- chafed LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 383 chafed by Mr. Cadell in the Strand, and Mr. Creech of Edhiburgh, and after the firft two volumes of thefe Sermons were publiflied. Dr. Blair was farther rewarded from another quarter with apenfion of 200I. a year; Sher- lock's Sermons had a very great fale, as had Dr. White's and many others, but none ever fold fo well as Dr. Blair*s, and the fale of them is ftill as great as ever. It is confidently aflerted, that the late Dr. Hawkefworth received fix thoufand pounds for his compilation of Voyages, if fo (and I have never heard it contradi(5led) I leave it to any confiderate perfon to judge, whether in paying fo enormous a price, the publifhers did not run a great rilk, when it is confidered how great the expences of bringing forward fuch a work muft have been. I have alfo been informed, that David Mallet, Efq. was offered two thoufand pounds for Lord Bolingbroke*s Philofophical Works, which he refufed. A very few years fince, Mr. R — was paid fixteen hundred pounds to do a work, which A a 3 he 384 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON, he died without performing, and the money behig fpent, it was not recoverable. Before Dr. Rees engaged to revife and improve Chambers's Didionary of Arts and Sciences, very large fums for that purpofe had from time to time been obtained from the pro- prietors, by perfbns who never fulfilled their engagements. It ought alfo to be conlideixd, that fre- quently the money which is paid for the copy, is but trifling, compared with the expence of printing, paper, advertlfnig, &c. and hundreds of inftances may be adduced of publifhers having fuftained very great loffes, and many have been made bankrupts, through their liberality in purchafing manu- fcripts and publifliing them ; and on the other hand, it muft be acknowledged that fome publKliers have made great fortunes by their copy rights, but their number is compara- tively fmall. I have been told of bookfellers who fre- quently offer as low as half a guinea per volume for novels in manufcript ; it is a fliocking LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 385 fiiocklng price to be fure, but it flionld be remembered that as there are fome of the trade who are mean enough to wifh to obtain valuable copy-rights for nothing ; fo, on the other hand, many novels have been offered to bookfellersj indeed, many have actually been publifhed, that were not worth the expence of paper and printing, fo that the copy-right was dear at any price ; and it fliould be remarked, that authors in general are apt to form too great expetflations from their pro- dudions, many inftances of which I could give you, but I will only produce one. A gentleman a few years fmce fhewed a manufcript to a publifher, which he refufed to purchafe, but offered to be the publiflier if the gentleman would print it, &c. at his own expence, which he readily agreed to do; the publifher then defired to know how many copies fhould be printed, on which the gentleman began to compute how many families there were in Great Britain, \and affured the publifher that every family would at kajl purchafe one copy, but the pubHfher A a 3 not 386 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. not being of the fame opinion, our author then faid that he would print fixty thoufand copies only^ but added, he was afraid that another edition could not be got ready as foon as it would be wanted. However, after a long debate, the publifher prevailed on him to print only twelve hundred and fifty y inftead oi fixty thoufand^ but promifed in cafe another edition fhould be wanted in hafte, to make the printers work night and day, in order not to difappoint the public. This work was foon afterwards publifhed and ad- vertifed at a great rate, and for a long time, but to the infinite mortification of our au- thor, not one hundred copies were fold, not even enough indeed to pay for the advertife- ments. In the preceding Infiance, I am per- fuaded the publifher did hi? beft to promote the fale of the work ; but in general where authors keep their own copy-right they do not fucceed, and many books have been configned to oblivion, through the inat- tention and mifmanagementof publifhers, as moll of them are envious of the fuccefs of fuch works as do not turn to their own ac- count ; LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 387 count ', very many juft complaints are made on this head, fo that I am fully of opinion that for authors to fucceed well they (hould fell their copy-rights, or be previoufly well acquainted with the charadters of their pub- liihers. Many works may be mentioned that never fold well, whilft the author retained the copy-right, which fold rapidly after the copy- right was fold to the trade; and no wonder, for if the publi/her wiflies to pur- chafe the copy- right, he fometimes will take care to prevent the fale of it, in order to make the author out of conceit with the book, and be willing to part with the copy- right for a mere trifle; but this is only true of feme publifhers ; I am forry that any fuch fhould be found, but I am fure as to the fad. As I have before obfcrved, there are fbme authors who become their own publlfhers, but that mode will fcldom or never anfwer, as fifty to one might be fold by being ex- pofed to view, and recommended in book- A a 4 fellers 388 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. fellers (hops, where ladles and gentlemen are continually calling to purchafe feme books, and to turn over others, and often by dip- ping into publications are led to purchafe fuch as they had no intention to buy. But authors fhould be reminded that there are many who would not go to private houfes to look over books when they are not certain to purchafe, and where, if they do. purchafe, they are to take them home in their pockets, or be at the trouble of fending for them, which is not the cafe when they purchafe at a bookfeller's fhop. And all authors (hould be fure to give the full allowance to the trade, or their works can never have a great fale, as no bookfeller can reafonably be ex- peded to promote the file of a work in which he is abridged of his ufual profits, and the more liberality authors exercife to- wards the trade, the greater will be their profits in the end. For it is inconceivable what mifchief bookfellers can and ofren will do to authors, as thoufands of books are yearly written for to London, that are never fcntj and in thefe cafes many plaufible rea- LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 389 fons are affigned by them for fuch omiffions, As, " The book Is too dear, or it is out of print ; the author is Icarce ever at home ; he gives too much trouble ; he does not keep his work bound, or fewed ; he is gone from his former lodging, and no one knows where to find him ; the work is not worth your pur- chafing ; fuch a one has wrote much better on thefubje£l/* &c. &c. and in fuch cafes, what redrefs can an author have for fo elTential an injury ? I am, Dear Friend, Yours. LETTER 39© LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. LETTER XXXVn. «* Books, of all earthly things my chief delight j •* My cxercife by day, and dreams by night ; •• Difpaflion'd mafters, friends without deceit, ** Who flatter not ; companions ever fwect ; ** With whom I'm always cheerful, from whom rife, •* Improv'd and better, if not good and wife; «• Grave, faithful counfellors, who all excite, •• Inftruft and ftrengthen to behave aright ; *• Admonilh us, when fortune makes her Court, ** And when fhe's abfent, folace and fupport. •* Happy the man to whom ye are well known, " *Tis his own fault if ever he's alone," Anonymous. DEAR FRIEND, Although the refuit of the plan which I adopted for reduchig the price of books, as mentioned in my laft, was a vafl: increafe of purchafers, yet at the fame time I found a prodigious accumulation of my expences ; which will not appear ftrange, when I inform you, that I made proportionably large purchafes, fuch as two hundred copies of one book, three hundred of another, five hundred of a third, a thou- fand LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 39^ fand of a fourth, two thoufand of a fifth, nay, fomethnes I have purchafed fix thou- fand copies of one book, and at one time I actually had no lefs than ten thousand COPIES of Watts's Pfalms, and the fame number of his Hymns, in my poireffion. In addition to thefe, I purchafed very large numbers of many thoufand different arti- cles, at trade fales of all forts, as bankrupt fales, fales of fuch as had retired from bufi- nefs, others caufed by the death of bookfellers, fales to reduce large ftocks, annual fales, &c. that you may form fome idea, I muft inform you that at one of the above fales, I have purchafed books to the amount of five thou- fand pounds in one afternoon. Not to men- tion thofe purchafed of authors, and tovi^n and country bookfellers, by private contrad, &c, to a very confiderable amount. My expences were alfo exceedingly increafed by the ne- ceffity I was under of keeping each article in a variety of different kinds of bindings, to fuit the various taftes of my cuftomers ; be- lides paying my bills for the above, I was always obliged to find ready money to pay for 392 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. for libraries and parcels of fecond-hand books, which after a while poured in upon me from town and country. So that I often look back with artonifhment at my courage (or temerity, if you pleafe) in purchafing, and my wonderful fuccefs in taking money fuf- ficient to pay the extenfive demands that were perpetually made upon me, as there is not another inftance of fuccefs fo rapid and conftant under fuch circumflances. Some indeed there have been, who for two or three years, purchafed away very faft, but could not perfevere, as they were unable to fell with equal rapidity : for no one that has not a quick fale can pofTibly fucceed with large numbers. For fuppoling that a book- feiler expends a thoufand pounds in the pur- chafe of four articles (I have often done that in only one article) and thefe are bought at a quarter the ufual price, the interell: of the money is fifty pounds a year ; befides which, fome allowance muft be made for warehoufe- room, infurance from fire, &c. fo that grant- ing he might fell a few of each article every year at four times the price he firft paid for them, LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 393 them, yet if he does not fell enough to pay the intereft and other expences of thofe that remahi, he is, after all, on the lofing fide ; which has been the cafe with the major part of fuch as have purchafed a large number of one book, and I have known many inllances of bookfellers purchafing articles at a quarter the price, and felling them at the full price, and yet have not had two per cent, for their money. For feveral years together I thought I fliouid be obliged to defift from purchafing a large number of any one article ; for although by not giving any credit I was enabled to fell very cheap, yet the heavy flock of books in fheets often diflieartened me, fo that I more than once refolved to leave off purchafing all fuch articles where the number was very large. But, fomehow or other, a torrent of bufinefs fuddenly poured in upon me on all fides, fo that I very foon forgot my refolu- tion of not making large purchafes, and now find my account in firmly adhering to that method; and being univerfally known for making 394 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. making large purchafes, mofl: of the trade in town and country, and alfo authors of every dercription,are continually furnilliing nne with opportunities. In this branch of trade it is next to impoflible for me ever to have any formidable rivals, as it requires an uncom- mon exertion, as well as very uncommon fuccefs, and that for many years together, to rife to any great degree of eminence in that particular line. This fuccefs mufl be attained too, without the aid of novelty^ which I found to be of very gre*at fervice to me : And fliould any perfon begin on my plan and fucceed extremely well, he could never fuperfede me, as I am fllU enlarging my bulinefs every year, and the more it is extended the cheaper I can afford to fell ; fo that though I may be purfued, I cannot be overtaken, except I fhould (as fome others have done) be fo infatuated and blinded by prafperlty, as to think that the public would continue their favours, even though the plan of bulinefs w^ere reverfed. But as the firft king of Bohemia kept his country fhoes by him, to remind him from whence he was taken, LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON, 395 taken, I have put a motto on the doors of my carnage, conftantly to remuid me to what I am indebted for my profperity, viz. <* SMALL PROFITS DO GREAT THINGS." And I aflure you, Sir, that reflecting on the means by which I have been enabled to fup- port a carriage, adds not a little to the plea- fure of riding in it. I believe I may, with- out being deemed cenibrious, affert, that there are fome who ride in their carriages, who cannot reflecfl on the means by which they were acquired with an equal degree of fatisfadion. ** If fplendor charm not, yet avoid the fcorn ** That treads on lowly ftations, think of fome ** Afllduous booby mounting o'er your head, '* And thence with faucy grandeur looking down ; *' Think of (refledtion's ftab !) the pitying friend, «• With flioulder fliriigg'd, and forry. Think that time •• Has golden minutes, if difcreetly feiz'd. '• Riches and fame are induftry's reward. ** The nimble runner courfes fortune down, " And then he banquets, for fhe feeds the bold." , Dr. Sneyd Davies to F. Coniwallis. I am, dear Friend, yours. LETTER 396 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. LETTER XXXVIIL " Thofe who would learning's glorious kingdom find, *' The dear-bought treafure of the trading mind, *' From many dangers muftthemfelves acquit, " And more than Scylla and Charybdis meet. " Oh ! what an ocean mufl; be voyaged o'er, •• To gain a profped of the (hining ftore ! " Refifting rocks oppofe th* enquiring fouJ, ** And adverfe waves retard it as they roll. *' The little knowledge now which man obtains, *' Frorh outward objefts and from fenfe he gains j ** He like a wretched flave mufl plod and fweat, " By day muff toil, by night that toil repeat ; " And yet, at laff, what little fruit he gains, •* A beggar's harveft glean'd with mighty pains !** POMFRET, DEAR FRIEND, XT has been afked, times in- numerable, how I acquired any tolerable degree of knowledge, fo as to enable me to form any ideas of the merits or demerits of books ; or how I became fufficiently ac- quainted with the prices that books were commonly fold for, fo as to be able to buy and fell; particularly books in the learned and foreign languages. Many have thought that LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 397 that from the beginning I always kept (hop- men to furnifh me with inflriidions neceflary to carry on my bufinefs ; but you and all my old friends and acquaintances well know that not to have been the cafe ; as for the firft: thirteen years after 1 became a bookfeller, I. never had one ihopman who knew any thing of the worth of books, or how to write a iingle page of catalogue properly, much lefa to compile the whole. I always UTote them mylelf, fo long as my health would permit : indeed I continued the practice for years after my health was much impaired by too conftant an application to that and reading; and when I was at lail: obliged to give up writing them, I for feveral catalogues ftood by and didlated to others ; even to the pre- fent time I take fome little part in their compilation ; and as I ever did, I ftlll conti- nue to fix the price to every book that is fold in my fhop^ except fuch articles as are both bought and fold again while I am out of town. 1 have now^ many affiftants in my fhop, who buy, fell, and in fhort tranfa *' Their force united, crowns the fprightly reign." J Elphinston's Horace. The LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 40^ The inflrudions that I received from men and books were often like the feeds fown among thorns, the cares of the world choaked them : ** My head was full of houfehold cares, ** And neceflary dull affairs." Lord Lyttleton. So that although I understand a little of many branches of literature, yet my know- ledge is, after all, I freely confefs, but fuperficial ; which indeed I need not have told you. As Montaigne faid two hundred years ago, I may fay now, ** Firave a fmatch *' of every thing, and nothing thoroughly *' a-Ia-mode de Francoife. As to my natural " parts, I often find them to bow under the *' burden; my fancy and judgment do but *' grope in the dark, daggering, tripping, " and flumbling; and when 1 have gone as *' far as I can, I am by no means fatisfied.; " I fee more land ftill before me, but fo *' wrapped up in clouds, that my dim fight " cannot diftinguifh what it is.'* However, fuperficial as it is, it affords me an endlefs iburce of pleafure. ** And 468 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. ** And books are rtill my higheft joy, " Thefe earlieft pleafe, and lateft cloy." Soame Jen yks. It has alfo been of very great ufe to me in bufi- nefs^ as it enabled me to put a value on thou- fands of articles, before I knew whatfuch books were commonly fold at : *tis true I was fome- times miftaken, and have fold a very great number of different articles much lower than I ought, even on my own plan of felling very cheap, yet that never gave me the fmalleft concern ; but if I difcovered that I had (as fometimes was the cafe) fold any articles too dear, it gave me much uneafinefs ; for whether I had any other motives I will leave to fuch as are acquainted with me to determine, but I reafoned thusj if I fell a book too dear, I perhaps lofe that cuilomer and his friends for ever, but if I fell articles conliderably under their real value, the purchafer will come again and recommend my fliop to his acquaintances, {o that from the principles of felf-intereft I would fell cheap ; I always was inclined to reafon in this manner, and nine years fince a very trifling circumftance operated much upon LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 409 upon my mind, and fully convinced me my judgment was right on that head. Mr?. Lackington had bought a piece of linen to make me fome fhirts ; when the linen-dra- per's man brought it into my (liop, fhree ladies were prefent, and on feeing the cloth opened, alked Mrs. L. What it coil per yard: on being told the price, they all faid it was very cheap, and each lady went and pur- chafed the fame quantity, to m.ake fiiirts for their hufbands, thofe pieces were again dif- played to their acquaintances, fo that the linen-draper got a deal of cuftom from that very circumftance ; and I refolved to do likewife. However trifling this anecdote may appear, you will pardon me for intro* ducing it, when you reflc:£l that it was pro-* du£live of very beneficial confequences, and that many greater efFc£ls have arifen from as trivial caufes. We are even told that Sir Ifaac Newton would probably never have ftudied the lyftem of gravitation had he net been under an apple tree, when fome of the fruit loofened from the branches and fell to the 410 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. the earth ; it was the queftion of a fimple gardener concerning a pump, that led Galileo to {iudy and difcover the weight of the air. To the tones of a welch harp, are we indebted for the bard of Gray ; and Gibbon formed the defign of that truly great work, his Hirtory of the Decline of the Roman Empire, while viewing the ruins of the Capitol. *' I.uU'd in the countlefs chambers of the brain, " Our thoughts are link'd hy many a hidden chain ; *' Awake but one, and In, what myriads rife ! " Kach flamps its image as the other flies." Pleafures of Memory. I am, Dear Friend, Yours, LETTER LIFE OF J. LACKINGTONo 411 LETTER XXXIX. «* — — Honeft Englifhmen, who never were abroad, '* Like England only, and its tafle applaud, ♦♦ Strife ftill fubfifts, which yields the better gout j *• Books or the world, the many or the few, •' True tafte to me is by this touchftone known, «* That's always beft that's neareft to vay own," Man of Tafle. * ' In my Delia all endowments meet ; " All that is juft, agreeable, or fweet, ** All that can praife and admiration move j ** All that the wifed and the braveft love, " Her thoughts are manly, and fenfe refin'd. Pom fret* DEAR FRIEND, XT has been long fiiice re- marked, that a perfon may be well ac- quainted with books, or in other words, may be a very learned man, and yet remain almoll totally ignorant of men and manners^ as Mallet remarks of a famous divine: *• While Bentley, long to wrangling fchools confin'd, *' And but by books acquainted with mankind, '* Dares, in the fulnefs of the pedant's pride, ' ** - 'Tho' no judge decide." Verbal Criticifm. jHencg 412 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTOM. Hence many fine chimerical lyftems of law, govern nment, &c. have been fpun out of the prolific brains of the learned, which have only ferved to amufe others as learned and as unacquainted with mankind as the authors, and have frequently produced a number of remarks, replies, obfervatlons, fevere (not to fay fcurrilous) critlcifms, and new lyflems and hypothefes; thefe again gave birth to frefli remarks, rejoinders, &c. ad {infinituin) , Thefe learned men, after tiring themfelves and the public, have gene- rally left them juft as wife on the fubje£l as when they began, nay often *' From the fame hand how various Is the page ; " What civil war their brother pamphlets rage ? " Trads battle trafts, felf-contradiftions glare." Young» The reading and fludylng of Hiflory, Voyages, Travels, &c. will no doubt con- tribute much to that kind of knowledge, but will not alone be fufficlent ; in order to become a proficient in that ufeful branch of knowledge. " man know thyself I" was a precept of the ancient philofophers. But lean fcarce think it polfible for any man to be LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 413 be well acquainted with himfelf, without his poffeffing a tolerable degree of knowledge of the reft of mankind. In the former part of my life I faw a deal of what is called low life, and became acquainted with the cuf- toms, manners, difpofitlons, prejudices, &c. of the labouring part of the community, in various cities, towns, and villages j for years paft, I have fpent fome of my leifure hours among that clafs of people who are called opulent or genteel tradefmen ; nor have I been totally excluded from higher circles. The middle ftation of life (fays Hume) is the moft favourable to the acquiring of wif- dom and abiHty, as well as of virtue, and a man fo fortunate has abetter chance of attain- ing a knowledge both of men and things, than thofe of a more elevated ftation. He enters with more familiarity into human life ; every tiling appears in its natural co- lours before him ; he has more leifure to form obfervations, and has befides the motive of ambition to pufti him on in his attainments, being certain that he can never rife to any C c diftintSlion^ ^H LIFE OF J. L/^CKINGTON. diflinclion, or eminence to the world, with- out his own indui^ry* But among aM the fchools where the knowledge of mankind is to be acquired, I know of none equal to that of a hooh/ellers Jhop, A bookfeller who has any tafte in li- terature, may in fome meafure be faid to feed his mind as cooks and butchers wives get fat by the fmell of meat. If the mafter is of an inquifitive and communicative turn, and is in a confiderable line of bufinefs, his fliop vv^ill then be a place of re fort for men, women,, and children-, of various nations, and of more various capacities, difpofi- tions, &c. Who there but wifhes to prolong his ffay^ And on thofe cafes caft a ling'ring look ;. For wko to thoughtlefs ignorance a prey Ncglefts tohold Ihort dalliance with a book. Reports attraft the lawyer's parting eyes. Novels Lord Fopling and Sir Plume require. For fongs and plays the voice of beauty cries ;. And fenfe and nature Grandifon defire. To adduce a few inftances by way of illuf- f ration : — Here you may tind an old bawd inquiring LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 415 inquiring for *' The Countefs of Hunting- don's Hymn-book ;" an old worn-out rake^ for '* Harris's Lift of Covent-gardcn Ladiesf* fimple Simon, for *' The Art of writing Love- letters;" and Dolly for a Dream-book ; the lady of true tafte and delicacy wants Louifa Mathews ; and my lady*s maidy " Ovid's Art of Love;'* a doubting Chriftian, calls for *' The Crumbs of Comfort;'* and a prac- tical Aniinomian, for " Eton's Honeycomb of Free Juftification ;" the pious Church- woman, for ** The Week's Preparation f* And the Atheijl, for " Hammond's Letter to Dr. Prieftley ; Toulmin's Eternity of the World, and Hume*3 Dialogues on Natural Religion;" t\\t Mdthe?natician, {ox *' Sander- fon's Fluxions;" and the Beau, for *' The Toilet of Floi^a ;" the Courtier, for *' Ma- chiavel's Prince," or " Burke on the Revo- lution in France ;" and a Republican, for " Paine's Rights of Man;" the tap-room Po- litician, wants " TkeHiftory of Wat Tyler," or of *' The FiHierman of Naples;" and an oldChelfeaP^;^i yns. LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 439 *' Solitude (fays Cowley) can be well fitted and fet aright, but upon very few perfons. They have knowledge enough of the world to fee the follies of it; and virtue enough to defpife all vanity." The profits of my bufinefs the prefent year 1791, will amount to four thousand POUNDS *. What it will increafe to I know not ; but if my health will permit me to carry it on a few years longer, there is very great probability, confidering the rapid increafe which each fucceeding year has produced, that the profits will be double what they now are; for I here pledge my reputation as a tradefman, never to deviate from my old plan of giving as much for libraries as it is poffible for a tradefman to give, and felling them and new publications alfo, for the fame SMALL PROFITS that have been attended with fuch aftoni filing fuccefs for fome years paft. And I hope that my afliflants will alfo perfevere in that attentive obliging mode of * Since this was wrote, my bufinefs is enlarged, in 1792, my profits were about 5000]. condud 44© LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. conduiSt which has (o long difUngulfhed No. 46 and 47, Chlfwell-ftrect, Moorfields ; con- fcions, that fliould I ever be weak enough to adopt an oppofite line of conduct, or permit thofe who a6t under my diredlioii fo to do, I fliould no longer meet with the very extra- ordinary encouragement and fupport which I have hitherto experienced ; neither fliould I have the fmalleft: claim to a continuance of it under fuch circumftances. I am. Dear Friend, Yours. LETTER LIFE OF J. LACKTNGTON. 441 LETTER XLL " But by your revenue meafure your expence, ** And to your funds and acres join your fenfe." Young's Love of Fame. *• Learn what thou ow'ft thy country and thy friend, *' What's rcquifitc to fpare, and what to fpend." Dryden's Perfius, DEAR FRIEND, X HE open manner of ftating my profits will no doubt appear flrange to many who are not acquainted with my lin- gular condudt in that and other refpefts. But you, Sir, know that I have for fourteen years paft kept a ftrifl: account of my profits. Every book in my pofleffion, before it is offered to fale is marked with a private mark, what it cofl me, and with a public mark of what it is to be fold for; and every article, whether the price is fix-pence or fixty pounds, is entered in a day-book as it is fold, with the price it coft and the money it fold for: and each night the profits of the day are caft up by one of my fliopmen, as every one of them 442 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. them underftand my private marks. Every Saturday night the profits of the week are added together and mentioned before all my fhopmen, &c. the week's profits, and alfo the expences of the week are then entered one oppofite the other, in a book kept for the purpofe ; the whole fum taken in the week is alfo fet down, and the fum that has been paid for books bought. Thefe accounts are kept publicly in my Ihop, and ever ha\© been fo, as I never faw any reafon for con- cealing them, nor was ever jealous of any of my men's profiting by my example and tak- ing away any of ray bufinefs, as I always found that fuch of them as did fet up for themfelves came to my fliop, and purchafed to the amount often times more than they hindered me from felling. By keeping an account of my profits, and alfo of my ex- pences, I have always known how to regu- late the latter by the former. '' To live above ourflation, fhewsa proud heart; and to live under it, difcovers a narrow loul.'* Horace fays, •• A part LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 443 " A part I will enjoy as well as keep, " My heir may figh and think it want of grace; " But fure no llatute in his favour fays, ** How free or frugal I fhall pafs my days. •* I get and fometimes fpend, and at others fpare, *' Divided between careleflhefs and care." And I have done that, without the trifling way of fettlng down a halfpenny 7 worth of matches, or a penny for a turnpike. I have one perfon In the fhop w^hofe confl:ant em- ployment it is to receive all the cafh, and difcharge all bills that are brought for payment, and if Mrs. Lackington wants money for houfe-keeping, &c. or if I want money for hobby-horjesy Sec, we take five or ten guineas, pocket it, and fet down the fum taken out of trade as expended ; when that is gone we repeat our application, but never take the trouble of fetting down the iiems. But fuch of my fervants as are entrufted to lay out money are always obliged to give in their accounts, to (hew how each fum has been expended. ** Blefs'd who with order their affairs difpofc, :'s Hefiod. It ** But rude confufion is the fource of woes." Cooke's Hefiod. 444 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. It may not be improper here to take a little notice of fome very late infinuations of my old envious friends. It has been fug- gefted that I am now grov/n immenfely rich, and that having already more property than I can reafonably expe£t to live to expend, and no young family to provide for, I for thefe reafons ought to decline my bufinefs, and no longer engrofs trade to myfelf that ouffht to be divided into a number of chan- nels, and thus fupport many families. In anfwer to which I will obferve, that fome of thefe objectors were in trade before me, and when I firft embarked in the profeffion of a bookfeller, defpifed me for my mean beginning. When afterwards I adopted my plan of felling cheap, and for ready-money only, they made themfelves very merry at my expence, for expedling to fucceed by fo ridiculous a projedl, (as they in their confum- mate wifdom were pleafed to term it) and predeftined my ruin, fo that no doubt I ought to comply with any thing thiy dcfire, however unreafonable it may appear to me. To LtFE OF j. LACKINGTON. 445 To deny that I have a competence, would be unpardonable Ingratitude to the public, to go no higher : ** 'Tis one thing madly to derpife my ftore : ** Another not to heed to treafure more ; " Glad like a boy to fnatch the firft good dayj " And pleas'd if fordid want be far away. ** Whatis't to me (a paffenger God wot) *' Whether the veffel be firft rate or nou " The ftiip itfelf may make a better figure, " But I that fail, neither lefs nor bigger ; •* I neither ftrut with ev'ry fav'ring breath, ** Nor ftrive with all the tempeftin my teeth; *' In power, wit, figure, virtue, fortune, plac'd, *' Behind the foremoft, and before the laft. " Divided between carelefTnefs and care, •* Sometimes I fpend, at other times I fpare." FoRTESQUE, But to Infinuate that I am getting money for no good purpofe, is falfe and inviduous *. * When I wrote my life in 1791, I had no partner. In the fummer of 1793, I fold Mr. Robert Allen one fourth Ihare of the profits of my trade. This young gentleman was brought up in mylhop, and of courfe is well acquainted with my me^ thod of doing bufinefs ; and having been a witnefs to the profitable effefls refulting from fmall profits, is as much in love with that mode of tranfading bufinefs as I am, and as the trade is continually increafing, I fuppofe I ftiall be obli- ged to take another quarter partner very foon, as I cannot bear to fee even trifles negle'^ed. E e The 446 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. The great apoftle St. Paul, who was an humble follower of Christ, thought he^ might be permitted to boail of himfelf a little. ** If a man (fays Selden) does not take notice of that excellency and perfesSllon that is in himfelf, how can he be thankful to Gocf who is the author of ir. Nay, if a man hath too mean an opinion of himfelf, it will ren- der him unferviceable both to God and man. He adds, pride may be allowed to this or that degree, eife a man cannot keep up to his dig- nity." Montaigne fiys, " that to fpeak more of one's felf than is really true, is not only prefumption but folly j and for a man to fpeak lefs of himfelf than he really is, is folly, not modefty ; and to take that for cur- rent pay, which is under a man's value, is cowardice and pufillanimity.'* Ariflotle fays^ *' no virtue affirtsitfelf with falfhood, and that truth is never fubje^t matter of error.'' *' Falfe modeily (fays Bruyere) is the iTioik cunning fort of vanity ; by this a man never appears what he is.** After which, 1 fuppofe it LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 447 It will not be thought very prefnmptuous in me, if I fhould flate a few fads, merely to jufti fy my conduft in carrying on nay trade beyond the time that certain perfons would prefcribe to me. It is now about five years fince I began to entertain ferious thoughts of going out of bufuiefs, on account of the bad ftate of health which both Mrs. Lacklngton and myfelf have laboured under ; and having no delire to be rich, we adopted Swift's prayer, ** Preferve almighty providence ! *' Juft what you gave me, competence, *' Remov'd from all th' ambitious fcene, ** Nor pufF'd by pride, nor funk by fpleen." But it was then fuggefted by feveral of my friends, that as I had about fifty poor rela- tions, a great number of whom are children, others are old and nearly helplefs, and that many had juftly formed fome expedations from me : therefore to give up fuch a trade as I was in poffeffion of, before I was abfo- lutely obliged to do it, would be a kind of injujlke to thofe whom by the ties of blood I E e 2 was 448 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON was in fome meafure bound to relieve and protect. *' Twice five and twenty coufins have implor'd, •♦ That help, his purfe, they cry, can well afFord." Comforts of Marriage. Thefe and other confiderations induced me to wave the thoughts of precipitating myfelf out of fo extenfive and lucrative a bufinefs ; and in the mean time I apply a part of the profits of it to maintain my good old mother, who is alive at Wellington in Somerfetfliire, her native place. I have two aged men and one woman, whom I fupport : and I have alfo four children to maintain and educate, three of thefe children have loft their father, and alfo their mother (who was my fifter) the other child has both her parents living, but they are poor ; many others of my rela- tions are in the fame circumftances, and ftand in need of my affiftance, fo that *' If e'er I've mourn'd my humble, lowly ftate, " If e'er I've bow'd my knee at fortune's fiirine, •* If e'er a with efcap'd me to be great, *' The fervent prayer, humanity, was thine. •* Perifh LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 449 " Peridi the man who hears the piteous tale " Unmov'd, to whom the heart-felt glow's unknown ; ** On whom the widow's plaints could ne'er prevail, *• Nor made the injur'd wretches caufc his own. " How little knows he the extatic joy, *' The thrilling blifs of cheering wan defpair! ** How little knows the pleafing v/arm employ, ♦* That calls the grateful tribute of a tear. •' The fplendid dome, the vaulted rock to rear, " The glare of pride and pomp, be, grandeur, thine ! ** To wipe from mifery's eye the wailing tear, *' And foothe the opprcffed orphans woe, be mine." It has alio been frequently faid, tliat by felling my books very cheap, I have mate- rially injured other bookfellers both in town and country. But I dill deny the charge : and here 1 will firtl: obferve, that I have as jufl: a reafon to complain of them for givirig credit, as they can have for my felling cheap and giving 710 credit ; as it is well known that there are many thoufands of people ever}^ where to be found who will decline purchafing at a (hop where credit Is denied, when they can find (hopkeepers enough who will readily give it ; and as I frequently lofe cuftomers who having always been accuftom- ed to have credit, they will not take the E e 3 trouble 450 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. trouble to pay for every article as fent home ; thefe of courfe deal at thofe fliops who fol- low the old mode of bufinefs ; fo that In fuch cafes, I might fay to the proprietors of thefe fhops, ' You ought not to give any perfou * credit : becaufe by fo doing you are taking * cuftomers from me.' As to my hurting the trade by lelliiig cheap, they are, upon the whole, miilaken ; for although no doubt fome inftances will occur, in which they may obferve that the preference is given to my fl:»op, and the books purchafed of me on account of their being cheap; but they never confider how many books they difpofe of on the very fame account. As, however, this may appear rather paradoxical, I will ex- plain my meaning farther : I now fell more than one hundred thou- sand volumes annually ; many who purchafe P'^irt of thefe, do fo folely on account of their chcapnefs ; many thoufands of thefe books would have been dellroyed, as I have before re^iarked, but for my felling them on thofe very moderate ternas ; now when thoufands of LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 451 -of thefe articles are fold, they become known by being handed about in various circles of acquaintances, many of whom wifhing to be poffeffed of the fame books without enquir- ing the price of their friends, ftep into the firfl bookfeller's fhop, and give their orders for articles which they never would have heard of, had not I, by felling them cheap, been the original caufe of their being dif- perfed abroad ; fo that by means of the plan purfued in my (hop, whole editions of books are fold off, and new editwns printed of the works of authors^ Vv'ho but for that circum- llance would have been fcarce noticed at all. But (fay they) you not only fell fuch books cheap, as are but little known, but you even fell a great deal under price the very firft rate articles however well they may be known, or however highiy tiiey may be thought of by the literary world. I acknowledge the charge, and again repeat that as 1 do not give any credit, I really ought to do fo, and I may add, that in fonie meafure I am obliged to do it ; for who E e 4 would 452 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. would come out of their way to Chifwell- ftreet to pay me the fame price in ready monejj as they might purchafe for at the lirft fhop they came to, and have credit alfo. And although firft rate authors are very well known, yet I well know that by felling them cheaper than others, many are pur- chafed of me that never would have been purchafed at the full price, and every book that is fold tends to fpread the fame of the author, and rapidly extends the fale, and as I before remarked, fends more cuflomers to other fhops as well as to my own. I mufl; alfo inform you, that befides five or fix private catalogues of books in Iheets, for bookfellers only, I publilK two catalogues for the public every year, and of each of thofe public catalogues, I print above three thou- fand copies, moft of thofe copies are lent about from one to another, fo that fuppofmg,, only four perfons fee each copy, twenty f LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 521 places, fo that the obfervatlon of Crabfhaw's nurfe, hi " the Adventures of Sir Lancelot Greaves," has frequently occurred to me : " Blefled be G — (faid (lie) my patient is in a fair way ! his apozem has had a blelfed efFe£l 1 five and twenty ftools fince three o'clock in the morning V* Relating thefe particulars to a medical friend, he informed me.thatfuch fpecimens. of ignorance and obftinacy were by no means confined to the watering places ; as he had in the courfe of his practice met with re- peated inftances, where patients with a view of haftenlng the cure, and getting out of the dodiors hands (whom the vulgar charitably fuppofe wifhto retain them there as long as poflible) have fwallowed a half pint mixture intended for feveral dofes at once, and a whole box of pills in the fame manner. The confequences of which have been, that from the violence of the operations they have re- mained in his hands a confiderable time, fome fo long as life (thus foolifhly trifled with) lafted. But 522 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. But here are many of another clafs ; fome of whom, though not /?//, came on purpofe to bathe, but durhig the whole of their con- tinuance here, never found time to bathe once. Some haften to the biihard-room as foon as they are out of their beds in the morning, and there they continue until bed- time again. A few of thefe are indeed much benefited, being cured oi confumptiom in their fiirfes, while others become proportionably as much emaciated. And a great number, both of ladies and gentlemen, devote the whole of their time to dreffing, eating, and playing at whifl:. Charming exercife it mufl be ! as they frequently fit flill in their chairs, for eight or ten hours together. *' Where knights, and beaux, and lords, and (harpers run, *' Some to undo, but more to be undone. *« Of all the plagues that from the birth of time, " Have rang'd by turns this fublunary clime, *' And in their various forms the nations curs'd, «« The boundlefs love of play is fure the worft." ^ Whist, a Poem, Here are others again, who, like the gen- tlemen at Buxton, fit drinking {often red port after f alt-water) until three or four m the LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON 523 the morning ; making a delightful noiie, to compofe thofe in the fame houfe who are real invalids, and who defirous of obtaining reft, retire early, though frequently to very little purpofe. I have alfo obferved, that all the above places are as healthy for horfes, as they are for their mafters. For as the innkeepers de- pend almoft entirely on the feafon, they take great care, and do all they can to make thefe places comfortable. So that if gentlemen have fat, lazy, prancing horfes, and want to reduce them in fize and temper, they may be fure to have it done in fome of the inns and ftables at the various w^atering places; where fuch hay is procured as muft infalli- bly anfwer the purpofe even though they be allowed a double portion of corn. There is yet another very great advantage (which I had like to have forgot) refulting from attending the watering places. Such gentlemen who happen to have fervants too honeft, too induftrious, too attentive, too cleanly, 524 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. cleanly, too humble, too fober, &c. by tak- ing them to any of thefe places, where they have fo much leifure time, and where thefe party-coloured gentry meet together fo often, and in fuch numbers, no one can go away •unimproved, except he is a very dull fellow indeed. — This is not merely my own obfer- vation : for feveral gentlemen of my ac- quaintance affured me that they had always found their fervants improved prodigioufly after each of thefe excurfions. We purpofe fettingout for Weymouth in a day or two : but as I intend that this fhall be my laft epiftle, I will not conclude it un- til I arrive at Merton. ** If into diftant parts I vainly roam, «« And novelty from varied objeds try, *« My bufy thoughts refeek their wonted home, " And ficken at the vain variety." Merton, Sept. i ith. We arrived here fafe laft night, being my birth-day. At Wey- mouth we had the honour of walking feveral evenings on the Efplanade, with their ma- jefties and the four princelTes. His majefty feems LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 525 feems in perfedl health and fplrits, and dif- fufes life and fplrits to all around him. Long, very long may he continue to enjoy the fame degree of health and happinefs ! But I could not help pitying Mr. Hughes, the manager of the Theatre there ; as the company in general feem to pay but very little attention to plays, while they can par- take <>f the pleafure of walking and breathing the fe^ air with fo many of the royal family. But his majefty, whofe humanity is by no means the leaft of his many virtues, will no doubt confider Mr. Hughes, who is induftri- ous to an extreme, as he is fcarce a moment idle. For befides managing his company, performing himfelf fix, fometimes eight cha- racters in a week, he paints all his own fcenes, and attends to many other fubjeds ; and although he has had a large expenfive family (nine children,) the theatre there, and that alfo at Exeter is his own. Wey- mouth theatre he rebuilt about four years fince ; every thing is very neat ; his fcenes are fine, and his company a very good onst I favv them perform four pieces w^ith a deal K k of 526 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. of pleafure ; notwithftanding I had often feen the fame in London, I remarked here as I had long before done at Bath, that the parts were more equally fupported than they often are at Drury-lane and Covent-garden ; for although at thofe places we have many firil-rate actors and aclrefTes, yet fometimes parts are given to luch wretched performers as would not grace a barn, which I never faw done at Bath or Weymouth. In our road home, within half a mile of Dorchefter, we ftopt and Ipent half an hour in looking round the famous Roman Amphi- theatre. It is clofe to the road, on the right hand fide, and covers about an acre of ground. It is judged that ten thoufand people might without interruption have beheld fuch exer- cifes as were exhibited in this fchool of the ancients ; it is called Mambury, and is fup- pofed to be the compleateH: antiquity of the kind in England. I alfo amufed rnyfelf, as I travelled through Dorfetfhire and VViltfliire, in fur- vcying LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 527 veying many of the numerous camps, for- tifications, and barrows : which lading mo- numents of antiquity are to be feen in abun- dance in thefe counties, a great number of them remaining in a perfed' ft ate. Nor could I any longer omit the opportu- nity of feeing that ftupendous piece of anti* quity on Sahlhury Plain, the famous Stone^ henge, two miles from Amefbury. We fpenC near two hours there in aftonifliment ; and had not night came on, we fhould not have been able to have parted from it fo foon. We found a very good inn at Amefbury, which proves very convenient to fuch whom cu- riofity may detain on this wonderful fpoC until it is late. It is remarkable, that al- though fo many able antiquaries have de- voted their time and attention to the invefti- gation of Stonehenge, it remains ftill a mat- ter undecided when and for what purpofe this amazing pile was formed ; nor is there lefs caufe of admiration, how ftones of fuch magnitude were brought hither ! I fhall not K k 2 prefume, 528 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. prefume, either to decide on this curious point, or offer any conjedtures of my own. I have now, fir, not only given you the moft material circumftances of my life, but have alfo fuper-added a fhort fketch of fome of my travels. And fhould the fine air of Merton preferve the ftock of health and fpirits which I have acquired in this lafl ex- curfion, I intend during the fummer to fpend a few hours in the middle of three or four days in every week in Chifwell-flreet, devot- ing the mornings and the remainder of the evenings to my rural retreat, »' Where cheerfulnefs, triumphant fair, *' Difpeh the painful cloud of caje, ** O, fwcet of language, mild of mien, *' O, Virtue's friend, and pkafure's queen ! ** By thee our board with flow'rs is crown'd, *' Ey thee with fongs our walks refoand j ** By thee the fprightly mornings {hine, " And ev'ning hours in peace decline." As my houfe at Merton is not far from the church-yard, I was a few evenings fuice walking in this receptacle of mortality, and recolleding the fcene between Sir Lucius O'Trigger and Acres, faid to myfelf, " Here " is LIFE OF J. LACKTNGTON. 529 *^ Is good fnug lying, in this place." So I fat down on one of the graves, and wrote the following lines, which I hope when I am gone to heaven (I am not in hafte) my friends will have engraved on my tomb-ftone. LACKINGTON's EPITAPH. Good paflenger, one moment flay. And contemplate this heap of clay ; *Tis Lackinxjton that claims a paufe. Who ftrove witii Death, but loft his caufe ; A ftranger genius ne'er need be. Than many a merry year was he. Some faults he had ; fome virtues too ; ^The Devil himfelf fhould have his due:) And as Dame Fortune's wheel turn'd round, Whethtr at top or bottom found. He never once forgot his ftation. Nor e'er difown'd a poor relation j In poverty he found content. Riches ne'er made him infolent. When poor, he'd rather read than eat ; When rich-, books formed his higheft^ treat. His firft great wi(h, to ad, with care. The feveral parts aflign'd him here ; And, as his heait to truth inclin'd. He ftudy'd hard the truth to find- Much pride he had, 'twas love of fame. And {lighted gold, to get a name ; But fame herfelf prov'd greateft gain. For riches follow'd in her train. Much had he read, and much had thought. And yet, you fee, he's come to nought; Or out of print, as he would fay. To be revis'd fome future day ; Free from errata, with addition, A new, and a complete edition. Kk3 Durin<^ 530 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON, During the winter I purpofe fpendiiig moH: of my time in town ; where I hope again to enjoy the company of you, lir, and fome others of our old philofophical friends, and when tired of philofophizing, we will again ling our old verfes. *« What tho* the many wholly bend, " To things beneath our ftate, *' Some poorly to be rich contend, *^ And others irieanly great, ** There liv'd a few in ev'ry fpace, " Since firft our kind began, *' Who fxill maintain'd, with better grace, .*' The dignity of man, |n the mean time, I am, Dear friend, yours, P. S, I fhould deem myfelf deficient it^ point of juftice to the ingenious artifl: who painted the portrait from whence the engrav- ing affixed as a frontlfpiece to this volume is taken, if I did not embrace th.is opportunity of acknowledging the approbation it has been honoured with by all who have feca it, as a ftriking likenefs. The following eircumflance, though to iiiany it may appear in a ludicrous point of view^ LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. 531 view, yet as it is a fact which does not depend folely oti my affertion, I ihall not hefitate to mention it. Before the portrait was finifhed, Mrs. Lackington, accompanied by another lady, called on the painter to view it. Being intro- duced into a room filled with portraits, her Httle dog (the faithful Argus) being witii her, immediately ran to that particular por- trait, paving it the fame attention as he is always accuflomed to do the original ; which made it'neceflary to remove him from it, left he (hould damage it ; though this was not accompliflied without expreflions of dilTatis- fa£lion on the part of poor Argus. " He knew his Jord, he knew andftrove to meet, " And all he could, his tail, his ears, his eyes, " Salute his mafter, and confefs his joys. Pope's Odyfley. Thofe who are converfant in hiflory will not doubt the fii61; ; feveral fnr.ilar inftances being recorded of the fagacily and nice dif- crimination of thefe animals. Kk4 A PRAYER. 532 LIFE OF J. LACKINGTON. A PRAYER. O may my work for ever live ! (Dear friend, this felfifh zeal forgive ! J May no vile mifcreant faucy cook Prefume to tear my learned book. To finge his fowl for nicer gueft. Or pin it on the turkey's breaft. Keep it from paftry bak'd or buying. From broiling fleak, and fritters frying ; Ftom lighting pipes or wrapping fnufF, Or cafing up a feather muff; From all the fereral ways the grocer (Who to the learned world's a foe. Sir,) Has found in twilling, folding, packing. His brain and ours at once a racking : And may it never curl the head Of either living block, or dead. Thus when all dangers they have pad. My leaves like leaves of brafs fhall laft. No blaft fhall from a critic's breath. By vile infeftion caufe their death, 'Till they in flames at laft expire. And help to fet the world on fire,'* AMEN. INDEX. INDEX. A Pase UTHOR's motives for publifhing his life is Author's gratitude to his cuftomers - 2^ Author's thanks to fome bookfellers 2r Additions fince the hrft edition, why not printed feparately ■ 26 All alive, alive O, in W— Cathedral 51 Author's birth not predidled, nor his nativity calculated 35 ■ bound apprentice to a (hoemaker 7Z ■■ learns to read, is born again — -^ 83 m his rigid application to ftudy of divinity 100 ■ leaps out of a two ftory window to hear a me- thodift fermon - 10? »■ becomes a backflider ■ 126 ■ " arrives at Briftol «■' ■' ■ ■ 132 ■ forms a friendfhip with Mr. John Jones 14$ ■ ftrange mode of life 165 ■ compofei fongs before he could ivrite — • 1^1 relapies into methodifm ■ i^ij ——— converts his friends ■ 1^7 • great talents for controverfy - , . .. 167 - lucubrations like to prove fatal - j66 - lives on bread and tea only — — j^x » travels to Bridgewater, Taunton, Exeter and Kinglbridge ■ 1^4 ■ teaches himfelf to write . ■ ■■ 17(5 leaves Kinglbridge . 278 returns to Brillol 179 - falls in love with a dairy-maid, his fpirltual ) 182 courtftiip 5* 183 - attaches himfelf to Hannah Allen, another holy filler .^__— — , 8^ - married to Nancy Smith, the dairy-maid 190 - begins the world with a halfpenny 191 - li general opinion of methodifts • 289 • cannot be rivalled in bufinef'; — — 394. " ■ mode oi'^ilating his proli'.s and expences 441 ,. vifits his old nsailers 441 jimorous gentleman and blundering cjilcr, a ft cry 136 Abltifiesne taught, but not pradiied, by preachers 266 Appie and old iron ftall keepers turn preachers 323 Almanack vender " 70 An old buck tempted by his maid and the devil 1 19 A inan to fpeak lefs of himfelf than he really is, is folly, not mcdefty — i 44.6 A man believes hinrifeif to be the Holy Ghoft 320 Anecdotes ijery curious nf 'very fpiritual ladies 229 Anecdotes cf ^ery carnal and very fpiritual ladies 236 Authors pablilhing and felling their own books never anfwers 3S7 Authors fhould be careful, in chooling their publifhers 386 Addrefs to covetous tradefmen < 436 Anecdote of an author's great expeditions 389 iiirih and genealogy of the author — 36 Bay-horfe, a ilory — ' — 50 i^.'ack and white devil, a (lory ■ 57 Bowdon family, charadters of ; their library 72-76 Bov>'dcn, George and John converted — 78 Band ir.eetings, account of 118 feleft only for fuch as are perfe6l — ■ - 1 20 BGokfeliers are benefited by our authors felling cheap 449 LalilfjiHy Mr. a Jlrange Jlory of -■ ■ ■ 139 Bookfelling fucceeds with our hero ■■ 220 Eottomly, Shaw and Wheeler, fave the author from ruin 25,0 Buncle's Memoirs enlarges our hero's mind 261 Bookfelhr has his hair drefed on Saturday, andfeeps all night in his elboi.v chair ; _— . zGg Biggs, John, a perfed man ; his curious hand-bill 270 Bakers threatened with damnation for baking meat on Sundays, a ftory ■ • 267 Bookfelieri deltroy large numbers of books, to fell fome dear 373 Books preferved by our hero, and fold cheap 374 Hookfellers often present the fale of books fold by authors — - — 387 Boakfellers liberality to authors, infiances of 380 E^reain INDEX. ?55 Page Bargain hunters, learned difiertatlon on 223 l^tu'Aty eats a/s's Jiejh for con/cieticefuke — 320 Bookfeller's fhop an excellent fchool for knowledge 414. Book-clubs promote ihe fale of books 421 Books, fale of, extremely increafed of late years 420 Bank notes faid to be found by our auijiorin an old book 43^ Brank, a remedy for It-olds, defcribed — 465' Barrows, camps, fortifications, &c. ^26 Buchanites, a curious feifl of fanatics near Dumfries 312 Buchan (Lady) thought herfeif the Virgin Mary, &c. 313 Blair's Sermons have a greater fale than either bher- lock's or White's 3S3 Benger, FJizaheih, a --very extraordinary injiance of female. abilities — — 426 Books afford real and lafting pleafures to rich and poor 4:3 Black-bird's r.ell found in a ftcull 463 Children, a doubt if they fnould not be taught to defpTe unnatural fathers __«— «-^.cn. ^2, Controverfies, curious in the Bowdon fiimily 79 Children liable to damnation I — 70 Children in hell! 79 Clafs meeting, account of ■ 11^ Curious library of the author and his friend at Biillcl 163 Ch:^plain of the author - 177 Cowley's verfes on Envy • 71 ChifwellStrcet, our hero opens a fhop there 231 Criminals, bad pradtice of methodills towards them, under fenience of death 291 Cocks prevented from breaking the fabbath by treading hens on Sundays — ■ ■ — 297 Conference of Mr. Welley's preachers ■ ■ 32^ Converfion at Kingfwood ridiculed 342 Credit, inconveniences to tradefmen attending it; our hero refolves not to give any — 362 Claffics, tranflations of, read by our hero 398 Chariot fet up by the author, with remarks en it 434 Crow's nell, remarkable one at Newcaille 461 Children educated as meihodifts, never remain fuch 340 Cat lor. gs for a fonjjl, and marks her kitten •with nxings 22 I Circulating libraries increafe the fale ct books ^^22 Dunton, John, remarks on his life ' 33 Death of tne author's mafter haitened by his fons turning riet'iouilis • ' ic5 Death oi the author's firfl wife during his illnefs 226 Dom F>=rnety'£ 'wonderful receipts — 30J Death oi Mr. Dines; his character ■ 359 Di.ihcultJes attending the author's ready-money plan 365 DifaiUrs ia travelling from Darlington to Durham 468 Dropty, 536 INDEX. Page Dropfy, broom tea, an infallible remedy for 308 Droll fcenes at bookfellers {hops - 41^ Diffufmg through the world immenfe number of books, gives our hero great pleafure 455 EpiiHe (poetical) to Mr. Lackington on his Memoirs 31 Epigram, by our hero, on a methodift preacher 178 Education, our author regrets the want of — 406 Enlightening the minds of the lower orders, makes them happier ■ 427 Expences of ourhero proportioned to his income 431 Envious obfervations made on our author's expences 434 Edinburgh, North Britiih hofpitality, &c. — — 488 Epicure, a term wrong applied, pleafures, &c. 171 Enthufiafm, its nature 280 Father of the author dies unregretted by his children 42 Fanatics in every age found their account in dreadful predidlions 96 Fcrtune-ieller foretold a per/on's a'eath —— 143 J' our hundred thou/and pounds a year colleSiedhy Mr. Wejley's Preachers ' 333 Freethinkers read by our hero ■ — 398 Farmers and hufbandmen now read — 420 Four old people and four children fupported by our hero 448 Father and mother of our author's firli wife, unexpededly difcovered ; a dreadful fcene — — 509 Fanaticifm worfe than atheifm 280 Fanatics in Poland killed their own children 287 Goddy-mighty's little mutton 160 Good confequences to the public of felling books cheap 449 Gentlemen and petty gentry adl differently 503 G Mrs. leaves her hulband and children to follow Wefley ■■ 234 Great men have foibles, inftances of — 308 Gregory, Dr. a remarkable quotation from, on ladies having learning — ^ — 425 Germany, feven thoufand living authors there 429 Ghoft that loved poultry ■ 62 Haunted houfes, Itories of -' 59 Hofpital haunted in London — 64 Horrid fpedtre appears ■■ 52 Higley's ghoil: ■ ■ 68 Huntington procures by prayer a pair of breeches, ihoulder of mutton, and fi 111 &c. — — 107 Hill, an extraordinary quotation from 276 Hypocrites among the methodills ■■ 290 Hints to the authors of the Encydopcedia Britannica and Biographia Britannica ' ' ■ 481 Hume, on female devotion and gallantry — 124 Humorou's INDEX. P Humorous verfes on methodift preachers — Hill, Dr. earned by his pen in one year i^ool Juvenile exploits of the author — Invalids, ablurd praftice of, at watering places Johnfon, Dr. tea table anecdote of and the Lord Provoil, anecdote of and a lady, anecdote of — and David Hume, anecdote of and a waterman, anecdote of . much prejudiced againft the Scotch Knowland's child returns to life after it had been in the coffin five days — — Kingfbridge, our hero's life there - ■ ■ " K.ingfwood fchool, large fums colletSled for, never applied to that ufe — =• Knowledge of books, how acquired by the author Knowledge of the world, how attained by the author Lavater, a quotation from, on women Love-feafts, account of — — _ Lackington can afford to give more for libraries than thofe that fell dear Lady killed, fcreaming fet the horfes going Ladies allowed to fcream on certain terms — Ladies re-venge, a dreadful Jlory Learned men are often unacquainted with men and manners • 411 Ladies now read and are become rational companions, have ajufttaile for books 422 Ladies born deaf and dumb dance to mufic. Sec. 463 Lackington fells one hundred thoufand volumes a year 450 Lackington's Epitaph on himfelf — — 529 Milk-woman drove mad by methodifts 26S Moorfields qualifications for preacliers ■■ 325 Manufcripts, remarks on purchafing them 380 Miferable lives and untimely end of fome opulent tradefmen - — 437 Mambury amphitheatre ' 526 Mary Hubbard's two old fmocks 107 Mother of the authors very extraordinary conduLl "41 Methodills ruin the peace of mind of many innocent people ■ 87 Methodiltical converfion a dreadful Hate 88 Methodifts are unhappy ■ 94 — — their prophecy of the world being at an end on a certain day 95 • are alarmed by a comet's tail ■■■ 96 ■ ■ their treatment of our hero on his leavinii their fociety •■■• 272 Meihodift preachtrs, their number — — 326 MertcR, 53S INDEX. Merton, our hero partly refides there ■ 433 Norton'?, Mrs. ceeti of gift to Reilly fet afide 97 Nurfes robbed our author, and neglefied him while his wife lay dead, and himfelf nearly To 249 Novels and romances read by our hero — 401 Nc'iv mode cf 'valuing and purchajhig libraries, by -d}hich the feiler is fure to ka-ve the full 'value 371 Ned Drugget's charafter /uits our hero 432 Objetbon cf fome in felling to the author an fwered 36S Parnoffinn bullies lO Pie-lViei chant — — 47 Preacher?, remarks on dull inanimate ones 73 Prayer Meetings (f Methodilh defcribed — — 109 Pawnbrokers fell bocks and other articles not pawned 223 Prolific Methodius at Wellington and near Oxford 243 Pious deiiler in fheep's heads, tripe, &c. •- 29^ Pious common-councilman's advertif-ment — — 256 Preachers, Wefley'f, many very ignorant, often liked the better for being fo ■ ' 317 Play-houie fet on lire b'.' a preacher ■ ■ 320 Partnerfji'p commenced with Mr. D. • - 354 Partnerihip ciiHolved ■ ■ 357 Pub'ilhers ofien hinder the fale of books when the copy- right remains the author's — 386 Purchafe?, very large ones made by the author — 390 Profits, annua), of our author ■ 439 Poor rehticns, the reafon why the author does not decline bufinefs — 444 Proofs that his cheap mode of felling has not been inju- rious, but beneficial, to bookfellers ■ 445 TrediBions relati've to cur hero ■ 506 Powder mills our hero narrowly efcapes death 50S Partner in the buiinefs < ■ 4-15 Pitcai>7i, Dr. and the collier ' ' • 144 QuotaLions from an extraordinary pamphlet againfl: the ^Jethodiih, by ao old member 33! Ready-money plan aooprecl to fell cheap 362 Rational afiembly at our hero's houfe ^oz Koufieau, an extraordinary quotation from • 280 Ridicule and contempt the only puniihment for f .na 287 iitory of pra\ivg a perfcn to death ■ 142 Story of a Methodift fdlpatrot — 1 59 ShiilJng on the red cock • — — ^o Supernatural appearances, opinion of — 56 Shoter, Ned, was a Methodill ■ 146 itoics read and greatly admired by the authc-r 168 Sale/man and great coat, a fory — 204 Scruples of confcience in a bookfeller 22a Swedenborgians INDEX. 539 Page Swedenborglans increafing faft ; their wonderful difco- veries ' 310 Sunday-fchools promote the fale of books — 4.27 Small profits and induftry the real caufes of the author's profperity • ' 435 Scarcity of valuable books in various parts of Great Bri- tain ; London the grand emporium — • 4;;9 Symmon's Earrow, near Wellington, brought by the Devi!, in his leathern apron 513 Stonehenge vifited by our hero ■ 526 Salifbury, a young woman there fold herfclf to the Devil, an odd ftoiy — - — 24; Swift's very curious verfcs, or his dream . ayg Selden, a quotation from hivn on bookf.-llers — :i6o Terrible injiaftce of a real guilty ccnfcic/ice, attended nviih filicide • ' • 89 Taylor ^a) Urips to his fhirt, and takes ofF his wig to preach 27 c; Theatrical entertainments much attended by our hero 400 Tinley, Mr. an extraordinary character 404 Travels of our hero in the north ■ ^5^ Travels of our hero to the weft of England, in 1791 ^9- Turton, Mifs Dorcas, her family charadier, is married to our hero 253 Thankfgiving note for being made perfeft — 2:0 Turpin (John) a Methodilt preacher, tried at Exeter, and found guilty of ftealing a horfe, fent to 1-otany Bay ■■" ■ • 324 Tooke's anecdotes of Mr. Welley — . 333 Trifling circumftances produce great events 409 Tradefmen, remarks on their getting fortunes, country feats, yet are unable to fupport exiilence 437 Tickets of admiilion to claffe;, bands, &c. 122 Wiredraiver /old nvhen drunk to L — ■ — w, as a dead Jnhje^ 6() Watch nights, account of i 14 Whitefield advifed his people to attend Shutcr's bentnt 150 — ~— — — -, a 'very droll Jl or y of • j fc'o Women, when converted, retufe to fleep with their huf- bands 233 Woman deprived of her fenfes by a Methodiil, and her fervant killed by falling 31Q Wages of Methodiil preachers .. 328 Weflcy's death, funeral, &:c. — 298 • annual income, his difregard of money 30z ■ Primitive phyfic dangerous »—— 303 ...^ ruled defpotically . . 30^ - ' deceafe very injurious to Methodifm — 309 <»— —•— character by an old member, an epicure, a delft 5-8 Weiky's 540 INDEX. Page Wefley's extraordinary letter to a friend — 345 . amorous letter to. a young lady •— — 349 Woman vifited her hufband's tomb every day for two years, expedling him to rife ■ ■ 314 Women, panegyric on ; more handfome women in Scot- land among the higher clafles than elfewhere 490 Women's extraoi-dinary delicate mode ofiuajhing linen in Scoiland • 493 Woolftonecraft, Mifs, a quotatlonirom — — 423 Women, the reafon why thej! are defpifed in eaflern nations - _ — 4^4 Wellington, our hero's reception there in 1791 500 Watering-places, remarks on 515 , , excellent academies for fervants' 523 .^ . , ways of fpending time at — ^2% Weymouth vifited by our author ■ ■ ■ • 524 Why tradefmen on the continent are all rafcals 504 Xeno found confolation, and turned Philofopher, at a bookfeller's fliop — — ■ 418 Young's Night Thoughts preferred to a Chriftmas dinner 213 Young lady converted and debauched by a Methodift preacher - ■ « — - 247 FINIS. Princeton Theological Semmary-Spei \ 1 1012 01040 9904