THE
SUCCESSFUL MERCHANT:
SKETCHES
OFr Tl
LIFE OF MR. SAMUEL BUDGETT,
LATE O KINGSWOODHILL.
BY
WILLIAM ATIITHUR, A. M.
AUTHOR OF "A MISSION TO THE MYSORF, ETC.":EW-YORK:
D. APPLETON & COMPANY,
846 & $48 BROADWAY.
M.DOCC.LVII.








PREFACE.
-   + —-.
ON the day that Mr. Budgett died I was in Bristol,
staying with one whose heart was that day full., He
who had just departed was naturally the subject of
conversation, and the incidents of his early life were
freely talked over. Just then the prospect of a long
involuntary leisure was before me; and designs for
improving it by literary occupation were already
formed. But as the uncommon history of the deceased merchant was discussed, the thought arose
that to make it the subject of a Comnmercial Biograp2hy would be the most useful application of the
expected leisure. This design was more homely
than those originally entertained, and at first, not
very welcome; but after some time spent in observing and inquiring, the conviction of its superior usefulness was confirmed.
I therefore ventured to request permission from
the family to acqaaint myself with all the accessible




4                  PREFACE.
details of his life, and to prepare them for the Public
in the form which had suggested itself to me. The
request was unexpected, but was kindly met; and
without a trace of the vulgar reluctance to allude to,
the earlier stages of a remarkable rise, every particular was communicated and freely left at my disposal. A strong  desire, indeed, was manifested to
lay me under restraint as to any thing which might
be construed into business display; but my design
required freedom to show what Mr. Budgett had attained, and that I was obliged to use.
I saw him carried to his grave, and that day conversed with numbers of his neighbours and his men,
none knowing my intentions. At long intervals,
such conversations were repeated; with many who
had known him closely, some being aware and others
not aware that a book was in contemplation; and
certainly very seldom has a master been portrayed
so much by the hand of his own men, or a citizen
by that of his neighbours, as in the following pages.
Biographers, like portrait painters, are a suspected race: it is generally taken for granted that they
paint men as they ought to be; while to the historian you must look for the delineation of men as they
are. How far the infirmity of the. race besets me
would not be discussed impartially just here; but it
may fairly be said that, in the picture you are asked




PREFACE.                  5
to look upon, an effort has been made to insert, with
a firm hand, every real scar. Some will say they are
too slight; others will say they are too deep, and
these they who most intimately knew the original.
The design of this volume is to furnish a work
wherein an actual and a remarkable life is traced in
relation to Commerce. It was never meant to enlarge the knowledge of the scholar, to mature the
graces of the holy, or to hallow the retirement of the
contemplative; but to be a friendly, familiar book
for the busy, to which men from the counting-house
or the shop might turn, feeling that it concerned.
them, and for which they might possibly be the better here and hereafter. Beyond this, one hope did
arise,-that it might perhaps meet the eye of some
whose leisure, abilities, and spirit would fit them to
direct a more powerful literature or a sacred eloquence to the quickening of commercial life with
the principles of Christian charity and uprightness.
May God grant that, by the instrumentality of this
humble book, some youths may be led to habits
which will be "profitable to all things," some men
lifted above the trammels of commercial selfishness,
and some preachers or authors moved to labour to
bring religion and business into closer union!








CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PAGI.
THE SPHERE WHEREIN HE MOVED,..                      9
CHAPTER II.
THE BORN MERCHANT.                   24
CHAPTER III.
TIHE BASIS OF CHARACTER,...                     3. 
CHAPTER IV.
EARLY TOILS AND TROUBLES,...                  95
CHAPTER V.
RISE AND PROGRESS,....  124
CHAPTER VI.L
MASTER AND MEN,.                                      164
CHAPTER VII.
IN HIS OWN NEIGHBOURHOOD,.235
CHAPTER VIII.
IN THE FAMILY,.........  266
CHAPTER IX.
TILE INNER LIFE,.......        288
CHAPTER X.
THE LATTER END,...   )8








THE SUCCESSFUL MERCHANT.
CHAPTER I.
THE SPHERE WHEREIN HE MOVED.
"Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main'
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again."
LONGFELLOW.
KINGSWOOD is not a bewitching place.  Going out
from -Bristol, you find the road skirted by rough cottages, prolific of a rough population. Here and there is a
man whose complexion has just been painted in the coal-pit,
or a woman in costume appropriate to other ages,-a long
great-coat of dark-blue cloth, with manifold capes, like a
coachman's, surmounted by a quaint black hat, with a low
orown, and a leaf spreadingwidely all around, but lapped
down about the ears.  To the eye of a stranger, the neighbourhood seems to'lie at a distance from our day.  But a
few modern houses, aspiring toward respectability, a modern
1:*




10                   THE HOME.
church, and modern chapels, all in very good taste, show
that a new spirit of improvement has broken in upon the old
apathy of the place.
Just at the top of Kingswood Hill, about four miles
from Bristol, a lane turns off from the main roal. A few
dozen yards down that lane, you find gates that indicate the
entrance to a substantial residence. Passing inside, you
are in grounds where shrubs and statues pleasantly contrast
with the adjacent rudeness. To your left, is a handsome
house. On a bright green lawn; just before the door, stand
a fountain, an arbour of weeping ash, and a pedestal supporting a sun-dial. On the other side of the lawn, spangled
groups of flowers appear through the transparent walls of
a conservatory; and close by, in a large and handsome
aviary, a silver pheasant holds court over a tribe of birds,
some curious, some musical. Down a gentle slope, the
grounds spread over a surface of about fifteen acres, where you
see patches of plantation, a speck of water enlivened by some
rare poultry, and a troop of sheep graced by a stag and
fawn. Beyond this, the view stretches away up a rich valley,
and then far on, over undulating lands, till, in the distance, the
eye catches a lofty monument at Dursley, some twenty miles
away. A cottage here and there decks the green fields,
with its red tiles and walls of shiny white. The prospect
convinces you that nature is not to be blamed for the rough
ness of the neighbourhood. The residence and grounds show,
that some one was found who could appreciate the advantages which nature offered.
On Wednesday the 7th of May, 1851, just before the
village clock struck twelve, you might have seen a strange,
new foreground to the pleasant picture which lies in front
of that dwelling. On the circular pathway before the door,
about two hundred men stood ranged in order, two by two.
Each figure was clad in a mourning cloak, each hat had a




THE FUNERAL GATHERING.   11
funeral band. A listless look you did not see, nor a head
carried thoughtlessly.  Those at the rear of the column
were only boys; before these were youths; and so advancing,
till, near its head, you found grey-haired men; and they ap-peared the saddest. That long column,-black, black, all
black,-did look deeply mournful, in front of the pleasant
lawns and the bright Gloucestershire valley, in their Mayday leaf. and bloom. The head of the column stood close
by the portico of the'house. A bier was there. A single
glance would have told a stranger all; —the master of the
place was gone, and his retainers had gathered to honour
his burial.
Inside the gates, everything told you that the residence
had lost its master.  Outside, everything told you that the
village had lost its chief man. The houses had their blinds
drawn down; the shops were closed; the whole population
seemed abroad and eager. A dense crowd stood round the
gates; and all along the road, " to the place of sepulchre,"
for a quarter of a mile and more, was ranged an expecting
throng. Never before, though familiar with Irish funerals,
had I witnessed such an assembly at an interment-at least,
never but once; and that was on the occasion when even the
volatile heart of Paris was heavy for a day, while her whole
population came forth to follow the bier of those who had
perished in the frantic battle of June, 1848.
How natural it is, when one sees a funeral indicating
wealth or influence, to think of Southey's forcible piece, and
to watch among the attendants for tokens of the place the
departed held in their hearts.
"These mourners here, who from their carriages
Gape at the gaping crowd. A good March wind.Were to be pray'd for now, to lend their eyes
Some decent rheum; the very hireling mtute




12                   THE CHAPEL.
Bears not a face more blank of all emoti Dn
Than the old servant of the family I
How can this man have lived, that thus his death
Costs not the soiling one white handkerchief l"
It was not so here. As you looked along that numerous
"following," from the men that bore the coffin to the boys
that brought up the distant rear, you felt that it was not a
pageant, but a mourning.
The'procession entered a spacious chapel.  Every nook
was soon crowded, and a surplus throng remained without.
While the solemn service was read, you could see, among
the working men who had followed the bier, many a countenance very deeply shaded. A minister then addressed the
multitude. He spoke of the deceased, not in graceful and
balanced eulogies, but with a gush of hearty regard that was
not to be framed up and gilded.  He spoke of worth and
bounties as of things that all present knew as well as he;
and as he spoke, all faces gathered feeling. "Those hands,"
he cried,: " have given away their hundreds upon hundreds;"
and then, perhaps, you seldom  saw so many men quite
melted. Many an eye was full, and many an eye ran over.
Just as the coffin was lowered into the vault, a woman,
standing behind me in the crowd, said, "Ah, poor man! hope
he's gone happy!"
"Gone happy!" replied a neighbour; " if he isn't gone
happy, what must us do?"
Turning away with the slowly retiring crowd, I said to a
woman, -' Have you often such funerals as this in Kingswood?"  She looked at me in a style not at all complimentary to my intelligence, as if to say, " Where can you have
spent your days, to ask a question like that?"  Then exclaiming with special emphasis, "Niver!" she left me to
better my information.




WORDS OF THE NEIGHBORS.              13
Joining a poor but thoughtful-looking man, I said, " This
is a remarkable funeral."  " Yes, sir; such a one as we never
had in Kingswood before."  Then, pausing, he added, sadly,
"The best man in Kingswood gone to-day!"
A few days afterwards, meeting with an elderly man,
whom I had seen as one of the retinue of mourners, I asked
him if he had;:not been in the employment of the deceased
merchant.  "Yes, sir, for seventeen years."  Then his
countenance flushed, and he added, " Ah, sir! a great man
fallen!". I coolly observed that I supposed he had been an
important man in the neighbourhood. "In the neighbourhood!", replied the old man, " there wasn't his equal in all
England. No tongue can ever tell all that man did." This
man was about sixty years of age. His hair was grey; and
as he thus spoke of his late master to a perfect stranger, the
tears fell fast.
Ye cotton lords and corn lords-!,that would be no unworthy: monument, —a man who had grown grey in your service, weeping at the mention of your name. But such a
monument as that, like a Parian monument, costs a pricc
it never comes unbought. And it must be paid for in youl
own lifetime, and with your own hand. Your will, or your
survivors, may secure a marble that will droop and mourn
over your grave for centuries; but if: you would have a few
warm tears from the heart of a poor man, neither heir norwill can buy them. "Rarely," said the'Bristol Times' of
that week, " has a neighbourhood suffered a greater loss in
tile death of a man than'Kingswood in the decease of Mr.
Budgett, whose charity was unbounded, and who distributed
with discrimination and liberality, and without ostentation,
fully F~2,000 a year from his own pocket."
This estimate is too high as an average, whatever may
have been the case in some particular year; but when a man




14             THE SCENE OF BUSINESS.
is thus spoken of in his own vicinity, you can understand
how some tears should fall at his removal.
And who was this man, whose death moved an entire
neighbourhood, and wrung individual hearts? You might
often have seen driving into Bristol, a man under the middle
size, verging towards sixty, wrapped up in a coat of deep
olive, with grey hair, an open countenance, a quick brown
eye, and an air less expressive of polish than of push. He
drives a phaeton, with a first-rate horse, at full speed. He
looks as if he had work to do, and had the art of doing it.
On the way he overtakes a woman carrying a bundle. In
an instant the horse is reined up by her side, and a voice of
contagious promptitude tells her to put up her bundle and
mount. The voice communicates to the astonished pedestrian its own energy. She is forthwith seated, and away
dashes the phaeton. In a few minutes the stranger is deposited in Bristol, with the present of some pretty little book,
and the phaeton hastes on to Nelson Street. There it turns
into the archway of an immense warehouse. " Here, boy;
take my horse, take my horse!" It is the voice of the head
of the firm. The boy flies. The master passes through the
offices as if he had three days' work to do. Yet his eye
notes everything.  He reaches his private office.  He takes
from his pocket a memorandum-book, on which he has set
down, in order, the duties of the day. A boy waits at the
door. He glances at his book, and orders his boy to call a
clerk. The clerk is there promptly, and receives his instructions in a moment. " Now, what is the next thing?" asks
the master, glancing at his memorandum. Again the boy is
on the wing, and another clerk appears. He is soon dismissed. "Now, what is the next thing?" again lcoking at
the' memorandum. At the call of the messenger, a young
man now approaches the office door. He is a " traveller;"
but notwithstanding the habitual push and self-possession




THIE PRIVATE OFFICE.              15
of his class, he evidently is approaching his employer with
reluctance and embarrassment.  He almost pauses at the
entrance. And now that he is face to face with the strict
man of business, he feels much confused. "Well, what's
the matter? I understand you can't make your cash quite
right."
"No, Sir."
" How-much are you short?"
"Eight pounds, sir."
"Never mind; I am quite sure you have done what
is right and honourable. It is some mistake; and you won;t
let it happen again. Take this and make your account
straight."
The young man takes the proffered paper. He sees an
order for ten pounds; and retires as full of admiration as
he had approached full of anxiety.
"Now, what is the next thing?"  This time a porter is
summoned. He comes forward as if he expected rebuke.' Oh! I have got such a complaint reported against you.
You know that will never do. You must not let that occur
again."
Thus, with incredible dispatch, matter after matter is
settled, and all who leave that office go to their work as if
some one had oiled all their joints.
At another time, you find the master passing through
the warehouse. Here, his quick glance descries a man who
is moving drowsily, and he says a sharp word that makes
him, in a moment, nimble. There, he sees another blunder
ing at his work. He had no idea that the master's eye was
upon him, till he finds himself suddenly supplanted at the
job. In a trice, it is done; and his master:leaves him to
digest the stimulant. Now, a man comes up to tell him of
some plan he has in his mind, for improving something in his
own department of the business.  Yes, thank you, that's a




16            WORTH OF FIVE MINUTES.
good-idea;" and putting half-a-crown into his hand, he passes
on. In another place he finds a man idling. You can -soon
see, that of all spectacles this is the one least to his mind.
"Ii you waste five minutes, that is not much; but probably
if you waste five minutes yourself, you lead some one else to
waste five minutes, and that makes ten. If a third follow
your example, that makes a quarter of an hour.  Now,
there are about a hundred and eighty of us here; and if every
one wasted five minutes in a day, what would it come to 
Let me see. Why, it would be fifteen hours; and fifteen
hours a day would be ninety hours, about eight days, working time, in a week; and in a year, would be -four hundred
days.- Do you think we could ever stand waste like that?"
The poor'loiterer is utterly confounded.  He- had no idea of
eating up-fifteen hours, much less four hundred days, of his
good employer's time; and he never saw before how fast five
minutes could be multiplied.
Turning from this energetic merchant to the establishment of which he is the head, you are astonished at its magnitude and order. " What business do you call yours?" would
be your natural inquiry. " General Provision Merchants."
And, verily, they do seem bent on making general provision.
The warehouse is one hundred and eighty feet long, by three
hundred and fifty at its greatest depth. - You pass from office
to office, from yard: to yard, from loft to loft, and from loft to
cellar, till you wonder how all this'has been brought under
one roof.   Then you are led across the street to commence'a
similar process on a smaller scale, in a bonded warehouse,
Even though you have travelled a good deal, you may find
the tour of that warehouse a curious and instructive journey.
Here you come upon: a region of:loaf sugar, where it is
stored up, pile upon pile, as if seven years of saccharine
famine had been foretold.' There you light upon -a tract of
sugar tierces, before which you cease to wonder at the piles




THE DEPARTMENTS.                  17
of loaf  "What1" you say to yourself, "are all these
tierces to be melted away in tea-cups ": Then, thinking such
masses must move off slowly, you ask, " How much does
each tierce weigh?'I
"Ten hundred weight."
"And do you sell many of them whole."
"We sold two hundred and fifty last week."
Here, you come upon a territory overgrown with teachests; there, upon a colony of casks replenished with nutmegs, cassia, and all spicery. Again, you are environed with
piled-up boxes of fruit; then, with a vast snowy region of
flour. Presently, you are in a land of coffee; then, in a
realm where treacle reigns alone, parading itself in hogshead after-hogshead, and dozens of hogsheads, till you see
there is more treacle in the world than you ever thought before.^ Now, you are wandering in a wilderness of cheeses;
then, on lofts which groan under mountains of peas.  Here,
tobacco abounds; there, bacon.  And, as if to mock your
surprise at the large store of articles which rank among the
necessaries of life, you find a heap of canary-seed, which, in
a barn, would look respectable for a heap of corn. As you
prosecute your journey; here you are in stables with stalls
for forty or fifty horses; there, in a carpenter's shop; again,
amongst a band of-coopers. Below, you find a troop of waggoners, lading their capacious carts, and marching off to distribute the contents to steamboats and railways, in an array
that would do no discredit to a military commissariat.  In
one office (through which you must needs pass to get into
the warehouse), you have a clerk whose business is simply. to
learn your errand, and to direct you accordingly. -In another,'you have' a salesman, surrounded by all manner of
samples,: and cheerfully at the service of any customer for
cash.i In another set -of'ffmesaln 2aya a la0ste  ray of
clerks.  In each'department you find a head mal  with his




18                     HOURS.
troop under him. Here, they are breaking up tierces of
sugar, and mixing the different kinds.  There, they are
weighing flour. In this corner, you find a man before a
solid heap of currants, which stubbornly retains the form of
the cask, belabouring it with an instrument uncommonly
like a fork in a stable yard. Here, they are with an order
book, making up the items of an order. There, they are
weighing and packing. In a central position, an inspector
is placed in a counting-house glazed on all sides, from which
he can look out on the whole stream of business, as it passes
to and fro. In another place you find a monster coffeeroaster in full play. Again, you are in a room where some
have dozen kinds of tea are ready to be tasted by one of the
principals. Presently, you light upon a band who are hidden behind a drapery of flour bags, and, thus secluded. are
repairing such bags as have suffered in the service. Near
these, you see three boys seated at an anvil, hammering old
nails straight.  This, you are told, is one of the first steps
in the establishment. On entering, a boy is set to this
work. If diligent here, he is promoted to serve under the
master bagmender. If he do well there, he is made a messenger. And then, his future position in the house depends
entirely on his ability and application. " But," you are very
likely to ask, " what are these old nails, which the boys are
beating straight?"
"0!  they are the old nails picked up about the concern."
"And are there old nails enough picked up about the
copcern to keep three boys employed?"
"Not constantly."
As you pass through the different scenes of labour, you
find the men moving with great regularity.  Every one is at
work, yet there is no haste. You receive an impression of
activity, rather than of bustle.  You naturally inquire,
"What are your hours of business?"




THE WORKMEN.                    19
"The men come at six; some of the clerks at half-past
seven. We leave.just when we. have done; the clerks about
four; the porters at from five to half-past."
"'When you have done;' what do -you mean by that?"
"We always do the.day's work within the day; and we
are at liberty to leave when it is done.".
You would, perhaps, wish to know more about this doing
the day's work within the day; but for that you must wait
till we reach another chapter. At present, we are only looking round the premises and gathering general impressions.
In such an establishment one naturally observes the men,
to form an idea of their health, their character, and their position as to comfort. That part of one's survey is often painful
enough. In many a prosperous cotton or woollen factory, you
see everything which, to an expert eye, tells of ill-health in some,
disorderly habits in others, wretched homes in a third class;
and in particular individuals, the whole of these evils unmistakably meet, for the air, the eye, the gait, the complexion,
and the attire, record them as clearly as the most expressive
pen. In great iron works, how painfully an observer feels
that some of those brave and brawny fellows, who are performing such herculean labours for. the general good, are
sinking prematurely under the twin effects of fire and intoxication. In some of the arsenals whence issue our matchless
Sheffield wares, how gad to look on those busy frames whose,
life is plainly wasting. In some of the mining districts of
Cornwall, it is touching to observe how few old men are to
be found in a crowd; and to see here and there a brave
young miner bearing fearful tokens of underground accident.
In the metropolitan warehouses, how often does the eye turn
sad over a countenance where decay is appearing, or where
dissipation is recorded.  In all these spheres, happily, one
may often trace proofs that masters are attentive to the
well-being of:those who labour under their eye. In many




20'               HIVES OF INDUSTRY.
cases, late years have witnessed great advancement, both in
comfort and in morals. But still, in such scenes of industry, there is often enough to make one mourn over the lot
of those who are serving us all. You have seen hives of
labour whence much sweet gain accrued, but one was little
tempted to envy him into whose storehouse it came; for, to
secure the honey -so many of the bees are sacrificed.  Ye
that are able to direct those who are only able to toil, ye
have a right to goodly gain; but when you count your increase, forget not those by whose weary labours you were
enabled to carry out your plans. Think what you can do
for their health, their homes, their intellect, and their souls.
It is a great pleasure to go through a stirring house of
manufaCture, or of commerce, and see clean attire, healthy
complexions, and cheerful looks.  Sometimes, one is agreeably surprised to find out how far this is the case, even when
the occupation and the atmosphere are very unfriendly. But
the great warehouse in Nelson-street, Bristol, is exempt
from the difficulties which some kinds of business present to
cleanliness, cheerfulness, and health. There you see scarcely
a face that raises a suspicion of drunken- or disorderly
habits; scarcely an attire but seems comfortable, according,o the grade.  You meet with many whose mien tells you
explicitly, that they are thoughtful, intelligent men. And
several who pass in white apron and cap, strike you at once
as having the expression that indicates a mind to which the
comforts and the virtue of piety are habitual. And keep your
ear open as you may, you will not catch an oath or an unseemly word.
In your course round the premises, you meet with one
large room, which contains no merchandise, and has no air
of business.  A  large range of neat forms are its sole
contents, except a table at the head.'On the table, lie
"Fletcher's -Family Devotion," and " Wesley's JHymns."
"What," you ask, in some doubt, " what is this place?"




TH-E BUSINESS CHAPEL.               2
" This is'our chapel.  A large number of -men breakfast
on the premises; and before breakfast, half an hour is allowed for family worship.  Then the men assemble here for
that purpose.":
IFamily worship here! you are ready to exclaim; surely
it would be wise and good, if a family feeling could be shed
over such a vast establishment, and the hearts of the-men
be saved from feeling, in the haste of business, that all relations but those of commerce were forgotten.  Some sacred
link ought surely to hallow the intercourse of those whose
lot it is, day after day, to toil side by side. How often it
seems to be taken for granted, that when the business of a
day is begun, in a large concern, all family scenes and all
religious thoughts must wait till the day is over!.
The morning after Mr. Budgett's funeral, I was in the
warehouse: before half-past seven o'clock.  The various' departments were in full play, and the waggoners packing their
loads. At the half hour, the bell rang.  I went into the
chapel. It was soon filled with the men in their working
dress.  About.eighty assembled.  A son- of the deceased
principal sat at the table.  He took up "' Fletcher's' Family
Devotion," and read the portion of Scripture appointed for
the 8th of -May, with the accompanying reflections.  The
passage is that whieh records the wish of the daughters of
Zelophehad.  The reflections seemed as if they had been
framed on purpose to follow the memorable scene in which
they had all acted a part yesterday; turning upon the duty
of honouring the memory of the departed.
The young merchant, himself affected by the circumstances, and by the coincidence of such a lesson coming on
that particular morning, addressed the men in a few words
of cordial, Christian advice.  He then gave out a hymn,
which was heartily sung. Next, he called upon one of them,
by name, to pray. All knelt down, and the man prayed,




22           THE MEROANTILE MONTIMENT.
with fervour- and solemnity, for spiritual blessings to them
all; for comfort tAo'the bereaved family; and for the business, that God might make it prosper. When he ceased,
the young master took up the strain; and thus men and
master unitedly worshipped the great Disposer, who appoints
the lot of all. About half an hour was spent in this religious service. Little would a man of the world think, in
watching the vast trade going forward within those walls,
and the vigour with which the whole machine moves, that
time is daily'found to pause and hearken to a voice from the
unerring Guide, and bow down to call for blessings from the
hand -that can make everything to speed. And think you
that those daily prayers have had no part in the rapid
growth and healthy action of that establishment?
You naturally ask if one of the family always takes the
lead in this act of "family prayer." " Oh! no; not always
-if any of them  are here; but if not, it goes on all the
same. We have a regular plan, by which a certain number
of the pious men take it in turn, two every morning."
Such is the establishment of which Mr. Budgett was the
head. It stands there his monument. Its proportions record the extent of his views; its order, his power to systematise; its prompt and rapid action, his vigour; its moral
tone, his piety. Thirty years ago, he was admitted a partner in a retail shop in a country village. Now, he has left
what a local paper calls " the largest business in the West
of England, and one which turns nearer millions than
thousands in the course of the year." It does not turn
C "millions." Its returns, in one year, are not a million,
perhaps not quite three-quarters of a million. But that,
mark! is all brought in by a system of prompt payment.
No bills; all cash. The rule in that great establishment
is, that all purchases made within the month are paid for at
the end of the month.




STOCK TAKING.                 23
Such returns! such a. stock! such a number of'hands!
You are ready to exclaim, " What a business stock-taking
must be! How long does it occupy."
"At twelve o'clock on a certain day we stop business;
and, before twelve at night, the stock is taken, the balance
struck, and the principals in their beds at Kingswood or at
Clifton."
What was the history of the man who has left us such a
monument?




CHAPTER II.
THE BORN  M E R CHANT.
"Still let thy mind be bent, still plotting where,
And when, and how, the business may be done."
HERBERT.
COMMERCE is not one of the Muses. A bargain is not so
beautiful a thing as a poem, an oratorio, a picture, or a
flight of eloquence.  Yet the bargain holds no mean place
in the framework of this present world. It is the first material bond of human society. By it, the individual acquires
what he could not produce, and is relieved of what he could
not employ. By it, the best fruits of a skill possessed by
one alone are distributed throughout the community; and
the one, in serving the community, is advancing himself.
By it, nation is linked with nation in a thousand beneficial
connexions.  By it, the dissimilar produce of climates lying
wide apart meet in a single home; the temperate zone gathering winter comfort from the pole, and- summer luxury
from the equator. Much as we should regret the departure
from our world of the poem, the picture, or the oration, that
would not leave mankind so utterly at a loss as the departure
of the less beautiful bargain. Without it, we could never
behold a shop, a public conveyance, a factory, a ship, a railway, or an extensive town.
"The Iliad for War," cries the author of' Friends in




COMMERCE AND POETRY.                   25
Council,' and the Odyssey for wandering; but where is the
great domestic epic?" A very fit question. ~ And where is
the great commercial epic?  Arms, agriculture, love, travel,
and adventure, all have had their ample offerings of song;
but, in spite of Dyer's' Fleece,' and Grainger's' Sugar Cane,'
and Phillips''Cyder,' with minor attempts to give commerce
a poetic status, it has thus far held on its course in the world
without any notable obligation to the lyre. Any subject,
in its vulgar aspect, appears below the dignity and interest
of poetry; but once that it has been seen by the eye of the
poet, and that his numbers have set it forth, all will recognise its higher aspects. Commerce, in its petty details, is
very far from  poetry; so is a brigade of recruits on drill,
lifting up and setting down first one foot and then the other,
as the sergeant cries, "Left! right!-left! right!"   But
commerce, on the grand scale, is connected with the chief
events of history, with all the noted terrestrial discoveries,
all the scenes of nature, all the spheres of enterprise, all
the triumphs of invention, all the manners of the nations.
It is by the light of Commerce that, far away on the misty
frontier of history, we first catch sight of Phoenicia, careering on the ancient seas;. of Greece, receiving her colonies
and her lights; of Carthage, spreading enterprise around
the West; of Ancient Britain, emerging out of the unknown,
and holding in her hand, as her modest contribution to the
common store of mankind, a goodly supply of tin. It is
Commerce that first tells us of bright rich lands in the distant East, beyond the range of western politics and wars;
-that brings thence gem, and spice, and silky robe, which, to
northern eyes, look as if they came from. some strange realnm
of light; that, displaying these, stirs up her first-born offspring, Enterprise, to stretch her flight for their native
lands; that, at length, placing Enterprise on her own wings,
bears her across the wide Atlantic, and lets her gaze on a
2




26             COMMERCE AND NATURE.
new continent; then, carrying her round the African Cape,
unfolds the real scene whence the great excitement camethe Taprobane, the Golden Chersonesus, the lands of cinnamon and peacocks; of pearl, ivory, and diamond; of muslin,
sandalwood, and silk. It is Commerce which -presides at
the inauguration of the new age, when Europe founds empires beyond the sea, and east and west meet together in
new, rivalries and friendships, till the devotees of trade cover
every eminence of Columbia with foreign standards, and
transfer the gorgeous realm of the Great Mogul to masters
who confess- the:reed:of the Nazarene. And, sweeping her
course from Tadmor to St. Francisco, what magic communities spring up in her train! Solomon's fair city, in the
wilderness; the queenly daughter of Alexander, by the
mouths of the Nile; Venice, emerging from the flat isles of
the Po, beyond the range of the barbarians who then overswept all Italy's ancient glory; Bussorah, springing up by
the Tigris, under auspices of the Crescent; the Low Countries, rising out of the sea, gathering the wealth of the
Eastern Archipelago,- striking down the banner of Spain,
and lifting up the paralysed arm of Protestant England;
the cityof Clive and Hastings, by the ancient Ganges; with
wonders endless, on the bays and streams of yonder new
world, and here, in our Lancashire vales, on our Yorkshire
hills, or in the districts where the great wise Ha-nd has
stored up our iron and our coal.
Again, her course. amid the paths of nature is not less
wonderful than among those of history. Now she is overwhelmed in the simoom, now refreshed on the oasis; now
hemmed in by the icebergs, now drenched by the waterspout; now lashed by the monsoon, now enchained by the
calm; now steadily wafted by the trade-wind, now broken
upon the rock; now joyfully riding in the haven, now away
on the open main) where sky and sea alone can meet her




HER FEATS AND HER STEEDS.             27
eye; now hasting through the hollow tunnel, where cloud,
and tree, and wave are alike unseen; now chasing an invisible land by the mysterious track of the magnet; now
reading in the conjunction, the transit, the eclipse, or the
culminating sun, her instructions how to travel upon earth.
And all the feats whereof poetic rapture ever sang are
surely to be matched by those which are daily displayed in
the service of Commerce. The huntsman chasing tiger,
elephant, lion, b.ear, ostrich and kangaroo; the diver seeking
pearl; the fisherman vanquishing the whale; the miner undoing the bolts and bars of nature's treasure vaults; the
mariner wrestling with both wind and sea; the engineer
scooping the hill or spanning the strait; the caravan daring
the sands; the fleet braving the waters; the bullock-train
encountering the kloof; and all that ancient poets could
find to originate ideas of Cyclops and supernatural powers,
was little to the flaming wonders of one night's survey from
Dudley Castle, or one day's study of the magic hives of
Manchester.
Then, Commerce mounts her upon every steed; now on
the camel, patient as a thing inanimate; now on the ship,
active as a thing of life, with canvas wing and magnet scent;
now on the fleet horse, now on the drowsy buffalo; now on
the toiling wain, now on the flying engine; now on the
steadfast mule, now on the quivering steam-boat; now she
follows the fleet foot of the reindeer, now loiters on the dank
canal; now skims in the slight canoe, now rolls in the thundering train; now whirrs on the wing of the carrier-pigeon,
now clings to the writhing catamaran.
Commerce, too, has done much toward fulfilling its mission. It was ordained to bind man to man, province to province, and nation to nation, by the solid tie of common
interests. " Had all nations found at home every thing
necessary and agreeable, it is impossible to conceive to what




28           TIHE MISSION OF COMMERCE.
extent their mutual alienation might have proceeded. China
and Japan help us to an idea of that which, in such a case,
would have constituted nationality." But God gave each
individual a relish for all that is charming in creation, yet
distributed the productions which all enjoy over the various
zones of earth. Consequently, if the people of one land
would partake of all they coveted, it was necessary to know
and to deal with the people of other lands.  Thence came
that interchange of services by which we now see the beverage of lEnglishmen depending on the rains in China, the
wealth of many a Chinese on the markets of England, the
bread of many a family in Manchester on the weather of
Carolina, the comfort of many a home in Leeds on the sheep
of the Cape and Australia, the welfare of many a Spanish
vine-grower on the rents of the English squire, the value of
Norwegian pine on a vote at St. Stephen's, the prosperity
of the Russian hemp-grower on the prosperity of England,
and the robes of the Swedish ladies on the silk-worms of the
south. Commerce is the appointed medium for making that
universal in benefit which is local in production; for preserving in men a sense of dependence upon other men; and
thus, for giving the most favoured nations a knowledge of
the condition of others, an interest in their welfare, and a
facility for that, intercourse by which they may teach and
elevate. It is not a spiritual or sentimental tie; but a material bond-a chain of gold, by which the hand of Providence has linked the interests of all men in a connexion
which the most carnal eye may see; but which, when recognised, tends to facilitate all the errands of Christianity
among the nations. It was through Commerce that Carey
and Swartz were enabled to know India. and, to reach it;
that Morrison had his path made to China; that the Fetish
tree of Guinea and the Kraal of South Africa were laid
open to-the eye of Christian pity; that the heart of zeal




COMMERCIAL BIOGRAPHY.                29
was told of cannibal feasts in New Zealand, and infant mur.
der in the Polynesian isles. Of old, we see her ships and
her dromedaries bearing the gold and the gems of the richest lands, to lay them as her offering at the gate of God's
glorious temple on Zion. Thus may she be seen often twining ties of international amity; often calling forth the enlightened to teach the dark; and now convening all earth's
tribes under one pure dome of crystal.  But often, too, she
appears perverted from her purpose; stirring man against
man with a pitiless rivalry; rousing nation against nation,
for lucre; letting loose all the bloodhounds of war; and,
alas! alas! the whole curse of the slave-yell falls upon her
head, the whole blood of the slave trade lies upon her skirts.
Surely, if Commerce could find her poet, the poet could find
his materials.  Yet, we have no commercial epic 
And what is far more wonderful in a "nation of shopkeepers," we have no commercial biography.  Our power
abroad, our quiet at home, the stability of our government,
the security of our towns, the value of our crops, are all so
dependent upon commerce, that, nationally, it is our first
interest and our leading characteristic.  Our merchants have
been a race of vast endeavour, and incredible achievement.
They have built up a fabric that astounds us all, and our
neighbours more than us.  They have had, in their individual careers, the most wondrous vicissitudes, the highest
romance of real life. They have ever furnished the noblest,
the meanest, the most unaccountable, the most exemplary, the
most eccentric specimens of character. Many of them have
influenced contemporary history more than reigning princes;
many of them have displayed more comical peculiarities
than the queerest oddity of fiction. There is scarce a town
of note, to which some one of the race has not bequeathed
a tradition of wonderful success, accompanied by hated parsimony, by envied sumptuousness, or by benevolence univer




30           BUSINESS AND BIOGIAPHEIES.
sally extolled. Here, you have a mansion and park; there,
a set of almnshouses; yonder, a church or school; each with
its short but pregnant tale of a remarkable man. Yet, with
such a race in the midst of us, and such tokens of what they
have been doing, we seek in vain for the Lives of the British
Merchants. Booksellers look uncommonly wise when you
ask for a volume of commercial biography. JOhnson has
taken care of the poets; Allan Cunninghame of the artists;
Campbell of the Lord Chancellors: but no one has thought
of the Lord Mayors; except, indeed, that wcrthy scribe who
regaled our childhood with the pleasant story of " Whittington and his Cat." Divines, orators, men of science, of letters, of art, statesmen, generals,'admirals, yea, even playactors, have abounded in biographers; but the men who
have reared factories more costly than a castle, who have
given bread to more men than an ancient chieftain led out
to war,.who have created fleets that are sailing under every
sky, who have raised an entire neighbourhood from indigent
inaction to gainful enterprise, who have presided over the
destinies of a whole exchange, who have built up a financial
power before which foreign cabinets bend suppliantly,-no
one has cared to trace for commercial posterity the course
wherein these kings of commerce struggled and achieved.
When biographers have taken up a commercial man;
they have dropped business as a leaden thing, a dead weight,
that would sink the book; and so you float away with a fragrant cargo of philanthropy or public life. Mr. Knight
gives us Gresham; but Gresham dealt in state finance, and
the high service of kings. In the edifying biography of
Allen, you see much of the beauty of holiness, nothing of
the stern struggle of profit and loss. In the almost faultless biography of Buxton, you are now and then permitted
to have a distant peep of the brewery, far away in the receases of Brick Lane; and one day you are positively taken




THlE MEN WHOM LITERATURE FORGOT.          31
inside the gates, -but it is to eat beefsteaks with the Premier and the Lord Chancellor. In nearly all the religious
biographies of those who have been in business, you see the
inner man alone. Had Jacob's life fallen into the hands of
a modern biographer, he would never have thought of telling us the contrivances by which he multiplied his wealth.
That would not have been sufficiently intellectual, sufficiently ethereal,-or, indeed, sufficiently to Jacob's credit.
Arkwright produced an invention by which the British
people have been more influenced politically, socially, and
morally, than by all the expeditions in search of the NorthWest passage, all the orations of Curran, all the poems. of
Burns, all the pictures of West; yet, the aspiring apprentice who would trace that wonderful (I do not mean noble)
man, must hunt in the' Beauties of Derbyshire,' among the
Cyclopedias, or in the faithful annals of the'Gentleman's
Magazine,' for some faint outline of his career. Should he
go to a circulating library, and ask for the life of Arkwright,
perhaps he may be favoured with an offer of the life of
Charles Matthews. The first Sir Robert Peel, from an ambitious labouring lad, became a baronet, who employed fifteen thousand men, spoke often in Parliament, published
political pamphlets, When' the country was threatened with
invasion gave ten thousand pounds to aid our overladen
finances, raised half saregiment of volunteers, and bequeathed
to England a son who became her most powerful statesman.
Yet if a Lancashire boy feels, as he felt, that he has the
capability of raising himself to station and power, he may
go to the library, and instead of the life of the founder of
the Peels, be offered one of Lady Hester Stanhope. Rothschild began by buying prints at Manchester, and ended by
wielding a power which was felt by every king in Europe.
Yet the young merchant who would study his habits of business, may, possibly, if he inquire for his biography, be offered
that of Theodore Hook.




32              HISTORIES  UNW.TRITTEN.
Nothing tends to form the rising members of any profes
sion more than the biographies of those who have been eminent in the same line. The advantage of the finest models
has long been before the eye of all the alumni, of the theological, military, political, and artistic schools. -Not so
with the young men of commerce. Those of their predecessors who have accomplished the greatest wonders, are known
only by a stray anecdote or a slight sketch. Every boy in
the navy knows how Captain Brock took the Chesapeake;
but what boy in the merchant -service knows anything of the
way in which Mr. Green created his superb mercantile fleet,
with its noble accompaniment, his sailor's home? Every
young author can learn precisely how many pounds a day
Scott earned while writing the life of Bonaparte, how much
Byron received from Murray for Manfred or for the Corsair; but though points so mercantile are worthy of record
in the high regions of poetry, none can tell by what transactions, successes, and plans the Barings built up their power. Turn where you will,.you see wonders of commerce, the
origin of which is recent, the history of which would be instructive; but which are known only by flying traditions.
At Leeds, you see Marshall's mills rising up as by magic,
giving employment directly or indirectly to thousands, raising many to comfort, some to affluence, spreading competence and education around, giving that great borough a
representative, and adorning the banks of Conistone and
Ullswater with new mansions and demesnes.' Yet, who of
us can tell how that wonderful structure arose?  But we
are all well taught in the momentous fact that Lord Byron
kept his figure slim by living on potatoes and vinegar. At
Stockport we see the mills of another Marshall, performing,
in cotton, prodigies akin to those of the former in flax; yet
what working man who wants to rise can con over the narrative of how the founder of that establishment began, and




TH-E CALL OF LITE ATT1RE.             33
rose, and weathered the storm, and pressed on, till he was
the largest cotton manufacturer in Europe?  But we are
all instructed in the portentous truth, that when Oliver
Goldsmith presented himself to a Bishop for ordination, he
was arrayed in scarlet breeches.
"Commerce is a dirty thing," we have heard literary
lips say.  Yes, in dirty hands, it is a dirty thing; and in
rude hands, a rude thing; and in covetous hands, a paltry,
pelfy thing. Nevertheless, it is a thing on which those who
despise it are largely dependent.  Without it, the author
would have no market for his works; the intellectual gentleman, no bookshop; the grand lady, no sumptuous furniture;
the fop, no finery; the idler,'no dainties. And, what is far
more important, it is the thing in which the bulk of our
countrymen are spending their lives, and in which the bulk
of future generations will spend- their lives too,-the thing on
which their earthly hopes will depend, in which their souls will
be tempted, exercised, chained down to the dust, or prepared
for immortal joy. If literature has any work in this world
at all, it is to refine and elevate every sphere of human life;
to be the companion, and friend, and teacher of every rank
of men. It cannot, therefore, without being faithless to its
mission, pass lightly over that sphere wherein the most numerous and most energetic class of the community are
trained in youth and tried in manhood. No theme is dull,
if not handled with dulness; no theme low, if the writer
exalts it.  The pen of Wordsworth can chain you to the
track of an old Cumberland beggar, until you almost count
the nails in his footprint, and feel the dust from his mealwallet. The moss-trooper, the smuggler, the buccaneer, are
all chosen subjects of lofty authors; but to depict an actual
man, whose life has been spent in the struggles, the reverses,
the glossy frauds, and the sordid triumphs, of downright
purchase and sale, seems a task far too practical for a pen
2*




34               LITTLE AND GREAT.
from the ethereal plume of genius. Galt, even when under
taking to portray the curious life of Grant Thorburn. must
needs enshroud it in the fiction of'"Laurie Todd.'
" Who would ever think of writing the life of the moiling pelf-worm, who works and wriggles through the dust,
thinking of nothing but making'his way? True, who would?
But who would think of writing the life of the commonplace
soldier, who wheels to right or left, loads, presents, fires, and
fixes bayonet? or of the scribbler who palms a book upon
the world? or of the spouter who perpetrates dull speeches?
The ignoble is ignoble in any sphere; the great is great in
any. Commerce, like other spheres, has had its marvellous
men; and to the moralist, no class he could handle would afford such innumerable points on which important light might
be shed upon life's actual ways, wherein the plodding and
the practical are ever tempted to sell truth and integrity for
gold. But from them the literati seemed to have turned
away.  The TERRA INCOGNITA of the learned is ordinary
life. The Chronicles of the Stock Exchange, the History
of Banking, the Bankers' Magazine, and some prints devoted to economical questions, all show that literature has at
length set out to explore that region of reputed desert.
For business men, as a class, literature has done little.
They can lay their hands on few books that are not likely
to estrange them from their avocations just in proportion as
they. charm them. The young men of any other profession,
beside the dry study of principles, may at the same time
relax their:minds, and. rouse up all their professional aspirations by the lives of some who have trodden the very path
on which they are starting, and found it the way to eminence. Not so the young merchant, of whatever grade.
For the lives of the great, he must go out of his own line,
and perhaps learn to despise it, when he might have learned
its value, and had all his views ennobled. Thus many busi



BUSINESS AND LITERATURE.             35
ness men dread books, just as literary men dread business.
The two things have been at enmity. The literatus has
looked down on the man of figures and facts, with countinghouse taste and cash-box imagination. The merchant has
looked down on the man of lofty ideas and light pockets,
redundant in sentiment, but lacking in common sense. You
can hardly ever find a business man who has any just notion
of the mercantile value of genius, or a literary man, who
has any appreciation of business. How seldom does a millionaire take any pains to encourage letters; or a scholar
care to analyse the life of a merchant, whatever mental power he may have displayed, whatever impulse he may have
given to the improvement of international or internal relations, whatever influence he may have exerted on the history
of a kingdom.  Consequeirtly little light has been shed into
the recesses'of commerce from higher spheres. Men of business have been left to form their own codes of morals, with
a millionth part of the criticism, from the erudite, on the
moral correctness of this principle and of that mode of transaction, that has been spent on the letter A, the Greek article, or the digamma. The politics of commerce are now, perforce, a favourite study; but the morality of purchase and
sale, the effect of business upon character, the relation which.art, science, and literature bear to commerce, are points on
which business men are little indebted to those whose calling it is to instruct. Had it been otherwise, the mercantile
class might have been great gainers, in enlarged views, in
refined;pleasure, in appreciation of the efforts and the utility
of -the higher orders of mind, and also in clear views of the
moral principles of trade.
But more attention to practical life, on the part of literary men, would be as rich in benefit to themselves as to men
in business. In handling that subject, they would grow
wiser, and would impart more wisdom. They would dis



363          PREACHERS AND TRADESMEN.
cover that fictitious characters were no more necessary to
furnish interest, pleasure, amusement, surprise, and sadness,
than fictitious landscapes are necessary to furnish mountain,
forest, water, and sky. They would constantly find moral
problems, Which might engage the most subtle dialectitians,
and yet would interest the stock-jobber and the shopman.
To the lawyer who has constantly to handle commercial
transactions, to the judge who has to pronounce upon them,
to the statesman who has to balance conflicting mercantile
Interests, to the schoolmaster who has to train men for business life, a knowledge of all its aspects would be invaluable.
But to the preacher, above all, who has constantly to deal
with men immersed in trade, it is of an importance not to
be calculated that he should know the life which all the
week long his -hearers are leading-its temptations, its glosses,
its rivalries, its depressions, its joys; its anxieties, which
cast the care of the soul into the shade; its ambitions, which
outweigh the claims of truth and right. Ignorant of these
he must leave many to flounder in temptation, whom he
might be the means of extricating; many to be worried with
care, when he might win their attention to better things;
many to sink under their load, to whom he might have given
a timely solace; many to go on in a course of gainful sin,
whose conscience he might have reached and aroused. Too
often, the man of business feels that the remarks from the
pulpit only show that his case is not at all understood.
There are few preachers of whom it could be said, as I
have heard it said of Dr. M'Neile, that after some of his sermons his hearers felt as if'he had served his time to every
trade in the town. Dr. Chalmers, too, endeavoured worthily
to bring the strong light of his Christian eloquence to elucidate the pathway which is ever so crowded, however it may
be forgotten by the learned.
I have now to tell you of a genuine son of English com




OUR TALE.                    37
merce; not of one who, like Gresham, was by birth a prince
of the blood in the empire of trade; but of one who, beginning in the ranks, fought his way up to eminence: not of
one who took his stand among the archers of speculation,
and, drawing his bow at their brilliant target, chanced to
strike the gold; but of one who rose by sheer dint of working, systematising, and extending his own legitimate business: not of one who accumulated by the simple power of
retention,-getting, griping, holding, and never giving; but
of one who was as apt to scatter as to increase: not of one
in whom early influence and education had combined the
polish of aristocratic circles with the pursuits of commercial'life; but of one who was, to the lhst, the keen, bustling,
downright man of business: not of one who was so absorbed
in trade that he never had a spare thought or a spare moment for recreation, friendship, the interests of others, the
culture of his mind, or the care of his soul; but of one
who, while passionately earnest in business, had always a
heart for a friend, a hand for the poor, an hour for good
works, a relish for a book, and a lively solicitude for the
things that never pass away: not of one who amassed and
left behind him a fortune, making a wonder in itself; but of
one who did not care to die rich: not of one who moved in
the high walks of cosmopolitan philanthropy; but of one
whose work was wrought near his own door, among the colliers and the lane-side cots of a poor and unpolished neighbourhood. Such is the tale I have to tell; do be patient,
and follow me.
The little Somersetshire town of Wrington has beenknown
to the great world only through one name. It was there that
the sage eye of John Locke first opened to the light.  How
strange, that, age after age, the natives of Wrington should
pass away unknown, and a single individual stand up before
mankind a prodigy and an ornament, greeted everywhere by




38             WRINGTON AND NAILSEA.
the noble and the wise with admiring obeisance. That one
illustrious reputation, overshadowing those numbers of humble names, speaks to us very weightily of a hand which
silently frames our powers and allots our sphere.
It was in this same quiet little town of Wrington, that
Samuel Budgett received his birth; on the 27th of July,
1794. But his recollections brought up to him no trace of
his native town. It was to the village of Backwell, whither
his parents had removed, that his first gleams of memory
referred; and these "were very faint." When only five
years old, his parents again removed; fixing this time at
Nailsea. Here it is that his recollection begins fully to retain events. Of some of these we have records in his own
words. A young friend, to whom, late in life, he had become much attached, and who knew how to estimate the remarkable man whose intimacy she had gained, set her heart
on preserving his own animated narratives of the leading
occurrences in his career. She was able to carry out her
purpose only as far as regarded his earliest years; then opportunities never recurred till disease and death closed the
lips from which she would, otherwise, have collected many a
tale pregnant with interest and with lessons.  Our opportunities of laying his own words before the reader will
be so few, that some of these early recitals, which might
otherwise have been passed over, may be given, to permit the
man to make his own impression.
It may generally be assumed, that those events of childhood which leave a permanent impression on the memory,
have had considerable influence in moulding the character.
Adventures which are trivial as possible in their external
history, may be so frequently present to the early reflections, and may mingle with- so much of early thought, that
their place in the inner history is altogether disproportioned to their seeming importamce. Mr. Budgett thus nar



HIS FIRST RECOLLECTION.              39
rates "the very first recollection of importance" which he
preserved:" The very first recollection of importance I have, is that
of a Mr. Taylor, an Irish gentleman, coming to lodge in my
father's house, and offering.to undertake the education of
the children; and although my parents were both extremely
kind and indulgent, so far was it from producing, as it ought
to have done, anything like hope or pleasure, I remember
distinctly such fear was produced in my mind (although I
am not aware that he ever spoke an unkind word to me),
that, for a short time, annihilation seemed preferable to life
itself: and life became a complete burden, from no other
cause than the idea I had formed of his warmth of temper.
My mind, however. was completely relieved when the proposition was not accepted. This circumstance left an indelible
impression, and produced great care, in after life, to prevent a recurrence of the kind in the case of my own children."
This first glimpse at his character brings to light two
things; —an extreme sensitiveness, a painful heart-sinking
timidity; and a habit of treasuring up a lesson from the
past, to apply it to the emergencies of the future. The former of these characteristics was probably physical; the latter was one of his great elements of power and success. The
terror he had felt was not looked back upon with a smile, as
a mere childish folly; but was carefully preserved in view,
as a guard against allowing similar distress to be coupled
in the mind of one of his own children with their education.
The next of his early recollections is this:-:" About the same time, I remember a remarkable dream
of my father's. After having lost a black mare for some
weeks, supposing it to have been stolen, he had given up all
search; and when he awoke one morning, he saidj  Betsy, I
have dreamt that I found the mare at Kingston Seamore,




40                  THE LOST I.tARE.
grazing on the Moors; and the dream is so distinct, I'll go
and see.' He soon obtained a horse, and rode off.  My
mother having told us of it, we were in full expectation, toward evening, of my father's return; and a little before
dusk, as we were all looking out, big with expectation and
hope, the gate flew open, and in rode my father on the horse
with which he left home in the morning, and leading the
black mare in his right hand, with his pocket-handkerchief
filled with a quantity of crabs and other live fish which he
brought home for our amusement. The delight and glee
which we all felt on his. arrival, at his success, and on beholding for- the first time animals of this kind crawling on
the large stones before our door, may more easily be conceived than described, and left an impression which will
never be effaced, as one of the most wonderful events that
could happen; particularly as during the- loss of the horse,
the children participated in the feelings of the parents, supposing we were well nigh ruined."
This again brings to light one of the most powerful elements in forming his character and fixing his pursuits,-a
lively sympathy in the concerns of his family. Few boys of
five or six would feel so intensely about the injury arising to
their parents from the loss of a horse, that its recovery should
form, ever after, one of the chief events of early life.  But
we shall abundantly see, as we proceed, that this early activity of family affection was a true index of his heart.
Perhaps this adventure of the lost mare also affected his
character in another way.  Here, at the outset of life, his
feelings had been intensely wrought upon in connexion with.
a horse. The horse had been made to appear a treasure and
a friend. In after life, he was remarkable for his love of
horses; and we shall find his benevolence making a singular
use of that peculiarity. Perhaps the loss of the black mare
at Nailsea was the secret of that fancy to which some of his




KIINGSWOOD.                   41
poor neighbours at Kingswood were indebted for the gift df
a good horse.
What child has not his escapes? They too often leave
important traces both in the physical and mental history.
Besides a terrible accident in a tanpit, where he was hardly
rescded from drowning, he had a mishap which left a mark
upon his countenance to the end. He thus describes his most
memorable escape:
"We then lived in a large and respectable house, belonging to the late James Davis, Esq., of Bristol, having large
entrance-gates on the left hand of a long yard opposite the
house door. On the right hand was a very nice cherry orchard; on the left hand, going from the cherry orchard to
the alcove, was a flight of steps leading to the kitchen garden; at the bottom of which was a bathing pond: and on
one occasion, when this was emptied. a large quantity of mud
had collected at the bottom, which was drawn away by a cart
with three horses. As the cart was moving on, when loaded, from the pond, I (being between five and six years of age)
ran before the wheel, and falling on my back, the broad wheel
passed over the top of my right thigh, across my body, over
the left shoulder, grazing my chin, and has left a mark to
this day. My father took me up and carried me in, supposing me dead; but on being bled, I recovered, and was soon
better."
Such a shock was not calculated to abate the sensitiveness
from which he so much suffered.
" In 1801," he sayK, "we removed to Kingswood. I remember, there, father and mother taking a shop, which was
termed' the great shop on the cassy' (causeway)." Two years
afterwards, this shop was left in the hands of a brother, many
years older than he, and the son of another mother. On this
occasion the family removed to Coleford, "where," he says,
" my parents opened a small general shop."




4C2,GENIUS.
The same benevolent Power which sends amongst mankind some qualified, by special genius, to advance their
knowledge, manners, or polity, also sends some qualified, by
special genius, to advance their commercial development.
Such a man was Samuel Budgett. He was'born a merchant,
just as other men have been born poets, painters, or mkathematicians.  Genius lies in intuition and impulse,-an inborn
aptitude to perform a certain thing, and an inborn desire to
perform it. Dr. Johnson's definition, " a mind of large general powers, accidentally determined in some particular direction," applies to the highest order of the human mind;
but shoots above the majority of those who possess proper
genius, which often exists, remarkably, in persons not gifted
with 1" large general powers," and not- capable of pre-eminence
in any direction but the one to which their " genius" leads
them. Large general powers may take their -direction accidentally; genius does not. It always sets its possessor on
his own particular path. An old lady in Nottinghamshire,
who happens to imagine that dead people dwell in the moon,
has only to provoke the boy-lord of Newstead Abbey, when
he breaks out,"In Nottingham county, there lives at Swan Green,
As cursed an old lady as ever was seen;
And when she shall die, which I hope will be soon,
She firmly believes that she'll go to the moon."
There it was; the impulse to put his passion into verse, and
the ability to do it. The old lady might have provoked all
the other boys in Nottinghamshire, and not found one, whatever were his general powers, who would have vented his irritation in that form. So Watts, when whipped for rhyming,
begged pardon in rhyme.  So Pascal, when still carefully
prevented from seeing mathematical books, is found working
demonstrations on the floor, with charcoal, calling his lines




THE FIRST PENNY.                  43
bars, and his circles rounds. So Chantrey, sent to sell milk,
is busy carving heads on a walking-stick.  So Jackson, set
upon a tailor's board, is perpetually drawing pictures with
his chalk. So Arkwright, deep in dyeing wigs, is planning the
perpetual motion.  So James Watt, placed at a tea-table, is
pondering the properties of steam. Thus it ever is; if a
man has naturally the power of genius, he spontaneously exerts it. The power would be useless without the impulse.
In the case before us, the power was specially commercial,
and the impulse took that bent. Just as other boys naturally betook themselves to rhyming, sketching, or making
models; so Samuel Budgett naturally betook himself to
making bargains. That was his sphere, and he entered upon
it early.
At Coleford, when about ten years of age, he began to
display his mercantile predilections, and to lay the foundations of his habits and his fortune. His own account of his
first essay in merchandise, and his first possession of money,
is very straightforward.
"The first money I ever-recollect possessing, was gained
iu the following way. I went to Mr. Milks, of Kilmersdon,
to school, a distance of three miles.  One day, on my way, I
picked up a horse-shoe, and carried it about three miles, and
sold it to a blacksmith for a penny. That was the first penny I
ever recollect possessing; and I kept it for some time.  A
few weeks after, the same man called my attention to a boy
who was carrying off some dirt opposite his door; and
offered, if I would beat the boy, who was a bigger boy than
myself, to give me a penny. I did so; he made a mark upon
it, and promised, if I would bring it to him that day fortnight, he would give me another.  I took it to him at the
appointed time, when he fulfilled his promise, and I thus became possessed of threepence; since which, I have never
been without, except when I gave it all away."




44                 THE HORSE-SHOE.
One would not have imagined, in seeing the little school
boy stop and look at the old horse-shoe, that the turning point
of his life had come. But so it was. Hle converts that
horse-shoe into his first penny, and never wants a penny more.
Ihad he not picked it up; had he "never thought," as people
so naturally say; or, having thought of it, had he felt ashamed
to offer such a thing for sale; or had he set it down as too
much trouble to carry an old horse-shoe for three miles, probably he would not have had a penny for many a day, and
would have often "been without" afterwards. Do you think,
young man, that you could use such an opportunity to any
purpose? If so you may rely upon finding a horse-shoe in
your path, some day. Those men whom we see often without
a penny, have, all of them, passed by the horse-shoe on their
path when they were boys. And those other men, who, from
nothing, are rising up rapidly above their neighbors, have all
had the sense to seize the horse-shoe, and turn it into the
foundation of a fortune. Paths vary, but every boy, if his
eyes are open, will certainly find the horse-shoe in his path,
at one point or another.
Mr. Budgett was one day riding in a lane near his own
residence, when he saw a boy following the track of a haycart and picking up the tufts of hay that fell. He at once
put his hand in his pocket, and gave the boy a shilling.
Doubtless he bethought him then of his own horse-shoe, and
hoped his young neighbor was finding his.
And that is an expressive note which closes the record of
his first fortunes, "Since which, I have never been without,
except when I gave it all away."  Mark it, for we shall find
something to call it to mind.
Here is the history of his second attempt at making
money:"The next addition to my stock of money was, when one
of my sisters, in drawing treacle, had let it run over; and a




THE CUCUMBERS.                  45
considerable quantity was wasted. After taking up what
she thought was worth saving, and being about to wash away
the remainder, I ran to my mother and said, " Mother, may
I scrape up that treacle, and sell it for myself?" Having
gained her consent, I set to work, scraped it up as clean as
possible, and sold it for three halfpence. Thus, by little and
little, my fund became augmented, until I had enough to
pnrchase'Wesley's Hymns.' and I considered myself a rich
and happy boy."
In this case, again, we see his impulse to convert to gain
that which others would let run to loss. The "little and little" of which he speaks, was little and little indeed. A surviving brother describes him as perpetually trading. When
at school he found that for a half-penny he got only six marbles; but for a penny fourteen. By buying a pennyworth, and
selling to his comrades two different half-pennyworths, he
earned two marbles honestly; and so drove a profitable trade.
Lozenges were also in request at school; and he found that a
similar law of commerce obtained in lozenges as in marbles,the large purchaser had an advantage over the small. Therefore he bought in pennyworths and sold in half-pennyworths,
ever making head. This trade returned a good profit on the
capital, and was, moreover, perfectly safe. But it seems in
the nature of the merchant to make large and hazardous adventures as his funds thrive. Accordingly, the growing means
of our juvenile tradesman tempted him to Seek a larger
sphere.  One day, on the way to school, he encountered a
woman bearing a basket of cucumbers. He asked the price,
and to her surprise, and his brother's discomfiture, would
know the price of the whole store. It was in vain for his
brother to remonstrate; he would buy, and he would sell.
The old woman finding him really in,earnest, concluded a
bargain, and the cucumbers became his own. It was not a
very likely investment for the capital of a school-boy; but his




46                   THE DONKEY.
energy made it answer.  The cucumbers were all sold, at, I
think, the notable profit of ninepence.
Yet the boy who had this singular passion for trade, and
with it a tenacious care of money, had his heart set on something nobler than a plentiful store of pelf, When, "by little
and little," his original penny had swollen to some shillings,
he invests it all in a purchase that can yield no return but
poetry and devotion,-the two things one would least expect
to find dwelling in the same heart with this marvellous love'
of traffic. You see the little merchant counting over his
profits, and think what. a lover of money he will be. You
then see him making haste to exchange it for'Wesley's
Hymns;' and as he eagerly clasps his new purchase, you are
ready to think that it, also, is to sell and get gain. But, no;
it is to read, and learn, and sing. And lo! with this possession, he feels himself "a rich and happy boy."  There is something more in that young heart than appetite for gold.
From this original trade in small wares, he proceeded to
deal in live stock. "I still went on to accumulate, by seizing
every opportunity; such as buying a few eggs or chickens, a
young donkey or pig." The adventure of the young donkey so lies at the base of his mercantile character, and was
wont to be recounted by himself with such zest, that it is well
we have it in his own words.
"I was one day coming from Leigh, when about twelve
years of age,'and saw a -man walking along with an old donkey and a young one. I asked the price of the young one.
He said, Two-and-sixpence. I tried to see if he would take
less; but finding he would not, got a cord, put it round his
neck, paid the two-and-sixpence, took it home and kept it a
few days; then sold it to a Mrs. Ellis for five shillings; but
she said she had no money, but would pay in the' course of
the week. I objected to leave it without security. But here
a difficulty arose, as she had no security to offer, but a pair




BIRD IN HAND.                  47
of new stays which had just cost ten shillings.'Oh!' said
I,'there is nothing like that, because it is easily carried.'
So, on receiving them, I carried them all through the village
in my hand, and said,'Mother, here's a pair of stays. I
have sold the donkey; Mrs. Ellis will call and pay five shillings; be sure and not let her have the stays without the
nloney.' The donkey, however, unfortunately died; and she
wished to have the stays returned without the money; but
in vain, as I believed the death was occasioned by want of
proper treatment; and by that I learnt,'A bird in the hand
is worth two in the bush."'
This principle of the bird in the hand may seem manageable enough in the case of an amateur merchant not yet in
his teens; or even, perhaps, in the tiny transactions of a village shop. But many would pronounce it quite inapplicable
to extensive wholesale transactions; at least, in an age when
lengthened credit is so essential a part of commercial economy. Few would attempt so to apply it, and fewer still would
carry out the attempt. But you can already discover in the
boy-merchant a power to push his purpose. He intends to
have the money for his donkey. His neighbour cannot pay,
just then. Any ordinary boy would abandon his point, and
take the promise. But he had made up his mind to be paid,
and paid he must be, no matter whether in shillings or in
stays. Perhaps had all gone smoothly in this case, he might
afterwards have been less strict. But it soon proves that
the stays in hand are his only protection from the loss of his
entire two-and-sixpence. That was a lesson he was not the
nlan to forget. It was treasured up, like the lessons of other
early events. "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,"
becomes one of his standing axioms. And when he has become one of the most extensive merchants in England, the
principle taught by the death of the donkey is strengthened
and elevated by a conviction that a system of cash payments,




48                PROMPT PAYMENT.
introduced generally into commerce, would save thousands
of families from ruin, and would save the country in times of
depression from those series of bankruptcies which follow
each other like a train of explosions in a mine. True, he
encounters immense difficulty in pursuing this course. Every
day presents temptations to depart from it. Many a large
and safe customer will not submit to conditions which other
houses do not impose. His natural passion for a vast commerce is strong. Endless opportunities of extension open, if
he will only forego his rule. But, no; he settled it when a
boy: " A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."  Now
that he is a man, he may doubt whether he could not widen
his sphere, and multiply his gain by a " more liberal " course;
but his system has been smiled upon by Providence, and he
is convinced that one example of success, on such a system,
may be an incalculable public benefit; therefore, to the
day of his death, if you transact with him you must transact
in cash.
Most of the maxims by which men of original mind guide
their course are derived from their own observation. We
have already seen that this was the case with the principle
which led Mr. Budgett to aim at a system of cash payments;
it was also the case with the principle upon which he relied
for success in that difficult course. Among his reminiscences
of boyhood, no single. one more completely displays the born
merchant than the following, in which we find him philosophising with acumen and advantage on the business habits
of others:
"I remember, about 1806 or 1807, a young man called
on my mother, from Mr. D -, of Shepton, to solicit orders
in the grocery trade.  His introduction and mode of treating
my mother were narrowly watched by me, particularly when
she asked the price of several articles. On going in to my
father, she remarked there would be no advantage in dealing




SELF-INTEREST.                 49
with Mr. D, as she could not see that his prices were
any lower than those she was in the habit of giving. I slipped
aside, and began to think,' Why, that young man might have
got my mother's trade if he had known how; if, instead of
mentioning so many articles, he had just offered one or two,
at a lower.price than we have been in the habit of giving,
she would have been induced to try those articles; and thus
he iould have been introduced, most likely, to her whole
trade. Beside, his manner was rather'loose, and not of the
most modest and attractive kind.' I believe the practical
lesson then learnt has, since that, been ivorth to me thousands
of pounds, —namely, Self-interest is the mainspring of human
actions; you have only to lay before persons, in a strong
light, that what you propose is to their own interest, and you
will generally accomplish your purpose."
Little did the unsuccessful traveller imagine that the
very little boy whom- he had seen in the shop was pondering
the causes of his ill success, and eliciting a principle which
would prove to him a spring of commercial power. He saw
the precise point in which the man failed,-he had not shown
his mother that in dealing with him she would serve herself.
Had he done so, she would certainly have become his customer.  He at once educes a general principle from this
individual fact: —All buyers will feel as his mother feels;
they buy not to serve the person from whom they purchase,
but to serve themselves:- the reason of this is, that " Selfinterest is the mainspring of human actions;" and the practical use of this fact is, that " you have only to show people
that what you propose is to their own interest, and you will
generally accomplish your purpose." He now settles it in
his mind, that in his future dealings with.men it will be necessary that he provide himself with a case, which, when
fairly looked at, will convince them that their interest lies
in purchasing from him. It may be difficult to: obtain such
3




50               HIS FIRST FORTUNE.
a case; but if he can only enlist self-interest on his side, he
counts infallibly on success. In this, as in other cases, he
tenaciously held by his early conclusion. His axiom was,
that you had no firm basis of success, but the conviction on
the part of others, that, in coming to you, they promoted
their own ends.  Therefore, he resolutely endeavoured so
to construct his system that a rule should never be sacrificed to a customer; but that the customer should be told
that such was the rule of the firm, and if it were not to
his advantage to deal with them, they should be sorry for
him to do so.
His system of cash payments seemed, at first sight, to be
in conflict with the principle of engaging self-interest on his
behalf. His customers would think he denied them advantages which others ct/eded. But firmly persuaded in his
own mind that the reverse was the case, he relied on the
goodness of his ground, and thought he could "show them,
in a strong light," that on his system they obtained advantages much more substantial than those conferred by the
usual term of credit.
Thus did he pass his early boyhood, gaining at once
profits from trade and principles from experience; laying up
a store of money, and laying up a far more valuable store of
maxims. By the time he had reached his fourteenth year,
he was an old merchant in practice and in sagacity; and thirty
pounds in sterling cash was the fruit of his boyish barter.
The time now came when he must set forth into the world.
He was apprenticed to his elder brother at Kingswood. One
would expect that he would march forth to his apprenticeship exulting in his wealth, and full of visions as to the
golden days to come. Already his penny had become thirty
pounds; that is, his original capital multiplied seven thousand two hundred times. What might not his present capital becomne, if used with equal ability? Such would be the




MERCHANT AND MISER.                 5
calculations, such the emotions, one would naturally lobk for
in this boy, as he turned his steps to face the world.  But
how does his own simple record of what then happened falsify our anticipations:" By the time I left Coleford for Kingswood, when I was
between fourteen and fifteen years of age, I had saved thirty
pounds, which I presented to my parents; which they intended returning, but were incapable."
This recalls to one's mind that singular note with which
he closes the account of his first penny, "and I was never
without afterwards, except when Igave it all away." What!
he give "-all away "-the boy that would carry a horse-shoe
three miles to make a penny; that would trade and save,
and save and trade, till pence became shillings, and shillings
pounds; that would take Mrs. Ellis's stays, rather than trust
her, lest he should lose his crown; —this boy give away!
One would have expected him to be a copper-hearted little
miser. Perhaps you would; but he was not a miser, he was
a merchant. His passion was for trade, not for gold. The
joy of the miser is a great hoard; the joy of the merchant,
a successful transaction. You may find one man who is
both miser and merchant; another who is miser and no merchant; and another who is merchant and no miser.  Samuel
lBudgett was the latter; a merchant by nature, a merchant
in extreme; but his soul was as far above the soul of a miser
as the soul of a philosopher is above that of a pedant. While
a due sense of the value of money is an absolute pre-requisite
to commercial success, an excessive love of it is a drawback
rather than a fitness for high mercantile adventure. The
danger of Mr. Budgett did not lie in an excessive love of
money, but it did lie in an excessive love of a good bargain.
It was, certainly, a remarkable combination of character,
by which this boy had the keen love of trade and the rigid
care of money that enabled him to gather so fast, and yet the




52             AX GOOD INVESTMENT.
heart Which made him feel " rich and happy" when he had
parted witt his first bright store for the sacred lyrics of
Charles Wesley, and which impelled him, when on the eve of
apprenticeship, to take the whole of his thirty pounds and
" present it to his parents," turning to face the world without even the parent penny that sprang from his old horseshoe! As he sets forth on the hard path of life, fresh from
this filial offering, who does not see beauty and blessing resting on the head of the penniless apprentice? When he took
that tempting thirty pounds which exalted him above his
comrade boys, and laid it all in the hand of his good. mother,
it was the best venture af his life. Young man! rely upon
this, No investment under the sky is so sure as a parent's
blessing. Temporal welfare is made over to the dutiful son,
by "the first commandment with promise."  Show me the
young man whose hat has lost its nap, whose coat is dim and
bare, whose gloves are far worn, who walks when his comrades ride, who entertains no one, who sees few sights, who
never has a spare shilling, but whose mother at home, every
now and then, drops a tear over new tokens of his self-denial;
and far, far rather would I purchase the prospects of that
young man, than of one whose hat is bright, his coat new,
his gloves spruce, who can jaunt to-day and entertain tomorrow, but whose mother, when neighbours inquire for her
boy, says he was well when last she heard' hiding in the solitude of her aching heart how long it is since: a letter came.
What, then, were the natural elements, and what the
early influence from home, from religion, from school, or from
early associations and occurrences, that'went to form the
character of this remarkable boy?




CHAPTER III.
THE BASIS OF CHARAC T ER.
"In every work that he began..... he did it with all his heart and prospered."
2 CaRoN. xxxr. 21.
THE chief causes that unite to give a man the stamp which
the world calls his character, are, natural qualities, parental
and family influence, school training, early adventures and
associates, and above all, religious impressions. The last
none can.ever trace except the man himself; but they modify
the other constituents of character with a power limited only
by their own intensity.
As to natural qualities, the most prominent feature in
Mr. Budgett's case has been already dwelt upon, namely, his
commercial genius. A swift intuition of character and of
probabilities was the most obvious source of his power.
With a. rapidity almost incredible he read a man or unravelled a complex set of circumstances. He soon acquired
great confidence in this intuition, seldom  hesitating to act
upon it either as to an individual or as to a transaction.
And all his friends would closely watch that man whom his
first glance distrusted, and would prosecute hopefully that
transaction which he declared promising.
With this faculty was most happily combined an uncommon logical power of tracing out in strict sequence, step by




i54                  HINTUITION.
step, the probable result of a chain oT circumstances. He could
arrange, in his own mind, beforehand, the separate turns and
details of a negotiation; and put down on paper the points
that weighed on this side and those that weighed on that,
and then mark precisely the line where he could act with
advantage. I have had before me a calculation of this kind.
made late in life, which remarkably shows that though always
ready to act upon his rapid intuition when circumstances
compelled him so to do, he was equally disposed, when opportunity allowed, to forecast every step he took. In fact
so far did he carry the latter habit, that he never issued
from his library for a day's duty without having arranged
on paper all the steps to be taken that day; and never went
to converse on any important matter, without having noted
down the points to be raised. In thus checking and disciplining intuition, often lies the difference between a wise
man and a rash one. A man finds that often his first impressions prove correct, and his first impulses right. He
also sometimes finds that when he has allowed subsequent
consideration to reverse his first impression, or subsequent
persuasion to check his first impulse, he was wrong. He
thence concludes that he is always right in his first impressions and first impulses. "I never am dissuaded from my
own judgment but I repent of it afterwards," is his sage reflection; and on he goes, following his own judgment alone,
till, at the end of life, he and his judgment have made a
pitiful career. If you are at all inclined to think you have
a good portion of'sense, I would strongly advise you not to
take - it for granted. True, you may have at hand several
instances in which you were right. But some of us have a
better memory for the cases in which we are right than for
those in which we are wrong. Take the wisest man you
know; and when you find your opinion differing from his,
do not forget the fact.  Watch how that matter turns out.




CHECKS UPON INSIGIIT.              55
If you find that you are generally right in such cases, then
begin humbly to believe that God has given you a fair understanding as one of the talents for which you must account. But if you find you were wrong, first make the full
deduction necessary from your self-confidence, and then try
and find out what beguiled you, that you may take a juster
view at a future time, Again, when great events occur
about which you are much excited, either in the family, the
business, the church, or the state, remember the side you
took, and the anticipations you formed when the matter was
yet undecided.- Then when the issue is known, test your
judgment by facts. Be honest: see whether you are right
three times out of four; and if not, be very humble; but if so,
be humble still, yet hopeful that when you have deliberately
judged you are probably not far wrong. You have often
met with people who, happen what will, always say, " I knew
that would be it." Happy prophets they! whose foresight
is always paulo-post-future. If you have, or think you have,
a strong intuition, take care! Genuine intuition is allied to
foresight; but even such an intuition must only have a
limited sway. If left absolute, it overrides all the faculties
of mind, all the opportunities of life; if reduced by check,
restraint, and counsel to a limited sway, it may reign with
vast advantage. Mr. Budgett's intuition was trained by
caution and forecast till it was fit to be trusted.
He had also, in the highest degree, the power to concentrate his attention on one point. He cared not how rapid
the succession of his engagements might be. He would go
through as many as you pleased; but pass to-a new one he
would not while the one in hand was incomplete. No sooner
was this dismissed than out came his quick " now what is the
next thing?" but o*f the "next thing" he never thought till
the former one was finished.  This rapid discernment, this
power of forecasting, this fixity of attention on one thing,




~6                LIFE IN EARNEST.
seem to constitute the chief intellectual features of his me~r
cantile ability.
That ability was under the constant impulse of an invincible desire to act and to succeed. He seemed born under a
decree to do. Doing, doing, ever doing, his nature seemed
to abhor an idleness, more than the " Nature" of the old
philosophers abhorred a vacuum. An idle moment was an
irksome moment; an idle hour would have been a sort of
purgatory. No sooner was one engagement out of hand than
his instinct within him seemed to cry out, " Now what is the
next thing?"  Even in taking a ride, he must be learning or
teaching something. In his letters, he sometimes bitterly
complains that he had not sufficiently improved his time;
and among such of his memoranda as escaped destruction at
his own hand, one note tells of a joyless and uncomfortable
Sabbath, —"and no wonder, for I did not rise till half-past
five o'clock."
His, with an emphasis almost tremendous, was "life
in earnest." One of his letters to a friend, written when he
was twenty-one, has the following remarks on the way to
learn the value of time:
"You think that if you were obliged to labour from
morning till night without interruption, this would teach
you the value of time. Is not this a mistake? Can anything so effectually teach us its value as a deep conviction
that it is not our own, but anr important talent put into our
hands, for which we must give a strict account at the great,
the general audit of all our accounts with our Maker?  If
so, of how little importance is it to us what may be the nature
or quantity of our engagements, so long as we may secure at
the last the blest plaudit of " Well done!" from Him whose
approbation alone it is that gives real value to everything in
earth or heaven."
As his intuition was guarded by forecast, so was his ae



ERSEVERANCE.                   57
tivity by caution and perseverance. "Never attempt, or accomplish;" was one of his constant maxime  And consequently he would not attempt anything till he saw that it
might be achieved. He would not wait till it was easy;
enough- that it was not impossible. That settled, the path
was plain; to work! and let it be done. Once set out in
an undertaking, nothing roused him so much as what ordinary
men would call "impossibilities."  Only set impossibilities
before him, and his heart rose up resistless and went on.
Such was his own power that he believed every one could
make his way as -he had done. Not long before his death,
he heard some one saying he wished for more money. " Do
you? then I do not, I have quite enough. But if I did
wish for more I should get it."  He would often say that
place him in what position you might he could work his way
on; ay, leave him without a shilling, still he could rise.
His faith in the power of perseverance was unbounded. In
speaking to some of the poorest young men in the neighbourhood, and urging them to self-improvement, he declared
that there was no reason why they might not every one of
them be worth ten thousand pounds. Sir Fowell Buxton
placed his confidence in "ordinary powers and extraordinary application."  So do most men who accomplish much,
either for themselves or others. The man who has genius
without perseverance may run the career of a rocket, but
can never be a star; he that has perseverance without
genius will be a bright and steady star, but can never be a
sun; he that has genius and perseverance will be the sun of
his own system.
From what has been said about his habit of preconcerting a negotiation and of applying only to one thing at a
time, it is scarcely needful to add, that lovel of system was
as deeply rooted in his character as activity or perseverance.
3*




58                 CONTRADIOTIONS.
Critics sometimes censure writers of fiction for allowing
their heroes to appear in aspects inconsistent one with the
other. I cannot say how fictitious heroes ought to be modelled. They, perhaps, had better be all proportionate and
statuesque. But as to the actual men and women we meet
with here in this world of families, churches, markets, and
amusements, they are very far from being a rigidly symmetrical race. Indeed; they are a different race altogether,-a
wayward, ill-proportioned, unaccountable race, constantly
making us say, "Well, he was the last man in the world I
should have expected to do that!"-a race framed tb no one
standard, responding to no one ideal, conformable to no one
model;-a race over which a terrible distortion must have
come since, it sprang forth from the Creator's hand. Let
the critics have it as they will, nothing is so natural in a man
as contradictions. A painful heart-sinking sensitiveness does
not seem to fit at all well on the rapid intuition, the'endless
activity, the inflexible perseverance, the strict order, which
we have already noted. Yet, there it was. You remember
the terror inspired by the hot-tempered gentleman who was
likely to become his tutor. That was I" the very first recollection of importance," in his life. Another of his first recollections shows how nervously excitable he was in childhood:-'" I remember going to chapel and hearing Adam
Clarke preach. But the singing so affected me, I burst into
tears; and although I cried as gently as possible, I could
not refrain.  My father took me up and carried me out,
talked kindly to me, and told me I need not be terrified.
But it had so affected me,that I was obliged to be taken home."
He also said, in speaking of his childhood, "A cross word
appeared worse than a blow; and beneath it I often felt
crushed, crushed."  His ideas of himself were singularly
low. In his letters, he speaks to his familiar friends as immeasurably beneath them.  Mentally and religiously, he




GENERALISmNG.                  59
seemed to hold himself inferior to all. With this sinking
heart, he often trembled at the outset of an enterprise which
brought him into the presence of others; but let them only
raise serious difficulties, above all let them be haughty or
harsh, and then, all his tremor fled, and he flushed up with
the determination to conquer.
The habit of deducing a general lesson from a particular occurrence, has already been noticed, but must be distinctly borne in mind as one of the notable springs of his
power. From the pain he felt at the thought of a fiery dominie, he learned a lesson on education; from the death of
the donkey, one on credit; from the failure of the traveller
in his mother's shop, one on the necessity of adapting yourself to the interest of others; and so he generalised as he
went along, and stored up the result for service at a future
day. That result came forth in those maxims by which he
regulated his business course, and which he would ever
maintain at the cost of immediate loss. Some men glide
amongst events like sand in a glass, bearing no trace of what
they have passed through. They are no wiser for a hundred
lessons, no more modest for a hundred failures, no more
cautious' for a hundred errors. Others pass through events
like waters through the soil, carrying with them a tinge of
all they traverse. On some life is lost: death alone can
make them wiser. On others no event falls fruitless; there
is for them an improvement and an instruction in all things.
To the unwise the past is an exploded match, that has
flashed and missed, and is useless. To the wise the past is
a steady light, shedding beams on the path of the future.
Young man! if you do not learn from the things that befall
yourself, grey hairs will be no glory to you.
Any one would say that he who combined all these qualities would be a remarkably shrewd man, quick to descry an
advantage and resolute to press it. This was strikingly the




60                 KEEN TRADING.
case with Mr. Budgett, and formed the chief deduction from
the benevolence of his character. In business he was keen
-deliberately, consistently, methodically keen. He would
buy-as scarcely any other man could buy: he would sell as
scarcely any other man could sell. He was an athlete on the
arena of trade, and rejoiced to bear off the prize. He was
a soldier on the battle-field of bargains, and conquered he
would not be. His power over the minds of others was immense, his insight into their character piercing, his address in
managing his own case masterly, and, above all, his purpose
so inflexible that no regard to delicacy or to appearances
would for a moment beguile him from his object. He would
accomplish a first rate transaction, be the difficulty what it
might. That secured, his word was as gold, and generosity
was welcome to make any demand on his gains. But in the
act of dealing he would be the aptest tradesman in the trade.
To those who only met him in the market this feature of his
character gave an unfavourable impression. They frequently
found themselves pressed and conquered, and naturally felt
sore. To those who knew all the excellence and liberality
which lay beneath this hard mercantile exterior, it appeared
the peculiarity and the defect of an uncommonly worthy
man, yet still a defect and a peculiarity.
Mr. Budgett justified, to his own mind, this habit of keen
trading. His natural inclination led him to it. His natu.
ral ambition was for commercial conquest. Such being the
case, it was not difficult to find maxims which appeared to
consecrate keen dealing. These maxims were such as these:
— In whatever calling a Christian is found he ought to be the
best in his calling; if only a shoeblack, he ought to be the
best shoeblack in the neighbourhood.  Again, It is your duty
to buy in the cheapest market and sell in the dearest. Again,
The seller must not pretend to judge of the buyer's business,
nor the buyer of the seller's business.  Each man knows his




OUR DUTY TO EXCEL.                61
own concerns. The buyer will not give more for goods than
they are worth to him, and the seller will not take less-for
goods than is equal to their value to him.
Against the first of these maxims there can be no possible
objection, provided its application is duly guarded. To aim
at excellence is an unquestionable duty. He that can see
others excel him in his own line without endeavouring to improve, is inert and ignoble. But from what motive must he
aim at excellence? Is it for his personal advantage that he
may shine and gather? or is it from a sense of duty to God
that he may fulfil his calling in the sphere wherein Providence has placed him; and from a sense of duty to his neighbour, that he may, to the utmost of his ability, perform his
part in the common service of man? The gospel leaves no
doubt on this question. To improve our talent that we may
gratefully and faithfully fulfil the trust which the great Master has committed to us, that we may effectually perform our
part in the labour and toil of our struggling human family,
-this is the spirit of Christ.  To improve our talent that
we may outrun, eclipse, and conquer others, that we may
enrich and exalt ourselves,-this is the spirit of theworld.
Diligence may be animated by either of these opposite spirits.
Right and wrong may walk in the same track and be covered
with the same mantle. You are endeavouring to excel; but,
as you think, not from any ambitious motive.  The test of
that lies here: How do you use your proficiency? Do you
habitually use it so as to magnify God's great law of loving
your neighbour as yourself?  Or do you habitually use it so
as to convince your neighbour that if you can advantage
yourself you disregard him?  To acquire proficiency in your
calling is your bounden duty to God and man. But that
proficiency acquired, you must use it only in such a way as
will honour God's authority, and as will respect your neighbour's rights. If a merchant, it is doubtless your duty to




62              WHtAT IS EXCELLENCE.
be the best merchant possible. But is he the best merchant
who, having superior tact, relentlessly uses that superior tact,
in every transaction, to thwart: and outdo others, regardless
whether or not he shall appear to them.inconsiderate and unkind? He may be the ablest merchant; but that is all. The
best shoeblack does not mean the shoeblack who manages to
worry people out of the greatest amount of money,, but the
shoeblack who does his work in the best possible way, and
then only seeks a just and reasonable reward.  ~he best
cabman is not the man who drives in the best style and then
teases you till you overpay him, but the man who drives in
the very best style and is content with his just wages. So
the best merchant is not the man who best understands his
business and contrives to bargain others out of their reasonable profits, but he who best understands his business and
never takes advantage of any man's ignorance, of any man's
necessity, —who never forgets that the interests of others are
as sacred as his own.  The best merchant is he whose business talent is of the highest order and.improved to the
highest pitch, but never used' so as to dishonour God or
wrong man.
" But- who ever thinks about God in business? I think
about God at church; but in business one has something
else to think about. Men in a market are not likely to think
about God." Perhaps not; but men in a hMarket have great
need to think about God. No bargain is ever made in which
God is not concerned. He is the eternal and the universal
guardian of justice. You never can exclude Him from any
matter. in which the rights of his offspring are involved.
Against all who would wrong you, he takes your part.
Against you, he takes the part of all you would wrong. Over
all the rights of his creatures his own hand is evermore spread
as a buckler. No man can wound your rights without smiting
that hand. You can wound no man's rights without smiting




BUYING IN THE CHEAPEST MARKET.           63
it. See that you smite it not, for that great right hand of
justice holds a tremendous sword.
The maxim,-" It is my duty to buy in the cheapest
market, and to sell in the dearest;" has a manifest basis of
truth. It would be wrong for a merchant to go and buy tea
at eighteenpence per pound when he knew another market
where he could get the same tea for fourteen.  It would be
wrong for him to neglect a market where the price was
eighteen, and to sell in one where it was fourteen. In either
of these cases, he would display a negligence which, if habitual, must end in ruin. But it is one thing to go to the
cheapest market, and another thing, when there, to set your
heart on buying so cheaply that you will wrench from the
anxious seller every hope of an honest profit.
" But the buyer must not pretend to be judge of the seller's business. He knows at what price it will answer his
purpose to sell; the, buyer knows at what price it will answer
his purpose to buy. Every man can take care of his own interesvts." This seems fair; and when two men meet on equal
ground, it is fair. The manufacturer ought to be the best
judge how many shillings a bale of cotton is worth to him.
The cotton merchant ought to be the best judge how many
shillings are worth his bale of cotton to him.  The buyer may
take it for granted that the seller will not take any sum but
one which is, just then, of more value to him than the goods.
The seller may take it for granted that the buyer will not give
any sum but one which is, just then, of less value to him than
the goods. The argument, then, seems complete: " I may buy
as cheap as I can, and sell as dear as I can; for every one
with whom I deal is the best judge of his own interests." It
is not always that a piece of reasoning leads one to a conclusion so comfortable. But it is not to be wondered at, that
many an honourable man should be perfectly satisfied with reasoning which seems so fair, when the conclusion is so inviting.




64            EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF.
Admit two things; that the parties are equally solvents
that the parties are equally shrewd: and then, as a mere
piece of dry mechanism, your principle may stand tolerably
upright. But two men do not meet as two machines; they
are two brothers. Each one is bound to look not only " on
his own things, but also on the things of another." You
cannot divest yourself of this duty. God has ordained it,
and while God is love the law is unalterable. In your neighbour you are bound to see a brother whose feelings, whose
reputation, whose property, whose family, are all as sacred
as your own. "Let no man seek his own, but every man
another's wealth," is a precept weightier than all the dicta
of the exchange. It is highly convenient to evade this pro.
cept by assuring yourself that every man will look to his
own interests, and that therefore you may just gripe all that
others will let you gripe. But, in doing so, you let yourself
down from the level of a Christian to the level of a scrambler.
Even amongst men who meet -on equal terms, commerce, on
your principle, is not a system of mutual services, but a
system of mutual supplanting. But among men who meet
upon unequal terms, that principle will bear you out in cruel
oppression. A clothmaker offers to a cloth merchant a parcel
of cloth. His manner, or something else, tells the merchant
that he is under the necessity of finding money. He asks a
fair price. According to the best judgment of the merchant,
that price would afford the maker a fair remuneration
and would afford himself a fair profit. But he knows, or he
guesses, that money happens to be, at that moment, of exorbitant value to his neighbour.  On this conviction he refuses'the fair price, and offers one that would double his own
profit, but would leave the other without any profit, or with
a loss. The other hesitates, reasons, entreats. but at last
reluctantly yields. The merchant exults in a good bargain.
A good bargain; is that what you call it? Why, the thing




UNFAIR ADVANTAGE.                 65
you have done is neither more nor less than taking advantage of your neighbour's necessity to deprive him of the just
reward of his labour, and to put it in your own pocket.
"But I am not bound to look after another man's interests."
Yes, you are. God has bound you to it. He has bound all
other men to do the same to you. "But, if my money were
not of more value than his goods, why did he accept it?  I
did not force him." Yes, you did; as far as in you lay.
You saw you had him in a position where he must either
submit to the loss you imposed upon him or risk a heavier.
You took advantage of him. You believed that the whole
profits, fairly divided, would leave him a share and you a
share. You saw a chance of getting his share for yourself,
and you seized it. It was not fair. It was not brotherly.
It was not after the will of God. All the mercantile maxims
in the world will not consecrate it. You have deprived the
labourer of his hire. You have denied your brother his
equal rights. Had you done your duty, two hearts would
have been the better, By foregoing this opportunity of excessive gain, your own heart would have gathered fresh
strength to do justly and to love mercy; by seeing your consideration, your neighbour's heart would have gained fresh
esteem for his fellow men and fresh courage for his struggle.
But -now, two hearts are worse. Yours is contracting around
its ill-gotten profits; his is soured and distrustful. "Hearts,"
you say, "what have I to do with hearts?  Hearts are
neither pounds, shillings, nor pence." Very true; they are not:
and if all your arguments lie within those three columns, I
have no chance of convincing you. But you will soon be in a
world where there are neither pounds, shillings, nor pence.
As a regular matter of business, it can never be your
duty to purchase or to sell on terms which will not yield you
"a living profit." This would be to prepare ruin for yourself and loss for others. It is certainly incumbent upon you




66              APPEARANCE OF EVIL.
to use all your tact and foresight to make each transaction
pay. True, a case may arise wherein you would essentially
serve a neighbour by making a purchase or a sale on terms
that would be of no advantage to yourself. In such a case,
you might save a man from all the social calamities and the
moral dangers of bankruptcy, and thus perform a higher benevolence than by a mere gift. It may, therefore, happen
that cases will arise wherein it is right to forego any advantage to yourself, in order to save, or even to serve, another.
But it never can happen that a case should arise where you
may wrong another to serve yourself. This you certainly do,
whenever, to the best of your judgment, you deprive another
of his profits to double your own. Such a transaction can
never be justified by any force of circumstances, any traditional sanction of " the trade," or any gqlaxy of examples.
" Live, and let live," is a good old maxim; with far more
pith and sap in it than your dry hollow sophistry about'My
money being of more value to him than his goods."  To be
sure it is, just then. But if that principle had justice in it,
God would never have laid a curse upon usury.
A man engaged in business, -who makes a profession of
piety, is bound not only to maintain substantial integrity, but also to regard the impression his conduct will make
upon men of the world. This is demanded of him by the
honour of religion. He ought to aim at two thinigs; first,
at showing that his piety does not render him careless or incompetent; secondly, at showing that it does render him
just and brotherly. The one and the other of these is absolutely necessary; the first as much as the second. Satan is
perpetually preaching to men, that if they are to succeed,
they must be on his side. Multitudes believe him. Multitudes abandon all hope of at the same time serving God and
making their way. They take it for granted, that one of
two alternatives must be chosen: an abortive career in this




PIETY AND SUCCESS.                67
life, or a neglect of the life to come. Perhaps not without a
pang, they choose the latter. Every servant of God, then,
who stands up on that crowded field of commerce, and holds
his ground, and goes forward and earns a good success, maintaining his steadfastness the while, and duly remembering
things eternal, is a living discomfiture of Satan's boast, that
men must serve him or go to Wreck. Every such man is a
proclamation to thousands that they may renounce the devil,
renounce his works, renounce all unrighteousness, renounce
the evil ways of the world, and yet succeed. But if you do
renounce him, remember that his interest and his art will be to
make you " slothful in business," that he may point you out as
another proof that piety and success do not dwell together.
But while you outdo the worldling in tact, in diligence,
and in knowledge of your business, remember that you are
charged with the solemn responsibility of adorning the gospel. Let integrity and nobleness stamp your character.'For
the sake of Christ. cherish these, aud manifest them. Do
not give men the impression that you gripe, and snatch, and
peel. Show them' that they cannot overreach you; show
them that you would not overreach them. Do not keep all
your generosity for private life. Let not severe dealings be
atoned for by liberal gifts. Do endeavour to render every
man full justice; not only by paying him all you promise to
pay, but also by offering him what, in your conscience, you
believe allows to him a fair remuneration, and to you a fair
chance. Strictly paying all you promise to pay, may arise
from selfishness, from a pure regard to your own credit and
standing, irrespective of one generous feeling as to the interests of those with whom you have to deal. Often you cannot help having a judgment as to whether or not a transaction will pay your neighbour. Whenever a case arises where
you have a chance, to the best of your belief, of adding to
your own profits by robbing another of his, surely then the




6:8            DUTIES AND NO DUTIES.
Christian course is both plain and imperative.  You are
bound to see that your transactions are safe; for in that
your character, your usefulness, and the interests of all with
whom you have to do are,involved. You are bound to secure a fair profit; for it is God's law that labour shall have
its reward, and that you should provide for your own. But
you are not bound to make a fortune; you are not bound to
gain money fast; and no intention as to the after use of
money can justify you in urging your profits to a point which
robs another of his just reward.
Commerce is a system of mutual services. The very
structure of it protests against making-self your centre. He
receives the greatest reward who most successfully adapts
his services to the general need. Herein, commerce bears
the imprint of God's great law of brotherhood. Every man
who enters into trade, proclaims, voluntarily or involuntarily,
that he was not sent into this world to wait upon himself,
but to find his own welfare in working for his neighbour.
A man does not learn to make shoes because he means to
display new shoes every day, but because he knows all people
want shoes. A man does not learn to make hats because he
has a fancy to mount a new lhat every week, but because he
knows all the world want hats. A man does not learn to
spin cotton because he means to heap up mountains of -yarn,
but because he knows yarn is a general necessary. A man
does not study law because he means to be perpetually in
litigation, but because he is aware that some one is always in
need of advice.  A man does not learn to cure colic6 because he expects to be always in pain, but because he knows
some one is always in need of cure. Thus, you go on; and
you ever find that it is the general service which calls for
and determines the individual proficiency. Thus God places
on the very portal of life a plain declaration that we are all
brethren; that none of us is here for his own pleasure; that




SELF AND PELF.                   69
the true path for any man to follow, is that whereto the necessities of his fellow men most loudly call him; that in
pursuing the general service, we reap our highest good;
that, in neglecting the general service, and regarding only
our personal tastes, we sink into worthlessness and want;
that, therefore, the man who, while ostensibly employed for
the public, is only bent on his own promotion, is false to
God's design, false to the brotherhood of man, false to his
own calling and dignity; a poor and pitiful earthworm, seeking his God, his heritage, his reward, his heaven, in this vanishing world alone.
"But, I must look after myself; that is my first duty."
Are you sure of that? Suppose that it is so. You are, say,
a grocer. Then, taking it for granted that your first duty is
to look after yourself, of course you will resolve to be the
richest grocer in the town; and as to the public, the public
is not a living thing, a number of your own brothers and
sisters,-it is only the rude mass of ore from which you will
extract the gold. You will strain every nerve to please the
public, but not care a whit whether you advantage it or not
so that you only nett a rich profit every week.  You do not
study of how much use you can be to: the public, but of how
much use you can make the public to you.  Then, your
place is filled up, your work is done, society is a gainer by
your diligence and enterprise: but who has to thank you 
Not God; you did it not for his sake. Not man; you did;
it not for his sake.  God and man you put out of the question, and set up yourself as the power you would serve.
Then, what shall your reward be-? Of course, what you
strove for,-pelf, pelf, pelf alone. That one thing you desired; that one thing you sought after. Take it, then, take
it; eat it, drink it, wear it, sit upon it, ride'upon it, build it
in walls, display it in apartments, spread it out in lands,
count it, lay it up, write it in large books, invest it in- sure




10                MAN AND NATURE.
banks, engross it in solemn deeds, record it in legal testaments, clutch, qarry, and cherish it right up to the door of
death; then go forth and learn how poor a wretch is he,
who, imagining that a man's life consisteth in the abundance
of the things he possesseth, lays up treasure for himself but
is not rich toward God.
But, suppose that instead of taking it for granted that
your first duty is to look after yourself, you should reason'
something after this manner:-" Here I am. I have not
placed myself here. A little while ago and I was not.'- I
have come forth from the hollow of the Creator's hand. He
has not sent me here to sit still; even the stones are useful to mankind.  He means me to be useful.  I have
something to do. What is it, and how should it be done?
All circumstances say that I am to do the work of a grocer.
I have been taught this; I can do it best. In this work, I
join with the tea tree and the coffee tree, with the sweet
cane, with the rice fields, with the wonderful plants that
yield such pleasant fruits, such delicious spices, with the sun
that warms them, with the clouds that water them, with the
air that quickens them, with the earth that bears them, with
the labourers of harvest-field and vintage, with the mariners
that carry them over sea, with the winds whereby they are
wafted, and the waves whereby they are borne. All this is
but God's chain of agencies for providing these good things
to regale and to nourish men; and into that chain of agencies I fall, the last link, directly conveying the creatures of
God into the hand of those for whom they have been preparing by all my precursors. Welcome, then, welcome my
task! Happy it is to labour where all nature around, set in
motion direct by the Almighty's power, is constantly forwarding work to my hand. Did he that placed me here
mean me to do my work loosely,. negligently, slothfully?
Surely not; see how these fruits are made, how perfectly,




DUTY AND INTEREST.                71
how wholesomely, how pleasantly. All HEe has done by his
own hand in the process of provision is done well. What I
do, must be done well.'Be not slothful in business,' comes
home to my ear from the double voices of revelation, and of
its echo, nature. I must not be slothful; God has sent me
to work, man needs to be served. Then, I am here to do all
that I can do to promote the welfare of mankind, and so fulfil the appointment of my Maker."
If you take this view, then you have every motive to
diligence and to proficiency which ought to be powerful
with an immortal creature of the great Father. You cease
to be a mere appetite, —craving, and craving, and consuming,
and going on to crave. You become a helper to the happiness of the universe, a co-worker in the task of Providence,
an agent of the benignant Lord above us, a finisher of the
work of suns and showers. You become a servant of God
and a servant of man; presenting yourself to the Father of
all as a labourer in the great store where he lays up a provision for his family. Surely this position is more cheerful,
more genial, more noble, more worthy to -elicit all the energies of a rational being, than the grovelling destiny of just
feeding your own desires.
" Then, I am to look after the interests of other people,
and leave my own to look after themselves." If by this you
mean that you are to neglect your duties, then, with all the
authority of God's command, we answer, No! If you mean
that, performing all your duties faithfully, you are to trust
Providence with your interests, then we answer, Yes! Self
cries, Mind your interests. Wisdom cries, Mind your duties. And believe that in fulfilling your duties you are
really taking the best and surest way to true prosperity,
which depends alone on the smile of God. -Duty binds you
to provide for your own. Duty binds you to make your transactions pay; for otherwise you do not fulfil your calling, but




72             LOOKING PAFER MYSELF.
fail in it. -Duty sanctions you in taking a fit reward for
labour, for that is God's universal law. Duty supplies you
with every motive for being a first-rate man of business.
And the question is not whether you will be negligent or
diligent, expert or useless; but, whether you will work as a
mere self-seeking animal, neither caring to please God nor
to profit man, or work as a Christian, as a child of God,
taking an impulse from the Divine Father to lay out your
abilities in promoting the universal weal.
"' Ah! but I don't understand that.  It is too transcendental for me. I do understand minding my own interests.
That is a motive one feels. If I tried to live by the other
motive, it would be only sham. I must be content to say,' My business is to do what I can for myself.'"  Yes, that
is true. You must be content to say it; or, whether you
say it or not, you must be content to live by it, so long as
you have within you that heart which dictates such speeches.
What do you know about being a child of God, and feeling
like a child of God, and looking upon gains and duties with
the eye of a child of God, and trusting your own interests
to the heavenly Father with the faith of a child of God?
You! Why, you live to buy and sell, and get gain.  You
desire nothing better. You dream- of nothing nobler.
"The multiplication table is your creed,
Your paternostel; and your decalogue."
You do not cheat or: steal; you know better.  That would
be the way to lose, not gain. It would not serve in the long
run. That is your chief objection to it. It would be shortsighted selfishness.  Then, yours is also short-sighted selfishness; it will not answer in the long run.  It may serve
your turn to-day, but look before you. You are not a machine constructed to catch money; you were made for some-.thing else. You have another life to live,-a life where




THE OTHER HEART.                 73
wealth is not reckoned in coins, but in the commendation of
God. You will not hold up your commercial countenance
in that day, with a shiny leer upon it, and say you leave
such deep points to others, but as for you, you go ahead.
I tell you, you are not a money-making machine. You are
a man, God's offspring, our brother. God's claims are upon
you; man's claims are upon you; immortality is within
you; judgment is before you; and every aspiration -you
waste upon self, is a step towards eternal poverty.
4 But, I do not understand these high views of business
life. I only understand business to be, doing the best I can
for myself." Of course you do not understand them. That
is just what X said. And you will never understand them,
while you keep that same heart unchanged. If you profess
to understand them with that heart, it will be a miserable
mistake, or a more miserable hypocrisy. No, no! to under;
stand God's ways, you must be God's child. To see the divine side of things, you must be born from above, born
again, made another being; must pass through a change as
great for your soul as the change is to aA infant when it is
ushered forth from dark existence into bright and breathing life. You must have a new heart, a heart created by the
Holy Spirit in God's image; a heart that loves much, because much has been forgiven; a heart that burns to show
its love; a heart that feels all men are its brothers; a heart
that, like God and like his Christ, loves mankind deeply,
and swells with fulness of good will. With such a heart,,your views of life, of business, of duty, would undergo a
right memorable change. Now, if you would rather be a
conscious child of God than a pitiful grubmoiling amid pelf
without one hope beyond, it, you must stop where you are,
and call upon God and ask him to open your eyes, and take
his holy word and search out the way; and He will teachb
you. Your heart will grow soft, you will repent of the past,
4




74                MAKING JUP A MAN.
you will discover an escape through the merits of Christ,
you will find in him an advocate, you will' obtain mercy;
and, hereafter, you will prove that a man may diligently ply
his calling with the smile of God, the love of Christ, the law
of charity, the hope of immortal joy, all present to illuminate
his path and to dignify his toil.
We have been led into this digression by the mention
of Mr. Budgett's habitual keenness in trade.  As we have
said, he justified to his own mind his habit mn this respect
on principles which appeared sound and fair. I do not
mean to say that, in the heat of a negotiation, he never went
beyond even what his own principles would sustain. It is
probable that, yielding to his natural bent aid eagerness,
he sometimes did. But whenever he discovered -such a case
his self-condemnation was bitter.  Whenever such a case
was pointed out to him, his confession of the fault, his humbling of himself, were prompt and most instructive. His
habitual, earnest aim was at unimpeachable integrity. That
his rinqd bargain-making did not arise from a love of money,
-from selfish ambition, from indifference to the interests of
others, his whole life amply testifies. It arose solely from
his natural passion for successful trade.  It was in him,
what the passion for shooting was in Buxton.  It assorted
ill with his entire being, but there it was.  It. prevented
those who did not know the whole man from appreciating
his extraordinary worth.  It cost him, especially in his
earlier career, much ill-will. It was the defect of his character; and I set it out broadly, preferring that his admirers
should think I have said too much, rather than that general
readers should suspect I was making up a man. It is for
general readers I write; and they are far more likely to be
profited by the study of a real man with a blemish, than of
one all beautiful whom they suspect to be imaginary.
One would hardly have anticipated, as features of a mind




WATTS HYMNS.                   75
so essentially commercial, a strong love of poetry and of the.
beautiful in nature. But no element of his character was
earlier or more permanently displayed than this. You will
remember that the first indulgence wherewith he gratified
himself, out of the fruits of his early trading, was a copy of
Wesley's Hymns; and that, possessed of it, he felt himself
"-a rich and happy boy." At a yet earlier period, his passion
for poetry had been developed. Before the family removed
to Coleford, he had become possessed of.a treasure whichhas awoke in the bosom of millions of children the first sympathy with sacred song, and which doubtless tended to form
the taste which he afterwards gratified by the noble lyrics
of Charles Wesley.
"- About this time [shortly after they removed,] my father
unpacked his large chest of books, and every search was
made. for my much loved and only canvass-covered book,
Watts' Children's Hymns; but,.alas! all in vain.  And,
strange as it may appear, it did not occur fo my mind, for a
year or two, that another could be obtained.  My attachment
to it was indescribable; and for weeks and months I would
frequently be inquiring: of my father, and getting him to
search his chest to see if it could not be found. My peace
seemed to depend upon it."
Andrew Fletcher, of Saltoun, tells of a wise man who
said, that "' if one were permnitted to make all the ballads of
a nation. he did not care who made the laws."  But since
the days of Watts and Wesl~ey, the ballad has lost much of
its power.. What James Montgomery calls the " invention"
of the hymn has been fatal to the ballad. In the family,
the congregation, the Sunday-school, and the infant school,
the children of the country have been made acquainted with
productions familiar as the ballad, and far loftier; so that
the latter has insensibly fallen in esteem. In many districts:
of the country the children of the poor are now far more




'76             POETRY A:ND BEAUTY.
versed in hymns than in ballads. The moral, religious, and
political effect of the substitution is of the most valuable
kind. Would that the change were only complete, instead
of being partial!
The relish for poetry which was first developed by the
twin genius of Watts and Wesley, never abated. In after
life, his special favorites were Young and Cowper. I have
before me his own copy of these authors, and well are they
pencilled over. Thomson, too, was one of his choice companions. But his range of authors was considerable. He
delighted to store his mind with quotations; and sometimes,
on a ramble, would challenge a companion to name any subject on which he could not produce a verse; a challenge he
almost always made good. To love poetry and to love natural beauty are much the same thing. His love for spring
is constantly appearing in his letters; and some of them
also testify how he enjoyed a tour amid the lovelier pathu
of our own island. Busy as he was, he dearly loved a summer ramble.
It may well be supposed that he was not a voluminous
letter writer. He had no leisure so to be. And so much
did he desire higher qualifications than he had ever attained,
that he underrated what he possessed, so as to make writing
a considerable effort. To a very near friend he says, " the
want of improvement, arising from the want of practice in
writing, occasions so many defects in my every effort of this
kind, that it is with reluctance I set about it." From such
a man we are not to expect the letters of those who have
elegant or learned leisure; but few men of his own order
would be found writing to a young friend, then an inmate
of his family, so copiously and so descriptively as in the following example. Though we do not find the hand practised
in painting nature, we have the eye to see and to prize her
charms.




SOUTH WALES.                   77
"N eath, September 14th, 1840.
"MY DEAR MISS B-, I take this, the first conve
nient opportunity, to thank you for your hasty but welcome
note. It always gives us pleasure to hear from those we
love, especially those of our own household. We wrote to
sister Elizabeth from Pontypool, in which we endeavoured
to give something like a description of our procedure. We
left Pontypool on Thursday, the 10th instant, about half-past
six o'clock-a beautiful morning,-and had one of the most
charming drives for six miles, through a deep and beautiful
valley, between high hills richly wooded with various shrubs
and trees on either side, and a continuation of lakes at the foot.
Sometimes we had these ponds on the left hand; and then,
crossing, we had them on our right. The sun shining most
magnificently through on the whole, produced an effect not
easily described. All was still and calm, save now and then
a foot passenger or a little girl from a neighbouring cottage
picking blackberries, and the sweet warbling of the birds,which
seemed to be vyingwith each other which should raise the highest notes of praise to their Creator in this beautiful valley.
We drove slowly, admiring and adoring the wisdom, skill,
and goodness of Him who gives us all things richly to enjoy,
until we came to a little whitewashed house, called'New
Bridge Inn.' By this time we were, as you will suppose,
quite ready for a good breakfast, which was very quickly
provided,-nice coffee and cream, new-laid eggs and choice
rashers, &c. My wife, whom I think I had never seen so
charmed with the beauties of nature before, left the feasting
her eyes and her intellect for the purpose of satisfying a
more earthly appetite; and I assure you we both did justice
to the breakfast. I suppose my wife had never so enjoyed a
morning in her life. She thinks the scenery quite equal to
the lakes of Westmoreland. After paying our bill, we pro



78s                 ~ THE TAFF.
ceeded about twelve miles further, to Tredegar,-quite a different road, but not without interest. We stopped'there
to feed our horse, and called at the bank, &c.; and then
proceeded through a very thickly populated place, called
Dowlais, to Merthyr,-as much the reverse of the morning's
scenery as it is possible to imagine. In the morning, soon
after five, we arose and commenced a journey of twelve miles
to another New Bridge, in Glamorgan. On this side we
had hills on both sides, beautifully wooded, but more open
and more inhabited than the other, and the river Taff all
the way on our right hand. This ride extended for twentyfour- miles through the vale of Taff to Cardiff; but at New
Bridge we stopped to feed our horse, nor did we forget ourselves.  We took our little basket, and walked about ten
minutes to one of the most beautiful waterfalls you can possibly imagine. There is first a semicircle, say not less than
sixty yards, and then a straight fall of perhaps a hundred.
The water of the Taff river here falls a distance of many
yards, and produces considerable noise and foam. When we
were there, the sun shone most beautifully, and my wife was
again charmed,-not in a common way, but well nigh transported out of herself.  She was, however, at length prevailed on to sit on a clean white stone, and spread the
bounties of Providence on another stone or rock, just opposite the fall and under a large oak tree, which seemed placed
there just to shelter us from the powerful rays of the sun,
which just then shone with great strength.
"S. B."
A temper naturally tending to haste but never retaining
displeasure, a heart singularly open, telling out to friends
almost every thought with a freedom that scarcely any friend
could return and beyond what more reserved natures could
approve, and a warm genial affection, open to every claim




HO1eA INFLUTENCES.               79
but especially- ardent in all family attachments, with a
lively delight in giving pleasure, were the chief moral
qualities that lay naturally at the basis of his character.
Next to the qualities with which a man is born, the influences which his parents and his family exert are powerful in
shaping his after course. Mothers! your task in training
your sons is often heavy, but your encouragements are great.
How many of the good and the successful, of the wise and
the happy, trace all that was bright in their character to
influences lying as far back as their mother's knee! Samuel
Budgett was born a -merchant; but whether he would be
happy and useful, or a pest, in proportion to his talents, depended wholly on the moral qualities with which his commercial powers were combined.  Happily for him, truth and
grace were valued in the home of his childhood. If his
parents had not been remarkably successful in gaining this
world's good, they had secured the pearl that was of far
greater price to both them  and their children.  He was
early taught to worship, and obey, and seek the God from
whose hand his young being had come. What Lamartine so
beautifully says of his own mother, might be said equally of
his:-" We could not remember the day when she first spoke
to us about God."  An extract has already been given,
showing that one of his earliest recollections was connected
with attendance on the preaching of the celebrated Adam
Clarke. He says also,-" we were in the habit of attending
the Wesleyan Chapel, and the preachers were frequently entertained at our house." The following little incident shows
the moral tone which was maintained in this Christian
home:" While at Nailsea, the following circumstance occurred.
Passing one day to school with my sisters, a neighbour's
children were gathering in walnuts, and accosted us, presenting us with a hatful On our return home, we ran inwith childish




80-            HIS MOTHER'S PRAYER.
glee to exhibit our treasure; but we were sternly reprimand.
ed by our father, who said it was dishonest, and that he
would send for the owner, return the walnuts, and deliver us
to him to do with us what he pleased. This made my poor
little heart beat violently; and I could o ly think of living
the rest of my life in jail, until the neighbour's kindness allayed all my fearful apprehensions."
His mother especially was eminently pious, and her influence on the character of her son was powerful and happy.
His faithful friend, the Rev. Joseph Wood, who intimately
knew his inner life, thus states one of those events which
pass silently within the bosom of Christian families, but
which reappear, in the life of their members, in blessed and
memorable fruit:
"He was about nine years of age, when one day, in
passing his mother's door, he heard her engaged in earnest
prayer for her family, and for himself by name. He thought'My mother is more earnest that I should be saved than I
am for my own salvation.' In that hour he became decided to
serve God, and the impression then made was never effaced."
Happy that son, whose heart is daily moved towards the
ways of God by a mother's holy walk, and whose salvation
is the daily burthen of a mother's fervent prayer! And
happy that mother, whose son does not steal his heart against
her solicitude! " It was early," many a mother would per.
haps think, "'to be concerned about the conversion of a
good, well-conducted boy,-when he was only nine."  Perhaps, had you been much concerned for the conversion of
your boy when he was good and well-conducted, he might
have been good and well-conducted still.  " It is early,"
many a son will probably think, "to be anxious about a
future life, when I am yet so young." Perhaps, if you
defer now because it is too early, you will in a few yearn
abandon the thought altogether because it is too late.




BETTY COLES.                   81
His religious' feelings thus began at the door of his moth
or's chamber. They were soon strengthened by her recitals
of -the scenes that passed in the chamber of a dying neighbour.  After they had removed to Coleford, he says:"The first thing I remember here was the death of a
poor woman, named Betty Coles, who died very happy, in.a
small house just by the chapel. During her illness, my mbther frequently visited her; and such was the effect of my
mother's description, from time to time, of her happy experience and death, that I felt an ardent desire to lie down and
die by her side. And I shall never forget the solemn delight I felt, on the calm summer evenings, walking in a
field near the..house, called Ashol, repeating the hymn,'Ah, lovely appearance of death!' until my mind became
so enraptured, that death, df all things, appeared the most
desirable."
Doubtless, this good mother acquired far more moral
power over the heart of her son, by the interest he saw her
take in the dying woman, than she could have done by the
most systematic teaching, alone. And doubtless, too, she
drew his young heart towards the future with far greater
effect, by telling him all that was passing in the happy soul
of Betty Coles, than she could have done by any amount of
dissertation on death and eternity.  Living things teach the
best lessons.  It is singular, that when men are descending
the graveward slope of life's hill, they are not near so alive
to the closing scene as when they were on the sunny side,
amid the morning beams and the morning flowers, pressing
up to enjoy the summit. Death generally recedes from the
thoughts as it comes nearer to the frame. Take care that
you do not count upon being more alive to your latter end
as it approaches. Young hearts are the most difficult to impress with earthly forecast, but the easiest to impress with
care for eternity. By the statement just quoted,  we see
4*




82                  DEATH AND LIFE.
that young as Samuel was, his heart already warmed towards
the joys that lie beyond the forbidding bourne of death.
The faith with which his mother spoke of the better country,
the peace wherewith Betty Coles approached its unseen shore.
the rapt music in which Charles Wesley dwells on the Christian's release, all combined, as instruments in the holy Hand
that was, even now, linking his life with immortality, to divest the grave of its fear by unfolding the bliss to which it
admits the believer.  It was hardly to be thought, that the
little merchant, whom we saw in the last chapter buying, and
selling, and getting gain with such precocious shrewdness,
would be found, " on the calm summer evening, walking iu
the fields with solemn delight," and repeating these enchanting lines:-' How blest is our brother, bereft
Of all that could burden his mind I
How easy the soul that has left
This wearisome body behind I
Of evil incapable, thou,
Whose relics with.envy I see,
No longer in misery now,
No longer a sinner like me.
"The lids he so seldom could close,
By sorrow forbidden to sleep,
Seal'd up in their mortal repose,
Have strangely forgotten to weep:
The fountains can yield no supplies,
These hollows from water are free;
The tears are all wiped from these eyes,
And evil they never shall see."
This feeling, in which poetry and religion mingle, seems
to have been familiar to him in those early days; for he
speaks of being much affected by " the fall of the leaf, when
his sisters would walk up and down, and repeat verses




A DARK NIGHT.                  83
taught them  by their mother."  Around the memory of
that mother all his early recollections of a sacred kind appear to centre. It is always a dreary day at home, when
a mother's chamber is darkened, when the children may
not enter, and those that go in and out tread lightly, and
speak in under-tone. After such an anxious day, this boy,
whose mother was so worthy to be loved, went to rest full of
the dread that she was near her end. It was a dark winter's night; and most of us can imagine the feelings of such
a child.
" On the following morning," he says, "between three
and four o'clock, my mother was so much worse that she
was supposed to be almost, if not quite, dying. The physician had been previously sent for, and he pronounced her
to be in so precarious a state, that her friends thought that
would be the last morning of her life. My father, in great
distress, sent hastily for me, while he saddled old B.ob, and
catching up one of his own gaiters, and putting one on each
of my legs, sent me off in the dark (for it was winter) to
Mells, a distance of three miles-a most solitary ride-for Mr.
Allens, the surgeon, to come immediately. On my way
back, I shall never forget the impression made on my mind,
(when a little bird commenced singing a cheerful note, as Irode by Mells Park), that, in answer to my prayers, God
would restore my mother. My heart was filled with gratitude, and from that time I never doubted her recovery;
and I went home exclaiming,' Sister Betsey, mother will get
well!''What makes you think so?'' Oh! I know it, because God has heard our prayers, and will answer them; and
I have not had a doubt of it since I came by Mells Park
this morning.'"
EIe had gone to sleep full of the thought that his good
mother was in danger. In the dark of the winter morning
he is awoke: even then he must hasten away for the last




84             A DOMORABLE MORNING.
available aid.  How that little heart must have swelled and
beat, as he set forth on his dark and solitary ride! And
now the errand is done. He is on his way home. What
news awaits him there? All his thoughts rise up to Him
who alone can help in such dark and cloudy days. His
mother's God is above him; his mother's God is tender; He
hears prayer; and He can infallibly restore. He is passing
by the Park at Mells, and praying as he goes. The silence,
that has aided his sorrow and his abstraction, is broken. A
little bird lifts up its voice, and sings. Sweet and welcome
note! That music in the creation seems to testify of mercy
in the Creator. His struggling prayer gains confidence.
He trusts in the tender mercy of the Lord.  Joy fills his
young heart;-ay, joy, on that cold, weary, winter morning,
with his mother at the point of death.  It is no natural
flush, no passing glow, but a strange and sacred joy that
carries a message in it. The Comforter has come. God
has heard his prayer: he is sure it is so. He is happy as
to his mother's lot, and happy as to his own soul.  He returns proclaiming his confidence. The issue establishes his
faith.
That was a memorable morning to him. Throughout
life, he always thought that then, for the first time, he tasted
the joy of acceptance with God. After his mother's recovery, one day, in walking with her, he told her of his morning
prayer by Mells Park, of the persuasion that she would recover, and the sense of peace with God, which then were
given to him. She returned home full of a mother's hope,
and said to some'of the family," My dear Samuel will, if
spared) be made a great blessing. In conversing with him, I
have been profited and humbled. Although young in years,
he is a companion for age as well as youth."
"Slender ground," many mothers would say, "to found
hopes of future character upon,-anything that passes in the




GLOOM IN BOYHOOD.                 85
mind of a child of nine or ten!"' So you think, in the mind
of whose children no such things are likely to pass. You
whose little ones never overheard yourpleading in, your chamber that the God of love would lead their hearts to Him;
never saw you frequenting the deathbed of poor neighbours;
never stood by your knee to hear how one whose person they
knew was going down to the grave, and rejoicing to go. Why,
it is natural that you should think lightly of fruits which you
take no pains to cultivate. But, however you may judge
of religious feeling in the mind of so young a child, Samuel
Budgett, when quite as experienced in the world as youas shrewd, as clear-sighted, and as practical-looked back.on
his morning ride by the park at Mells, as a luminous point,
which shed forward a stream of brightness on all his onward
way.
"But how gloomy for a boy thus to have his thoughts
filled with things eternal and infinite!"  Gloomy, you say;
ah! then, your own boyhood knew no such experience, or you
would have cried, " It is not gloomy,'but surpassingly glorious."  Suppose that Mr. Paxton had a son at school, would
it be gloomy for him to be taken from his tops and marbles,
and introduced to the radiant microcosm where his father's
genius. gathers under its shining wings the assembled offspring of all the nations?  As that scene opened on his
eyes, would not tops and marbles be all forgotten, and the
joys of his young heart gush again, to think, "And:this was
built by my father?" And they who think piety in youth
is like sackcloth covering health and bloom, little know how
gloriously the soul of a boy expands and soars, when he feels
himself free of two worlds,-possessor of the present, heir of
the eternal. When the eye of faith, newly opened within
him, gazes on that better country, with its objects showing
indistinctly amid depths of light, he feels himself launched
upon a new life; as far exceeding his former life in joy and




86 ~              YOUNG PURPOSES.
grandeur, as, to a warm-hearted son of the architect, the
crystal palace would exceed his playground at school.
Youth is the time for joy; but the joy of youth is only a
pent-up, though pregnant, bud, till it has felt the beams of
wonder and gladness which flow from the world-saving work
of Christ, and from the Father's adopting love. Then, only
then, it bursts into full and glowing flower. Ye that have
let youth pass, and do not yet know the Saviour, you have
slept too long. The sunrise is past; you will never see that
glorious sight now. But the day is not over yet. The sun
is not set. You cannot recall the morn, nor look upon the
early light, amid morning flowers, and dew, and music of
birds; but the sun is still in the heaven; up, and behold
him, before he goes down. " The night cometh."
It was to be expected that with such a parentage as his,
with such religious emotions, and with a heart naturally warm,
Samuel would have family affections uncommonly ardent. In
him, these affections acted on a practical and energetic nature.  He was the eldest son of his mother. His father,
much older than she, was well stricken in years. His brothers and sisters were numerous, and would require some one
to open their way in life. He often saw his excellent parents
struggling with severe care and difficulty.  When Warren
Hastings was seven years of age, as he lay, one bright day
in June, on the banks of the rivulet that ran through the
domains which his ancestors had owned, he resolved on recovering that lost inheritance; and he, poor and unlikely
boy, " he would be Hastings of Daylesford."# When the first
Sir Robert Peel was but a little boy, he confidently told that
he would yet be rich, and great, and powerful; for in a coun
try like ours diligence and talent might reach any position.j
Both these boys were poor; but both had talent and perse
* Macaulay.         t Gentleman's Magazine, 1830.




EARLY EFFORTS.                  87
verance, and both reaped in the fall of life the harvest they
had hoped for in its spring. Samuel Budgett, in circumstances about as humble and at an age equally tender, formed
his own more modest scheme. He had no ancestral domain,to win back. He thought not of personal power or station.
But he had beloved parents, of whom he would fain be the
stay; and brothers and sisters, of whom he would fain be the
pioneer. His resolution was taken: he would provide for his
family. He was not a loy to dream: he must work. He
was not to make his fortune, as so many boys are, by some
rich chance in the fair, fertile future; but he must make
half-pence, pence, and perchance a shilling, even now, in the
dull and sterile present. Accordingly, he betook him to such
little merchandise as the neighbourhood offered and as his
funds could command; fowls, eggs, and whatever else could be
turned to profit. Doubtless, in all this traffic he was indulging a natural passion; but the pursuit was ennobled to his
own mind because it was to be the pathway of his family to
comfort. Full of this hope, he bought and sold, and attended the neighbouring markets of Shepton, Mallet and Bath;
at every successful bargain gaining fresh confidence that he
would yet achieve the desire of his heart.  How far that
desire may have sprung from pure affection, how far it may
have been animated by family ambition, we can hardly trace.
Both principles had probably a share in its origin and its
intensity. That he had strongly the natural desire to rise;
is unquestionable. That he had strongly, also, the sacred
resolve to employ his gains, not in hoarding up wealth for himself, but in promoting the happiness, first of his family, then
of his neighbours, is equally unquestionable.  Without his
family incitements, he had enough of natural ambition to
urge him upwards. But with this natural ambition, the grace
of God led him to decide, that instead of slipping the chain
which bound him to the family burthen in order to rise unen



88            AMBIITION AND AFFECTION.
cumbered, he would bind that burthen on his own shoulderes
and, seeking God's help, press on. On, then, he pressed; and.
in proportion to his burthen, so was his blessing. I do hope
that some honest lad, who has set his own hand to the holy
work of lessening the cares of parental age and smoothing
the path of fraternal youth, will light upon these pages, and
will take courage from the remembrance of how Samuel
lBudgett began, and how he went on and prospered.
One of his remarkable faculties was the clear discernment of the relation which the little bears to the great;moments to years, drachms to tons, pence to thousands. We
have seen how he multiplied'five minutes, till a loss of years
seemed to spring up as its inevitable fruit. So,in the waste
or the overweight of a drachm, he would clearly point out to
a man consequences so alarming that his hair would almost
stand up; and in the neglect of odd pence upon an account,
he would show you the spring of incalculable losses. In any
sphere of life-in studies, in the delicacies of family relation, in guiding churches, in ruling a country, quite as much
as in raising a business,-it is of the first importance that
you clearly see the connexion between the little and the
great.  Our young merchant possessed that power almost in
exaggeration, and therefore clearly traced a connexion between every little gain and his great ultimate design.
A remarkable illustration of his discerning the great in
the little occurred not many years before his death. Walking in the neighbourhood of Clevedon, with his confidential
servant Martha, he found a potatoe lying on the road. This
he picked up, and giving it to Martha, told her to plant it
and keep the produce, to plant that again next year, and so
to go on year by year,-he promising to find her ground for
her crop however extensive it might be, and assuring her that
she might make a little fortune in the course of time. To
this potatoe he added another, found also; and the first year




DAME SCaOOLS.                  89
the produce was sixteen, the second sixty-three, the third a
sackful. And' what may ultimately spring from that potatoe,
I must leave to some other historian.
We now naturally ask, What part had the school in forming his habits and character? And it is really well that we
happen to have some light on this point in his own words.
In a few years more we shall hardly be willing to believe
that the state of education in rural districts was, so recently,
what the following passages will show it to have been. During the time that the family resided at Kingswood, he says:"At this time we went to school to a Mrs. Stone, at the
Yew Tree, whose usual mode of punishment was to put us
in the corner with her husband's long speckled worsted stocking drawn over our heads, either for a longer or shorter time,
and with the foot hanging over our faces. This degradation
I had twice to submit to; once for picking up an apple from
under the tree, and the other time for washing my shoe in
her pan of clean water."
This affords no light on the teaching practised by good
Dame Stone; all we see'is her method of discipline, and the
glimpse is sufficiently picturesque for the pencil of'Webster.
But upon the actual instructions given by a successor of that
worthy personage, the record is more explicit.
"I was-then placed at school with an old woman who
spun worsted, and the only good I ever remember receiving, was a tremendous belief in, and dread of, ghosts and
hobgoblins.  In order to keep the children quiet, she
would tell us the most terrific stories of apparitions, as
she walked -to and fro by her spinning wheel; such as the
following:-' A man once chopping wood at a place called
Goodheavers, by accident, chopped his bowels out. The
hatchet became so fixed in the block that it could never
afterwards be removed; and this man's ghost ever afterwards haunted the place, and frequently when many per



99?NEW SCHOOLS.
sons were present would make his appearance, put his finger into the fire, and light his pipe with it. After annoying the people for some time, he would descend into the
coalpit.  He was twice laid, but still made his appearance
and terrified those who attended the pit; when a number
of good men met together, and laid him in the Red Sea,
and she was not aware whether he had since made his appearance or not.' This is just to, show the kind of tuition in
that temple of literature."
"Temple of literature," indeed!  And the priestess,
too!  It is positively a marvel that this giant English
people have ever grown to the proportions wherein they
stand before the world to-day, considering the mental alimenit on which the bulk of them were reared. Poor children! handed over —by way of education, forsooth-to
witness an old woman spinning two yarns, one of worsted,
the other of hobgoblins. And the quality of her ghosts,
too! They had not even the small profit of being poetical, to weigh against all the needless fears and pains they
originated in the heart of a poor child. What an astonishment it would be for Mrs. Stone and her yarn-loving
coadjutor, could they see the noble room that stands behind Kingswood chapel, fifty-one feet long, by thirty-four
wide, and twenty-one high, with tidy forms, rising gallery,
and garniture of plates and maps; and were then told that
this was a school for poor children built by their own old
pupil, who had washed his shoes in the pan of water, had
worn on his naughty head Mister Stone's speckled stocking,
and trembled to think of the fire-proof ghost who lit his pipe
with his fingers! Certes, the spinning-wheel would stand
still for very wonder. And how would the wonder grow,
when the worthy woman heard the manner of knowledge
there imparted; urchins just such as used to be in their own
days-no older, no bigger, no less given to play, no more ad



STOW'S SYSTEM.                 91
dieted to mischief, little urchins of five, six, seven, and other
ages appropriate to hornbook or to pothooks, holding talk
about parts of speech, mental arithmetic, and the vegetable
kingdom, and planets, and Plantagenets; telling, before you
could turn round, what would be the cost of thirty-nine
pounds of butter at elevenpence three farthings per pound;
and placing before you a map of England which their own
fingers had drawn. The venerable priestesses in the ancient
"temple of literature," would greatly wonder at all this;
and also to see that instead of the salutary amusement of a
ghost-story, the teacher should set the children to clap hands,
and march, and sing, and now and then turn them out on a
pleasant playground on purpose to have sport.
Have you ever spent a morning in a school conducted
on Stow's training system? If not, go soon. It will be to
you a pleasure and a gain. You will wonder at the amount
of knowledge that can be given to children. You will be
thankful to see the young so grounded in the habit of weighing and searching the letter of God's lively oracles. You
will find your heart lightened to see how much of real'enjoyment can be thrown into the exercises of a school. And,
contrasting that scene with those of which Mr. Budgett has
left us the record, you will be glad and grateful for the progress which has been made since the days of his childhood.
Would that so much ignorance did not still remain to reproach the supineness of the churches!
Besides the two schools above alluded to, we find him
naming another, at Kilmersdon, on the way from which he
found the memorable horse-shoe. He also went for two years
to a school at Midsomer Norton, where he and a younger
brother were weekly boarders.  This was doubtless of a
higher order than either of the other three.
Life often turns on the result of some boyish struggle.
Samuel's early piety had lighted up two kindred ambitions.




92                     REVERIE.
He would fain place his family in competence; he would
fain bring the dark heathen to Christ. For the one he must
trade; for the other, he must go far hence as a missionary,
forsaking trade and kindred.  How rapidly does a future
race of gain, of glory, or of usefulness lie pictured before a
boy of active mind, in colours that enchant for the time.
Each course to which Samuel's heart pushed him had its
own charm. Each charm was hallowed by a distinct sacredness. Filial love consecrated the one; love to souls, the
other. It was a struggle which the heart of many a young
Christian knows. How deeply it engaged the heart of
Samuel, let his own recital tell.
"About this time;- I was in a great strait between two
courses of life; as to whether I had better direct my attention'to obtaining a qualification for going out as a missionary, or to preparing for business. On the one hano,
I had a great desire to be useful in a spiritual point of
view; on the other, I felt sensibly the strong claims which
my family had on my efforts in a pecuniary way. One day, as
I was riding along on my father's horse, so deeply was I engaged in the absorbing question that I fell into a reverie.
I remember imagining, first, what advantages would be
likely to accrue to the family by my diligently pursuing
business; and again, I imagined myself transported to some
clime as a missionary, engaged in preaching the gospel to
the heathen, and almost fancied myself kneeling under the
bushes and: among- the rocks, drawing down by faith and
prayer blessings on my family; and so deeply was my mind
absorbed at that instant that I entirely lost sight of where I
was going, nor do I know how long I continued in that
state. All I remember is,;that when I awoke from the
reverie I found the bridle loose from my hand on the horse's
neck, and he standing under. a large tree in a lanej eating
grass; and it appeared to me that I had been for a consider



HIS DECISION.                 93
able time surrounded by a large concourse of people, whom I
had been entreating with feelings of the deepest interest to flee
from the wrath to come, and to accept of present salvation
through faith in Christ. One thing is certain, —I had been
weeping a great deal, as the point of the saddle and the
horse's shoulders were wet with my tears; and I rode home.
with feelings of conscious dignity and peace, such as I cannot
describe; and I almost thought of giving up all idea of
business, and devoting myself to a preparation for the work
of the ministry. But from a fancied consciousness of my
want of capacity, and my want of education or the means of
obtaining it, I felt a fear of mentioning my impressions to
any person who -might have assisted me. I thought I must
plod on as I could, and get my bread and help my family."
This simple narrative shows how deeply the love of souls
had then penetrated his young heart. It brought him to a
point at which nothing was wanting but a fair opportunity
to make him sacrifice at once his natural pursuit of trade
and his cherished design of family advancement. Even in
the distant scene to which his young fancy bore him, his
heart still clung to its home project. Even there, he pictures himself "kneeling down under the rocks and among
the bushes, drawing down by faith and prayer blessings upon
my family."  Yes, and had he gone thither with such a
heart, that " faith and prayer" exercised on behalf of his
family would not have failed to "' draw down" from the endless store above all blessings which they needed. Many a
missionary has committed his kindred to the care of God,
and afterwards proved that the promise to those who forsake
father and mother, and houses and lands, for Christ's sake
and the gospel's, is a good dowry for those who can trust it.
But.to Samuel the door did not seem open. Had it been,
probably the sacrifice would have been made; it was in his
heart, and doubtless it was accepted.




~941   0LEAVES HOME.
His character, then, was based on an intellect of uncommon penetration; foresight, and power of systematising; on a
temperament singularly active and persevering; on affections warm to domestic claims, eager to communicate happiness, and susceptible of intense emotion; on a natural
love of trade, amounting to a passion; on a home where
worth nurtured his affections, instruction guided him toward
integrity and religion, and exigency called forth his efforts:
on a childhood of which the great events were scenes of domestic anxiety that highly excited his feelings, or personal
dangers that shook his system; on a school-training imperfect and unfavourable; on religious impressions early, deep.
vivid, and influential; finally, on a conflict between two
sacred desires —the one, to live for his family, the other, to
live for souls, —a conflict in which not so much his will as
his self-distrust cast the die and sent him forth to take the
lot of an apprentice.
How did he fare on this stage of his journey?




CHAPTER IV.
EARLY TOILS AND TROUBLES.
"There's not a man, from England's king
To the peasant that delves the soil,
Can share half thepleasure the seasons bring,
If he have not his share of the toil."
BERNARD BARTON.
IT was on a day in spring (in April, 1809), that Samuel
Budgett set forth on that seven years' journey which people
call apprenticeship. He had already served an apprenticeship in his own way: for five years he had been saving, buying, selling, observing, and laying up stores of commercial
wisdom. He had shown himself a tradesman of rare tact;
and had he just gone on plying his own means and pushing
his own opportunities, doubtless he would have shot up into
some irregular eminence among the notabilities of the neighbourhood.  It is hard to conjecture what sort of a business his would have been had he never been apprenticed;
but certainly something unique, both in its grouping of
wares and in its plan of management.  However, it is not
necessary to tell what he would have been if he had not been
what he was. So many have written the history of things
which would have been had not other things come instead of
them,-for instance, what would have been the history of
Europe had Napoleon died in Egypt or been victor at




96            THE UNIVERSITY OF TRADE.
Waterloo,-that it will suffice for me to write of the plain
things that have been.  True, one shows no depth or foresight in telling only what has come to pass; but that is a
humiliation to which we may as well make up our mind.
With his aptitude for trade, with the proof already attained
that by following his own, way he could prosper, and with
his settled desire to acquire a competency (not for his own
sake), the temptation to many a lad would have been strong
to turn away from the tedious close-hedged road of apprenticeship, and to look for a shorter and freer way to wealth.
But his haste was the haste of energy, not of impatience.
He had gone to work just because he could not be idle; and
he was perfectly content to forego his own -little dealings in
order to learn the regular habits of trade, which would prove
a firmer base whereon to erect his future success.  He
started, then, rich in his parents' blessing, and entered on
his new career. under the roof of his brother, a good man
and a thriving tradesman.
Trade is a university wherein every shop is a college,
and every apprentice a graduate. And a very momentous
matriculation it is, when a boy signs the deed which "binds"
him'for seven years. - Three score years and ten seem a long
term to the- eye of childhood, though they seem but a fragment to the eye of age. - Yet of that long-term two tenths
are already gone before the boy is fit to be bound, and' then
a third must pass away before he emerges into manhood;three tenths of life's allotted time clean gone, before the art
of gaining a livelihood has been mastered! Men do few
more serious things in all the course of life than those boys
do at life's threshold. That signing the indenture is the beginning of life's earnest work.  Up to that day, it was to be
seen in what ship the future man would' sail, and what
course he would steer; now his ship is chosen, his course
decided;' he is out to sea, and back he cannot put without




rDENTURES.                    97
loss and shame. Yet that solemn matter of handing himself over for seven long years to a dwelling, a master, and a
calling from which he may not stir, sits more lightly on the
unbroken spirits of the boy than a trivial movement of
three days' importance on the man whose anxieties have become sensitive by the -friction of many years.
I once witnessed the ceremony of signing indentures,
and it impressed me greatly,-more than the first time Isaw the signing of a will. It was a brave boy; a rough,
strong, bold, well looking, hardy boy. His father, a staunch
old man, was by his side, deeply serious,-his air strangely
compounded of sternness and sensibility. His new master,
too, was there-a bluff and not beautiful sailor, with a lip,
a nose, an eye, and a voice which, to me, would not at all
recommend an invitation to seven years' close company.
The boy had by anticipation put on his chosen life; already
gait, attire, and mien, were sailor-like. It was evidently a
day of triumph with him: he had his way. Neither the
physiognomy of his captain nor the cares of the future disturbed him. The father drew a sigh as he signed the indenture. Not so he; he signed it as though it had been
the receipt for a good legacy, and he lightly-raised his head.
Ah, but, I thought, a great deal more lies on that head now
than when you stooped it a moment ago! There you are,
delivered up to the sovereign caprice, the wills, the words,
the noonday and the midnight mandates of that uncomely
skipper; no small matter, depend upon it.
Apprenticeship is a great improvement upon caste. A
perpetual succession from father to son of jewellers or tailors, of joiners or blacksmiths, dooming every boy that is
born in the line to follow the calling his fathers followed, is
a most dreary sameness; a dead level sweeping away age
after age till it is lost in the future; a turning of the social
world into strata, resting one upon the other, each with its
5



~98          APPRENTICESHIP AND CASTE.
appropriate deposit of men, as the successive strata of rocks
have their deposit of fossils, no one of which can ever change
its position in the scale. It is very well for trilobites and
saurians to be fixed in strata for ever; they suffer nothing
from want of sympathy, and have no impulse to better themselves: but it is not the way for those who live and move,
and have a being. It is no plan for a world of brothers;
no plan for a world of sinners; no plan for a world over
which a Providence watches. It was natural, as a first
thought for securing proficiency in the various branches of
trade, scholarship, and arms; but it was not a contrivance
to last for ever. Yet something must be found to secure
for men a concentration of mind and habit which would fit
each to do some one thing well for the general good. Apprenticeship, in one form or other, is the resort of all who
want to accomplish anything upon the earth. Each of the
professions has its curriculum: the future ambassador ap-.prentices patiently as an attach6; the embryo statesman' binds " himself to his leader, and "serves" his party; -the
soldier has his drill; and in all lines of art, a man must
either make up his mind to lay out a long time in learning,
or else to be a blank and an abortion.  Men enter the highway of life by ten thousand portals; but over each one of them
is written the injunction, Learn, learn, learn! And he that
attempts to go forward without having waited to learn, soon
trips and is lying in the way of others,
Rejecting, then, the succession from father to son, we
secure a succession in lineage of craft.  One man adopts
the son of another to all intents and purposes of trade. The
son of one man takes another for his father to all intents
and purposes of trade.  A very solemn parentage and a
very solemn affiliation it is. The boy has elsewhere the parentage of his affections; here he is most likely to find the
parentage of his principles and habits.  The man has in




CLmAS- CONS CES.                  99
others the children of his blood, the heirs of his money;
here he is likely to find the offspring of his conscience, the
heir and the propagator of his practices. It is astonishing
how strikingly the conscience of men bears the image of
those by whom they have been trained. If we could make
all the consciences in this wide London march out before us
in one great array, you might easily classify them  by the
family likeness.  You would soon select a group of the
soldier conscience another of the lawyer conscience, another
of the shopkeeper conscience, another of the innkeeper conscience, another of the pawnbroker conscience, another of
the publican conscience, and so on. Men talk of conscience
as if it were a determined something, like the colour of a
man's hair, which depended altogether on interior causes,
and was not modified by things from without. It is far
otherwise.  The maxims which men hear-passing from hand
to hand, the proverbs and the usages of their comrades, the
sanctions which are conferred upon actions, the gloss given
to dealings, all form a style of thought whereby the moral
appearance of acts is wonderfully modified.  The soldier
has a morality of sack and duel, clear enough to himself;
the slave-owner-has a theory of servitude, according to which
he is an excellent person; the loaf-and-fish parson has a
syllogism upon simony, whereby it is shown to be exceedingly proper; the diplomatist is copious in proofs of the
utility of "mystifications," which, in a nursery, would be
downright fibs; the lawyer can plead for equivocal morals
till conscience declares them not guilty; the doctor can
gild ill-tasted morals till conscience swallows them without
disgust.; the grocer can spice unsavoury morals till conscience declares them fragrant; the draper can dress misshapen morals till conscience sees no deformity. Men always
love to find a good reason and a good name for a-bad act.
They do not like to go on in a steady course, and- confess




100               TRADE ADOPTION.
that it is wrong they are doing; they like to stand well
with themselves 5 and it is really wonderful with what in.
genuity they will father a whole brood of illegitimate acts
on some most irreproachable principle. Never fail to suspect yourself, when you find that you are getting up a great
array of reasons to prove that what you are about to do is
right.
Yes, ye masters, it is an adoption, a right serious and
responsiblhdoption, when you take a boy out of the hands
of his parents, receive him under your roof, and place him
under your eye for seven years; to provide him a chamber
oy night, a board by day, a place to labour, work to do, and
lessons to form his future manhood. The seven years he is
to pass in your hands are the spring and the seed-time of
his life; the future crop for this world and for the other is
chiefly dependent on the present sowing. His whole constitution is now flexible, his principles. are just evolving, his
manhood is taking mould; and, according to the care and
example he may have during those seven years of seed-time,
he will hereafter pass a life of uprightness and worth, or a
life of shuffle and mischief. He will g6 forth your son in
trade."d He will bear your image and likeness. He will be
a credit to you, or a reproach. In him others will read
you; and happy for you if their conclusion be, "O! I
should like my son to be apprenticed to the master he
served."
There is a peculiar closeness in this adoption. When
your pastor does not see you, when your fellow-communicants
do not see you, when your friends and visiting circle do not
see you, your adopted boy has his eye on your works and
way. Ay! tests of principle, traits of character, proofs of
your real estimate of truth and honour, to which even your
wife is a stranger, come by degrees before his eye. -That
which brother or wife may have only chance opportunities




A BAD MASTER.                  101
of seeing, he is ever finding out.. Yes, while your own
children are far away under the training of others, your son in
trade is ever there under your own hand, up to the day
when you must send him forth to tell, by his walk, how you
have discharged your duty.  Your character acts upon his
with a tremendous directness and continuity; it meets him
at every turn,-it penetrates into his mind through every
inlet. All things around him convey it into his soul; the
house he lives in, by its arrangement or confusion, its taste
or vulgarity; the family of which he is a member, by their
order or their negligence, their mutual love or their bickerings; the shop in which he spends his day, by its system
or its disarray; the account books to which he has access,
by their regularity or their confusion; the companions with
whom he labours, by their discipline or their demoralisation;
the board at which he eats, by its plenty, economy, and
cleanliness, or by its stinginess, waste, or slovenliness; the
chamber he sleeps in, by its comfort or its eheerlessness.
In fact, through his work, his food, his week-day, his Sunday, his bed, his home, his companions-through all objects
that encircle him, you, you are day after day, month after
month, year after year, flowing into his soul as silently as
the air flows into his breast. You, you are modifying his
thoughts silently as the air modifies the blood. You form
the atmosphere which his mind breathes, and if the mind is
to be healthy the atmosphere must not be unwholesome.
And, ye masters who make a profession of religion, what
tongue is to tell the responsibility that lies on you! A solicitous pair have decided at last that their boy is to follow
your trade.  They have inquired for a place where his comfort would be thought of, and his soul not forgotten.  They
have heard that you are a member of. such a church, therefore to you they confide their lad. They tell him that under
your roof he. will be protected from many temptatiton and




102                A BAD MASTER.
encouraged in everything good.- They leave him with you,
For a slight mistake he receives a savage rebuke; Or, he
is soberly instructed in some. method of dealing which is
plainly unfair.  Or, at family prayer he sees that his master
is evidently under the excitement of the glass.  Or, on Saturday night he is kept at work till the Sabbath has set in.
Or, on Sabbath morning he finds that it is expected he will
go out for that day, to save the trouble and expense of a
table at home.  Ah! far'better-for a boy to be thrown
among those who name not the name of religion, but sin on
consistently, than among those who blend religion and sin
in a most poisonous combination. A poor boy doomed to
be five or seven years under the hands of an unworthy professor of religion, is in the highroad to all evil; and, if he
escapes that goal, surely both he and his may bless God.
The man who was to be his pattern teaches him to coquette
with truth, to tarnish honour, to be an adroit money-catcher
at all hazards, to make integrity a convenience and gain a
necessary, to invent quirks, to mask unfair doings, to reconcile fraud and-family worship, fibs —and the Lord's table, selfishness and devotion. The man that was to be his pattern
becomes'-his tempter; the years of his youth, which were to
fortify the principles imbibed in his childhood, sap and un*dermine them; and his training, which was to strengthen
him against the temptations of life, has been one perpetual
education to sin. Ah  ye faithless masters, who mislead
and undo the youth committed to you by honest parents,
your repentance had need be swift, it had need be bitter;
for one human life blighted is a vast and woeful evil —an
evil, whereupon the great Father of the young soul you have
injured looks down- with a displeasure as deep as it is holy.
Alas! for that man under whose malign or negligent
guardianship the sons of worthy fathers are formed into worth,
les. -mnen.! Bit joy, and honour, and blessing be upon the




SCENE OF APPRENTICESHIP.            103
head of him who, walking before his house in a perfect way,
invests all uprightness with an authority and an attraction
which invite young affections; -who removes everything that
could enfeeble the hold of truth and righteousness on the
heart; who ever represents integrity and not finesse as the way
to prosperity; who endeavours to shed upon apprenticeship
the feeling of home; who, by sacred Sabbath rest, by winning Sabbath comfort, by constant example of devout habits,
and by an occasional word of warm, friendly, fatherly -heartening toward piety, succeeds in leading the youth under his
care to the knowledge of God, and in sending him forth to
pursue his calling a good and a happy man. Many a successful and faithful tradesman, in reviewing the mercies of
his life, has ever to pause with especial gratitude when he
comes to the moment that placed his training in the hands
of a wise and worthy master. Many such masters thert
are, upon whose head and upon whose children meet the
blessings of a family of former apprentices, who are now in
their turn imparting the good they received. 0 that such
masters were a thousand times more in number than they
are!
When Samuel Budgett set forth on his apprenticeship,
he turned toward a brother's door. But that brother was
fifteen years his senior, was master of a house and a business, and toPSamuel. appeared immensely his own superior,far above him and formidable. Although Kingswood seems
backward now, it was then greatly behind what it is at present.
Of the modern houses which bespeak progress and comfort,
not one had yet appeared. The house occupied by Mr. IH.
II. Budgett was very humble; yet it was the most considerable in the place, "the great shop on the cassy."  This
house has now disappeared, but the same site is occupied by
a shop which is the lineal deseeidant of the former. All
around were the rude and humble cots of the collier popu



104               LOSES HIS PLACE.
lation. In the immediate neighbourhood were nests of or
ganised robbers, who preyed with terrible effect on the sur.
rounding country. Samuel, then, began his regular trade
life in a little shop, replenished with all things which the
matrons of such homesteads as abounded at Kingswood
might want for person or for board. His duties were heavy
and his hours were long. It was the wont in those days to
work on, on, as if men inside a shop were made of other
material than all out-door labourers, for whom the fallr of
evening proclaimed a rest. By six o'clock in the morning
they were at their weary counter; and nine, ten, or eleven
at night, found them there still. He worked in the shop, he
worked in the house, he went upon errands to Bristol; he
was ever at it, "work, work, work;" and often, when in the
height of his career, has he told of the toil and weariness of
those apprentice days. If he often relieved a foot passenger by giving him a lift in his own vehicle, it was not without citing times when such a kindness would have made his
awn heart grateful. Sometimes, when in haste, he has
driven past a woman or a man with a burthen; but his
heart smote him-he could not proceed; he has returned
and eased his AOn feelings by easing the weary. He was
very little of his age; -he was not strong; he failed to give
satisfaction to his brother; so that in the middle of his
time, namely, in June, 1812, the latter gave him notice to
leave, assigning as the reason, to use the words of a memorandum of his own now before me, "want of ability." To
his self-despising and sensitive heart this was a terrible
blow. A month was allowed him to look for a situation.
He heard of a Mr.B-, in Bristol, who had a vacancy.
With a trembling heart he entered his shop. He felt  as it
his size, his looks, his dress, everything was against him.
Timidly, but eagerly, he addressed himself to Mr. B —.
"I fear, you are not strong enough for my situation"




FINDS ANOTHER.                105
"0.do try me, sir, I am sure I can do."
" Will you write your address?"
He was not quite certain what the word " address " might
mean, so he replied, "I can write an invoice, sir."
" Very well; write 861bs. of bacon at 9ad. per lb."
He wrote, but the reckoning was wrong. He tried a
second time, but again failed. His heart sank. Then in
came a young man looking for the situation, taller, better
dressed, and in every way far more eligible in appearance than
he. - At him he looked with despair; against such a rival
he could have no hope. Mrs. B-. was by, and observing
the excitement of the poor boy, said a word in his favour.
" But he is not strong enough; you could never carry
those heavy cheeses," pointing to some high on the shelves.
" Do let me try, sir; I am sure I can do it."
In a second he was up to the cheeses, and triumphantly
displayed his strength. His feelings were always highly excitable, and on an occasion so urgent rose to nervous intensity.
This, with his whole spirit, quite won Mrs. B —.  She
pleaded for him: her husband consented; and he left the
shop happy in the knowledge that when his month was ended he had a place awaiting him..He obtained permission to leave Kingswood two or three
days before the expiration of the month, that he might visit
his good parents at Coleford. A younger brother was now
apprenticed in Bristol, and desirous that he too should have
the pleasure of visiting home, he applied for permission for
him, and succeeded. The last morning came, when he had
to leave the scene of his three years' toil, a dismissed apprentice. His heart was sore-how sore you may judge,
when up to the last he could tell every minute incident of
that morning,-all the little kindnesses shown to him, what
was given him to breakfast, and what to eat upon the way.
He had asked for a character; but no sooner was it in his




106                  ARITHMETIC.
hand, than he trembled lest it should- be unfavourable. In
his excitement he turned into a gate close by, opened it, and
read; and to his comfort found that want of strength was
all that was alleged against him.  On the spot where he
made that palpitating pause, afterwards stood his own house
and grounds.
Joined by his brother, he set out for Coleford. To most
lads, the failure to cast up correctly the price of 86 lbs. of
bacon, at 9~d. per lb., would scarcely have recurred, except
to make them congratulate themselves on having got over it
so easily. Not so Samuel Budgett. He saw-that would
never do; he should not get on if he could not tell the price
of pounds, half-pounds, quarter-pounds, of bacon, butter, and
all things. His brother had enjoyed greater advantages of
education than he, and the walk with him to Coleford was a
chance he was not likely to let run to — waste. So as they
walked -he practised addition and multiplication on all the
changes of bacon, butter, cheese, and such practical matters.
"One hundred pounds, at a penny a pound, eight and fourpence;" and so- on, on he went, mercilessly forcing out of his
brother all his arithmetical lore. His brother soon grew
tired of these peripatetics; but Samuel was not to be tired
where an object was in view, so he kept repeating what he
had learned, varying it, getting into difficulty again, asking,
and extracting all the information he could get; thus making great head in the art of ready reckoning. As they
trudged and studied, night fell, and they were yet far from
Coleford. Still they pressed toward home,-the one brother
eagerly pursuing knowledge, the other wearied both of travel
and tuition. They found that they had lost their way.
Presently they were by the fire of a coke kiln at Newton,
near to Bath. Their strength was worn out, so down-they
sat, overpowered by fatigue, to pass the night by the kiln.
Sleep came pressing heavily; but oh, those hobgoblins whose




THE JAY.                   107
feats had been impressed on- the susceptible mind of Samuel
by his worsted-spinning schoolmistress! they kept rising in
his imagination, and every noise was the harbinger of some
coming horror. Doubtless that special ghost who had been
addicted to haunting the coalpit, would be vividly present to
his recollection. What with the ache in his heart, the fatigue
in his limbs, the loss of his way, the sleep on his eyes, and
the sprites infhis brain, even that June night was long and
dreary-a night of discomfort, that would return to the
memory when a thousand nights of sweet repose were all
forgotten. It passed, however, without any worse evil than
a great alarm from a footstep, a figure, and a voice, which,
nevertheless, belonged neither to a ghost nor an enemy,
but only to a man connected with the pits.  At length
the summer morn dawned on the weary boys, and a good
carter happening to pass, indulged- them with a ride to Coleford.
It would seem that things at home had not prospered
during Samuel's absence. The family was large, and trial
seemed to be the allotted portion of his admirable mother.
When they arrived, she was preparing breakfast for the children. The fare was hard: it told Samuel of straits and
pinches. It went through his heart. It woke again all his
purposes to lift the family up. Had his impulse to rise and
prosper for their sakes been in danger of failing, that day's
visit would have roused it afresh.
He started for his new situation; but his early taste for
bye-trading seems to have been rekindled. On the road he
met a man who had a jay; and fixing his attention on the
bird, concluded a purchase for threepence. On he went to
Bristol, and having a good part of a day to spare, he hoped
to-make a profit of his jay. Therefore he proceeded to the
bridge, and taking his stand there with the jay on his hand,
offered it publicly for sale. The day was passing away and




108                   THE JAY.
he had found no purchaser. Fearful of losing his chance al
together, he forsook his exposed but unsuccessful position on
the bridge, and set off to some private houses where he had
an idea that they were fanciers of birds. At length he
"effected a sale" for a shilling; thus realising ninepence for
the labour of the day.
That spectacle of the lad standing in the thoroughfare
with his jay on his hand, is one we cannot help looking at.
He was now about eighteen years of age. He had been frequently in Bristol, and therefore knew something of a great
town.  The simplicity of his childish village dealings could
not now exist. He must feel the peculiarity of his position
as he placed himself there. But he had seen his mother
preparing poor, hard fare for the children. He had, years
ago, devoted himself to the work of making for her a happy
home. It had seemed to him-a call and a commission; and
that so sacred, that it balanced his desire to become an evangelist of the heathen.  He had an edifice to build; and he
cared not into what uninviting quarry he went to find even
one stone to lay at its foundation. Perhaps there was not in
England another lad of his age and circumstances who would
not have been ashamed to place himself on that bridge to
make a few pence by selling a bird, even though urged by the
most sacred family claims. Yet our potentates of the press
would be more apt to dwell upon a brilliant pirouette of a
ballet dancer, a successful quaver of a cantatrice, a happy,couplet, a brilliant metaphor, a glowing peroration, or a
flashy jest!  Any bright trait of talent-albeit disjoined
from every worthy purpose and every sacred application, any,
sparkling of genius-albeit the man who sparkles wallows at
the same time and is foul, any blaze of the wonderful-albeit
he who astounds never ennobles his own life or ameliorates
the lot of others, is welcomed with devotion by the literati,
and proclaimed in chimes of eulogy. But a boy whose' pur



RETURN TO ErINGSWOOD.              109
pose to do good for his father's house pushes on his heart
till he forgets youthful pride and braves the eye of all, is just
acknowledged to do a feat, but a feat in which the comical
would, in their sight, overlay- the noble. Well, so be it.
Yet we would rather be writing here of that lad and his jay,
than of all the Siddonses, Malibrans, and such like comets of
your fashionable hemisphere. Ay, and in his exposure of
himself to personal fatigue and shame that he might begin
the good work whereon he had set his heart, we would see a
worthier theme of commendation than in the play of gorgeous
genius linked only with objects useless or unwise.
The jay sold, he next morning repaired to the house of
Mr. B —.  Here he was very successful.  Hits master soon
knew his value, and his mistress treated him  with the
greatest kindness.  Of these worthy people (the latter of
whom still lives), he always spoke with gratitude.  When he
had spent about six months with them, his brother became
desirous to recall him to his service.  To this Mr. B —strongly objected, alleging that as his brother dismissed him
he could not possibly have any claim. He was very warm
upon the point, and offered Samuel an " advancing salary" if
he would only stay. But his brother told him that it was
his duty to serve out his time. This decided him. He gave
up his salary in Bristol and returned to Kingswood to com
plete the three years and more of the apprenticeship which
remained.
I do not know whether it was in this second apprenticeship or in the first, that, bysome means, he became possessed
of fifteen shillings. Two of his sisters had come into Bristol
and begun business, and he went to a coalpit, and laid out all
his fifteen shillings in coals for them: thus a second time,
when he had saved a little, he "gave- it all away."  In fact
his two passions for gathering and giving followed him -in all
things, both great and small. He soon became a favourite




110                   SUNDAYS.
with the customers of she shop. He put so much heart into
his attentions, and had, withal, such address in his mode of
serving them, that many imagined they got better weight
from him than from any one else. Many of the good women
would wait long till he was at liberty to execute their orders;
and as many of the cottages have-gardens attached to them,
it was not uncommon for his friends to bring him presents of
apples. - Here, again, his economy and his generosity came
in. He would not eat the, apples; they were too valuable,
he thought, to waste upon himself, so they were all carefully
stored, and regularly sent to a pious widowed aunt residing
in Bristol.  When she died, he did not appoint himself
her heir in respect of the apples, but voted another friend
into that privilege.
During this time his Sundays were welcome days. The
first dawn of improvement on Kingswood had come with
Whitefield and Wesley. Their words had been wonderful to
the rude, bad men of the neighbourhood; and on not a few
the effect had been wonderful too. Many an evil -life had
been fashioned anew, and many a wretched home lighted up
with the charities and the joys of pure religion. Whitefield
had built a tabernacle; Wesley had founded a school. Each
had been a light to the place. Adjoining the school, was a
chapel; and there it was the wont of Samuel Budgett, in his
apprentice days; to repair each Sunday morning, with a mind
eager for every beam of intellectual light, with a heart hungry for every crumb of spiritual food. For the week his
intellect had been doomed to dearth'; and no week ever
passes but it brings the soul temptations. On the Sabbath
morning, his intellect gasped for knowledge, his soul gasped
for grace. To him, a sermon was indeed a repast, a-banquet,
a festival.  Oh, ye preachers, did ye only know what hungry
minds and hungry-souls go to you each Lord's-day and look
up to be fed, it would both stir you to search for wholesome




THE QUARRY.                  111
bread, and encourage you in dispenlsing what you bring!
Often, often when Samuel had heard a sermon, he would put
his fingers in his ears to. exclude every sound that might drive
away one thought from his memory, and hurrying from the
chapel, would not stop till he had reached an old quarry that
lay behind their house. Here were scattered about some
pieces of " slag," from abandoned " spelter" or zinc works.
On one of these pieces of slag he would seat himself, and with
eager joy lay up for future recollection every important point
of the discourse. He would then turn to his hymn-book, and
to a volume of the Methodist Magazine; and from one or
other of these would commit to memory some passage every
Sunday without exception, —something that might serve both
to yield -him- good thoughts during the week, and to relieve
the hunger he continually felt for mental food. Sometimes,
as he sat on the piece of slag and looked around on the old
waste quarry, he wondered if any of those places would ever
belong to him. Afterwards his- own shrubbery flourished
over the site of the quarry, and some blocks of the slag garnished. the edge of a piece of water in his grounds.
On a fragment of paper which has survived his' destruction of his memoranda, I find a few sentences evidently belonging to a date about the close of his apprenticeship, in
which his eagerness for improvement breaks out strongly:
" My time-is flown, and I am what I am, instead of being
what I might have been. My object, now, is to regain as far
as possible what I have lost, and to obtain all that is attainable. My question now is, how shall I become what I may
be? Shall I not do better, as I am single, to remain so for
the present,- and to keep my eye singly directed to the attainment of religious and useful knowledge - O wisdom! 0
knowledge'! The very expressions convey ideas so delightful
to my mind that I am ready to leap out and fly; for why




112            LOVE AND- NOWLEDGE.
should my ideas always be confined within the narrow corn
pass of our shop walls."
Yes, why indeed? In whatever department of labour
Providence may assign to man his task, he has within him
the mind which is open to the infinite and destined to the
eternal. It is ever there, capable of expansion, growth, and
fruit, although it may be benumbed and frozen by the cares
and toils of earth. All minds should have food; for the
soul to be without knowledge is not good; and they whose
calling places them amid the bustle of commerce in its lower
and more hurrying walks, require, as much as any class of
men on earth, the refreshment and the elevation which knowledge, fitly sought and judiciously selected, is calculated to.
bestow. But, in the aspirations of Samuel Budgett quoted
above, we certainly have not the mawkish longing of a wouldbe intellectual for amusing books instead of fatiguing business. We have there the honest outcry of a mind which by
innate energy must work, for material to work upon.
There are two things which, to look upon, are very uncomely. The one, a man who has risen in the world, and as
he rose has improved his attire, improved his abode, improved his fare, improved his furniture, improved his children,
improved his servants, improved his -circle of friends, but has
never improved his mind. There it is, the-same mind precisely in fine broadcloth and "velvet hat," that it was in fustian and paper cap; the same mind with a carriage and pair
that it was with heavy clogs; the same mind with silver ser
vices and champagne and- venison, that it was with pewter
and cheese and ale; the same mind with daughters that can
play Handel and read Racine, that it would have been with
daughters who never touched a key or opened a grammar;
the same mind-with circles of educated friends, who value him'
sense and worth despite the remnants of the outlandish, as it




POSITION AND MIND.              113
was with friends whose talk was a dialect of other days and
All on themes intimate to the village.
Now, that kind of spectacle is beyond doubt most particularly uncomely. You never see it without feeling your
temper a little tried.  In the name of common sense and
common propriety, why did not the man, when he saw that
Providence was lifting him up in society, take a little pains
to fit himself for his new position, as he did to fit everything
about him for it? He would not furnish his fine house with
the same articles which sufficed for his original dwelling. The
house must needs have seemly furniture; and it should also
have a seemly master. Three-legged stools and plain deal
tables would look quaint beside damasks and mirrors and
chandeliers; but do not queer rough accents and vulgar
phrases look quite as odd there? Do then, if rising in life,
take a little pains; not to make yourself an accomplished
man in letters or in etiquette, that is out of the question now,
and it is not the thing for you to run after even if hope of
overtaking it remained; but, take a little pains to rub off all
offensive roughnesses which have been left by early neglect,
and which abridge your influence and usefulness in your new
sphere. But remember, young lady at the grand piano, you
are not to blush for the ill-ordered grammar of papa. He is
of a great deal more consideration in the world than you will
ever be. You will never rise above the level to which his
brave arm carries you, and had it not been for his talent and
worth you would not have been at that piano, but mayhap at
a spinning jenny. Honour him as he deserves, and all sensible men will honour you. See that you use well the valuable
fruits which his labours have obtained for you.
But uncomely as is the spectacle of a man whose mind is
behind his circumstances, there is another spectacle quite as
uncomely and far more provoking. A young man whom
Providence has plainly designed to serve his generation by




114                 POLYSMATTER.
following some useful business, has taken it into his -head to
be a man of parts and a hero hunter. He has some notion
of the new books and of the great men who are just now a
going.  He is deep in Warren, thinks well of Macaulay,
patronizes Carlyle, has an opinion on Chateaubriand and
Alexander Dumas, knows that Tennyson is poet laureate,
and kneels down to Dickens.  He is versed in the Parliamentary orators, balances Disraeli and Derby most nicely, is
at home on the merits of the great preachers, and, above all
things, his talk smells of science.  He often hears Professor
Polysmatter, Professor Panprattle, and Professor Poluphloisbosi who lecture on sesthetics, megalosauri, metempsychosis, and several other things with brave names; he,
therefore, talks of elements, strata, developments, oxygen,
carbonic acid, and the vital principle. He is very " intellectual," and, in business, very good for nothing.  He makes a
great figure in discussion, but a poor figure in work. He
sneers at his neighbour, who has not " two ideas;" but his
neighbour has a quiet consciousness that with his one idea,
he manages to get on better than Polysmatter with his profusion of ideas. He wonders how his neighbour has so little
taste; his neighbour wonders how he has so little sense. He
is surprised that his neighbour does not-buy more books and
hear more professors; his neighbour wonders how he can be
constantly running after everything but his business.  He
thinks his neighbour not at all fit to conversewith men of
education; his neighbour sees that men of education never
laugh at him, while they always laugh at-Polysmatter.
Now, this Polysmatter is ridiculous even beside the good
man who is untutored amid glittering affluence. You may
regret that the latter has not been awake to the duty of
self-improvement; but you cannot despise him.  He has not
missed his way. He is no abortion. He has done his work.
He has elevated a family. He has set an example of ener



FALSE MENTAL IMPROVJMENT.            115
gy.  le has filled up in the movement of society the full
place of a workman.,As he stands there in his homeliness,
even though you were as fastidious as Beau Nash, you prefer
him ten thousand times to an imposture of a man, who, being
called to labour at an honest trade, betakes himself to dandifying his intellect. "But," cries Polysmatter, " a man
ought to improve his mind." To be sure he ought; but do you
call that kind of work improving the mind-turning it away
from the task God has set before it, giving it a disrelish for
plain and serviceable duty, habituating it to sips and scents
and whiffs and glimpses and passing tones of every sort of
glossy, pretty, jingling smatter, and thus unfitting it for all
sober thought and real knowledge, all deep search after truth,
all earnest application to duty. Improve your mind, indeed!
You are leading it, poor mind, a most ruinous course; you
are spoiling its taste, spoiling its digestion, relaxing-its muscles, enfeebling its joints and sinews, and making it fit:neither for books nor business-a sheer wreck of dissipation.
You are just doing with your mind what a man would do
with his body, if, under -pretext of improving it,.he set to
and learned the names of all the most celebrated pastrycooks, made acquaintance with all the tastiest dishes, all the
richest wines, all the best spicery, and fed himself with
scraps of dainty confectionery and scents of perfumery. He
might be a great connoisseur, might have a deal to say, and
might enjoy the thing for a while; but his poor body would
soon be unfit for any purpose for which God ever sent a man
into the world. This is quite the case with the mind of a
man who, having little time to read, sets up for a savant,
and runs about tasting literary confectionery, instead of
taking some substantial food, eating it, digesting it, absorbing it into his own frame, and deriving from it both viva6ity
and force.
Many who pretend to be improving their mind are not




116              THE MAN,OF PARTS.
only dissipating it, but debasing it. Improving it! what do
they introduce to it by way of improving it, forsooth?  Fiction, nonsense, trifle, trash, intrigue, the vices in court dress.
If their mind is to be improved by that, it must be bad indeed. No, no; it is idle to say that the things which many
read are read from any view to improvement.  Such things
are read from sheer badness of heart, from the love of evil
excitement, from the impulse of the great tempter. For
one man who reads novels from anything'like a literary aim,
there are a thousand who read them just because they
stimulate low passions.
Yes, you ought to improve your mind>-; but then, take
care you do not set up for a man of parts.  From that day
your mind is in a lost case-as lost as a garden plot in which
you attempted to grow cereals, vegetables, flowers, shrubs,
and forest trees all in one crop. If you want to improve
your mind, do what Samuel Budgett did. Feel that you
know little- be content that others should see that; ask
questions which show your ignorance; set about reading
something solid,-something which will enable you better to
understand man, the earth, the sky, the Bible. Learn your
own tongue. Learn your own. world.  Know not only its
continents, but its nooks; not only its nations, but its tribes;
not only its great systems, but its sects. Learn history, ancient, modern, ecclesiastical,-any branch of it; for all tell
of man and of Providence.  Learn poetry; fix some of it,
however little, in your memory. A few good pieces made
thoroughly your own, will insensibly refine your taste, elevate your conceptions, and improve your mode of expression. Learn, in fact, anything that is real, solid, useful;
but learn it. Do not taste and smell; eat. Do not perfume-your raiment with the scent of knowledge; what you
know, know it, and be the better. Be content to know
little. Be content to add to your knowledge slowly. Be




THE SHOWY AND THE SOLD.             117
content to be unnoticed when Po'ysmatter is passing for a
prodigy, and to hold your peace when Poluphloisbos is rolling forth cataracts of erudition.
In our day, the race of business men who pass through
life in stolid ignorance of all outside their trade, is rapidly
passing away.  But then arises the danger of a race of
Polysmatters. Men of sense will, of course, avoid both extremes; and instances abound on all hands, where the most
useful habits of business are admirably combined with an
extensive and a modest intelligence. The scholar must ever
respect the man who well understands his own calling, even
though, to; all. beyond it, his opportunities or his abilities
have left him a stranger. But no man can respect one who
spoils himself for his own calling by affecting anything else.
But it is specially pleasant to see a man combining with the
punctuality, the order, the self-reliance, the promptitude,
the knowledge of men, the common sense, which belong to
your thorough-made man of business, a sympathy with all
higher pursuits, and a becoming acquaintance with the history of man and the handiwork of God.
It is not necessary to say that ardent-as was Mr. Budgett's desire for knowledge, he never permitted it to trench
on his proper engagements. He would as much have blamed
him who permitted a love of reading to seduce him from his
clear path of duty, as he would have pitied him who had no
relish for anything above bargains and profits.  What he
wanted was not to be a scholar; much less to put on the
air and talk of a scholar; but to have some actual knowledge and some ennobling sentiment laid up within him, that
his mind might feed and grow stronger. The annexed letter, written about the close of his apprenticeship, will show
precisely in what spirit he coveted knowledge.




118              sELF-IMPRo MEM.,
" ingswood Hill, August 29th, 1816.
" MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,-Your affectionate letter I received last week. After I had dismissed the business of
the day, I retired to my room, sat down, and began to think,
how long is it since I received Mr. M.'s book of extracts?How long since he requested me to send him a plan for keeping
a common-place book?-turning to my little library, Why
did I place so many books on those shelves? &c., &c. The
feelings of my mind on that occasion I cannot describe to
you; I believe it was something like one awakening from a
dream who ought to have been on an important journey some
hours before. I saw that all my powers had been in a state
of dormancy. I began to reflect on your past kindness, and
considered that I had not even read all your book, thlough I
intended copying a great deal of it. How plainly did I see,
and to my sorrow feel, the truth of your observation, that
the mind when once enlightened, having lost the love of God,
is in a more inactive state than ever. I saw that my whole
mind had been swallowed.up in business, to the great neglect of my spiritual and mental concerns. I considered that
I had been but little different for seven years; and from
your letter I discovered that you appeared to be sinking into
the same state. After pausing some time (for I had no supper that night, but continued in my room reasoning and
endeavouring to think on what had passed until bed time),
I thought, What a deplorable state are we in! what can be
done?2 I determined however to do something. I took up
my pen and wrote down a few little things that I had neg.
lected,.and resolved.to execute them in order, and as fast as
possible, praying for the blessing- of God on'my weak endeavours.  One was to comply with your request in getting
Locke's method of keeping a common-place book; secondly,
to write to you and Mr. T —; thirdly, to finish reading




SELF-IMPROVEMENT.               119
your book of extracts and copy what part I intended. Another
was to get a little book arranged after Locke's method, to
enter all the pieces I commit to memory, that I may have a
kind of index to my mind; with several little things relative
to the improvement of my own mind. Join with me, my dear
friend, join with me in praying that the Lord may add his
blessing to my resolutions, and I believe we shall soon see
better days. Let us look to that God who has promised'I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou
shalt go, I will guide thee with mine eye;''I am the light of
the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life.' Surely we err in not following him more closely; perhaps we have not thought
highly enough of our calling. Let us begin to double our
diligence, and henceforward walk as children of the light.
Inclosed you have a small book with the index to Locke's
common-place book ruled in it, of which I must beg your acceptance as a small token of my love and affection for you;
for an explanation of which, I must refer you to the third
volume of his works, as the limit of my room will not allow
me to give it sufficiently clear to be understood. I have not
written a list of my books yet, but hope to do it soon, and
will send it you in my next. As it respects my coming to
Frome, I thank you' for your kind invitation. I have intended going; but I assure you, when it comes to the point, I
have no inclination to go -anywhere; for if I cannot find
happiness at home, it is in vain to seek it anywhere else. I
think if I were to come with the determination to enjoy
the company of my friends by going to any places of recreation or amusement, though I am very fond of such kind of
engagements, particularly where religion and real happiness
is the subject of conversation, yet it may tend rather to divert my mind from God as the source of my happiness, than
unite it to him-. ]But for one thing I have long felt an ear



120            LEARNING AND WEALTH.
nest though secret desire; which is, to spend a little time
with you-and Mr. T — alone, where no object but God
could attract our attention; that we may, by devout conversation, by humble, fervent, faithful prayer, get our souls
united to each other and to God, our living Head, by the
strongest ties of love and affection. Pray for me, my dear
friend. I have only one more request to make; that is that
you will write' soon, and believe me your most affectionate
friend,                                   "S. B."
But many who have some relish for reading while
youth is warm, lose it all as cares or riches multiply. Then
they have no leisure for a book, and no heart if they had the
leisure. The morning paper is their Bible, their Milton,
their Rollin, their Bacon, their Humboldt, their Burke,
their Scott, their intellectual all. And, perhaps, that'is
prized, not exactly because it deals with knowledge, but
because some items of the kn'owledge affect the pocket.
A Kafir raid and a Parisian revolution are interesting,
not because they display the condition and affect the
happiness of mankind, but because they tell upon stocks.
Ah! how some of your " hundred-thousanders" would be
stunned by a sentence condemning them to read'Josephus
or the Diversions of Purley from end to end. Would
not some of them prefer a three days' panic upon'Change?
Would not some of.them almost as soon "promise to pay"
the Spanish bonds as promise to read through the Wellington Dispatches? But,, up to the last, Mr. Budgett evinced
a vivacious zest for knowledge.  As he began to withdraw from the more active duties of business, he plunged
into his library, and'there, day by day, spent happy hours
in studying geography, studying history, studying God's holy
word. In all these pursuits his interest was intense, and
proved that had his lot been cast otherwise than in business,




A SALARY.-                   121
his. literary tastes would have been not less -ardent-than his
mercantile. - Hereafter it will be my duty to furnish a spcci
men of his, time table, showing what he read and how many
hours he spent daily in his study.
His knowledge was not jewellery, worn as ornament; but
capital turned to account.  In his apprenticeship he became
an active Sunday-school teacher, and in that avocation then
spent many Sabbaths which he always counted among the
happiest days of his life. When he rose in influence and
wealth, he did not, as so many do, forsake the toilsome and
humble -school; but, as we shall hereafter see, laboured in
that sphere with heart and success to the last.,He was about twenty-two years of age when his apprenticeship expired.  He -then made an engagement with his
brother for three years, at a salary of -forty, fifty, and sixty
pounds respectively.  Thus at last, twelve full years from
the time when he began his trading, he was fairly started'
in the way of earning a livelihood, and laying the foundation
of success. As of wont, his, economy was strict; not one
farthing. that human art could bind, escaped on any errand
for' his personal purposes. For. those he loved they were
free enough to go; but as to himself, his attire was the humblest that care could make it, and of luxuries all he indulged
in was, a few modest books. At the end of the three years,
he. had full one hundred: pounds saved out of his salary.'Here, then, he was once more in wealth; and that to threefold the extent of his first fortune at Coleford.  That had
been procured by trade; this by the more adhesive process
of saving. What men gather by little and little, by shutting
up every outlet of self-indulgence, by watching a penny and
weighing it, they are -prone to value and to hold.  Samuel
Budgett, habituated as he was rapidlyto discern the great
in the little, would see in his hundred pounds the germ of
large possessions. But his thirty pounds had gone; his fif-:
-6




122            " GAVE IT ALL AWAY."
teen shillings had gone; and now his greater hoard was
menaced. His brother had embarked in a banking speculation. It had gone wrong; and though the regular business
was thriving, Samuel saw him in jeopardy. He at once
begged him to accept his store. And thus, the third time,
after having laid up the foundation of a fortune, he, at the
call of family affection, " gave it all away."
He had now been fifteen years in trade; five as an amateur, seven as an apprentice, and three as a salaried assistant. - Yet he was no richer than when the blacksmith gave
into his hand his first penny. The most successful do not
succeed at once. But if he had no store of money, he had
gained and permanently secured the habit of making, the
habit of saving, and the habit of giving. These three habits
accorded with all his own purposes, and expressed the sense
of a motto which he early adopted and resolutely held. John
Wesley, in his powerful sermon on the use of money, lays
down these three rules-Make all you can; save all you can;
Eve all you can. Samuel Budgett's natural dispositions,
early habits, and intentions for life, all prepared him to accept these principles. To make, to save, to give, he set himself. To make without saving, is useless and absurd. To
save without giving, is covetousness and idolatry. To make
and then save, is wise. To save and then give, is COhistian.
Samuel had now well habituated himself to all these three
habits. He maintained them to the last. Their acquisition
in his youth was more to him than if he had started with
ten thousand pounds.
We have already said that the business was prospering;
and Mr. H. II. Budgett, who had founded it, now re'warded
Samuel's industry- by taking him into partnership. Soon
after he took a little cottage in a lane opposite the shop. He
had very early formed an attachment to Miss Smith, a young
lady of respectable family, at Midsomer Norton. But- h'




MARRIAGE.                  123
waited for the time when Providence should place him in
circumstances to offer a home to a wife. Up to that day he
would say no word of what had long been in his heart. That
day came at last. He believed that the good hand of Providence had marked the moment when he might properly
make himself a home. After the struggles of his youth he
found himself blessed with a happy fireside and a cheerful
prospect in trade.




CHAPTER V.
RISE  AND  PR O G R E S S.
"Business is what it is made to be."
OF the many proverbs which Mr. Budgett familiarly used,
none was firmer set in his convictions than that which
stands above. He would have it that a business was limited
only by the energy of its conductors. Obstacles of time,
situation, poverty, and competition were, he insisted, all capable of being overcome. He would contend that every firstrate man of business could create a first-rate business. This
may be perfectly true; and yet it does not follow that every
man can create a first-rate business, just because every man
is not a first-rate man. It is not to be inferred that because a man has failed of rising to wealth therefore he has
not done his best. He may or he may not. But if he be
only a man of limited resources, great achievements are not
to be expected from him. Men who have an energy before
which obstacles appear to vanish, and an address to which
no embarrassment is inextricable, are often in danger of forgetting that feebler men cannot effect what they have effected. It is perfectly true that business is what it is made to
be; but that very thing, so far from proving that every
man may have a flourishing business, only proves that every
incompetent man is sure to be always low. A book, as well




FIRST STEP UPWARDS.              125
as a business, is what it is made to be; but some ot us know
full well that when we have diligently done our endeavour,
we cannot make a first-rate book. Even so, in business,
many there are who cannot rise, many who cannot help descending, many who of necessity fall, many who may earn
their bread while others direct, but who only waste it when
once the direction is in their own hands. " Every man in
his own order."  He that made us has not made us equal.
Some have powers that will accomplish anything: let them
be thankful; they must give account. Some have powers
before which difficulties enlarge, and oppcrtunities vanish:
let them recognise their weakness, be humble, take advice,
and find a sphere suitable to their actual capabilities. But,
though all cannot gain eminence, every honest, frugal, and
hard working man will make'his way.
Mr. Budgett was naturally fitted for an enlarged commerce. The same impulse which in childhood had set him
upon trading, urged him in manhood to extend and rise.
While still in his brother's employment, he suggested new
plans of conducting the purchases, and took that department,
to a considerable extent, into his own hands. The markets
were well watched, every advantage of time or change turned
to account, and his singular power of cheap buying exerted
with all vigour. The trade steadily grew; every now and
then those in their own line were surprised at the sales they
were able to make, and the neighbourhood resounded with
the news of the great bargains to be had at Budgett's. As
custom increased, so did envy and accusation. Many scrupled not to declare that they sold cheaper than they bought,
and therefore must soon come to an end. Yet they went on,
year by year, in steady and rapid increase. I am not, however, prepared to say, that the expedient called in trade
" leading articles," was not sometimes resorted to. Leading
articles in commerce, like leading articles in journalism, are




126              "LEADING ARTICLES."
articles set forth in a more prominent manner than others)
and meant to make a character for the whole. A man takes
a certain article, and sells it at cost price, or below cost
price, to give the public an impression that his goods are
surpassingly cheap; meaning to make up what he loses on
that article by the sale of others. In the retail grocery
trade, almost every man sells sugar in this way, without
profit, or even sometimes at a slender loss. It is impossible
to say that a man is bound to charge a profit on every particular article in his shop. And Mr. Budgett, being persuaded that he -could on the whole " do better " for his customers than others, thought it was perfectly fair to gain their
attention to that which would be to their benefit by means
which did not involve any wrong. This would be perfectly
satisfactory if the only parties concerned were the individual
trader and the customer. It is altogether a different case
from that of the unquestionable sharper, who offers a few
articles at tempting prices, that he may catch unwary folks,
and fleece them by sales of poor goods at great profits. This
man cheats even his customer, and deceives him too; for he
makes the impression that he is going to sell cheaper than
others, whereas, in fact, he means to'charge more. When a
man really means to serve the customer better than he believes him to be served elsewhere, it is easy to see how he
might be strong in a conviction of his own integrity, while
he offered one article at an inviting price; but he ought to
bethink him that he and the customer are not the only parties affected' by the transaction. There is some other dealer
from whom that customer is turned. If a man feels that he
can serve the public with a certain article better than they
are usually served, he is right to do so. But he ought only
to take such modes of attracting the attention of the pub-ic
as arise out of the actual advantages he has to offer.  He is
not bound to withhold a general advantage because it may




PROSPECTS OF WHOLESALE.             127
cause an individual loss,-quite the contrary: but he ought
not to parade any advantage that is not real, to create any
impression that is not correct; to hold out the bait of one
kind of service, while he means to perform another.  The
Messrs. Budgett, I fully believe, were convinced that in this
point they allowed only what was quite defensible; and, so
far as their customers were concerned, I am persuaded that
to them no wrong was done; but as a mode of competition,
the system of leading articles is decidedly to be condemned
in itself, and especially so as it offers to dishonest men a bait
whereby to entrap prey. Your duty as a tradesman is so to
frame your method of business that it shall serve the interests of the public in the highest possible degree; and then,
as to gaining the public eye, why, trust to sterling industry,
to the intrinsic excellence of your system, and above all to
the blessing of Providence, for as much "custom" as will
suffice for your legitimate ends. In competing with others
for public favour, no expedient should be permitted that will
not bear close examination. Better fail of success, than fall
into improper rivalry. Many of the rumours which were
circulated about the Messrs. Budgett with regard to the
practice of selling under cost, were absurd, and contradicted
themselves. If people dealt constantly on that scale, they
must some time show the effect.
As the business grew, the views of the younger brother
began to stretch beyond their actual sphere.  He already
seemed to descry in the distance the possibility of a great
wholesale establishment; but this must be reached by little
and little. He would not attempt what he could not accomplish.  Any sudden bound, therefore, by which he was at
once to pass the gulf now separating him from his object,
was not.to be thought of. A little at a time; secure what
you have, work it well, make it fruitful, and then push on a
little farther; but never stretch out to anything new till all




128                FTRST JOURNEYS.
the old is perfectly cultivated. Such were the maxims he
laid down for himself; such the maxims which he enforced
upon his travellers. Under the guidance of these rules, his
progress from the retail shop up to the great establishment,
was not to be made by brilliant strokes, and venturesome
speculations, and heavy credits, and reliance on the exchequer
of others. He.was willing to begin humbly, and to proceed
slowly, that he might proceed in surety.
Among the customers of the shop were numbers of good
women who came from villages at a few miles distance,
mounted on donkeys. As the flow of purchasers was great,
a crowd of these patient steeds would often be for a long
time about the door, while their respective mistresses were
obtaining goods.  In this concourse from a distance, the
quick eye of Samuel discovered the germ of an extended
trade.  Why should he not go into their neighbourhood
regularly, and obtain their orders; so securing their custom
always, and affording them accommodation, while he obtained new chances of extension?  His brother was mucih
more inclined to pursue the regular course than to branch
into anything new; and the caution of the one probably
acted as a useful counterbalance to the energy of the other.
But Samuel was not to be held within the shop walls; he
had his plans for erecting a great business, and nq power
could restrain him. He soon set forth to the villages of
Doynton and Pucklechurch, and arranged to meet the good
folks at fixed times, in one house or another convenient- for
them, and there to receive their orders..Hemade himself
their friend; he was hearty, familiar, and in. earnest; he
noticed their children; he knew their ways, and he rapidly
gained their favour and effected considerable sales.
This point gained, he began to talk of supplying the
smaller shops., "Why should not we supply them, as well
as other people?2 "  His brother shrank from anything that




SMALL BEGINNINGS.               129
seemed to approach the wholesale.  tie feared that they
would get beyond their means, and wished to pursue only
the old course. Samuel could wait, but he could not'surrender. Supply the smaller shops he would, and by degrees
he managed to accomplish it. Very gradually the range of
this quasi-wholesale trade extended. Firmly keeping to his
purpose of working all he had got, and going on little by
little, he made no abrupt enterprise, no great dash; but on,
on he plodded in the humblest way, caring nothing for show,
but careful that every foot of ground under him was solid.
He gradually began to make a modest sort of commercial
journey; and among tradesmen to whom he would not venture to offer the higher articles of grocery, raised a considerable trade in such descriptions of goods as he might supply
without seeming to push into too important a sphere.
Well would it be for our modern tradesmen did they
generally seek advancement only on such sure grounds.
But, instead of patiently waiting to work their way up from
at inconsiderable to a respectable' position, they are- eager
to start on a large scale, to make a show, and to rival their
neighbours. The consequence is, an untold amount of unhappinessj ill health and sin. Many a man who is gasping
for life in trade, might have been pressing on at his ease;
many a, ne who is trying'to keep his head above water by
seizing any friend within reach, might have been swimming
cheerily; many a one who is quailing before his creditors,
might have had them bowing attendance upon him; many
a one who is breaking the hearts of his family, might have
been their delight,-had he only been content to adjust his
scale of business to his amount' of capital. But when a man
is too proud to suit his establishment to his means, he must
take the consequence. If you build half of your house on
your neighbour's ground, it is no great wonder if it should
be pulled down. I know one eminently successful trades6*




130                SHOW IS COSTLY.
man who ascribes all his prosperity to the fact that when, at
an early stage of his course, he found that he had taken on
hand more business than he could manage with his capital,
and embarrassment was imminent merely from the rapid
extension of his trade, he had the courage to curtail, and
decline all business which he could not safely manage.
This appeared to throw him back for the tinre,&ut from
that day his feet were firm under him, and his future progress was solid 
Half of the heavy hearts, and broken spirits, and sleepless eyes among London tradesmen might be spared, were
they only willing to conform their appearances to their substance. But to many that simple advice would sound as
the perfection of severity. As men of fashion enlarge their
establishments in rivalry with wealthier neighbours, and
thus make themselves miserable for the sake of show; so
men of business enlarge their establishments to rival older
and wealthier neighbours, and they -too purchase show at
the price of misery. Be admonished of one thing,-among
all articles upon earth show is the most costly. You think
the public will pay for your show; but be assured if you
keep up a show you will pay for it yourself, and that with
sighs, broken sleep, indigestion, bile, headache, irritability,
with blushes before your friends when you ask for " a little
help," with confusion before your creditors when you ask for
" a little time;" ay, probably you will pay for it with the
loss of respect before those in your employment, with the
loss of credit, the loss of domestic comfort, the loss of principle, with the crash and shattering of all your hopes in the
noontide of life. Do then fit yourself into the niche which
Providence has prepared for you. Adapt your show to youl
substance, your surface to your groundwork. Have a small
business and a calm breast, rather than a great business and
weariness of heart. Begin lowly, rise slowly, lay out nothing




CIRCUMSTANCES AND APPEARANCES.         131
for show, be honest, and fear God, you will not fail. Perhaps, when the man who started at the same time, and quite
eclipsed you, is coming down with a crash, you will be
emerging from your obscurity. But should you never emerge,
better ten thousand times to be all your life on good terms
with your circumstances, than to be perpetually at strife
with them. Of all quarrels, the most senseless, the most
bootless, the most worrying, is a quarrel with your circumstances. You may as well be wise at once and make peace
with them. Poor circumstances are like poor relations; if
you try to deny them they will humble you; if you take to
them kindly you will raise them. "Circumstances " is but
a name for the lot which Providence has assigned you; and
if your heart is right with God, you will cheerfully believe
that you are rightly and wisely placed, and will be content
that the allotment of the ]Divine hand should be known.
"But so much depends upon a respectable commencement."
Ah, the thousands of burthened minds which are wearying
and groaning under the loads first imposed by that fair pretence! Among the gods of the world, Respectability is a
great favourite. He competes with Mammon. He is not so
coarse: his worship has more of grace to win the eye. His
worshippers abound on every hand; yes, and he even sits
proudly in the temple of God, receiving for his sole honour
the obeisance of many a brilliant plume, of many a perfumed
head, which bow there at another name it is true, but which
come there at no call but his, and -which seek there no blessing but his approval. He is a fair-faced, well robed, goodly
idol, with winmiing mien and imposing adornments; his presence is graOed with all that is ancient, all that is brilliant,
all that kings bestow and princes covet; with beauty and
wealth, with valour and genius. Prosperity seems to dwell
in his temple and peace to dwell at her side. But he is a
cruel, greedy idol,like all other idols. Those brilliant de



132           BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS.
votees worship in chains; and, day by day, broken fortunes,
broken families, broken promises, broken characters, broken
hearts, are heaped in hecatombs upon his altar; albeit the
blind'idolaters say that these offerings are welcomed only by
his ill-favoured neighbour Misfortune.
Tradesmen, as a class, are as desperately addicted to'the
worship of respectability as young ladies. To place'themselves.
under' his tutelage, they will depart from that humility and
honesty without which they cannot hope for the care of God.
But, as to the care of God, they think it very good indeed if it
could be had upon their own terms; but to come down to their
circumstances and only attempt such an amount of trade as
their capital can match-that would be humiliating, and they
want to be respectable. Very well, then, be respectable, and be
in torment. But rely upon it, that if, with a capital of five
hundred pounds, you undertake a trade requiring a thousand,
you are not to expect that a Providence who is wise and
just, who loves candour, humility, and'straightforwardness,
who hates pride, show, and every deceit, will ease you of the
load which you take upon yourself despite of his counsel.
Your respectable commencement, indeed! That is respect
able which is honest and sensible. The reason why so many
are no better after years of toil is that they begin too high
Had Samuel Budgett resolved that he would not compromise his respectability, but would at once sally into Bath
and Bristol as a wholesale merchant, instead of going to
Doynton and Pucklechurch, and humbly working on, going
just a step at a time and guarding it well when gained, in
that case he would never have looked upon the results he
lived to see. He began where he ought to begin, he ended
where he hoped to end. He went first to Doynton and
Pucklechurch, and in due time to Bath and Bristol. But many
of you are resolved to begin at Bath and Bristol; then most
probably you will end at Doynton and Pucklechurch. The




BEGINS WHOLESALE IN EARNEST.          133
same good advice'has been given by so many that one has
little heart in repeating it; but be assured, my young friend.
that it is not from indifference to your feelings, but from real
interest in your happiness, that we advise you to begin at
Doynton and Pucklechurch.
In process of time success invited bolder efforts. They
resolved to venture on offering sugars and teas to the respectable grocers in the important towns. About this time
they had succeeded in making a large purchase of butter
remarkably cheap, and immediately after, it rose. Samuel
-therefore felt that in this article they had an advantage, and
he determined to try his fortune in a higher sphere. He
rode to Frome and applied for orders at the chief shops of
the town. His reception would have daunted an ordinary
man. They were much affronted that a shopkeeper from an
out-of-the-way village like Kingswood should offer to supply
them wholesale, indeed! They said very uncivil things.
They told him very plainly that they could buy quite as
well as he could.  One man, after hearing him open his
commission, said," Well, young.man, and where do you come
from?"
"' Kingswood."
" Kingswood! I dare say you are very zealous, but yov
had better go back to Kingswood and mind your shop. I
dare say you can earn bread and cheese there, but you had
better not try to sell us goods at Frome."
Another gave him a less courteous welcome still, and
almost ordered him out of the shop. Before facing these
grocery magnates, his heart had sunk and sunk again; and
in entering their shops he was almost overcome with trepidation. But he only wanted this rough usage-to bring all
his energies into play. His spirit gradually rose; at last he
said, "Well, I am come here to do business and I will do it.
If I cannot do it- with- you, I will with others. I have tried




134              FIRST LARGE ORDER.
the respectable shops, and you won't look at me; I will see
what they will say in the little shops which you supply, and
you shall see whether I can serve them to advantage or not."
This was not without its effect. The good man, who probably, in spite of his dignity, had been struck with the prices
at which some of the goods were offered, said: "Well, let
me see, what are you doing those butters at?"  And then
he ordered ten casks.  The traveller took out his order
book, placed it on the counter with great importance, entered
the order, restored the book to his pocket, buttoned his coat
over the record of his victory, and marched out of the door
triumphant as a plenipotentiary who has obtained the cession
of a province. He had scarcely gone when his new friend
called him back.
"I think I will have five more casks of those butters."
"No, I have taken the order and crossed your threshold,
and I do not alter the order after it is taken."  Thus showing his independence he marched forth again.
That day the battle for a real wholesale trade was begun
and one advantage gained. But he saw that he must yet
hope for his chief customers among the small dealers, who
were overlooked by the wholesale houses and obtained supplies from their neighbours, who, though retail dealers, were
so on an extensive scale.  Accordingly, whenever the
larger shops refused him, he addressed himself to the
minor ones, and would take any order, however small.
A regular monthly journey was organised. On his next
return to Frome he did not pass one of the men who had
handled him so roughly. He did not try to coax and jest
them into dealing with him; but in a straightforward independent way told them his prices and showed how it would
be to their advantage. By degrees he made his way.  When
he had got one customer in a place he would pay comparatively little attention to others. Sometimes he would just




OLD CUSTOMEERS AND NEW.            135
call, quote his prices, leave a sample, and pass on as if his
time was too valuable to spend among them. In other cases
he would not call at all; and I have been told of.one case
in Trowbridge where a respectable tradesman, seeing the attention he paid to his sole customer in the town, told him to
ask Mr. Budgett to call upon him. In other cases, again, his
heart would be set upon a certain shop, and there he would
resolve to make an entrance however long he might persevere. But once he had gained a customer in a place, that
man had his first attention. He was not near so anxious to
gain new customers as to serve the one gained, so that he
would really find it to his interest to deal with them constantly. His travellers, in training whom he took great
pains, always had this impressed upon them as their prime
lesson," Gain a little at a time, and take care of what you
have got." Every new customer he represented as a cottage.
What was the use, he would say, of running away after something new and neglecting the cottage you had? Attend to
it, see that it is not neglected, that it does not go to decay;
and when you have it in a thoroughly good condition you
may get another cottage if you can. " O, Mr. —-—, you say
you have some new customers this journey."' Yes, Sir."
"How many?"
" Four."
"Four; ah! very well, very well; but are you sure you
don't neglect the old? Take care of that, you must mind
what you have got."
It soon proved that not a few of his customers who had
been small and inconsiderable rose swiftly. The energy of the
new house at Kingswood seemed to some extent to pervade
its connexion. In many places, the respectable shopkeepers,
who at first rejected their overtures, saw humbler neighbours
prospering and followed in their train. Some of the very




136                   PROGRESS.
men who had shown the least civility were afterwards valuable and faithful customers. The tide of prosperity set in
fairly; and Bristol:mcerchants, who had looked at the little
shop on Kingswood Hill a few years before without one anticipation but that of a moderate custom from its owners, now
saw it expand to dimensions that threatened to dwarf themselves.
Such an unheard-of success would naturally awaken much
wonder and much enmity. To old wholesale houses it was
offensive to see a shopkeeper from Kingswood, of all places,
enter their walks and attempt to measure himself with them.
That violent opposition, that rancours and rumours assailed
the new firm, no one will wonder. It is not to be doubted
that the rancours were rendered fiercer, and the injurious
rumours more credible, by the exceeding keenness in trade
referred to at length in a former chapter. But in spite of
opposition, in spite of rumours, in spite of combinations to
destroy their credit, in spite of predicted failure and lavished accusations, in spite of the unfavourable locality, of the
utter want of prestige, in spite of the active rivalry of old
wealthy houses in a- great city, this new, anomalous establishment gathered and grew; the retail business absorbing the
trade of Kingswood, the wholesale business gaining clients
from all the neighbouring districts. Mr. Budg'ett soon ceased to make regular journeys. First one traveller took his
place, and then another was added. The connexion rapidly
extended: purchases which had been in parcels soon rose to
cargoes; sales which had been in trifles swelled to tons;
traveller was added to traveller, journey to journey, till the
connexion covered the country from Penzance to Birmingham, from H{averfordwest to Wiltshire. The aspect of things
at " the Hill" changed; men multiplied, horses multiplied, the
premises grew.  From the port at Bristol waggons were constantly rolling with goods for the warehouse; from the ware,




DIFiICULTIES.                13'7
house waggons were constantly rolling with goods to the port
at Bristol.  Neat houses for the clerks sprang up, and an air
of prosperous activity overspread the neighbourhood.
This rise was probably as rapid as any that ever occurred
under analogous circumstances. There was no new invention,
no introduction of a strange article, no caoutchouc, no Morison's pills, no gutta percha, no rails.  It was a plain homely
business expanded; and that not in a great city, where a
commanding centre was' offered, but in a village noted for its
rudeness, and so situated that nearly all the goods had to be
carried four miles from the market to the store, and carried
back again four miles from the store to the wharf or the
carrier. In fact they had no one advantage, no one facility,
and had against them every possible obstacle. Yet they
went on.
But this progress was not unaccompanied by struggles.
They had not at the first a large capital. lNotwithstanding
all their caution to secure their ground under them, the business had grown almost more rapidly than they could manage.
Many of the men from whom they purchased were jealous of
their progress. Not a few efforts were made to bring them
to a stand. Sometimes it went hard with them.  On one
occasion an account from Bristol was sent in before the
usual time. -It was at once paid. Then another, then another, and so on with rapidity; every account came in as if by
concert. Mr. Budgett saw that something was the matter,
and resolved that, although irregular, all should be met. He
made those prompt exertions among his friends which only
men of his energy can make. When the last account was
presented he knew there were no effects in the bank, but he
knew that he had means to put in a deposit; he therefore
gave a cheque, and soon afterwards mounted his horse and
rode hard.  As he entered the bank at one door the bearer
of the cheque entered at another, for he too had evidently




138       EMBARRASSMENT AND TEMPTXTIOlN.
been in haste as if under the impression that payment was
doubtfull The battle was won; the terrible answer, "no
effects," had not been returned; and, now they were free to
bless that Providence which had enabled them to turn this
sudden attack to a victory.
But now that the danger was past, it became necessary
to ask how it had arisen. It was evident that some common impulse must have led to this run upon them. Mr.
Budgett was resolved to reach the source of the assault.
Going to a respectable firm which had sent in an accounit before the regular time, he demanded the reason, and would
have his reply. They acknowledged that a man who had
lately belonged to his own establishment, had warned them
to look after their account, for things were going wrong. It
proved that the same individual had carried this statement
round all the houses from which they were in the habit of
making purchases. He had just been discharged, and this
was his remedy. They compelled him to make a public
apology. This was not the only time- a similar plot was directed against them, and at least a second time they required
a public apology from one who had thus attempted to undermine them. You- must not forget the case detailed above,
as that man will appear in our pages again.
The day of embarrassment is the tradesman's day of
proof. Then, what is in a man shows itself. It is the day
of temptation too; a thousand new impulses to do wrong
arise and push with giant power. Directly above the great
cataract of insolvency lie most dangerous rapids.  Once
there, the tide hurrying him toward ruin, and the fall close
by,-resounding as with the powers of destruction in his
ears,-the tradesman's conscience runs imminent risk of
bewilderment.  Many who have not lied before, begin to
lie then.  Many who have not cheated before, begin to
cheat then.  Many who have never preyed on any man,




EMBARRASSMENT AND.TEMPTATION.         139
begin then to look around for a victim.  Some strange,
confused, irrational hope of staving off the evil day, of postponing the shame, beguiles the poor debtor into fraud after
fraud, into folly after folly, till, at the day of exposure,
inevitable after all, his father has to mourn over a son not
only unhappy, but disreputable; his wife to mourn over a
husband not only ruined, but disgraced; his children to
mourn over not only blighted prospects, but a tarnished
name; his religious connexions, if such he had, to mourn
not only the disaster of a brother, but the dishonour of the
Christian name.
Ay, the day when ruin impends is the tradesman's testing day. To be suddenly lifted up is a keen test; one under which'thousands fail. But oh, it is also a keen test to
be dragged down, down, down; to' fel ruin, shame, and reproaches coming; to feel Hope, driven wild, suggesting a
thousand idle plans of rescue; and all nature, within rising
in convulsive protest against disgrace. Take care, young
man, take care that you do not precipitate yourself into that
danger. It is easy, very easy for you to say, that if you
found things going wrong, you would soon see whether there
was a possibility of working them right, and if not, you
would submit to misfortune while your character stood clear,
rather than protract a heartbreaking struggle. Ah! we are
allwise for difficulties that have never crossed us, and strong for
temptations that have never come. But you are just as liable
as another to be gradually seduced from integrity to shuffling.
There are three things which most wonderfully reduce a
man's moral strength,-hunger, dependence, and debt. He
on whose principles one of these is pressing, is like a man of
strong limb whose heart is diseased; he carries weakness
within him; you know not the moment when he will fall
down. I tell you again, that if you run deep into debt, you
are just like a man in the rapids above a waterfall; you are




140                 BANKRUPTCY.
drifting and struggling, now hoping to gain a foot-length:
now going downward ten; drifting and struggling, with ruin
below and rocks around; drifting and struggling, till quite
bewildered; and casting about hither and thither, scarce
knowing what you do, you at last grasp a friend or a brother, who is hurried downwith you, sharing your disaster, and
doubling your remorse.
Bankruptcy is a woe which no man should wantonly provoke. He that has once descended that fall, has enough to
weigh upon his heart for years. True, he may have done all
which vigilance could do to avert the evil; and all that honesty could do to lighten its stroke upon others. Yet others
have suffered by confiding in him, and his head may well be
held downward. It is no credit to any man to treat a failure by which others hare lost severely, as if it were only a
chance of trade, about which he need not trouble himself.
"It is no sin to be unfortunate."  Certainly not; but mark
the man whose failure comes by misfortune alone, and not at
all by fault. Does he not feel his miscarriage? Is not his
heart bowed down? Does he not bleed at the core, to think
that he has been the occasion of loss to any? He who, after
a failure, is brisk and consequential, does make one imagine
that his conscience is not very lively, or his sense of honour
high. Some men seem to take a failure quite comfortably;
they stop, and go on again; stop, and go on again, without
changing their style of living, or lowering their heads. That
is a feat which no honest man can admire. He by whom
others suffer ought to show that he suffers too. And then
to see these men who are apt to break down in the countinghouse, come forth into the corporation, the election committee, the vestry meeting, the Mechanics' Institute, or the assemblies of some religious society, and prate with brave brow
as if wisdom -and strength were with them! Well, the man
may have been honesty perhaps, but he is not humble; he




LEGAL ABSOLUION.                 141
may have had no fraud in him, but he has no sense. lIe
who is habitually unsuccessful should be habitually retiring.
This is especially the case with men who profess to be religious. None such can fail, however free from rightful
blame, without causing many to speak evil of religion. Whoever, therefore, has been overtaken by bankruptcy, ought
thenceforth to deport himself meekly, as one through whose
suffering (if not through his errors) religion has suffered.
He ought to set his heart upon proving, even though many
years should be necessary to prove it, that no man lost by
any fault of his. True, the law has absolved him from his
debts. The law is just and good. It is well that when a
man has nothing to pay, an escape should be afforded to him.
But no law can alter the fact that men have trusted him, and
been disappointed; have placed property in his hand, and
lost it; that he has promised, and never performed; has
borrowed, and never paid. It is, certainly, right to have
laws which free the helpless from the, relentless; but no law
can annul the obligation of him who has promised, to perform
(when in his power), of him who has borrowed, to pay. An
honest tradesman is trudging on foot from his little house at
Dalston into the city; another passes him in a sober, respectable carriage and pair. The pedestrian remembers that this
flourishing merchant once failed, and he lost five hundred
pounds. It is twenty years ago: the other has prospered,
and he has not. Yet it is very natural for himto think that
it would have been more honourable to pay him his money
than to set up a carriage; he might have had an honest carriage of his own, had it not been for the check that loss gave
him.
One thing which materially aided the Messrs. Budgett
in their uipward struggle was their system of selling for
cash.  That system was begun at the outset, and maintained throughout. Customers in the neighbourhood paid




142  CASHE PAYMNTS.
for all purchases immediately. This could not be carried
out in the same form with customers at a distance. When
they ordered goods they could not, of course, pay for them
till they had been received; and that, in many cases, would
be days after the order was given, when no representative
of the firm was on the spot. But a plan was adopted which
came as near to prompt payment as possible. Each customer was waited upon by a traveller once in four weeks.
Each,customer knew what day and what hour to expect the
visit. If Mr. S     had called on a tradesnman in Hereford
on Monday at ten o'clock, that tradesman would expect
Mr. S-  four weeks after on Monday at ten o'clock. If
he had given Mr. S-,  an order on his former visit, the
cash would be expected now; if he had ordered any goods
in the meantime the cash for them also would be expected
now; so that up to this moment, Monday at ten o'clock, the
account would stand perfectly clear. If the tradesman was
not at home, or had not prepared himself with his cash, the
traveller did not call again; and no order was taken from
one who had not discharged his account. Mr. Budgett regarded the maintenance of these rules as of the first importance. He would at any time lose customers, and sacrifice much prospective advantage, rather than diverge from
them. -His case was not that of a house whichl waits till it
has attained a commanding name for one particular article,
and then imposes stricter terms-of payment for that article.
He began with his principle when he had everything to
gain. He fought his way up with it, even though' he found
it continually blocking up his path, making.him enemies,
and abridging his sales. He was persuaded of its excellence, and by it he would stand. Every new customer was
clearly told what were the principles of the house; every
man who bought did so with the clear understanding that
he was not to pay in bills, but in cash. This being the




STRICTNESS.                143
case, any one who endeavoured to evade the rule slhowed
that he had not been honest in the previous understanding.
It was not like a case of long credit, where one may be
utterly deceived in his expectations from one term to another. Mr. Budgett, therefore, felt that he could not do a
customer a-more serious injury than to permit him to trifle
with his engagements. He had known precisely on what
terms he received the goods, and if it proved that he had
not been candid, then it seemed to him as if indulgence were
a bounty on fraud and an encouragement in a course of loose
dealing which must terminate ruinously. He would not
tolerate any man in imposition; and he considered it a clear
case of foul play when a man concluded a bargain on certain
well-understood terms, intending to evade those terms. He
was willing to give away money to any amount, willing to
lend to any amount, willing to sacrifice custom to any
amount; but he would not be imposed upon; he would not
trade with any man who met him under false pretences; he
would not for any plea relax those rules of business which
he knew to be right, wise and good —good even for the man
who in his short-sightedness would rail at them or trifle with
them; and he knew that if these rules were to be maintained
at all they must be maintained invariably. Many thought
it was hard of him not to give longer credit. He would
have thought it as great an unkindness as to indulge a spoiled
child with dainties which had already injured his health and
were likely to destroy it. Many who bought, and had imagined they could do as they pleased with his rules, thought
it was abominably hard to hold them to their promises. He
would have looked upon indulgence as a licensing of foul
play, and as destroying their only chance of getting upon a
solid foundation where they might succeed and be comfortable.
The Rev. B. Carvosso, who knew him well, and saw




144                CREDIT A DECOY.
clearly the originality and worth of his character, has furnished me with many valuable glimpses of his life, both inward and outward.  On the point now in hand, he says:"' While he would so readily give away thousands of gold
and silver out of the sale-room and counting-house, in business he was rigid about pence and days. A man in small
business, his neighbour, had dealt with him contrary to rule.
He ord'ered flour at the end of the twenty-eight days-the
period of credit-but did not bring the amount of the former
order. The flour was in the waggon, the carter on the way
with it.  The mistake was discovered; a messenger was
dispatched with orders to give the poor man one sack of
flozr, bring back the rest, and henceforth cease to do business with him! To maintain a small business principle he
would readily submit to an astonishing pecuniary loss."
IIad his poor neighbour gone to him and told him he
was in difficulties, doubtless he would have.found a ready
friend. But, instead of taking that honest course, he tries
by a trick to obtain goods. That must be stopped, and
is stopped at once; yet stopped in a way which shows that
the fear of the little pecuniary loss which might be involved
in this case was not the motive for decision, but the principle of adhering to the rules of the establishment and of
checking unfair dealing in their customers. To him none
Df his business principles were " small," nor were they to any
who had learned from him their real bearing on the course
of trade. Respecting a cash commerce instead of a credit
commerce his views were large and his convictions deep.
He saw many a family wrecked under his eye, who had been
tempted by credit into a trade to which their means were
inadequate. He saw men suddenly reduced from prosperous
ease to struggling embarrassment, just by a few return bills.
They had industry, tact, and a growing connexion; yet, because a few large customers have deceived them, their lawful




HOLLAND AND FRANCE.                145
profit for years of toil is swept away.  He saw, when one
such house fell, a whole circle of families shattered by the
stroke; another circle of families, linked with the former
shattered too; then another circle and another, of families which had known wealth and honour, dashed down
to want and shame, till the whole country was startled with
the noise of ruin. Witnessing scenes like this, no wonder
that he wrote it on his heart, that the system of credit
was a system of curses; no wonder that in every establishment erected on a foundation of cash payments, he saw a
conquest from chaos and a step towards puplic repose; no
wonder that in every facility to incur debts, he saw a decoy
and a pitfall; no wonder that the ambition to set an example of success on a system of cash payments was strong
within him, that he viewed it as a deed of right serviceable patriotism,-a thankless, but most substantial offering
to mankind.
The modern history of Europe, apart from all other
branches of experience, abundantly testifies to the value of
Mr. Budgett's favourite principle.  All nations have not
been so reckless as our own and our American cousins; and
well- for them in the days of their trial that they have not.
An able writer on commerce states:":If we begin with Holland, we find that bargains in
that country were, in its better days, almost' always made
for ready money, or for so short a date_ as six weeks'or two
months. Profits-were small in their ratio, but the quickness
of returns made them eventually large. Failures were rare,
even in so distressing an era as the occupation of their
country by the French, which began in 1795, and involved
from.the outset a stoppage of maritime intercourse with all
their possessions in' India and America.  The consequence
of this stoppage was a decay of trade, a suspension of various undertakings, a scarcity of work, a miserable dulne' in
7




1A46                RETURN BILLS.
the'sale of goods,'-all leading, in the first instance to diminish income, and eventually to encroachment on capital.
But amidst this distress the failures were surprisingly few,fewer, indeed, than occur in Britain in any ordinary season.
Another example, equally replete with instruction, was the
state of France after the double invasion of 1814 and 1815.'There prevailed  at that time a general discouragement
among the upper ranks, and a great deal of wretchedness
among the lower, trade being at a stand, and stocks of goods
lying unsold in shops or warehouses for years; still bankruptcy was exceedingly rare. All this shows what a satisfactory prospect we may anticipate, when we adopt the plan
of transacting the greater part of our business for ready
money."
When we contrast these instances of comparative security
amid the most frightful national convulsions, with what we
have all seen of the terrible panic-times which overtake us
every now and then in the midst of national tranquillity, it
is quite enough to drive every man who hates all things
which breed wretchedness, to rise against the debtor and
creditor system with.downright animosity. Were we to be
invaded, were we to have a revolution, were any such disaster to befall our nation as has befallen others, who can placidly contemplate the ruin which would accrue in every town
throughout the country?
One of your great men of the city, one who has figured
in some of the most famous of its financial feats, one who
lived and died worth his thousands and tens of thousands,
was at the fireside of a friend when a cheerful little girli was
bidding good night; " Ah!" exclaimed the man of stores and
cares, "she has got no return bills to think upon."  He did
not expect to go to sleep so blithely; there was a load upon
his heart —return bills to be sure.  And of those well
dressed, well-looking, intelligent, energetic men, who teem




RETURN BILLS.                 141
towards all the metropolitan termini between four and five
o'clock every afternoon, in hot haste from the city, not a few
are carrying upon their hearts that same dull load, return
bills.  Many when they come home, instead of enjoying
their leisure hour, are smarting under the harass of return bills; many a one, when he asks his daughter to play
and sing, is only seeking relief from the necessity of talking
that he may muse at leisure on his return bills. Many a
one who goes out to spend the evening, wishes the party was
at Nova Zembla, for his head is pestered with return bills.
Many a one, when a friend calls to spend an hour, wishes he
was at the antipodes, for he has enough to think about with
his return bills., Many a one who dances because he has
promised to be at the ball, seems at every step to awake a
rustling of return bills. Many a man who has his eye seemingly upon a book, is studying the unloveable literature of
return bills. Many a one who is wont to go to the weekevening service, and there to find one hour of spiritual quiet
amid a week of worldly din, can hardly bring himself to go,
his thoughts are so harassed by those return bills. Many
a man who is in his pew on Sunday, hears neither prayer,
nor hymn, nor sermon; his poor lorn mind is chased round
dingy counting-houses haunted by return bills.  Of old
times, ghosts, fairies, brownies, witches, and such tribulations
were familiar to all men in their struggles. These have disappeared; but our counting-houses have a new race of r'evenants, —bills, which were seen out of the world and were
counted as dead, suddenly reappear and must be laid before
there can be peace. Not a day passes over us but these
modern goblins, strike a deadly chill to some hearts, sour
tempers, spoil appetites, render husbands unwilling to tell
all at home, fathers pensive as their children laugh, masters
irritable; make the peevish scold, the wicked swear, and the
good man lift up his heart to God with the prayer gmen pray




148                PAPER  ~ tHOUSES."
in time of trouble. What a leak is at sea, what a mine is
under a fort, what a heart disease is in the frame,-that is
the system  of bill-bubble in trade.  And yet sensible, solvent men, with homes to cheer and a country to serve, will
go on encouraging and prastising that preposterous torment.
One has seen children build up a little fabric of card
board and call it a house, and keep it up as long as they
could; but down it came soon, and they did not take it to
heart.  But it is quite another sight to see men, not children, build up a structure of paper and then call it " a
house;" not a plaything house, but a serious house for people to buy and sell in, and to trust- to for a shelter from the
tempests of misfortune; to see them rear a whole row of
these paper " houses," build one on the end of another, so
that if one fall all fall, and seriously persuading themselves,
and their wives and children, that these make-believe sheds
are." houses" to spend their lives in. It is a quaint, half
lunatic sort of exhibition; but it mingles the sad with the
comical, when some jolt capsises one of the paper piles, and
down rustles the-whole row; while the builders, unlike the
children who counted on the tumbling of their structure,
take it mightily to heart and are in anguish.
John Bull and Jonathan between them have a very mischievous propensity to set up these paper " houses " and delude people into trusting them. They have over and over
again seen what a shocking sort of game it is, and how misery
and wretchedness come out of it; but all in vain —they go
on, and are likely to do so, in spite of any little sorrow we
may utter here upon the subject.  Which of the two is
worse it is hard to say, though John lays great blame on
Jonathan and says he builds his houses far higher, putting
on six or even nine stories, which John thinks quite too
much. But it is no business of ours to arbitrate between
them; they are both foolish and mischievous; which is the




GOOD DEBTS AND BAD.              149
more so is little matter. But they had better, both of them,
take warning in time and cease to play at hazard, laying the
happiness of families and the equanimity of nations as the
stake.
The new merchants who rose so rapidly, and to their neighbours so unaccountably, at Kingswood Hill, were never
haunted with return bills. They were never travelling in the
dark, liable suddenly to meet an apparition that would block
up their way. They always knew where they were and
whither they were going. They had not looked upon a hundred pounds as paid, when it turned out that they had it to
pay. They had not to sacrifice the profits made by fifty
honest men to cover the loss made by one rogue. They had
not to look to fifty sensible men to pay a loss occasioned by
one fool. They had not to ponder which were safe bills
and which were risky ones; they had no bills at all. They
had not to study what were good debts and what bad
debts; they had no debts at all. Vast as their transactions were, a petty loss of forty or fifty pounds was quite
an event, a crisis which set the whole staff in motion as if
their honour were tarnished.
It is one distinctive beauty of the credit system that
honest men have to pay for the articles bought by rogues,
and wise men for the articles bought by fools. The merchant, of course, must make a profit on the whole, and he
has no alternative but to charge John and Thomas for the
coat which Horatio bought and did not pay for. I confess
it seems to me, that John and Thomas had better hot be
taxed thus. If Horatio needs a coat provided by other
people, he had better say so and come by it honestly, rather
than steal a piece by aid of the merchant from one neighbour and another, and so make up a fine garment at their
expense. John and Thomas are very much wronged, and I
defy the merchant to prove that he is not the accomplice of
Horatio in defrauding them.




150              CAS1H ANND COMFORT.
The advantage of a trade based on cash: instead of on
credit to the comfort and morality of the nation is incalculable. Credit does occasionally enable a man of energy to
take a position he could not else have taken; but for one to
whom it proves a substantial benefit, it allures thousands to
uninterrupted trouble, and a whole spawn of unfair practices owe their existence to it alone. The credit system
ought to be exploded. Men ought to be trained to place
themselves in accord with their circumstances, to overcome
difficulties not by artifice but by labour. Families ought
not to be exposed to live in uncertainty as to whether the
bread they eat is their own. The honest and the apt should
not be muleted to the amount of the frauds and waste of
those who reject principle or lack sense. The commerce of
the nation ought not to rest on a hollow foundation, exposed
at every pressure or collapse. It was one of Mr. Budgett's
leading desires that the example of their firm might induce
many to place their trade on a firm footing, and thus the national stability and happiness would be advanced.  This
was his work of patriotism, and a more valuable service he
could not have done to the state; much better than if he
had been a great speaker at corporation meetings, and a great
man among the legislators of his own circle. A more conelusive proof that success is possible on a system virtually
of cash payment, could not be afforded than that found in
his own case. You may talk of impossibility as you please,
but no impossibility can confront you which did not confront
them. Yet, without making friends by giving "liberal
terms," constantly losing friends by enforcing cash, often
turning a customer into an enemy, often sending away large
offers of trade; by fidelity to a sound principle and to the
advantages which it offered equally to merchant and to customer, a little village trade in the hands of men without influence or wealth, was raised against most powerful opposi.




- STOCK-TAKING.              1i51
tion to great extent and profit.  The thing has been done'
therefore it can be done again.
To a tradesman, stock-taking is always an exciting time.
According to the state'of his heart, he receives the favourable or unfavourable result; the sorrow of the world which
worketh death, the bitter pining over money lost and toil ill
spent, the impatience of life and the distaste for action, the
meek submission to a Father's chastising hand, the close
searching of heart to see where the rod has been provoked,
the tranquil joy in acknowledging a fruitful blessing, the
godly fear lest growing wealth should bring with it pride,
the turbulent delight at plenty of gain, the boastful selflaudation on talent and power, the malign triumph over
rival houses,-all these feelings, and a thousand more, are
raised yearly in the breasts of our busy neighbours'when
they learn how much they have lost or won. One of the
oldest servants in the establishment of the Messrs. Budgett,
one who saw it rise and grow, told me that, as his station
lay immediately above the private counting house; he found
that year by year, as soon as the brothers had struck the
balance, they retired into an inner office, and there kneeling
down before the Lord of all, acknowledged His allotment of
success or of failure, giving thanks or presenting humiliation
as the case might dictate.
As they advanced Samuel bought the ground in which
lay the old quarry, wherewith you are already familiar.
Here he built a substantial house, which, with alterations,
was his abode to the end. His friend the Rev. Joseph
Wood was standing with him in his new home, the monument of past success and of expected abundance. On looking out in front, the eye caught sight of the parish workhouse beyond the garden; on looking out behind, it rested
on the tombstones of a cemetery. Mr. Wood said to his
prosperous friend, " You have something here to admonish




152              THE CASK OF P. D.
you. In front you have the workhouse to which you may
come; behind is the graveyard to which yjou must come."
Ah! it were well for all of you who are growing rich fast,
had you' at hand some honest friend to tell you now and-then
a useful truth; but would you receive such homely words
in a' spirit of cordiality and gratitude? Samuel Budgett
did. And you, ministers, would you all, with an acquaintance so rapidly acquiring wealth and importance, venture to
go so close? If you have some of that class in your flock,
do give them now and then a faithful word; they need it,
poor men, if any upon earth do.
We have just, once more, named the old quarry which
had been the scene of his boyish meditations.  This recalls
a circumstance of which it was also the scene during the
progress of the rise. Grocers have never enjoyed an immaculate reputation in the matter of adulterating goods. Not
a few of their most costly wares are capable of easy mixture.
Conscience is generally trained to the posture habitual to
the trade.  Of course the grocer has exceedingly good
reasons for his apprentices, why they should adulterate.
Yet if he went to the draper and found that for linen he had
bought a mixture of cotton and flax, he would call the draper a cheat.  Or if he found that the silversmith had sold
him plated spoons for silver spoons, he would call him a
cheat. It is only, you see, in his own line of business that
such strong reasons exist for doing a little deception. In
Mr. Budgett's early days, pepper was under a heavy tax;
and in the trade, universal tradition said that out of the
trade everybody expected pepper to be mixed. In the shop
stood a cask labelled P. D., containing something very like
pepper dust, wherewith it was usual to mix the pepper before sending it forth to serve the public. The trade tradition had obtained for the apocryphal P. D. a place amongst
the standard articles of the shop, and on the strength of that




P. D.                    153
tradition it was vended for-pepper by-men who thought they
were honest. But as Samuel went forward in life his ideas
on trade-morality grew clearer. This P. D. began to give
him much discomfort. He thought upon it till he was satisfied that, when all that could be said was weighed, the thing
was wrong. Arrived at this conclusion, he felt that no
blessing could be upon the place while it was there. He
instantly decreed that P. D. should perish. It was night;
but back he went. to the shop, took the hypocritical cask,
carried it forth to the quarry, then staved it and scattered
P. D. among the clods and slag and stones. He returned
with a light heart. But he recollected that he had left the
staves of the cask in the quarry; and as there was no need
to let,them go to waste, his first act in the morning was to
return and gather them up.
Now, ye busy shopmen, and ye, more lordly merchants,
say, before the only witness who beheld that act under the
night heaven, have you no P. D. which ought to be scattered
before you go to sleep? Your thought turns towards something; you were taught it; men worthy in their way justify
it; you are able to laugh others out of their scruples about
it; you argue with yourself till it appears " fair enough;"
but do for once just go to your private room, and sit down
and think. Be rational for a moment or two; do not refuse
to converse alone with your conscience and your God; ay,
go down upon your knees and pray for light, for it is no
small matter to be doing wrong. You may smile at it, you
may gloss it over, you may "' pooh-pooh" warning; but wrong
is wrong, and there is a Judge above us; wrong is wrong,
and it will find you out. Be sure this world is not a lawless
common, where all who can may plunder and go harmless:
it is a kingdom with a strong, just King, whose laws cannot
be broken without bringing punishment on the offender.
-This world of ours contains a great deal of P. D. The
7*




154                     r. D.
ship-owner has a ship which -has become too old to carry
sugar from the West Indies without damaging it; so he fits
her out as a passenger ship, and advertises her for Sydney
as the "well-known, favourite, fast-sailing ship;" and that is
P. D. The corn merchant has a cargo damaged in a gale
at sea; but as the underwriters will not pay unless the captain can swear that the vessel struck, the merchant, who was
snug in his bed when the gale blew, tries to show the captain that, just off Flamborough Head, the keel did actually
touch the ground, and that therefore he may safely take the
requisite oath; and that is P. D. The private banker who
feels that he is sinking, takes a finer house, starts an additional carriage, and sets up for a member of Parliament, that
people may think he scarcely knows what to do with his
money; and that is P. D. The director of a joint-stock
bank who sees that the concern is hollow, sells out his own
shares, but retains his place till the three years during which
he is liable are past, that no one else may take fright; and
that is P. D. The shareholder gets up a rumour that the
Petty-borough railway is going to be amalgamated with the
Great Central line; and that is P. D. The warehouseman
is standing by a parcel of goods which have been on his
hands for some weeks; a customer enters and is received
with smiles. "Are these new?"  "The latest things we
have-just out;* in fact I almost thought you would look in
to-day, and have this moment had the parcel opened for
you;" and that is P. D. The glove seller is asked for
Dent's gloves, and produces you an article which never
passed through Dent's hands, or cost Dent's price. " These
are not Dent's." " I beg your pardon, they are Dent's best;
I bought them there myself;" and that is P. D. The provision merchant finds that Cork butters of No. II. brand
"open" well, and changes the brand to No. I.; and that is
P. D. A dealer selling to a man he knows to be " shakey,"




P, D.                    1Ai
makes a mistake on purpose, so that the debt seems larger
than it really is; if, therefore, he must take a dividend, he
will have it on more pounds than are due to him; and that
is P. D. If you go on you will be astonished how P. D. is
in most places. In fact, if some just power were to-night to
take all the P. D. casks in this great shop we call the world,
and stave them in, scattering the deceitful contents to the
wind, there would be such a confusion to-morrow'morning
that the whole shop would have to be re-arranged.
Your business, just now, is to search out P. D. under
your own roof, and be sure you do not let it pass the night
there. Out with it, a curse is in it. Stave the cask in
pieces. Scatter the cheat to the night winds. Let the eye
of heaven which is looking down behold its dispersion.
Then go and crave pardon for all the acts in the past wherein you have touched, tasted, or handled the unclean thing.
Do not mock the Almighty by asking pardon for the sin of
to-day, when you are holding the same sin in your right
hand for repetition to-morrow. Pardon for the past is freely
offered; but think not that God will forgive sins you will
not forsake. What would you think of a father who would
forgive a son for cheating his neighbour when he was continuing to cheat, and who would not immoveably refuse his
favour unless the cheat'were discontinued and as far as possible repaired?  And do you imagine that the great holy
Father above will own for a child of his any man that tricks,
defrauds, or lies?  If with a penitent heart you turn from
your evil ways, He is merciful to forgive you; but woe to
you and woe to all of us were He so cruel a ruler as to be
at peace with the unjust, No, no; the righteous God loveth
righteousness. As you are guilty, you feel it is terrible to
believe this. But it shuts the door of hope only on the path
of transgression; it leaves the path of repentance open, and




156                 A HYPOCRITE.
into that, God manifest in the flesh invites you, with a tender
effusion of love and a royal promise of mercy.
This fact respecting P. D. reminds me of another. A few
years before Mr. Bttdgett's death, a person came to him stating himself to be a Wesleyan and a local preacher, and offering to disclose an invention which would be an immense saving to Mr. Budgett in nis extensive business. He received
him and heard his explanations. It proved that he had a
plan for making mock vinegar which cost hardly anything,
and might be sold for real. Mr. Budgett led him to disclose
his scheme fully, and when he had the plot open before him,
he broke out upon the tempting rogue with an astounding
burst of indignation: —" What!' you want to lead me into
dealing like this. If you are resolved to go to hell yourself,
why should you try to drag me with you? And you profess
to be a Wesleyan and a local preacher!!"  And with words
of stinging rebuke he dismissed this emissary of evil, who,
wishing to bribe him to sin, had used religion as a card of
introduction. When ihen coming on business do that, one
is apt to suspect them. With a good man, religion is the
pathway to the favour of God; with the hypocrite it is the
pathway to' the favour of man. And as to this swindler, just
reflect on the errand whereupon he had set out. He had
discovered a clever way of cheating, a way that would pay;
he knew that men of business have their weak side; so he
set forth to seek a partner' in fraud and gain-set forth, as
he was so unexpectedly told, on a direct journey to hell,
seeking whom he might lead with him. Whosoever you are
that dare to sell yourself for silver and gold, if you are determined to sin, do, for mercy's sake, sin alone. Do not
tempt others;; they are weak, as weak as you were. Do not
tempt them, or they will sin with you, and together you will
taste the bitter pains'.of eternal death.
Gold well gotten is bright and fair; but there is gold




A DISFIGURED SOUL.               157
which rusts and cankers.  The stores of the man who walks
according to the will of God are under a special blessing;
but the stores which have been unjustly gathered are accursed. "' Your gold and your silver is cankered, and the
rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat up
your flesh as fire." Far better have no gold at all, than {old
with that curse upon it. Far better wet cold pinch this frame,
or hunger gnaw it, than that the rust of ill-gotten gold
should eat it up as fire.
Perhaps you may once or twice in your life have passed
a person whose countenance struck you with a painful amazement. It was the face of a man, with features as of flesh
and blood, but all hue of flesh and blood was gone, and the
whole visage was overspread with a dull silver grey, and a
mysterious metallic gloss. You felt wonder, you felt curiosity, but a deep impression of the unnatural made pain the
strongest feeling of all which the spectacle excited. You
found it was a poor man who, in disease, had taken mercury
till it transfused itself through his skin and glistened in his
face.  Now go where he will, he exhibits the proof of  his
disorder, and of the large quantity of metal he has consumed. If you had an eye to see the souls that are about
you, many would you see-alas, too many, —who are just like
that; they have swallowed doses of metal, - ill-gotten,
cankered, rusted metal, —till all purity and beauty are
destroyed.  The metal is in them, throughout them, turning
their complexion, attesting their disorder, rendering them
shocking to look upon for all eyes that can see souls. If you
~have unjust gains, they do not disfigure the countenance on
which we shortsighted creatures look; but they do make
your soul a pitiful sight to the great open Eye that does see.
Of all poisons and plagues, the deadliest you can admit to
your heart is gain which fraud has won. The curse of the
Judge is in it; the curse of the Judge will never leave it;




158             "A MAN MUST LIVE.1
it is woe, and withering, and death to you; it will eat you
up as fire; it will witness against you; ay, were that poor
soul of yours, at this precise moment, to pass into the presence of its Judge, the proof of its money-worship would be
as clear on its visage as the proof that the man we have
described has taken mercury is plain upon his.
" But if I don't, others will; and a man must live." To
be sure, if you do not others will; and what reason is there
in that? According to that you may resort to piracy and
pocket picking. "A man must live!" Yes, but a man
must not live on all conditions; there are some things worse
than death; and though the world is slow to own it, be assured that it is better to die than sin, better to want than
defraud, better to hunger than lie. "A man must live!"
Do you mean that a man can live only upon the fruits of
sin? If so, what great use is there in living at all? But
perhaps all you mean is, that if you are to keep up your
present show, if you are to be above your circumstances, you
cannot do it by fair means. You do not mean that by fair
means you could not find food and raiment, but that you
could not take the stand you do. Well, I do not see that
Providence ever meant to furnish you with facilities for
keeping up a pleasing imposture; and if His government
does not harmonise with such a design, surely we cannot complaiii. But if you really mean that the way to find food and
raiment is to sin against God and against your neighbour,
then I protest you utter wickedness and unbelief. Do you
mean to tell your Maker that, did you perform his will, He
would not give you daily bread?-that you can only subsist
under His heaven by yielding to Satan? Dare not-to imagine such vain things; put them very far from your heart.
The Father above is Father to body and soul. " The Lord
is for the body;" He set every one of -its strings; He has
kept it from its birth till now; the.breath thereof is in His




'A MAN MUST LIVE.                159
hand. His own Son took upon him such a body, and with such
a body went up on high, where he is seated now at the right
hanfd of God. He has chosen the body for his living temple;
He has chosen its members as his instruments of righteousness; He has destined the body to outlive the everlasting
hills, and rise above the unapproachable stars, incorruptible
and glorious, with his sons for ever. Do you then dare to
think that the thing to be done for the welfare of such a body
is to place it at the service of sin, to let its members work
wickedness? He does not promise to feed your pride, to feed
your imposture, to feed your idleness, to feed your fancies;
but He does, in covenant grace, promise to care for your
body if its members are devoted to him. "Must live!"
And is it living to be doing wrong for the sake of a hundred
a year more than you could gain by doing right  1 "Man
shall not live by bread alone; but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." This is the answer to all
Satan's cry about "you must live," He is ever showing you
some method "'to make bread," but I warn you, never make
bread at his bidding. You have another life than that which
bread nourishes; you have another store than that which
holds bread you can weigh and measure;-" every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God." That is your store;
a promise is better than a fraud; and he is more certain to
live who trusts in the word out of the mouth of the Lord,
than he who, disitrusting that, proceeds under the pressure of
want to make bread in the way suggested by Satan.
After the brothers had been in partnership for about
twenty years, the elder retired, leaving the business to the
sole direction of our merchant. About this time he made
his first and last essay in speculation. The Chinese war
suddenly threw the tea-market into agitation: He came to
London, and though his intention had been but slightly directed to the tea department of their business, he bought




160                 SPECULATION.
with great advantage, and, I think, on the transactions of one
week cleared some two thousand pounds. But in the course
of a year it proved that he lost almost as much. He frequently cited this as a fair example of what was to be got
by speculation; and though so energetic in the legitimate
prosecution of trade, he always condemned every hazard for
the chance of rapid profits. A little at a time was his principle; and he preferred the slow and laborious progress made
by secure trading, to the risky adventures which in a single
day might bring a fortune or a failure. His hatred of speculation did not arise from want of enterprise or want of nerve;
he had both, but he had enough of healthy energy not to require articifial excitement. When the railway rage arose, he
firm. No man naturally would feel a stronger attraction -stood
towards a commercial arena where acuteness and push seemed
certain of golden fruits; no man could have entered that
arena with a clearer probability of coming off a winner; but
he was convinced that the thing was wrong and foolish-a
form of money-madness ifto which no religious man should
allow himself to be seduced; and that sums gained by such
bargains were not the wages of honest labour, but the winnings of questionable play. Ah, what sighs would have been
spared, what hearts left unbroken, what families saved from
ruin, what consciences from defilement, had all religious men
been equally wise and virtuous in that time of fiery testing
for the Christians of this country!
Mr. Budgett had not been long at the head of the establishment when a calamity befell it which seemed at the moment ruinous. A Bristol paper gave the following account
at the time:
" ALARMING FIRE.-At about half-past seven on Tuesday
evening, considerable alarm was felt throughout this city by
the appearance upon the horizon of a conflagration, evidently
of immense extent, the heavens being completely lit up with




FIRE IN THE STORES.              161
it at about five or six miles distance.  Large crowds of people, in consequence, congregated upon Kingsdown and thq
various hills, an'd conjecture was rife as to the place where
the fire was raging. The arrival of an express messenger on
horseback for the attendance of the engines and firemen soon
brought the intelligence that the conflagration had taken place
upon the premises of the Messrs. H. H. and S. Budgett, at
Kingswood Hill.  The Messrs. Budgett are among the most
extensive flour, sugar, tea, and general merchants in this part
of the kingdom, and are well known throughout England for
their extensive mercantile transactions. They have several
establishments in Bristol, but, from some motives which are
unknown to us, have always held their central establishment
at Kingswood Hill.  The fire was discovered by one of the
men in their employment, at about a quarter-past seven
o'clock, in a room called the titler-room, in which refined
sugars are kept; and, it is supposed, originated in one of the
flues communicating with that room. A messenger, as we
have already said, was instantly dispatched to Bristol; and,
in the mean time, the alarm spread rapidly through -the village and neighbourhood, all the inhabitants of which immediately went to assist in subduing the fire. Their efforts, it
was hoped at first, would have been successful; but, in a few
minutes, the fire spread in a most alarming manner, and
speedily communicated with the entire range of warehouses.
At this period the Norwich Union engine arrived, and played
on the fire; the engines of the other offices also speedily
arrived.  The fire in the warehouses had, however, now
reached so great a height that it was evident, the more especially considering the combustible materials with which they
were filled, that their total destruction was inevitable; and
the efforts of all therefore were directed to the preservation
of the adjoining dwelling-houses, upon which the engines played, with a view to cut off the communication with the burn



162          BUSINESS FIXED IN BRISTOL.
ing warehouses. These efforts were happily successful, and
both the dwelling-houses and stables of the establishment, in
which were forty-seven valuable draught horses, were saved.
The fire in the warehouses continued raging until four o'clock
in the morning, when it was got under; but not until all the
warehouses, the counting-houses, and the retail shop had been
completly destroyed.  The books were, however, fortunately
saved. This was most fortunate, as their loss to a house of
such transactions as the Messrs. Budgett, would have been
irretrievable. The stock consumed consisted of refined sugars, cheese, coffee, teas, flour, &c.," and must have amounted
to several thousand pounds. They had just imported two
large cargoes of fruit and a heavy stock of sugars; which
were, however, fortunately in their Bristol warehouses. The
Messrs. Budgett are insured to a large amount; ~8,000 in
the Phoenix, and other sums in various offices."
Beyond the sums insured the pecuniary loss did not much
exceed three thousand pounds. The next morning, while the
ruin was still reeking, a circular went forth to all the customers who were expecting goods, stating that a fire in the
premises had delayed the execution of their orders, but that
on the following day the goods should be dispatched. It had
for some time been necessary to have a warehouse in Bristol; but this was of inconsiderable size compared with the
demands of such a business as they had to carry on. Thither
Mr. Budgctt hastened; he at once concluded an engagement
for the house adjoining the one already in possession; all
energies were worked; the goods ordered were all dispatched
the next day; the two houses were soon made one; the business was rapidly organised in the new premises; and these
grew and grew till they assumed the dimensions with which
we found them at the time of Mr. Budgett's death. The
fire instead of a disaster, proved eventually to be a great
boon. It had transferred the establishment to Bristol, a




HOUSE AND GROUNDS.               163
change involving a number of conspicuous advantages. From
this time the progress was amazingly rapid; the internal
arrangements were gradually perfected, the system of business began to be better understood, early prejudices and
animosities considerably abated, and the flow of prosperity
rose higher year by year.
While so rapidly extending his business, Mr. Budgett
had much improved his residence. He had filled up the
quarry, the scene of his meditations on the happy Sabbath
days of boyhood, and turned the surface into gardens; he
had surrounded his house with extensive grounds; and he
had some forty or fifty acres of land, in farming which he
took great delight, and upon which he contrived to find employment for large numbers of his neighbours. An old and
tottering man, who had been " in the employ " from the time
of Mr. Budgett's youth, and who gloried in the growth of
the establishment as if it had been his own, said to me, in
alluding to the large numbers occasionally employed on the
farm, " Yes; I remember when there were five men and three
horses, and I have lived to see three hundred men and one
hundred horses."
Mr. Budgett had now a comfortable mansion, spacious
grounds, a business working regularly as a chronometer, paying richly as a miser could desire, and a family all that was
fitted to make a Christian father glad. He stood on the very
scene of his apprentice toils, of his early mercantile endeavours, in the eyes of the very people who had known him then,
and who, in his position, now beheld a most notable example
of the Successful Merchant.




CHAPTER VI.
M ASTER  AND ME N.
"For there are reciprocities of right which no creature can gainsay."
TUPPEB.
THE feudal time is gone; the feudal tie -is broken. Some
may mourn for it; but they will never bring it back.  Baronial castle will never more be the centre of activity and
protection; baronial pennant will never more lead out the
neighbouring hinds at will. The sons of the ancient barons
are still the princes of the people, but they are no longer
their leaders.  Of old, the noble was to the people what the
commodore was " during the war" to the merchant fleet he
convoyed-the defence around which they clung, the director
to whom they looked, the leader whom they followed. Now,
the noble is to the people what the star is to the fleet-a
bright exalted spectator of their low and distant progress,
who, in a sphere inaccessible to them, has a share in marking out their destiny.  Direct personal intercourse with active masses of the people, the noble has none. Doubtless
many of the order retain a hold on the population of their,ancestral districts; but that population is scattered and politically inert, not the population on which the future career
of the nation depends. The hordes which dwell in our
great towns, whose passions play under constant stimulus,




THE NEW BARONS.                 165
and whose movements tell as. a combination of levers,
they are the people now; they are the hosts of England
with whom our national character is identified, and by
whom our national course is mainly determined. Between
these and the aristocracy there is neither intercourse nor
sympathy.
But new barons have arisen, ruling in new castles, and
leading new bands.  The baron of our day is the manufacturer; the castle, the mill; and the retainers, the factory
troop. Many of these-barons are lofty enough for any rankwherewith either Mammon or imagination may invest them.
If some barons of old could reckon a thousand spears, they
can reckon a thousand spindles. If the one was fain to watch
his stalwart yeomen shooting the feathered arrow, the other
is fain to watch his troop shooting the nimble shuttle. The
mansions of the new lords are far more luxuriously adorned
than were those of the old; and if their tables are less spacious, they are abundantly more superb. You may think of
these new barons as you please, but there they are, and well
awake to their importance; quite as stately as the sons of
the ancient barons, though not quite so courtly; quite as
high, though not quite so graceful; quite as sumptuous,
though not quite so polished; quite as lordly, though not
quite so gentlemanly; altogether a redoubtable array of
purse-girded potentates, the real lords of this real goZden
age. They are the' English barons of the nineteenth century. It is around their castles the people cluster; it is from
their hand the people take their bread; it is with their fortunes the people thrive or pine; it is at their bidding the
people sit down amid plenty, or go out to struggle with the
world for' food.  The great manufacturers and the great
merchants are now our only feudal powers.  They have real
interests involved with the people, close relations with them,
personal contact, and personal influence over their temper




166         TmER PLACE AND INFLUENCE.
and condition. In their persons the workman meets the
ranks above him. Their influence on the legislature is rapidly outstripping that of their more noble precursors, and
their influence on the people is far more direct, continuous,
and fruitful.
Our peace in the future little depends on the dispersed
population of those districts wherein the personal influence
of the aristocracy is yet considerable; but it does most closely depend on those aggregations of stirring men over whom
~ur commercial magnates preside. From these we have to
dread the hurricanes, the earthquakes, and the eruptions. It
is important in this day that the English lords should be
wise and magnanimous; but, perhaps, it is still more important, that English masters should be considerate and
winning. We are not much in danger of cruelty: we are
greatly in danger of indifference.  Few would do their men
harm, would tamper with their rights, would enforce anything manifestly injurious. All would pay the men regularly, punctually, and in full-of course they would, just as
they would oil the machinery, because if they did not, all
would soon be at a stand. But the cases are many wherein
the machinery is regularly oiled, the men regularly paid, and
the master has just as much communication with the one as
the other. IHe knows what the one does, and what the
other does. If the one breaks a wheel, he sends for an engineer; if the other breaks a bone, he sends for a doctor.
If the one is worn out, it is dismissed; if the other is worn
out, it is dismissed. Both are very useful, and, perhaps, the
master can tell you the name of both —of the machinery,
always; of the man, sometimes.
Ah! ye lords of cotton, wool, and silk, of linen, lace,
and hose, ye smile, well pleased, when one alludes to the
large number of men in your employment.  You like us to
know that you have " more hands than any one in the -town."




HANDS AND HEAD.                16E7
Well, we must not chide you much for that smile; we all
look pleasantly on our own importance; it is ever comely.
But of all those men in your employment, how many receive
a friendly word from you in the -course of a year?  How
many ever see you within their door? How many could tell
how kindly you inquired for their wives or children when un
well, how you called to see themselves when laid up at
home, how your wife or daughter brought them something
nice?  How many of them have ever heard from you a
hearty word of good advice, urging them to be thrifty and
push on? With how many have you kindly reasoned when
they have been foolish and unfaithful?  How many have
you put on their guard as to the stuff they read, the way
they spend their idle hours, the company they keep, or'the
habits they form? How many have you helped out of difficulties of their own making, pointing out to them their
folly, and endeavouring to train them to do better? To how
many have you personally given a present of some wholesome
book? How many have you asked how they spend their Sabbath, or counselled as to the ever-living soul that is in them?
Some of you never thought of sustaining any personal
relation to your men. -Your relation is merely commercial;'all you have thought of is, to obtain their proper quota of
labour, and to give your proper equivalent of pay;. there
your relation terminates. As to cultivating any sympathies
with them, it has not entered your head. You "do justly by
them," and what more can be looked for? Yet, after being
in your establishment for years and you all the time " doing
justly by them," they do not feel either affection or respect,
and you know it. You know that if they saw you in a difficuity they would hardly move to assist you, and would make
no scruple (f going off and leaving you to sink if they could
improve themselves ever so little. You and they are eating
of the same loaf; that which constitutes your provision con



168          INDIFFERENCE OF WORKMEN.
stitutes theirs; yet no fellow feeling exists between you.
They and you stand in a relation exceedingly close, and
have mutual interests very important. They are hands to
you; you are head to them. Without them, you are helpless as a head without hands; without you they are helpless
as hands without a head. You plan, they perform; both are
served. Surely, then, those who are so connected ought not
to be strangers; between them some cordiality should exist.
Theirrelation should not be merely mechanical; there should
be heart in it, warm heart and fellowship.
To cultivate affection is the duty of the stronger. The
inferior finds it hard to make approaches; from the superior
they come with grace and effect. It is often most chilling to
find how carelessly a master will speak of the total want of
attachment his men display; and how unsuspectingly he sets
it all down to their unsympathetic nature. But what pains
has he taken to gain their hearts; that is, what pains has he
taken to make them happy  - Be assured that human nature
is human nature though.in fustian or in frieze; and patient
kindness, if it fail on some, will win the majority. He who
declaims on the unloving and reckless character of his men,
tells two tales-one of the men, another of the master.
There are some workmen whose master could not honestly
charge them with being indifferent to his interests; but that
master is one whom the men could not charge with being indifferent to theirs. Be assured that it is the superior who is
to seek affection; every master should hold himself bound
to watch for- the happiness'of his men, and in seeking their
happiness he will gain their hearts. Every man in his establishment is a partaker of his efforts and is fed of his gains, he
ought to be part of his care. But you say you have no time
to attend to them. What" does that mean? Why precisely
that if you devote all your time to your own interests, you
cannot devote a part of it to theirs; that if you spend every




DUTIES AND RIGHTS.               169
available hour to make yourself rich, you have no hour to
spend to make your men happy.  That is plain enough.
"But, business must be done."  Yes, it must be done; but
no duty binds you to undertake so much business that you
can do no office of Christian kindness. Far -better that part
of the business should be done by some one else, than that
all the charity should be neglected by you.
As at present existing, the relation of master and men
is loose, changeable, material. The man works for a certain
firm just as he rides in a certain train, because it happens to
suit him; but he feels no more affection for the masters and
no more interest in their prosperity than he does in the directors of the railway and their dividend. The firm takes up
men just as a train takes up passengers. The concern needs
them; but whence. they came, and whither they go, or at
what point of the journey they part, are matters of no interest. It is full time that masters as a class did begin in
earnest, to do what some have long been doing-attempt to
create between themselves and their men a close and permanent connection and a moral tie. It is high time that
masters learned that business has two sides,-duty as well
as interest. They are ready enough to tell landlords that property has its duties as well as its rights; and they have just
cause to do so, for the thing is true. But, it is not true of landed property alone, not of the relation of landlord and tenant
alone, but of all kinds of property and all kinds of lordship.
The master has his duties as well as his rights, and they are
not done when the wages are paid. That is just oiling the
machinery, no more. It is a purely material act; without
it you would have all in a blaze. It is done to keep the
concern going, not to elevate or bless the men. Now, un-,
doubtedly the master ought to consider it part of his business to make his men happy, ought to spend hours and
energies and sums for this one end, ought to labour at it,'
8




170             MACHINERY AND MEN.
and sustain disappointments in it, and brave discourage.
ments, and feel how hard it is to do good, and persist in
doing it till at last he saw that he had not laboured in vain.
It is a proud thing for a master to show his beautiful engine-room, clean as a parlour, his bright machinery, his admirable textures, his vast production. He has a right to
take an interest in all these; and, if conscious that other
things were right, we should take a most lively interest in
them also, share his pleasure, rejoice in his success, and pour
our honest blessing on the labour of his hands. But it is
not always one can do so. True, great care has been taken
about the engines;-what has been done for the mind, heart,
and life of the engineers?  The "mules" and "jennies," the
rollers and looms, are all in perfect trim, the gear runs
smoothly, the produce is unblameable; a world of diligent
application has been spent to bring the work- to this perfection; but what has been done for the mind, heart, and life,
of the workers? Some masters there are, who have learned
the lesson of their duty, and follow it with a cheerful heart.
As I write some rise up to my memory.  I think of their
schools, the plans of improvement, the care for the comfort
of their men's houses, the training of the children, the effort
to spread good feeling and good living, the attention to the
soul's welfare; and, as I think of these men, my heart within
me blesses them.  Go on, my friend, go on and be hearty;
your work is often thankless, as are all good works in this
bad world, but keep to it, nevertheless. Doing good is no
idle enterprise; its difficulties abound, but its fruits are not
do'ubtful.
The French revolution of 1848 has proved an abortion;
but the parent of that abortion lives, and still threatens
society with pains and travail. Socialism, whence it sprang,
a4nd by which it sank, is capable of assuming a thousand
formi and following a thousand banners.  It is abroad in




SOCIALISM.                   171
England now, wearing innocent veils and using creditable
names. It has won over honest, forcible men, who fight its
battles with heart and valour. It is raising, under English
forms, the same feelings it raised in France. It is baptising
with Christian names dogmas which elsewhere seek no such
consecration.  It is spreading further, deeper, swifter than
most of your masters imagine.  It is reaching our workmen,
enlisting and combining its soldiers, laying up its ammunition for another day. Some of its agents dream of new eras
of brotherhood and equality; while, in good truth, it is preparing a time when the distinction between men shall not
lie in richer and poorer, master and servant, but in assailant
and defender, in victor and vanquished. You masters have
no fear of Socialism in England, and most certainly you
have abundant guarantees against it, if duly improved; but
many of you are too busy to read, too careless about your
men to know what they read, too much strangers to their
habits and their haunts to know what they discuss and what
they hear. I tell you it is quite time for you to be alert.
Sleep a few years longer and you may be awoke by thunder.
Thoughts are spreading, things are doing, well calculated to
gain the ear of the workman, and well calculated to throw
society into agonies. Were it only to save a class it would
not be worth while to raise an alarm. No good man would
seek to protect a few in absorbing that which might properly
be distributed among the many. Did I see in Socialism
unquestionable benefits for the men, as all see unquestionable ruin for the masters, why then, for me, the masters
might repose till they found the irruption begun. But that
system, though potent to impoverish the affluent, is powerless to enrich the poor, and must reduce all classes to destitution; cripple, hamper, bewilder, and cfafe, till society
perishes in confusion, or finds escape in a return to the laws
af free commerce. While some imagine they are seeking




172                  DISCIPLINE.
the welfare of the workman by framing new schemes and
shapes of society, others who see in those schemes and shapes
an earnest of hunger, and battle, and military tyranny,
ought to urge on those attainable and Christian ameliorations
of the relations between men and their masters whereby a
healthy state of feeling would be induced, which would be
unfavourable to political epidemics.  How much of the
country's peace depends on the bearing of masters no one
can tell. If men see themselves used but not valued, employed but not improved, necessary but not noticed, they
will inevitably become sour and ready to embrace any theory
about the hostility of capital to labour and the community
of goods. Duty cannot be neglected without harm to those
who practise and those who suffer the neglect.  Masters
ought to take pains-patient, costly, systematic pains for the
happiness of their men. If they will neglect this staring
duty, and perform for their men only the one unavoidable
service of payment when pay-day comes, how can they expect the men to feel towards them anything but disregard
inspired by their indifference, and envy inspired by their
wealth?
In Mr. Budgett's conduct towards his men, nothing was
more prominent than a rigid enforcement of discipline.
Both he and his brother were fond of system, and had taken
much pains to bring the whole business under a code of laws,
and to instruct each man precisely in the duty pertaining to
his department. The laws were ever undergoing improvement, but they were never suffered to be broken. A; rule
in force was sacred; no excuse would be accepted. A breach
of law was a fault to be confessed, and whoever repeatedly
disobeyed any rule whatever was inexorably dismissed. With
those who gave evidence of talent Mr. Budgett would take
considerable pains-training a young buyer by his own side
in the market, accompanying a young traveller on his jour-.




TRAINMG.                   173
ney, or giving a warehouseman or clerk frequent lessons in
the system they were expected to pursue. When he had
thus educated a man up to his satisfaction, he would place
him in a post of considerable responsibility, and take great'
pleasure in his success.
To many, especially to young men, a master whose discipline is lax seems a much kinder master than one who
holds them to rule and duty. Whatever may be the intentention of such a master, his influence is cruel. A more
serious injury cannot be inflicted on a young man than is
inflicted by the indulgences and negligences of a master
who does not maintain discipline. Rules should be reasonable, duties moderate, hours considerate; but if the master
would do his duty, he must train every man who passes
under his hands to unflinching habits of order, punctuality,
and obedience. He ought not to let any man dilly-dally,
or go forth from his instructions incapable of making his
way among able and well taught men. Of all who have
been in Mr. Budgett's employment, I do not suppose that
one could charge a failure in life on the habits acquired
there; while some, who are now in circumstances of comfort
and respect, have told me, with a gush of feeling, what pains
he had taken to train them up to the habits which have made
them what they are.
A disciplinarian who wants to form men to a standard
existing in his own mind is ever on the watch for men after
his model. This was Mr. Budgett's case; he ever wanted
men capable of seizing and accomplishing his purposes.
"H Ie has no head," would be his rapid sentence on a man
with some good points. A man who would waste or dillydally was to him intolerable.. His favourite formula of
qualification was, "-Tact, push, and principle;"-the three
things, indubitably, which form your proper man of mark in
trade.  For them he was constantly on the look out, and




174: "TACT, PUSHn AND PRINCIPLE.?
when a man came under his eye in whom he discerned them,
he would be most anxious to add him to his staff. Without
tact and push a man of principle may be very good for many
things, but not for business; and without principle tact and
push are only powers to do evil. Speaking of a sharp, stirring man who would lie or play tricks, he would say, " What
is the use of a tub that is tight all round but has a hole in
the bottom." One often hears of masters, honourable men,
who would not do an unhandsome thing in their proper persons, who yet look very kindly on men of tact and push who
show a lack of principle only at the expense of customers.
Mr. Budgett would see that no man wasted his goods or
time, that none gave overweight, or sold carelessly, or in any
way damaged his interests; but he would insist that they
should do justice to all. Masters, be assured that no blessing -will come with the smart salesman who can cozen the
public and tell fibs with facility: he is a" tub with a hole
in the bottom," and you had better be without him. Employers may be quite assured that it is not enough for them
to abstain from telling a man to lie or cheat; they may lay
tasks upon him which can hardly be discharged by fair dealingj they may show an avidity for results and an indifference as to means, which act upon all but men of stiff integrity as a certain lure to foul play. Gentlemen of honour,
who would blush to be accused of an unfairness, have dozens
of ill-complexioned doings in their warehouses every day,
and that perforce of their haste to do an immense amount of
business, and of their lauding success in their men without
any attention to principle. If you have a conscience, if you
would really rather be without money than have money
stained with dishonour, then, I can assure you of what you
might know very well yourself, if you were much awake,that you have something to do to keep soiled money out of
your store. You must not leave to your men to deceive or




INSIGHT.                   175
not just as they like; you must, in very great earnest, and
very often too, tell them that no man in your employment
shall practise anything which you would not defend before
God and man.
While Mr. Budgett was constantly on the alert for men
after his own heart, he had, as w'e stated long ago, a remarkable discernment of character.  One instance I may give,
out of many. A friend of his, a grocer, told me that on many
occasions when he passed through his shop, he would make
remarks upon the young men whom he had seen behind the
counter, saying that one was not worth his salt, and that
another would do well; and scarcely ever was the estimate
thus formed at a glance erroneous.  Once he said, after just
passing through the shop, " Where.did you get that young
man? "  The answer was given.
"I would not keep him for a day."
"Why 2 He is a very clever young man.")
"Yes, he is clever enough; but he is a rogue."
"Well, certainly I have seen nothing wrong about him,
and I never yet saw his equal behind the counter."
"-Very well; I tell you I would not keep him an hour,
and you will find it out yet."
" But I can't dismiss him without cause, and he has given
me no cause."
He insisted to the last on his view of the young man,
and, after leaving, told a mutual friend that a very improper
young man was in such a one's shop-he was sure of it.
His discernment was so well known, that the young shopman
had now his master's eye upon him with restless vigilance.
It was not long before he was detected stealing money. He
was lodged in the jail at Shepton-Mallet. On the day when
the trial was to come on, the master was there. A solicitor
came to tell him that a sister of Mr. Smith had come down
from  Iondon, a very respectable married woman, near her




1'76                 MR. sMITH.
confinement and in great agony at her brother's disgrace,-iu
fact, so excited that he quite feared the consequences if the
trial went on; moreover she was a Wesleyan, to which denomination the prosecutor belonged, and she begged an
interview. They met: she was respectable, prepossessing,
and well spoken; her condition was touching, and she talked
touchingly of her poor unhappy brother.  The heart of the
prosecutor was almost won; but something aroused his suspicion. He put a question or two as to her brother and
the family: the tale did not precisely fit. He put one or
two questions more: the interesting Wesleyan sister of Mr.
Smith, appeared simply as a, clever partner in a fraud. Mr.
Smith was sentenced to a term of imprisonment. On the
very week of his release he obtained two situations in Plymouth and lost both through dishonesty. Then his old employer heard no more of him till he was summoned to Coventry to identify a Mr. Smith who was there awaiting trial.
He had been in the service of a grocer there, and had
managed daily, for a long time, to send off a hamper of
goods to London by railway; and when the police traced his
store it amounted to two waggon loads.
What he did not see at a glance he would soon find out
in conversation. His power of eliciting from a person all
that enabled him to tell precisely what they were and what
their history, was very remarkable. A young man is now
in the employment of one of his friends whom Mr. Budgett
was requested to see before he was engaged. Ile perceived
that Mr. Budgett was aware of the reason why he had left
his former situation, and as he had obtained from his late
employers a promise that they would not state anything on
the point, he was displeased, and wrote to reproach them
with a breach of agreement. The fact was that Mr. Bud.
gett had discovered the matter in conversation, without the
other being conscious of it.




IMPOSTORS.                  177
He would not be imposed upon. If a man was in fault
and frankly confessed, nothing could be more cheerful than
his forgiveness; but when once he saw the least disposition
to equivocate, all his powers were called forth to reach the
truth, and the truth he would reach. He was as persevering
us he was quick; as careless of wounding a man's pride as he
would be prompt to heal any worthy sorrow. Into the
man's heart he would get, no matter how long it took him,
by questions directed this way or that way, near the point
or away from it. In proportion to the dissimulation manifested his displeasure would rise, and if the case were really
bad his rebuke would be tremendous. But the man who
showed an open heart always found a generous consideration above what he would have thought possible.
This determination not to be imposed upon he carried
out everywhere, with men, neighbours, and customers. Ever
indulgent to an acknowledged fault, he was ever most inexorable against an attempt at imposture. Men who will not
be imposed upon always make themselves enemies. Many
will not forgive him who defeats them in an attempt to play
foul; they will represent him in all bad lights —as hard,
heartless, and so on. It is one thing to forgive a wrong
when it is done to you; it is another to permit a man to do
a wrong with your eyes open. It is a Christian duty to repay the man who has done you evil with good; but it is no
duty at all when you see a man intending to do wrong to
shut your eyes and let him do it: by stopping him there you
may save him thereafter. No kind of imposture so roused
the ire of Mr.' Budgett as when a man put on a profession
of religion with any left-handed design. His well known
character exposed him to attempts of this kind; but woe to
the caitiff whom he caught at it; —his ears heard plain words,
and words of fire. In the case of the vinegar maker we have
already seen with what force he would stamp on that rep8*




178       GOOD MEN AND GOOD TRADESMEN.
tile,-the stealthiest, the slimiest, the most poisonous, the
most loathsome of all the reptile race,-who would make
merchandise of religion. Easy, undiscerning Christians who
can be quickly practised upon, are great favourites with
people who require such subjects; but while we suspect no
man without cause, and pardon all men without reserve, we
should not invite deception, but exert ourselves to bind every
one by the rule of right.  Every religious man should endeavour to drive fraud and deceit out of the world, first
in his own dealings, secondly in the dealings of those who
act in his name, then in the dealings of all mankind; but let
him see that he begins at home.
On this point of discipline many young men are apt to
mistake masters, and to think that religious character is
not prized, because they see a man indifferent to religion
often advanced before one who consistently professes it.
But, in business, men must be estimated by their business attainments. If two bootmakers serve you, and the one gives
you a better boot than the other, you cannot help saying he
is the better bootmraker, even though the other may be the
better man. So in two salesmen; if one is apt, adroit, and
successful, and the other less so, the master cannot help seeing that the successful one is the better salesman, even
though the other must be considered the better man. Young
men ought not to expect that piety alone should improve
their position in a house, except as it forms them to better
habits, and ought to concede to others all the superiority
they may happen to possess. But, on the other hand, masters should take good care that the honest and conscientious
man does not see another raised above him just because he
uses unfair arts and thereby secures sales which could not
be effected by truth-telling. Masters should make up their
minds to lose all that sharp subordinates might gain by unjustifiable means, and to set their faces against all such prao



PILFERERS.                 179
tices; and we may assure them again, that if they are not
to pocket money got by such means, they must be careful to
mark a man who will lie or cheat in order to effect sales, as
they are careful to mark one who fails to sell pentifully.
No blessing is with the unscrupulous though clever servant,
and every honest master ought to make him feel that he believes it, and that he values principle and uprightness more
than mere tact. The man of tact and push without principle is a cask of P. D., and ought not to be suffered.
One or two cases show his determination to detect and
get rid of men he could not trust, and at the same time show
his benevolence in a light almost amusing. There was a
tree whereof the fruit was very fugitive. The man he suspected "never touched," no one touched; yet away and
away went the fruit. He made a present of the fruit on the
tree to the party suspected, and thenceforth it staid quite
safely. His point was gained; he "had found it."  Another man and his wife were suspected of petty pilfering
about the farm. Proof was long impossible: at length a
discovery of potatoes secreted set suspicion on foot anew.
Neither man nor wife would confess. Another woman was
somehow connected with the. matter: he took the two women, placed them in different rooms, interrogated them
separately, passed from the one to the other, compared their
statements, and elicited a confession from the second woman.
But the principal one was proof against all his tact: she
and her husband received orders to leave the premises im-:mediately. But he wished them to have means of living
honestly if they would; and, in  Kingswood, any one who
has a horse may do so by carting, or, as the phrase is, "hauling" coals to Bristol. In dismissing them, therefore, he
gave the man a horse. The wife, little moved by this generosity, raised an outcry about the hardships of being turned
away, and demanded " What is the use of 4 horse without a




180                  DISMISSALS.
cart?"  Mr. Budgett reasoned with her, told her how another master might have prosecuted them; but her mood
was unchangeable. " It is very hard to be turned away;
and what is a poor man to do with a horse without a cart?"
He reproved her again; but he gave them a cart. The ingratitude of the poor is constantly urged as a reason for
neglecting them. The dishonest and the idle are ungrateful; but as for the honest industrious poor, it will be found
that real service always meets from them a hearty and a
long continued thankfulness. Some are astonished how
their great kindness begets so little gratitude; others have
been astonished that little kindness begot so much.
A person in Mr. Budgett's employment gave him dissatisfaction. He felt he could no longer confide in him, and
when that was the case with -any man about him he could
not be happy; he dismissed him.. The man took his revenge
by going to the houses with which Mr. Budgett had accounts and causing a run for payment, as we saw in the last
chapter. Some time after he heard that      - and his
family were in great destitution; they had been away from
the neighbourhood for a time, but had returned.  Mr.
Budgett went to see them accompanied by a friend; the
house was in a miserable state, the garden was desolate,
neither meat nor bread seemed within the door, and two fine
boys were lying in bed because -they had no clothes. Mr.
Budgett at once ordered meat from the butcher, bread from
the baker, sent groceries, sent a tailor to clothe the children
hired a man to till the garden, and gave them an allowance of
twelve shillings per week till the\father of the family should
find employment. But he had no " push," and found no employment. He soon applied to be taken back; Mr. Budgett
refused.-: He applied again; then Mr. Budgett consented,
but only with a salary far below what he had enjoyed before,
and on condition that he should look out for another situa



THE TaME GUAGE.                181
tion. Every week he set down to the credit of the man, in
a private ledger, some twelve shillings, which he thought was
about the difference between what he was paying him and
what his services would be worth should he prove worthy of
confidence. He did all he could to make him trustworthy,
and even became a teetotaller to induce him to follow his
example. At length, however, both his confidence and his
patience had gone; he called -   into his private office,
and told him they must part; " But Mr. --  I will give
your familyfifty pounds in weekly pay while you are seeking employment, and Iam assured of it.""Give, Sir, I do not regard it as a gift, my remuneration
has not been just."
The merchant just looked up from his desk, pointed to
the door and said, " O, very well, Mr.  -—, that is
enough."
"' Sir, I did not mean to offend, I hope you will forgive
what I said."
It was long before he found any employment, and for a
very lengthened period Mr. Budgett regularly allowed his
family twelve shillings a week.
As a matter of course, where strict discipline is concerned, punctuality was a prime virtue. He was himself punctual as a chronometer, even out of business. If he had
made an engagement with his neighbour the Rev. J. Glanville, and was a minute late, he would apologise and account
for it. So his men must be at work at the given moment,
and his travellers must so arrange their journey that every
customer shall know at what hour to expect them. But as
discipline and punctuality are not meant to abridge but to
defend happiness, he contrived to place the arrangements
enforcing these in a light which commended them to the men.
The hour to begin work was six o'clock. By the gate hung
a black board divided into squares, each square was num



182                 PUNCTUALrTYr
bered and contained a nail, on the nail hung a little copper
plate.  Each man had his number, and as he went -.out he
took a plate with him, leaving his number exposed: o  the
board. As he entered he placed the plate on the nal, so
covering his number. The moment the bell ceased ringing,
the board was removed, and all whose numbers were not
covered were at once set down as defaulters.  He who did
not appear once on that list during a year received at its end
a sovereign as his reward.  But in the early days of the
establishment it was usual to give porters beer. This custom Mr. Budgett disapproved, and to, it he would not submit; but close by the number board; he placed another
board laden with pennypieces; each man as he entered in the
morning took a penny, on returning from breakfast a penny,
and on returning from dinner a penny; thus making three
in the day, which Mr. Budget considered a full equivalent
for beer and of far greater value. If, however, the poor
wight was late, he lost his penny; thus paying a fine out of
what was considered his due, as well as forfeiting the reward
which punctuality would secure at the year's end. At first
even a single lapse occasioned the.loss of the whole sovereign;
but afterwards that rule was relaxed, five shillings being deducted for one, and proportionate sums for additional faults.
In the course of years, the beer-pence were commuted for
eighteenpence per week additional wages; and then every
defaulter was fined,-if a porter, a penny-and so on, in
proportion to rank, with every one in the house, up to. the
partners. The post hour was a quarter-past seven: at that
hour- the clerks must be in their places, and. one of the principals present to open the letters; if he was late, his fine was
half-a-crown. With such spirit was this discipline maintained, that though many of the men chose to live in Kingswood after the business was removed to Bristol, they made
their four miles journey and many never were late. Some




TIE  SICK FUND.                 153
who have been years in the establishment have not once
been reported absent.
The system  of fining might easily make the discipline
appear harsh to the men; but besides the corrective to that
provided in the reward for punctuality, the fines are So applied as to take away all idea of severity. A sick fund
exists for "the business," to which all are required to pay
one penny weekly.  Into this fund }o all the sums accruing
from fines. In cases of sickness, allowances are made on
something like the following scale:One who has been in the establishment
less than 5 years...     s. per week.
Above 5 and less than 10 years      6s.   "
Above 10 and less than 15 years..  7s.   "
Above 15 and less than 20 years.  8s.
Above 20 and less than 25 years     9s.    "
Above 25 years.         10s,. 
This fund did not hinder the men from belonging to any
other benefit society, and provided them a real help in time
of need at a cost they could never feel. Of course, it is apparent that such a scale of allowances could not be kept up
by a subscription of a penny a week, eked out by petty fines.
The deficit came out of Mr. Budgett's pocket, costing him
from thirty to fifty pounds a year.
With punctuality comes dispatch; both are apples of the
same branch —both springing from a sense of the rapidity
wherewith time flies, joined with a determination to accom.
plish all'that has been undertaken.  Men who are not punctual can never be abreast of their business; they talk superbly about not being slaves of time, while time is laughing
at them, for they never mastered it yet —never made one
week of their lives serve the purposes they meant it to serve.
Time has always beaten them, always left them discomfited,




184                    DISPATCH.
amid heaps of work undone and work ill-done. And they
are the masters of time, while the man who holds his hours
with a firm hand, and makes each one serve his purpose, is
its slave! Very well; he can comfortably hear his highspirited neighbour vaunt his liberty, and exhibit his confusion.
At the outset, we noticed the incredible celerity wherewith Mr. Budgett transacted business; but it was not enough
that his own deeds should be swiftly done. Everything must
speed around him. He could not bear to see any move as if
time were plentiful. But he never sought velocity by haste;
it must ever be gained by order and cool energy. Plan after
plan, arrangement after arrangement were put in force to
bring the establishment into the condition of a machine,
wherein every part worked with equable and yet amazing
speed. The success was great. Every morning the waggons
start with what is called the " first -load," at eight o'clock,that is, with the first instalment of goods to be sent out that
day; which goods have been bought in the sale-room on the
preceding afternoon, or ordered by an evening post. The
morning post, as has been stated, arrives at a quarter-past
seven. The " second load" consists of goods ordered by the
letters then arriving, and that leaves the premises at from
nine to half-past nine o'clock. Thus the work of opening
letters, entering orders, transferring to the different departments, weighing, measuring, packing, and lading, has been
done in two hours or so. At different periods of the day,
load after load is dispatched, till every order which arrived
by that morning's post is executed. This is the day's work,
and within the day it must be done. When the immense
number of the orders is considered, and the endless variety of
articles which they embrace,-everything, in fact, that a retail grocer can want,-it really is astonishing how all can be
accomplished on the same day; at least so it seems to those




LONG HOURS.                  185
who are not "business men."  Without discipline, without
punctuality, without dispatch, such a feat could never be accomplished; but all these are made to subserve the good end
of affording the men rational leisure, for they are at liberty
the moment the day's work is done.
One of the oldest servants of the firm related to me their
progress from the old hours to those now established. When
he entered the " business," it was small; all resided in the
house. The hours were nominally from six in the morning
to nine at night; but it was generally ten, and sometimes
eleven o'clock, before they could retire; and these hours
continued even after some of them lived away from the
premises.  As "Mr. Samuel" began to take a lead in the
business, he would often express dissatisfaction with this
state of things. "It is not rational," he would cry; "you
ought to be at home with your families; we might just as
well get done sooner." As the wholesale trade sprang up, of
course, there was an increasing press of work; and every now
and then he would say, " I do not like to see you here; I want
to see you at home: we nmust get done sooner." He made efforts, and presently the bell was regularly rung every night at
half-past eight. This was a wonderful relief, and the men were
well content. "Mr. Samuel" was of course pleased with the
improvement for a time, but he soon began to feel that they
had not gone far enough in the right direction. Presently
he was again expressing his dislike to see them working so
late, and saying, " I don't see why we should not get done by
seven, yes, by six o'clock." They thought this very kind of
him, but quite impossible. Before long, however, they all
found themselves starting for home at seven o'clock. Still
he was not content: he aimed at six o'clock, and gained it;
and then came the change whereby the work was done within the day, and the present result secured. By bad arrangements, or by employing an insufficient number of hands, the




186               ABRIDGING HOURS.
plan of clearing off the orders of each day within the day
might have been the very cause of endless detentions; but
Mr. Budgett so adjusted his methods, that the effect was a
clear and considerable gain to all. Among other arrangements tending to shorten the day, one very efficient one was
that none of the men left till all were ready; if, therefore,
the men in one department were behind, all the others were
kept waiting. Of course, they did not like the hindrance,
and those who caused it had abundant admonition; in this
way the interest and the influence of the whole staff acted on
each particular branch, and without any hint from the master about speed, the men were sufficiently prompted by their
comrades. Thus, with an increasing rush of business, the
hours of labour were abridged, and every man in that great
establishment could daily turn homeward at five or half-past
five o'clock, with a full evening at leisure.
And why upon earth should men in a shop or warehouse
be condemned to toil in the hours which other men give to
rest? Is it not enough, if from morn till eve they are pent
up, and on the stretch?  When the bricklayer lays down his
trowel, and the weaver quits his loom, when the reaper puts
up his sickle, and the ploughman drives home his team, why
should the shopman and warehouseman kindle artificial light
to witness further drudgery? True, the bricklayer or the
ploughman has heavier muscular fatigue; but he has also
the bright sun and the fresh air. His limbs are more taxed,
but his vitals are more refreshed. It is one thing to spend
-twelve hours on a Bedfordshire farm, and another to spend
twelve hours in a close shop or store. Within the last few
years public feeling has much improved on this point. The
oppressed class have taken up their own cause, and a cry for
early closing has reached the ears of all. In the higher circles of trade something has been done; noble and valuable
examples have been set by some important houses. Many




THE OIL SHOT.                 187
have reaped the benefit in better health, in mental feasts, in
spiritual privileges.  I have joined men in a house of
business, both before and after their hours of work, in noble
and profitable exercises; in meetings for prayer, for Christian philanthropy, and for self-improvement; and one has
felt moved to say, Peace be on the house where men can
spend such hours, instead of submerging all their waking
life under the one turbid, headlong tide of London commerce.
Some have heard so much of the early closing movement,
that they imagine the thing is accomplished. Why, just
start for a walk in the streets of London some night at halfpast ten o'clock, and open your eyes. Take especially the
lower and less airy neighbourhoods.  See how the windows
glare, and the shop doors gape, as if Mammon were sitting
within all greedy and unsatisfied yet; and master and men,
pale by the gas-light, were his slaves, waiting to bear to him
any morsel of prey that may. pass. See thaS close-smelling,
lumbered oil shop, with boxes and bundles, firkins and jars,
chips, matches, candles, ill-odoured paints, and all sorts of
unloveliness. See the youth with red hair and white cheeks
attentively waiting on that lady who asks for night-lights.
That youth opened the door this morning as it was striking
seven; the shop clock now stands at a quarter to eleven, and
during those sixteen hours he has been there behind that
dirty counter, among oils and ochres, white leads, black
leads, red leads, shoe-blacking, lamp-black and glue, indigo,
rosin and grease,-among sights and smells that never yet
made eyes bright or olfactories happy. When he leaves
this beauty of a shop, he will go up into the attic, and share
a small room with three or four comrades.  Then to-morrow morning he will be there again behind the counter by
seven o'clock; and because to-morrow is the "preparation
for the Sabbath," he will be immersed among his unloveable




188                LONDON HOURS.
commodities just up to the moment when midnight is passm
ing into morn. Now, should you wonder if those white
cheeks grew whiter?-if his poor mother, who thought that
when her son " had got a place in London," he was in the
way of well-doing, should see him-come home next autumn
with death upon his lungs?
You ask the lady who has bought the night-lights, if she
thinks it right to come to a shop at this hour. She tells you,
" No, she really does not like to be seen in a shop at such an
hour, but she and her husband were just returning home
from a friend's, and remembering that she had no night-lights
in the house, she procured them." But when you speak of
the poor youth who served her-of his sixteen hours daily
work, of his -cheerless life and imperilled health,-" O
really that never struck her. The clear, soft, gentle tone,
the good, kindly, honest look, tell you conclusively that the
farthest thing from her heart was harshness to any mortal;
yet, had she gone into such a shop at that hour and seen a
son of her own there, it would probably have struck her.
Even yet the state of things in London is very bad.
The most protracted hours are still persisted in by the
greater part of the grocers, chemists, oilmen, and tobacconists,
by the lower class of drapers, and by the shops of every description in the closer and more unhealthy neighbourhoods
The greatest improvement has taken place in the highest
class of shops, where, though urgently needed, it was not so
urgently as in those-which remain as bad as ever. At eleven
o'clock on a Saturday night, you may see young men in that
grocer's shop over there, where they have been from seven
in the morning. The summer air is oppressive, the gas
lights are warm, their work is unceasing. They will not be
at rest before the morn of Sunday; and one of those
young men, I know, is a Christian brother, —a thoughtful, reading, upright, useful man-one who loves God




THE BUSY SEASON.               189
and keeps his commandments, —and to-morrow he will teach
the children of others for love of their souls. I do declare
it makes me indignant to see him shut up there at this
hour.
Even in the wholesale houses, where the ordinary hours are
tolerable, the protraction of labour in the busy season is really
horrible. It is a fact, that just during the rush of the spring
or autumn trade,young men are often at work till midnight, and
sometimes till one or two o'clock in the morning. After a man
has been labouring for a whole day in the city, with its depressing air, with its haste, wear, and tax, that he is to go
on labouring by gas-light from sunset to midnight, and then
to pass into morning, is intolerable; it is a pressure on human life and happiness which no plea of commerce, which no
mass of lucre can justify. "Business must be done," is with
some men the whole moral law of the warehouse; the ten
commandments with all the words of charity flee bofore it.
But no business must be done which mars happiness, risks
life, presses and wears out your fellow-creatures for no higher
end than to avoid " losing an account," or forfeiting an order.
Perish your orders and your accounts, rather than one of my
fellow-creatures should be made consumptive, or should be
rendered sickly for life; ay, rather than he should go on
toiling with a heavy heart, feeling that man was cruel to
him, and tempted to think that Providence was indifferent.
If you cannot do all your business without grinding men,
abridge it; better do less than commit cruelty. Better that
fewer invoices should be written under your roof, than that
hearts should be broken under it. No power can compel
you to undertake more work than can be performed without
oppression. How can you drive home and dine and go to
bed, knowing that in the murky city men are labouring by
gas-light for your wealth alone? If " business must be dope "
at those hours, do it yourself; break up your own evenings,




190               MEN AND WORK.
wear down your own health, make your own mother sorrow,
make your own wife droop; but do not inflict all that on
others. Not long ago a young man, who had been out on
an errand from his warehouse, went into a room not far from
it, and sat down for a while to rest; he was overcome with
fatigue; he said to a friend, " I am worn out; and to-night
I shall probably be at work till one or two o'clock; we have
been for the last two nights. Messrs.     may be very
good Christians, but their religion is of no use to me."
The difficulty of employers, both wholesale and retail, is
great. They cannot do justice to their men without a sacrifice; but the sacrifice should be made. The extensive merchant ought to provide such help as would bring the labour
within a reasonable time. Now and then men who have
always easy hours, may work for a night without serious
mischief; but not in London air, and not often. No man is
justified in- leaving such a disproportion between the work
and the hands as will force the latter every now and then
to murderous hours. You cannot press men to a point that
stings their feelings and endangers their health without sin.
You should take care that no man is cursing you in his
heart at the hour when your -wife and children are going to
rest. You may be liberal, you may be munificent, may have
fine points of character and an attached circle of friends;
but it is a canker in your gold and a blot on your name that
men who call you master feel the iron go into their:soul.
To them your virtues are all lost if you do not show consideration to themselves; and perhaps the very gifts of your
liberality may be followed by a malign look from those who
think it would be better that you paid more, even though
you gave less.
The case of Mr. Budgett shows that wbena masteris awake
to the duty of bringing business within reasonable hours, he
may effect much. In few establishments could the variety or the




EVENING AT LEISURE.              191
number of orders be greater; yet from that house the fathei
can go forth to spend a long evening with his children, the
man who loves a book can find time to read, he who delights
in a ramble may enjoy the fields on a summer evening (some
I have- seen take share in hay-making after their day's work
was done), and he who loves the house of God can enjoy the
evening service and close the day in leisure at home. If
masters cannot secure all this without sacrificing income, and
lowering their style, let them count the cost and choose deliberately whether they will benefit their dependants at their
own expense, or benefit themselves at the expense of their dependants. Human nature has its decision on such an alternative quite ready; the charity which comes from God has
its decision ready too. You may adopt the one or the other,
and according to your choice, so verily shall be your reward.
That attention to the comfort of his men which was manifested in abridging the hours of labour, was not the only
token of his interest in their welfare. Every sign of industry and of sincere interest in the establishment gave him
pleasure; and he was never slow to meet it with a reward.
One, very long in his employment, told me that but a short
period before his death he mentioned to him some improvement which had occurred to him for one part of the business; and he immediately thanked him, putting a sovereign
into his hand. When a year wound up well, the pleasure
was not all with the principals; several of those whose diligence and talent had a share in gaining the result found also
that they had a share in the reward. Stock-taking became
to them a matter of personal interest, and they would often
enquire, 1" Hope you find things satisfactory, Sir?"  Surely
it must. be far more cheerful for a master to feel that those
around him have some pleasure in his success, than to know
that it is indifferent to them, because they are aware that
however large the cake may be he will eat it all alone. One,




192            GIFTS AT STOCK-TAKING.
after describing the pains Mr. Budgett had taken to make
him master of his own branch of the business, and how, when
satisfied with his fitness, he had devolved upon him important
responsibilities, said, with a fine feeling which I should love
to see masters generally kindle among those in their employment, " And he never had a good year, but I was the better for it when stock-taking came! Indeed I may say he
was a father to me in body and soul." Another who gave
a similar report of the pains taken to train him said, " At
stock-taking he has sometimes given me a hundred pounds
at a time." He also mentioned to me that on one occasion
he called at his house, and seeing his three children, said he
would like to make them a present, and- when he went home
gave him a ten-pound note for each of them.
His ambition was to make all about him feel the same
interest in the business he did himself; and by means such
as these he succeeded to no common degree in inspiring that
feeling.
A trembling old'man who had spent the chief part of life
on the premises at Kingswood, spoke with great zest of the
rise of the business " from little to more." He had seen the
little shop swell into warehouses, he had seen the new dwelling house rise and enlarge, he had seen the quarry filled up
and turned into a garden, he had seen the adjoining fields
enclosed and made pleasure grounds; and in all whereof he
discoursed he had been a great part, for in out-door operations he had been a leader. According to him, Mr. Budgett
had no greater delight than to be surrounded by a host of
busy men; he would circulate among, he would animate
them, would chide the idler heartily, and heartily encourage
the worker. " Why, Sir, I do believe as he would get, ay,
just twice as much work out o' a man in a week as another
master." Sometimes a lazy labourer on the grounds or farm
would be set all astir by the words, " Remember the gothia




TIE GOTHO -DOOR.               193
door."  And when Friday night came, a stranger would see
a practical comment on that enigmatical text. In a certain
part of the wall surrounding the grounds was a door, called
the gothic door, by which the men went out at night. On a
Friday evening Mr, Budgett would be found standing by this
door, sometimes holding a little basket filled with minute
packages in paper, sometimes showing an uncommon bulkiness of pocket. As the men passed, a package was slipped
into the hand of each, and one would find that he had a
present of five shillings, another of three, another of half-acrown, and so on-each discerning in his gift an estimate of
his diligence-; and " to a boy," said my aged informant, "he
would give sixpence." You may imagine that such a narrative would kindle the narrator. " Ah, Sir, he was a man
as had no pleasure in a muckin up money: why, Sir, he
would often in that a way give, ay, I believe twenty pounds
on a Friday night —well, at any rate, fifteen pounds."
"But would he give anything to a man who had been
lazy?"
"Yes, Sir, he would gie him something, but he would
soon get rid on him."
This was perfectly true; he could not bear a lazy man.
Tact and push he delighted in and would largely reward;
but if he could not bring a man up to his mark he would let
him go. The statement above given on the testimony of the
old man is perfectly correct, only that the sum bestowed in
this manner seldom exceeded twelve or fourteen pounds per
week. But this twined a sacred bond between men and
master,-made many a cottage glad,-led many a labourer,
when he saw his master in the house of God, to feel that he
had given him cause to join all the more heartily in praise,
-led the family of many a labourer, as they turned away
from worship and saw the family of the master going to their
9




194             OR:GANISINGm LA.3OUR.
own abundant home, to feel that they too were going to a
good Sunday dinner.
Even the horse of a prosperous man is better cared for
than the horse of the struggling and the poor. But full
often the labourer finds himself in an establishment where
wealth is gushing in amain, but not one driblet ever reaches
him beyond the hard wages which would be his were prosperity far. away;-no token of kindness, no gentle pledge
that when gains are counted, the instruments employed to
win them are remembered. With such hearts as men have
in them, it is not matter of amazement that this state of
things should prepare them for all sorts of seduction, for all
sour theories about the enmity of capital to labour, for all
blind ambitions about organising labour, sharing profits, and
equalising position.
Lous Blanc's elaborate endeavour to organise labour had
not a Very flattering end. Four days of mortal fightingfellow-townsmen breast to breast, beard to beard, shooting,
stabbing, stoning,-merchant and mechanic, tailor and grenadier, journalist and blacksmith, cook and artilleryman, shoeblack and senator, barber and cuirassier,-the father in a
blouse behind the barricade, the son in a uniform before it,
the inhabitant of the first floor charging, the inhabitant of
the second floor repelling the charge,-boys, women, whiteheaded men, all raging in one wild slaughter, all quelled "in
one red burial;" —that was the way the national workshops
wound up. I saw that, and I wish never to see the like
again. Though new attempts to organise labour may easily
have a better beginning, it is not plain that they will easily
have a better end. The relation of master and men is natural, safe, manageable; and to make a community of workers so organised all our own world admits of, you need only
to make masters aA they ought to be. That is no small task,
most surely; but on any other arrangement of society you




A FRENCH CABMAN ON EQuALTm.           195
will find a very similar task at hand. If you are to dispense
with masters, and propose universal partnerships as the way
to make all miseries take their leave of society, you will just
find that instead of the task of making' every master all he
ought to be, you have the task of making every man all he
ought to be; which in the long run will prove, I dare say,
quite as considerable an undertaking.  Emile de Girardin
has no Gospel to preach, but he sometimes says a true thing.
When lying in the Conciergerie, he wrote, " The English
love liberty, the French love equality."  He was right; and
in that difference you have a key to much of what passes in
the two nations. The English do love liberty, and will have
it; but beyond that they have no faith in equality, for if men
be free they cannot be equal except in this, that real liberty
is the only equality attainable. Set about making two men
equal, and at once they cease to be free; set them free, and
in a day they cease to be equal. Equal in stature, in strength,
in health, in mind, in emotional enjoyment, in power over
others, we can never be. God has settled that. And as to
making us equal in circumstances, it could only be effected
in appearance by most grinding tyranny, and even then would
be hollow and unreal. Providence has a deep system of compensation which invisibly affects a near approach to equality,
where men are only free.
"Well, friend," I said to the driver of a cabriolet cross.
ing the Place de la Concorde, some time after the republic
had been established, " how do you like the republic?"'  Ah! Monsieur, the republic is a very fine thing; butbusiness does not thrive; I used to earn twice as much as I
earn now: you see there are now no rich people, they are all
gone. And that is not bad enough; but they now demand
the republic democratic and social. I dQ not quite understand it, but they say we are all to be eqffil. Now, I do not
like that; for most of the other cabmen spend their money in




196          SOCIETY AND INDVIDUALS.
drink, and. it would not be just to take what I earn and give
it to them to spend so. I have always been careful. I have
one son: I have saved money to educate him; he is now at
a college; I mean him to be an advocate. And who knows?
-my son may be a great man. Now, would it be just, in
order to- make us all equal, to force me to give up my earnings to men who would drink them, instead of -keeping them
to educate my son? Why should they try to make us equal?
God has made us five fingers on one hand and has He made
two of them equal?"  Here he held up the fingers spread
abroad; then closed them, and displayed them triumphantly
as emblems of his social grades.. "And, why has He made
them unequal?  Why, to make one good strong fist." And
so saying, he clasped his fist and held it up, and turned it
round, to show how much better it fitted than if all the fin,
gers had been- equally long and thick.
Now society is one hand, composed of several fingers, and
institutions are but a glove. He that made the fingers did
not make them.-equal, and you need never try to invent a
glove that will; you might make an iron glove, and stunt
and hamper, but though all would be distorted, they would
not be equal even then. If you make a glove to fit their
natural inequalities, it may prove that the thumb with his
large portion is just as much straitened as the little finger
with his small.
I have no faith in any attempt to make: us equal in circumstances, no idea that our great Father ever meant.us so
to be, and no relish for that style of brotherhood which would
make me hanker to have as much as my-brother and share
all he earned. No: let me rejoice in his lot, and rejoice in
my own; and if, after every honest effort, I cannot have the
satisfaction of eating my own morsel, why then, if he is a
brother, he will dide his with me. But I would rather
burden no man. One hardly sees the wisdom of systems




SOCIETY PROVIDINB.             197
which are perpetually telling society that it must take care
of the individuals of which it is composed. Who ever knew
of a whole making up its parts, not of parts making up a
whble,-of a corn-stack making the ears, not of ears making
a corn-stack?  Looking at this, one is much more inclined
to tell individuals to serve society, than to tell society to
serve individuals.
If society is bound to care for one man it is bound; equally
to care for another, and so on till it must care for all; and
this is the end of every scheme of provision —not providing for
a section, but providing for the whole community. If you lay
this task of providing at the door of any collective idea,call it nation, society, empire, or anything else,-you assign
to it precisely the same work as God has divided among, not
ideas, but all men alive, charging each one of them to provide for his own. On this Divine scheme, each man has a
work before him; and the work has not to look to an idea,
but lies at the door of an actual agent, moved by affection,
by wants, and by example, to set about his duty.  On the
modern scheme, each man has to look to society, or nation,
or something of that kind to keep him,; and- when you set all
the men in a country to look out for society, or nation, you
will find that, apart, from themselves, such words represent
nothing. If society is to provide, it must either be for every
one or for a part.'If for every one, then you put universal
provision on a new footing, trusting to the regularity of a
collective organisation rather than to the fruits of individual
industry; instead of dividing the great labour as much as
possible, you deprive every individual of the sense of his in.
dividual responsibility. But if the idea of a collective. pro.
vision for every soul in a community is not entertained, tlien
you only mean that those who do provide for themselves and
their own, ought also to provide for tho*swho do not. Now,
to this we should not object, provided those who do not pro



198             INDIVIDUAL PROVISION.
vide for themselves are only those who cannot; but we do
most earnestly object to have men taught that they are not
bound to provide for themselves, but that society is bound
to provide for them: for men are so mean and selfish that.
large numbers will cheerfully resign the noble desire to keep
their necessities from burdening others, and give themselves
up to be fed and clothed, by whom they care not so only
they have plenty. And the great Author of all provision
has so ruled, beyond the reach of our control, that in any
community where many are indifferent to providing for
themselves and their own, poverty and disorder will soon
make havoc. "I must look to myself;" in the sense the
world uses it, is the utterance of selfishness,-a man reckless
of the general good, bent only on his private ends. " I must
provide for my own," in the Christian sense, is the utterance
of generosity and lowliness, —a man feeling that he has no
right to lay on others a load he should properly bear, no
right to expect from his follow men a better share in the
common inheritance than fairly belongs to his efforts in the
common labour. The selfish, greedy man will look for his
supplies-from what source will not in the least trouble
him,-and will grudge that others should be above him.
The noble and humble man will desire that he should never
cost society a mite, never cost another heart a care, and will
rejoice to see the services of others in the toil of life more
amply rewarded than his own.  This is the spirit the Gospel
breathes, with its system of individual provision, and it is the
spirit which, wherever it prevails, makes a working, earning,
contented man.
All creatures were made by a Giver; therefore, all creatures give. The dull clod gives life to the bountiful seed,
the grass-blade gives beauty to the eye and food to the herd,
the flower gives manifold pleasure, the trees give majesty
and good' service, the stones give a dwelling; the air,




ALL GIVE.                 199
the rain, the ocean, the river, all give-and who shall tell
how much?  The bird gives its music and its loveliness, the
kine give food, the fold gives raiment; the horse, the silk
worm, and all things we love to mentio  give, give; and,
above us, every star gives though bnt a slender ray, and
every planet gives, and that great sun g'ves so mueh, that
withdraw him and all these others would give no more.
And above him is the Giver who gives all these and has yet
better things to give, which will make all these look trifling.
God is ever giving: He has given heaven above and earth
below; there given angel life,-here human life; there
thrones, dominions, principalities and powers,-here grace,
mercy, and peace. He gives ever; but he does not receive,
except, indeed, the joy of seeing those happy whom he has:
enriched out of his own store.
As a man enters on this world, he enters it the offspringof the great Giver, and looking around on a -*wa le race ofe
brothers, his inquiry should be, What servic.e.can ~lAolwhat
part can I bear, what contribution can I give?-not, What
claims can I establish, and what consideration can I obtain.?
What can I do for all?-not, What can I force all to)-do
for me? And to a man in this mood of heart, nothing
would be more unwelcome than to tell him, You are to be
kept and cared for by the toil of others; you are to be a
taker not a giver. All of the Divine image that was in him
would rebel-gently, generously rebel. No, no; he would
not be a taker, he would be a giver; none should, bear his
burden, he would bear it; and if  sservices w..e of. litt1
account, still the world has many wants,andeo
ply some one of them. And saynot that any ma;'si  is:
small. He that fells trees for- us, is his- gift' sm:?I
that raises coal for us,is his gift small?:IHethi teds
sheep for us, is his gift small?- -He tha:tspinor weaves for
us, is his gift small? He that breaks -stones for us, is his




200           GIFTS GREAT AN) SMALL.
gift small? No: every one of these, if he be "a partaker
of the Divine nature," and love to live not for himself but
to show forth the image of God, can rejoice in his labour,
that he is employed under the great Giver to perform a part
in the universal giving whereon all happiness depends. Let
the gift. of those who give in any one of these lines be withheld for one year, and all would cry aloud under real want.
Yes, my honest brother, low-seated there. this frosty -morning, breaking cold stones, thou too art giving, —bearing thy
part toward the comfort of God's creation! Pity thy heart
should not have a sense of the office thou art discharging; it
would make thy service proceed more cheerily! I cannot
help feeling humbled before thee; thy toil for our commaon
family is less kindly than mine; it is a pleasanter thing to
make books for mankind than to break stones for them!
Yes, we are all sent here to.give;. and, in order to do
that, we must not be dependent. He cannot bestow to society
who lives upon society; he only gives who provides for his
own. Some there ever will be who cannot make provision
for themselves; let their kindred then be givers, and keep
them-from burdening the community. But if there is no
kindred who can or will give, O then the call of the community is clear,-love them, relieve them, make them happy;
let them not be outcasts from the family, but brethren in
need, and therefore supplied tenderly.  "If any man or
woman that believeth hath widows, let them relieve them,
and let not: the church be -charged, that it may relieve them
that are widows indeed."  Is not that law?: Does not your
conscience echo it  " He that will not work, neither should
he eat; if any man provide not for his own, and especially
for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is
worse than an infidel." Put those plain things together, and
if man attempt to mend them he will'fail. The individual
is to work; out of his earnings he is to eat; if he has some




PROPERTY AND THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH.    201
of his own house who cannot work he is to give them to eat;
if he refuse this he is an infidel and worse. And if there
are poor whom no kindred relieve, the church must relieve.
them. The individual, the family, the church; the church
comes last, and is to care for those, and for those only, who
cannot care for themselves, who are not cared for by the
family.  This is God's order; and you may make fifty
thousand other plans, but you will never put half so much
practical knowledge of man's heart and man's need into your
long plans as lies in that short one.
It is plain from the Apostle's teaching as to what families
were to do, and what the church was to do, that he taught
not the doctrine of community of goods. The church of Jerusalem. in its first flame of charity, made an approach to that
condition, but never reached it in anything like the socialistic
sense; for though they chose to sell and to distribute," Whiles
it remained was it not thine own? and after. it was sold,
was it not in thine own power?"-showing that no law had
pronounced the community sole proprietor, but that every
contributor was considered a free-will donor.  And even
this general selling and distributing never occurs elsewhere.
The example is never quoted to incite any other church;
they are called to lay by on the first day of the week, but not
to sell and distribute; and when this same church at Jerusalem has need of relief from them all, we never find her first
course pleaded, and other churches called upon to do for her
what she had done for her own. Had they done so, soon
would they have needed other churches to do the same for
them; and when a day of public distress came, all being
without-resources (which must ever be the case where none
has private property), all would have needed foreign help, as
those at Jerusalem needed it, as soon as the famine came.
In the passage above quoted, the Apostle plainly disapproves
the supplying of any want out of a church fund, but such as
9*




202             FREMIDOM oF LABOUR.
cannot be met either by individual industry or family re.
sources.
]But while utterly disbelieving the theories which tempt
our working classes to move for a new order of institutions,
one is not surprised that the neglect shown by masters generally should induce a state of feeling among their men highly
favourable to the approaches of any one who held out the
prospect of a free, equal, fraternal future. The substantial
interests of a community are promoted better a thousand
times by the perfect freedom of industry and the universal
push of individual enterprise, than it ever could be by any
interference with the relations into which labour, capital,
and talent naturally-link themselves as the emergencies of
trade may dictate.  On this free principle, he generally becomes a master whose abilities enable him, in that position,
to ensure the- maintenance of those whose lab ourseconds his
talent employs and augments his capital; and they generally
remain men whose energies produce more to themselves under vigorous supervision than they would if worked only
by'innate impulse, or guided only by their own prudence.
On this free principle, the development of industry, the
race of invention, the spread of international commerce, the
employment and the wealth of a people are advanced far
more surely, smoothly, and rapidly, than they could be by
any artificial organisation possible. But the very conviction
that only derangement and want are to be'expected from
fettering labour in order to foster it, makes one all the more
anxious to impress upon those who, under our existing system of freedom, hold the master-rank, the solemn duty that
lies upon them to make in their heart and in their actions a
very wide and a very manifest distinction between their men
and their machinery. Do, as a man and as a Christian,
do let them feel that you are their friend and brother; that
you think of them, feel for them, love them; do spend time




THE WELL RUNNINGG OVER.           203
and money to make them happy. When you prosper, let them
have some slight share in your prosperity; better make fifty
cottages a blanket warmer for the winter, than make your
own mansion a shade more splendid. If you nett five thousand on the year, what great feat would it be if one thousand
went to spread satisfaction and comfort around you?-not
in indiscriminate bounties; you should not distribute as a
machine but as a master, giving most to those whose aid
has most contributed to the result, and then (among those
whose work would just have been the same and done in the
same way had all been going to wreck as it was when all was
prospering) choose the best and most worthy to receive the
most; but in a day when much is gathered let all have a
taste. One year Mr. Budgett expected that the profits would
be large; he Wfxed behorehand on a certain sum, and said,
"So much will be the well, and all that runs over shall go
among the business." When they had proceeded far enough
to see how things would turn, he said, " The well is full;"
and-it did run over a very large amount, and many of those
below him were made well aware of it. The receipts, the
profits, the gifts of that year, I do not know; but one who
was a witness of it all told me enough to make me feel that
in what I have written above I am not running wild with
theory, but commending things which might be done. He
would often say to his heads of departments and travellers,
~ "My business! It is not my business; it is ours."  All
masters should try to diffuse that feeling, and thereby lead
those who work with them to feel with them.
It is evident that in giving his men some- reward for
good service he was actuated by a sincere desire to see them
advance.  This he constantly evinced in many ways.  One
theme of his advices habitually was that they should push
their way upward; he had a wonderful impression that all
might prosper, and a strong desire to see them do so. He




204              A LIVING CASH BOX.
was constantly enforcing habits of frugality; he would make
them if possible save a little and put it into his hand, for
which he would give them five per cent., and help them on.
One whom he persuaded thus to put ten pounds into his
hand, had seen it grow to one hundred. With his household
servants it was just the same; he could not bear to see them
neglecting means of making themselves comfortable, and
would in every way in his power induce them to save& and
look upwards.
In personal intercourse with those under him, Mr.
Budgett was extremely familiar; airs and assumptions he
knew not..  Most would have thought him -far too inattentive
to dignity; but it was his nature to be open, off-hand, and
at home. What a -subtraction from the discomfort of this
world it would be if all who have grown rich were the same.
But you have often seen a man, —-a pursy, stiff, important
man; his clothes good, well made, fitting tightly on a front
person which has a particular, contented set; his - lip locked
and slightly curling; his nose slightly curling too; his
shoulders moving under a deep conviction that they carry a
momentous head; and the head not bent forward, not thrown
backward, not leaned to one side, but cast half upwards, half
sideways, very slightly, as if just commencing a consequential toss:-there he is, and whenever you see him, you read,
" CASH-Box" as plainly as ever you read it on a Chubb; and
in' his presence a poor man feels just as he always does in
the presence of a Chubb-' No access there for me!" Now
Mr. Budgett never was a cash-box; he was always a plain
free-spoken man, who talked with his men homely and
kindly, and if they were in fault would lecture them sharply;
but if he thought he had unduly hurt a man's feelings, would
take a speedy opportunity of making friends with him, and
if he believed it due, would beg pardon of one of the humblest. " Indeed, he was an adept at begging pardon," said




BUSINEsS METATGS.               205
one who had long been close by his side. And a right good
art that wherein to be an adept, especially when inferiors
are concerned.
A habit existed in the establishment up to Mr. Budgett's
death which dated from an early period of its history. Every
month the heads of departments and the travellers met the
principals, when all spoke freely on matters affecting the
concern, each being expected to state anything which he
thought wanted to be supplied, altered or discontinued.
The observations of each would naturally Lefer to his own
department; but all the range of subjects was open. By
this means the principals had the personal advantage of all
the experience of their responsible assistants, and these had
the comfort of feeling that they could say whatever appeared
to them desirable on points affecting either the morality, the
comfort, or the success of the establishment. All parties
gained light and stimulus, and all gradually acquired a feeling of common responsibility and common interest. After
these meetings the principals and travellers took tea together.
Besides this monthly meeting, it was usual, after stocktaking, to give all the men a supper. On these occasions
the rewards for punctual attendance were distributed tq
those who had earned them, and every man who had not had
one black mark received his bright sovereign, which fre.
quently amounted to a handsome sum altogether.  Thus
When the commercial harvest-home came, the labourers had
the harvest-home feast, and a good practical stimulus to boot
for their future benefit. All had an opportunity of saying
anything that was upon their heart to say.
When the fire compelled the removal of the establishment to BristoI, some irregularity occurred in these important interchanges of good feeling. But Mr. Budgett had not
lost the desire to cherish between himself and his men all




206               A BUSINESS rETE.
the sympathies of friendship; accordingly we find a local
paper giving the following account of
AA BUSINESS FETE.
"On Friday last the neighbourhood of Nelson Street
was enlivened by a gay and busy movement in the establishment' of Messrs. Budgett. The annual festival given to
their men was on this occasion provided for them at the
country' residence of one of the senior partners, Samuel
Budgett, Esq., Kingswood Hill. Coaches, omnibuses, and
carriages of nearly every description were put in requisition
to carry the inmates of this hive of industry to the spot.
Ample preparation were there found both for the recreation
of the body as well as the mind; and the weather for the
most part proving favourable, all seemed happy in exchanging the stale atmosphere of stone walks and walls for the
more healthy retreat of rural scenery. At three o'clock
about 200 of their business staff sat down to a sumptuous dinner in the open air on the lawn adjoining the house, when' the
good cheer' found a cordial welcome and a hearty dispatch.
This being ended, the party was soon joined by their wives
and friends, to spend with each other the remainder of the'day.' Athletic exercises, games, and other amusements were
then indulged in upon the spacious grounds, whilst a select
band of music in attendance kept up the mirthful sound and' made the welkin ring.' The pleasure grounds, fruit garden,
and shrubberies were all thrown open to the company, and
noscene could portray a happier appearance of self-enjoyment and social union. In the evening from 300 to 400 assembled for tea under a large covered building, after which
several animated speeches were delivered by the gentlemen
present, among whom were the clergy and ministers of each
denomination in the village.- A beautifully mounted silver




THE FETE.                  207
inkstand, procured from Mr. W. Hodson, Broadmead, by
the united contributions of each assistant in the concern,
was then presented to the eldest son, Mr. J. S. Budgett, as
a token of their sincere respect and attachment. The day
closed too quickly upon these mutual pleasures, when all returned with a recollection of their social and commercial
union. We cannot do better than recommend a similar experiment to all who wish to cherish in their business one
common feeling of interest which ought always to exist between employers and the employed."
The Rev. B. Carvosso gives the following note cf the
same meeting:" Not long before I left Kingswood, he got all his com-:mercials, clerks, porters, labourers, with their families to
Kingswood, to dinner and tea. There were about 400 of
his people present, two clergymen, an Independent minister,
and two Wesleyan ministers. He gave a lengthened address which appeared to me of an extraordinary character;
-I have often wished notes had been marle of it, and it had
been printed. Of the kind I think it was a masterpiece,
both for its matter and manner. Except on that occasion
I never heard him come out in a set public address, but the
talent then- displayed convinced me of the grasp of his
mind, and how greatly some had mistaken him."
Now, what is there impossible in all this; and what could
be more helpful to the good feeling of the whole community
than its frequent imitation? To see all the inhabitants of
that huge store packing themselves into vehicles with all the
glee of a festivity; driving away to the country scene of their
master's residence, of their own former labours, gathering on
the fair lawn, round a table where everygood thing abounded,
porter and waggoner, clerk and salesman, traveller and cooper, errand boy and principal, all sitting down in hearty: kin



208            SPEECHES WITHOUT TOASTS.
dred; while five ministers come to honour the meeting of
different grades, and show the meeting of different sects.
Then, the repast over, the men betake themselves according
to taste, unrestrained and unawed, some to saunter round
the grounds, some to sports; while the music stirs them,
and their wives, their mothers, their sweethearts arrive to
share the pleasure, and presently to share a grateful treat of
tea.  And the principal and his sons amidst it all seem the
chief pleasure-takers of the day. But after tea it proves
that the men, having learned that the eldest " of the young
gentlemen" is about to make a home of his own, have resolved that the treat of the day shall not be all on one side,
and therefore a pretty silver inkstand, bearing grateful words,
is presented with expressions that honour all parties, and
tend more to cement all. Then good wholesome speeches'
are made by one and another-master, man, and strangerswithout our national absurdity of toasts; and the energetic
architect of this prosperity throws his-whole heart into words
meant to help his men to be wise, to prosper, and to gain
eternal life. One would greatly like to have those words,
but they are not;-they are gone, and he that spoke them;yet mayhap they live in the life and heart of some youth
who that day heard them.
Now, those who wail over the festal boards of feudal
times may take both a consolation and a hint as to their own
age from a scene like this. Wherein is this commercial fte
inferior to a muster of rough men, used to rough deeds, and
clattering with rough weapons-men whose dreams are of
foray and feud. These men of trade are better clad, better
housed, better fed, better taught, have far more of freedom
and of opportunity to rise if the ability to rise is in them;
and they are employed not in broils, but in ministering to
the daily wants'of their neighbours.  They are a better,
more useful, and more comfortable race incomparably than




THE EXAAMPLE TO MASTERS.           209
the old wassailers of chivalric days; and that merchant may
look upon his retainers with an honest satisfaction, for he
and they are doing a milder, worthier work far than the lords
and the followers of ancient times. Such a scene, too, suggests the way wherein the relations of commerce may be
elevated above that leaden materialism which too generally
pervades them, and imbued with some moral warmth, some
kindred and mutual feeling. I have lately been delighted
to hear of several cases wherein manufacturers adopt this
practice of annually giving their men an entertainment;
and it cannot be too strongly recommended, for such cases
are yet very rare. We have heard of mind among the
spindles, and do let us try to get some heart among them
also.
The year after the one in which the gala just spoken of
took place, another was given in a large room in the warehouse. The room was decorated with all manner of evergreens, devices, and mottoes. These were chosen by the
men, and indicated their varying taste,-the religious man,
the man of business, the lover of a pleasantry. The meeting left such a relish in the memory of the men, that some
of the mottoes then used had been preserved, and were put
into my hand. The first that meets my eye was germain
enough to the place:PERSEVERANCE
SURIMOUNTS
DIFFICULTIES.
The next which turns up. seems to have come out of a
practical head:MAY POVERTY BE
ALWAYS
A I)A YES MARCH BlEHIND US!




210                ANOTHER FETE.
This is followed by one which seemed to catch the spirit
of such an entertainment:UNION OF OBJEOT7
UNION OF EFFORT,
UNION OF FEELING.
Here is one emanating evidently from a-mind in which
the work of life and the presiding power of God were seen
in their fit connexion:
THE BLESSING OF THE LORD MAXETH RICH.
IN ALL LABOUR THERE IS PROFIT.
WHATSOEVER THY HAND FINDETH TO DO,
DO IT WITH ALL THY MIGHT.
This I find followed by one whose author seemed to be
moved by the fact that the gentleman to whom they, at the
last meeting, presented the silver inkstand, was now about
to bring among them a wife and a party of new relations, in
whose presence and connexion " with the house," all felt, and
with good reason, a personal honour:THE SINGLE MARRIED,
AND THE MARRIED HAPPY!
Following this, comes one with a specially florid border,
which tells a good tale of master and men:THE THANKS OF THE ESTABLISHMENT
ARE TENDERED TO
MESSRS H. H. AND S. BUDGETT AND CO.,
FOR THEIR
GREAT LIBERALITY
IN PRESENTING
~100
TO THE SICK FUND,
AND FOR THE GENEROUS MANNER THEY WISH IT
APPROPRIATED.




THE SPEECHES OF THE MEN.             211
And the last that lies on my table is well worthy to be
blazoned on such an establishment:DILIGENT IN BUSINESS,
FERVENT IN SPIRIT.
The room thus prepared according to the best taste the
house could command, the men were met by their superior, his
family, their new connexions from the great metropolis, and
some other friends whose presence was an honour. Refreshments were plentiful, tempers were blithe; and after a while
Mr. Farmer, of Gunnersbury House, the father-in-law of the
young master, was called to the chair, and a flow of good feeling was interchanged by all parties. The speaking was not
confined to the " platform," but the men were called upon to
speak freely, and used the liberty with both spirit and discretion. According to their turn of mind they spoke of the
hand of Providence displayed in the progress of " the business," of the importance of true religion, of purely business
topics, or of some matter calculated to raise a smile. Fine
feeling, pleasure, cheerfulness, good counsel, and piety ran
through the whole proceedings. Many a hearty laugh was
there, and many a useful impression. The speakers were of
all grades; the oldest and the most respectable men in the
establishment, the younger clerks, the working men of different branches, and even the boys being represented. One of
the leaders of the house heartily congratulated " our young
master," expressed their pleasure at seeing so distinguished
a gentleman in their chair, and especially their pleasure in
seeing so many ladies with them; yet, the while, in good
home tones, to which all kindly hearts echoed, declared that
after all, his own fireside treasure was not to be bartered for
any of them. The burden of several speeches was on the
rise of the business; and over and over have I heard the
regret expressed that no report had been taken-a regret




212                THE SNOWBALL
wherein, certainly, I share. One man had a metaphor which
appears to have made a great impression, wherein the business was a gun and the different agencies answered to the
different parts of the gun; but of all his " admiring hearers,"
I have met with none who could put together the stock, lock,
and barrel, although they declare that the gun went off with
great Eclat. Another man, in rich Kingswood accent, said
that once when a boy he had come up out of a pit on a winter morning and found the ground covered with snow. Hie
began to rowl, and rowled till he had a great big ballO 0 ever
so big, till he could rowl no more; but he called another boy
or two and they rowled and rowled till their ball was mon-trous big; then they did a le~ae it there. The thaw came
and all the snow did melt away, but their ball did stand, and
after none of the snow was to be seen nowhere, the ball was
there a standing still. Now, Mr. Budgett was just like he:
he had a begun and rowled and it grew bigger; then he did
call first one and then another, and they rowled and rowled,
and here they were all o' em; every one a rowling as hard
as they could, and he didn't know how big the ball would
grow afore they had done rowling; and he was sure that just
like their ball, it would stand when a great deal of others
was all melted nowhere.
Now which was it more rational,-to gather his men and
spend such an evening with them,-or give a ball and supper
to a party of rich people, and introduce them to his new
alliances? Which was the more likely to spread real happiness, good feeling, good principles; and good living     With
such scenes before us, and with the impression they have
plainly left on those who partook of them, is it not altogether
gratuitous to consign the different ranks of commercial life
to hopeless alienation? They may meet, may eat and drink
together, may kindle up good feeling, and may thus form ties
which will unite men and master, give a heart to their inter



DAILY PRAYER.                 213
course. and render all parties happier in their lot. But the
man who would hold such festivities with full success, must
not be a large gentleman who will magnificently meet his
men " from a sense of duty," and speak in great tones of the
mutual interests of different ranks, and be mightily condescending. All that will only leave things where it found
them. The man who would do this duty rightly must do it
from the heart, because he loves his men, delights in seeing
them happy, and feels that they have a claim on his best attentions. With a heart so prepared, he will have a winning
cordiality which will go further than even the good fare.
The habit of daily prayer in the establishment, which we
noticed in our first chapter, had existed from the beginning.
When the business was only retail, all were gathered together as a family; and when it branched out into an extensive concern, a portion of the premises at Kingswood was
set.apart as a " chapel," and still stands there serving many
sacred purposes. In Nelson Street this admirable habit was
maintained, and there also a room devoted to this purpose.
More than once I have taken part with the men in their
united devotions, and that with delight and thanksgiving.
You could not help feeling that a better tone must be created amongst those men by this daily pause in their haste, this
hearing of the Holy Word, this bowing at the awful yet
gracious throne. One of those who knew every joint of the
establishment, who had risen with it and loved it as if it were
his own, (a feeling, by the way, which I found more among
the servants of that establishment than among those of any
other with whom I have ever conversed,) remarked how this
practice tended to induce among the men order and regularity
of life, even where decided piety was -not the result. "Besides, you see, Sir, in this way the men get to pray for the
blessings of God on the business, and there is a great deal




214  AN UNEXPECTED VISIT.
in that. Many would like to get to the elevation we have
reached, but they cannot without the same blessing."
In the Christian Miscellany for 1847, is the following
account, written by one then living at Kingswood, the scene
of which you will have no difficulty in recognising;"EXAMPLE TO MERCANTILE ESTABLISHMENTS.'Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit.'
"ON the 2nd of November, 1846, after a drive of several
miles from the country, at half-past seven in the morning, I
dropped unintentionally into the extensive and busy warehouse of --, in. I heard singing, "the voice of
rejoicing and salvation," in one of -the upper' rooms.  The
senior clerk said to me, "Our men are engaged in morning
prayer: will you not step up and see them? Do, Sir." At
once deeply interested, I ascended, and entered a room thirtyfive or forty feet long, furnished with benches, having comfortable backs, closely placed, and at the upper end was a
table and a large fire. How was I surprised and delighted
to find from fifty to one hundred, (for every seat seemed
occupied with its complement,) chiefly porters in their white
frocks, all sitting in the stillness and seriousness of family
devotion!  At the table sat an interesting, devout labourer, giving out one of our beautiful hymns with a tenderness. and pathos that touched my heart; while the singing was conducted with a sweetness and harmony that
charmed and edified. The Hymn-book was offered to me;
but I declined it. After singing, I was again requested to
lead their devotions. The Bible lay open on the table at
the twenty-fifth chapter of St. Matthew.  I read the appropriate parables of the virgins and the talents. We then fell
on our knees and worshipped the God of all commerce in
earth and seas; when every man rose to attend the call of




TIIE VISITOR'S ACCOUNT.           215
duties. I felt it no common privilege to join with those
praying porters and devout clerks; and the scene, so good,
and coming so unexpectedly, I assure you, Mr. Editor, has
left an impression on me I shall not soon forget. Is not this
an example to all commercial establishments; an example
worthy of general imitation? Here is a noble room for the
daily worship of God in the heart of a range of warehouses,
and the large number of hands employed therein have a
regular portion of time allotted them for that holy purpose. Nor is time whiled away here; the porters and clerks
are all required to be on the premises at six o'clock every
morning, or pay a small fine in case of delinquency, as well
as forfeit the master's daily pecuniary reward for punctuality. Some of the men live four miles distant; but the habit
of punctuality is so established, that certain of them have
never been once subject to the forfeiture through a long
course of years. Precision, order, energy, and exactness are
principles engraved on every department of the vast business
here conducted. But everything is'sanctified by the word
of God and prayer;' and therefore it is no matter of astonment to those who have faith in the Bible, that the energetic
and worthy proprietor of this exemplary mercantile establishment, in addition to his having much peace and piety among
his men, has risen from small and low beginnings to great
wealth and prosperity.'Him  that honoureth me, I will
honour.'                    A WESLEYAN MINISTER."'
Ah! say, if all the good men in the world went into your
warehouse every day in the year, and all the day long, would
they ever witness a scene which would make them thank
God?  Would they ever see anything to prove that you
wished to teach your men that they had souls to prepare for
life eternal   The blessing of which my good friend to
whom I referred above spoke was sarely upon that establish



216            HYPOCR rrs    THE. HOUSE.
ment in answer to prayer. Mr. Carvosso says: —" I have
heard some of his neighbour tradesmen speak as if he rose
by magic, and the matters of Nelson Street were an- affair
of legerdemain.' He sells,' said/ one to me,'cheaper than
he buys; I know he does, from what he has bought of me:
there is some deep mystery in his affairs.' So spoke a man
of business not his friend.  Well, I will not say that the
spell of heaven was not upon him:' There is that scattereth
and yet increaseth; there is that withholdeth more than is
meet, but it tendeth to poverty.' Joseph was'a prosperous
man,' by the peculiar blessing of God; so was Samuel
Budgett."
On witnessing the scene at ":family prayer," it immediately struck me that a man of the world would expect
such an establishment to be prolific of hypocrites; therefore
I asked the senior just alluded to, if he could remember
many cases having occurred in the course of his service,
wherein men professing religion had played foul with the
firm. The question was new to him, and gave him some surprise:-" Well, I have been about twenty-five years in the
house, and we have had members of the different churchesof the Establishment, Independents, Baptists, Quakers, and
many Wesleyans,-and we have had a few cases of pilfering
and dishonesty; but I do not remember any case of that happening with a man who was a member of any church." He
then detailed one or two instances of dishonesty and detection. At a subsequent interview he said, that he believed
one of the persons he had named had been taken by another
of the men, only a week before his detection, to a class
meeting of the Wesleyan body; but that was all the approach he had made to membership.  This fact is very remarkable: the blessing daily invoked was not fruitless; the
moral tone maintained was powerful in restraining; and
doubtless much was due to Mr. Budgett's firm opposition to




SERVILITY AINTD LAXITY.           217
all imposture, and keen insight into men. Had he been
slow to discover or lax to punish deception, without doubt
he would have reared a numerous race of fair-faced impostors; but under his eye false pretence shrank and despaired. The result is one that religious masters should well
ponder; every ruler ought to be a terror to evil doers, as well
as a praise to them that do well. That is the example set
by the great Ruler and his counsel to all rulers.
We before alluded to a system by which Mr. Budgett
had transgressors reported to him; and whether the complaint was respecting business or character, the defaulter
was sent for into the private office, and had to confront the
master alone. His words of rebuke were generally short
and telling; but in a grave case he would take much pains
to make a favourable moral impression on the man. To
boys he would often, besides advice, give a book, such as
James's' Young Man from Home,' or' A Father's Counsels
tob a Son.' You may remember the old man who told of the
money-givings at the gothic door: I asked him, "Did he
ever speak to you about your soul?" " Often, Sir," was the
pensive reply, as if the tone reproached a too heedless hearing. The bare fact of having, in case of fault, to go alone
into "the private office," was no small poise against transgression, and this personal contact with the master must
have had far more effect than any rebuke by deputy, or a
punishment without such moral application. If any man repeatedly transgressed, "He will never do us any good, the
sooner he is off the premises the better," was the conclusion,
and he must be discharged. Indulgence to wrong doing is
no kindness to an individual; and to a community it is ruinous. Cruelty could not desire anything more than rulers
who would treat good and evil alike. In a community where
offences rise, punishment is not the work of cruelty but of
goodness; the suffering of the culprit being the protection
10




218             -  A. GASKINS SKETCH.
of the community from  universal corruption and misery.
Too great; severity and too great laxity both show an unfit
ruler; but total laxity is the greatest plague to which family,.
town, or nation, could be subjected.You will gather, then, that as a master Mr. Budgett expected full tale' of service,-expected order, zeal, and industry; that he carefully trained his men to the most useful
habits of business, and- strictly repressed irregularity or ill
conduct; that he rewarded diligence, provided for their
relief in sickness, brought their hours of labour within a:
moderate limit, proved their friend in time of need, and
encouraged them to rise; that hewas familiar in intercourse,
and loved to meet them in temperate but cheerful festivities;
that he did not forget they were immortal, but~ took: means
to -lead them to remember their Creator, to cultivate- the
godliness which "hath the promise both of the life that now
is, and of that which is to come."  In all this, has he not
left a. lesson which many masters may study with advantage.  --
To the Rev. John Gaskin, Reotor of St. Cuthbert's, Bed.
ford, who was for years Incumbent: of Kingswood, I am
indebted for the following beautiful sketch, which will throw
a clearer light on many of the points touched in this chapter,
and on Mr. Budgett's character generally.  The reader
will prefer it in the free style in which it has been furnished for my use, rather than if moulded into formal quotationsz:
" I ought, perhaps, to introduce my remarks by admitting
that my acquaintance with Mr. Samuel Budgett commenced
under circumstances of very strong prejudice against him.
The origin of this feeling is not a matter of importance to,
any. My only motive in making the allusion is to do justice
to the' integrity of character, the amiability of disposition,




PREFUDICE; AND HOW DISPELLED.          219
the forbearance of temper hich ultimately broke down so
formidable a barrier against close and loving friendship.
"At the time of which I write, and for several years
afterwards, the business premises of the Messrs. Budgett
stood on Kingswood Hill.  I imagine there could not have
been, even then, less than a hundred pair of hands in their
employ.  Of these parties, some were under articles of apprenticeship-youths of respectable parentage, with whom
handsome premiums had been paid, and whose temporary
home was in the family of one of the partners; others were
young unmarried men, having, generally, apartments in the
village; others, again, were heads of families, occupying
houses in the neighbourhood. You can easily conceive with
how much solicitude my attention was directed to this very
important section of my parishioners; and how largely my
heart was relieved from anxiety on their account, as time
passed on, and revealed to me the extent to which their best
interests were provided for by those on whom the responsibility so immediately rested.
"I have spoken of prejudice in my mind.  This was
partly produced by the remarks of persons who, I afterwards discovered, had yet to learn the motives which should
actuate Christian masters in regard to those whom God had
brought under their influence. The process under which
my mind was disabused of the prejudice which had been
thus inspired was the most favourable for all parties.  My
first correct impressions of the internal arrangements connected with this'gigantic hive,' as it has-been called, were
gathered out of doors in my ministerial intercourse with
the families of those who were employed in it. I have a
clear recollection of the very first incident of the kind that
occurred to me. My call was at the dwelling of one of
Mr. Budgett's clerks. I had had frequent interviews with
him, but on this occasion he was from home. His wife took




220        THE TALE OF THE CLERKBS WIFE.
the opportunity of thanking me for the interest I appeared
to take in her husband, and'earnestly expressed her gratitude for the kind providence which had directed their steps
to Kingswood. They had formerly been in business for
themselves, and their'circumstances had been those of comparative affluence; but they had experienced sad reverses,
and these, I subsequently learned from the husband himself,
were mainly to be attributed to his own irregular habits.
For months they had been without a home; every effort to
procure employment had failed; for days together they had
scarcely had food; and, to use the poor woman's own words,'when we came into this house, we had scarcely anything
around us but the bare walls.' Mr. Budgett, she informed
me, had promised, through some friends, to give her husband
a trial, and it was this which had brought them to Kingswood.'I shall never forget,' she said,'my husband's feelings when he first came in after having seen Mr. Budgett for
the first time. He wept like a child-indeed, we both wept,
for it was so long since any body had been kind to us. Mr.
Budgett had been speaking to him like a father, but what
affected him most was this,-when he had signed the agreement, Mr. Budgett took him from the counting-house into a
small parlour in his own house, and offered up.a prayer for
him  and his family.' In a short time after this, (I think
she said the very next day,) Mr. Budgett's sister, -'Miss
Elizabeth'-had come down, and after a few delicate inquiries about furniture, bedding and clothing, arrangements
had been made for placing them in circumstances of comfort. Mrs. -- added, that from the time of her husband's
having entered into Mr. Budgett's employment he had been
a different man; all his tastes seemed to have undergone a
change: their means were limited, it was true, compared
with what they once had been, but they were now in the enjoyment of a happiness to which they were strangers when




THIE SCHOLAR IN THE WAREHOUSE.         221
they were surrounded by what they used to regard as the
comforts of life.  In concluding her story, she remarked,
Mr. -  always says that the secret of Mr. Budgett's success in business' lies in his true religion.'
"And Mr. -   was right. Never have I witnessed such
a remarkable instance of a Afirm of mercantile men, being
guided by the Saviour's injunction,' Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall
be added unto you.'
" As circumstances brought me into more frequent and
closer communication with the heads of the firm, I had better
opportunities for accurately observing she internal arrangements of their establishment, and the principles by: which
they seemed to be guided in every.department of its operations. The more I saw the more I admired, and the longer
the time-I have had. for revolving my growing impressions
the more I am satisfied that they'were fairly deduced. It
was scarcely possible to.enter the premises without being
struck with the marvellous tone of order which pervaded
every part of the busy scene. I recall, at this very moment,
the manner and exclamation of an intelligent youth, who,
while spending part of one of his vacations at the parsonage,
happened to be with me when I was calling -on Mr. Budgett.
On entering the counting-house I missed my young friend,
and when I stepped back to look for him, I fQund him standing in the middle of one of the warehouses, gazing in an
attitude of'utter astonishment. When he caught sight:of
me, he lifted up his hands, and exclaimed,-'Hoc opus, hic labor est.'
Indeed, the most ordinary spectator must have observed, at
a glance, that every movement he witnessed was under the
control of one head,-that every person,'from the mere boy
who was nimbly picking up the crooked nails by the side of




222              SEPARATE BEDROOMS.
a newly-opened hogshead, to the sedate clerk who was sitting
over his calculations at the desk, felt that he had a work to
do; and, judging from the intense earnestness of his manner,
that he felt also that his interest, nay, his happiness, no less
than his duty, lay in his doing that work well. If the spectator sought for the secret influence which was at work, producing this result, he must step within, and get such an
insight into the real character of the controlling head, as
might enable him to appreciate the sympathetic thrill which
could not fail to be caught from a spirit earnestly at work,
feeling that the work was lawful,-that it must be sustained
not for self only, but for the good of others also, —and that,
to secure success, it must be carried on constantly in the fear
of God.
"The influenee of these principles ought to have been
felt from the very first day on which any person might have
entered into Mr. Budgett's employ.  The domestic arrangements were such that the youth, fresh from school, wasi
taught to begin and end the business of each day in the
privacy of the closet; and. the same salutary lesson was
taught to the entire body of the employed as far as circumstances would admit, for they were statedly assembled in a
private chapel on the premises for morning prayer.  I well
remember how grateful to my own heart was the discovery
that every youth in that establishment had his owtn private
sleeping apartment, with the expr'ess understanding that
this arrangement was made in order that he might feel
himself alone with his Father which is in heaven, when, at
suitable times, he might be disposed to retire for the reading
of the Scriptures, meditation, and prayer; and well do I
remember my feelings when first I heard from within the
walls of that little unpretending chapeli-now how doubly
dear, from the recollection that loved ones, then on earth,
but now in heaven, were wont to worship there!-.well do I




LABORER'  S HYMN.                  223
recall the thrill of devout gratitude to God which came over
my soul, when from those walls I first heard the volume of
manly voice raised in holy songg-'Forth, in thy name, O Lord, I go,
My daily labour to pursue;
Thee, only thee, resolved to know,
In all I think, or speak, or do.'The task thy wisdom hath assign'd,
O let me. cheerfully fulfill
In all'my works thy presence find,
And prove-thy acceptable will.'Thee may.   I set at my right hand,
Whose eyes amy inmo     st substance se;,
End labour on at thy command,
And& offer allmy Works to to ehe'Give me to bear thy easy yoke,.
And every moment wateh and.pray;
And still to things eternal look,.
And hasten to thy glorious day.'For thee delightfully employ,
Whate'er thy bounteous grace hath given;
And.run my.course with even joy,
And closely walk with thee to heaven.'
What was thus devoutly commenced in the -retirement of the
closet, or in domestic worship on a large scale, was followed
up practically in the business arrangements throughout the
day.  A conscientious regard to order, punctuality, and just
dealing was obvious to any intelligent observer.  Hooker's
motto " ORDER, heaven's first law," seemed to be the grand
prevailing principle over every movement of hand or foot.
There was haste, but no hurry; dispatch, but no confusion.
Every one was taught that irregularity on his part might be




224                JUST DEFLING.
fatal to the regularity of another, and, therefore, he must
avoid it. PUNCTUALITY was another remarkable feature. I
have known. the driver of the conveyance which was sent into
Bristol three times a week for the convenience of the inhabitants on the Hill: rebuked for waiting for his own master,
and thus entailing inconvenience on the parties who had
taken their seats at the proper time. Here, again, the lesson
was constantly enforced, that the want of punctuality might
inflict an injury on others, and, therefore, such an evil was to
be diligently guarded against.  Principles of JUST DEALING,
also, were constantly being urged. It was carried into the
minutest matters, and, like all besides, enforced on the principles of the Saviour's' golden rule.' I have known a young
man expostulated with for using more twine than was necessary in making up a parcel; and another person's servant
admonished that the time he was spending in gossip was his
master's-not his own. I was once passing through one of the
warehouses with Mr. Budgett, when he observed a young
man cutting paper for bags in a manner which incurred
loss of time and waste of material.  He pointed out to
him the mistake in the kindest manner, folded the paper
and cut a considerable quantity of it himself, and having
thus demonstrated his point both in regard to material
and time, he remarked,' Of course it will be wrong to
me should you recur to your former method in this
matter; and I know you would not wish to injure your
employer even in so small a thing as this. But see the
injury you will do yourself, should -you ever have a business of your own, and not have acquired the most economical method of doing things of this kind.' On another occasion I was with him,-he was passing through the'Fruitroom' with his usually quick step, —when his equally sharp
eye caught the balance of a pair of scales which were being
at that- moment used: the poise was against the customer,




THE FALSE CAST OF A BALANCE.          225
Never shall I forget the sharpness of the rebuke which that
young man-received. Months had elapsed between this incident and the one I have just named, for they were during
two separate visits from Bedford to Bristol; but I immediately contrasted in my own mind the severe tone of the rebuke administered when the interest of another was affect*ed, with the mild and gentle remonstrance when only self
appeared to be concerned. I may just add here, that severity was by no means congenial to his nature; indeed, the
gentleness of his temper stood out in marvellous relief from
the general energy of his character. On the occasion alluded
to, when, some hours afterwards, we were walking together
in one of his shrubberies, he stopped short, and said,' I have
been thinking a good deal about my manner this morning
*with.  Do you think I was too sharp with him?' I
replied,'Well,. I confess I should have been afraid of you
for the next six months, if you had given me such a rating;
and I am sure you would not wish any of your young men
to be afraid of you.''You're right!' he rejoined;'I was
too- sharp; I've done mischief: I see it all. I've not only
made him afraid of seeing me, but-' and he lowered his
voice, and changing his naturally quick mode of speaking,
he added very solemnly,'I have brought a reproach on
Christianity!' and then, with a look of peculiar meekness,
he said,'My Saviour never so rebuked me!  I've done
wrong; I'11 send for him into the counting-house the next
time I go into Bristol. I'11 repeat to him how wrong it was
of him to be so careless, and I'11 tell him how wrong it was
of me to speak so harshly to him.' Those who knew my dear'Uncle Samuel,' will have no difficulty in realising to themselves what must have occurred in the private counting-houso
when he next went into Bristol.
" You know the astonishing influence which Mr. Budgett
always seemed to hold over those in his employment. The




.226             STUDYING HIS MEN.
secret of that influence was to be traced to their personal
attachment to him, and'the master-spring of that attachment
was to be found in the living sympathy which every one in
the establishment, from the very stripling to the man of hoary
hairs, knew he had -lying deep in his employer's breast.
I have found him poring over the sheet of card-board containing the names of all the persons in his employment.'Here's a task!' he would exclaim, as I entered the private
counting-house. "Come, I hope you can stay; you're the
very man I want; sit down; you'll help me essentially.
I'm canvassing this list of names one by one, and considering
what I shall have to say to each. I must see every one who
is named here.  Some I shall have to commend-that's
always pleasant to me. There's   -; he's a truly valuable fellow-always punctual, always correct; call for that
man's books at any moment, you won't find a figure unposted;-and accurate to a stroke of the pen, why you won't
find an i undotted; what is more, he's a good man,-indeed,
you always see the two things go together. I intend to make
that man a present at stock-taking, and I hope I shall be
able to give him something worth his acceptance. There
again; there's your'little friend.''His head grows wiser,
and his heart grows better every day, but his body does not
grow a bit bigger. Every word you used to say about him
seems to be coming true. I sometimes look at him as he is
standing before me by the side of half-a-dozen full grown
men,: and I think, If all you great fellows were rolled into
one, the mass of you would not be half as really great as littie —. And here's a little fellow we have in the yard:
he was in your school. He's as sharp as a needle. I hope
he will prove to have good principles. I think he's truthful.
I shall bring him out of the yard by-and-bye, and place him
where I can see more of him. If he proves to be as well
principled as he is active and intelligent, he shall learn the




POINTING OUT AN EXAMPLE..227
trade, and we'll try to make a man of him.'' Yes,' he would
emphatically add,'it's aalways pleadsant to commend. But
the faultfinding part of the business?-and a heaviness of
spirit would seem to come over him, softening,'for the moment, his sharp, keen eye-' how I wish you would relieve
me of this! But no; it is a duty for which I am responsible to God, and I will discharge it myself.' He would then
proceed with the names which he had ticked with his pencil;.he would continue his comments as he went on, but in a tone
intimating a sadness of spirit corresponding with the difference of character which he was now noting; and occasionally'he would ask my opinion with regard to the positions he intended to take in his reproofs or, his encouragements. It:was but seldom I made a remark in reply, beyond one of
mere pleasantry. When, however, I did offer a suggestion,
such was the humility of the man, it was generally adopted,
and always acknowledged- in a manner far beyond its worth.
For example:-In one instance he was proposing to point
out a certain youth in the establishment by way of example
to another. I ventured to remark, that if he did so, he
would probably inspire bad feelings towards his beau ideal
in the breast of the boy he wished to benefit. He caught
at the idea in a moment.' You're right,' he said;'I see I
must not do it; and yet I am almost sorry, because -
is just the boy I could wish the other to imitate; for his
age, and the length of time he has been with us, he is all I.could wish him to be. But, as you very properly observe,
it will be an ill requital to render him, by any act: of mine,
the victim of envy or bad feeling. What shall I do?' I
mentioned to him a method that Cecil sometimes pursued in
the pulpit, and advised him to adapt it to the case before us.'Keep A,' I said,' steadily in your mind, but don't name
him; describe all the excellences with the love of which you
would inspire B, and to the cultivation of which you desire




228                    INSIGoT.
to provoke him; only take.care to assure him that you have
seen all this in a boy not older than himself. If you leave
him under the impression that your standard of excellency
is' only to be found in a man, you will probably repress any
little disposition he may have to make the effort you-require;
but let him see that the model you propose for his imitation
is really a boy of the same age, and under the same circumstances as himself, and he will feel and own that he has before him a standard which he may and ought to reach.' Most
warmly he thanked me, and added,'I shall make that hint
tell in more cases than this. But Cecil! Cecil! I've heard
that name. Who was he'?' I explained, and told him of a
little book of his —' Cecil's Remains'-which was always
lying on my library table. His more intihmate friends will
anticipate what followed:'-' That's the sort of book I like,
sharp, short, and decisive,-order it for me, will you, the
next time you go to your bookseller's
" I have said how thankfully my relative received the
smallest hint that he might turn to the advantage of those
in his employment. This was the more remarkable in one
who stood so little in need of counsel on this score. Indeed, he was superior to any man I have ever known for his
penetrating insight into character, and for his ability to deal
with then specific case before him. He would call a young
man aside, in a few minutes draw from him the acknowledg
ment of the very failing he had observed in him and which
he wished to correct, and then, having kindly but pointedly
shown him the consequences of such a failing through life if not
remedied, he would dismiss him with a few simple but pungent words o'f advice-advice of such a nature, couched in
such terms, and breathed'in such a spirit, that it would probably never be forgotten.  The diffident and desponding
would leave his presence encouraged and cheered; the vain
and conceited would return to the counter or the desk hum



ADMONITIONS.                 229
bled; and yet each would equally feel that he had a friend
in his master, capable of appreciating, ready to approve
worth of the lowliest and most unobtrusive kind, but no less
skilled in detecting and faithful to rebuke the smallest delinquency. In some instances he seemed to create —I need
hardly remark that I use the word in its qualified sense,he seemed to create the very virtue:he wished to promoteby
giving a youth credit for it, and to crush the very vice he deplored by leading one to suppose'that he thought him intapable of indulging it. And all this, I am most entirely
persuaded, was done with such simplicity of heart and suchsingleness of eyei, that he might have justified himself in
the spirit and the very words of the Apostle,'Being crafty,
I icaught you with guile.''- I shall add a few words on another point, illustrative of
the deep interest which- Mr. Budgett cherished towards
those he employed in regard to the comfort of their homes,
the vigilance with which he would observe and read the very
countenance of a man when once he became apprehensive
that he was in trouble, and the delicacy and tact with which
he would reach the truth and apply the necessary aid. In
these particulars it is probable that I- knew more of him than
any one beyond his own family, during the whole: period of
my residence at Kingswood.- Many of his frequent, hasty
visits to the parsonage were on errands of love of this particular kind. I was often his almoner/-with a strict injunction that no reference should be made to him in the matterwhere he wished to: send relief to some unhappy family, the
head of which he had been obliged to discard.:He would
sometimes-especially if he thought he had placed me in a
difficulty —run back to me in the library after he had reached the bottom of the stairs, to remind me that the money he
had placed in my hands:'the last time he had seen me' ewas
ny:own, that I was to: do whatever I thought proper with




230              SECRET BE!EVOLENCE.
it; in a word, that;' Samuel 3Budgett had no more right or
control.over it than Maurice Britten, Jack Rawbones, or old
Bedlio.' But the real interest he felt in a case of which he
thus professed to have washed his hands was seen when, on
the next occasion of our meeting, he would inquire into the
minutest particulars of the interview.  I remember one case
in which he had met with the greatest annoyance, and in
which we had every reason to believe there had been an attempt to injure the commercial credit of the firm; when I
described to him the excitement of the party on receiving
his bounty, supposing that it had come from myself, he wept
even to the audible sob, and almost in an agony expressed
his wish that he'-dared to make the family happy ly taking
the poor fellow into his confidence, again.'. Shortly after I
came to reside:at Bedford, I received a letter from a person
in his employment, explaining to me the difficulties in which
he found himself from  circumstances which he could not
control, and asking my advice.  The letter reached. me
when I was on a bed of sickness. I felt that the most direct
-mode of assisting him was to communicate the facts to his
master.  I therefore simply inclosed the letter in an envelope to'Uncle Samuel,' only expressing my conviction
of the respect he had for the writer as a man of real:worth and. integrity, and my. assurance that his case was
in proper hands the moment it reached the private countinghouse in Nelson,-street. In a few days afterwards,. I'received
a second letter from the party, telling me, in terms truly
touching, that Mr. Budgett had called him  aside, made
him  take a seat, and asked him  to tell him  all that
was.in his heart..  To be brief —the tale of sorrow  had
been told, and the sad heart had been relieved to its full
content.
"On the very last visit I paid my dear relative, we were
in his library, and our attention was called to a poor man in




HELPING HIS OWN MEN.               231
whom I felt an interest, by some. object of his craft that
caught the eye.' Poor fellow!' said Uncle Samuel,'he has
been in sad trouble; but,' with his brilliant smile he added,'he is out of it all now; he is as happy as a prince; his
house is as nice as a new.penny, and his face as cheerful as a
harvest moon!' He then told me that he had observed the
poor fellow looking very melancholy, so much so at last that
his heart quite ached as he passed him in the yard.  He sent
for him into the counting-house, and after he had made him
feel a little at ease, had drawn out of him all his troubles.
The sickness of his wife had entangled him in debt; he
could not eat, he could not sleep; his life was a misery to
him, and he had exclaimed with a pathos that sunk deep into
my dear relative's tender heart,'Master, I am in d.ebt;
every time I go near the river, something bids me fling
myself into it, telling me there's water enough to rid me
of all my troubles, and that if I don't I shall be sent
into the prison there for debt!'
" Deeply affected, he inquired of the poor man the name
of his creditors, the amount'of their respective claims, and
the peculiar circumstances which had led to the contraction
of each liability. Having ascertained these particulars, and
perfectly satisfied himself that the man had not forgotten
the precept of the society of which he was a member,-'Not to contract debt without at least a reasonable prospect
of discharging it,'-he asked him whether freedom from these
liabilities would restore to him peace of mind.  The question was answered by a sort of sickly smile, which seemed
to indicate a perfect despair of such a consummation.'Well,
come,' said the master,'I don't think things are quite so
bad,-, as they appear to be to you. See here, my
poor fellow, you owe      pounds: it's a very large sum
for a man like you, to be sure; and if you had run into debt
to anything like this amount through extravagance, or even




232        THE MASTER HELPING THE MAN.
thoughtlessness, I should have regarded it as an act of di.
honesty on your part, and I might have felt it right to discharge you. But you are to be, pitied, and not to be blamed.
Cold pity alone goes for nothing, so let us see how you can
be helped out of your troubles. Now, do you think your
creditors, considering all the circumstances, would take
one half, and be satisfied?  Here's Dr.: Edwards-his
bill is the heaviest; if we can get him to take one half-''One half, master!' exclaimed the poor man,'but if they
would take half, where's the money to come from?. I'arn't got a shilling in the world but what's coming to me
Friday night; and when I take my wages now, I'arn't any
pleasure in looking at the money, because it'arn't my own;
it should go to pay my debts, and, I'm' obliged to use it to
buy victuals. I think in my heart I shall ne'er be happy
again.' Still more sensibly affected by the poor man's manner the longer the interview lasted, my kind-hearted relative
begged him not to distress himself any more;. he said that
a friend of his had given him a sum that was quite equal
to one half his debts, bade him return to his work, order a
horse to be put into harness as he passed through the yard,
and brought round in ten minutes; and told him to be sure
to make himself as happy as he could till he saw him again.
He immediately drove round to every creditor the poor man
had, compounded with them for their respective claims, and
obtained their receipts in full discharge. On his return, the
poor man's state of bewilderment was indescribable. He
watched his master unfold the receipts one by one without
uttering a syllable, and when they were put into his hand he
clutched them with a sort of convulsive grasp, but still not
a word escaped him. At length he exclaimed,' But master,
where's the money come from?''Never do you-mind that,
-,' was the reply;'go home and tell your wife you
are out of debt, you are an independent man. I only hope




THE GREAT FRIEND.               233
the creditors have felt something of the satisfaction in forgiving you one half your debt to them, that we know God
feels in forgiving our debts to him for Christ's sake; I have
said that much to all of them.' But the puzzling question
had not yet been answered, and again it was put,-' But
master, where's the money come from?'' Well, well; I told
you a FRIEND had given it to me for you.  You know that
Friend as well as I do;-there now, you may leave your
work for to-day; go home to your wife, and thank that
Friend together for making you an independent man. But
stay,, I had almost forgotten one thing. I called to
see Mr. P-  as I drove through Stoke's Croft; I told
him the errand that had carried me away from home all day,
and he gave me a sovereign for you to begin the world with.'
The poor fellow was too much affected to say anything
more. The next morning, however, he appeared again, but
after a most complete failure in a valorous attempt he
made to express his thanks, he was obliged to leave the
counting-house, stammering out that' both he and his wife
felt their hearts to be as light as a feather.'' What a luxury
there is in trying to make a man happy!' said Mr. Budgett,
when he had finished his story; and I am sure he found
it so at all times. It must be remarked, also, that an
act like this was not, with him, one of mere munificencea gift out of abundance which would never be missed; it
was one of pure benevolence-it was cordial, it reached
every sensibility of his heart, and he would spare neither
trouble nor fatigue till he had accomplished his object. One
other remark, and I have done. An incident of this kind
was never related by my relative from any feeling of vanity;
he knew that the relation of it would gratify me or the few
friends to whom he might mention it in the confidence of
social intercourse, and his own heart seemed to revel in the
renewed pleasure it gave him to picture to himself afresh




234         THE LUXURY OF DOING GOOD.
the joy which had been occasioned to a fellow-creature whom
he had thus been permitted to assist. He would fervently
bless.God who had given him the ability' to do good unto
all men, but especially to them who are of the household of
faith:' and truly, he loved'to bear another's burdens,' to'mind not' merely' his own things, but also the things of
another."'




CHAPTER VII.
IN  HIS OWN  N E  GHBOU R HOOD.
"Wouldst thou be rich, give unto the poor, thou shalt have thine own with
usury:
For the secret hand of Providence prospereth the charitable all ways;
Good luck shall he have in his pursuits, and his heart shall be glad within
him;
Yet perchance he never shall perceive, that even as to earthly gains,
The cause of his weal, as of his joy, hath been small givings to the poor."
T-UPPRE.
UNTIL  an incredibly  recent date, the  neighbourhood  of
Kingswood was uncivilised and lawless.  When Mr. Budgett
first came -there his brother had begun to war against its barbarism.  The place is singular: it does not form a town, nor
yet a group of villages; but over an extended surface of undulating and naturally beautiful ground you have an endless
labyrinth of lanes-turning, winding, intersecting, brancliing
in all directions; so that if a stranger set out to walk three
miles, he would probably spend a day in the journey without
a guide. By the sides of these lanes lie the cottages, some
of which are comfortable, but the greater part, and especially
the older ones, very wretched.,About a mile from Mr. Budgett's house lies a place called Cock Road, in commemoration
of its game cocks. This was a den of robbers who lived only
by plunder,-sallying out to Bristol, Bath, Gloucester, Hereford, and even as far as Manchester.  Hundreds of persons
are living who remember when it was unsafe to pass alone in




236                 COcK ROAD.
the open day. One told me that he had seen farmers come
with constables on search for lost property, and their own
pigs were displayed dead before their eyes, while the robbers
laughed in their face; but they dare not touch them, and
could not identify the pigs, as they were skinned. William
Linterh, an old inhabitant of the place and a fellow labourer
of Mr. Budgett's, says that one of his earliest recollections
is of paying a penny to see two brothers, who had been hung,
lying in their coffin; for the bodies had been given up to
their relations, and they turned them to account by making
them a show! In this family were, I think. five sons and
one daughter; two sons were hanged, three transported, and
the daughter had three successive husbands, who were all
transported too.
Mr. H. H. Budgett, with great public' spirit, addressed
himself to the dangerous task of subduing this tribe of marauders. For a time he struggled alone, but he eventually
obtained co-operation and the ringleaders were punished, the
rest kept in check. A Bristol paper, speaking of Mr. Samuel
Budgett's death, says:"Not many years since, Kingswood was known as the
haunt of some of the most depraved and desperate race of
men living, often becoming a pest and annoyance to this city.
At that time the elder brother of the firm commenced business there.  Ie for many years stood alone, though constantly harassed by the fear, as well as on one or two occasions actually exposed to the attack, of these lawless ruffians.
His endeavours. to produce a change were seconded by a
few liberal and judicious individuals of the city and neighbourhood, so that the most notorious offenders were either
detected or driven out of their hiding-places. It was not
possible, however, to eradicate the rude and vicious elements
which hovered round this district. But since the erection of
the church, the building of two or three places of worship,




1HE COCK-ROADITES.              237
the opening of several schools by various denominations, (in
most of which the late firm took a liberal and active part,)
many of those evils have been subdued, and much good has
been accomplished. By a benevolence thus unsectarian in
feeling, though in matters of opinion joining in preference
to the old Wesleyan body, his good name and deeds will long
be fragrant in the memory of this locality."
The Cock-Roadites as they were called, were a universal
terror; and a book, detailing the operations of " The Bristol
Methodist Sunday School Society," which Wm. Lintern
kindly lent me, shows that it was considered a feat when a
school was formed in their vicinity and filled with their children. That good work was begun by Mr. Henry Budgett;
and co-operation in it was one of the first efforts of his brother for the good of the neighbourhood.  The school was
opened in July, 1812, when he was about eighteen; and the
first day, to their surprise, seventy-five children came, of
whom fifty-eight did not know the alphabet.  The entry in
the book of the committee is curious:-" Many of these,
children of the first-rate characters in the singularly notorious tribe of Cock-roadites, some of whose fathers are now
in prison-many of these poor children, with their parents,
are entirely dependent on a system of robbery and plunder
for their support."  The school throve; a school-house must
be built; and in calling for subscriptions, the committee gave.
the following character of the place:"Cock Road, a place in the immediate vicinity of Bristol,
has been from time immemorial, and still is, inhabited by
persons, the majority of whom are notorious for robbery,
plunder, and all kinds of illicit practices; daring and systematic in their proceedings beyond description, they trample
with impunity upon all laws, human aid divine, set at defiance every principle of justice, make themselves a terror to




238            NATURE AS A TEACHER.
the surrounding neighbourhood; and this within four miles
of the second city in the empire."
Labouring among these children of robbers, Mr. Budgett
spent the Sundays of his riper youth. I was at that school
the first Sunday after his funeral, and heard much of his
toils and zeal. " A gracious man!" said his old coadjutor,
already named, "a gracious man'! 0, how he would labour!
All that he did will never be told.," His duty in those early
days was -to visit the absentees, and bring them, if practicable, to school. To get over the greatest possible amount of
ground, he would bring a pony and dash about from cottage
to cottage among the lanes; he would talk to the people,
kneel down and pray with them, stir them up to send their
children to school, and then away. Thus, often, he would
pass a Sunday without dinner; sometimes, perhaps, getting
a morsel of bacon or a potato in a cottage where he called.
" And he often told me these were the happiest days of his
life, the-Sundays he spent that way."
Some delight to tell us of the power of nature to mould
and ennoble man; but where could you find-whether on
the Himalayas, in the isles of Polynesia, among the forests
of North America, the snow fields of Greenland, the plains
of Australia, or any other scene whereon nature displays
herself in beauty or in grandeur-a single tribe which has
been left to her sole teaching that has received an education
worth anything, either for this life or a life to come?'The
children of nature " have been much glorified; but her children all the world over are a very ill-conditioned and ill-behaved race, the most pitiable beings the world upholds. If
they were all assembled-Esquimaux and Bedouin, Bushman and Dyak, New Guineaman and Chocktaw, Yeddah and
Feejean-it is likely that on surveying them you would be
bf opinion that nature had made amazingly poor progress in
the instruction of her own peculiar family. Nature is a




WmILLiAM  LEN AT COCK ROAD.           23$9
sage and inexhaustible book for him whom revelation has
taught to read; a clear, sonporous, and multiplying echo
where revelation lifts up her voice: but without a teacher,
the book cannot explain one of its; own letters; without a
voice, the echo is mute.
In Cock Road, nature had -a fair aspect and a long oppertunity.  She was left undisturbed for generations to
teach with her stars, and trees, and nightingales, her flowers
and her storms. A poet, looking on those winding lanes,
would have sung about guileless hearts and innocent homes:;
while those lanes were the hiding-place of thieves and murderers. More teaching took place in that Sunday School in
the first year, more which tended to fit those children for
useful lives here and glorious lives hereafter, than had taken
place through all the beauties of nature from the time of the
Coek-Roadites became a tribe.  The school prospered, and
the people improved.  The two brothers and their fellowlabourers had reason to rejoice.
In the biography of William Allen (both in the original
life and the shorter and more serviceable one lately pubtshed by the Rev. James Sherman), an allusion will be
found to this school, which he visited while staying at Clifton, calling at the house of Mr. H. H. Budgett.  He bears
testimony to the needy condition of the place, and to the
zeal bestowed upon it. The labours which Mr. Budgett
commenced thus early, he prosecuted with diligence throughout life, not confining himself to Cock Road, but; lending
hearty aid to many neighbouring schools. His power over
the children was great; he was ever on the watch for: some
anecdote or illustration that would help him to catch their
attention; his addresses were both familiar and authorita
tive; he would, with amazing promptitude, obtain silence till
the tick of the clock was heard by all; and he had a pecu




240            WHITSUNTIDE HOLIDAYS.
liar delight in giving the children a treat and seeing thenm
all happy.
To the good work wherein his soul delighted, he early
trained his sons and only daughter, as also the pious and
intelligent of those in his employment; so that every Lord'sday a numerous band of labourers went out from his own
house and those of his dependants.  An honoured friend of
my own has given the following beautiful sketch, referring
when he wrote it chiefly to a member of the family, now in
a better country. It was Whitsuntide in the year 1849,
and my friend was visiting at Kingswood Hill:"The enjoyments of the week were entered >upon with
great zest. The beautiful valley of the Avon and the undulating hills around Kingswood and Hanham which bordered
upon it, were clothed in that soft, rich green which throughout this part of the west is so attractive and refreshing a
fdature; the hedge-rows in all the lanes were dusted over
with the blooms of wild flowers; the new-mown hay was
yielding its perfume; and all our best singing birds in the
plantations were in full tune. No trifles, any of these, to a
grateful and susceptible nature; but the chief charm of the
scene to a Christian, an English heart, in this general holiday, was the excitement connected with the Sunday School
festal anniversaries. The boys and girls clothed in their best
attire were skipping along the road and bye-paths, greeting
their teachers, and hasting to join a procession which must
first move to the house of God and then back again to some
place of innocent recreation. The grounds at Kingswood
Hill were opened on one of these days for the recreation of
the members of the Wesleyan Sunday School. The day
was fine. and the enjoyment unalloyed: Edwin did all he
could to enhance that enjoyment. The hilarity of the children called forth his own. There were moments when he
was playful as the young fawn which ever and anon was




PREACHING THE GOSPEL.             241
throwing up her heels in the face of the different groups as
she bounded by upon the grass."
One of the last services Mr. Budgett rendered to Kingswood was to build a noble room for a day school, at the cost
of some eight hundred pounds; which has been placed under
the Wesleyan Educational Committee, and will doubtless
long serve as a beautiful monument to its founder, as a
source of light to the children of the vicinity.
He had early felt a strong desire to preach to the
heathen, and about the period of his marriage he began to
labour as a local preacher. One who had lived in the vicinity all his life, and who insisted, "You cannot say too much
of that good man, sir; you cannot say too much of that
good man," told me that he heard him preach his "trial
sermon" as a local preacher, and was so impressed with
his power, that'he told him he thought he ought to have
been in the ministry; on which he informed him of his early
leanings, and the causes which had fixed his lot in trade.
In/-the later years of life he was often so deeply affected
with a conviction of unworthiness, that when appointed to
preach in some of the neighbouring places, he could not venture on the holy service, but would procure a substituteoften one in his own employment.
Thus in early life,' before he was able to be of much temporal service to his neighbours, he did what in him lay for
their spiritual welfare; but as his property increased he did
not couple apparent-zeal for men's souls with indifference to
the wants of their bodies. He was a large and hearty giver;
but he strongly desired to make his gifts strengthen rather
than enfeeble the self-helping energy of others.  On this account he preferred employment whenever he could invent it;
and the house, the farm, the grounds, the premises, were all
laid under tax for this end.
Mr. Carvosso, who was an eye-witness of his efforts in
11




242          HELPING THE INDUSTRIOUS.
this line, shall give an idea of the scale they sometimes assumed: —" He was surrounded by the pook, and every way
disposed to do them good. Discrimination he certainly had:
he knew what was in them, and was not to be readily imposed on. That he might not maintain them  in idleness,
during the scarcity of bread in 1846 and 1847, he spent thousands merely to employ them, engaging some 150 extra
hands for small wages, and on Saturdays adding scores of
pounds to the earnings of those who had families, that they
might have enough to meet domestic wants. In meeting the
wants of his poor neighbours by preparation of soup, he was
foremost, both in his own gifts and in soliciting from the
rich; and in this way he was mighty, almost resistless, so that
the poor were double debtors to him."
Pursuant to his desire to help men to earn, he often
made the substantial present of a horse; and in the case of
a respectable widow, he offered either twenty pounds or five
pounds and a horse. When he suspected that a man, instead
of employing the horse to maintain the family, would sell the
horse and waste the money, he would bind him by a promise
to pay,-never intending, however, to call for payment unless
his generosity was abused. In one case, a man to whom he
gave a horse under promise of paying eleven pounds, was reported to him two days after as carousing at a public-house
with money obtained by selling the horse. He at once had
hini looked after: he had sold the horse for thirteen pounds,
and had already spent about two in his frolic; the remaining
eleven were of course taken back.
A young man, the brother of one his of servants, had fallen
ill in London while working as a tinman. After suffering
long in the hospitals, he came into the country; but ill and
feeble, he could not return to work in town. Mr. Budgett
gave him fifteen pounds to set up in a neighbouring village.
Part of the same family were going to America; he gave




VISrING THM  POOR.              243
them thirty pounds; and to make it sit lightly, told them to
buy land with it for him, and write him word how it got on;
perhaps he would come and look after it some day. One
day, in driving along the road he took up a man, and soon
found out all about him, which was usually the case; for
somehow he led people to disclose themselves till they were
almost as open with him as he was wont to be with his
own friends. This man proved to be on the point -of emigrating, but with scanty means. After being satisfied as to
the truth of his statement, he gave him fifty pounds, but, I
believe, coupled with some conditions of repayment if convenient.
A man, with whom he often dealt for horses, had been
robbed at a fair. In his despair he made an attempt upon
his life.  Mr. Budgett, hearing that he was lying dreadfully. wounded, hastened to see him, warned him, encouraged
him, and prayed with him. The poor fellow was in utter
despair, both as to his soul and as to this life. Mr. Budgett assured him that as soon as he was able to go to business again he should have enough to set him on his feet.
He recovered: and when asked how much would be necessary, said —Eighty pounds; but he would wish to pay it
back if ever he was able. On these terms the eighty pounds
were at once given.
Besides endless detached instances of benevolence such
as these, he zealously promoted the visiting and relief of the
poor by a regular organisation after the model of the STRANGER'S FRIEND SOCIETY-the oldest of our visiting charities
and the best. In this he laboured heartily, giving influence,
time and gold. His own leisure for visiting was not such as
to satisfy him; therefore a paid visitor was employed. And
one of his neighbours, who laboured in this good work, told
me that he would now and then ask him how they were get
ting on in his district, and put two or three sovereigns into




244    HELP TO THE POOR THROUGH MINISTERS.
his hand, whether he would or not, to be given away. is Besides," he said, "I never came to him yet with a case of
distress that he refused; and what was strange, he would
never say,'I will give you so-and-so,' but would ask,' Well,
how much do you think I should give?  And whatever I
said —five shillings, ten, or fifteen, it was all the same-he
gave it at once."
This statement struck me as precisely coinciding with
one which had been previously made by his old neighbour
and intimate" friend, the Rev. John Glanville. He remarked
that in all'the applications he had made to Mr. Budgett, he
never once knew him to say, what we so commonly hear said
by those who remember their own charitable acts so well, " I
have had so many calls lately."  No, not once in  11 those
years had he heard those words out of his lips; but whenever he went, found, just as my other friend had found,
that when he mentioned the case he was asked, "Well,
how much do you think I ought to give?"  And whether
he said ten pounds, fifteen, or twenty,' that sum was forthcoming.     
Mr. Carvosso says, —' In the course of my ministry, I
have only met with two rich men who remembered the poor
through their ministers. One was the late venerable Wm.
Carne, of Penzance; the other, Mr. Budgett. Mr. Carne
would occasionally put a sovereign into my hand in reference
to wants the' sight of which a minister cannot well shun.:
Samuel Budgett went further; now and then he would drop
into my hand a five-pound note, intimating that I must permit him to bear some part of the expense- entailed on me
by visiting the poor and distressed."
One does meet with but few who thus help one to e,joy
visiting the wretched; for when you see staring want in some
of the sad corners of this huge London, it is cheerless to
produce the one lean shilling which alone your own purse can




CHRISTMAS GIFr.                245
furnish. But a few have given me the luxury of seeing dull
eyes lighten up with gratitude to God and to an unknown
friend. There is something touching in putting a half sovereign into the hand of a poor woman who needs it, is worthy of it, but had no hope, and saying at the same time, so
as to remove all sense of uncomfortable obligation, " It is not
from me; a friend has given me something to dispose of."
I never went to a Christmas dinner with such pleasure as
last year (1850). After a number of visits, at each of which
I deposited in a poor but worthy hand enough, from the
purse of a friend, to make the Christmas plentiful, one
bright coin remained, and the Christmas morn had come.
It was not comfortable to go to dine with that in one's
pocket, yet better to keep it for a day or two, than give it
away at hazard. Just after morning service, a name is mentioned; and I see, even now, the poor woman lying on that
small bed in that close back room, with her feeble fire and
her empty pot. She was a widow; she had children, and
long, long had she been lying there; worthy, godly, with a
trusting heart and a joyful hope of glory, she had lived
through her illness she scarce knew how. God, by the hand
of his children, had fed her. That day the barrel of meal
and the cruse of oil seemed to have failed; her stores were
all void. Had the friend whose money I put into her hand
seen her look, and heard her blessing, he would have gone
to his Christmas dinner with as light a heart as I. Rich
men! why, if you will not visit and relieve the poor yourselves, should you not employ those who would?
From what has been said of Mr. Glanville, it will be
seen that Mr. Budgett did not confine his charities through
ministers to those of his own denomination. On the day of
his funeral, the Rev. Mr. West, the Moravian minister at
Kingswood, told me, that before coming out, he had observed his servant in tears, and asked her what was the




246                WILD YOUTHS.
matter.  " Oh!" she said, " they are going to bury Mr.
Budgett: he was a good friend to my poor father and moth-'er; he would now and then give them a sovereign to get
things to sell for their living."
With some men, money is cheap; with some, labour. You
will find one ready to give; but he cannot visit, cannot teach,
cannot go personally on any errand of goodness. Another
man will work, but is slow to give. Each of these is a benevolent man with one leg: Mr. Budgett had both legs. Before he had much to give, he had begun to work; after he
had much to give, he persevered in working.
One Sunday evening he was preaching at a neighbouring
village. As he came home, he saw a number of youths lolling
about under the hedges in a lane-wild, rough, ignorant, idle,
ill-mannered, with bad looks, bad habits, and every stamp of
the accomplished good-for-nothing. His heart yearned for
them; he thought how they had been passing that lovely
summer Sabbath. He went up to them, and in his own
neighbourly way, began to converse. He told them he was
happy, and he should like to see them happy. "You have
minds, and I should like to see you improve your minds;
you ought to have something to think about, and to employ
you usefully." So on he chatted till he had obtained some
little hold of their attention. "Now," he said, "if I gave
you a good tea, would you like to come and take it?" " O
yes, O yes," was the cheerful answer. " Then come up to the
vestry of Kingswood chapel to-morrow evening; we are going to have a little meeting, and you shall have a good tea."
This was a tea-meeting of the tract distributo7s.  He paid
for tickets for his new friends, who did not fail to be there;
and after they had done their endeavour upon the eatables,
he came up to them, and said, "Well, have you had a good
tea?"
"' Ees, thank'ee."




GATHERING' OF WILD YOUTHS.           247
"I suppose you know many young men just of your
own kind, who go about the lanes on a Sunday night like
you? "
" O'ees."
"Do you think if I promised them a good tea they would
come?" He was encouraged to hope for their company on
such terms; and soon his brother class-leaders had a hundred tickets in their hands, to be given to the worst young
men in the neighbourhood, with a promise of a bountiful
treat if they came to the great room on Mr. Budgett's premises, which served for a chapel and all good purposes. The
tickets were taken rather shyly, for they knew well enough
that Mr. Budgett was not gathering them without some
religious end. So they said they did not want to go to
Budgett to be hooked in for a prayer-meeting, or something
of that sort. However, the "good tea"' went far. At last
a compromise suggested itself to the youths; they would go,
take the tea, and then " bolt" before there was any chance
of troubling them about religion. This stratagem, however,
was met by a stratagem on the other side. The room was
crowded; above a hundred came, and such a set of guests
has seldom met under decent roof-all shades of vice and
recklessness were gathered there to feast, and run away
~from good advice. It was plain that the ringleaders were
in one corner, for thence proceeded all manner of odd and
boisterous rogueries. To this point one of "' the young gentlemen" betook himself, sat down beside the chief, made one
of the party, and talked as familiarly as if he were quite on
their side. The hero he selected had travelled and sailed as
a stoker, and therefore was a notability among his associates. Neither the hospitality nor the cordial feeling had
any effect upon his coarse and headstrong badness. He
tried in all ways to disconcert his unexpected comrade,
and would not by any means tell him his name. After




248       WHAT TO DO WITH FIFTY POUNDS.
vain attempts to tame him into sensible conversation, his
young host said, " I hope we shall spend a pleasant evening. What do you think we ought to do by way of enjoying
ourselves?"
"You had better get up and make us a bit of a divarshin."
Just then the repast was coming to a close, and the preconcerted move began to be made; but before they had got
out of the way, Mr. Budgett ran up into the desk, and said,
" I have asked you to come here for the purpose of doing
something for you —something that will be of use to you.
Now, just as a start, I will give you, among you, fifty
pounds, and you must make up your minds what you will do
with it."
The wild rogues were thunderstruck; they meant to run
away from a prayer-meeting, but i was quite another thing
to run away from fifty pounds. Hats that had been taken
up were replaced, and feet already at the door turned back.
No sooner had the offer been made than one of Mr. Budgett's sons, making himself as one of the party, said, " Fifty
pounds! that's something; why, there are about a hundred
of us, and suppose we divide it amongst us, there will be
half a sovereign a-piece." This proposition would probably
have been very acceptable to the company; but another,
who was in the secret, at once rose and objected, saying he
thought it would be very foolish to throw away such a sum
as fifty pounds in that away; they had better put it to some
use that would do them good for a long time to come. -This
was adroitly argued until all seemed to come into that idea;
then came a proposition to found a society for study and
mental improvement, to be called the " Kingswood Young
Men's Association." After due' discussion, this was carried
by vote, and Mr. Budgett was appointed treasurer. The
youths had been insensibly led by the tact wherewith the




YOUNG WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION.           249
affair was managed to take an interest in it; and when the
final arrangements were placed in the hands of a committee,
several of them, to their great exaltation, were placed upon
the committee with the friends who had so cleverly conducted the first meeting. It was arranged that the weekly
rendezvous should be the vestry of the chapel on Sunday
evenings after the service. This seemed to the young men
a very natural gathering place; but At was just the point
which secured Mr. Budgett's object of withdrawing them
from their demoralising rambles on Sunday evening, and
getting them to the house of God.
So far the success had been perfect; but now it remained to be seen how many would meet at the chapel. About
sixty came; these were regularly met on Sunday night after
the public service for religious instruction, and in the week
for secular instruction. A good library was bought with
the original donation, occasional lectures on scientific subjects were delivered by some of the masters of Kingswood
school, and year by year a tea meeting was given at which
rewards of very substantial books were distributed.
The success in this case was highly encouraging; but
Mr. Budgett saw that to make it decisive a similar association must be instituted for young women; because the habit
of Sunday evening strolling prevailed equally among the
young people of both sexes, to the moral damage of both.
By similar means this also was effected; and thus a large
number of youths and young women were weekly gathered
in the house of God, and afterwards separately occupied in
receiving profitable instruction, while they had also good
opportunities and strong incentives to self-cultivation. At
the annual gathering of the Young Females' Association,
Mr. B]udgett was wont to regale them with tea and strawberries. A gentleman of taste and education, who has
heard him address them on such an occasion, states that he
11*




250               THE SHODDIY MIL.
had a most remarkable art of gaining their attention and in.
teresting them in his views. He was especially struck with
his power of making it appear to them, that if only godly and
in earnest, they might rise to circumstances of comfort and
opportunities of usefulness. I believe that these associations
cost him annually about fifty pounds; but he had his reward in the improvement of many, and the clear conversion
of some.
He also instituted a catechumen class for young women,
which he regularly met. This was a very favourite engagement with him, and so interesting did he make it, that, at
the time of his death, it was attended by about forty, some
of whom had indeed passed from death unto life, and all of
whom evinced intense grief at his loss.
Have you ever seen a shoddy mill? It is a curious
sight. You find a multitude of rags and tatters gathered
from all the winds; here a patch of Irish frieze, there a
shred of tartan; scraps of women's shawls, of men's pantaloons, of flannels, horse rugs, stockings; threads, snips, and
morsels; blue, black, green, and all hues; English, Welsh,
German; a strange heap of the offcast and the defiled;
hopeless things that no housewife could work up, that no
shivering wretch would look to for comfort. Yet there they
are for restoration. See how that teethed and terrible machine makes them look more hopeless still; rends up even
rags, tears up tatters; champs, wrests, slashes, and flings
them out at last fibres and choking dust.  But next comes
the oil can, and oil, abundant oil, with working and turning,
till the heap begins to look like some caricature of wool,
Then the spinning-frame, and, lo! the tatters form to yarn
once more; then the loom, where the tatters turn to blankets,
druggets, pilot cloth, and even what would pass under your
eyes as decent broadcloth. This shoddy covers many a
respectable floor, flourishes in paletots of low caste, and




THE SHODDY MIL.               251
goes out in blue blankets to New Zealand to clothe the
Maories.
Now, society has its shoddy, its offcast rags, its hopeless
tatters, polluted and displeasing to look upon and very undesirable to touch. The respectable world has passed them
by; they have lain in corners and grown viler till they corrupted away, the receptacles being ever filled up with new
offcasts. But God's Gospel in the hearts of men has set
them to search for these refuse, and to work them up again
into the texture of society. The ragged school is the shoddy
mill; and many a poor unpitied and unpromising tatter has
been recovered to a creditable place among men. Mr. Budgett's contrivance was a shoddy mill, and some right good
pieces has it yielded. The same substance is in all men,
and the lesson of the shoddy mill is, that none are too bad
to be rescued. Only do not begin to flatter the rags and
say, You are fair and beautiful at bottom; you only want
air and sun, a little dye, and a proper brushing to match
the most serviceable cloth. Nay, they must be torn to
pieces-rent right up, or they will only be rags though you
give them all the air and, sun, all the dye and brushing imaginable. The offcasts of men are just so: you will never
make good citizens of them by nice speeches and wise lessons; the evil that is in them will survive a great deal
more than that. They are bad at heart, deceitful and desperately wicked to the core of them; evil is bound up in
their impulses. They must be heart-smitten, torn to the
quick; their souls pierced through and through with sharp
agonies of penitence, with such wounds from a hand we see
not as made brave king David roar, with inner throes that
will rend all their desires from their old vile objects, with godly sorrows working repentance-leading them to cry, as men
cry whose whole soul is in movement, " Hide thy face from
-my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities; create in me a




252          HOW TO RECOVER OFFCASTS.
clean heart, 0 God, and renew a right spirit within me!"
And the creating hand thus invoked from chaos will move;
" God who caused the light to shine out of darkness" will
shine "in their dark hearts to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus." That face
is the face of a Saviour, a friend who actually does deliver a
poor man from the foulness of his breast. This face seen,
this deliverance felt, the glory of God breaks in upon the
repenting sinner as the light shooting first athwart chaos,
and inside his soul love, joy, and peace rise up a new creation.
Ye that laugh at this, what Gospel have ye preached?
What tribe of Cock-Roadites have ye ever tamed?  What
refuse of our cities have ye ever restored? Ye say man's
heart is good; let this Earth you live on, every inch of it,
and every age of it, rise up and bid you not lie. Do you not
hear it cry, " See, see' all the tears which moisten me, —the
groans I echo-the curses, the rages, the murders I witness-the hearts that are gnawing, burning, breaking-the
wrongs that are doing —the graves that are digging: hear
the voice of ten million miseries, and dare you utter the
gibe,'heart good!' What! all this filth and shame which
cover me come of good! this robbery in Cock Road, this
abomination in St. Giles, this human flesh and blood gluttony in bright Polynesia,-all this come of good! From
what darker abyss of evil are you sent forth that you look
on all this outflow of the heart of man, and looking pro
nounce it good?"  No, the all-searching God said long ago
that man's heart was evil, and all the story of this earth
monotonously echoes " Evil!"  Denying it you deny revelation, history, your own heart's ways; denying it you cut
yourself off from all hope of seriously helping man. "Make
the tree good;" that is the right lesson: you say " train' the
tree, enrich the soil, let the aspect be sunny," —all very well




GOOD FRUIT AND CRABS               253
if the tree be made good; but if you persist that the tree
does not need grafting, you may transplant to the sunniest
spot, train, dig, manure, and fence, but your tree will bring
forth crabs. You cannot get good fruit by collective culture: your walls, and suns, and drains, and'manures are
very good, but each individual tree must be grafted-cut
right away from nature's stem, set bleeding in another —or
all your:collective culture ends in crabs. "Make the treE
good:"'your institutions are walls and aspects, your education is training; but each man is as individual as each tree,
he must be " made good," cut off from his fallen nature,
grafted all tender, wounded and -penitent into Christ; and
though all the trees of the garden had been so grafted and
you alone remained, yet you should bear but crabs. Go, then,
go ye that have a heart to rescue the outcasts of men, go
teach them, clothe them, feed them, heal them, do all love
can do for them; but let your voice ever cry, " Repent and
believe the Gospel;" let your heart ever pant to see them
smitten with grief at their sinfulness, and hasting to Jesu,
to wash them from their sins in His own blood.
Another of his favourite labours was giving away good
books and tracts.  He seldom went out for a drive or a
walk, but he provided a supply and gave them freely.  He
had a room of considerable size occupied with book shelves
whereon lay all manner of volumes and of tracts, from the
tiniest child book up to respectable duodecimos. All these
were his stock for distribution, and were replenished by
purchases of ten pounds' worth at a time.
In all the concerns of his neighbours he took a lively interest. In cases of family broils, his mediation was often
called in. He would place the disputing relations in different rooms of his own house, first hear one; and then another,
till he had got to the rights of the case; and keep him from
the rights who could?  With him equivocation was useless




254              THE HAIR-DRESSER.
he would track it out. When he had mastered the case he
would propose his terms of reconciliation, and often succeeded in effecting a permanent healing where there shad been
most painful sores.
Over the prospects of young persons he watched tenderly; and when he saw them in danger of forming wrong
connexions for life, he would with prompt and persuasive
kindness interfere. Not confining-his solicitude to his own
children, or to the respectable youth of his own circle, he
cared and watched for the humble and the servant, and with
a rare power over the will, succeeded in saving not a few from
ill-judged and ungodly marriages. This testimony I have
had not only from observers, but from parties who felt the
life-debt they owed him, for a service which few men could
have performed.
His desire to raise all about him was constantly showing
itself. Take one illustration out of thousands: —Coming
out of a hair-dresser's rooms, he paused in the shop and
looked round. "0, you sell brushes, and things of this
kind?"
"Yes, Sir."
" Well, I suppose you sell to every one that comes? "
" No, indeed, Sir."
"But I should. At all events you try to sell to every
one that comes?"
" Well, no, we do not, Sir, one doesn't always think of
it."
"But you ought: you have your family to provide for,
you should have tact and push; if I were in your place,
I would sell to every one that came, and you ought to
try."
"Very well, Sir, suppose we begin with you," making a
show of displaying some wares.
" Yes, to be sure, why not?-let us see."  To work he




HIS INTEREST IN THE SOULS OF THE PEOPLE.  255
sets, and by way of encouraging the hair-dresser he buys
brushes, combs, and such commodities to the extent of thirtyfive shillings. It is not pleasant to go into a shop where
they force you to buy or to be uncivil, and the thing is sometimes pushed intolerably; but the fact stated shows Mr.
Budgett's desire to see others thriving.
Thus dwelt he among his own people, rising up under
their eye, spreading employment on all hands, giving an example of industry and of success, teaching, preaching. visiting, relieving, helping, mediating, advising.  And among
them he staid. When he grew far beyond them he did not
find out that Kingswood was unhealthy, and that Clifton or
Bath was the only place his family could breathe in. No:
he clung to them and their wants. He saw their rudeness,
but instead of securing the polish of his children by taking
them far from the poor colliers, he endeavoured to raise and
bless the colliers by sending his children among their cottages and employing them in their schools. But in all his
efforts for them, the soul was his end, though, after the example of Him who loved souls most and bought them dearest,
he gave for the body all that he could give. The individual
conversion of the soul was his object and his hope; he knew
that every man whose heart was changed from sin to holiness
did more for the elevation of a neighbourhood than a hundred other appliances. The deep interest he felt in every
token of spiritual life is evinced in the following letter to the
young and beloved friend, whose notes have been and will
hereafter be of great value to us:"Bristol, April 1st, 1845.
cc MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,-We have a great work going
on here. I would try to give you some account, but I am
just now pressed for time, and you will be more delighted to
come and spend a week with us and see for yourself, and we




256                 THE CHAPEL.
will give you some heart-cheering accounts. Some of the
stoutest rebels have been constrained to cry aloud, yea, to
roar for anguish of spirit; and God has graciously forgiven
their sins and made them the means of bringing others to
seek salvation. There is a gracious work among the young
females, say from fifteen to twenty years of age. Do come
before the week is out, and stay if it is but a few days. Just
drop me a line and I will meet you at the station; or find
your way to Nelson Street, and I shall feel real pleasure in
conveying you to Kingswood. I think we have added above
two hundred and fifty to the society, and old professors are
much quickened. The work appears to be deep and genuine,
and likely to go on; but you must come, and I hope very
soon.
": am, my dear friend, most affectionately yours,
"S. B."
Among his benefactions to Kingswood stands the noble
chapel close by which he lies. He did not raise it from his
own funds, but he raised it by stimulating others to combine
with him in his gifts and labours. He would have it, and
he would have it free from debt. In Bristol, in Bath, in
London, in Liverpool, he begged and was rebuked, and was
successful. To a man so busy, whose time was precious as
diamonds, it was no small matter to take the tedious drudgery
of begging; but he had set his heart on the work; what he
said in his own business he said in his master's business,
"Never attempt, or accomplish."  Local feeling was against
so large and expensive an edifice; but he inspired others
with his own desire till he enlisted their hearty co operation.
Towards the last he resolved on concluding the matter by
one great meeting, and prepared tea for above twelve hundred. His' tact and push" so raised excitement regarding
this meeting, that persons crowded from Bristol in omnibuses,




CHAPEL FREE FROM DEBT.             257
cars, vans, and all vehicles available. At the last, tickets
were besought on any terms, and fourteen hundred sat down
to tea. He had all arranged with military precision, so that
tea was served at a fixed. moment and removed in half an
hour. Just at the last, a cart was upset with, I think, fourteen gallons of tea; but his incredible energy repaired the
mischief, and the serving and removing were effected precisely as he had pre-arranged. At that meeting his heart
obtained its desire; every penny for the erection of the new
sanctuary was raised. His' outburst of joy and gratitude
was moving. At the first meeting of the trustees -he laid
down sixty pounds of a surplus.  There it stands, that
chapel, with the school-house built chiefly by his zeal and
bounty; and both will hereafter ally the name of Samuel
Budgett with the progress of light and of religion in Kingswood. I once heard a holy woman say, "Were I rich, I
think nothing would be so delightful as to build a house for
God, and then looking down from heaven, see all the good
that was going on under that roof"
Several neighbouring chapels were not, like that at
Kingswood, free from  debt; Mr. Budgett felt toward them
as toward his own. The following description of his doings
for these, by Mr. Carvosso, is characteristic:" With respect to his liberality to the cause of God, he
far excelled any one that I have met with in the church of
Christ. It is true he would not give without an eye to the
bringing out of the gifts of others. I first met him in connexion with chapels at a tea meeting in his own little chapel
at Kingswood, the object of which was to raise funds for the
chapel at Longwell Green, where his brother lived.  He was
in the chair. He had offered fifty pounds on conditions;
and with his usual " tact and push "-to use a favorite phrase
of his own-was trying to bring others up to the mark. A
paper was handed him to give out for a tea meeting at Fish



258           FISHPONDS AND ITS CHAPEL.
ponds, at which it was proposed to pay off a small part of
the one hundred pounds debt on the chapel there. He read
it and paused, and said if the friends at Fishponds would
endeavour at once to clear their chapel of debt, he would
give them fifty pounds, and come to their tea meeting. The
thought of the poor people there raising fifty pounds to meet
Mr. Budgett's liberal offer, was, with most parties, quite out
of the question-yea, oppression and not kindness! A few
thought differently-having Mr. Budgett with them inspired
hope. After tea he was voted to the chair. He made a
short, telling speech. After much effort the thing was done;
and it was deeply affecting to see with what glee all sprang
on their feet, and with what unanimity and joy they lustily
sang-'Praise God, from whom all blessings flow."'
Such was the effect of his influence, that before his death
all the chapels in the Kingswood circuit were free from debt,
with the exception of some trifle.
The zeal of Mr. Budgett for the interests of his own denomination was decided, consistent, and active, but not sectarian; his sympathies, influence, and contributions were at
the command of other labourers for the good of souls. Let
the following testimony of Mr. Gaskin speak as regards the
Established Church:
" It is now nearly eighteen years since, in the providence
of God, I was called to occupy the important position of incunbent minister of Kingswood. Perhaps it may be thought
somewhat out of place here to speak of the difficulties which
I found to be surrounding me when I first entered on that
peculiar sphere, presenting, as it did, ground that as yet was
all but unbroken, so far as the labours of the Church of England had been brought to bear upon it. Without some refergnce, however, to these difficulties, the generous, unsectarian




COUNSEL AND HELP.               259
qualities of Mr. Budgett's mind cannot be fairly appreciated.
In him, and in his elder brother-with whom. I subsequently
became so closely connected by marriage-I soon found the
most able and zealous coadjutors in every good work. The
inhabitants of Kingswood were, in many respects, a peculiar people; but they were open to kind treatment, and possessed many excellent qualities, for which I shall always admire them. But their peculiarities were of such a kind, that
a young and inexperienced clergyman, however well-intentioned, might have involved himself in serious troubles with
them, had he been left to adopt his plans in ignorance of the
character of the people amongst whom he had been called to
labour. If the Messrs. Budgett-men who were at the head
of so large and influential a body as the Wesleyan Methodists constituted-had wished to thwart the efforts of the
incumbent minister, nothing was more easy than for them to
do so, without the smallest odium attaching to them, for no
overt act on their part would have been necessary. - They
had merely to stand by and allow their young clergyman to
take his own course; in all reasonable probability, before
three months had elapsed, he would unwittingly have brought
himself into collision with the prejudices of the people to an
extent which he would never have removed. But instead of
this, they rendered-without becoming one whit the less
Wesleyan Methodists, and I received-without being one
whit less a churchman, co-operation of the most cordial and
liberal kind. Indeed, I do not recollect a single occasion of
my asking their assistance in any measure I might wish to
carry out for the spiritual or temporal advantage of the
place, without the immense influence which a long well-spent
life had given them among the people being most unreservedly placed at my command. Their counsel was always given
in the kindest and most courteous manner, and their purse
was open to an extent far beyond any thing that ever ap.




260          THE EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE.
peared to the public eye. To this generous and liberal bearing on the part of the Messrs. Budgett, I refer, under the
divine blessing, much of the kind feeling that has prevailed
among all parties in Kingswood for so many years, much of
the success which has attended the efforts of- the different
denominations of Christians there for the best interests of
the people, and much of that personal confidence reposed in
me, and that personal attachment cherished for me by my
former parishioners."
We have already seen on what relations he lived with
Mr. Glanville, the excellent Independent -minister of the
place. When he was abowut to erect a new " Tabernacle," Mr.
Budgett gave his exertions to remove some difficulty as to
part of the site, attended the meeting for raising funds, spokes
offered a handsome percentage on whatever should be raised,
and tried to elicit one great effort, as he had frequently done
before, by offering, that if they raised seven hundred pounds
that night, he would make it a thousand.
Such a heart was prepared to hail a movement like the
Evangelical Alliance. Into its design he entered with his
characteristic ardour; its meetings, hallowed and joyous to
all who have taken part in them, were to him welcome "as
the water-springs;" and in connexion with it he formed, as
many others have formed, some of the most precious friendships of his life. When it was debated in the family whether the house should be enlarged by adding some spacious
rooms, he was very indifferent, leaving it chiefly to his children to decide; but when some one observed that such a
large room would be very convenient to gather the Alliance
friends together, he at once said, "0  yes, then let it be
done." His warehouse chapel in Nelson Street had been
previously honoured by a meeting of the leading members of
the Alliance.
Mr. Budgett was " a neighbour " to the people of Kings



METRODISM A-ND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD.    261
wood; thousands of his gold and thousands of his hours
were given for their weal, and to the last his care was for
the maintenance amongst them of those means of grace which
had been so much blessed. Dating from the time of his
boyhood, he had seen a marked improvement in the place,
and toward that improvement his own influence, that of his
brother, and the family generally had powerfully contributed.
The blessing of God on the labours of the Methodists had
been the most manifest agency in this good work, and though
Mr. Budgett had the pain to see those labours seriously hindered in his last months by a violent agitation, that only
offered to him a new opportunity of sealing his testimony of
affection to the neighbourhood, as of his attachment to
Methodism, by acts of wide-hearted and wonderful munificence to sustain Methodist agencies for the future good of
the people he loved.
We shall best close this chapter, as we did the last, by a
sketch from Mr. Gaskin:" You are aware of the amazing influence he exerted
whenever the interests of his neighbours demanded that it
should be put forth. I shall confine my remarks here to
the manner in which that influence was acquired. I do not
think that it must be referred to his munificence, to his personal labours, or even to his peculiar and varied talents.
We may, any of us, call to mind instances in which none of
these have been wanting, and yet there has been a marvellous lack of influence. I have always conceived that his
power for good over the minds of his neighbours must be referred to the gentleness of his disposition and manners, with
the unqualified confidence in the integrity of his principles
which he inspired. It is thus I trace the origin and growth
of the influence which he exercised over me; and it is thus,
I am persuaded, that the humblest of his neighbours who
are capable of drawing the deduction, will account for the




262            THE' COAL HAULIERS.
influence which he exercised over them. A man, whose fru.
gal industry might have enabled him to accumulate a small
sum of money for a time of need, seemed perfectly happy
about it when Mr. Budgett had been prevailed upon to take
charge of it; I need scarcely add that while the poor man
felt that his money was secure, he knew also that the thrift
and forethought of which his savings were a proof, would be
well rewarded by one who loved to encourage such a disposition. The very'hauliers' on the road between Kingswood and Bristol perceived that in Mr. Budgett they had
one who differed widely from most of those with whom, by
their carelessness, they were constantly bringing -themselves
into collision. At one point of the road I have witnessed
painful altercations between these rough spirits and gentle.
men who have been interrupted by their ponderous waggons:
angry words from the party incommoded have called forth
a volley of abusive and profane language, accompanied with
a violence of gesticulation that threatened a breach of the
peace; while, perhaps only a few minutes before, an interruption of a similar kind between my relative and one of the
same men had terminated in a very different spirit.'Here,
Milesome,' he would say,'oblige me by drawing aside the
head of your 1" shafter,"-ay, thank you; never mind the
"leader," I'll manage him myself.  Always have your eye
on your horses and on anything that is coming near you in
either direction, —that's your business; you know, while you
are on the road with your team,-take care to begin drawing your horses aside the moment you see a carriage of any
kind coming, if you think you are in the way; it saves time,
and, what is more, it prevents unkind words sometimes.
There, thank you, good morning l' All this would be uttered in his usual quick but clear mode of speaking while
the man would be getting his horses and waggons on one
side. There would be the expression of good humour beam



WAGGONS ON THE WAY.               263
ing from the eyes of ouir swarthy friend; he seemed to feel
that he was treated like one of our own species, and he would
acknowledge it by a respectful touch of the hat and a hearty
response to the morning's salutation, —' And a good morning
to you, gentlemen!' I remember we were called one Saturday afternoon, rather urgently, into Bristol. As we neared
the gate, by the'Fire Engine' public house, we perceived
that the road was literally blocked up by l return' waggons
and horses, the drivers of which were in the public house.
A boy was sent for the drivers.' Why, is that you B.!'
exclaimed Mr. Budgett, as a stout-built fellow with a face
like a sweep's came rushing out of the house, grasping his
heavy whip in the one hand and hastily drawing the back of
the other over his mouth, fresh from the can,-' I'm sorry
to see you there; here, come round to me,'-then, lowering
his voice, he said,'B-, my poor fellow, you have a
wife and children at home. Have they any thing to eat 2''Not much, I be afearedj Sir,' said the man, trying to force
a smile into his countenance, though he evidently felt
ashamed.   Well, tell me now,' continued Mr. Budgett,'how much have you just spent?'' Why, threepence,-but
I had it gee'd me by th' lady'at hat t' call.''Well never
mind who gave it you, but telf me what you spent as you
went into Bristol this morning?'' Why, threepence.'' Well,
the lady didn't give you that; but no matter how you came
by the money so that it was honestly obtained. What I
want yol to think about is this: —By your own showing you
have spent sixpence to-day on beer; if you have done the
same every day this week, and I fear you have, then you
hlave three shillings in your pocket less than you might have
had; now as you go- along, just consider how many little
things that three shillings would have bought for the real
comfort of your wife, yourself, and your children. You say




264         EXPOSTULATION WITH A TOPER.
you fear they have but little to eat. at home now: and you
have spent sixpence on yourself! Is that kind? Nay,
don't make any excuse. I know you feel you have done
wrong. Don't, my poor fellow, repeatit. One word more;
if you persist in this habit you will become a drunkard,
and the Bible tells you, "Drunkards shall not inherit the
kingdom of God;" it will lead you into all wickedness, and
the Bible tells you, " The wicked shall be turned into hell! "
B —,' he added very solemnly,'think of this, tell your
companions there what I have said to you; and above all,
pray that God may bless what I have said to you, that He
may make you a more thoughtful and a better man.' Poor
B-    listened; the assumed smile disappeared, his face
sank almost into his bosom, and he became evidently
ashamed to look at us. At the close of Mr. Budgett's remarks, he touched his hat in a respectful manner, and said
with much apparent feeling,'Thank you, Sir; it's very good
for gentlemen such as you, to talk this ways to poor men
like me.'
"'Here is the clue to his influence over his poorer
neighbours,-an influence which he was ever aiming to turn
to their own advantage-an application, this, of that influence, to which they were most sensibly alive. Of this I
have continual evidence in the communications I am still
receiving from Kingswood. Not one out of many letters I
have had from that place since his removal which has not
made some touching allusion to it.' The whole neighbourhood mourns,' says one;'We have lost a FRIEND! I dare
not trust myself to write more,' is the remark of another;' There is a void at Kingswood which will never be filled,
observes a third. For myself I may add in the words of a
favourite writer,' lMioveor equidem tali amico orbatus, qualis,
ut arbitror, nerno unquas erit; ut confirmari possum,




FRIENDSHIP.                     265
nemo certe fuit,-sed tamen recordatione nostre amicitiea
sic fruor, ut beate vixisse videar, quia cunm eo vixerim.' " 
Mr. Gaskin justifies this strong language by a record
of Mr. Budgett's conduct as friend, which shows that he
deserved such an affection as he found, and fully prepares
one for the question wherewith that remarkable narrative
concludes —".  Will it be matter of surprise should his name
be one of the last that trembles on my dying lips?"
* For I am distressed at being bereaved of such a friend,-as none,
I conceive, will be to me again, and, as I can confidently assert, no one
ever was;-but yet I so enjoy the recollection of our friendship, that I
seem to have lived happily because I lived with him.




CHAPTER: VIII.
IN   THE  F.AMILY.
"O the blessings of a home where old and young mix kindly,
The young unawed, the old unchilled, in unreserved communion."
TurPPma
You have already seen Mr. Budgett in his father's house,
seen the love of parent, brother, and sister which he cherished there, seen him leave it with a rare title to the parental
blessing, and seen him afterwards twice bestowing his all for
his sisters and his brother. Before me lie the means of detailing his deeds of filial love for years-means singularly
afforded by one detached scrap of memorandum, jotted down
for a purpose that is manifest. One is almost tempted to
draw aside the obscuring veil of generalities, and show the
individual facts; but, perhaps that would only be to indulge
one's love of displaying a most beautiful spectacle of nobleness, humility, self-denial, and faith. That such a youth
should prosper no man can wonder; at least none with faith
in the fifth commandment.
His early zeal for the happiness of the family did not
forsake him when prosperity came flooding his coffers and
enlarging his sphere. That good mother, whose whole life
had been to him a gentle, wise, and saintly instruction, lived
to see him far up the eminence which rewarded his faith in




HIS MOTHER'S END.               267
the commandment with promise.  In a letter to his sister
Jane, he thus speaks:"Kingawood Hill, Jan. 30, 1831.
" MY DEAR SISTER,-I am just returned from Winterbourn from beholding one of the most interesting sights this
earth affords-I mean the happy, truly happy, sick and dying bed of a saint ripe for glory. Such is our dear mother.
You have seen her; she is not now less happy, only less sensible of her pain, than when you left. Her soul still triumphs in prospect of the glory that awaits her, and which in
all probability she will in a few days be introduced to.'Mark the perfect man,' &c.; how is that passage illustrated
in her experience! May it be equally so in yours and mine.
In order to that we have only to live the life of the righteous and we are sure to die the death. I hope, my dear
J —, you are making progress; remember we are no
longer happy or safe than we are vigorously pressing forward.
To halt is to go back.    *      *       *      *
" Your affectionate brother,
"S. B."
At the outset, we might have expected that his impulse
to rise sprung really from a love of money or personal ambition, though that cloaked itself under regard for the prospects of his numerous brothers and sisters. But as he rose,
as his own family increased, as new honours, new circles,
new allurements came within his grasp, how did he -remember those of his own house.2 Did he keep them at a dis.
tance?  Did he never do them a kindness but when teased?
Did he shun their society and leave them out of sight? Ask
them: there they are clustered about him,-brothers, sisters,
brothers-in-law, nephews, and nieces; ask them  and see




268               YFAmY COUNCILS.
whether their tones as they speak of " brother Samuel," or
" uncle Samuel," do not make your breast feel very full.
He who is what Samuel Budgett was as son and brother
has written his history as husband beforehand, and we need
not write it again. As a father, he ever sought to make his
children happy at home; he would provide them with all
means of innocent amusement-whatever the grounds could
yield to give them healthful play, with donkeys to ride, curious poultry to rear and study, rabbits, guinea-pigs, and
such like playmates as might entertain without endangering
them. His singular openness of heart, too, showed itself in
a peculiar form; he made his children, from their earliest
years, his confidants and his counsellors. They knew his
business affairs intimately, and in every perplexing case he
would gather them round him, with their mother and aunt,
and take their advice. His standing council was formed of
the whole family, even at an age when other fathers would
think it cruel and'absurd to perplex a child with weighty
concerns. But with him, all such concerns, though handled
with giant energy, were viewed with Christian quiet, as connected with the hand of Providence and capable of being
controlled by prayer. What, therefore, others would regard
with worldly anxiety alone, he would regard with solicitude
certainly, but with solicitude balanced by faith. In such a
temper he could disclose all his perplexities to his children
without lading their spirits with worldly care. This remarkable confidence displayed itself consistently; and much
earlier than usual he gave his sons a responsibility in the
business, and showed a deference for their judgment most
uncommon for a man whose fortune was of his own gathering. Men of that class are prone to treat their sons as children when they are youths, and as youths when they are men,
as if they thought that  because the wisdom of the family
was born with them so with them'it will die. A proof of




RELIGIOUS STATE OF CHILDREN.         269
this perfect reliance upon his children was given in'the fact,
that when the eldest son was only about twenty years of age,
he allowed his four boys to go alone upon the continent for
about seven weeks. Such a stretch of confidence could only
be justified by very ample evidence that it would not be
abused; but the result testified that he did not misjudge.
In matters of expenditure the same confidence was manifested; and when his will was made it was by consultation
with them all unitedly. But this confidence was as far from
indulgence as can be; it was measured and calculated, and
had it been abused, a strictness as measured and calculated
would have immediately taken its place. Mr. Gaskin has'
beautifully remarked that he knew how to create a virtue by
giving one credit for it, and assuming him to be incapable of
the opposite vice. This mode of treatment he applied with
great effect around his own hearth.
In seeking moral excellence in his children, Mr. Budgett
took it as his first maxim, that they were by nature inclined
to evil, and therefore, though capable of restraint and polish
by-education, must be alienated from their Creator and liable
to run into open iniquity unless they become partakers of a
new nature. Born of Adam's stock, they partook of Adam's
taint; born of a race of sinners they lay under the curse of
sin; but born under the provisions of a redemption whereby
all families on the earth are blessed, under the reign of a
Saviour through whom the " free gift came upon all men to
justification of life," they were capable of being created anew
in the image of God. These two things, that his children
were sinful and needed a new birth, that they were redeemed
and might be born again, were certain and serious things
with Mr. Budgett. And these are the two things which all
who would promote goodness upon earth, in family, nation, or
world, must lay to heart. Forgetting them, men whiten the
outside of the sepulchre, but the dead men's bones are hideous




270            A NEW HEArT NEEDED.
within. The great heresy and. ignis fatuus of our day is
the doctrine that man is good at heart; a tree to be trained,
not needing a graft. Some avow it, some stealthily diffuse
it, some proceed upon it unconsciously.  To the whole, to the
sinless, Christ has no mission. Fallen, but redeemed; prone
to evil, but capable of being made holy; loving the creature,
but capable of loving the Creator; under the dominion of
sin, but capable of being freed from sin and made servants
of God-that is the condition of all children, and Mr. Budgett happily knew it to be the condition of his.
From their early years his prayers and influence, joined
with those of their mother and aunt, were directed to this
one end, that God might " take away the heart of stone,
and give them a heart of flesh."  And in that family, so
united and so open of heart, think you not there were the
seeds of mighty sins, had those seeds been left to growenough:indication of a fallen nature to cost hours of extreme
anxiety, of most importunate prayer? Family altar, sabbath
holiness, works of charity, friends who feared God, all these
advantages were richly enjoyed by those children; but tempers and inclinations which might mar their whole life, and
a forgetfulness of God which might mar their eternity, were
not to be charmed away from human nature by outward
agencies like these, without the close and inward acting of
God's own Spirit on the heart.  You do not believe in this
close and inward action of God's Holy Spirit to make the
bad heart good. You hand poor man over to a drear, chill
world, without a Father nigh at hand, without a Saviour who
factually does deal with his bosom and bless it with deliverance from sin. You see Divine power upholding a world to
contain us, a sun to: light and warm us, renewing the herbs
and, trees, the generation of beasts and birds for us, making
all earth alive with ten million million agencies to feed and
clothe -and variously delight us; yet you think that thething




THE}. NEW BIRTH.              271
which is far more to us:than all the rest, —the way to find a
quiet, holy heart, which may dwell here in love and goodness,-is precisely the one thing He has left to be settled
by the philosophers instead of providing it Himself. Not so
thought Mr. Budgett; not so his helpers at home: they had
a deep, fast faith that God is love, that His love is close and
fatherly, that it makes man's heart its peculiar care because,
man's heart, in its own joy or bitterness, gives a taste to all
things here. They believed that He, the holy Father, is
nigh, very nigh, and knows us; that in Christ's sacrifice the
justice which would forbid his meeting with the vile is satisfied, and that when we turn to Him now, crying, "Father, I
have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more
worthy to be called thy son," he sends forth his own Spirit
into our heart; who there works a wonder-a wonder which
holy men of God call a "new creation," which the Son of
God called a " new birth:" and which makes us delight to
commune with our Maker, and sets us upon battling' against
sin as "seeing Him that is invisible."  That his children
might thus be changed was his earnest solicitude: and in
that his heart was comforted; for early, very early he saw
them, as one by one they sprang up, smitten with deep contrition for their sins, turn earnestly to the Redeemer, seek
his mercy, find it, and live to make his heart glad in life's
warm heyday, and to cheer the hours that bordered on the
grave.
The religion his children were taught to seek they were
taught to practise, not only in the quiet virtues of home life,
but in the active toil.of piety:-at Cock Road and other
schools, among the young people of the Association, in the
cottages of the poor, and in every place Kingswood afforded
for training them in the duties of a Christian neighbour. To
his daughter, when yet a child, he thus writes, showing how
he placed the one thing needful first before their minds:



LET1ER TO A CHILD.
"Bristol, Febrzuary 22d, 1848.
" MY DEAR SARAH ANN,-Your kind note I duly received by the hand of your brother James, for which I thank
you. Be assured it gives me much pleasure to know that I
am affectionately remembered by any member of my family,
and especially by my own little daughter. I hope you are
endeavouring to be a good girl. If you knew how much the
happiness of those who love you depended on you? conduct,
I think that if nothing else proved a sufficient motive to good
behaviour that would; but then my dear little girl knows
very well that her own happiness both in this world and the
next depends on her giving her heart to God. Do not, my
dear child, live one hour without being satisfied that God is
just now pleased with you, that is, that you have His favour;
for we are happy if we share His smile, His counsel, and His
care. May you, my dear child, be truly devoted to God in
youth, and then you will be prepared for a useful life or fit
for early death! I dare say how happy you all are. You
may write to me as often as you please and I will endeavour
to answer your letters. Tell me all the workings of your
little mind, all your hopes and all your fears, all youir joys
and all your sorrows. Please give my very kind love to all
at home, and believe me, my dear Sarah Ann,
" Your affectionate father,
"S. B."
The following also testifies how much his heart was oocupied with the spiritual welfare of his children, and how he
rejoiced that they were all walking in the paths of righteousness:" Ifracombe, Saturday, Nov. 6th, 1847,
" Eight o'clock.
" MY DEAR LITTLE SALLY,-Your kind letter to mamma
we duly received, and I would have written to you before




LETTER TO HIS DAUGHTER.            273
now, but I have been very unwell-so weak that I have
scarcely been able to read or write anything without. doing
me harm; but I am thankful to inform you I am now getting better, and I hope soon to recover my strength. I assure you we think and talk of you very. often, and we do not
cease to pray for you. What a mercy it is, my dear child,
that as a family we are all seeking our happiness from one
source, and that the right one. How insignificant does every
thing else look when compared with this, even in this life and
in the -possession of health, wealth, and all that the world
calls great and good; but look a little further-a sick bed, a
dying hour, a judgment day, all-of which will very soon be present,-and how then shall we value all beside this one thing
needful, this Divine love! The Lord fill my dear child's heart,.and then from the abundance of the heart the mouth will
speak, and you will,you must,however unconsciously,be made
useful to others.
"Tis worth living for this,
To administer bliss,
And salvation in Jesus's name.
I believe we are all as a family going to heaven. Glory be
to God! *       *      *       *      *      *
"Yours affectionately,
" PAPA and MAMMA.'"
In describing the entertainments of the Sunday School
children in the grounds, we introduced his second son, Edwin
In.him, more than in any member of the family, appeared
the stronger traits of his father's character, with touches of
worth peculiar to himself. Frank, vivacious, open, with a clear
head, a quick glance, a commanding look, prompt, firm action, a hearty laugh, a mellow voice, and a musical taste
which on a summer eve would sometimes make the place joyful
12*




274: THE LAST SONG OF THE BROTHERS.
with outdoor melody;i, in business, a master for decision, order
and authority; at home, a son in love and obedience, a brother
to be admired and delighted in; in school, a teacher ever
diligent'; in prayer, devout, fervent, and prevailing; in the
cottage, a friend to help, to warn, to plead upon his knees;
among young friends, a hearty happy companion, a kindly,
winning advocate for. devotedness to God, who would tell of
the blessings to be found at the throne of grace, and lead
the way thither, and stay in long and eager wrestlings. Such
was Edwin, and if all-delighted in him do you wonder? If
you think that I say what he was not, go and ask any who
knew him, and they are many.
The summer of'49 shone bright on Kingswood Hill.
All things were flourishing; the business was swelling with
prosperity; new and most charming friendships had been
opened to'the family; the father was hale -and, as men say,
young; the eldest son on the point of a union wherein all must
every way rejoice; the house-was the scene of a long visit from
an eminent servant of Christ whose mild goodness would be
a beauty to be estimated there.  On the lawn the whole
staff of their men had feasted, the merry Sunday School'
children sported while Edwin was life' to them all; and at
Edwin's own request the boys of Kingswood School had an
entertainment and an evening's play. The rest shall be told
by the friend we quoted before.
" The Sabbath of July 22d found Edwin, as usual, doing
and receiving good. In the evening, after a profitable day
in the school and sanctuary, he united with his brothers in
singing Charles Wesley's beautiful hymn, commencing,-'How happy- every child of grace,
Who knows his sins forgiven 
This earth, he cries, is not my place,
I seek my place in heaven;




EDWIN'S LAST CLASS MEETING.             275
A country far from mortal sight:Yet, O Iby faith I see
The land of rest, the saints' delight,
The heaven prepared for me.'
The united worshippers seemed to rise with the spirit' of
their theme; and when they came to the last verse but one,
the sentiment was in remarkable unison with what was to
follow. At that moment their father, who was just leaving
the room, struck with the sweetness of the tune and at once
awed and delighted with the sentiments, turned back and
lingered a few moments longer, while his children were singing, in a strain in which Edwin's voice was neither feeblest
nor least harmonious, —
*'Then let me suddenly remove,
That hidden life to share;
I shall not lose my friends above,
But more enjoy them there.
There we in Jesu's praise shall join,
His boundless love proclaim;
And solemnise in songs divine
The marriage of the Lamb.
An aspiration how soon to be realised!
"As a member of the Wesleyan Society in Kingswood,
he was very regular and punctual in attendance on his class;
and on Tuesday evening he was promptly there, and in his
usual seat. 0 how well to be in the way of duty with death
so near! His leader asked him, with commendable fidelity,
if he could then testify that he was assuredly born again,
made a child of God, and consequently an heir of Heaven.
Edwin humbly, but distinctly, replied,'I feel thankful that
I do know that I am a child of God. I have had in the past
week seasons of communion with Him, and desire more eonstantly to realise His presence, and live to His glory.' The




276              EDWIX IN CHOLERA.
meeting concluded, and he was in apparently perfect health,
and so he retired to rest. The next morning he complained
a little.  About the middle of the day the symptoms increased upon him and became serious, producing, besides
pain, faintness: and prostration of strength.  His eldest
brother sent in the utmost alarm for the surgeon, and a physician besides, who for two hours resorted to every means
within their power to stay the attack, but all to no purpose.
He was then hurried home in a close carriage; cramp supervened, and before evening there was no doubt that the disease was cholera. At five o'clock he was assisted to bed, and
asked,'Supposing the worst should come, do you feel any
fear'' O no,' he said,'I feel I am safe!' and responded in
the affirmative to some observations which were made in reference to having the fear of death taken away.  The nature
of the disease prevented further conversation, excepting so
far as that he occasionally gave a brief assurance of his calm
repose upon the atonement of his adorable Saviour, and that
His presence was manifested to him. His mind was perfectly composed and tranquil all night, while the vital powers,
notwithstanding all remedies that were used, were sinking
fast; and at half-past twelve on Thursday morning, July
26th, he gently fell asleep in Christ."
This was no slight stroke; and how was it borne?2  That
shall be told, not by me, but by an eye-witness.  Mr. Car,
vosso says"The moment he either felt or saw the rod,'I have
sinned,' was on his lips and in the depths of his heart.
Hence, in the distressing loss of his lovely son Edwin, compared with the painful consciousness of his own deserts, the
stroke of the cholera and the bitter bereavement were'light.' The dread evening when his loved son was writhing
in the grasp of the disease, leaving him in other hands, he
meets his class and then takes a poor, intelligent, pious man,




THE HOUSE OF MOURNING.              27'
a local preacher,'his own son in the faith,' and retires in
darkness to the lone summer-house in his extensive lawn,
and they long continued wrestling together'with strong
crying and tears,'-the personal dread of His wrath who is'glorious in holiness' absorbing the anguish of the purest
natural affection. Returning in the advanced night to his
awfully afflicted dwelling, with the cry,' My- sins, any sins,
are the cause of all this!" his pious children gather round
him, and all in succession, from the oldest to the youngest,
are heard pleading with God for their father's consolation
and deliverance. This piercing apprehension of the evil of
sin, with the powerfully healing balm of Divine grace, given
pre-eminently in answer to the'prayer of faith,' prepared
him and his family for such a manifestation of passive piety
as I do not recollect ever, elsewhere to have witnessed. A
few days afterwards, returning from the Conference, expecting on entering his dwelling to enter a cloud whose' darkness might be felt,' what was my surprise to find it a true
dwelling of an Israelite, all'light within.' The darkness
was outside; here they all walked in the light of the Lord,
and all tears were wiped from every eye. I beheld, and was
edified; I wondered, and shall never forget! Mr. Budgett
not only murmured not, but was ceaseless in praises that he
and his family had been dealt with so mercifully. I knew
how he loved his son, and what he expected from him."
Happy in his own family, he was solicitous for the conversion of other young persons who came within his influence. That young friend whose notes we have used is an
example.  From  the time that Methodism  took root in
Kingswood, there had always been a succession of lively and
pious men among the colliers; and these, with flowing heart,
delighted to declare at the " Lovefeasts," in their own plain
speech, the great goodness of the Lord to their souls. It
was not uncommon for persons to come from a distance to




278         ATTENTION TO YOUNG PERSONS.
hear and be edified by these simple declarations of the power
of grace to renew. One Easter Monday our young friend
and a sister had come from Bath to Kingswood; and were
descried in the chapel'by Mr. Budgett, who knew their family. At the close of the service he went up to them, and at
once made himself their friend, and would not be denied.
but home with him they must come.  He soon won their confidence, and after a while took them out for a walk, leading
them away to a cottage at some distance, where a young
woman was dying in Christian peace. On the way he
affectionately inquired whether they had given their hearts
to God, and counselled them  early to seek the blessings
which hallow youth and age. After they had left the cottage, they saw a crowd, and two men stripped to the waist
boxing. This hideous sight, though strange to them, was
only too familiar to their new friend, who at once hastened
towards the spot and with great authority separated the
combatants.
With this young friend he maintained -a frequent correspondence, gently begging for two letters to his one, in consideration of his want of leisure. With many other young
persons also he corresponded, ever urging upon them the
supreme importance of piety. He was exceedingly fond of
having at his own house the youth of other godly families;
and cases occurred wherein these visits were the means of
their conversion, while in no instance could they reside in
that home without becoming more and more alive to the
charms of vital and working godliness. It is not pleasant
and it is not meet to write about the living: this fact excludes much we should love to tell in this chapter; but the
rule is good to be silent on the virtues of those who are still
here. The only case wherein one feels quite at home in
praising them, is when worthy names are aspersed by un.
worthy tongues. Were it not for this, we might narrate




CORRESPONDENCE WITH EYOUNG FRIENDS.   279
beautiful instances of happy deeds done under Mr. Budgett's
roof.
We may give; a few specimens of Mr. Budgett's correspondence with his young friends; it will be seen how free
and tender is his style, as if it were an elder brother, rather
than one so much beyond them in age, and with so much of
what would induce, in most men, a high sense of consequence.'The first extract is from  a note written to his
friend oft referred to, as the date shows, only a few days
before Edwin's death; and it would seem as if his thoughts
were under secret preparation for the event yet unforeseen.
" ingswood Hill, July 18, 1849.
" MY DEAR FRIEND,-I might almost conjecture you
had been busy in hay harvest or something else, for it seems
so long a time since I have either seen or heard from you;
at -any rate I hope you will make some allowance for my
long silence when- I tell you that I.have been from home,
and have had company. Do you ever intend coming to
see us again?  You may be assulred I, indeed we all, shall
be as glad to see you as ever, unless you stay away so long
as to make us forget you. But how are you prospering in
the best things?  What a wilderness does this world seem
without the hope of the Gospel; how exceedingly uncertain
is every thing here. What a mercy we have the Bible.
Please write me with your usual freedom, and believe me,
with very kind remembrance to papa and mamma, &c., as
ever,
"Your sincere and affectionate friend,
" S. B."
In the following letter we see his judgment on reading
religious biography:- -




;280                   LETTERS.
"Kingswood Hill, -February 17, 1849.
":MY DEAR FRIEND,-I am  of opinion that there is
scarcely any class of reading more profitable to our growth
in grace than choice pieces of religious biography-such as
Brainerd, Martin, Fletcher, Wesley, Richmond, Bramwell,
John Smith, M'Cheyne, Carvosso, Mrs. West, Cryer, Bingham, and a host of others. All. good things require to be
read prayerfully and in faith. Are we not too apt to think
there was something peculiar in the individuals rather than in
the faith by which they derived all their excellencies? The
fountain of all good is as full and as free of access now and
to us as ever it was to them, and we have only to exercise
the same faith and all the good will be as surely ours as
ever it was theirs. May the Lord help my dear friend and
me to enter more fully into the gracious designs of our hea-;venly Father concerning us!
"I think you cannot help admiring the present beautiful weather. See how. spring and summer are approaching
already!' The birds sing most merrily; the days lengthen'very fast; the flowers are beginning to decorate the hedges
and banks; the fields are increasing in verdure and beauty;
and I hope you and I shall endeavour to keep pace with all
nature in praising our Creator and' Redeemer.  Is it not
cheering to think I know that God is love, and especially
that He loves me? Believe me, my dear E
"Most affectionately yours,
"S. B."
In another note to his Bath friend, a note full of kind
feeling, I find these remarks:"We cannot indeed too highly value time: in this I have
been truly deficient.  If we would rise early we must begin
at the right end-that is by going to bed early, or all will be




lost labour. You must have seven hours sleep. An alarum
is a very good thing; but if we neglect the call a few times,
like the calls of the Spirit or of our consciences, it will be
ineffectual.
" I am glad you still retain love to God after seven years'
experience. May it be increased seven times seven! I think
nothing is so calculated to remove reserve as zeal for God
and humility. We think too much of ourselves and not
enough of the importance of being found faithful; may you,
my dear friend, become truly simple of heart and dead to the
opinion of others when it stands in the way of duty.  You
have not wearied me. Your letters are no tax on my time,
I am always very glad to hear from you, and the more freely
you write to me the more you please me.
"I have scarcely any time for Milner.  Stock-taking is
too near; I seem just as full as I can possibly be. I have
for the last week been rising at five, and have as much as I
can do until ten every day. My health and spirits are good.
My wife is poorly, but improving: all the rest well. With
kind remembrances to your family circle, I am, my dear
friend,
"Yours affectionately,
" S. B."
Here we find him inciting his young friend to perseverance and faith as a teacher:" Kingswood Hill, Dec. 24, 1844.'" MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,-I am truly thankful that God
has so graciously inclined your heart to seek your happiness
where alone true enjoyment can be found, and that He has
not only blessed but made you a blessing.
"If you are faithful, He will give you grace to lose
yourself in Him, as a drop in the oceafl, and your prayers
will be frequently offered and graciously answered.




282       HAPPINESS OF A FAITHFUL TEACHER.'Keep me dead to all below,
Only Christ resolved to know,
Firm and disengaged and free,
Seeking all my bliss in Thee.'
You will feel so impressed with the value of souls and your
responsibility to God, that you will never rest until all the
girls in your class are brought from darkness to light. I
remember hearing of a young person who had thirteen scholars, and for several years she saw but little fruit of her
labour until she was almost discouraged; but instead of
giving up, she began to wrestle with God in earnest, persevering, faithful prayer; and in a short time one of the girls
evinced a serious concern for her spiritual welfare, and began
to inquire with deep anxiety what she must do to be saved.
This soon spread through the class, and in a few months
every one of the children gave satisfactory evidence that
their hearts were changed. I have little doubt but that the
effect will be equally encouraging on your part if you trust
alone in the mighty God who has said (Mark xi. 24),  Whatsoever things,' &c. Let this encouraging passage have its
full weight on your mind, and make all the use of it you believe your heavenly Father would have you."
"S. B."
How many busy merchants, with such an establishment
upon their hands, and with such indoor and outdoor calls
upon their time, would take pains thus to cherish the correspondence of pious youth, partly from a design to encourage
them in religious life, partly from the impulse of an ardent
friendship?
His letters indicate his love of a tour. Wales, Scotland,
the Lakes, and other paths of beauty were selected for sum
ner excursions; and there, amid the works of the heavenly
Father, his heart rekindled all its best emotions.  Nothing




TOURS  -iN  PLsEXURES.              283
did he enjoy more than a drive. or a stroll amid beautiful
scenery, accompanied by members of his family or a friend
or two, heightening the pleasure:by poetry, hymns, or animated rehearsals- of:God's wonderful providence in his own
career. The flowers, the trees, and the singing birds would
all set his thoughts in motion, and elicit warm bursts of pleasure and of worship.  When: on a drive, he had been telling
some of the striking passages of his life to his young friend.
She said laughingly but in earnest,'tWhy, Mr.: Budgett, your
life ought to be written among the lives of wonderful men.''
"y My life!" he said, "it is no more worth writing than the
life of that bird in the bush." Of his children and of their
friends he was the friend-one might almost say the comrade, and.in his open-heartedness often made them  more
intimate with his grave concerns than they could bring themselves to make him with their lighter ones.  Thus, while his
influence steadily opposed every thing that was evil, no coldness, no sanctimonious sharpness, no indifference to youthful
zest- and sensibility ever displayed itself; and yet under all
this companionable familiarity, there was a basis of unrelenting discipline which was not shown, but which, if infringed
upon, would yield to no pressure or appeal.
In the management of his servants, as in that of his
men, he delighted to reward diligence.  When. any special
instruction was well carried out, some little present often
followed; and'even when he wished to correct a fault, sometimes he managed to do it by especial commendation of a
small display of.the opposite virtue, or by some trifling gift.
He once gave his cook a characteristic reproof on the subject of punctuality.. He could not bear to lose a moment
before meals.  When the bell for breakfast was rung, he sat
still in his library till all were assembled for prayer, then a
private bell summoned him, and'so not an instant was lost.
It proved on one occasion that for two or three days in suc



284           LESSON ON -PUNCTUALITY.
cession dinner was late; this, of course, was not to his mind
yet he sent'cook " no message. Some friends were stay
ing in the house, and he made the whole party agree to en.
ter the dining-room precisely at the hour, and take their
seats at table. This all did, and much to their amusement
waited for a considerable time. It may be supposed that
the tidings soon travelled to the kitchen. Not certain, however, that this one lesson would suffice, he issued the same
order for the following day. Again the cook heard of the
whole company being seated at a table without viands, and
you may suppose that such a sermon on punctuality was not
delivered in vain.
No one would expect ostentation in the domestic life of
Mr. Budgett; while plentifulness was everywhere, plainness
and economy were its meet companions. Fond of having
numerous visitors-sometimes making a descent on a group
of friends, and by his own irresistible determination carrying them off, yea or nay, to Kingswood Hill-he yet never
desired to get a name for entertainments. I have heard
many speak of heart and warmth, of domestic order, of prayer
and praise, of active piety, and endless good-doing; but in
looking back upon all who have talked about that home, I
do not remember one who commemorated the champagne
or the brilliant soirees. He was far more at home in giving
the Sunday School children a treat, or regaling the young
women with tea and strawberries, than in seeing a number
of fine ladies and gentlemen lounge and prattle. Many
horses as he gave away, he never drove a pair, because he
thought it would be too much display. Much as he loved
beauty and rural scenes, he did not buy a mansion in some
of the enchanting localities within a drive of Bristol; but
tried, in the-act of feeding the labourers of the place, to
make Kingswood beautiful.  Temperance in all things,
without extremes, either in house, dress, or board, was his




PLAINNESS.                   285
taste; and temperance in all these he impressed on his domestic circle.  It would have been easy for him to have had'
nothing to spare when the poor called; but he chose rather
to have nothing to spare when extravagant luxuries called.
His style was far below that assumed by many merchants
of half his means, yet without any prim fashion of peculiarity; and his accumulated wealth was never so great as
his largesses would lead many to imagine.
Among the mercantile class, luxury is a devouring evil;
it swallows down the virtues wholesale. For their means
they are far more addicted to it than the " higher-classes;"
their houses are enlarged and decorated with the most pretentious rivalry one of the other, their tables testify against
all moderation (eschewing of course drunkenness), they make
haste to march to the music of carriage wheels, to feast their
eyes on plush and livery buttons. The rage to make vast
fortunes arises as much from the rage for display as from
the cold desire to accumulate; and style is pushed up to
such a height that soon a man must have an immense revenue to keep pace even with the lower circles of respectable
life.  This is all bad, comes of badness, and leads to badness. Yet, alas, the men we call by emphasis " good" do
little as a class to cure it; the religious merchant or manufacturer of wealth is generally a very splendid gentleman.
Even men whose personal carriage, whose heart, life, and
likings are meek and lowly, allow their establishments to
slide up into the splendours.  This habit is enervating our
youths, rendering family happiness dependent on superfluities, straining health and principles in a race for dashing
style, setting up splendour on the legitimate throne of moderation, and icing over domestic piety with candied incrustations. Unless it is put down, where arce we to look for a
race of men who can do without a dinner now and then for
a work of charity, or spend years in frugal habitudes and




286           LUXURY -OF MDDL  CLASSES.
benevolent hardship'?  The homes of the comfortable classes
are mortally unfavourable to the formation of self-denying
heroic men. Among the:poor, early hardship fits for subsequent privation.' Among the older families, ancestral traditions, military or naval associates, early familiarity with
historic enterprise, tend to make' a youth spurn dependence
on the indulgences which: surround him.  The one class
gives us hardy soldiers, the other heroic officers; but the
comfortable class have neither hardship nor family tradition
to kindle heroism in their youth, and the whole course of
their modern progress is towards a generation of creatures
dependent upon every sort of luxury, and energetic only to
win the gold which will buy it. The continuance of peace,
removing from our eyes the examples of self-devotion which
war, detestable' as it is. constantly presents, renders it all
the more incumbent on us to protest against habits which
would turn this hardy northern island into a nursery of soft
gentlemen who will whine and mope if they have only a
warm house, with a fire, a loaf, a joint, and a cup of tea.
The outcrying extravagance and luxury of the day needs
a most masterful hand laid upon it; statesmen should smite
it, authors and journalists should set the pen upon it, parents should make it a fireside laughingstock, religious men
should walk over it, and preachers should burn it with living
coals of eloquence.  It does one's heart good to see the
" Edinburgh Review," in  an article replete with sense and
vigour, pointing to a reduction of the prevalent extravagance as the wise, safe, short path to universal plenty. "If,"
says the  judicious writer, "the English people could all at
once be induced to lay aside their luxurious, wasteful, and
showy mode of life, and adopt the frugality and temperance
of the Spaniards, the simple habits of the Tyrolese, and the
unostentatious hospitality of the Syrians, how few among us
would not find a superfluity at:their disposal? We rejoice to




A WAY TO DO GOOD.                287
believe that this more rational and homely spirit is spreading among us, especially in detached localities, and we do
not think that a good citizen could render any more valuable service to his country than in promoting it by argument and example wherever his influence extends."




CHAPTER IX.
THE INNER LIFE.
"Truth is not local; God alike pervades
And fills the world of traffic and the shades,
And may be feared amid the busiest scenes,
Or scorned where business never intervenes."
COWPEm.
THERE is a life the world sees, a life the neighbourhood
sees, a life the family sees, a life God sees.  These are
often strangely inconsistent. It is pitiable when each succeeding enclosure you pass to reach the man, introduces
you to diminishing charms and growing blemishes. With
Samuel Budgett it was not so: the merchant who only
knew him as the unparalleled " buyer," the stranger who only
heard of him from some men of business in Bristol, and many
who saw but his outermost character, had no remarkable impression of his worth. But those who knew his works in his
neighbourhood, beheld wondering; those who knew his home
had a profound love of the man; those who knew his closet
and his heart looked upon him with feelings which few men
raise in the breasts of others.
When his opening mind first cried for food, a mother was
there who wisely gave it the knowledge of one great, holy
God, and added in daily teaching the knowledge of all truths
essential to the soul. Not only did she feed his mind with




EARLY TRAINING.                289
this living bread, but she moved its powers to come forth, to
stretch upwards and meet its God; she did not teach the
lips alone to mutter praying words where meaning was not;
but bending over the earth-prone infant mind, well knowing
that it could rise, yet would if left alone grovel, his mother's
soul, stirring, lifting his growing soul, urged him up toward
the mercy-seat.
This was the first influence on Samuel Budgett's inner
life,-a firm conviction of Christian truths, a bent towards
prayer. Then he had before his eyes beings whose whole
lives were adjusted on the principle that they were travelling
to a better country. The songs he heard in his father's
house were the songs of that shining land. The genius of
Charles Wesley was, to his infancy, a lark at morn, musically
inviting his eye toward heaven; a nightingale at eventide,
pouring upon the shades of life melody from the invisible.
The necessities he heard spoken of as most pressing, were
necessities of the inner man; the treasure he heard extolled
as the one pearl of price, was a heart-held gift of God. He
had ever something to remind him that man does not live by
bread alone, but that there is a life which moulds the life of
sense to happiness or vanity.
Then came the notable hour when, passing his mother's
door, he heard her making supplication for her Samuel.
Now, for the first time, his soul consciously cried out within
him, as a living thing which felt itself poor, hungry, and
nigh to perishing,-another voice had, this time, spoken
through his mother's. The prodigal's feeling when he came
to himself is the first feeling of all souls when they first
awake,-" I perish;" the prodigal's hope is the hope of all
souls when awake,-" I will arise, and go to my father."
That little boy, in struggling thoughts and prayers, endeavoured to find God; the efforts of his mother to lift his soul
up had not been vain,-now that it was awake, it knew where
13




290               PIETY IN YOUTH.
to fly. Then came the happy death of Betty Coles, and the
walking in the fields on summer evenings, repeating hymns
on death and heaven. Then, the ride by Mells Park, when
his mother lay, as he feared, dying; and where he whose
soul had first been urged heavenward on the wings of her
soul, now rose upon his own wing, bearing her, stricken
as she was, and struggled upward with his burden, till
he surmounted the clouds, and beheld the sun so clearly
that his heart sang. Henceforward he felt the joy of the
Divine life. Then came years at school, and early trading,
followed by years of apprenticeship, throughout all which
the inner life appears to have been vigorous. His thirst
for the means of grace was strong and steady; his Bible
was beloved; his Sabbath was a day of eager hearing, eager
reading, eager meditating, and eventually a day of ardent
teaching and visiting; his hymn-book was passing almost
entire into his memory; and his path of filial duty was trodden with self-forgetting constancy. Inside all this was a
warm delight in God-a gratitude, a love, a filial fear. In
spiritual tranquillity, in calm, steadfast happiness of soul,
these early years excelled the years that followed; they were
the most uniformly bright period of Mr. Budgett's inward
life. It would seem that throughout those days of hard
circumstances, he had faithfully walked with God, and had
enjoyed abounding consolation. What was that, then, which,
beginning as-he prayed by the park at Wells, gave him hap.
piness and virtue throughout all boyhood and early youth?
Mark the two things,-happiness and virtue, the two best
and purest blessings,-in fact, the collective expressions of
all blessings possible; what was it which gave him a happiness much trouble could not mar; a virtue youthful temptation could not shake? It was the Comforter-the Spirit of
adoption, which, entering the heart of the happy men who.etiurn from sin to Christ, "beareth witness with our spirit




THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION.            291
that we are the children of God."  Our race is a race of
prodigals, far wandered from the Father's house, beside themselves, and living sinfully; but 0, many have come to themselves, have returned to the Father, and have been received
with pardon, with tender utterances, and wealthy gifts. But
you do not believe, that when God receives back the prodigal son, He utters any word of welcome which.will assure
and rejoice the self-reproaching heart; you say it is impossible that the soul can be told, "Thy sins are forgiven thee."
What parent in the universe is without the power of giving
recovered offspring a glad welcome?  Even the hen can
thrill her lost, when found, with notes of delight; and is the
only parent who cannot tell his love and his joy into the
breast of his "lost one, who is found again," the Father of
all souls, the source of all light and speech? Nay, nay; God
has a way into the soul of man as well as you, as direct at
least, and as-effectual.  God has a voice as well as you, and
spirit can speak to spirit, as well as lips of earth-speak
condemnation.warning, or approval. When He adopts a
man, forgiving him the sins that are past, He has a wondrous
thing to tell him, -Which no earthly eye has seen, no ear hasheard, and therefore no tongue can tell; and that it may be
told-clearly told, He sends forth the Spirit of His Son
into the man's heart, crying, Abba, Father. It is told: the
soul knows that it has passed from death to life, knows itz
adoption, knows the thing which eye hath not seen, or ear
heard, but which God has revealed unto it by His Spirit
knows itself a child; and if a child, then an heir: —this is the
consolation. With this consolation comes a love, which renders obedience pleasing and disobedience hateful. It is not
by convincing the judgment that cheerfulness is better than
repining, virtue better than sin, that God makes men really
happy and really virtuous; but by moving the affections as




292                   DARKNESS.
a Father, and winning our love by displaying His love to the
eye-sight of the soul.
But his letters written in the years succeeding the expiration of his apprenticeship, and the detached notes still
left to us, indicate clearly a state of soul in which the same
calm faith no longer reigns.  There is not only self-abasement, but disquiet-a soul not happy, not feeling the joy of
pardon, not trustingly staid upon the cross. WHe is plainly
conscious of great unfaithfulness; not an unfaithfulness
which has laid him low in humiliation only, but which has
robbed him of his peace; not an unfaithfulness which has
driven him to the great Mediator with a more piercing sense
of his innate sin, and a more fixed hold of Christ's infinite
merit, but which has withered his hand that he cannot lay
hold on the hope set before him in the gospel. These were
cloudy days; but whence the cloud came I have not the
means of saying.
But he was not the man to coin a spurious comfort, when
the genuine impress of God's approval was withdrawn-to
burnish a base metal till it would glitter as if gold; he was
rather one to test the true with aqua-fortis scrutiny, till under the test its brightness was hidden though its substance
was. unhurt.  Such was his habit constantly; and of that
self-distrusting, self-depreciating habit, full account must be
taken in estimating his spiritual state. Yet with this in
view, it is evident that the want of peace which marked his
earlier years of manhood, contrasting with the habitual
brightness of youth, is not assignable purely to such a cause,
but began with unwatchfulness, and some clear, specific transgression. Some religious men'are always joyful, though never watchful; their joy is not worth a butterfly.
His copious journals are gone, burnt up by his own hand;
and we are not disposed to blame any man for that. Now,
a few stray fragments of notes, scattered, unfinished, abrupt,




HIS OWN NOTES.                 293
disconnected-merely the faint trace of an occasional footmark-is all that has survived.  One note is dated January
1, 1822, shortly after his entrance on partnership and his
marriage, when all outward things were joyous. Yet he
thus writes:
"Tuesday evening, January 1, 1822.-My soul is greatly oppressed because of sin. I shall never be happy till I
find a Saviour from the love, the power, the guilt, and the
sad effects of sin as it respects future punishment. I believe
such a Saviour is provided, but He is not my Saviour-I do
not know Him; He has not saved me from my sins; but I
am resolved to try if I cannot find Him, so then I will seek
Him first and oftenest, and with the most diligence, for r am
in danger till I do find Him.  Oh, when shall I find Him!
how long shall I seek Him! Lord, grant that I may never
rest till I feel He is formed in my heart the hope of eternal
glory. AMEN."
At the close of the week he adds:
"Sunday, middle day, January 6, 1822. —The last week
has been a very unprofitable one. I see great propriety in
what Thomas-a-Kempis says,'the beginning of temptation is
inconstancy of mind, and little faith.'
"I have been suffering all the last week from want of
resisting temptation in the beginning: I am now very low.
But I will arise again.  I have before me' Hervey's Meditations,'']Baxter's Saint's Rest,' and the Sacred Volume. I
have just taken a slight view of the loss I sustained by spending my time as I have done in the past week. As this is
the first Sabbath in the year, may I now begin to redeem
time-to form an acquaintance with my Bible, &c., &c. Oh,
what pleasures, what privileges, depend on the improvement
of precious time! May I-yea, I feel resolved to-give no
moment but in purchase of its worth. May the Lord give
me strength, and teach me what its worth is."




294               SELF-EXAMINATION.
Towards the end of the month he makes this note:
"Thursday evening, January 24, 1822.-I this morning
returned from Midsomier Norton. In my way I indulged a
few reflections, and endeavoured to form a few resolutions:" 1st, I am a guilty, and consequently an unhappy creature.
"2d, The darkness of my mind prevents my seeing its
awful state.
" 3d, As my mind is darkened by sin I cannot see what is
my duty, or what are my privileges.'4th, I have not power to perform even what I know to
be my duty.
" 5th, The longer I continue in this state the worse I shall
be, till my eternal ruin be accomplished.
"Resolved" 1st, To seek a deeper sense and clearer discovery of mly
awful state through sin.
"2nd, To seek to get a satisfactory evidence that I am
accepted through Christ.
" 3rd, To make the service of God, and obedience to the
dictates of his Spirit, the supreme object of my life.
"'4th, To begin to redeem time, and to be more moderate
in my eating, drinking and sleeping, and to endeavour to
make one word pass for two, in order that my soul may grow
in grace and be happy; and all this would I do in humble
dependence on the continual assistance of the Holy Spirit.
~"And 5th, To read every day a chapter or two of Scripture according to the resolution made January 1st, 1822."
The first sign of recovered joy comes nearly two years
subsequent to the date of the above notes; when looking
back on the Christmas week he says, "I am pleased on reviewing it as one of the most profitable weeks spent on this
earth."
Everything we can gather betokens an earnest struggle




SELF-CONDEMNATION.             29
after a life disciplined to obey accurately strict intentions as
to inward motive and outward action. His views of a call
to be a child of light were very clear; and setting that
beauty of holiness whereto he felt called beside the poor attainments which alone he would recognise in his character' his
heart sank abashed. With lower views of the Christian calling he would have beheld his own life without strong condemnation; but, in that case, the evils he -now deplored
would have grown, the graces he longed for would have been
neglected, and his character would have gradually deteriorated till he was either a hollow professor of religion, or a fullblown man of the world. Prosperity was setting in strongly;
his natural disposition urged him to absorbing efforts in trade,
and here was his danger. In the heat of driving his plans,
he was constantly liable to be overcome; and doubtless many
of his self-reproaches were founded on real short-comings.
He had not grace sufficient to be "more than conqueror;"
he was often vanquished by the impulses of nature, aided by
abetting circumstances; but he had grace sufficient for this
-that he would not overlook, would not excuse his fault,
would search it out, confess it to God, ay, and confess it to
man, abhor himself on account thereof, and go in penitent
supplication to a Father for pardon.  The highest effect of
grace undoubtedly is to keep us unspotted; but the next is
to lead us to quick, deep repentance when we have contracted
a stain. About his notes there is more self-examination and
self-discipline, than self-forgetting regard of Christ and of
God. One clear sight of Christ's redeeming glory, does more
to disengage our feelings from entanglement, and to attract
them to Him, than ten- thousand dissatisfied verdicts upon
their actual condition. Self-condemnation is just; it is invaluable so far as it undoes all self-trust and self-glorying:
but if it fixes the eye upon self so much as to hinder the
occupation of the thoughts by Him that is greater than we,




296               HEART-SEARCHING.
it then becomes another form of self-importance, another feint
of self-righteousness. And you will never destroy self by
scolding it-so long as you are chiefly occupied about it,
however occupied, it will survive; it dies only when the soul,
viewing the wondrous God become a father, a friend, and a
bosom helper, is absorbed in the Saviour it has found-loving, rejoicing, beholding, and imitating, till the old man disappears-the whole character putting on the attributes we
adore. But better far be ever scrutinising and ever selfcondemning, than make the rich mercies of the Godhead a
reason for permitting an ill-ordered heart, and a vacillating
holiness.
O! ye men of business, how many of you practise Mr.
Budgett's habit of self-examination?  You go through a
thousand transactions in a week; do you sift your heart at
the end? You store up your gold; do you test it lest a
plague should be in it?2 You'" have no time." Madness and
blasphemy! —no time to look to your salvation, and to see
whether you are serving God! Mr. Budgett had quite as
much on hand as you. Here is a set of entries in pencil
which affectingly testifies that the rising merchant knew he
had a Judge above, and keenly searched his thoughts, words,
deeds, for offences against His law:"Sunday evening, August 3, 1823:"1. I am conscious I have thought of myself more highly
than I ought to think.
"2. I have sacrificed to my own net and burnt incense
to my own drag.
"3. I have ascribed my success in my undertakings to
my own wisdom.
"4. I have boasted of what I have received as if I had
not received it.
" 5. I have gloried in very many things save the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ.




CONFESSION AND PRAYER.              297
" 6. I have desired the praise of men and taken pleasure
in it.
"7. I have repeatedly given way to foolish desires.
" 8. I have often and repeatedly given way to inordinate
affection.
"9. I have indulged spiritual and bodily sloth.
" 10. I have often allowed myself to speak, if not lies,
yet what was not in the strict sense truth in the love thereof.
" 11. I have practised in my dealings arts which would
not bear strict scrutiny.
" 12. I have not laboured to do whatsoever I did to the
glory of God.
"13. I have indulged my bodily appetites."
Mr. Carvosso strongly describes his confessions of unfaithfulness-not the cold, mechanical indication of avowals
the heart ought to make but does not, but piercing utterances of heart-pain. Openly in the class-meeting or love
feast, with many of his own men present, he would speak
with flowing tears, as if his soul within him worshipped and
fell down and kneeled, yea, lay prostrate with awe and contrition in the presence of the infinite love and holiness,
while he abhorred his own short-comings.  At the prayermeeting too, he loved to fill his place, and far was he from
carrying before the mercy-seat the familiar tones, and the
manner habitual to business scenes: no, he was not before
men-now; and in that glorious presence where he knelt, all
his business bearing departed, his thoughts sought a depth
below the dust wherein to bow, his tones thrilled with humiliation, and his tears ran plentifully.'He cannot be set
before mature Christians as an example of constantly bright,
placid faith,'" always confident, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord; but
the man of business, struggling with the temptations of trade
and impelled by a nature eager for commercial progress,
1 3*




298             A TIME OF STRENGTH.
may profitably fix his eye upon him and see one situated like
himself, scrutinizing his transactions as before the Judge,
and when he finds his heart too Iiuch engrossed with earthly things, making haste to seek renewed grace with prayer
and tears. And this, remember, not when all the fruits you
could trace of his religion were to be found in his attendance
at class, at prayer-meeting, at public worship, and the Lord's
holy table, with the home solemnity of family prayer; but
when his services to God and man were astonishing those
who were familiar with common-place piety.
But though his prevalent tone was depressed, he did ever
and anon taste his Father's love till his whole soul bounded
with joyous energies. When so refreshed he did not allow
his comforts to expend themselves in emotion, but used them
as strength for works of special difficulty.  On one occasion
he visited his friend Mr. Wood, at Truro, and then his soul
was bewailing its unfaithfulness in much depression. The
night before parting, the two friends were long engaged in
prayer; the cloud broke away from Mr. Budgett's soul, joy
unspeakable and full of glory entered into his heart. While
waiting the next day at Hayle for the Bristol steamer, his
eye was attracted by a house in which he detected signs of
suspicious though numerous company. On inquiry he found
it was the dwelling of an unhappy man who once had seemed
to " run well," but had sorely fallen, and that a loose party
were meeting for dancing and debauch. He at once made
for the house; would see the master; kindly, but firmly
talked with him till, wicked as he was, he consented to let
his strange, gentle, but resistless visitor go up stairs. As
they ascended abundant tokens of wrath were uttered, for
the conversation had been overheard: a candlestick was
flung at Mr. Budgett's head. The man begged him to come
back and himself shrank away; but no, he would warn these
poor revellers. In he went, begged them not to be disturbed.




A DEATH ON A STEAMER.               299
just to go on as if he were not there, said they were trying
to enjoy themselves, and that was what he always wished to,do, and so spoke familiarly and kindly, till he had their attention. Then he began to reason with them " on righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come:" one by one their
air and words of scoffing fell, some were soon in tears, the
fiddle ceased to play, and ere he left he had led that wild
company to bow before the great God in prayer, while tears,
and sobs, and signs of shame told that the heart within was
melted.  The dance was ended for that night.
On the steamer he found a gentleman who seemed ill and
lonely: he addressed him with that kind perseverance whereby, in a way peculiar to himself, he would enter into any
mind he wished to enter; and finding him averse to all religious things, he spoke to him in solemn warning, blended
with the glorious invitations of the Gospel. The stranger
was not easily won-they parted; but during the night Mr.
Budgett was called to the other's couch: he was ill; he was
dying; and he touchingly owned the kindness of his new
friend, opened his heart, told him his tale-a dark and sad
one,-told him his name, which he had not borne in travelling,
committed his watch and other commissions to his hand, and
died.
It is often said that to know a person you must see him
at home.  There is truth in that; but it may also be said
that to know a person you must see him on a journey. Many
who are strict and exemplary at home, put on a loose religious dress when they travel.* Mr. Budgett did not think
* I, at one time, thought of devoting a chapter to Mr. Budgett "on
the road"-referring especially to commercial travelling with its
temptations; but my materials were not sufficient to compensate for
the lack of practical knowledge: perhaps it may be touched at some
other time.




300                ON TIE ROAD.
it desirable " just once in a way," to visit the opera when he
came to town; or to take his children to a theatre that they
might " just see and judge for themselves." He did not,
when at a strange hotel, where " no one knew him and the
example would do no harm," stroll into the billiard room
and try a game " merely for exercise."  He did not, at a
watering place, look round for the fashionable congregation,
and shun his own people if they were poor and few. He
did not say he was " come out to enjoy himself," and therefore would take no pains to do good. The religion he valued at home, he valued on the road; as in Kingswood, so
in Wales, Cornwall, or elsewhere he was ever on the watch
for objects of charity, for occasions to say a word to men
about the Redeemer he loved. He always carried a plentiful store of books and tracts which he distributed. If he
knew of a prayer-meeting or week-evening preaching in a
town where he chanced to be, he would haste away, and if
called upon would himself preach, though from that effort
his sinking heart always inclined to retire. A close companion in journeys and at home has told me pleasing tales of
his wayside good-doing.
We have already seen what impression was made upon a
Christian friend by the manner in which Mr. Budgett bowed
to the dispensation which called away his lovely son Edwin.
In the following note to his sister-in-law we see proof of the
justice of that impression:Kingswood Hill, July 27th, 1849.
" MY DEAR SISTER P -,-Fearing that William's note
to brother William, of yesterday, might have alarmed you, I
write a few lines just to say we are all well and happy in
God. Our dear Edwin was prepared, and is now'Fer ti'on a world of grief and sin,
With God eternally shut in.'




LETTER WRI'rEN IN AFFLICTION.         301
We are yet, though suffering under a most painful bereave.
ment, a happy family: yes, the peace of God that passeth all
human understanding, does keep our hearts and minds
through faith in Christ Jesus. It would be impossible for
us to tell you how precious Christ is to us in this time of
severe trial. We have this morning enjoyed a gracious visitation from our heavenly Father while we all, the whole
family, knelt and prayed that this stroke might be fully
sanctified. I am, my dear sister P,
"Yours affectionately,
"S. B."
Every season of affliction, personal or domestic, was to
him a call, as if from the trump of God, to humble himself.
He looked at the full salvation, the perfect love and perfect
peace whereto the Gospel call invited him; with this he
compared his actual graces, and it seemed to him as if he
had paid too much attention to earthly things, foregoing
divine joys for worldly good. His soul shook and mourned
exceedingly, not from fears of future wrath, but from a distressing sight of his unfaithful service to the all-blessed Redeemer.  The following letter, written during an illness,
displays minutely the workings of his heart at such a time:-.Kingswood Hill, Nov. 23, 1843.
"'My  DEAR BROTHER JAMES, —I forced my heavenly
Father to use the rod, but I am astonished to think with
what gentleness He has corrected me. The first Sunday I
was unwell, I made a fresh act of faith, and ventured my
whole soul on the atonement. My heart seemed to have
been' broken in a thousand pieces, and I felt disposed to
weep my life away for having grieved my God. For the
first week I held fast my confidence and felt calm as in the
hands of my loving Saviour, but on the second Sabbath I




302        LETTER  WRITTEN IN AFFLICTION.
grew much worse, so that I had but very little hope of re.
covery. -I began to reason with the enemy, and let go my
shield of faith; and then was truly the hour and power of
darkness. I can never describe the bitter anguish I felt on
reviewing my past life, and such horror and gloom came over
my mind at the thoughts of being but just saved as by the.skin of -my teeth, or of appearing before my Maker as an
unprofitable servant, or perhaps of being a wandering spirit
cast out from God for unfaithfulness to roam in endless
circles of despair, as well-nigh turned my brain. My agony
of mind was such that I thought I was dying, and really
fainted away. I then recovered, and tried to recover my
shield of faith; but on Monday morning, Satan was again
permitted to buffet me, and the conflict was extreme. My
dear sister Elizabeth then came to my assistance, and said
I was doing very wrong-that I ought to come to the
Saviour as at first I came, and that she believed I should
recover, but that if I died I was safe for heaven. I immediately took courage and said,' Lord, I did believe and was
happy, and thou hast said, " Whosoever cometh, &c., &c.," I
come, I believe — will, I do believer &c.' My heart seemed
melted to tenderness, and the name of Jesus was exceedingly
precious. Sister Elizabeth then said,' Cannot you now put
in your claim for the blessing of full salvation? Remember
the promise, "I will circumcise thy heart, &c., &c."' I
said,'I am suffering all this because I would not take the
necessary pains to obtain that blessing when that very
promise was so often and powerfully impressed on my mind;
and as it was so clearly my duty to obtain, to enjoy, and to
preach that great and glorious Gospel privilege to others, I
could not hold fast even a sense of my acceptance with God,
or overcome various temptations to sin,-and it is of the
Lord's mercies that I am not consumed:' but when sister
Elizabeth said,'Put in your claim just now,' I made a vio



LETTER WRITTEN IN AFFICTION.         303
lent effort and said,' Lrd, thou:hast said," I will circumcise, &c., &c.:' now fulfil thine own word. I bang upon thy
word; thou wilt do it. I dare believe.' I did not struggle
long before my heart seemed deeply humbled, filled with love
unutterable to God and all mankind. I, however, could not
entertain an idea that God could spare my life; and though
I felt safe and happy, I could not feel willing to die even to
go to heaven with such a consciousness of unfaithfulness up
to the eleventh hour, and earnestly prayed,'O spare me a
little, that I may recover my strength before I go hence to
be no more seen.' On the following morning my dear wife
came into my room with the Bible in her hand, saying,' I
have just opened upon this passage.' See Isaiah xlviii. 9, 10.
Never did Scripture so powerfully impress my mind. I
said,' It is the.word of God to me, in answer to his servant's
prayers: I shall not die but live.' From that time I never
entertained a doubt but I should have another opportunity
of preaching salvation-full salvation by Christ Jesus to
every one who will put in their claim for it. My mind has
since been kept in perfect peace, and I have been gradually
recovering. Now, my dear brother James, my object in
being thus minute in the description is, first, to leqa you, as
you would avoid the gloom, the horror, the anguish, such as
no tongue can tell, of an unsatisfactory state of mind on a
dying bed, or the more tremendous consequences of being
hurried out of time into eternity; as you would enjoy this
life tenfold more than you possibly could without it; as you
would be unspeakably happy, safe, useful, and rising daily in
refinement and elevation of character; and as you would
have a glorious entrance administered to you among the
saints in light; in a word, that as you would escape hell and
gain heaven securely, you at once give the Lord your whole
heart, and accept his full salvation: this, my dear brother,




304             DAYS IN THE LIBRARY.
is much easier than doing it by halves. I am, my dear
brother,
"Most affectionately yours,
"S B."
From all this it is manifest, that while Mr. Budgett's piety
was not uniform in consolation, it was habitual in intensity.
For the last few years of his life he withdrew to a great extent from active business engagements; and then in the
library he diligently improved his leisure by studies all tending to ripen his knowledge of God's holy Word. He read,
he corresponded, he prayed-passing happy days of quiet
self-culture, varied by active usefulness out of doors. Methodical in everything, he was methodical in his closet; and the
following table will indicate how he daily mapped out his hours.
Some of the scraps of paper under my hand are evidently
notes of duties to be got through in a certain day; and as
he thus arranged beforehand what he meant to accomplish,
so in these time tables we see him taking note of what he
had actually done. We give one page, the first of a years
containing the record of a fortnight. You will be able to
trace in the abbreviations, Cock Road, the Catechumen
Class, ~Ad other favourite duties; the last abridgment I
cannot explain.




TIME TABLE.                                 305
Sunday.... 7   1   1   7   5  10  92 119 156  4  J Chapel, Covenant, Sa5.  n  Ss  Ro l~cemorament andums, home.
Monday....    8        2   8  6 10       119 166  9    ome all day.
Tuesday....  9.   3   9   7  12... 185  4  Bristol, home & Yg.Men.
Wednesday. 10         4  10   8  13... 2  To Mid. Norton.
Thursday.. 11..           1   9  14             4  Home from Norton.
Friday..... 12  6  12  10  15       184... 5  Bristol and home.
Saturday... 13    7  13  11  16........  5  Bristol and home.
Sunday.... 1       4 8  14  12  1.......    1     ome, C.d.,CatCass
and C hapel, Mr. Carr.
Monday.... 15..   9  15   118 1   94 134 190  4  Bristol and home.
Tuesday.... 16..10  16  1   19.. 1.... 4    Bristol & home & Yg.
Men's Association.
Bristol (Oldland Hall)
Wednesday.: 17       11  17  15  20........ 1                   la.
Thursday.. 18..  12  18  16  21........  2  4 Ditto & Chapel & Two
Thursday  18.   12  18  16  21.. 2    Committee Meetings.
Friday.... 19..  1   19  17  22  96......  6  Home.
Saturday.....  14  20  18  23  98...... 8  Home all day. Mxs.
26
That grace which most steadily manifested itself in him
was love; his heart, penetrated with a sense of God's bounty
in  providence, of his mercy  in  redemption, was  ever open,
ever warm, ever tender, and claimed kindred with all hearts.
Hence  his  delight in  promoting  the  happiness  of others;
hence the joy wherewith he devoted to that end the property
gained by his ceaseless exertions.   The  sum  of his benevolence can never be known: he did  not until late  in  life fix
on a proportion of income as the minimum  of his gifts;
when  he did, the  proportion  was  one-sixth.   Of course  he
did not resolve to give away only that, but to give away that




306             GIVING BY SYSTEM.
at least. Had he been doubtful as to the extent of his giv.
ings, he would unquestionably have fixed a proportion earlier; but he khew well that all he had was tithed, and more.
One week he kept account of all he had given; it amounted
to sixty pounds; and he kept that account no more, but that
week was considerably above the average. A man with' a
heart resistlessly desiring to do good, may go on without
fixing a proportion, and yet certainly bestow a fit amount of
his gains;, but they are few who would not be astounded at
the small proportions their givings bear to their income, if
they tested them for a year. Mo~t men need, for their. own
sake, to fix a minimum, and that minimum should not be less
than one-tenth. I have known many who early in life have
adopted this principle; and where it has been steadily maintained, a blessing seems ever to follow it. We are not so
addicted to doing good that it comes upon us by accident;
and as God bountifully gives, we should deliberately resolve
that we will "honour God with our substance, and with the
first fruits of our increase." The work of charity to men's
souls and bodies, of gratitude for God's bounty, is too sacred to be left to chance aand impulse: regular and calculated reserves should be made for such outlay, if we would
not live to ourselves, but to Him who died for us and rose
again.
From the intimate knowledge of Mr. Gaskin we shall
draw our last glimpses of his walk with God:"The friendship which subsisted between Mr. Budgett
and myself through so many years, was cherished under circumstances peculiarly favourable for observing closely action
as springing from motive, and motive as aiming at an end;
and without the smallest reservation I must add, that nevei
have I witnessed aught more consistent and pure than
the busy life of this member of the Christian church. Our
standard of inference here, must, of course, be the rule pre



EARLY RISING.                  307
scribed by the Saviour,' By their fruits ye shall know them;'
and, judging from his entire deportment, we see how largely
my relative's heart must have been penetrated with Divine
grace. Amidst influences usually accounted unfavourable to
such a result, how successfully was the spirituality of the
soul maintained, and how beautifully did the whole tone of
the outward life testify to the principles which were cherished within! The secret'was this,-his best hours were
spent with God. When I was his neighbour, it was his custom-and I doubt not the habit was preserved as long as
health permitted-to be in his library by five o'clock in the
morning, for the purpose of reading, meditation, and prayer;
and he has often, in conversation with me, regretted that he
did not feel himself physically equal to an earlier commence-ment of this part of his daily occupations. To those who
could thus follow Mr. Budgett from the exercise of his
closet, it was no marvel that he should be so securely carried
through the ungenial atmosphere which -hung over him as a
man of business, and the bustling scenes amidst which he
was called to act so large a part. He was eminently a man
of his Bible, and a man of prayer; while' diligent in business,' he was' fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.' Imbued
with such influences as those which we have seen him constantly cultivating, and guided by such principles as those
which we have seen him constantly exhibiting, there was
nothing in the active engagements of his commercial life
that could mar his spirit, or divert his soul from the path in
which he delighted to walk."




CHAPTER X.
THE  L A TTER  END.
"By death and hell pursues in vain,
To thee the ransomed seed shall come;
Shouting, their heavenly Sion gain,
And pass through death triumphant home."
WESLEY.
MR. BUDGETT had now reached a point when earth might
well seem a pleasant home. He was prospering amazingly,
with the certainty (as men would say) of yearly prospering
more; his family were grown up, and their prospects smiling; the prejudices which had hung around his sudden rise
were disappearing; respect, attention, love, were coming
thick upon him; wider and higher circles were doing homage to his excellence: abundant leisure for mental feasts
and benevolent labours was at his command; and, only fiftysix, he might yet for years rejoice amid the fruits of his
toil: so that one, looking at him  about the fall of 1850,
might have said, " If Samuel Budgett is not to be envied,
who is?"
It was about the November of that year, when walking
up a hill in Bristol, that he complained of a difficulty of
breathing. Then, ascending stairs became a weariness; a
new weight hung upon his agile step. Day by day strength
failed; the system betokened decay; the heart was affected;
dropsy was feared; —the Successful Merchant had lived too




HE BEGINS TO FAIL.               309
fast. His master energy which had crushed so many difficulties had been doing its work on his own frame, which soon
became a witness that -over-activity is not to be indulged
without shivering.a man at last.
Prone ever to self-reproach, slow to behold the full con
solation of the Gospel, the first days of his illness were days
of mourning: not the mourning of selfish foar, which shudders in presence of its just doom, without sorrow for offences;
but the mourning of a heart which felt itself infinitely indebted to the Redeemer's undeserved mercy, and could not
forgive itself for having loved Him so little and served Him
so imperfectly. His soul was especially weighed down by
this;-he had seen, felt, and been drawn toward that full salvation which our glorious Saviour has wrought out for his
followers; the glory of an intimate fellowship with God had
been open to his eye, and he had stopped short of it, had
followed at a distance, had served with a divided heart, had
consequently oft faltered and stumbled in his course. Unmeasured self-accusation, outgushing grief for his ill return
of the Saviour's boundless love, open humiliation and sorrow
thrown fully before friend or minister or children, prayers of
piteous abasement, and tears flowing copiously, marked the
early scenes of his last sickness. While many who had been
far higher in their professions and far less abundant in their
fruits were entering the valley of death with an easy acknowledgment that they had been " very unfaithful," Samuel
Budgett was pouring floods of contrite sorrow on the feet of
that blessed Saviour who had forgiven him so much and had
been so unworthily requited.  But, though our God seeks
the sacrifice of a contrite heart, He delights not in the wailing of joyless self-reproach. In that is neither bliss for His
creature nor glory for Himself. He reveals Himself as
freely and abundantly forgiving all who contritely come
to Him through Christ; and such glorious mercy is not fitly




310           DARKNESS AND MOURNING.
owned when, unmindful of its balm, we persist in only bemoaning our sores. This was Mr. Budgett's danger, and
from this cause he passed days of gloom. But prayer was
made for him continually, and friends strong in faith were
ever reminding him of the love infinitely stored up in the
Redeemer he adored. That Redeemer, though He permitted sorrow for a while (as if to show that in sickness all
earthly comforts do not suffice, even with good hope of restoration), did, ere long, shed abroad in the heart of His
servant a plenteous consolation which well showed that parting with all the enticements of earth is not hard to him
whom Christ makes joyful.
It has been my task to show you (indistinctly and poorly, it is true) the Successful Merchant in his childhood, in
the early trials of his way, in his swift ascent to wealth,
among his men, among his neighbours, in his family, and in
his closet. Mayhap, in following him, you have learned
that a man may fear God, be benevolent, laborious in good
works, a reader of his Bible, a follower of inward'and
spiritual life, and yet the while fill up a man's full place in
trade and earn a prime reward. Now we have reached the
moment when he and death first stand openly face to face.
It is hope and fear no longer: the hour has struck, his work
is done, the market is closed for ever; purchase and sale,
profit and loss, are things of the past. He is facing a world
where there is no money, no bargains, no store and stock of
earthly good. There he lies now, in that chamber, between
the world of bustle and the world of retribution; while this
home, these possessions, these friends which his warm heart
knows how to value, stand by, like the relations of an emigrant by the ship side, awaiting the moment when he shall
glide away to the unseen country.
Just at this point I am happy to withdraw and leave
you with him. The friend who had written from his own




FIRST DAY AFTER DROPSY APPEARS.          311
lips notes of the recollections of his childhood, would fain
have completed the story of his life ere he went hence. For
this purpose- she came to his side; but it was vain now to
seek recitals of the past. The present, lhwever, was full of
lessons, and was daily noted. This, then, enables me to
lead you into his chamber, and leave you there: and if you
are little wiser and little better for your fellowship with
me, God grant that it may not be so as to your fellowship
with him!
" On Monday, March 10th, the first morning after dropsy
made its appearance, he said,'I was not sorry last night to
discover ray legs were swollen, it will only hasten me home
the sooner.' In the afternoon of the same day, on returning from Bristol, after hearing Dr. Symonds's opinion,
he expressed his willingness to depart, and said,' I dare
say there will be a desire to say something of me after I am
gone; but mind, let there not be one word said or written
to extol the creature.  Mind "' I am a sinner saved by
grace," " a brand plucked from the burning."'
"At the same time he remarked,'My family, how I love
my family! I never valued my family as I value them now;
if I am permitted, I shall often like to meet you in this
room, when you are assembled together.'
"Friday, the 14th, he sent for Miss, and said,'I sent for you to tell you how happy I am; not a wave, not
a ripple, not a fear, not a shadow of doubt. I didn't think
it was possible for man to enjoy so much of God upon earth.
I'm filled with God.'
"On stepping into the carriage he stopped and said,' How is Mrs.   -2' On receiving a reply, he said with
solemn earnestness,'0     -   "seek ye first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness, and all other things shall be
added unto you."' During the ride, he spoke on various




312       HIS FAMILY PROSPECT HEREAFTER.
subjects, and much enjoyed some verses that were repeated,
frequently joining in. A member of his class who saw him,
came and congratulated him on being out, hoping he was
better. Mr. Budg&tt said'No; Ifeel I am going home.
I should like to have met you all once more, but tell them
all to meet me in heaven.'
"Monday, the 17th, he said to Miss Budgett,  I have
passed a pleasant night, but feel myself getting weaker.
My stay on earth will be but short. I shall soon arrive at
home. It gives me great pleasure to think we shall be an
unbroken family in heaven. My father's family are many
of them gone; the rest are on the way. My own family,
part of them, are in heaven. Yes, I have some dear children in heaven, and so have you (meaning spiritual children). It gives me great pleasure to look on      and, because I know they are trying to serve the
church, and when they have served their generations on
earth, they will join me above. 0, how thin does the veil
now appear which separates earth from heaven!'
"The same day, to Mrs. M-, speaking of the uncertainty of his present state, he said,: Who would not rather,
being brought to this point, go.-I am resigned.  I have not
a paper to sign, not a shilling to give away, not a book but
any one may comnprehend in ten minutes. I feel as if I
were a poor sinner saved through my dear mother's prayers,
the prayers of my friends, and my own poor feeble prayers
offered through Christ.  He cannot cast me off, but has
gently guided me through.the wilderness, and is keeping me
there till I am perfected through suffering.'
" The same day he saw Mr.:-' I am glad to see
you, my dear friend. How hard it is in life and vigour to
bring our minds to believe that we must suffer. But the
Lord has seen fit to bring me to a death-bed. I this day
hang like a little child in a brook, catching hold of a branch




wHY SHOULD A MAN COMPLAW?            313
that is thrown out to save it; only there is this one difference in my case, I hang upon the branch of Jesse's stem.
Christ will keep me; I am safe. The day of mourning is
better than the day of rejoicing. God has blessed me with
prosperity in life, and were he to see fit to spare me now, I
should have a fairer prospect of prosperity than most before
me; but I give all up. I would not alter my lot if it were
in my power to do so for any earthly advantage. The blood.
of Christ is all to me. I hang upon the atonement.'
" In the afternoon, being a little restless and unable to
sleep, he lay for some minutes apparently very uncomfortable,
when in an instant a sweet smile lit up his countenance as
he exclaimed,'" Why should a livingsman complain?-a man
for the punishment of his sins?"' and then burst forth in
praise to God for the mercies which he enjoyed, notwithstanding he was so great a sinner. Soon after he raised his hands
and said,' Glory! glory! glory! I want to shout the
praises of God.'
"The same day his son      - asked if he would like
any message to be conveyed from him to the Young Men's
Association. He said,'I am too weak to say much; but
tell them to take the advice I used to give them. I feel for
them as my own sons, and they may become as happy and as
useful as they are. If they will hold together and try to
help one another they will be sure to prosper. I wish them
to be provided for after my death as they were before, and I
leave it to my sons to do so. Tell the young women of the
Association the same.'
"On Tuesday, the 18th, he saw Mrs. H-I - and said,' I
am glad to see you, I should like to have lived a little longer
if it had been for your sake, but you'll not want an earthly
friend. My sons will be to you what I have been. I have
told them all about it, and they will be kind to you.' He
inquired if she had anything to say to him: on her replying
14




314              WORDS TO FRIENDS.
she only wished to thank him for all his kindness, he said,'I wish it had been more, but I know it has helped you.
Good-bye! The Lord be with you: cleave to Him and He
will be a friend; yes, He will be your friend, your husband,
your support. He will guide you in passing through the
troubles of this life. He will be your shield, your defence,
and your exceeding great reward.  The time is passing
away: we shall soon meet.'  The same morning Mr. and
Mrs.-    came. After some remarks to Mrs. --—, he
addressed her husband:-' My dear, you have still
to cope with the difficulties and trials of business. I look
back on all the way I have been led, and feel it is your privilege "to walk unburned in fire." Cleave to Him; keep
close to Jesus. Every morning, before you leave your room,
inquire, Lord what wouldst thou have me do?  And every
evening ask yourself, How much owest thou unto thy Lord?
Keep short reckonings with Him; go forward, and your path
shall be as that of the just, shining more and more into the
perfect day. I think I may have a little more suffering before I go, but I am willing to bear it. Good-bye! " May
the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep
your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and
of his Son, Christ Jesus our Lord!"'
" On Sunday night, March 23rd, before he was undressed
he said,'Let us spend a few minutes in silent prayer, I think
I can hardly bear praying aloud. Pray, my dear friend, that
we may to-night experience the presence and blessing of our
heavenly Father. Ask that I may obtain a settled calm and
quiet sleep.'
" After he got into bed, he lay for some hours in a most
delightful state of mind, occasionally giving vent to his feelings in expressions, a few only of which can be remembered.
It was observed,' You feel that your heavenly Father can
make you enjoy affliction.'' 0 yes,' he said,' Ido now; I




A SUNDAY NIGHT In  SICKNESS.           315
don't feel myself like a sick man, I feel I am luxuriating in
God's presence; but I believe hle means soon to take me.'
It was remarked,' Well yours will be the gain, ours the loss.'
Mr. Buidgett replied,' Yes, I know to me it will be gain, unspeakable gain,-and you will lose a friend, but not much
loss; I have not been so spiritually minded as I ought, and
this has been your loss.' Again he said,' O, what a peculiar
feeling I have this evening: it is delightful. I feel as I did
the other Sabbath evening with: then it was a solemn
eventide.  The room seems filled with God.' Presently he
said,'I feel as if God were now present, willing and waiting
to receive my heart, that He may become my ALL, and give
Himself to me more fully. Come, Lord, take away the last
remains of sin, make me ready for heaven and fit me for
crossing the Jordan.' Thus he continued in fervent ejaculations till from complete exhaustion he fell into a doze.
Waking in two or three minutes, he said,' I felt overpowered
and dropped asleep, and when I awoke I thought (pointing
to the curtains) all this was my tomb; but the room around
me waS so bright-it was dazzling brightness, too great to
bear.' Continually he repeated, II'm  very comfortable-too
happy.' Then again,' This is a most remarkable time, I feel
a solemn sense of the presence of God; so calm, so beautiful.'
Then did he almost unconsciously slide into prayer-' Lord,
I am thine, thou art mine.  I have made a covenant with
thee, I would not break it for a thousand worlds.  Lord,
keep me, baptize me anew, help me to rejoice more fully in
Thee, give a still clearer witness that I am wholly thine.
"Jesus, my great High Priest,
Offered His blood and died;
My guilty conscience seeks
No sacrifice beside.
His blood for me did once atone,
And now it pleads before tlhe throne."'




316             WHO IS NEAREST DEATH?
Afterwards he broke out-' "0, here is rest and calm repose;
Here all my sorrows cease;
For Jesus meets my spirit here,
And kindly whispers peace."'
" Wednesday evening, April 2nd. —For the first time he
was carried up stairs. On the way he said to the men who
carried him,' I am quite ready to be carried down whenever
my heavenly Father sees fit. Thank God, I have a hope
beyond the grave.'  On being seated he said,' Wait; I
want to tell you on what my hope is fixed.  Listen.'  He
then repeated his favourite verse, —'" Jesus, my great High Priest, &c."
I thank God for such an assurance:"I the chief of sinners am,
But Jesus died for me,"
and not for me only, he is willing to receive all-any may
come.  See, this is the way all must come, through Him.
" This man receiveth sinners still."'
"Tuesday, April 8.-At Weston-super-Mare, the Rev
T..called.  After some remarks had passed respecting
his health, Mr. Budgett said,' Well, you know there is not
really any more uncertainty about my life than yours, or
any other person's; you may be gone in an hour or two, or
so may I: but I have no great desire either way; for me
to live is Christ, and to die is gain; but if I might choose,
I would rather depart and be with Christ, which is far, far
better.' He then repeated, with an emphasis never to be
forgotten,



A NEIGHBOUR GONE BEFORE.              317'"Thou Shepherd of Israel and mine,
The joy and desire of my heart
For closer communion I pine,
I LONG to reside where thou art.
Ah, show me that happiest place,
The place of thy people's abode,
Where saints in an ecstasy gaze,
And hang on a crucified God."'
As he repeated these lines the tears streamed down, plainly
indicating that more was really felt than could be expressed.
The next day when dressed, he said,' Well, I'm glad we are
going home to-day; I shall not have many more changes;
this I expect will be my last change, till I am removed to
that beautiful little place they call the tomb: yes, I feel that
my next remove will be to the chapel yard.'
"On Thursday, April 10th, he said,' And so poor J.
H —- is gone! Poor fellow! do you know what sort of
an end he made?' On his being told nothing was known on
that subject, he said,  Poor fellow! the last time I saw him
I talked to him, and begged him not to build on his health. I
told him how many were called away in the midst of health.
I have often talked to him  on the necessity of seeking a
change of heart. I' don't know whether it was the last time
I saw him, but it is not long since that I gave him  the
"Sinner's Friend."'
" Friday evening, April 1 lth.-Conversing with his medical attendant, he again inquired as to the probable result of
his sickness, and on being told it was still very uncertain, he
said, —  Well, when I look around at my family and the
church, I feel as if life would still be a blessing.  I am not
one of those who are weary of the world, nor do 1 feel any
sympathy with such; but when I look at myself as an individual, I feel'twere better far to go.




318            THE SOURCE OF SUCCEOs.
"There is my house my portion fair,
My treasure and my heart are there,
And my abiding home."
But I did not feel like this at the beginning of my illness;
then I felt my own unfaithfulness had been so great, I
wished to be spared a few years longer that I might prepare
for heaven; but I have been led to see that I can do nothing
to merit heaven. Could I live like an archangel, still I
should not merit heaven:"In my hands no price I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling."
I trust now in the merits of my Saviour- in His atoning
blood. I feel that it is " not by works of righteousness which
we have done, but of his mercy hath he saved us." No, it is
" by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." One being named who was
getting old, he said,' Oh! he has made a god of his money.
Often have I talked to him and urged him to make preparation for a better country. 0, what is all the world worth to
a dying man?  Riches I have had as much as my heart
could desire, but I never felt any pleasure in them for their
own sake, only so far as they enabled me to give pleasure to
others: as for honour
"Sunday evening, April 13th.-' I have toiled, and now
others will enter into my labours.' Then dwelling on the
success which had attended his efforts, he said,' This may
seem like boasting, but I feel that everything which has
been well done and prospered is that in which I was prompted and guided and assisted by my heavenly Father, and that
which failed was when I leaned upon my own efforts and
endeavours, and then they proved weak and powerless.'
"To a young friend who was with him, he said,' I should




WHAT HE LOOKED FOR IN HEAVEN.           319
like to have lived a little longer for your sake. Sometimes
I feel as if I should like to look forward and trace your
course through life. Yes, I should like to mark out your
path for you; but this is wrong. I may not choose the best.path, neither can you; but I carn and do commend you to
the care of our heavenly Father. He will guide you aright.
" Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him, and He
shall bring it to-pass."  0, " in all your ways acknowledge
Him, then He will direct thiy steps."' Soon after, looking
very earnestly at her, he said, "' Let your eye be single, then
your whole body shall be full of light."  MIND; keep a single eye;-do you hear?  In all the events of life keep a
single eye.' On being told after the evening service, at
which the sacrament of the Lord's Supper had been administered, how fervently he had been prayed for, he said,' Ah,
they will not have to pray for me again on such an occasion;
before another month goes round I shall be in a better country.' It was said,'How delightful is the thought that you
will so soon be there! there you will have a harp of gold, be
clothed in white raiment, and have a crown upon your head.'' Yes,' he said,'I like to hear of the beauties of heaven, but
I do not dwell upon them; no, what I rejoice in is, that
Christ will be there. Where He is, there shall I be also. I
know that He is in me and I in Him. I shall see Him as
He is. I delight in knowing that. I have no dread of
death; I have not had for some time. I wish one of you
would write to Mr. Wood; give him my love, and tell him
I thank God almost every day for his visit here. Since
that first night he was with me, I have had no fear; the
enemy has assaulted me once or twice, but only for a short
time.'
"Wednesday, April 16th. —On seeing Mrs.      after
a few observations, he asked,' How many children have you
in heaven?' She replied,'Nine.' On which he said,'O,




320               FAMILY PROSPECTS.
what a happy company! I look forward to see my father
and mother, my sisters,-'and some of my dear children are
there. Yes, and I believe my dear wife, and the rest of my
children, and every one of my relations, will meet me there.
I look upon myself as the most unworthy, when I consider
the many privileges I have enjoyed, the light I have received
ever since I was a child. I know I have always felt something of the hidden life, but I have not always lived so
closely to God as I should; for this I humble myself before
Him.  I am glad to see Mr. --- seeking after God; he
is altered, but I want to see him decided; nothing else will
do: even he can't escape the shafts of death. "l Be ye therefore ready, for at such an hour as ye think not, the Son of
man cometh."'
*" The same afternoon he saw Miss F, to whom
he spoke most sweetly of the many mercies and comforts
he enjoyed, recapitulating many of them to her, whilst his
heart seemed overflowing with gratitude.  Soon after he repeated,-'"My God, I am thine, what a comfort divine,
What a blessing to know that Jesus is mine," &e.
That was brother Henry's favourite verse. How many times
he repeated it during his last illness! But this is my fa —
vourite —
"Jesus, my great High Priest," &c.
How much is contained in that verse! How full, is it not?'
" Saturday, the 19th.-He said to S     A-' Just
now I woke up all in a turmoil, wondering who would take
care of Society matters when I am gone, and then I thought
of my own spiritual cares; but I can cast them all upon my
Saviour —




EXPECTS SUDDfEN DEATH.              321
"E'er since by faith I saw the streams,
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die."
As to the circuit affairs, I leave them all with W-; they
need not trouble me any more.'
"To his son William he said,'You are entering life under very different circumstances, with regard to temporal
things,'to what I did; pursue the some course I have done,
and your way is made: let there be this difference, where I
have followed trifles, you follow the dictates of the Spirit;
wherein I have followed my senses, you cleave close to God,
and all will be well. If you do that, in twenty years' time,
if you should be spared, I shall look down upon you, and I
shall see you respected and beloved by all the neighbourhood.' That text was repeated to him,'I have fought a
good fight,' &c.'Ah,' he said,'I can't say with the Apostle, " I have fought a good fight;" for I have not. I have
been unfaithful; but there is an atonement through Jesus.
I can say, I have almost "finished my course; henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day."'
"Saturday morning, the 19th.-On being told the water
was advancing, he said,' I thank God-for that I'm glad; I
believe I shall go soon; it does not alarm me. I think I
shall go suddenly; but if I go in a moment it does not matter, all will be well.' In the afternoon he observed,' How
our heavenly Father paves our way down to the tomb! I
seem so happy and comfortable; it seems as if it cannot be
for me, as if it must be for somebody else,-I don't deserve
it.' Soon after his bell rang, and on entering his room he
was seated on the side of the bed, gasping for breath.  He
said,' 0, I thought I was just going; the wind, or water, or
14*




322               JOY AND PRAISE.
something, rose and almost suffocated me. Yes, I thought
I was going.' Then added,' I am so happy, so comfortable,
so-very happy.' To Mrs. J.-     B —--  he said,' I am
glad to see you. I have sympathized with you deeply in
your affliction. Our times of meeting are growing into a
narrow compass now. This may be the last time, or at most
we shall not meet above once or twice more; not that I
have any particular presentiment of the sort, for God may
revive me again. I may be spared to walk among you yet,
but I think not; from the rapidity with which the water
seems to be rising, it will not be long; I may go off now,
this moment, while I am talking to you; and I should not
be sorry. I am as weak as an infant: now I can do nothing- Glory be to God, all is well. My temporal affairs I
leave in the hands of my sons, and my spiritual affairs with
my Saviour. I cannot tell you how my comforts and consolations abound.
"Better than my boding fears,,.
To me thou oft hast proved."
I have sunk into the arms of omnipotent love. I cannot tell
you how much mercy I have been the subject of. I love you,
and am thankful I was introduced to your family: thankful
for my children's sake. I only regret that I have benefited
so little from your society. Give my love to all your dear
family, tell them  they have my highest respect and best
wishes that they may enjoy every blessing both for body and
soul.'
"The same evening, when several were in his room, he
inquired,' Can you tell me what a debt I owe to God for
having giving me such innumerable mercies and comforts?
He has indeed given me plenty of this world's goods; each
of my children will have ample, and my dear wife too. I
-have every comfort I can desire; O, tell ve how much I




CALLS TO FRIENDS.               323
owe!  How can I pay this debt of gratitude?  There has
been mnany a timze when I have given away my last shilling
and now I have more than I could have desired, and the more
I give away the more comes in; and I have more coming in
than ever I had. What a mercy to have so many kind
friends.  I am surprised at your kindness and willingness to
do so many little acts of love for me. I hope none of you
will ever want-for kind attention in affliction.
"Kindness gives the fleeting flcwer
Of life its lustre and perfume
And we are weeds without it."
0, God has bestowed upon me far above my desires; tell me,
my dear friend, how much I owe! I enjoy all these temporal blessings, and how can I repay the debt for these? But
this is not a thousandth part of the debt I owe. 0 no;
when I think of my spiritual mercies, I'm  lost. When I
think of my heavenly Father's goodness-a brand plucked
from the eternal burning, soon to be raised to live with
angels, and above all with Himself, —I feel I have
"Riches above what earth can grant,
And lasting as the mind!"'
Then in a rapture, and with tears of joy streaming down his
face, he exclaimed,'0, I'm overwhelmed with love. I want
to fly to preach Christ to all the world. I'll praise him
everywhere. Can I be lost? 0 no, no. 0, I want to preach
Christ. I am overburdened with love and gratitude.'
"Sunday afternoon, April 20th.-To Mrs. P   --  he
said,' Tell Mr. P — that I come saying, —
"Jesus, my Great High Priest," &c.,
and tell him to come in the same way, and there is no time
to lose. Nothing I have ever done, and nothing he has ever




324             WORDS TO YOUNG MEN.
done, can save him. No, we must come as poor worthless
sinners to Jesus,"That only ground of all my plea."
You don't know what mental suffering I had at the commencement of my illness. The adversary came to me, and
tormented me with fears of all kinds; he showed me my
great unfaithfulness, told me I had deceived my friends (not
designedly I know) with a good moral exterior, whilst my
heart was not right within. I know there was truth in it
all, and was distressed boyond measure, but I was enabled to
say, —Lord, I am a sinner: God be merciful unto me; I am
lost, but Christ hath died. From that night I have had no
fear. The sting of death is gone. I had some fear of death
at the beginning, because of my past unfaithfulness; but the
merits of Christ are all-sufficient. Now I enjoy a sweet
calm:
" I bless the day that I was born."'
Then, as in a rapture he exclaimed,' O, I can't describe my
happiness.  I bless God that He created me, that Helhas
spared me, and that He has pardoned me. I thank God
that you and I were ever acquainted, that I ever saw your
dear sister, and that I was ever united to her. 0, God has
been very gracious to me. I praise Him for the past, what
He has done for me! I praise Him for the present, what
He is now doing for me! and I praise Him for the future,
knowing what He will do for me.'
"One of his nephews coming to see him, he said,'Well
F, how are you?  I have heard that you have been
poorly, I am glad to see you better again. Are you come
out of the affliction as gold. purified.' He then spoke to
him of the necessity of a change of heart, of the simplicity




TIE LORD'S SUPPER.              325
of the plan of salvation, and of the depth of the love which
Jesus Christ had manifested towards us. Once or twice he
asked him whether he did.not believe in the love of his
Saviour,-His willingness to save all who came to Him.
Then endeavouring to explain the way of faith in Jesus
Christ, he said,' Suppose that you wished to buy some sheep
of me and had paid the money, and I had promised to let you
have them; you would believe they were yours though they.
were in my field, as much as if you had them in your own,
because I had promised them: so you must believe that
God will give you the blessings you require of Him. Now,
take your bad heart up stairs, don't take it down to
the breakfast table; but take it up at once and give it to
God. He will then accept it and make you as happy as I
am in my affliction. Do go and fall on your knees and ask
mercy while it is offered, and you will be sure to obtain it.'
Having thus earnestly urged him to come to Christ at once,
he said,' You will be happier yourself, and you will return
home under a different influence, be useful to your uncle and
aunt and Sarah.'
"In the afternoon he sent for Miss Budgett (Mrs. Budgett and Mrs. Mees were already there) and said he felt
better and should like to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's
supper-a wish he had several times before expressed, but
from weakness had been prevented. He then told Miss B.
he should like her to question him closely, lest he should
have made any mistake on the' subject, and for her to read
and pray with him. She then read to him the 23d Psalm,
and the hymn commencing,-'And let this feeble body fail,' &e
After this, all his family being assembled, the two ministers,
Messrs. Clay and Kevern, came, and the solemn ordinance




326             SING]WG IN FEEBLENESS.
was administered.  During the service Mr. Budgett's mind
seemed fully absorbed by the solemnity of the occasion. He
several times added his loud'amen' to the petitions presented to the throne of grace, especially during the concluding prayer.  The service was greatly abbreviated in consequence of his extreme weakness, and it was feared, brief as
it was, that his feeble frame would be exhausted by the
effort required; but after its conclusion, the rapture of his
spirit seemed to give strength to his body, and he requested
a hymn to be sung. On a fear being expressed lest it
should prove too much for him, he reiterated with great ardour,'Sing, sing.' The Rev. Charles Clay then gave out
three verses of-'Behold the Saviour of mankind,'
during which time Mr. Budgett, seated on the side of his
bed, his countenance beaming with almost angelic joy, his
eyes streaming, his chin' quivering with emotion, and his
hands upraised, to the astonishment of all'joined most
heartily in the singing, —reminding one of some old prophet,
or the patriarch Jacob, surrounded by his family, giving
them his last blessing.  He appeared in a perfect ecstasy of
joy and triumph, and continued to utter the most joyful expressions of faith in Christ and hope of heaven.
" Some of his expressions were to the following effect: —' O I see such a fulness of merit in the atonement of my
Saviour.''I am a poor vile sinner, but the blood of Jesus
avails even for me.'' I have been unfaithful; my only regret is my own unfaithfulness. If I could live over again,
I think I should be more faithful; but that is all past and
forgiven.'
" He then quoted his favourite verse,-'Jesus, my great High Priest,' &c.




EXCEEDING GREAT JOY.             327
and said,' There I rest; Satan cannot drive me from this
For many days he has not been permitted to molest me,'
and then described with much energy his last conflict with
the adversary of souls. His son James said,' We shall all
soon meet in heaven.''Yes,' he replied (looking round
upon his family),'yes, thank God!  He has not left a
wish ungratified, a desire unsatisfied, either temporal or
spiritual.'
" He also said, amongst several other similar exclamations,'This is the happiest day of my life-the happiest
hour. I am ready to go this moment, or ready to stay. 0;
how would I preach if I could preach now!' He bade his
ministers a very affectionate farewell, and on one of them
repeating the lines,-'I the chief of sinners am,
But Jesus died for me,'
he fervently responded to the sentiment, and added,'I never
asked for joy, I always thought myself unworthy of it;
but He has given me more than I asked.' It being said,'He giveth exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think,'
he replied,' Thank God-thank God!'
"After the ministers had retired' he requested that another hymn might be sung; on which Edwin's favourite
being selected-' How happy every child of grace,'
he said,' Yes, and Edwin will join us.; He again united
most heartily in the singing, and proposed to have another
hymn, when it was again suggested it might prove injurious
to him.'O no,' he replied,'there is no chance of my recovery, nothing will hurt me now; I am going home; no
thing can hurt me now, and I thank God I am ready to go
this moment, or am willing to wait longer. If it were put




328          AN HOUR TO DE. REMEMBERED.
to my choice now, whether I would live for a few years
longer to enjoy increased riches and multiplied friends, or
whether I would go home at once, I would no more choose
than I would go into a foreign country that I know nothing
about.' Then turning to his son Samuel —' Samuel, be faithful, my boy; I could have wished to live a little longer to
watch your progress. Preach Christ; let nothing discourage
you. You have not seen your best days, cnly follow the
light imparted.  Let your eye be single, and your whole
body shall be full of light.'
" Addressing himself to Mrs. -       he assured her of
the happiness he had in his own family, the pleasure he felt
in being connected with her family, his first thoughts on seeing her, &c., &c.; but his own expressions cannot be remembered: indeed, but a faint idea can be conveyed of that solemn but joyful hour. Altogether it was such a scene as
is -seldom witnessed on earth.  It was the full triumph of
faith. An impression was made on the minds of all present which can never be obliterated. The language of all
seemed to be,'How dreadful is this place; this- is none
other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.'
"Tuesday, the 22nd.-' 0,' he said,' I want rest; this
pain and suffering make me long for rest.' Mrs. Jsaid,'This will no doubt make the heavenly rest
more sweet.'' O yes,' he replied,' Sweet as home to pilgrims weary,
Light to newly open'd eyes,
Flowing springs in deserts dreary,
Is the rest the cross supplies;
All who taste it, shall to life immortal rise."'
He then said,'I believe that had I but been faithful my
life would have been spared. 0, my dear friend, take care
to make sure work for heaven; attend to the most important




THE END IS NIGH.               329
end of life; remember it is said, " Seek ye first, &c."  I am
sure religion will never make a man less successful in busi
ness. No, I believe he who has the one thing needful will
excel the most in business.'
" Wednesday he inquired of F,'What day is it 2'
She replied,' Wednesday.' On which he said,'But what
day of the month is it?' On his being told, the twentythird, he observed,'Ah, F -., the first week in May
you will all be in deep mourning; yes, by the first week in
May you will all be in deep mourning.' In the afternoon he
was carried down stairs, and, seated in the pony carriage,
~rode round his grounds. He was very observant; and seeing some docks in the grass said,'These should not be;
after the next rain get half-a-dozen men, and have them up.
You know the way, J-.' On passing, he pointed, and
said,'That tree bears a beautiful yellow pear; it is a good
sort; you notice them, but I shall not be here to taste
them.' The carriage being stopped that he might enjoy the
fresh air, he took the opportunity of speaking to L.
and urged upon him the great importance of making sure
work for eternity-speaking to him with that energy which
showed how deeply he felt the importance of the subject.
Then turning to J-, he said,'I've been talking to
L; I feel anxious that this affliction may be blessed
to him: it has been to me, and I want it to be to him also.'
On returning, he said to J-,'These fields look pleasant, don't they, J-? I am glad to go and leave all
so comfortable for you to enjoy; but remember the end.  0
let a right use be made of the enjoyment.'
"In the evening he saw Mr. J ---  B, and
after speaking of some temporal and pecuniary matters, he
expressed his gratitude to God for the comfortable circumstances in which he should leave his family....He then
spoke of the different appearance the garden, grounds, and




330       LAST WORDS TO AN OLD FRIEND.
fields presented from what they did when- first he came to
Kingswood and from the time when he bought the land, and
of the goodness of God who had enabled him to make such
an improvement. He described the wilderness of spelter
works and cinders which covered the ground, and said,' Often
when I was apprenticed to your uncle H, have I come
down here on a Sunday after chapel, and, sitting on a flag
between the old walls, renewed my covenant with God whilst
His love was abundantly shed abroad in my soul. I used
often literally to stop my ears as I came from chapel, lest
any sound should draw off my mind from the sermon I had
heard; and after thinking it all over as I sat on the stone, I
committed to memory some piece of poetry out of one of the
old Methodist Magazines every Sunday, and little did I then
think that land would one day become my own and be so
altered.'
"Thursday, April 24th, he saw Mr. P-, and said,'Ah, we cannot always have health; no man can always have
health. But it is a mercy to feel these light afflictions are
but for a moment, and will work out for us a more exceeding
weight of glory, whilst we look not at the things which are,seen, but. at those which are not seen. Yes, we must look at
those which are not seen. We must be earnest in the pursuit of them. 0, my dear brother, I have thought of you
very much; I have thought of you with an intensity of feeling. You are kind, honourable, and well-disposed; but I
feel in looking back that I have not always possessed that
spirituality of mind which I should: you have seen the want
of it in me, and I ask your forgiveness. I entreat you note
to seek religion. " Seek ye first the kingdom of God and
his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto
you." Without it life is lost; there is no enjoyment without
it. 0, seek for it at once! Now is the accepted time; now
is the day of salvation. Come this very day; let us at once




LAST WORDS TO AN (OLD FRIEND.          331
say, "I am determined to come to the Saviour.  Lord receive me now as a poor sinner. I come that I may now be
saved; if I perish it shall be entreating for pardon." 0,
take my advice, do let us be in earnest; both of us have
been too intent upon seeking this world's good, now let us
seek earnestly for that which alone will save. To-morrow
may be too late; to-morrow we may lose our reason. O may
you come to-day and seek happiness while it may be found.
This may be your last opportunity. Then come to the Saviour
now. There is no time like the present. In a few weeks we
shall be united or separated for ever: it is a solemn thought.
The Lord bless you and your family, and secure you a lot
among the blest! Every thing else is vanity.  I thought
four days ago that I was dying. I then felt that there is in
religion-in'the love and knowledge of God, a reality, a
power to support in the hour of death. I could say,"There is my house and portion fair,
My treasure and my heart are there,
And my abiding home;
For me my elder brethren stay,
And angels beckon me away,,And Jesus bids me come."
It is quite my desire to go, not because of my faithfulness,
for I feel I have not been faithful, but I fly to Christ for
refuge —there I can rest and feel saved. You and I may
both rest on that foundation.' Then looking earnestly at
Mr. P, he inquired,'Have you, my dear brother, an
assurance of your title to heaven? Do you feel that should
death come now you have a mansion above? Are you now
assured of it? O, remain not without it: we may get it
to-day; we may obtain it now. 0, seek for it; remember,
"Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out."  0,
what a blessing! I should like to pray with you for a few




332  LAST CONVERSATION WITH FRIENDS IN TRADE.
minutes; but am too weak. Good-bye! may we all meet at
last.'
"Saturday, the 26th.-Hearing a loud peal of thunder,
he said, "Hush!'tis the voice of a Father-'tis the voice of
a God!' In the evening Mr. Budgett saw Mr. S-   and
Mr. P       [I think, two of his travellers].  Mr. P
told him many had asked kindly for him, on which Mr. Budgett observed,' Remember me kindly to them all. I thank
God all is right, " not by works of righteousness that we have.
done, &c.," but of his boundless love to me a poor sinner,
"Jesus, my great High Priest," &c.
I rest there for pardon, purity, and heaven.  I long to go,
happy should I be if I were to go this night. Let us remember, my dear friends, earth is but a scale to heaven; buying
and selling is of no importance except as they bear reference
to eternity. The Lord make you fit and prepare you for it.'
On one of them saying,'You will soon reach the desired
haven,' Mr. B. remarked,  O0 yes, I anticipate it with pleasure, thankfulness, and gratitude. Such is human life. I
never expected to suffer thus; but there has been great mercy
shown to me even in this state. I would not choose-I must
not choose; but if I were obliged to make the choice, I should
say it were better for me to be dissolved. Heaven is my
home; I am travelling there. Lord, thine only will be done.'
Mr. P —-  observed,' How the power of God is exemplified in such complete submission to the Divine will.' On
which Mr. Budgett said, " It is the work of God; it is the
simple work of the Spirit in answer to prayer. I am astonished, because at the beginning of my illness I was fearful
of death, and more astonished because of my unfaithfulness
Who would not trust Thee? —




BREAD FOUND AFTER- MANY DAYS.           333
"O God, of good the unfathomed sea I
Who would not give his heart to Thee?
Who would not love Thee with his mightI
O Jesu, lover of mankind I
Who would not his whole soul and mind,
With all his strength to Thee unite?"
Jesus, thou art merciful; every good thing comes from God.
Mine is a merciful affiiction.' Mr. S —- said,' Perhaps
it may be interesting to you to know that your visit last
summer was made useful. Perhaps you may remember,
after exhorting the people in the school-room at Aberystwith, you distributed some little books, and amongst the
rest, some entitled, "Come to Jesus."  A lady, who had
listened to a part of your discourse, met with Mr. W —----
(the preacher), and begged that he wouldprocure one for her;
he did so, and as far as I can trace the result, it was made a
great blessing to her, and proved the turning point in her
religious experience.' Mr. Budgett said,'The Lord be
praised! That evening I was under a cloud; I could not
have imagined there would have been any such result; I did
not appear to speak under the influence of the Spirit. He
did give me a talent for preaching, a persuasive talent, if I
had only used it aright; but I rejoice in hope of the glory
of God. O, my dear friends, try to get all Nelson Street, all
that are under your care, converted to God. I have been
guilty of my brother's blood, but my sons will supply my
lack. I am aware that business is very important; but conmpared with religion it is but as dung and dross.'
"On Monday morning, he said to MissB —--—,' You
will find a couple of books in my drawer with Miss's
name in them. I wish when I am gone you would send
them to her, and also one of those little books, " Come to
Jesus," or else " The Sinner's Friend."  Give her my love;
tell her I am gone to heaven, and I hope she will meet me




334                THE LAST EVENING.
there. Tell her that profession without possession is of no
value; that without a real change of heart, a firm reliance
on the atonement of Jesus Christ, she cannot be saved. I
have had many conversations with her, but I always thought
she was quite in the dark on religious subjects.  Now will
you take her into your charge, and either' see or write to
her, and give her my message 2'
" The last evening of his life he saw Mr. W —-—, who
only remained with him about three minutes. Mr. Budgett,
however, used that short time to the best purpose; he said,
vI am going the way of all flesh; but bless God I'm ready.
I trust in the merits of my Redeemer.' Then alluding to
the near prospect of his dissolution he said,'I care not
when, or where, or how; glory be to God!' This was the
last time he was heard to refer to it. During the night he
appeared rather restless; but most of his waking hours were
employed in repeating portions of Scripture, hymns, &e..
The last he distinctly repeated was,-'With glorious clouds encompass'd round,
Whom angels dimly see,
Will the Unsearchable be found,
Or God appear to me?'
In the morning he sent for his daughter, and on her entering, said,' I'm glad you are come. I am so glad to see you.
You understand me.' To Miss B.         he said,  O! sister Elizabeth, I had one or two things to say to you. I
want you to give five sovereigns for me between four persons.' He then mentioned by name three persons of his
class who were much afflicted; the fourth name he could not
recall, but said,  I'm very weak, I shall think of it bye and
bye.' His medical attendant then saw him, and stated it as
his opinion that he would most probably linger for many
weeks. He felt strange, and soon after was removed into




HE DEPARTS.                   335
bed; but he still complained of a strange feeling, and wished
the surgeon to be sent for, which was accordingly done. He
sat with him for some time, but the pulse was still regular.
He walked towards the fire-place, but had not been there a
minute, when Mr. Budgett exclaimed,' 0 dear!' and on
turning round, he perceived a change had taken place. The
bell ringing'violently, immediately all the members of the
family who were at home assembled in his room, and found
him supported in Martha's arms, his heart throbbing violently. The blood rushed to his head, his face changed to
purple, his eyes were half open, but he was apparently unconscious. They watched-his eyes gently closed, and without a struggle or a sound, his spirit winged its way to that
haven he had so long desired to reach!'They looked;
He was dead;
His spirit had fled;Painless and swift as his own desire.
The soul, undrest
From her mortal vest,
Had stepped in her car of heavenly fire,
And proved how bright
Were the realms of light,
Bursting at once upon the sight.'"
Farewell, patient reader; our task is done! May Gtd
bless thee! May He give thee bright days, tranquil nights,
and a happy end! And when He opens the GREAT BOOK
wherein all our lives are written, 0 may it contain a good
acount of thee!
THE END.