make the little defpicable dunce a scholar. All this was more than I could bear. My life became infupportable, and I refolved to range even the wilds of Africa, if nothing better offered, rather than live a miferable flave under the cruel tyranny of those unrelenting oppreffors.

My father, however, by the way, was as fine a gentleman as ever lived, a man of extraordinary understanding, and a fcholar; likewise remarkably juft and good to all the world, except myself, after I left the Univerfity and to do him all the justice in my power, and vindicate him fo far as I am able, I must not conceal, that great as the afcendant was, which my mother-in-law had over him, and as much as he was hen-pecked by that low woman, who had been his fervant maid, yet it was not to her only that my fufferings were owing. Religion had a hand in my mifery. Falfe religion was the spring of that paternal refentment I fuffered under.

15. It was my father's wont to have prayers read every night and morning in his family, and the office was the litany of the common-prayer book. This work, on my coming home, was transferred

A religious difpute with my father.

from

from my fifter to me, and for about one week I performed to the old gentleman's fatisfaction, as my voice was good, and my reading diftinct and clear; but this office was far from being grateful to me, as I was become a ftrict Unitarian, by the leffons I had received from my private tutor in college, and my own examinations of the vulgar faith. It went against my conscience to ufe the tritheistic form of prayer, and became at last fo uneafy to me, that I altered the prayers the first Sunday morning, and made them more agreeable to fcripture as I conceived. My father at this was very highly enraged, and his paffion arose to fo great a height, upon my defending my confeffion, and refufing to read the established form, that he called me the most impious and execrable of wretches, and with violence drove me from his prefence. Soon after however he fent me Lord Nottingham's Letter to Mr. Whifton, and defired I would come to him when I had carefully read it over. I did fo, and he asked me what I thought of the book. I answered, that I thought it a weak piece, and if he would hear me with patience, in relation to that in particular, and to the cafe in general, perhaps he might think my religion a little better than at prefent he fuppofed it to be. I will hear you, he faid: proceed.

Then

Then I immediately began, and for a full hour repeated an apology I had prepared (9). He did not interrupt me once, and when I had done, all he replied was, I fee you are to be placed among the incurables. Be Be gone, he faid, with stern disdain; and I refolved to obey. Indeed it was impoffible for me to stay, for my father took no farther notice of me, and my mother-in-law and the boy, did all they could invent to render my life miferable.

15. On the first day of May then, early in the morning, as the clock ftruck one, I mount

May 1,1725. I left my father's house.

(9) The Reader will find this apology in the appendix to this life. By fcripture and argument, without any regard to the notions of the fathers, I there endeavour to prove, that God the Father, the beginning and caufe of all things, is One Being, infinite in fuch a manner, that his infinity is an infinity of fulness as well as immenfity; and must be not only without limits, but also without diverfity, defect, or interruption and of confequence, his Unity so true and real, that it will admit of no diverfity or diftinction of perfons that as to the Lord Jefus Chrift, he was the fervant chofen of this tremendous God, to redeem mankind; but his holy foul fo far in perfection above Adam or any of his pofterity, and fo much a greater fhare in the in-dwelling of the divine life and nature than any other creature, that he might, compared to us, with a juft figure of fpeech, be called God.

ed

ed my excellent mare, and with my boy, O'Fin, began to journey as I had projected, on feeing how things went. I did not com

municate my defigns to a foul, nor take my leave of any one; but in the true spirit of adventure, abandon my father's dwelling, and fet out to try what fortune would produce in my favour. I had the world before me, and Providence my guide. As to my fubftance, it confifted of a purfe of gold, that contained fifty Spanish piftoles, and half a fcore moidores; and I had one bank note for five hundred pounds, which my dear Mifs Noel left me by her will, the morning fhe fickened; and it was all fhe had of her own to leave to any one. With this I fet forward, and in five days time arrived from the western extremity of Ireland, at a village called Rings-end, that lies on the bay of Dublin. Three days I rested there, and at the Conniving-house (10), and then got my

(10) The Conniving-house, (as the gentlemen of Trinity called it in my time, and long after) was a little public-house, kept by John Macklean, about a quarter of a mile beyond Rings-end, on the top of the beach, within a few yards of the fea. Here we used to have the finest fish at all times; and in the season, green peas, and all the most excellent vegetables. The ale here was always extraordinary, and every thing the beft; which, with its delightful fituation, rendered it a charming place of a fummer's evening. Many

horfes on board a fhip that was ready to fail, and bound for the land I was born in, I mean Old England.

My departure from Ring'send, and whathappened at fea.

16. The wind, in the afternoon, seemed good and fair, and we were in hopes of getting to Chester the next day: but at midnight, a tempeft arose, which held in all the horrors of hurricane, thunder and lightening, for two nights and a day, and left us no hope of escape. It was a dreadful scene indeed, and looked as if the laft fatal affault was making on the globe. As we had many paffengers, their: cries were terrible, and affected me more than the flashing fires and the winds. For my part, I was well reconciled to the great

Many a happy evening have I paffed in this pretty thatched houfe with the famous Larrey Grogan, who played on the bag-pipes extremely well; dear Jack Lattin, matchlefs on the fiddle, and the moft agreeable of companions; that ever charming young fellow, Jack Wall; the moft worthy, the moft ingenious, the moft engaging of men, the fon of Counsellor Maurice Wall; and many other delightful fellows; who went in the days of their youth to the fhades of eternity. When I think of them and their evening fongs-We will go to Johnny Macklean's to try if his ale be good or not, &c. and that years and infirmities begin to oppress me-What is life!

change,