ined to make my escape on the first opportu nity; and the next day being remarkably fine, I walked out two or three times into the air, though with much difficulty. The following morning I met with a person belonging to the regiment, who was going to join it again the same afternoon; and as we were well acquainted, I did not hesitate to disclose my intention of quitting the hospital in a clandestine manner, and resolved to accompany him, if possible. the person who had visited the galliot, with a request, that he would inform my family where I had ended my days. Indeed, when some expectation of recovery was at last held out, I could not help looking forward with a feeling of regret, to the probability of having again to encounter the series of hardships and distress, to which I should unavoidably be subjected. As I regained a little strength, I began to take notice of the state of things around me; and having daily heard a noise like that of a carpenter's shop, I now ascer I returned again to the hospital as at other tained the cause to be the nailing up of the times; and in the afternoon, as if going to coffins, each day, of those who had died in take another walk, I proceeded to the river the last twenty-four hours; and I found that side; and the ferry boat being just ready for the dead-house, or place where the dead were setting off, I got into it undiscovered, and deposited previously to interment, when taken passed the Rhine, arriving at the village of out of the wards, being opposite the windows Kesterne soon after dark the same evening, of the room I was in, afforded full opportunity without taking cold, although the river was for my beholding the striking and affecting thickly frozen over, and a passage cut through scene, which could not fail to excite feelings the ice, to allow the ferry boat to cross backof horror and dismay, in one so much ener- wards and forwards. From this time I rapidvated by the very disease, which I now wit-ly gathered strength, and at the end of a week nessed to be so fatal to others. The average was so much recruited, as to venture back to number of deaths was twenty-seven in a day the hospital to see how those fared, whom I and night; but sometimes the number so in-had left behind; at the same time, it is very creased, that the Dutch could not furnish probable, to show how I had fared myself; coffins sufficient for the demand of the day; and then the method of sewing up the bodies in the bedding they had occupied, was resorted to. Several wagon loads of bodies were carried off every afternoon for interment.* without any fear of being detained, as I was evidently much stronger than when under their roof. To lessen the fatigue, I procured a horse for the excursion, and proceeded accordingly towards the river side. The risk I then ran, however unwarrantable, afforded me another opportunity of seeing the effect of When able to walk about the room with the assistance of my stick, it happened that the regiment to which I belonged, was quar-a renewed attack of this dreadful disorder, tered in a village about two miles from the upon a Scotch sergeant of the Highland watch, bank of the Rhine, opposite to that on which who had had the fever twice, and both times the hospital stood. Some of the officers came recovered from it. He was a very stout man, over to ascertain for themselves, whether any and when I left the hospital appeared in perof the missing from their regiment were fect health and strength. In the interval of amongst the sick; at length they came into my absence, he had been seized with it a third the ward where I was, and the second in com- time, and when I saw him, had nearly finished mand, with whom I was well acquainted, his course; he was speechless, and survived being with them, I requested his help to get but a short time afterwards: I think this last me liberated from the hospital,-telling him, time, he was ill only three days. Although that I had no chance of becoming thoroughly I escaped any further infection, yet I was well whilst in it, and of the danger to which punished for my temerity before getting back I was constantly exposed of having another again to Kesterne. After crossing the river relapse. He immediately applied to some of in the boat, I had to pass through a small the medical staff on duty, and conducted them sheet of shallow water which had been frozen, to me through the wards; but it ended in his but was then broken up by the loaded wagons informing me, that the doctors could not suffer that passed that way. On getting up to it, I my going out until further recovered, as I was found it in a half frozen state, the old ice not quite unfit for exposure. Not knowing how being sufficiently strongly united again to bear long I might be detained, I was now determ- the horse, which refused to pass it; and on my urging him forward, he lay down with me in extricate myself from him, and it is doubtful the water. It was with difficulty that I could whether I should have succeeded, without the assistance of another person then at hand. In this wet condition I had a long distance to go, *The accounts of the deplorable treatment of the sick, and of the disasters of the British army in their retreat to Bremen, as given in the Annual Register of 1795, more than confirm the description of the author of this biographical sketch. in a keen frosty night, in an open wagon, which, the day following, threatened a renewal of my illness; but by the timely use of medicines, I was favoured, not according to my desert, to escape without any serious indispo sition. midst of my sins, when so many were swept away by the same pestilential disorder? can say to others from sensible and bless d experience," Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world:" they have received the atonement by Him, and they reap the glorious fruit and benefit of his death and suffering for sin, by the sacrifice of himIn looking back at the marvellous manner self, and of his resurrection and ascension; in in which I was sustained through all this con- that he ever liveth to make intercession for flict, and again restored as one brought back those, who are thus willing to come unto God from the dead, I cannot avoid adverting to that by him. A man may yield an assent to all period of my illness, when my mind felt so the great and solemn truths of Christianity; reconciled to the prospect of death, as before- the miraculous birth, holy life, cruel suffermentioned; and I now fully believe, from what ings, ignominious death, and glorious resurrecI have since been mercifully favoured to ex- tion and ascension of our blessed Redeemer; perience, that so far from being in any degree he may believe in the abstract, in his inward prepared for such an awful event, a deceptive and spiritual appearance in the hearts of manfeeling must have been superinduced by the kind by his Holy Spirit; and yet he may fall state of torpor and insensibility in which I short of the prize immortal,-unless he comes then was, and which totally benumbed any to witness the saving operation of the Holy better feelings and desires as to the future. Spirit in his own heart, and to know thereby, To this may be added a predominating fear, through faith in it, a purifying preparation for of having to endure more of those sufferings, the kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy of which I had had no small share; which, in the Holy Ghost. How can I sufficiently the probability of being again restored to appreciate or declare the extent of the endless health seemed to banish every hope of escap-mercy, which suffered me not to perish in the ing. Truly awful is the thought which this view of my then lost condition occasions, when I contemplate the woe and misery which must After having mentioned the facts connected have been my eternal portion, if unutterable with my sickness and recovery, it seems only mercy and long-suffering had been withdrawn; due, however feeble on my part the effort, to and if the soul had been required of one, who endeavour to commemorate such gracious had witnessed no repentance towards God the dealings with humble gratitude and reverence; Judge of all, except what at times the fear of earnestly desiring that no motive whatever punishment had extorted; and who was a may be allowed to prevail with me for making stranger to that saving faith in the Lord Jesus the attempt, but that of promoting the glory Christ, as the "Lamb of God that taketh and honour of the great name; that others away the sin of the world,"-without which, may know, and fear, and believe in the allhis precious blood would have been shed in sufficiency of that power, which hath "shewed vain for me:—I should thus have died in my me the path of life," and which alone can bless sins, which, unrepented of, would have follow-for their instruction what has been written, ed after to judgment, in terrible array against to press the necessity of contending for that my guilty soul-and yet when my end was apparently so near and inevitable, if such questions as are frequently proposed on the like occasions had been put to me, I have little doubt, but satisfactory answers would have been returned, as to my belief and hope in the essential truths of the gospel. But alas! this would have been from hearsay and traditional Whilst the severity of the winter greatly report, and not from any heartfelt saving facilitated the operations of the French army, knowledge of my own: for it is now plain to by enabling them to cross the frozen rivers my understanding, that no man can have sav- without difficulty, and at almost any given ing faith in Jesus Christ, who is unacquainted point; so it contributed most effectually to with, and does not walk in, the light of that di-harass the diminished numbers of the retreatvine Spirit, which is so justly styled the Spirit ing British forces. It was the more felt from of faith. It is through this alone, that the death the scarcity of provisions, occasioned by the and sufferings of Christ and his whole sacrifice for sin are availing, and truly applied to all those, who through faith lay hold of him, the true Light and Saviour of them that believe in his inward and spiritual appearance. These saving faith, "once delivered to the saints." Without it, all religious profession is a dream, a shadow, and a doubt; but with it, a glorious reality; yea, "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,”—even the salvation of the soul, through Christ Jesus our Lord. inhabitants withholding from us every supply, in compliance with the intimidating threatenings of our victorious enemy; so that we frequently could not procure needful food even for money: whilst our opponents were supplied by the terrified householders at free cost. In some places, the inhabitants openly declared they were withholding their provisions for the supply of the French, aware of the cruel treatment they should witness at their hands, if unable to provide for them when they arrived; although they considered the British to be their friends, and were well treated by them. Before I left the hospital at Rhenin, the French had approached so near, that the windows of the place frequently shook with the discharge of their artillery. Sometimes a wagon load of the wounded English would arrive at the hospital; when many, whose recovery would, in a healthy situation, have been speedy and almost certain, were carried off in a few days, by the infectious disorder which prevailed at the place; and from the disastrous issue of the campaign, however greatly this was to be deplored, it could not be avoided. We were not long permitted to remain at Kesterne, before being obliged to move towards the north of Holland; when the town of Rhenin with the hospital fell into the hands of the enemy. Soon after this event, the frost became more intense; and the Dutch could no longer make graves for the interment of the dead, but piled the coffins upon each other in great numbers, until a thaw took place. Although my strength was considerably recruited before we left Kesterne, I was yet very unequal to the subsequent exposure, having to pass great part of the first night in the frost after leaving that place: but although I slept in a cart with a canvass tilt, I do not remember taking cold, or otherwise experiencing any injurious effects, either then or afterwards, beyond what might have been expected from great fatigue and improper diet, there being at that time little to be procured, but coarse black bread and ardent spirits. During this harassing march, at such an inclement season, many of the poor men lost parts of their toes, by imprudently sitting down in the frost for too long a time at once, and from not having their feet properly protected. I can well remember having been so wearied myself, as to come to the determination to sit down, and risk the consequence, although fully aware of the danger of falling asleep in such circumstances; but I was prompted by a secret impulse to resist the inclination, although nearly overcome with fatigue: then after moving about awhile longer, I have again begun to give way, but still struggled on. And when at last, it seemed as if human nature must give up, the thought of relations in England, as if I had had a home, would cross my mind, and stimulate me to try again in hope, until something has occurred, to bring relief, and shelter, and repose. Perhaps, if more food could have been procured, the propensity to sleep, which exposure to cold occasioned, would have been irresistible. In this manner the winter wore away; but at length we got so far out of the reach of the French, as to allow a longer space of time for rest at each place we arrived at. The cold weather continued, until we reached the banks of the river Weser; when the retreating wreck of our army was unexpectedly cheered with a sight of the mast-heads of the British fleet lying off Bremen-leke, and waiting to convey it from the shores of the Continent; where it had witnessed so much distress, wasting, and destruction, to be attributed much more to hardship, fatigue, and pestilence, than to the sword of the enemy, although greatly superior to us in strength, and possessing local advantages, of which we were wholly destitute. CHAPTER IV. Sails with his regiment to the West Indies-remarkable preservation-serious impressionsreturns to England- becomes convinced of Friends' principles-received into membership in 1797-settles in business and marries—acknowledged a minister in 1816. IT is a matter of much regret, that for many years subsequently to this period, no biographical memoranda appear to have been made by our dear father; and it is impossible at this distance of time, to supply any minute details of that important change in his sentiments and manner of life, which occurred shortly after the time to which the preceding narrative refers. In the autumn of 1795, he obtained a commission in a regiment destined for the West Indies, and sailed with the expedition appointed to this service, under Sir Ralph Abercrombie. After a most stormy and disastrous passage they were once in sight of the islands, but were driven back by a dreadful hurricane: in which several of the vessels foundered, and great numbers of the troops perished. A malignant fever also raged with fatal violence among the crews of the fleet, and in the ship in which he had embarked, no less than twenty-seven fell victims to it, within a short space of time. Our dear father experienced some remark. able preservations at this time, to which he often referred afterwards, as the merciful interpositions of an overruling providence in his behalf: of these, one in particular appears to have arrested his attention. The vessel in which he was appointed to sail, and which was considered a remarkably fine one, was exceedingly crowded, from the preference and he has been often known to refer to some given to her by many of the officers. One of those solemn seasons, as times of peculiar morning after they had been some weeks at instruction to his mind; in which the power sea, a collier (being one of the vessels hired of the Lord was sensibly felt, and his Truth as transports,) coming alongside, he proposed revealed. to one of his friends, that they should go on board of her. His fellow-officers ridiculed the idea of preferring an old collier to the noble ship in which they were; but he and his friend persisted and transferred themselves to her. The same evening a hurricane arose, and the vessel they had quitted was never heard of afterwards. In connexion with this period, he once remarked to a friend, on being questioned as to the means made use of in the divine hand for effecting "a new birth unto righteousness" in his heart,-that he could not remember any outward means having been employed, unless indeed, he might except a storm at sea, during which his mind was deeply affected; and when, under a feeling of his own lost condition by nature, he was mercifully enabled also to see the remedy, and the entire spirituality of the Gospel dispensation. In accordance with this feeling, he remarked, I was at this time convinced of Friends'.principles, they being neither more nor less in my estimation, than pure Christianity. I remember when the Friends visited me on my application for membership, I told them I was convinced at sea; for I verily believed in looking back, that this had been the case: no human means were made use of; it was altogether the immediate work of the Holy Spirit upon my heart.' Under these feelings, he became dissatisfied with the military profession, and resolved that, if permitted again to reach the shore, he would endeavour to lead a life of more circumspection, and which should tend to the glory of that Being, who had thus so mercifully visited him by His free grace. To this resolution he adhered:-he quitted the army in the early part of the year 1796. Being made a partaker of the great privilege enjoyed by those who are of the flock of Christ, in being enabled to distinguish between the voice of the good Shepherd and that of the stranger, he was earnestly desirous that obedience should keep pace with knowledge. He waited patiently upon the Lord for instruction in his various steppings; and being brought into a state of deep humility and prostration of spirit, he was made sensible, that the only path in which he could walk with safety, was that of self-denial. Much mental conflict was at this season his portion; but peace was only to be obtained by an entire surrender of the will: and in conformity with what he believed to be required of him, he adopted the plain dress. He once recounted to a friend in lively terms, the trial it was to him to put on a different hat to that which he had been accustomed to wear; especially as in going to the meeting at Woodhouse, he generally met a number of his former gay acquaintances, whom he crossed on the way to their place of worship, which he had himself previously been in the practice of attending. In this instance, it was hard to appear openly as a fool before men; he thought if his natural life might have been accepted as a substitute, he would gladly have laid it down:-but this was not the thing required. He diligently examined his heart, and believed he clearly saw his Master's will in the requisition; and that it was a discipline. designed to bring him into a state of childlike obedience and dependence. In great distress he cried unto the Lord for help; and a passage of Scripture was powerfully applied to his mind,-"whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven: but whosoever shall deny For some time subsequently, to this event, me before men, him will I also deny before my he became an inmate in the family of his eld- Father which is in heaven." His resolution est sister, Barbara Hoyland; who was settled was immediately taken:-he put on the hat, in the neighbourhood of Sheffield, in York-and with his mind staid upon the Lord, set out shire. She had married a member of the to join his friends at meeting. His difficulties Society of Friends; and before the period of vanished,-sweet peace was his covering; and my father's joining them, had herself become convinced of their principles, and united to them. While residing with these near relatives, his mind became renewedly impressed In the course of the year 1797, he was rewith the importance of Divine truth; and in ceived into membership with the Society of the course of a few months, he was led openly Friends; and about the same time, he entered to espouse those views of it, of which, in after into business in Sheffield, in the seed trade. years, he was an unflinching advocate. The To this novel occupation he applied himself little meeting which he attended in the early with that energy and assiduity, which charpart of his religious course, that of Hands-acterized all his pursuits; and by the divine worth Woodhouse, was usually held in silence; blessing on his exertions, he soon succeeded he was enabled experimentally to know the fulfilment of that declaration,-"greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” in obtaining a business fully adequate to his their union was mercifully protracted to the very moderate desires. It was striking to lengthened term of thirty-two years. Through some of those around him, to observe how all the vicissitudes that were permitted to readily he adapted himself to this total change attend them, she evinced that deep and deof habits; and with what true content and voted attachment, which led her cheerfully to cheerfulness he engaged in the drudgery and forego every other enjoyment, and cordially toil of a retail shop; the daily attendance to unite in every step which he felt called in which, rested for some years exclusively on upon to take, however great the sacrifice it himself. He has been frequently heard to re- involved to her gentle and retiring nature. fer to this period of his life, as one of great She may be said to have possessed pre-emipeace and comfort, and it appears to have nently the ornament of a meek and quiet spibeen a time, in which his experience of the rit; and notwithstanding the great mildness reality and power of divine grace was deep- of her disposition, this was most happily temened and enlarged. It was his daily practice, pered with a degree of firmness and moral at those intervals when the attendance in his courage, by which she was enabled calmly to shop could be dispensed with, if but for a few meet those dangers and difficulties, before minutes at a time, to retire to a small apart- which a casual observer might have anticipa. ment behind it, and in a prayerful spirit to ex- ted that her gentle spirit would have shrunk. plore the contents of the sacred volume; the As a wife and a mother, she has, perhaps, light which shone upon many passages as he rarely been surpassed in disinterested affecread, and the clear and strong views of reli- tion, or in that constant and quiet consideragious truth which were then unfolded to his tion for those around her, which led her habiseeking soul, were such, as greatly to confirm tually to forget her own liability to fatigue, and his faith, and strengthen him to persevere in cheerfully to put forth all her energies for the that strait and narrow path, into which his promotion of their comfort and welfare. feet had been so mercifully turned. The perusal of many of the prophetical books of holy writ, was at this time the means of great com-ly engaged in attention to business, he was fort and encouragement to him; and the extensive and accurate knowledge of these parts of Scripture, for which he was afterwards conspicuous, was then chiefly acquired. Although my dear father for a series of years subsequently to this period, was active watchful to prevent its engrossing more of his thoughts, than was consistent with higher duties. As a tradesman, he uniformly maintained an unblemished character for integrity It was his uniform practice, from his first and fair dealing; and his daily course of concommencement in trade, to close his shop dur- duct was characterised by an habitual refering the hours of worship on week days; and ence to a higher principle than that of mere though this must have required a strong exer- interest; which insured for him, in no comcise of faith, at a time when his future sup. mon degree, the respect and confidence of port seemed to depend on his assiduity and those with whom he was connected. At length exertion, he was never satisfied to neglect the his health began to give way, under the close worship of Almighty God, from the prospect attention which he had thought it needful to of any outward advantage; and he has often give to business; and about the year 1809, expressed his belief, that a blessing had rested he removed to a short distance from Sheffield, on this sacrifice of apparent interest to duty. for the advantages of greater quiet and more Soon after settling in Sheffield, the acquaint- exercise in the open air. This proved a great ance with our dear mother commenced; and relief to him; but some time afterwards, finding they were united in marriage, on the 13th of that his concerns in trade continued to increase sixth month, 1800. She was the daughter of upon him, and demanded a closer attention Thomas and Rachael Brady, of Thorne; and than he felt satisfied to give, he thought it his her family had been connected with the Soci- duty to relinquish a branch, and that a very ety of Friends almost from its rise. Being a per-profitable one, of the business which he had son of peculiarly mild and amiable disposition, so successfully established. When his mind and fully devoted to the promotion of the views and wishes of her beloved husband, she proved a true help-meet for him; and their union was productive of much solid happiness to both. The great delicacy of her constitution, at times involved him in much solicitude, and seemed to give warning of an early termination of that domestic felicity, for the simple pleasures of which, few, perhaps, have ever possessed a keener relish than himself; but was once satisfied as to the path of duty in the case, he hesitated not to yield a full and unmurmuring compliance; although, with an increasing family dependent on his exertions, and the comparatively slender means which he possessed, this step must have required no small exercise of faith, and in the eyes of the wise and prudent around him, appeared a doubtful one. To him, however, it occasioned not one moment's regret; and as he sought |