neighbours-like those who survived a pestilence or an earthquake— as if they were glad to see each other alive, after the recent calamity.

The same night nearly a troop of soldiers came to the door to let the family know "they need not be at all alarmed; for that they should be protected—that the soldiers would be riding through the streets all night, and would take care they should not be molested."

After this the inhabitants were kept in a state of constant alarm for many days, not knowing when another attack might be made upon the town; fresh orders were repeatedly given to close up their doors and windows, and to prepare for another engagement. In the meanwhile the army were racking many houses, and taking away the property. They carried off the shop-goods of a Friend living in a suspected quarter of the town, but did not hurt any of his family. The young man, who, with his sisters, was so critically circumstanced, as is above related, interceded for his friend with the commanding officer; but the latter would not prevent the soldiers from plundering, saying, "he is a Quaker, and will not fight; therefore the men must be allowed to take his goods."

A brother of the same Friend living in a part of the town which was not considered so rebellious, received no harm, aud suffered no loss of property.

Owing to the bad character which that part of the town where the young man and his sisters lived had obtained, orders were issued that it should be burned. Some of the houses had already been destroyed on the morning of the battle; but it was now a fearful thing to have the houses of a whole street condemned to pillage and the flames; as many innocent persons would undoubtedly suffer, and numbers would be left without a place of shelter. For, in this calamitous period, the poor destitute wanderer, whether innocent or guilty, who was deprived of a home, either by accident or design, was always an object of suspicion, and, if not in military attire, was liable to be shot.

The commanding officer was riding up the street to give the orders; and one of the young women of the family thought she would venture through the crowd and speak to him: some of the town's people had indeed kindly urged her to make the application. She walked up to him accordingly, and with great simplicity asked him, "If their house was to be burned:" he replied, "I have

received very bad treatment from the inhabitants of this quarter of the town; but you shall not be disturbed. I will make them rack the houses about your house, and save yours." After this, without their knowledge, a yeoman was sent to stand at their door, while the destruction was going forward near them.

Notwithstanding the officer's commands, the army seemed dis posed, many times afterwards, to plunder their house; but the neighbours always interfered, saying, "they were inoffensive people, not connected with any party, and that their father was in America."

On one occasion the soldiers came for the express purpose of racking the house, and had their weapons ready to break the windows. But the neighbours, some of whom were yeomen, stepped forward in their behalf, so that not even a shilling's worth was taken from them, nor did any of the family receive the slightest personal injury.

The following remarkable circumstance deserves to be recorded in relation to this family. It is given upon unquestionable authority:

At the time their father, then in a weak state of health, was preparing to leave Ireland, for the purpose of paying a religious visit to America, a minister of the Society expressed himself in prayer, at a Quarterly Meeting, to this effect: he said, "he was led to appear in supplication on behalf of a dear brother who was going to a distant country, he might say, as with his life in his hands that the Lord, he trusted, would be with him, and would lay out his work day after day; that he would be enabled to perform acceptably what was designed for him to do, and would return to his family and friends, with the reward of peace in his own bosom; experiencing Him who was his morning light to be his evening song. But that in his absence the sword would be near his house, and the dead bodies would be lying in the streets; and, at the time, neither hurt nor harm would befall his family: for the Lord would encamp about them, and preserve them, as in the hollow of his hand, from the rage and fury of the enemy."-These things were literally accomplished.

In connexion with the battle of Antrim, it is peculiarly gratifying to be enabled to communicate a few particulars relating to what occurred at the Moravian settlement near it. The incident proves that the same principles of conduct will lead to the same practical effects, whether maintained by one Society of Christians or by another; and the author is indebted for it to an intelligent female, who resided for some time at Gracehill amongst the Moravians themselves.

"You request me to inform you of what I know respecting the Moravians, and their great objection to war, or any party work whatever. This I can clearly do from a long residence among them, during which time I never knew one of the members of their Society summoned to sessions or any other court of law; which, from their being so numerous, is rather a wonderful thing in unfortunate Ireland. Their aim and wish is to live peaceably and industriously under the existing government, not meddling with politics or affairs of state; they having a much higher object in view-the training of souls for the inheritance of glory.

“You may remember an anecdote I used to tell you of good old Mr. Fredlezius (the minister) during the Rebellion of 1798, and a few days before the battle of Antrim; when a party of ragged United Irishmen came to Gracehill, and told him, that unless the brethren joined them, they would burn the settlement and murder the whole community, and said, that in a few weeks, all Ireland would be theirs, as the French had landed to restore them to their rights, and that unless they became of their party and took up arms, they would not allow them an inch of ground in the island. But poor dear old Fredlezius, who had not time to half-dress himself, came out among them in his red night-cap; and trusting that God would soon deliver them out of the hands of such a mob, cooly said, "Well, well, my friends, be peaceable, and when you be de cock we be de chickens; come into the inn and refresh yourselves." And, indeed, they did so, drinking all they could. They then went to the shop, carried off all the green stuff and ribbons they could get, and said they would come again soon for the final answer as to what party they would join; and, if not theirs, they would reduce the place to ashes, and murder the whole set. They did assuredly come, not many days after; they arrived in multitudes, and drew

up in front of the sisters' house, while the poor sisters had all assembled in their prayer-hall to implore God to protect them; and momentarily expecting those ruffians to break in on them. At this conjuncture some dragoons galloped past with accounts to Ballymena, that the rebels were beaten at Antrim, and would soon be annihilated. This so terrified the ragged rabble that they took flight in all directions, leaving the good Moravians to bless and magnify that God who had so providentially preserved them."

[The Rev. C. Ignatius La Trobe, Secretary of the Moravian Missions, having been applied to on behalf of the Peace Society for such further information respecting the preservation of the Moravian settlements from military outrage with which he might be acquainted, has obligingly made the following communication :—]

19, Bartlett's Buildings, April 8, 1828.

"DEAR SIR,-You have desired me to add some particulars to the account given at p. 137* of your little work, by an "intelligent female," who had resided some time among the Moravians at Gracehill (their settlement in the north of Ireland), respecting the manner in which they were preserved from harm in the rebellion of 1798. Your correspondent justly describes them as giving the glory of their deliverance to the mercy and power of God alone; and their and our hearts are filled with gratitude whenever we call to mind the many proofs of His goodness, experienced during that dreadful period.

"I would the more willingly comply with your request were I able to refer to the Journals and Reports then sent to all our congregations in manuscript, but never printed. They are, however, not now within my reach. You will, therefore, kindly accept of the imperfect accounts my memory may enable me to furnish.

"The jury in Carrickfergus, having been required by the Government to give their opinion as to the disposition of the inhabitants of that region, had stated, that the Moravian Brethren at Gracehill might be considered as truly loyal subjects; which was indeed the case, as they wished in this, as in all things, conscientiously to obey the injunctions given in the word of God.

"This declaration, of course, gave great umbrage to many leaders of the rebellion: and it is said, that the destruction of Gracehill was determined upon in their councils. I must observe that I am unable to quote dates, and you will excuse my mentioning events as they occur to my mind. I have heard that when Mr. Fredlezius, the warden, who was a man of a remarkably calm and unoffending character, heard of the approach of the first party of rebels, he went out to meet them, and addressing their captain, a man of ferocious appearance, said-'Do you come as friends, or as enemies?' After some demur, the captain answered-' As friends to be sure; what would you have us to be?' Mr. Fredlezius then held out his hand, which the captain took, assuring him that they meant to do no mischief if they were only supplied with victuals, arms, and ammunition. They were told, that they had been obliged to deliver up all their fire-arms and gunpowder by the king's troops. The party then entered the shop, took all the green ribband they could find, and, being supplied with food and drink, marched off.

*Of the second edition of this Work.

"Another party of several hundreds, worse in disposition than the former, paid them a second visit, as described by your correspondent; from which they were delivered, as related by her.

"The destruction of Toome Bridge, over the river Bann, connecting the counties Derry and Antrim, by the rebels themselves, prevented hundreds of those in Derry from joining their comrades in Antrim, which the Brethren in Gracehill considered a providential circumstance. As success declared itself in favour of either party alternately, the friends of both were at a loss whither to fly for safety. To the surprise of the Brethren, Gracehill became the general asylum. The leaders of both parties had charged the inhabitants not to suffer any fugitives to enter their dwellings. When they, therefore, arrived with their goods, on cars or in waggons, they had no place of shelter, but either in sheds, or under cover of their vehicles, which filled the square. Rebels and king's men lay close to each other in the same distress, and were both treated with humanity by the inhabitants. It happened that some, flying along the streets, threw their purses and money into the houses, and made sure of their being restored by the unknown inmates. Such was the confidence of all in those honest Christian people.

66

Respecting our settlements on the Continent, I am at a still greater loss as to dates, but the instances of God's preservation of our defenceless places and their inhabitants, are numerous. The battle of Bautzen, in which the Russians and Prussians were defeated by Bonaparte, might have ended in the destruction of our settlement at Kleinwelcke, had it been otherwise decided. The French made it the receptacle of the sick and wounded. Their subsequent invasion of Silesia brought Gnadenberg into still greater danger. It was twice plundered; and on a representation being made to Bonaparte, he is said to have declared, that as the Moravian brethren and he himself had one common end in view, - the establishment of general peace throughout all the world,-they should not be molested. He ordered the names of the four Silesian settlements to be written down, and promised them safety. Gnadenberg was at that time exposed to great danger, from balls and shells flying over, and entering the streets and houses. Herrnhut, in Upper Lusatia, was spared, being the resort, by turns, of general staffs of both armies, by which, however, immense expense was incurred. I will only relate one instance of their preservation among many :-A party, above a thousand strong, of Russians or Poles, I forget which, had encamped in the garden and premises behind the house of the Single Sisters. They were excessively wild, and no kind treatment seemed to make much impression upon them. Having threatened, as soon as it should grow dark, to seize upon the house, and their officers declaring that they could not restrain their men, the inhabitants were in the utmost state of consternation. Their only hope was in God, to whom they had recourse in fervent praver, trusting to His mercy. About sunset an order arrived from the general, commanding the whole party to join the main army near Zittau without a moment's delay. Thus speedy deliverance was wrought, and surely none could deny that the Lord had heard the prayers of his children offered up in their deep distress.

"I have thus endeavoured, in some degree, to satisfy your wishes, and trust that I have not made any mistatements.

"I am, Dear Sir,

"Your affectionate friend,

"To Mr. John Bevans."

"C. IG LA TROBE."