ance of some; yet the power and love of Truth at length prevailed, to the satisfaction and comfort of many good Friends."

He got home on the 8th of Third Month, and in about a week afterward took a turn to the Quarterly Meeting of Somersetshire, at Glastonbury, and that for Wiltshire, at Devizes, and was at some other meetings in his way from one to the other.

The beginning of Fourth Month he left home on his intended visit to Ireland; he came to the Quarterly Meeting at Worcester, and thence by Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley and Stourbridge, to Colebrookdale, where he was at meeetings at the New-dale and Old-dale, and visited sundry families, accompanied by Daniel Rose.

From Colebrookdale he went by Shrewsbury to Dolobran, where the meeting-house was nearly full; the meeting began at eight o'clock in the morning, and was very comfortable. The next day he got to Llewindee, to William Howell's, son-in-law to the late worthy Friend John Goodwin, with whom John's widow was then living, being eighty-three years of age, and had a meeting there; and from thence he went by Llaneedless to the Welsh Yearly Meeting at Brecknock, which began on the 26th of Fourth Month. The meeting of ministers and elders began at nine o'clock in the morning, and at three in the afternoon a meeting of Friends only; and after it the men's meeting, which held till it was almost dark, and then adjourned to the seventh hour next morning, when Friends met again, and the meeting held till about nine. At ten the public meeting began in the town-hall, which was excessively crowded, and satisfactory.

This Yearly Meeting ended the 27th of Fourth Month,

and the half-year's Meeting in Dublin was to begin the 1st of Fifth Month. So he writes: "William Howell and I came forty-one miles after dinner, to Llaneedless, where, on the 28th, we had a large meeting in the town-hall, or session room, beginning at eight o'clock, which was much favored. Margaret Jarman and Mary Hunt accompanied us from thence to Escargoch, where we also had a memorable opportunity, our hearts being much tendered together." On the 29th, being the Sixth-day of the week, he set off from Llewindee, accompanied by Owen Owen, son of Humphrey Owen aforementioned, and grandson to John Goodwin, for Holyhead; and that day, although they were detained some hours for the tide to fall, till they could cross a river in the way, and in crossing which, they were for a good while up to the saddle skirts, they reached Carnarvan, being fifty miles, that night, and Holyhead about eleven o'clock in the forenoon of Seventhday; went aboard the packet boat about two o'clock on First-day morning; but having little wind, did not get to Dublin till Second-day evening, being the 2nd day of the Fifth Month, and of the National Meeting.

Of his journey in Ireland he kept a brief diary; but not so particular as of the former through Wales, being only a summary account of the meetings and places he was at each day, without any remarks on meetings or occurrences to diversify the narration, and therefore I shall be obliged to comprise the relation thereof in a narrow compass.

He visited the meetings in course; first, by Edenderry, Rathangan and Ballitore, to the Six-weeks' Meeting at Carlow, and thence westward, to Ballimurry, and returned to the Quarterly Meeting at Edenderry, in concert with his companion, Thomas Melhuish. From thence they

directed their course towards the province of Munster by Tullamore, Birr and Kilconnermore, to Limerick, and from thence through Munster, finishing their visit to that province, at the Province Meeting at Waterford; thence through the county of Wexford, and so into the county of Carlow, where Thomas Melhuish and he separated, at Castledermot, Thomas's draft being to Ulster, and my brother's concern more to the adjacent parts of Leinster.

After parting with Thomas Melhuish, he continued visiting Friends in these parts, till the Province Meeting at Wicklow, after which, and spending some days in Dublin, he went from thence to the Province Meeting for Ulster, at Ballinderry, and returned pretty directly back to Dublin, without appointing any meeting in that province, and continued visiting meetings in different parts of Leinster Province, chiefly till the ensuing Quarterly Meeting, which was held at Enniscorthy, and from thence proceeded directly to Waterford, to take shipping for Bristol.

This visit took him up near four months, for he embarked for Bristol on or about the 24th of Eighth Month, the greatest part of which time seems to have been employed in Leinster Province, having visited most parts thereof at least twice over.

CHAPTER IX.

RELINQUISHES SCHOOL TEACH

RETURNS TO DUBLIN TO RESIDE.

ING.

EXERCISES OF MIND IN THE PROSPECT OF A RELIGIOUS VISIT TO ULSTER PROVINCE. ENGAGES IN A VISIT TO ULSTER. REFLECTIONS ON THE END DESIGNED BY VISITS OF THIS KIND.

HAVING, as aforementioned, resigned his school at Bristol, in order to be at liberty to discharge what was pointed out to him as a duty; and his service being now finished, he was out of employment for the support of himself and family. The prospect of this in giving up to this service, must, I imagine, have been a pretty close trial of faith; as he could not, at the time of his resignation, have any apprehension of the way which afterwards opened for their employment and subsistence; but knowing He was faithful who had called him into the service, he was strengthened to go forth in faith, and a humble dependence on Him whom he served, for support, inwardly and outwardly; and in due time a way opened for him to his satisfaction. By my removal from Dublin, where I had resided upwards of twenty-three years, to Lisburn, which happened during his travels in this nation, the school there became vacant. Whereupon Friends of Dublin made him proposals to undertake the care thereof; to which he agreed, and soon after his return to Bristol, removed with his family to settle in that city. The necessary attendance upon his school, confined him pretty much to the place of his residence, and parts adjacent, for the space of two or three years; till about the summer of 1777, when his family being grown up, and mostly in a way to provide for themselves, and his young

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est son having gotten an agreeable place of apprenticeship, he found his way open finally to relinquish the confining and exercising occupation of his school, in order to be more at liberty in the evening of his day, to accomplish the remaining part of his day's work, against the termination thereof; and from this time to his removal out of this life, he was much engaged to travel and labor amongst Friends in the different quarters of this nation, for the promotion of truth and righteousness.

As he had not visited Ulster Province in his late visit to this nation, the discharging of that debt was the principal service pointed out to him, in the following manner, as he himself expresses it in the introduction to his account of said visit.

"Seventh Month 1st, 1777. A good Friend from England lately told us, in a meeting, that our old copy books were sullied, and too full of blots; that we should get new books to keep our accounts in, and keep them fair and clean; and I wished, with the Lord's assistance, to do so, viz: to have my heart and life made and kept clean.

"I felt a longing desire to undergo afresh the washing of regeneration,' in order to be favored with the renewing of the Holy Ghost.' I thought He who said to the blind man, ‘Go wash in the pool of Siloam,' said unto me, Go to the northern parts of Ireland, to visit what is left there of the professors of truth; and therewith infused the new covenant, or solemn engagement on my part, to give up thereto, Oh, poor cold north; almost totally dead as to the Divine life! In visiting thy sons and daughters, I foresee great anxieties, inward conflicts, and trying baptisms; may I duly mind that part of Christ's counsel to his followers: In your patience possess ye your souls; and, indeed, his