Wesley Corpus

the market-place than I forgot my weariness ; such were the seriousness and attention of the whole congregation, though as numerous as that at Banff. Mr. Gordon, the Minister of the May,1776. parish, invited me to supper, and told me his kirk was at my service. A little society is formed here already ; and is in a fairway of increasing. But they were just now in danger of losing their preaching-house, the owner being determined to sell it. I saw but one way to secure it for them, which was to buy it myself. So (who would have thought it ?) I bought an estate, consisting of two houses, a yard, a garden,with three acres of good land. But he told me flat, " Sir, I will take no less for it than sixteen pounds ten shillings, to be paid, part now, part at Michaelmas, and the residue next May." Here Mr. Gordon showed me a great curiosity. Near the top of the opposite hill, a new town is built, containing, I suppose, ahundred houses, which is a town ofbeggars. This, he informed me,was the professed, regular occupation of all the inhabitants. Early in spring they all go out, and spread themselves over the kingdom ; and in autumnthey return, and do what is requisite for their wives and children. The wind turning north,we stepped at once from June to January. About one I preached at Inverury, to a plain, earnest, loving people, and before five came to Aberdeen. Thursday, 23. I read over Mr. Pennant's " Journey through Scotland ; " a lively as well as judicious writer. Judicious, I mean, in most respects ; but I cannot give up to all the Deists in Great Britain the existence of witchcraft, till I give up the credit of all history, sacred and profane. And at the present time, I have not only as strong, but stronger proofs of this, from eye and ear witnesses, than I have of murder ; so that I cannot rationally doubt of one any more than the other. -1 returned to Arbroath, and lodged at Provost Grey's. So, for atime, we are in honour ! I have hardly seen such another place in the three kingdoms, as this is at present. Hitherto there is no opposer at all, but every one seems to bid