Wesley Corpus

I walked over to Wilton, and preached to a very serious congregation in the new preaching-house. I found at Sarum the fruit of Captain Webb's preaching: Some were awakened, and one perfected in love. Yet I was a little surprised at the remark of some of our eldest brethren, that they had never heard Perfection preached before. Wed. 4.--The preaching-house at Whitchurch, though much enlarged, could not contain the congregation in the evening. Some genteel people were inclined to smile at first ; but their mirth was quickly over. The awe of God fell upon the whole Nov. 1780.] JOURNAL. 193 congregation, and many “rejoiced unto him with reverence.” Saturday, 7. I returned from Portsmouth to London. Mon. 16.--I went to Tunbridge-Wells, and preached to a serious congregation, on Rev. xx. 12. Tuesday, 17. I came back to Sevenoaks, and in the afternoon walked over to the Duke of Dorset's seat. The park is the pleasantest I ever saw ; the trees are so elegantly disposed. The house, which is at least two hundred years old, is immensely large. It consists of two squares, considerably bigger than the two Quadrangles in Lincoln College. I believe we were shown above thirty rooms, beside the hall, the chapels, and three galleries. The pictures are innumerable; I think, four times as many as in the Castle at Blenheim. Into one of the galleries opens the King's bed-chamber, ornamented above all the rest. The bed-curtains are cloth-of-gold; and so richly wrought, that it requires some strength to draw them. The tables, the chairs, the frames of the looking-glasses, are all plated over with silver. The tapestry, representing the whole history of Nebuchadnezzar, is as fresh as if newly woven. But the bed-curtains are exceeding dirty, and look more like copper than gold. The silver on the tables, chairs, and glass, looks as dull as lead. And, to complete all, King Nebuchadnezzar among the beasts, together with his eagle's claws, has a large crown upon his head, and is clothed in scarlet and gold. Mon. 23.--I visited, for a few days, the societies in Northamptonshire. Monday, 30. I went to High-Wycomb, where the new preaching-house was well filled in the evening. Tuesday, 31.