Wesley Corpus

Stately trees grow on all their banks. The whole town is encompassed with a double row of elms; so that one may walk all round it in the shade. Sat. 14.--I had much conversation with the two English Ministers, sensible, well-bred, serious men. These, as well as Mr. Loyal, were very willing I should preach in their churches; but they thought it would be best for me to preach in the Episcopal church. By our conversing freely together, many prejudices were removed, and all our hearts seemed to be united together. June, 1783.] JOURNAL. 249 In the evening we again took a walk round the town, and I observed, 1. Many of the houses are higher than most in Edinburgh. It is true they have not so many stories; but each story is far lostier. 2. The streets, the outside and inside of their houses in every part, doors, windows, well-staircases, furniture, even floors, are kept so micely clean that you cannot find a speck of dirt. 3. There is such a grandeur and elegance in the fronts of the large houses, as I never saw elsewhere; and such a profusion of marble within, particularly in their lower floors and staircases, as I wonder other nations do not imitate. 4. The women and children (which I least of all expected) were in general the most beautiful I ever saw. They were surprisingly fair, and had an inexpressible air of innocence in their countenance. 5. This was wonderfully set off by their dress, which was simplea munditiis, plain and neat in the highest degree. 6. It has lately been observed, that growing vegetables greatly resist putridity; so there is an use in their numerous rows of trees which was not thought of at first. The elms balance the canals, preventing the putrefac tion which those otherwise might produce. One little circumstance I observed, which I suppose is pecu liar to Holland: To most chamber-windows a looking-glass is placed on the outside of the sash, so as to show the whole street, with all the passengers. There is something very pleasing in these moving pictures. Are they found in no other country? Sun. 15.--The Episcopal church is not quite so large as the chapel in West-Street. It is very elegant both without and within. The Service began at half-past nine. Such a congre gation had not often been there before.