Wesley Corpus

Fri. 25.--Mr. Walsh preached at six, first in Irish, and then in English. The Papist priest had contrived to have his service just at the same hour; and his man came again and again with his bell, but not one in ten of his people would stir. At eight I preached to a far more serious congregation ; and the word seemed to sink into their hearts. We took horse about ten, and rode through the fruitful and pleasant county of Galway. After having heard so much of the barrenness of this county, I was surprised, in riding almost the whole length of it, from south-east to north-west, to find only four or five miles of rocky ground, like the west of Cornwall; all the rest exceeded most that I have seen in Ireland. We came to Galway pretty well tired, and would willingly have rested at the inn where we alighted from our horses ; but the landlord informed us he had no room; both his house and stables were full. Two regiments of soldiers passing through the town had taken up all the inns: however, we procured a private lodging, which was full as agreeable. The town is old, and not ill built, most of the houses being of stone, and several stories high. It is encompassed with an old, bad wall, and is in no posture of defence, either toward the land or toward the sea. Such is the supine negligence of both English and Irish! Five or six persons, who seemed to fear God, came to us at our lodgings. We spent a little time with them in prayer, and early in the morning set out for Castlebar. This day, likewise, 1 was agreeably surprised at the pleasantness and fruitfulness of the country. About noon two or three friends met us, and begged us to turn aside to Hollymount, a town twelve miles from Castlebar, where the minister readily consented to my preaching in the church. Many Papists as well as Protestants were there, and my heart was much enlarged toward them. Through a delightful mixture of vales and gently-rising hills, we ther rode on to Castlebar. ~ see duly, 1756. | REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. 609