Wesley Corpus

2. From the very beginning I met with all sorts of discouragements. Cavillers and prophets of evil were on every side. A hundred objections were made both to the whole design, and every particular branch of it: especially by those from whom I had reason to expect better things: notwithstanding which, through God’s help, J went on; wrote an English, a Latin, a Greek, a Hebrew, and a French Grammar, and printed Prelectiones Pueriles, with many other books for the use of the school; and God gave a manifest blessing. Some of the wildest children were struck with deep conviction; all appeared to have good desires; and two or three began to taste the love of God. 3. Yet I soon observed several things which I did not like. The maids divided into two parties. R T---- studiously blew up the coals, by constant whispering and tale bearing. M D---- did not supply the defects of other servants, being chiefly taken up with thoughts of another kind. And hence the children were not properly attended, nor were things done with due care and exactness. 4. The masters should have corrected these irregularities; but they added to them. T R was so rough and disobliging, that the children were little profited by him. A G was honest and diligent; but his person and manner made him contemptible to the children. R M---- was grave and weighty in his behaviour, and did much good, till W---- S set the children against him; and, instead of restraining them from play, played with them himself. J J aud Ww S-- were weighed down by the rest, who neither observed the rules in the school nor out of it. 5. The continual breach of that rule, ‘‘ Never to let the children work, but in the presence of a master,” occasioned their growing wilder and wilder, till all their religious impressions were worn off; and the sooner, as four or five of the larger boys were very uncommonly wicked. 6. When I came down in September, 1750, and found the scholars reduced to eighteen, I determined to purge the house thoroughly. Two more of the children (one of them exquisitely wicked) I sent home withsut delay. : oe D , T-- R--_, R M , and three of the iy =a 518 REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. [July, 1751