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. Wed. 22. 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. Fri. 24.-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