Wesley Corpus

to hire a wagon also, to carry a box which one of us could have carried on his shoulders. At Briel we took a boat to Rotterdam. We had not been long there, when Mr. Bennet, a bookseller, who had invited me to his house, called uponme. But as Mr. " Loyal, the Minister ofthe Scotch congregation,had invited me, he gave up his claim, andwent with us to Mr. Loyal's. I found a friendly, sensible, hospitable, and, I am persuaded, a pious man. We took a walk together round the town, all as clean as agentleman's parlour. Many of the houses are as high as those in the main street at Edinburgh; and the canals, running through the chief streets, make them convenient, as well as plea- sant ; bringing the merchants' goods up to their doors. Stately trees grow on all their banks. The whole town is encompassed with a double row of elms ; so that onemaywalk 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 Epis- copal church. By our conversing freely together, many prejudices were remove,d 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 ofthe houses are higher than most in Edin- burgh. It is true they have not so many stories; but each story is far loftier. 2. The streets, the outside and inside of their houses in every part, doors, windows, well-staircases, furniture, even floors, are kept so nicely clean thatyou cannot find a speck of dirt. 3. There is such agrandeur and elegance in the fronts of the large houses, as I never saw elsewhere ; and such apro- fusion 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 counte- nance. 5. This was wonderfully set off by their dress, which