Wesley Corpus

To his Mother Date: CH. CH., OXON, December 18, 1724. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1724) Author: John Wesley --- DEAR MOTHER--I am very glad to hear you are all well at home, as we are here, the small-pox, which raged so much a little while ago, being now almost quite over. [See letter of Sept. 23, 1723.] Only one gentleman of our College had it, who is now recovered, so that the others who feared it are freed at last from their apprehensions. I have not lately heard from Westminster; but Mr. Sherman, who did, assured me that my brothers and sister there were very well. He has given me one or two books lately, of which one is Godfrey of Bulloigne. [A translation (probably by Edward Fairfax) of Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered, of which an octavo edition was published in 1687.] We have still very warm weather at Oxford; and a gentleman, now in the room with me, says that several of the flowers in his father's garden, who lives in town, are blown as if it were spring. The story of which I said something in my last [See letter of Sept. 23, 1723] was, as I believe I told you before, transacted a little before King James's abdication. The Bishop of Raphoe, one of the principal actors in it, was then pretty old, but never reckoned superstitious or easy to be imposed upon. From him it came to Mr. Span, Vicar-General of Ireland, and was by him related to Mr. Harrison, a clergyman, in the hearing of his son, who told it me.