Wesley Collected Works Vol 11
| Author | John Wesley |
|---|---|
| Type | treatise |
| Year | None |
| Passage ID | jw-wesley-collected-works-vol-11-325 |
| Words | 388 |
Very easily:
It only shows, that his piety declined while he was at the
University. (And this is too often the case of other youths
in our own Universities.) But it pleased God at or before
his journey to England to lift up his head again. 10. His desire of being an Officer in the army continued
after he returned from Lisbon. And when he was informed,
that his uncle, then a Colonel in the Dutch service, had
procured a commission for him, he joyfully set out for
Flanders. But just at that time the peace was concluded;
and his uncle dying quickly after, his hopes were blasted, and
he gave up all thoughts of going into the army; and, being
disengaged from all business, he thought it would not be
amiss to spend a little time in England. 11. Coming to the Custom-House in London, with some
other young gentlemen, none of whom could speak any
English, they were treated with the utmost surliness and ill
manners by some brutish Custom-House Officers. These not
only took out and jumbled together all the things that were in
their portmanteaus, but took away their letters of recommend
ation; telling them, “All letters must be sent by the post.”
They are such saucy and ill-mannered wretches as these that
bring up an evil report on our nation. Britons might well
be styled, hospitibus feri,” if they were all like these vermin. 12. From hence they went to an inn; but here they were
under another difficulty. As they spoke no English, they could
not tell how to exchange their foreign into English money;
till Mr. Fletcher, going to the door, heard a well-dressed Jew
talking French. He told him the difficulty they were under,
with regard to the exchange of money. The Jew replied,
“Give me your money, and I will get it changed in five
minutes.” Mr. Fletcher without delay gave him his purse, in
which were ninety pounds. As soon as he came back to his
company, he told them what he had done. They all cried
out with one voice, “Then your money is gone. You need
never expect to see a crown or a doit of it any more. Men
are constantly waiting about the doors of these inns, on
* Rude and inhospitable to foreigners.-EDIT.