"It must be observed, in justice to his memory, that his wit and learning were the least part of this worthy man's praise. An open benevolent temper, which he had from nature, he so cultivated upon principle, that the number and the continual success of his good offices was astonishing even to his friends. He was an instance how exceedingly serviceable in life, a person of a very inferior station may be, who sets his heart upon it. His own little income was liberally made use of, and as his acquaintance whom he applied to, were always confident of his care and integrity, he never wanted means to carry on his good purposes. One particular must not be omitted: he was one of the first projectors, and a very careful and active promoter, of the first Infirmary set up at Westminster, for the relief of the sick and needy, in 1719, and he had the satisfaction to see it flourish, and propagate by its example, under the prudent management of other good persons, many pious establishments of the same kind in distant parts of the nation."

The following extracts of letters from his patron, Bishop Atterbury, are too much to his honour not to be mentioned here; they were occasioned by that fine poem on the death of Mrs. Morice, his Lordship's daughter.

"April 24, 1730.

"I Have received a poem from Mr. Morice, which I "must be insensible not to thank you for, your Elegy on "the death of Mrs. Morice—I cannot help an impulse up"on me, to tell you under my own hand, the satisfaction "I feel, the approbation I give, the envy I bear you, for "this good work; as a poet and as a man, I thank you, I "esteem you."

"Paris, May 27, 1730.

"I Am obliged to W. for what he has written on my "dear child; and take it more kindly because he could "not hope for my being ever in a condition to reward him "—though if ever I am, I will; for he has shewn an in"variable regard for me all along in all circumstances; " and much more than some of his acquaintance, who had "ten times greater obligations."

PARIS, June 30, 1730. "The verses you sent me touched me very nearly, and "the Latin in the front of them as much as the English "that followed. There are a great many good lines in "them, and they are writ with as much affection as poetry :"they came from the heart of the author, and he has a "share of mine in return; and if ever I come back to my "country with honour, he shall find it."

These extracts do honour to the feelings of Atterbury, as a man; and they give a noble testimony to the disinterested and unchangeable friendship of Mr. Wesley for a person whom he esteemed, and whom he thought deeply injured.

The author of, Some Account of Mr. Samuel Wesley, prefixed to his poems, informs us that the following inscription was put upon his grave-stone, in the church yard at Tiverton :

HERE LIE INTERRED

The remains of the REV. SAMUEL WESLEY, A. M.
Some time Student of Christ-Church, Oxon:
A man, for his uncommon wit and learning,
For the benevolence of his temper,

And simplicity of manners,
Deservedly beloved and esteemed by all.
An excellent Preacher:

But whose best Sermon

Was, the constant example of an edifying life,
So continually and zealously employed
In acts of beneficence and charity,
That he truly followed
His blessed Master's example

In going about doing good.
Of such scrupulous integrity,

That he declined occasions of advancement in the world
Through fear of being involved in dangerous compliances,
And avoided the usual ways to preferment
As studiously as many others seek them.
Therefore, after a life spent

In the laborious employment of teaching youth,
First, for near twenty years

As one of the Ushers in WESTMINSTER SCHOOL;
Afterwards for seven years

As Head Master of the Free School at Tiverton,
He resigned his soul to God,

Nov. 6, 1739, in the 49th year of his age.

SECTION II.

OF THE REV. CHARLES WESLEY, A. M.

MR. Charles Wesley was born December 18, 1708, several weeks before his time, at Epworth in Lincolnshire; being about five years younger than his brother John Wesley, and about sixteen younger than Samuel.

He appeared dead rather than alive, when he was born. He did not cry, nor open his eyes, and was kept wrapt up in soft wool until the time when he should have been born according to the usual course of nature, and then he opened his eyes and cried.

He received the first rudiments of learning at home, under the pious care of his mother, as all the other children did. In 1716, he was sent to Westminster school, and placed under the care of his eldest brother Samuel Wesley, an high Church-man, who educated him in his own principles. He was exceedingly sprightly and active; very apt to learn, but arch and unlucky, though not ill-natured.

When he had been some years at school, Mr. R. Wesley, a gentleman of large fortune in Ireland wrote to his father and asked if he had any son named Charles; if so he would make him his heir. Accordingly a gentleman in London brought money for his education several years. But one year another gentleman called, probably Mr. Wesley himself, talked largely with him, and asked if he was willing to go with him to Ireland. Mr. Charles desired to write to his father, who answered, him immediately, and left him to his own choice. He chose to stay in England. Mr. W. then found and adopted another Charles Wesley, who was the late Earl of M—n—g—n. A fair escape, says Mr. John Wesley, from whose short account of his brother we have taken this anecdote.

From this time, Mr. Charles Wesley depended chiefly on his brother Samuel till 1721, when he was admitted a

scholar of St. Peter's College, Westminster.* He was now a King's scholar; and as he advanced in age and learning, he acted dramas, and at length became Captain of the school. In 1726, he was elected to Christ's-Church, Oxford, at which time his brother was Fellow of LincolnCollege. Mr. John Wesley gives the following account of him after he came to Oxford. "He pursued his studies diligently, and led a regular, harmless life: but if I spoke to him about religion, he would warmly answer, What, would you have me to be a saint all at once? and would hear no more. I was then near three years my father's curate. During most of this time he continued much the same; but in the year 1729, I observed his letters grew much more serious, and when I returned to Oxford in November that year, I found him in great earnestness to save his soul."

Mr. Charles Wesley gives the following account of himself for the first year or two after he went to Oxford : ‡ "My first year at College I lost in diversions: the next, I set myself to study. Diligence led me into serious thinking: I went to the weekly sacrament, and persuaded two or three young students to accompany me, and observe the method of study prescribed by the statutes of the university. This gained me the harmless name of Methodist. In half a year (after this) my brother left his curacy at Epworth, and came to our assistance. We then proceeded regularly in our studies, and in doing what good we could to the bodies and souls of men.

It was in the year 1728, in the twentieth year of his age, that he began to apply more closely to study, and to be more serious in his general deportment than usual.

He

* Welch's List of Scholars of St. Peter's College, Westminster, as they were elected to Christ-church College, Oxford, and Trinity College, Cambridge, p. 105.

+ Ibid. p. 110.

In his Letter to Dr. Chandler.

soon gave proof of his sincere desire to be truly religious, by expressing a wish to write a diary, in which he intended to register daily the state of his mind, and the actions of the day. A diary of this kind faithfully kept, is a delineation of a man's moral and religious character; it is a moral picture of the man accurately drawn. No man wishes to draw his own character in this way, in every little circumstance of life, and to review it often, but he who is desirous to think and act rightly, and to improve daily in knowledge and virtue. He knew that his brother Mr. John Wesley, had kept such a diary, and was able to give him instructions how to proceed. He therefore wrote to him in January 1729, as follows:

"I WOULD willingly write a diary of my actions, but do not know how to go about it. What particulars am I to take notice of? Am I to give my thoughts and words, as well as deeds, a place in it? Am I to mark all the good and ill I do; and what besides ? Must I not take account of my progress in learning as well as religion? What cypher can I make use of? If you would direct me to the same or like method of your own, I would gladly follow it, for I am fully convinced of the usefulness of such an undertaking. I shall be at a stand till I hear from you.

"God has thought fit, it may be to increase my wariness, to deny me at present your company and assistance. It is through him strengthening me, I trust to maintain my ground till we meet. And I hope that neither before nor after that time, I shall relapse into my former state of insensibility. It is through your means, I firmly believe, that God will establish what he has begun in me; and there is no one person I would so willingly have to be the instrument of good to me as you. It is owing, in great measure to somebody's prayers (my mother's most likely) that I come to think as I do; for I cannot tell myself, how or when I awoke out of my lethargy—only that it was not long after you went away."

VOL. I.