indebted for his industrious charity. With Oxford, Pope, and other literary characters of the first rank he was acquainted, and maintained a friendly correspondence-but his attachment to Atterbury lost him the favour of Walpole, then prime minister, who in consequence of this intimacy, determined against Mr. Wesley's preferment at Westminster; he therefore retired from his situation-and removed to Tiverton, presiding in the free grammar school there until his death; which event occurred on the sixth of November 1739—in the forty-ninth year of his age: and as he had lived much esteemed, his departure was long regretted. The following letter was written to Mr. Charles Wesley, informing him of the flight of his brother from this pilgrimage state: "TIVERTON, Nov. 14, 1739.

"Reverend and dear Sir,

"Your brother and my dear friend, for so you are sensible he was to me, on Monday the fifth of November went to bed, as he thought, as well as he had been for some time before; he was seized about three o'clock in the morning very ill, when your sister immediately sent for Mr. Norman, and ordered the servant to call me. Mr. Norman came as quick as he possibly could, but said, as soon as he saw him, that he could not get over it, but would die in a few hours. He was not able to take any thing, nor able to speak to us, only yes or no to a question asked him, and that did not last half an hour. I never went from his bed-side till he expired, which was about seven the same morning. With great difficulty we persuaded your dear sister to leave the room before he died-I trembled to think how she would bear it, knowing the sincere affection and love she had for him-But blessed be God, he hath heard and answered prayer on her behalf, and in a great measure calmed her spirit, though she has not yet been out of her cham

D

ber. Your brother was buried on Monday last in the afternoon-and is gone to reap the fruit of his labours→→ I pray God we may imitate him in all his virtues and be prepared to follow. I should enlarge much more, but have not time; for which reason I hope you will excuse him who is under the greatest obligations to be, and really is, with the greatest sincerity, yours in all things.

AMOS MATTHEWS."

He was a man of very considerable learning-in 1736 he published a quarto volume of poems, many of which possess much excellence; the tales are admirable and highly entertaining, the satire pointed, and the moral instructive: the volume abounds with much knowledge of mankind, profound erudition, and evinces a lively and vigorous imagination-but his energy is superior to his correctness-though the poems are masculine and nervous in the highest degree, they are deficient in that harmony which with a little more attention might have been infused into them-His modesty and diffidence were uncommon in his preface to the edition of the poems published by himself he declares, "that it was not any opinion of excellence in the verses themselves, which occasioned their present collection and publication, but merely the profit proposed by the subscription:" notwithstanding this unfavourable report the subscription list was so large as to provide a very considerable part of a decent competency which he bequeathed for the support of his widow and daughter.

Mr. Charles Wesley.

Mr. Charles Wesley was born December 18th 1708 several weeks before his time, at Epworth: he appeared upon his entrance into our world dead rather than alive; he did not cry, nor open his eyes, and was kept wrapt up in soft wool until the time when he would have been born according to nature's course-and not until then did he open his eyes and cry.

His mother imparted to him the first rudiments of learning. In 1716 he was sent to Westminster school under the care of his brother Samuel; here he manifested a sprightly, active mind, with a considerable facility in receiving instruction.

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 immediately, and referred it 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 Mornington.

In 1721 he was admitted a scholar of St. Peter's Westminster, from which he was removed to Christ Church Oxford in 1726, his brother John being Fellow of Lincoln. He thus narrates his mode of life at 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 to 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."

In the course of the following summer he became more serious, and diligent both in the means of grace, and in his studies; his zeal for God was already kindled,

and manifested itself in considerable exertions to animate his fellow students with the spirit and temper of Christianity-in a short time he was sucessful:-upon this occasion he wrote to his brother dated May, 1729.

"Providence has at present put it into my power to do some good. I have a modest, humble, well disposed youth lives next me, and have been, thank God, somewhat instrumental in keeping him so. He was got into vile hands, and is now broken loose. I assisted in setting him free, and will do my utmost to hinder him from getting in with them again. He was of opinion that passive goodness was sufficient; and would fain have kept in with his acquaintance and God at the same time. He durst not receive the sacrament, but at the usual times, for fear of being laughed at. By convincing him of the duty of frequent communicating, I have prevailed on both of us to receive once a week.

"I earnestly long for, and desire the blessing which God is about to send me in you. I am sensible this is my day of grace; and that upon my employing the time before our meeting and next parting, will in a great measure depend my condition for eternity."

Mr. John Wesley having returned to Oxford from Epworth where he had been assisting his Father; a regular society was formed, that the members might fortify each other in their pious design and duties: and not long after, Mr. Charles Wesley assumed the character of a preceptor. He became M. A. in the usual course; and at that time intended to devote his whole life to the instruction of students at Oxford; but the God of Providence who makes all things work together for good," had otherwise designed; for he accepted of the office of Secretary to Mr. Oglethorpe the governor of Georgia, and of the Indian affairs, and in this character accompanied his brother to that state having been ordained both Deacon and Priest previous to his departure.

They sailed from Gravesend on the 22nd of October 1735, but were detained at Cowes until December the 10th, here Mr. Wesley preached on several occasions to large congregations. The vessel arrived in Savannah river on February 5th, 1736. He was appointed to Frederica ; whilst his brother received the charge of Savannah; on the ninth of March he landed on Simon's island, and on the same day commenced his ministerial labours-in the evening he read prayers in the open air, Mr. Oglethorpe being one of his auditors. The accommodations for the colony were at this time very insufficient. They had no house for public worship, so that Mr. Wesley, although there was a heavy storm of rain, was obliged to lead the devotions of the people before Mr. Oglethorpe's

tent.

A division existed between some of the women which caused much uneasiness to the governor, and excited considerable animosity in the colony. Mr. Wesley's deportment, and reproof of their improper conduct, united the contending parties in a rooted dislike to him--which ended in a plan, to eradicate Mr. Oglethorpe's affecton for him, or if that should appear to be impracticable, to remove him by violence: hence his situation became very alarming, his usefulness was destroyed, and his personal safety precarious. Some persons treated him with great indecency, whilst Mr. Oglethorpe's behaviour evinced that he had imbibed disadvantagous impressions respecting him; although of his accusers, and of the subject of accusation he was equally ignorant. On the 10th of March, he had retired to his myrtle grove, and whilst he was repeating, "I will thank thee for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation," a gun was discharged from the opposite side of the bushes. Providentially he had the moment before turned from that end of the walk where the shot entered, yet he heard it pass close by him.