answer, they wanted him to go with them to the justice. He replied, with all his heart; and added a few sentences, which had such an effect, that a cry arose, "The gentleman is an honest gentleman, and we will spill our blood in his defence." But when he asked whether they should go to the justice immediately, or in the morning, (for it was in the month of October, and evening was closing in,) most of them cried, "To-night, to-night!" Accordingly they set out for the nearest magistrate's, Mr. Lane, of Bentley-Hall. His house was about two miles distant: night came on before they had walked half the way: it began to rain heavily: the greater part of the senseless multitude dispersed, but two or three hundred still kept together; and as they approached the house, some of them ran forward to tell Mr. Lane they had brought Mr. Wesley before his worship.— "What have I to do with Mr. Wesley?" was the reply: "go and carry him back again." By this time the main body came up, and knocked at the doorThey were told that Mr. Lane was not to be spoken with; but the son of that gentleman came out, and inquired what was the matter. "Why, a'nt please you," said the spokesman," they sing psalms all day; nay, and make folks rise at five in the morning. And what would your worship advise us to do?" "To go home," said Mr. Lane, "and be quiet."

Upon this they were at a stand, till some one advised that they should go to Justice Persehouse, at Walsal. To Walsal therefore they went: it was about seven when they arrived, and the magistrate sent out word that he was in bed, and could not be spoken with. Here they were at a stand again: at last they thought the wisest thing they could do would be to make the best of their way home; and about fifty undertook to escort Mr. Wesley; not as their prisoner, but for the purpose of protecting him, so much had he won upon them by his commanding and yet conciliating manner. But the cry had arisen in Walsal that Wesley was there, and a fresh fierce rabble rushed out in pursuit of their victim. They presently came up with him. His escort stood man

fully in his defence; and a woman, who was one of their leaders, knocked down three or four Walsal v men, before she was knocked down herself, and very nearly murdered. His friends were presently overpowered, and he was left in the hands of a rabble too much infuriated to hear him speak. "Indeed," he says, "it was in vain to attempt it, for the noise on every side was like the roaring of the sea." The entrance to the town was down a steep hill, and the path was slippery, because of the rain. Some of the ruffians endeavoured to throw him down, and, if they had accomplished their purpose, it was not likely that he would ever have risen again: but he kept his feet. Part of his clothes was torn off; blows were aimed at him with a bludgeon, which, had they taken effect, would have fractured his skull; and one cowardly villain gave him a blow on the mouth which made the blood gush out. With such outrages they dragged him into the town. Seeing the door of a large house open, he attempted to go in, but was caught by the hair, and pulled back into the middle of the crowd. They hauled him toward the end of the main street, and there he made toward a shop-door, which was half open, and would have gone in, but the shopkeeper would not let him, saying, that, if he did, they would pull the house down to the ground. He made a stand, however, at the door, and asked if they would hear him speak? Many cried out, "No, no! knock his brains out! down with him! kill him at once!" A more atrocious exclamation was uttered by one or two wretches. "I almost tremble," says Wesley, "to relate it! -Crucify the dog! crucify him!" Others insisted that he should be heard. Even in mobs that opinion will prevail which has the show of justice on its side, if it be supported boldly. He obtained a hearing, and began by asking, "What evil have I done? which of you all have I wronged in word or deed?" His powerful and persuasive voice, his ready utterance, and his perfect self-command, stood him on this perilous emergency in good stead. A cry was

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raised," Bring him away! bring him away!" When it ceased, he then broke out into prayer; and the. very man who had just before headed the rabble, turned and said, "Sir, I will spend my life for you! follow me, and not one soul here shall touch a hair of your head!" This man had been a prize-fighter at a bear-garden; his declaration, therefore, carried authority with it; and when one man declares himself on the right side, others will second him who might have wanted courage to take the lead. A feeling in Wesley's favour was now manifested, and the shopkeeper, who happened to be the mayor of the town, ventured to cry out, "For shame! for shame! let him go;" having, perhaps, some sense of humanity, and of shame for his own conduct. The man who took his part conducted him through the mob, and brought him, about ten o'clock, back to Wednesbury in safety, with no other injury than some slight bruises. The populace seemed to have spent their fury in this explosion; and when, on the following morning, he rode through the town on his departure, some kindness was expressed by all whom he met. A few days afterwards, the very magistrates who had refused to see him when he was in the hands of the rabble, issued a curious warrant, commanding diligent search to be made after certain disorderly persons, styling themselves Methodist preachers, who were going about raising routs and riots, to the great damage of His Majesty's liege people, and against the peace of our Sovereign Lord the King."

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It was only at Wednesbury that advantage was taken of the popular cry against the Methodists to break open their doors and plunder their houses; but greater personal barbarities were exercised in other places. Some of the preachers received serious injury; others were held under water till they were nearly dead; and of the women who attended them, some were so treated by the cowardly and brutal populace, that they never thoroughly recovered. In some places they daubed the preacher all

over with paint. In others they pelted the people in the meetings with egg-shells, which they had filled with blood and stopt with pitch. The progress of methodism was rather furthered than impeded by this kind of persecution, for it rendered the Methodists objects of curiosity and compassion; and in every instance the preachers displayed that fearlessness which enthusiasmt inspires, and which, when the madness of the moment was over, made even their enemies respect them.

These things were sufficiently disgraceful to the nation; but the conduct of many of the provincial magistrates was far more so, for they suffered themselves to be so far influenced by passion and popular feeling, as to commit acts of abominable oppression under the colour of law. The vicar of Bristal, which was John Nelson's home and head-quarters, thought it justifiable to rid the parish by any means of a man who preached with more zeal and more effect than himself; and he readily consented to a proposal from the alehouse-keepers that John should be pressed for a soldier; for, as fast as he made converts, they lost customers. He was pressed accordingly, and taken before the commissioners at Halifax, where the vicar was one of the bench, and though persons enough attended to speak to his character, the commissioners said they had heard enough of him from the minister of his parish, and could hear nothing more. "So, gentlemen," said John, "I see there is neither law nor justice for a man that is call

The most harmless mode of annoyance was practised at Bedford. The meeting-room was over a place where pigs were kept. An alderman of the town was one of the society; and his dutiful nephew took care that the pigs should always be fed during the time of preaching, that the alderman might have the full enjoyment of their music as well as their odour. Wesley says, in one of his Journals, "the stench from the swine under the room was scarce supportable. Was ever a preaching place over a hog-stye before! Surely they love the gospel who come to hear it in such a place."

+ When John Leach was pelted near Rochdale in those riotous days, and saw his brother wounded in the forehead by a stone, he was mad enough to tell the rabble that not one of them could hit him, if he were to stand preaching there till midnight. Just then the mob began to quarrel among themselves, and therefore left off pelting. But the anecdote has been related by his brethren for his praise !

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ed a Methodist:" and addressing the vicar by his name, he said, "What do you know of me that is evil? Whom have I defrauded? or where have I contracted a debt that I cannot pay?"—"You have no visible way of getting your living," was the reply. He answered, "I am as able to get my living with my hands as any man of my trade in England is, and you know it." But all remonstrances were in vain, he was marched off to Bradford, and there,' by order of the commissioners, put in the dungeon: the filth and blood from the shambles ran into the place, and the only accommodation afforded him there was some stinking straw, for there was not even a stone to sit on.

John Nelson had as high a spirit and as brave a heart as ever Englishman was blessed with; and he was encouraged by the good offices of many zealous friends, and the sympathy of some to whom he was a stranger. A soldier had offered to be surety for him, and an inhabitant of Bradford, though an enemy to the Methodists, had, from mere feelings of humanity, offered to give security for him if he might be allowed to lie in a bed. His friends brought him candles, and meat and water, which they put through a hole in the door, and they sang hymns till a late hour in the night, they without and he within. A poor fellow was with him in this miserable place, who might have been starved if Nelson's friends had not brought food for him also. When they lay down upon their straw, this man asked him, "Pray, sir, are all these your kinsfolk, that they love you so well? I think they are the most loving people that ever I saw in my life." At four in the morning his wife came and spake to him through the hole in the door; and John, who was now well read in his Bible, said ' that Jeremiah's lot was fallen upon him. The wife had profited well by her husband's lessons. of bewailing for him and for herself, (though she was to be left with two children, and big with another,) she said to him, "Fear not; the cause is God's for which you are here, and he will plead it himself: therefore be not concerned about me and the chil

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