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esteemed among men is little worth in the eyes of God; "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him. For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart," 1 Sam. xvi. 7. But perhaps I shall give offence in what I have said respecting beauty; however, I can call in a woman that had both grace and beauty on her side, who will perfectly agree with me in sentiment" Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands [of faith] and let her own labours [of love] praise her in the gates" [of judgment at the general doom,] Prov. xxxi. 30, 31. I beg my reader's pardon for wandering out of the path of this narrative; but I find it is hard to my feet to keep constantly in it, therefore I am glad now and then to take a turn in the green pastures.

I continued about the space of one year at this perplexing, but delightful, courtship, which I call a scene of pleasing misery. I found a most warm and stable affection to her, and a great desire of making her my own; but was often racked with the fear of disappointment, as every thing conspired to forbid the banns. After living about a year and an half in this lingering happiness, a door seemed to open for me to learn a trade. I had left my place, and a brother-inlaw of mine promised to teach me his business,

which was gun-making. I was glad to accept the offer, and soon went to him. I endeavoured to learn the business as much as possible, and expected in a short time to be both the tradesman and the husband. Now and then I went to Frittenden for an afternoon's walk, which was almost thirty miles; but that was like Jacob's apprenticeship, very short. However, matters turned out badly here; my brother drank hard, neglected his business, and his affairs got very bad; and, before I had been with him many months, I saw that he could not go on. I left him; and he ran away, and left my sister to shift

for herself. I was now as far from wedlock as ever. Cutting disappointments and empty enjoyments are all the blasted harvest that poor mortals reap who sow to the flesh, and expect a pleasing crop from that corrupted soil.

I was now worse off than ever. My clothes were bad, so that I was not fit for servitude; nor had I learned enough to get my bread at the business; and, as for my endeavouring to save money for clothes at day-labour under farmers in the Weald of Kent, it is like fetching a penny at a time out of Pharaoh's brick-kilns, where a double task must be performed, and no materials allowed. I was for some time out of employ; and my intended father and mother-in-law began to look very cold on their hopeless son, and, I believe, secretly wished to disengage the affec

tions of their daughter from me:-and I don't wonder at it, for I met with nothing but disappointments, and I was as whimsical as an Arminian prophet, and as wild as an ass's colt. After a time I went as pitman to a sawyer; at which I laboured hard, and got myself tolerably decent in clothes; but in process of time this job failed, and my partner in labour had no further call for me. I then heard of a gentleman belonging to the navy, who resided at Rolvenden in Kent, and wanted a servant to drive his carriage: so I engaged in his service; and, when I told my spouse's friends of it, they seemed glad, and had some hope that my absence, and the distance of the place, would be the means of breaking off the courtship. Several people had dropt hints to dissuade them from countenancing me in my addresses to their daughter; as she was one that might do far better for herself than giving her company to me, from whom nothing but poverty could be expected. This was related to me by the girl's parents, attended with some hints that I was not to come there again. I well understood them; but they were very genteel in the matter, for they found the girl's affections closely fixt. I was afterwards informed the reason of this-that a certain man, who had a house at Maidstone, and travelled the country with cloth, had taken a fancy to my intended: and, as there was no expectation from

me, they resolved to encourage him; which, if possible, I was determined to prevent. However, that sin did not go unpunished; for God has sorely afflicted me for it since.

When the day arrived for me to go to my servitude, I called to see my girl, and got her to go two or three miles with me. I thought, while on the road, that she would never be a wife of mine; and questioned whether I should ever see her again; and I could not help telling her this. However, she vowed constancy; but I doubted it; as I saw the countenance of her parents was not towards me, as before: and she dropt some hints to confirm it, and declared she would never comply with their request, in giving her company to another. I had at that time courted her about three years; and, when I took my leave of her, I left her with a heavy heart, and a heavy heart I carried with me; and it was a final leave that I had taken; for I never saw her again, from that hour to this.

When I came to my place I was much dejected and cast down; but, having three cheerful young women for my fellow-servants, it had a tendency to drive her, at times, out of my thoughts. I sent her a letter, desiring her to come and meet me on an appointed road: but, when I went, I found her not; but was afterwards informed that she came, and her father with her, but they mistook the road. I sent

two or three letters more; but I received no answer; and was afterwards informed that her father had broke them open, and withheld them from her.

When I found this, I endeavoured to engage the affections of another; in order to eradicate, if possible, the first from my mind; and at times I thought I had done it; then I was like a bird let out of a cage. But, after all my struggles, the present damsel could never capture my affections like the other: the first would be the uppermost; and the more I strove against love, the more it preyed on my spirits; and I laboured under that burden for many years.

After I had been about eleven months in that place, I one night had a dream; and behold I dreamed that three men pursued me, and, though I was the swiftest of foot, yet I stumbled and fell, and they caught me. I awoke; and behold it was a dream! I knew the men I had dreamed about, and that one of them was High Constable. However, I could not conjecture what the dream could mean; I therefore composed myself again, and fell into a deep sleep, and had the same dream as before—I fell, and was caught. I awoke a second time, and behold it was a dream! My mind being much agitated, I arose about four o'clock in the morning, it being summer time; and as soon as I had opened the door, I saw the persons standing at it. They informed me of