tant one, had been comely to the sight. It had not often fallen to my lot to mingle with persons of this religious persuasion, but upon the few occasions of the kind which had happened to me, a strong impression had been made upon my mind in their favour, from what I had observed of their general benevolence; and although, sometimes, I had imagined the quaintness of their manner and language to proceed from a kind of affectation, I never left them without the assurance of their unfeigned sincerity of heart and mind. I still entertain, as I have ever done, the highest regard for them; because I feel persuaded they are strictly conscientious, and that they are governed by principles unquestionably pure; and as my acquaintance with them has increased, I have been more and more inclined to fancy that in their manners, feelings, and conduct, they come nearer to the model of the primitive Christians than, perhaps, any other distinction of people. Of their religious principles, at the time I mention, I was no judge, for then I knew nothing of them, although, from the circumstance of the legislature having granted to them a privilege given to no other class of the state, in admitting their

affirmation where the oaths of others are required, I had been led to think favourably of them, and to consider this as being at once a public attestation of their high respectability, and their no less high religious character. As on former occasions of a like kind, it was now my first object to draw from my new companions all that I could, on the point of their religious faith; for, from my high opinion of their general conduct, I had imbibed a strong notion that their works of love proceeded from a correct belief. I had, indeed, occasionally heard them censured, and even ridiculed; but this I interpreted more to their advantage than prejudice, knowing from past experience, that the best persons are most frequently the objects of attack and abuse. "Obloquy," as Burke says, "is a necessary ingredient in the composition of all true glory; for it was not only in the Roman customs, but it is in the nature and constitution of things, that calumny and abuse are essential parts of triumph." As I had a book of the roads with me, I pointed out for their amusement the chief residences on either side, as they came within view, but this did not remove their reserve; indeed, they seemed very

averse from entering into conversation at all; yet, as I had a particular point to gain, I resolved to persevere. For some time my hopes were damped, and nothing but the kind looks of the fair Rachel kept them alive. At length, seeing the good man, whose name I learnt was Simon, exceedingly annoyed from the joint circumstances of the smallness of the coach, and the ultra-breadth of the rim of his beaver, causing him to lean forward and to be greatly inconvenienced, I drew from my pocket (unheedingly I confess) a cap that I had purchased the previous day, and ere I took it from the paper in which it was wrapped, mentioned my intention of offering it to him that he might sit more at his ease. He felt, I thought, inclined to profit by the offer, but the moment I exposed it, he suddenly started back, by which hasty movement the beaver was jerked off his head, and, with its vast orb, fell directly against my face. Hannah, his wife, at the same moment groaned, and the fair Rachel blushed. The fact was, that this object of abhorrence was a military foraging cap with a broad gold lace around it, and it was no sooner scornfully refused than I placed it upon my own head; in

consequence of which the Quaker, to avoid looking upon it, drew from his pocket a book, on which his attention was fixed; while that eye of Hannah, his wife, which was nearest to the object of abomination, seemed to close, but the visual organs of the fair Rachel remained open, as if bidding defiance to the danger by courageously facing it. After the latter had gazed upon this, and upon my coat, which, though ornamented with frogs and lace, was all of one sober dark-blue colour, she summoned presence of mind to ask me,

"Art thee not a man of war?"

I smiled, and replied, "I am indeed a soldier, and I have been in several engagements; yet I never carried war in my heart, although the sword has not always been useless in my hand."

"Then thou art," said Simon, "also a man of blood!" At which, holding, however, as in recollection of his former accident, his beaver with his hand, he started back a second time, while Hannah gave vent to another groan.

"What," he asked, "what were thy sensations as thee engaged the host on Aceldama? Was not thy heart filled with evil passion, and

in thy rage did thee not lead on thy Philistines, shouting like demons for victory ?"

"I can assure you," I replied, "that I had no such feelings; neither I nor those with me were in a passion or a rage; we calmly but firmly did our duty."

66

Thy duty! Duty to whom? to an earthly, frail master, not to a true and merciful God."

"Did not," I rejoined, "did not the people of God go out to battle, and slay their thousands and tens of thousands ?"

"Yea, I grant it; but the Lord of Hosts was with them, and by his special command they did so."

"And we trust," said I, "that the Lord of Hosts was our guide also, for he gave us the victory over enemies who would have swallowed you and all here up quickly, so wrathfully were they displeased at us.”

"Ye should have lived in peace and loved your enemies, and so disarmed their wrath."

"If," said I, "our enemies and the people of the surrounding nations were all of your belief, this might, perchance, have been done; but when we find so very small a proportion of