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is the way of the women; you refused to go with him when he intreated you, and now you are as melancholy as he. I then spent a restless night; which was renewed the next day by a young woman of my acquaintance, who said, the hard shower of rain that came on in the evening made all the youngsters in Woolbrook go into a Public House together, and they had all their sweethearts but Noah, and her heart ached to see how miserable he appeared; and there was a young woman in the room who was juft mad about him, but he took no notice of her. I then determined, if ever he spoke to me any more, my resolutions were fixed never to slight him more. The Sunday after I was going to milking in my brother's ground, and met Noah; he intreated me to let him go with me to keep up the cows, but my heart was bolted in a moment. I said, my cows wanted no keeping up, neither would I accept of his company: but I had not gone twenty yards from him, before my heart denied what my trembling lips had spoken; and I thought I would give the world for his company, and made a resolution in my mind, that I would never be such a fool any more. But, the Sunday following, he put me to the like trial, by my brother's having a beautiful Pear Tree; and the young man who was with him asked me leave to let him go in and have a few pears. Noah asked me if I would give him the same liberty: I very gravely answered NO-but Richard who was with him might carry him out some, but I would not permit him to come into the orchard. Here my heart was torn again: I thought to myself, what a ftubborn creature was I, to plague myself to plague him. I then determined to be master of my stubborn heart, as I

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judged it and thought to myself he never should try in vain-neither did he: for he fixed his resolution to go to sea, but did not go. And when a young man persuaded him to go again, and told him, if he had been accepted as Noah had, he would try again, and not give it up, for he was sure I liked him. But Noah answered, I have tried often enough, and it is always the same, and all her friends are against me; and now, if I die for her sake, I'll never try more. These words cut me to the soul: yet I admired the nobleness of his spirit, and was convinced his passion was love, when he held me so strong by my hands, that hurt my hands and wrifts for many daysand said he would not let me go, before I had told my authors, who had told such lies against him. All these ponderings in my heart drew my love almost to madness, that nothing but religion could keep me in my senses. My sisters knew the ftate of my mind, and persuaded me to leave Sidmouth, and come back to Getsham to my father's. I answered, No: you may kill me, or you may drown me; but I will not leave the place where he is: I muft see him, if I cannot have him. We went to Newton Fair; and I had met with an accident that day in my eye, that I was almost blind, by what they call in Devonshire a Cuckol-button getting into it. As I was going up through the orchard, in diftraction of love, I ran my eye entirely against it, and they persuaded me not to go to the Fair; but I was determined to go, for I knew Noah would be there: but how was my heart torn, when I met him in the Fair, and he passed me by unnoticed. I then felt I could not bear myself, and desired my sifters to return home, who were laughing at me for saying, when I first

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espied him, there he is, there he is." As we were going home, we met his Brother Nathaniel Bishop. He asked me, what was the matter with my eye? I told him. He asked, if I could not cure it? I told him, No. Nathaniel answered, can't Noah cure it? I cried out, in madness, if he can, HE WONT: at which my sifters reproved me; and said, I had declared my love to his brother. I said, I did not care if I had; for I wished to awaken his passion to return again: for I had rather die with him than live without him. My sifters went home the next day, and told my father and mother the dreadful ftate I was in. My father raved in agonies; and said, my former sins are brought to my remembrance: How many women's hearts have I broken by Love! He walked the chamber, my sifter said, like a madman; crying out, now it is come home upon me: for that maid, who is the delight of my soul, is now wounded the same. In this manner my father lamented that ever he had courted a woman, and not married her, when he knew her passions of love were so ftrong for him: but, after he had broken the hearts of many women, he married his firft wife out of pity, because he saw her upon a sick bed. What I had appointed, HE, the Lord had disappointed, concerning the remainder of this hiftory. continu Lage 10. Flock of thesp

(Signed)

JOANNA SOUTHCOTT,

AND

JANE TOWNLEY.

A copy of a Letter of Mrs. Southcott's from Miss Townley to the Rev. T. P Foley.

Reverend Sir,

June, 19, 1804,

After the sufferings Mrs. Southcott went through yesterday, she was obliged to be undressed and go into bed, for in her agonies fighting with the devil, she had beat herself black and blue, and was too faint and weak to set up. She then sat up in her bed, and went on with her His tory, that she was ordered to pen, particularly as the whole was explained to her. She often felt faint with dying sweats, and told us not to be alarmed, if she fainted away. Her words made us leave our pens, and go to her bed side, and see, what a fainting state she was in. After that she recovered and grew better, and told us she must go on with her History, and begged we would stay up if it was till midnight, for she must go through that day--but many things she cut so short, that you cannot understand, till you see it made more plain before you. She was so ill, that we brought another bed in the Room to sleep on the Floor, as we could not bear to leave her. Juft at midnight as we had finished, and made up the bed on the floor for ourselves, as we could not bear to return and leave her that night alone by herself-She came out of the Bed, and said she would lay on the floor herself, and we should sleep in her bed. Soon after she laid on the floor, all the rage and horror of hell broke in upon her, and the devil told her, she should see her midnight hour now; for he would burst in and tear her to pieces-but

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knowing the Lord would not permit him, in ago nies she lay in prayer, begging the Lord would be pleased to shew His Loving Kindness to her again, for the horrors of hell were more than she could bear. We were witnesses to her sufferings and agonies and kneeled down to prayer. She then desired Underwood to go and bring ber that Communication which was given on Sunday morning concerning David-While Underwood was reading it in a voice not her own, but seemed like a mild sweet voice of an Angel in a singing Tone, which she said she could not read it any other way. The devil then said to Joanna "curse the words"-Joanna threw herself in a Passion with the devil, and prayed the Lord to deliver her from him.. Then she called for her Bible, and opened to the 52 chapter of Isaiah, and found Joy and Comfort break in upon her from the 6 verse. "Therefore My people shall know My Name-therefore they shall know in that Day, that I AM HE that doth speak, behold it is I"Here her chains began to burst. She then opened again to the 12 chapter of Ecclesiasticus, the 12, and 13, verses struck forcibly upon her. Who will pity a Charmer, "that is bitten with a Serpent, or any Such as come nigh wild Beasts." The latter close of the 18, "lest he seek to take thy seat, and thou at the last "remember my Words, and be pricked there"with." These words were forcibly answered her. -"That none would pity her, if she gave the Serpent room to sting her:-if she gave up her Faith; as he had been tempting her for that ་་ serpent alluded to the devil; and their Bibles men did not understand. For every man of feeling would pity another, that was stung by "a natural serpent, or fall in the way of wild

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