ry them now; and as, Sir, my Way of marrying them, may not be fo eafy to reconcile them to, tho it will be as effectual, even by your own Laws, fo your Way may be as well before God, and as valid among Men; I mean, by a written Contract, fign'd by both Man and Woman, and by all the Witneffes prefent, which all the Laws of Europe would decree to be valid.

I was amaz'd to fee fo much true Piety, and fo much Sincerity of Zeal, befides the unufual Impartiality in his Difcourfe, as to his own Party or Church, and fuch true Warmth for the preferving People, that he had no Knowledge of, or Relation to, I fay, for preferving them from tranfgreffing the Laws of God; the like of which I had indeed not met with any where: But recolleЯing what he had faid, of marrying them by a written Contract, which I knew would stand, too, I return'd it back upon him, and told him, I granted all that he had faid to be juft, and on his Part very kind, that I would difcourfe with the Men upon the Point now, when I came to them: And I knew no Reason why they should scruple to let him marry them all, which I knew well enough would be granted to be as authentick and valid in England, as if they were marry'd by one of our own Clergy-men: What was afterwards done in this Matter, I fhall fpeak of by itself.

I then prefs'd him to tell me what was the fecond Complaint which he had to make, acknowledging, that I was very much his Debtor for the First, and thank'd him heartily for it: He told me, he would ufe the fame Freedom and Plainnefs in the Second, and hop'd I would take it as well; and this was, that notwithstanding thefe English Subjects of

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mine, as he call'd them, had lived with thofe Women for almost feven Years, had taught them to fpeak English, and even to read it; and that they were, as he perceiv'd, Women of tolerable Underftanding, and capable of Inftruction; yet they had not to this Hour taught them any Thing of the Christian Religion, no not fo much to know that there was a God, or a Worfhip, or in what Manner God was to be ferved, or that their own Idolatry, and worshipping they knew not who, was falfe and abfurd.

This he faid was an unaccountable Neglect, and what God would certainly call them to Account for, and perhaps at laft take the Work out of their Hands: He spoke this very affectionately and warmly. I am perfuaded, Says he, had those Men liv'd in the Savage Country, whence their Wives came, the Savages would have taken more Pains to have brought them to be Idolators, and to worship the Devil, than any of thefe Men, fo far as he could fee, had taken with them to teach them the Knowledge of the true God: Now, Sir, faid he, tho' I do not acknowledge your Religion, or you mine, yet we fhould be glad to fee the Devil's Servants, and the Subjects of his Kingdom, taught to know the general Principles of the Chriftian Religion; that they might, at least, hear of God, and of a Redeemer, and of the Refurrection, and of a future State, Things which we all believe; they had at least been fo much nearer coming into the Bofom of the true Church, than they are now in the publick Profeffion of Idolatry and Devil Worship.

I could hold no longer; I took him in my Arms, and embrac'd him with an Excefs of Paffion: How

far

far, faid I to him, have I been from underftanding the most effential Part of a Chriftian! (viz.) to love the Intereft of the Chriftian Church, and the good of other Mens Souls? I fcarce have known what belongs to being a Chriftian. O, Sir, do not fay fo, reply'd he, this Thing is not your Fault. No, fays I, but why did I never lay it to Heart as well as you? 'Tis not too late yet, faid he, be not too forward to condemn your felf: But what can be done now, faid I, you fee I am going away? Will you give me Leave, faid he, to talk with thofe poor Men about it? Yes, with all my Heart, said I, and will oblige them to give Heed to what you fay too: As to that, faid he, we must leave them to the Mercy of Chrift; but 'tis our Business to affift them, encourage them, and inftruct them; and if you will give me Leave, and God his Bleffing, I do not doubt but the poor ignorant Souls fhall be brought home into the great Circle of Christianity, if not into the particular Faith that we all embrace, and that even while you ftay here: Upon this, I faid, I fhall not only give you Leave, but give you a thousand Thanks for it. What follow'd on this Account, I fhall mention alfo again in its Place.

I now prefs'd him for the third Article, in which we were to blame. Why really, fays he, it is of the fame Nature, and I will proceed, asking your Leave, with the fame Plainnefs as before; it is about your poor Savages, who are, as I may fay, your conquer'd Subjects. It is a Maxim, Sir, that is or ought to be received among all Chriftians of what Church or pretended Church foever, (viz.) The Chriftian Knowledge ought to be propogated by all poffible Means, and on all poffible Occafions: 'Tis on this Principle that our Church fends Milionaries

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into Perfia, India, and China, and that our Cler gy, even of the fuperior Sort, willingly engage in the most hazardous Voyages, and the most dangerous Refidence among Murtherers and Barbarians, to teach them the Knowledge of the true God, and to bring them over to embrace the Chriftian Faith. Now, Sir, you have fuch an Opportunity here, to have fix or seven and thirty poor Savages brought over from Idolatry to the Knowledge of God their Maker and Redeemer, that I wonder how you can pafs fuch an Occafion of doing Good, which is really worth the Expence of a Man's whole Life.

I was now ftruck dumb indeed, and had not one Word to fay. I had here a Spirit of true Chriftian Zeal for God and Religion before me, let his particular Principles be of what Kind foever; as for me, I had not fo much as entertain'd a Thought of this in my Heart before, and I believe should not have thought of it; for I look'd upon thefe Savages as Slaves, and People, who, had we had any Work for them to do, we would ha'ufed as fuch, or would ha' been glad to have tranfported them to any other Part of the World; for our Business was to get rid of them, and we would all have been fatisfy'd, if they had been fent to any Country, fo they had never seen their own: But to the Cafe, I fay I was confounded at his Difcourfe, and knew not what Answer to make him. He look'd earneftly at me, feeing me in fome Disorder; Sir, fays he, I fhall be very forry, if what I have faid gives you any Offence; No, No, Says I, I am offended with no Body but myfelf; but I am perfectly confounded, not only to think that I fhould never take any Notice of this before, but with reflecting what Notice I am

able

able to take of it now. You know, Sir, faid what Circumftances I am in, I am bound to the Eaft-Indies in a Ship freighted by Merchants, and to whom it would be an unfufferable Piece of Injuftice to detain their Ship here, the Men lying all this while at Victuals and Wages upon the Owners Account. It is true, I agreed to be allow'd 12 Days here, and if I ftay more, I muft pay 31. Sterling per Diem Demorage, nor can I itay upon Demorage above eight Days more, and I have been here 13 Days already, fo that I am perfectly unable to engage in this Work, unless I would fuffer my felf to be left behind here again, in which Cafe if this fingle Ship fhould miscarry in any Part of her Voyage, I fhould be juft in the fame Condition that I was left in here at first, and from which I have been so wonderfully delivered.

He own'd the Cafe was very hard upon me, as to my Voyage; but laid it home upon my Confcience, whether the Bleffing of faving feven and thirty Souls, was not worth my venturing all I had in the World for; I was not fo fenfible of that as he was? I return'd upon him thus, why, Sir, it is a valuable Thing indeed to be an Inftrument in God's Hand to convert feven and thirty Heathens to the Knowledge of Chrift, but as you are an Ecclefiaftic, and are given over to the Work, fo that it feems fo naturally to fall into the Way of your Profeffion; how is it, that you do not rather offer your felf to undertake it, than prefs me to it?

Upon this he fac'd about, just before me, as wewalk'd along, and putting me to a full Stop, made me a very low Bow; I moft heartily thank

God