was not large, and it was much disturbed by a wicked drunken man, while I was fpeaking; with whom, being a litigious lawyer, the town's people were afraid to meddle, left he should have an action against them: fo I was obliged to bear it, and the meeting concluded with lefs folemnity than I could have wifhed. I obferved a ferious looking woman in the meeting, and thought if the afked me to her house I should go; which fhe did, and in the evening I went, accompanied by my companion. We found both herself and her husband under à religious exercife; and feveral things were opened in me to fpeak to them, which were well received, and I left them in a good degree of peace; believing that the feafoning virtue of Truth had been felt in our converfation. There was no meeting of Friends in this town, and we lodged at an inn.

The 13th, in the morning, we crossed a ferry, eight miles over. The weather was extremely cold, which affected Rebecca Tombs much. The froft was fo hard, that the water in the found we had croffed was frozen fome distance from the fhore on each fide, but we got through it fafe. We rode about twenty-five miles, lodged at a mean inn; and next morning early we fet out for Bath Town. When we had rode about feven miles, I had a fall from my horse, occafioned by the horfe's starting at a bird flying out of a tree. I fell over the faddle, en my right arm, and the ground being very hard from

F4

from the froft, it was much hurt; but I esteemed it a great favour that the bone was not broken. When we came to the next inn, my companion procured fome wormwood with vinegar, and bound it round my arm; and we proceeded to Bath Town, though my arm gave me much pain.

I had fome thoughts of croffing the ferry here, which is four miles over, and fo proceeding to Newbern; but having received this hurt, and the wind being contrary, I became inclined to have a meeting here the next day. Juft as we alighted at the inn, a refpectable looking man, who I afterwards found was an attorney, and lived about two miles out of town, came in; to whom I found freedom to impart our defire of having a meeting, and to confult him about a proper place to hold it in. He appeared well pleased with the propa. fition, and we concluded to hold it in the morning in the court-houfe, if the weather were warm enough to admit of the people's fitting there; if not, our landlord gave us the liberty of a room in his house. I had much pain from my arm this afternoon; but fomenting it as before, it became easier towards evening. Our meeting was attended next day by a pretty many people, moft of whom behaved with fobriety; but the life of religion was fcarcely fo much as known by many of them; yet the Lord was pleased to open many gofpel truths to them; which were delivered under a feeling sense of their low ignorant ftate, and I truft had their fer

vice. After this meeting, as I was returning to my inn, my mind feemed drawn to return back to my companion Mary Peifley; and when I came to the inn, I found Rebecca Tombs, who had got thither before me, seized with an ague; which brought a heavy weight of exercise on my fpirit, and I foon became apprehenfive of her being removed by death. The fame evening alfo one of the young men who came with us, was taken ill in the fame way, and I was myself very poorly with a cold, which affected my head and throat. Next day Rebecca Tombs's indifpofition increased, and I be came very thoughtful whether I had best endeavour to remove her homewards, or continue her at Bath Town. There appeared to me danger of my incur. ring cenfure from her relations, in acting either way. I therefore concluded it beft to refer it to Provi dence, and fee what turn it would take in her own mind. In the afternoon fhe difcovered a defire to be removed, and I found moft eafe of mind in acting accordingly.

my

I met in this town, to my furprise, with a young woman who was daughter to a principal tradefman of the neighbourhood of Dudley. She had been fchool-fellow. Her husband, whom the married in England, kept a store in this place. They feeing our afflicted fituation, readily furnished us with a chaise for our return; fo we prepared for going, and the attorney before-mentioned generously lent us a horse, and a negro-man to bring it back. He

was

was at our inn in the evening. I went to him, and acknowledged his civility and kindness to us; and before we parted, we fell into a religious converfa tion, which I hoped might have its fervice. Séveral perfons were prefent, one of them the fheriff of the county, who had fome fhare in the difcourfe and offered his house to have a meeting in. The attorney spoke with great moderation, and made confiderable conceffions refpecting the ceremonial part of religion, and seemed pleased with the information I gave him of the principles and discipline of Friends; which I was remarkably opened to give fome account of, and we parted friendly. I

After he got home, he fent me fome wine to affift the friend in our journey (which neceffity made an acceptable prefent, as we could buy none that was good in town), with a letter to request that, if I faid longer in the country than I expected, I would come to his houfe; which I took kindly, and fuitably acknowledged his civility. I juft add respecting Bath Town, that the man of the inn, though he behaved civilly to us, appeared to be of a dark ferocious difpofition. One night a poor negro girl fell asleep at the top of the stairs, near our chamber door, and he seeing her there kicked her down them. The poor girl cried out, she was wounded by the

but I did not hear that fall. Indeed darkness feemed to furround us in this

house.

The

The 17th, being the First-day of the week, we set forward in the chaife, and got eighteen miles on our way and lodged at the fame house of entertainment as we did when we came down; where we had very poor accommodation. My friend was greatly fatigued, fhe grew much worse that night, and next morning the young man that was unwell went to acquaint her husband with her indifpofition; but the Almighty did not fee fit to continue her in pain till her husband came to her. Her pain was indeed extreme, and foon effected the end for which it was designed; for the 20th in the morning, the quietly expired. From near the firft of her being taken ill, she had a sense that it would end in death, and was enabled to refign herself and her near connexions into the hands of Providence. She defired me to pen fome memorandums of love and advice, to her husband, children, and relations; and then faid, she had nothing to do but to die. She several times expreffed her fatisfaction in having a clear confcience, and I was convinced of her fpirit's centering in everlasting blessedness. About twenty-four hours before the departed, I was concerned to fupplicate the Almighty on her behalf, that he might be pleafed to mitigate her pain, and grant her spirit an easy paffage out of its afflicted tabernacle: for which fhe expreffed thankfulness; and in a fhort time her pain gradually abated, and her death was remarkably eafy. Her diforder appeared to be pleuretic. We got her

bled,