had lately married in his old age a young wife, who was one of the moft artful, false, and infolent of women, and to gratify her to the utmost of his power, had not only brought her nephew into his houfe, but was ridiculously fond of him, and lavishly gratifyed all his defires. Whatever this little brute (the fon of a drunken beggar, who had been a journey-man glover) was pleased, in wantonnefs, to call for, and that his years, then fixteen, could require, my father's fortune in an inftant produced; while scarcely one of my rational demands could be anfwered. Money, cloaths, fervants, horfes, dogs, and all things he could fanfy, were given him in abundance; and to please the basest of women, and the moft cruel step-mother that ever the Devil inspired to make the fon of another woman miferable, I was denied almost every thing. The fine allowance I had at the University was taken from me. Even a horse to ride out to the neighbouring gentlemen, was refused me, tho' my father had three ftables of extraordinary cattle; and till I purchased one, was forced to walk it, where-ever I had a mind to vifit. What is ftill more incredible (if any thing of severity can be fo, when a mother-in-law is fovereign) I was not allowed to keep my horse even at grafs on the land, tho' five hundred acres of freehold eftate

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eftate furrounded the manfion, but obliged to graze it at a neighbouring farmer's. Nor was this all the hard measure I received. I was ordered by my father to become the young man's preceptor; to fpend my precious time in teaching this youngster, and in labouring to make the little defpicable dunce a fcholar. All this was more than I could bear. My life became infupportable, and I refolved to range even the wilds of Africa, if nothing better offered, rather than live a miferable flave under the cruel tyranny of those unrelenting oppreffors.

My father however, by the way, was as fine a gentleman as ever lived, a man of extraordinary understanding, and a fcholar; likewife remarkably just and good to all the world, except my felf, after I left the Univerfity and to do him all the justice in my power, and vindicate him fo far as I am able, I must not conceal, that great as the afcendant was, which my mother-in-law had over him, and as much as he was henpecked by that low woman, who had been his fervant maid, yet it was not to her only that my fufferings were owing. Religion had a hand in my mifery. Falfe religion was the fpring of that paternal refentment I fuffered under.

15. It was my father's wont to have prayers read every night and morning in his fa→

A religious

difpute with my Father,

family, and the office was the litany of the
common-prayer book. This work, on my
coming home, was transferred from my fifter
to me, and for about one week I perform-
ed to the old gentleman's fatisfaction, as my
voice was good, and my reading distinct and
clear: but this office was far from being
grateful to me, as I was become a strict
Unitarian, by the leffons I had received from
my private tutor in college, and my own
examinations of the vulgar faith. It went
against my conscience to use the tritheistic
form of prayer, and became at last fo un-
eafy to me, that I altered the prayers the
first Sunday morning, and made them more
agreeable to fcripture as I conceived. My
father at this was very highly enraged, and
his paffion arose to fo great a height, upon
my defending my confeffion, and refusing to
read the established form, that he called me
the most impious and execrable of wretches,
and with violence drove me from his pre-
fence.
Soon after however he sent me
Lord Nottingham's Letter to Mr. Whiston,
and defired I would come to him when I
had carefully read it over. I did fo, and he
asked me what I thought of the book. I
answered, that I thought it a weak piece,
and if he would hear me with patience, in
relation to that in particular, and to the cafe
in general, perhaps he might think my re-

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ligion

May 1,

my father's

ligion a little better than at prefent he fup-
pofed it to be. I will hear you, he said:
proceed. Then I immediately began, and
for a full hour repeated an apology I had
prepared (9). He did not interrupt me
once, and when I had done, all he replyed
was, I fee you are to be placed among the
incurables. Be gone, he faid, with ftern
difdain; and I refolved to obey. Indeed it
was impoffible for me to ftay, for
my father
took no farther notice of me, and my mo-
ther-in-law and the boy, did all they could
invent to render my life miferable.

15. On the first day of May then, early 1725. I left in the morning, as the clock ftruck one, I house. mounted my excellent mare, and with my boy, O'Fin, began to journey as

(9) The Reader will find this apology in the appendix to this life. By fcripture and argument, without any regard to the notions of the fathers, I there endeavour to prove, that God the Father, the beginning and câufe of all things, is One Being, infmite in fuch a manner, that his infinity is an infinity of fulness as well as immenfity; and must be not only without limits, but alfo without diverfity, defect or interruption: and of confequence, his Unity fo true and real, that it will admit of no diverfity or diftinction of perfons:- that as to the Lord Jefus Chrift, he was the fervant chofen of this tremendous God, to redeem mankind; but his holy foul fo far in perfection above Adam or any of his pofterity, and poffeffed fo much a greater fhare of the indwelling of the divine life and nature than any other creature, that he might, compared to us, with a juft figure of fpeech, be called God.

went.

I had projected, on feeing how things I did not communicate my defign to a foul, nor take my leave of any one, but in the true fpirit of adventure, abandoned my father's dwelling, and fet out to try what fortune would produce in my favor. I had the world before me, and Providence my guide. As to As to my fubftance, it confifted of a purfe of gold, that contained fifty Spanish pistoles, and half a score moidores; and I had one bank note for five hundred pounds, which my dear Miss Noel left me by her will, the morning the fickened; and it was all fhe had of her own to leave to any one. With this I fet forward, and in five days time arrived from the Western extremity of Ireland at a village called Rings-end, that lies on the Bay of Dublin. Three days I refted there, and at the Conniving-Houfe (10), and then got my horfes on board a fhip that was ready to fail, and

bound

(10) The Commiving-Houfe, (as the gentlemen of Trinity called it in my time, and long after) was a little public houfe, kept by Jack Macklean, about a quarter of a mile beyond Rings-end, on the top of the beach, within a few yards of the fea. Here we used to have the finest fish at all times; and in the feafon, green peas, and all the moft excellent vegetables. The ale here was always extraordinary, and every thing the beft; which, with its delightful fituation, rendered it a delightful place of a fummer's evening. Many a delightful evening have I paffed in this pretty thatched

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houfe