{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_15042/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_15042","id":"gutenberg_15042","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15042","summary":null,"tags":["Africa","Autobiographies","Category: Biographies","Category: History - Modern (1750+)","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Christian biography","Gronniosaw, James Albert Ukawsaw"],"text":"Produced by Suzanne Shell, Charles Aldarondo and the PG Online\nDistributed Proofreading Team.\n\n\n\n\n\nA\n\nNARRATIVE\n\nOF THE\n\nMOST REMARKABLE PARTICULARS\n\nIN THE LIFE OF\n\nJAMES ALBERT UKAWSAW GRONNIOSAW,\n\nAN AFRICAN PRINCE,\n\nAs related by HIMSELF.\n\n     _I will bring the Blind by a Way that they know not, I will lead\n     them in Paths that they have not known: I will make Darkness Light\n     before them and crooked Things straight. These Things will I do\n     unto them and not forsake them._ Isa. xlii. 16.\n\n\nBATH:\n\nPrinted by W. GYE in Westgate-Street; and sold by T. MILLS,\n\nBookseller, in King's-Mead-Square.\n\nPrice Six-Pence.\n\n1772\n\n\nTO THE\n\nRIGHT HONOURABLE\n\nThe _Countess_ of Huntingdon;\n\nTHIS\n\nNARRATIVE\n\nOf my _LIFE_,\n\nAnd of God's wonderful Dealings with me, is,\n\n(_Through Her LADYSHIP'S Permission_)\n\n_Most Humbly Dedicated,\n\nBy her LADYSHIP'S\n\nMost obliged\n\nAnd obedient Servant,_\n\nJAMES ALBERT.\n\n\n\n\nTHE PREFACE to the READER.\n\n\nThis Account of the Life and spiritual Experience of James Albert was\ntaken from his own Mouth and committed to Paper by the elegant Pen of a\nyoung Lady of the Town of Leominster, for her own private Satisfaction,\nand without any Intention at first that it should be made public. But\nshe has now been prevail'd on to commit it to the Press, both with a\nview to serve Albert and his distressed Family, who have the sole\nProfits arising from the Sale of it; and likewise as it is apprehended,\nthis little History contains Matter well worthy the Notice and Attention\nof every Christian Reader.\n\nPerhaps we have here in some Degree a Solution of that Question that has\nperplex'd the Minds of so many serious Persons, viz. In what Manner will\nGod deal with those benighted Parts of the World where the Gospel of\nJesus Christ hath never reach'd? Now it appears from the Experience of\nthis remarkable Person, that God does not save without the Knowledge of\nthe Truth; but, with Respect to those whom he hath fore-known, though\nborn under every outward Disadvantage, and in Regions of the grossest\nDarkness and Ignorance, he most amazingly acts upon and influences their\nMinds, and in the Course of wisely and most wonderfully appointed\nProvidences, he brings them to the Means of spiritual Information,\ngradually opens to their View the Light of his Truth, and gives them\nfull Possession and Enjoyment of the inestimable Blessings of his\nGospel. Who can doubt but that the Suggestion so forcibly press'd upon\nthe Mind of Albert (when a Boy) that there was a Being superior to the\nSun, Moon, and Stars (the Objects of African Idolatry) came from the\nFather of Lights, and was, with Respect to him, the First-Fruit of the\nDisplay of Gospel-Glory? His long and perilous Journey to the Coast of\nGuinea, where he was sold for a Slave, and so brought into a Christian\nLand; shall we consider this as the alone Effect of a curious and\ninquisitive Disposition? Shall we in accounting for it refer to nothing\nhigher than mere Chance and accidental Circumstances? Whatever Infidels\nand Deists may think; I trust the Christian Reader will easily discern\nan All-wise and Omnipotent Appointment and Direction in these Movements.\nHe belong'd to the Redeemer of lost Sinners; he was the Purchase of his\nCross; and therefore the Lord undertook to bring him by a Way that he\nknew not, out of Darkness into his marvellous Light, that he might lead\nhim to a saving Heart-Acquaintance and Union with the triune God in\nChrist reconciling the World unto himself; and not imputing their\nTrespasses. As his Call was very extraordinary, so there are certain\nParticulars exceedingly remarkable in his Experience. God has put\nsingular Honour upon him in the Exercise of his Faith and Patience,\nwhich in the most distressing and pitiable Trials and Calamities have\nbeen found to the Praise and Glory of God. How deeply must it affect a\ntender Heart, not only to be reduc'd to the last Extremity himself, but\nto have his Wife and Children perishing for Want before his Eyes! Yet\nhis Faith did not fail him; he put his Trust in the Lord, and he was\ndelivered. And at this Instant, though born in an exalted Station of\nLife, and now under the Pressure of various afflicting Providences, I am\npersuaded (for I know the Man) he would rather embrace the Dung-hill,\nhaving Christ in his Heart, than give up his spiritual Possessions and\nEnjoyment, to fill the Throne of Princes. It perhaps may not be amiss to\nobserve that James Albert left his native Country, (as near as I can\nguess from certain Circumstances) when he was about 15 Years old. He now\nappears to be turn'd of Sixty; has a good natural Understanding; is well\nacquainted with the Scriptures, and the Things of God, has an amiable\nand tender Disposition, and his Character can be well attested not only\nat Kidderminster, the Place of his Residence but likewise by many\ncreditable Persons in London and other Places. Reader, recommending this\nNarrative to your perusal, and him who is the Subject of it to your\ncharitable Regard,\n\nI am your faithful and obedient Servant,\n\nFor Christ's Sake,\n\nW. Shirley.\n\n\n\n\nAN\n\nACCOUNT\n\nOF\n\nJAMES ALBERT, &c.\n\n\nI was born in the city Bournou; my mother was the eldest daughter of the\nreigning King there, of which Bournou is the chief city. I was the\nyoungest of six children, and particularly loved by my mother, and my\ngrand-father almost doated on me.\n\nI had, from my infancy, a curious turn of mind; was more grave and\nreserved in my disposition than either of my brothers and sisters. I\noften teazed them with questions they could not answer: for which reason\nthey disliked me, as they supposed that I was either foolish, or insane.\n'Twas certain that I was, at times, very unhappy in myself: it being\nstrongly impressed on my mind that there was some Great Man of power\nwhich resided above the sun, moon and stars, the objects of our worship.\nMy dear indulgent mother would bear more with me than any of my friends\nbeside.--I often raised my hand to heaven, and asked her who lived\nthere? was much dissatisfied when she told me the sun, moon and stars,\nbeing persuaded, in my own mind, that there must be some Superior\nPower.--I was frequently lost in wonder at the works of the Creation:\nwas afraid and uneasy and restless, but could not tell for what. I\nwanted to be informed of things that no person could tell me; and was\nalways dissatisfied.--These wonderful impressions begun in my childhood,\nand followed me continually 'till I left my parents, which affords me\nmatter of admiration and thankfulness.\n\nTo this moment I grew more and more uneasy every day, in so much that\none saturday, (which is the day on which we keep our sabbath) I laboured\nunder anxieties and fears that cannot be expressed; and, what is more\nextraordinary, I could not give a reason for it.--I rose, as our custom\nis, about three o'clock, (as we are oblig'd to be at our place of\nworship an hour before the sun rise) we say nothing in our worship, but\ncontinue on our knees with our hands held up, observing a strict silence\n'till the sun is at a certain height, which I suppose to be about 10 or\n11 o'clock in England: when, at a certain sign made by the priest, we\nget up (our duty being over) and disperse to our different houses.--Our\nplace of meeting is under a large palm tree; we divide ourselves into\nmany congregations; as it is impossible for the same tree to cover the\ninhabitants of the whole City, though they are extremely large, high and\nmajestic; the beauty and usefulness of them are not to be described;\nthey supply the inhabitants of the country with meat, drink and\nclothes;[A] the body of the palm tree is very large; at a certain season\nof the year they tap it, and bring vessels to receive the wine, of which\nthey draw great quantities, the quality of which is very delicious: the\nleaves of this tree are of a silky nature; they are large and soft; when\nthey are dried and pulled to pieces it has much the same appearance as\nthe English flax, and the inhabitants of Bournou manufacture it for\ncloathing &c. This tree likewise produces a plant or substance which has\nthe appearance of a cabbage, and very like it, in taste almost the same:\nit grows between the branches. Also the palm tree produces a nut,\nsomething like a cocoa, which contains a kernel, in which is a large\nquantity of milk, very pleasant to the taste: the shell is of a hard\nsubstance, and of a very beautiful appearance, and serves for basons,\nbowls, &c.\n\n[Footnote A: It is a generally received opinion, in _England_, that the\nnatives of _Africa_ go entirely unclothed; but this supposition is very\nunjust: they have a kind of dress so as to appear decent, though it is\nvery slight and thin.]\n\nI hope this digression will be forgiven.--I was going to observe that\nafter the duty of our Sabbath was over (on the day in which I was more\ndistressed and afflicted than ever) we were all on our way home as\nusual, when a remarkable black cloud arose and covered the sun; then\nfollowed very heavy rain and thunder more dreadful than ever I had\nheard: the heav'ns roared, and the earth trembled at it: I was highly\naffected and cast down; in so much that I wept sadly, and could not\nfollow my relations and friends home.--I was obliged to stop and felt\nas if my legs were tied, they seemed to shake under me: so I stood\nstill, being in great fear of the Man of Power that I was persuaded in\nmyself, lived above. One of my young companions (who entertained a\nparticular friendship for me and I for him) came back to see for me: he\nasked me why I stood still in such very hard rain? I only said to him\nthat my legs were weak, and I could not come faster: he was much\naffected to see me cry, and took me by the hand, and said he would lead\nme home, which he did. My mother was greatly alarmed at my tarrying out\nin such terrible weather; she asked me many questions, such as what I\ndid so for, and if I was well? My dear mother says I, pray tell me who\nis the great Man of Power that makes the thunder? She said, there was no\npower but the sun, moon and stars; that they made all our country.--I\nthen enquired how all our people came? She answered me, from one\nanother; and so carried me to many generations back.--Then says I, who\nmade the _First Man_? and who made the first Cow, and the first Lyon,\nand where does the fly come from, as no one can make him? My mother\nseemed in great trouble; she was apprehensive that my senses were\nimpaired, or that I was foolish. My father came in, and seeing her in\ngrief asked the cause, but when she related our conversation to him, he\nwas exceedingly angry with me, and told me he would punish me severely\nif ever I was so troublesome again; so that I resolved never to say any\nthing more to him. But I grew very unhappy in myself; my relations and\nacquaintance endeavoured by all the means they could think on, to divert\nme, by taking me to ride upon goats, (which is much the custom of our\ncountry) and to shoot with a bow and arrow; but I experienced no\nsatisfaction at all in any of these things; nor could I be easy by any\nmeans whatever: my parents were very unhappy to see me so dejected and\nmelancholy.\n\nAbout this time there came a merchant from the _Gold Coast_ (the third\ncity in Guinea) he traded with the inhabitants of our country in ivory\n&c. he took great notice of my unhappy situation, and enquired into the\ncause; he expressed vast concern for me, and said, if my parents would\npart with me for a little while, and let him take me home with him, it\nwould be of more service to me than any thing they could do for me.--He\ntold me that if I would go with him I should see houses with wings to\nthem walk upon the water, and should also see the white folks; and that\nhe had many sons of my age, which should be my companions; and he added\nto all this that he would bring me safe back again soon.--I was highly\npleased with the account of this strange place, and was very desirous of\ngoing.--I seemed sensible of a secret impulse upon my mind which I could\nnot resist that seemed to tell me I must go. When my dear mother saw\nthat I was willing to leave them, she spoke to my father and grandfather\nand the rest of my relations, who all agreed that I should accompany the\nmerchant to the Gold Coast. I was the more willing as my brothers and\nsisters despised me, and looked on me with contempt on the account of my\nunhappy disposition; and even my servants slighted me, and disregarded\nall I said to them. I had one sister who was always exceeding fond of\nme, and I loved her entirely; her name was Logwy, she was quite white,\nand fair, with fine light hair though my father and mother were\nblack.--I was truly concerned to leave my beloved sister, and she cry'd\nmost sadly to part with me, wringing her hands, and discovered every\nsign of grief that can be imagined. Indeed if I could have known when I\nleft my friends and country that I should never return to them again my\nmisery on that occasion would have been inexpressible. All my relations\nwere sorry to part with me; my dear mother came with me upon a camel\nmore than three hundred miles, the first of our journey lay chiefly\nthrough woods: at night we secured ourselves from the wild beasts by\nmaking fires all around us; we and our camels kept within the circle, or\nwe must have been torn to pieces by the Lyons, and other wild creatures,\nthat roared terribly as soon as night came on, and continued to do so\n'till morning.--There can be little said in favour of the country\nthrough which we passed; only a valley of marble that we came through\nwhich is unspeakably beautiful.--On each side of this valley are\nexceedingly high and almost inaccessible mountains--Some of these pieces\nof marble are of prodigious length and breadth but of different sizes\nand colour, and shaped in a variety of forms, in a wonderful manner.--It\nis most of it veined with gold mixed with striking and beautiful\ncolours; so that when the sun darts upon it, it is as pleasing a sight\nas can be imagined.--The merchant that brought me from Bournou, was in\npartnership with another gentleman who accompanied us; he was very\nunwilling that he should take me from home, as, he said, he foresaw many\ndifficulties that would attend my going with them.--He endeavoured to\nprevail on the merchant to throw me into a very deep pit that was in the\nvalley, but he refused to listen to him, and said, he was resolved to\ntake care of me: but the other was greatly dissatisfied; and when we\ncame to a river, which we were obliged to pass through, he purpos'd\nthrowing me in and drowning me; but the Merchant would not consent to\nit, so that I was preserv'd.\n\nWe travel'd 'till about four o'clock every day, and then began to make\npreparations for night, by cutting down large quantities of wood, to\nmake fires to preserve us from the wild beasts.--I had a very unhappy\nand discontented journey, being in continual fear that the people I was\nwith would murder me. I often reflected with extreme regret on the kind\nfriends I had left, and the idea of my dear mother frequently drew tears\nfrom my eyes.--I cannot recollect how long we were in going from Bournou\nto the Gold Coast; but as there is no shipping nearer to Bournou than\nthat City, it was tedious in travelling so far by land, being upwards of\na thousand miles.--I was heartily rejoic'd when we arriv'd at the end of\nour journey: I now vainly imagin'd that all my troubles and inquietudes\nwould terminate here; but could I have looked into futurity, I should\nhave perceiv'd that I had much more to suffer than I had before\nexperienc'd, and that they had as yet but barely commenc'd.\n\nI was now more than a thousand miles from home, without a friend or any\nmeans to procure one. Soon after I came to the merchant's house I heard\nthe drums beat remarkably loud, and the trumpets blow--the persons\naccustom'd to this employ, are oblig'd to go upon a very high structure\nappointed for that purpose, that the sound might be heard at a great\ndistance: They are higher than the steeples are in England. I was\nmightily pleas'd with sounds so entirely new to me, and was very\ninquisitive to know the cause of this rejoicing, and ask'd many\nquestions concerning it: I was answer'd that it was meant as a\ncompliment to me, because I was Grandson to the King of Bournou.\n\nThis account gave me a secret pleasure; but I was not suffer'd long to\nenjoy this satisfaction, for in the evening of the same day, two of the\nmerchant's sons (boys about my own age) came running to me, and told me,\nthat the next day I was to die, for the King intended to behead me.--I\nreply'd that I was sure it could not be true, for that I came there to\nplay with them, and to see houses walk upon the water with wings to\nthem, and the white folks; but I was soon inform'd that their King\nimagined that I was sent by my father as a spy, and would make such\ndiscoveries at my return home that would enable them to make war with\nthe greater advantage to ourselves; and for these reasons he had\nresolved I should never return to my native country.--When I heard this\nI suffered misery that cannot be described.--I wished a thousand times\nthat I had never left my friends and country.--But still the Almighty\nwas pleased to work miracles for me.\n\nThe morning I was to die, I was washed and all my gold ornaments made\nbright and shining, and then carried to the palace, where the King was\nto behead me himself (as is the custom of the place).--He was seated\nupon a throne at the top of an exceeding large yard, or court, which you\nmust go through to enter the palace, it is as wide and spacious as a\nlarge field in England.--I had a lane of lifeguards to go through.--I\nguessed it to be about three hundred paces.\n\nI was conducted by my friend, the merchant, about half way up; then he\ndurst proceed no further: I went up to the King alone--I went with an\nundaunted courage, and it pleased God to melt the heart of the King, who\nsat with his scymitar in his hand ready to behead me; yet, being himself\nso affected, he dropped it out of his hand, and took me upon his knee\nand wept over me. I put my right hand round his neck, and prest him to\nmy heart.--He sat me down and blest me; and added that he would not kill\nme, and that I should not go home, but be sold, for a slave, so then I\nwas conducted back again to the merchant's house.\n\nThe next day he took me on board a French brig; but the Captain did not\nchuse to buy me: he said I was too small; so the merchant took me home\nwith him again.\n\nThe partner, whom I have spoken of as my enemy, was very angry to see me\nreturn, and again purposed putting an end to my life; for he represented\nto the other, that I should bring them into troubles and difficulties,\nand that I was so little that no person would buy me.\n\nThe merchant's resolution began to waver, and I was indeed afraid that I\nshould be put to death: but however he said he would try me once more.\n\nA few days after a Dutch ship came into the harbour, and they carried me\non board, in hopes that the Captain would purchase me.--As they went, I\nheard them agree, that, if they could not sell me _then_, they would\nthrow me overboard.--I was in extreme agonies when I heard this; and as\nsoon as ever I saw the Dutch Captain, I ran to him, and put my arms\nround him, and said, \"father, save me.\" (for I knew that if he did not\nbuy me, I should be treated very ill, or, possibly, murdered) And though\nhe did not understand my language, yet it pleased the Almighty to\ninfluence him in my behalf, and he bought me _for two yards of check_,\nwhich is of more value _there_, than in England.\n\nWhen I left my dear mother I had a large quantity of gold about me, as\nis the custom of our country, it was made into rings, and they were\nlinked into one another, and formed into a kind of chain, and so put\nround my neck, and arms and legs, and a large piece hanging at one ear\nalmost in the shape of a pear. I found all this troublesome, and was\nglad when my new Master took it from me--I was now washed, and clothed\nin the Dutch or English manner.--My master grew very fond of me, and I\nloved him exceedingly. I watched every look, was always ready when he\nwanted me, and endeavoured to convince him, by every action, that my\nonly pleasure was to serve him well.--I have since thought that he must\nhave been a serious man. His actions corresponded very well with such a\ncharacter.--He used to read prayers in public to the ship's crew every\nSabbath day; and when first I saw him read, I was never so surprised in\nmy whole life as when I saw the book talk to my master; for I thought it\ndid, as I observed him to look upon it, and move his lips.--I wished it\nwould do so to me.--As soon as my master had done reading I follow'd\nhim to the place where he put the book, being mightily delighted with\nit, and when nobody saw me, I open'd it and put my ear down close upon\nit, in great hope that it wou'd say something to me; but was very sorry\nand greatly disappointed when I found it would not speak, this thought\nimmediately presented itself to me, that every body and every thing\ndespis'd me because I was black.\n\nI was exceedingly sea-sick at first; but when I became more accustom'd\nto the sea, it wore off.--My master's ship was bound for Barbadoes. When\nwe came there, he thought fit to speak of me to several gentlemen of his\nacquaintance, and one of them exprest a particular desire to see me.--He\nhad a great mind to buy me; but the Captain could not immediately be\nprevail'd on to part with me; but however, as the gentleman seem'd very\nsolicitous, he at length let me go, and I was sold for fifty dollars\n(_four and sixpenny-pieces in English_). My new master's name was\nVanhorn, a young Gentleman; his home was in New-England in the City of\nNew-York; to which place he took me with him. He dress'd me in his\nlivery, and was very good to me. My chief business was to wait at table,\nand tea, and clean knives, and I had a very easy place; but the servants\nus'd to curse and swear surprizingly; which I learnt faster than any\nthing, 'twas almost the first English I could speak. If any of them\naffronted me, I was sure to call upon God to damn them immediately; but\nI was broke of it all at once, occasioned by the correction of an old\nblack servant that liv'd in the family--One day I had just clean'd the\nknives for dinner, when one of the maids took one to cut bread and\nbutter with; I was very angry with her, and called upon God to damn her;\nwhen this old black man told me I must not say so. I ask'd him why? He\nreplied there was a wicked man call'd the Devil, that liv'd in hell, and\nwould take all that said these words, and put them in the fire and burn\nthem.--This terrified me greatly, and I was entirely broke of\nswearing.--Soon after this, as I was placing the china for tea, my\nmistress came into the room just as the maid had been cleaning it; the\ngirl had unfortunately sprinkled the wainscot with the mop; at which my\nmistress was angry; the girl very foolishly answer'd her again, which\nmade her worse, and she call'd upon God to damn her.--I was vastly\nconcern'd to hear this, as she was a fine young lady, and very good to\nme, insomuch that I could not help speaking to her, \"Madam, says I, you\nmust not say so,\" Why, says she? Because there is a black man call'd the\nDevil that lives in hell, and he will put you in the fire and burn you,\nand I shall be very sorry for that. Who told you this replied my lady?\nOld Ned, says I. Very well was all her answer; but she told my master of\nit, and he order'd that old Ned should be tyed up and whipp'd, and was\nnever suffer'd to come into the kitchen with the rest of the servants\nafterwards.--My mistress was not angry with me, but rather diverted with\nmy simplicity and, by way of talk, She repeated what I had said, to many\nof her acquaintance that visited her; among the rest, Mr. Freelandhouse,\na very gracious, good Minister, heard it, and he took a great deal of\nnotice of me, and desired my master to part with me to him. He would not\nhear of it at first, but, being greatly persuaded, he let me go, and Mr.\nFreelandhouse gave L50. for me.--He took me home with him, and made me\nkneel down, and put my two hands together, and pray'd for me, and every\nnight and morning he did the same.--I could not make out what it was\nfor, nor the meaning of it, nor what they spoke to when they talk'd--I\nthought it comical, but I lik'd it very well.--After I had been a little\nwhile with my new master I grew more familiar, and ask'd him the meaning\nof prayer: (I could hardly speak english to be understood) he took great\npains with me, and made me understand that he pray'd to God, who liv'd\nin Heaven; that He was my Father and best Friend.--I told him that this\nmust be a mistake; that _my_ father liv'd at Bournou, and I wanted very\nmuch to see him, and likewise my dear mother, and sister, and I wish'd\nhe would be so good as to send me home to them; and I added, all I could\nthink of to induce him to convey me back. I appeared in great trouble,\nand my good master was so much affected that the tears ran down his\nface. He told me that God was a Great and Good Spirit, that He created\nall the world, and every person and thing in it, in Ethiopia, Africa,\nand America, and every where. I was delighted when I heard this: There,\nsays I, I always thought so when I liv'd at home! Now if I had wings\nlike an Eagle I would fly to tell my dear mother that God is greater\nthan the sun, moon, and stars; and that they were made by Him.\n\nI was exceedingly pleas'd with this information of my master's, because\nit corresponded so well with my own opinion; I thought now if I could\nbut get home, I should be wiser than all my country-folks, my\ngrandfather, or father, or mother, or any of them--But though I was\nsomewhat enlighten'd by this information of my master's, yet, I had no\nother knowledge of God but that He was a Good Spirit, and created every\nbody, and every thing--I never was sensible in myself, nor had any one\never told me, that He would punish the wicked, and love the just. I was\nonly glad that I had been told there was a God because I had always\nthought so.\n\nMy dear kind master grew very fond of me, as was his Lady; she put me to\nSchool, but I was uneasy at that, and did not like to go; but my master\nand mistress requested me to learn in the gentlest terms, and persuaded\nme to attend my school without any anger at all; that, at last, I came\nto like it better, and learnt to read pretty well. My schoolmaster was a\ngood man, his name was Vanosdore, and very indulgent to me.--I was in\nthis state when, one Sunday, I heard my master preach from these words\nout of the Revelations, chap. i. v. 7. _\"Behold, He cometh in the clouds\nand every eye shall see him and they that pierc'd Him.\"_ These words\naffected me excessively; I was in great agonies because I thought my\nmaster directed them to me only; and, I fancied, that he observ'd me\nwith unusual earnestness--I was farther confirm'd in this belief as I\nlook'd round the church, and could see no one person beside myself in\nsuch grief and distress as I was; I began to think that my master hated\nme, and was very desirous to go home, to my own country; for I thought\nthat if God did come (as he said) He would be sure to be most angry with\n_me_, as I did not know what He was, nor had ever heard of him before.\n\nI went home in great trouble, but said nothing to any body.--I was\nsomewhat afraid of my master; I thought he disliked me.--The next text I\nheard him preach from was, Heb. xii. 14. _\"follow peace with all men,\nand holiness, without which no man shall see the LORD.\"_ he preached the\nlaw so severely, that it made me tremble.--he said, that GOD would judge\nthe whole world; Ethiopia, Asia, and Africa, and every where.--I was\nnow excessively perplexed, and undetermined what to do; as I had now\nreason to believe my situation would be equally bad to go, as to\nstay.--I kept these thoughts to myself, and said nothing to any person\nwhatever.\n\nI should have complained to my good mistress of this great trouble of\nmind, but she had been a little strange to me for several days before\nthis happened, occasioned by a story told of me by one of the maids. The\nservants were all jealous, and envied me the regard, and favour shewn me\nby my master and mistress; and the Devil being always ready, and\ndiligent in wickedness, had influenced this girl, to make a lye on\nme.--This happened about hay-harvest, and one day when I was unloading\nthe waggon to put the hay into the barn, she watched an opportunity, in\nmy absence, to take the fork out of the stick, and hide it: when I came\nagain to my work, and could not find it, I was a good deal vexed, but I\nconcluded it was dropt somewhere among the hay; so I went and bought\nanother with my own money: when the girl saw that I had another, she was\nso malicious that she told my mistress I was very unfaithful, and not\nthe person she took me for; and that she knew, I had, without my\nmaster's permission, order'd many things in his name, that he must pay\nfor; and as a proof of my carelessness produc'd the fork she had taken\nout of the stick, and said, she had found it out of doors--My Lady, not\nknowing the truth of these things, was a little shy to me, till she\nmention'd it, and then I soon cleared myself, and convinc'd her that\nthese accusations were false.\n\nI continued in a most unhappy state for many days. My good mistress\ninsisted on knowing what was the matter. When I made known my situation\nshe gave me John Bunyan on the holy war, to read; I found his experience\nsimilar to my own, which gave me reason to suppose he must be a bad man;\nas I was convinc'd of my own corrupt nature, and the misery of my own\nheart: and as he acknowledg'd that he was likewise in the same\ncondition, I experienc'd no relief at all in reading his work, but\nrather the reverse.--I took the book to my lady, and inform'd her I did\nnot like it at all, it was concerning a wicked man as bad as myself; and\nI did not chuse to read it, and I desir'd her to give me another, wrote\nby a better man that was holy and without sin.--She assur'd me that\nJohn Bunyan was a good man, but she could not convince me; I thought\nhim to be too much like myself to be upright, as his experience seem'd\nto answer with my own.\n\nI am very sensible that nothing but the great power and unspeakable\nmercies of the Lord could relieve my soul from the heavy burden it\nlaboured under at that time.--A few days after my master gave me\nBaxter's _Call to the unconverted_. This was no relief to me neither; on\nthe contrary it occasioned as much distress in me as the other had\nbefore done, _as it_ invited all to come to _Christ_ and I found myself\nso wicked and miserable that I could not come--This consideration threw\nme into agonies that cannot be described; insomuch that I even attempted\nto put an end to my life--I took one of the large case-knives, and went\ninto the stable with an intent to destroy myself; and as I endeavoured\nwith all my strength to force the knife into my side, it bent double. I\nwas instantly struck with horror at the thought of my own rashness, and\nmy conscience told me that had I succeeded in this attempt I should\nprobably have gone to hell.\n\nI could find no relief, nor the least shadow of comfort; the extreme\ndistress of my mind so affected my health that I continued very ill for\nthree Days, and Nights; and would admit of no means to be taken for my\nrecovery, though my lady was very kind, and sent many things to me; but\nI rejected every means of relief and wished to die--I would not go into\nmy own bed, but lay in the stable upon straw--I felt all the horrors of\na troubled conscience, so hard to be born, and saw all the vengeance of\nGod ready to overtake me--I was sensible that there was no way for me to\nbe saved unless I came to _Christ_, and I could not come to Him: I\nthought that it was impossible He should receive such a sinner as me.\n\nThe last night that I continued in this place, in the midst of my\ndistress these words were brought home upon my mind, _\"Behold the Lamb\nof God.\"_ I was something comforted at this, and began to grow easier\nand wished for day that I might find these words in my bible--I rose\nvery early the following morning, and went to my school-master, Mr.\nVanosdore, and communicated the situation of my mind to him; he was\ngreatly rejoiced to find me enquiring the way to Zion, and blessed the\nLord who had worked so wonderfully for me a poor heathen.--I was more\nfamiliar with this good gentleman than with my master, or any other\nperson; and found myself more at liberty to talk to him: he encouraged\nme greatly, and prayed with me frequently, and I was always benefited by\nhis discourse.\n\nAbout a quarter of a mile from my Master's house stood a large\nremarkably fine Oak-tree, in the midst of a wood; I often used to be\nemployed there in cutting down trees, (a work I was very fond of) I\nseldom failed going to this place every day; sometimes twice a day if I\ncould be spared. It was the highest pleasure I ever experienced to set\nunder this Oak; for there I used to pour out all my complaints to the\nLORD: and when I had any particular grievance I used to go there, and\ntalk to the tree, and tell my sorrows, as if it had been to a friend.\n\nHere I often lamented my own wicked heart, and undone state; and found\nmore comfort and consolation than I ever was sensible of\nbefore.--Whenever I was treated with ridicule or contempt, I used to\ncome here and find peace. I now began to relish the book my Master gave\nme, Baxter's _Call to the unconverted_, and took great delight in it. I\nwas always glad to be employ'd in cutting wood, 'twas a great part of my\nbusiness, and I follow'd it with delight, as I was then quite alone and\nmy heart lifted up to GOD, and I was enabled to pray continually; and\nblessed for ever be his Holy Name, he faithfully answer'd my prayers. I\ncan never be thankful enough to Almighty GOD for the many comfortable\nopportunities I experienced there.\n\nIt is possible the circumstance I am going to relate will not gain\ncredit with many; but this I know, that the joy and comfort it conveyed\nto me, cannot be expressed and only conceived by those who have\nexperienced the like.\n\nI was one day in a most delightful frame of mind; my heart so overflowed\nwith love and gratitude to the Author of all my comforts.--I was so\ndrawn out of myself, and so fill'd and awed by the Presence of God that\nI saw (or thought I saw) light inexpressible dart down from heaven upon\nme, and shone around me for the space of a minute.--I continued on my\nknees, and joy unspeakable took possession of my soul.--The peace and\nserenity which filled my mind after this was wonderful, and cannot be\ntold.--I would not have changed situations, or been any one but myself\nfor the whole world. I blest God for my poverty, that I had no worldly\nriches or grandeur to draw my heart from Him. I wish'd at that time, if\nit had been possible for me, to have continued on that spot for ever. I\nfelt an unwillingness in myself to have any thing more to do with the\nworld, or to mix with society again. I seemed to possess a full\nassurance that my sins were forgiven me. I went home all my way\nrejoicing, and this text of scripture came full upon my mind. _\"And I\nwill make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away\nfrom them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts that\nthey shall not depart from me.\"_ The first opportunity that presented\nitself, I went to my old school-master, and made known to him the happy\nstate of my soul who joined with me in praise to God for his mercy to me\nthe vilest of sinners.--I was now perfectly easy, and had hardly a wish\nto make beyond what I possess'd, when my temporal comforts were all\nblasted by the death of my dear and worthy Master Mr. Freelandhouse, who\nwas taken from this world rather suddenly: he had but a short illness,\nand died of a fever. I held his hand in mine when he departed; he told\nme he had given me my freedom. I was at liberty to go where I would.--He\nadded that he had always pray'd for me and hop'd I should be kept unto\nthe end. My master left me by his will ten pounds, and my freedom.\n\nI found that if he had lived 'twas his intention to take me with him to\nHolland, as he had often mention'd me to some friends of his there that\nwere desirous to see me; but I chose to continue with my Mistress who\nwas as good to me as if she had been my mother.\n\nThe loss of Mr. Freelandhouse distress'd me greatly, but I was render'd\nstill more unhappy by the clouded and perplex'd situation of my mind;\nthe great enemy of my soul being ready to torment me, would present my\nown misery to me in such striking light, and distress me with doubts,\nfears, and such a deep sense of my own unworthiness, that after all the\ncomfort and encouragement I had received, I was often tempted to believe\nI should be a Cast-away at last.--The more I saw of the Beauty and Glory\nof God, the more I was humbled under a sense of my own vileness. I\noften repair'd to my old place of prayer; I seldom came away without\nconsolation. One day this Scripture was wonderfully apply'd to my mind,\n_\"And ye are compleat in Him which is the Head of all principalities and\npower.\"_--The Lord was pleas'd to comfort me by the application of many\ngracious promises at times when I was ready to sink under my troubles.\n_\"Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto\nGod by Him seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them._ Hebrews\nx. ver. 14. _For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that\nare sanctified.\"_\n\nMy kind, indulgent Mistress liv'd but two years after my Master. Her\ndeath was a great affliction to me. She left five sons, all gracious\nyoung men, and Ministers of the Gospel.--I continued with them all, one\nafter another, till they died; they liv'd but four years after their\nparents. When it pleased God to take them to Himself, I was left quite\ndestitute, without a friend in the world. But I who had so often\nexperienced the Goodness of GOD, trusted in Him to do what He pleased\nwith me.--In this helpless condition I went in the wood to prayer as\nusual; and tho' the snow was a considerable height, I was not sensible\nof cold, or any other inconveniency.--At times indeed when I saw the\nworld frowning round me, I was tempted to think that the LORD had\nforsaken me. I found great relief from the contemplation of these words\nin Isaiah xlix. v. 16. _\"Behold I have graven thee on the palms of my\nhands; thy walls are continually before me.\"_ And very many comfortable\npromises were sweetly applied to me. The lxxxix. Psalm and 34th verse,\n_\"My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of\nmy lips.\"_ Hebrews, chap. xvi. v. 17, 18. Phillipians, chap. i. v. 6;\nand several more.\n\nAs I had now lost all my dear and valued friends every place in the\nworld was alike to me. I had for a great while entertain'd a desire to\ncome to England.--I imagined that all the Inhabitants of this Island\nwere _Holy_; because all those that had visited my Master from thence\nwere good, (Mr. Whitefield was his particular friend) and the authors of\nthe books that had been given me were all English. But above all places\nin the world I wish'd to see Kidderminster, for I could not but think\nthat on the spot where Mr. Baxter had liv'd, and preach'd, the people\nmust be all _Righteous_.\n\nThe situation of my affairs requir'd that I should tarry a little\nlonger in New-York, as I was something in debt, and was embarrass'd how\nto pay it.--About this time a young Gentleman that was a particular\nacquaintance of one of my young Master's, pretended to be a friend to\nme, and promis'd to pay my debts, which was three pounds; and he assur'd\nme he would never expect the money again.--But, in less than a month, he\ncame and demanded it; and when I assur'd him I had nothing to pay, he\nthreatened to sell me.--Though I knew he had no right to do that, yet as\nI had no friend in the world to go to, it alarm'd me greatly.--At length\nhe purpos'd my going a Privateering, that I might by these means, be\nenabled to pay him, to which I agreed.--Our Captain's name was ---- I\nwent in Character of Cook to him.--Near St. Domingo we came up to five\nFrench ships, Merchant-men.--We had a very smart engagement that\ncontinued from eight in the morning till three in the afternoon; when\nvictory declar'd on our side.--Soon after this we were met by three\nEnglish ships which join'd us, and that encourag'd us to attack a fleet\nof 36 Ships.--We boarded the three first and then follow'd the others;\nand had the same success with twelve; but the rest escap'd us.--There\nwas a great deal of blood shed, and I was near death several times, but\nthe LORD preserv'd me.\n\nI met with many enemies, and much persecution, among the sailors; one of\nthem was particularly unkind to me, and studied ways to vex and teaze\nme.--I can't help mentioning one circumstance that hurt me more than all\nthe rest, which was, that he snatched a book out of my hand that I was\nvery fond of, and used frequently to amuse myself with, and threw it\ninto the sea.--But what is remarkable he was the first that was killed\nin our engagement.--I don't pretend to say that this happen'd because he\nwas not my friend: but I thought 'twas a very awful Providence to see\nhow the enemies of the LORD are cut off.\n\nOur Captain was a cruel hard-hearted man. I was excessively sorry for\nthe prisoners we took in general; but the pitiable case of one young\nGentleman grieved me to the heart.--He appear'd very amiable; was\nstrikingly handsome. Our Captain took four thousand pounds from him; but\nthat did not satisfy him, as he imagin'd he was possess'd of more, and\nhad somewhere conceal'd it, so that the Captain threatened him with\ndeath, at which he appear'd in the deepest distress, and took the\nbuckles out of his shoes, and untied his hair, which was very fine, and\nlong; and in which several very valuable rings were fasten'd. He came\ninto the Cabbin to me, and in the most obliging terms imaginable ask'd\nfor something to eat and drink; which when I gave him, he was so\nthankful and pretty in his manner that my heart bled for him; and I\nheartily wish'd that I could have spoken in any language in which the\nship's crew would not have understood me; that I might have let him know\nhis danger; for I heard the Captain say he was resolv'd upon his death;\nand he put his barbarous design into execution, for he took him on shore\nwith one of the sailors, and there they shot him.\n\nThis circumstance affected me exceedingly, I could not put him out of my\nmind a long while.--When we return'd to New-York the Captain divided the\nprize-money among us, that we had taken. When I was call'd upon to\nreceive my part, I waited upon Mr. ----, (the Gentleman that paid my debt\nand was the occasion of my going abroad) to know if he chose to go with\nme to receive my money or if I should bring him what I owed.--He chose\nto go with me; and when the Captain laid my money on the table ('twas an\nhundred and thirty-five pounds) I desir'd Mr. ---- to take what I was\nindebted to him; and he swept it all into his handkerchief, and would\nnever be prevail'd on to give a farthing of money, nor any thing at all\nbeside.--And he likewise secur'd a hogshead of sugar which was my due\nfrom the same ship. The Captain was very angry with him for this piece\nof cruelty to me, as was every other person that heard it.--But I have\nreason to believe (as he was one of the Principal Merchants in the city)\nthat he transacted business for him and on that account did not chuse to\nquarrel with him.\n\nAt this time a very worthy Gentleman, a Wine Merchant, his name Dunscum,\ntook me under his protection, and would have recovered my money for me\nif I had chose it; but I told him to let it alone; that I wou'd rather\nbe quiet.--I believed that it would not prosper with him, and so it\nhappen'd, for by a series of losses and misfortunes he became poor, and\nwas soon after drowned, as he was on a party of pleasure.--The vessel\nwas driven out to sea, and struck against a rock by which means every\nsoul perished.\n\nI was very much distress'd when I heard it, and felt greatly for his\nfamily who were reduc'd to very low circumstances.--I never knew how to\nset a proper value on money. If I had but a little meat and drink to\nsupply the present necessaries of life, I never wish'd for more; and\nwhen I had any I always gave it if ever I saw an object in distress. If\nit was not for my dear Wife and Children I should pay as little regard\nto money now as I did at that time.--I continu'd some time with Mr.\nDunscum as his servant; he was very kind to me.--But I had a vast\ninclination to visit England, and wish'd continually that it would\nplease Providence to make a clear way for me to see this Island. I\nentertain'd a notion that if I could get to England I should never more\nexperience either cruelty or ingratitude, so that I was very desirous to\nget among Christians. I knew Mr. Whitefield very well.--I had heard him\npreach often at New-York. In this disposition I listed in the\ntwenty-eighth Regiment of Foot, who were design'd for Martinico in the\nlate war.--We went in Admiral Pocock's fleet from New-York to Barbadoes;\nfrom thence to Martinico.--When that was taken we proceeded to the\nHavannah, and took that place likewise.--There I got discharged.\n\nI was then worth about thirty pounds, but I never regarded money in the\nleast, nor would I tarry to receive my prize-money least I should lose\nmy chance of going to England.--I went with the Spanish prisoners to\nSpain; and came to Old-England with the English prisoners.--I cannot\ndescribe my joy when we were within sight of Portsmouth. But I was\nastonished when we landed to hear the inhabitants of that place curse\nand swear, and otherwise profane. I expected to find nothing but\ngoodness, gentleness and meekness in this Christian Land, I then\nsuffer'd great perplexities of mind.\n\nI enquir'd if any serious Christian people resided there, the woman I\nmade this enquiry of, answer'd me in the affirmative; and added that she\nwas one of them.--I was heartily glad to hear her say so. I thought I\ncould give her my whole heart: she kept a Public-House. I deposited with\nher all the money that I had not an immediate occasion for; as I thought\nit would be safer with her.--It was 25 guineas but 6 of them I desired\nher to lay out to the best advantage, to buy me some shirts, hat and\nsome other necessaries. I made her a present of a very handsome large\nlooking glass that I brought with me from Martinico, in order to\nrecompence her for the trouble I had given her. I must do this woman the\njustice to acknowledge that she did lay out some little for my use, but\nthe 19 guineas and part of the 6, with my watch, she would not return,\nbut denied that I ever gave it her.\n\nI soon perceived that I was got among bad people, who defrauded me of my\nmoney and watch; and that all my promis'd happiness was blasted, I had\nno friend but GOD and I pray'd to Him earnestly. I could scarcely\nbelieve it possible that the place where so many eminent Christians had\nlived and preached could abound with so much wickedness and deceit. I\nthought it worse than _Sodom_ (considering the great advantages they\nhave) I cryed like a child and that almost continually: at length GOD\nheard my prayers and rais'd me a friend indeed.\n\nThis publican had a brother who lived on Portsmouth-common, his wife was\na very serious good woman.--When she heard of the treatment I had met\nwith, she came and enquired into my real situation and was greatly\ntroubled at the ill usage I had received, and took me home to her own\nhouse.--I began now to rejoice, and my prayer was turned into praise.\nShe made use of all the arguments in her power to prevail on her who had\nwronged me, to return my watch and money, but it was to no purpose, as\nshe had given me no receipt and I had nothing to show for it, I could\nnot demand it.--My good friend was excessively angry with her and\nobliged her to give me back four guineas, which she said she gave me out\nof charity: Though in fact it was my own, and much more. She would have\nemployed some rougher means to oblige her to give up my money, but I\nwould not suffer her, let it go says I \"My GOD is in heaven.\" Still I\ndid not mind my loss in the least; all that grieved me was, that I had\nbeen disappointed in finding some Christian friends, with whom I hoped\nto enjoy a little sweet and comfortable society.\n\nI thought the best method that I could take now, was to go to London,\nand find out Mr. Whitefield, who was the only living soul I knew in\nEngland, and get him to direct me to some way or other to procure a\nliving without being troublesome to any Person.--I took leave of my\nChristian friend at Portsmouth, and went in the stage to London.--A\ncreditable tradesman in the City, who went up with me in the stage,\noffer'd to show me the way to Mr. Whitefield's Tabernacle. Knowing that\nI was a perfect stranger, I thought it very kind, and accepted his\noffer; but he obliged me to give him half-a-crown for going with me, and\nlikewise insisted on my giving him five shillings more for conducting me\nto Dr. Gifford's Meeting.\n\nI began now to entertain a very different idea of the inhabitants of\nEngland than what I had figur'd to myself before I came amongst\nthem.--Mr. Whitefield receiv'd me very friendly, was heartily glad to\nsee me, and directed me to a proper place to board and lodge in\nPetticoat-Lane, till he could think of some way to settle me in, and\npaid for my lodging, and all my expences. The morning after I came to my\nnew lodging, as I was at breakfast with the gentlewoman of the house, I\nheard the noise of some looms over our heads: I enquir'd what it was;\nshe told me a person was weaving silk.--I express'd a great desire to\nsee it, and ask'd if I might: She told me she would go up with me; she\nwas sure I should be very welcome. She was as good as her word, and as\nsoon as we enter'd the room, the person that was weaving look'd about,\nand smiled upon us, and I loved her from that moment.--She ask'd me many\nquestions, and I in turn talk'd a great deal to her. I found she was a\nmember of Mr. Allen's Meeting, and I begun to entertain a good opinion\nof her, though I was almost afraid to indulge this inclination, least\nshe should prove like all the rest I had met with at Portsmouth, &c. and\nwhich had almost given me a dislike to all white women.--But after a\nshort acquaintance I had the happiness to find she was very different,\nand quite sincere, and I was not without hope that she entertain'd some\nesteem for me. We often went together to hear Dr. Gifford, and as I had\nalways a propensity to relieve every object in distress as far as I was\nable, I used to give to all that complain'd to me; sometimes half a\nguinea at a time, as I did not understand the real value of it.--This\ngracious, good woman took great pains to correct and advise me in that\nand many other respects.\n\nAfter I had been in London about six weeks I was recommended to the\nnotice of some of my late Master Mr. Freelandhouse's acquaintance, who\nhad heard him speak frequently of me. I was much persuaded by them to go\nto Holland.--My Master lived there before he bought me, and used to\nspeak of me so respectfully among his friends there, that it raised in\nthem a curiosity to see me; particularly the Gentlemen engaged in the\nMinistry, who expressed a desire to hear my experience and examine me. I\nfound that it was my good old Master's design that I should have gone if\nhe had lived; for which reason I resolved upon going to Holland, and\ninformed my dear friend Mr. Whitefield of my intention; he was much\naverse to my going at first, but after I gave him my reasons appeared\nvery well satisfied. I likewise informed my Betty (the good woman that I\nhave mentioned above) of my determination to go to Holland and I told\nher that I believed she was to be my Wife: that if it was the LORD's\nWill I desired it, but not else.--She made me very little answer, but\nhas since told me, she did not think it at that time.\n\nI embarked at Tower-wharf at four o'clock in the morning, and arriv'd at\nAmsterdam the next day by three o'clock in the afternoon. I had several\nletters of recommendation to my old master's friends, who receiv'd me\nvery graciously. Indeed, one of the chief Ministers was particularly\ngood to me; he kept me at his house a long while, and took great\npleasure in asking questions, which I answer'd with delight, being\nalways ready to say, _\"Come unto me all ye that fear GOD, and I will\ntell what he hath done for my Soul.\"_ I cannot but admire the footsteps\nof Providence; astonish'd that I should be so wonderfully preserved!\nThough the Grandson of a King, I have wanted bread, and should have been\nglad of the hardest crust I ever saw. I who, at home, was surrounded and\nguarded by slaves, so that no indifferent person might approach me, and\nclothed with gold, have been inhumanly threatened with death; and\nfrequently wanted clothing to defend me from the inclemency of the\nweather; yet I never murmured, nor was I discontented.--I am willing,\nand even desirous to be counted as nothing, a stranger in the world,\nand a pilgrim here; for _\"I know that my Redeemer liveth,\"_ and I'm\nthankful for every trial and trouble that I've met with, as I am not\nwithout hope that they have been all sanctified to me.\n\nThe Calvinist Ministers desired to hear my Experience from myself, which\nproposal I was very well pleased with: So I stood before 38 Ministers\nevery Thursday for seven weeks together, and they were all very well\nsatisfied, and persuaded I was what I pretended to be.--They wrote down\nmy experience as I spoke it; and the Lord Almighty was with me at that\ntime in a remarkable manner, and gave me words and enabled me to answer\nthem; so great was his mercy to take me in hand a poor blind heathen.\n\nAt this time a very rich Merchant at Amsterdam offered to take me into\nhis family in the capacity of his Butler, and I very willingly accepted\nit.--He was a gracious worthy Gentleman and very good to me.--He treated\nme more like a friend than a servant.--I tarried there a twelvemonth but\nwas not thoroughly contented, I wanted to see my wife; (that is now) and\nfor that reason I wished to return to _England_, I wrote to her once in\nmy absence, but she did not answer my letter; and I must acknowledge if\nshe had, it would have given me a less opinion of her.--My Master and\nMistress persuaded me much not to leave them and likewise their two Sons\nwho entertained a good opinion of me; and if I had found my Betty\nmarried on my arrival in England, I should have returned to them again\nimmediately.\n\nMy Lady purposed my marrying her maid; she was an agreeable young woman,\nhad saved a good deal of money, but I could not fancy her, though she\nwas willing to accept of me, but I told her my inclinations were engaged\nin England, and I could think of no other Person.--On my return home, I\nfound my Betty disengaged.--She had refused several offers in my\nabsence, and told her sister that, she thought, if ever she married I\nwas to be her husband.\n\nSoon after I came home, I waited on Doctor Gifford who took me into his\nfamily and was exceedingly, good to me. The character of this pious\nworthy Gentleman is well known; my praise can be of no use or\nsignification at all.--I hope I shall ever gratefully remember the many\nfavours I have received from him.--Soon after I came to Doctor Gifford\nI expressed a desire to be admitted into their Church, and set down with\nthem; they told me I must first be baptized; so I gave in my experience\nbefore the Church, with which they were very well satisfied, and I was\nbaptized by Doctor Gifford with some others. I then made known my\nintentions of being married; but I found there were many objections\nagainst it because the person I had fixed on was poor. She was a widow,\nher husband had left her in debt, and with a child, so that they\npersuaded me against it out of real regard to me.--But I had promised\nand was resolved to have her; as I knew her to be a gracious woman, her\npoverty was no objection to me, as they had nothing else to say against\nher. When my friends found that they could not alter my opinion\nrespecting her, they wrote to Mr. Allen, the Minister she attended, to\npersuade her to leave me; but he replied that he would not interfere at\nall, that we might do as we would. I was resolved that all my wife's\nlittle debt should be paid before we were married; so that I sold almost\nevery thing I had and with all the money I could raise cleared all that\nshe owed, and I never did any thing with a better will in all my Life,\nbecause I firmly believed that we should be very happy together, and so\nit prov'd, for she was given me from the LORD. And I have found her a\nblessed partner, and we have never repented, tho' we have gone through\nmany great troubles and difficulties.\n\nMy wife got a very good living by weaving, and could do extremely well;\nbut just at that time there was great disturbance among the weavers; so\nthat I was afraid to let my wife work, least they should insist on my\njoining the rioters which I could not think of, and, possibly, if I had\nrefused to do so they would have knock'd me on the head.--So that by\nthese means my wife could get no employ, neither had I work enough to\nmaintain my family. We had not yet been married a year before all these\nmisfortunes overtook us.\n\nJust at this time a gentleman, that seemed much concerned for us,\nadvised me to go into Essex with him and promised to get me employed.--I\naccepted his kind proposal, and he spoke to a friend of his, a Quaker, a\ngentleman of large fortune, who resided a little way out of the town of\n_Colchester_, his name was _Handbarar_; he ordered his steward to set me\nto work. There were several employed in the same way with myself. I was\nvery thankful and contented though my wages were but small.--I was\nallowed but eight pence a day, and found myself; but after I had been in\nthis situation for a fortnight, my Master, being told that a Black was\nat work for him, had an inclination to see me. He was pleased to talk to\nme for some time, and at last enquired what wages I had; when I told him\nhe declared, it was too little, and immediately ordered his Steward to\nlet me have eighteen pence a day, which he constantly gave me after; and\nI then did extremely well.\n\nI did not bring my wife with me: I came first alone and it was my\ndesign, if things answered according to our wishes, to send for her--I\nwas now thinking to desire her to come to me when I receiv'd a letter to\ninform me she was just brought to bed and in want of many\nnecessaries.--This news was a great trial to me and a fresh affliction:\nbut my God, _faithful and abundant in mercy_, forsook me not in this\ntrouble.--As I could not read _English_, I was obliged to apply to some\none to read the letter I received, relative to my wife. I was directed\nby the good Providence of God to a worthy young gentleman, a Quaker, and\nfriend of my Master.--I desired he would take the trouble to read my\nletter for me, which he readily comply'd with and was greatly moved and\naffected at the contents; insomuch that he said he would undertake to\nmake a gathering for me, which he did and was the first to contribute to\nit himself. The money was sent that evening to London by a person who\nhappen'd to be going there: nor was this All the goodness that I\nexperienced from these kind friends, for, as soon as my wife came about\nand was fit to travel, they sent for her to me, and were at the whole\nexpence of her coming; so evidently has the love and mercy of God\nappeared through every trouble that ever I experienced. We went on very\ncomfortably all the summer.--We lived in a little cottage near Mr.\n_Handbarrar's_ House; but when the winter came on I was discharged, as\nhe had no further occasion for me. And now the prospect began to darken\nupon us again. We thought it most adviseable to move our habitation a\nlittle nearer to the Town, as the house we lived in was very cold, and\nwet, and ready to tumble down.\n\nThe boundless goodness of GOD to me has been so very great, that with\nthe most humble gratitude I desire to prostrate myself before Him; for I\nhave been wonderfully supported in every affliction. My GOD never left\nme. I perceived light still through the thickest darkness.\n\nMy dear wife and I were now both unemployed, we could get nothing to do.\nThe winter prov'd remarkably severe, and we were reduc'd to the greatest\ndistress imaginable.--I was always very shy of asking for any thing; I\ncould never beg; neither did I chuse to make known our wants to any\nperson, for fear of offending as we were entire strangers; but our last\nbit of bread was gone, and I was obliged to think of something to do for\nour support.--I did not mind for myself at all; but to see my dear wife\nand children in want pierc'd me to the heart.--I now blam'd myself for\nbringing her from London, as doubtless had we continued there we might\nhave found friends to keep us from starving. The snow was at this season\nremarkably deep; so that we could see no prospect of being relieved. In\nthis melancholy situation, not knowing what step to pursue, I resolved\nto make my case known to a Gentleman's Gardiner that lived near us, and\nentreat him to employ me: but when I came to him, my courage failed me,\nand I was ashamed to make known our real situation.--I endeavoured all I\ncould to prevail on him to set me to work, but to no purpose: he assur'd\nme it was not in his power: but just as I was about to leave him, he\nasked me if I would accept of some Carrots? I took them with great\nthankfulness and carried them home: he gave me four, they were very\nlarge and fine.--We had nothing to make fire with, so consequently could\nnot boil them: But was glad to have them to eat _raw_. Our youngest\nchild was quite an infant; so that my wife was obliged to chew it, and\nfed her in that manner for several days.--We allowed ourselves but one\nevery day, least they should not last 'till we could get some other\nsupply. I was unwilling to eat at all myself; nor would I take any the\nlast day that we continued in this situation, as I could not bear the\nthought that my dear wife and children would be in want of every means\nof support. We lived in this manner, 'till our carrots were all gone:\nthen my Wife began to lament because of our poor babies: but I comforted\nher all I could; still hoping, and believing that _my_ GOD would not\nlet us die: but that it would please Him to relieve us, which _He_ did\nby almost a Miracle.\n\nWe went to bed, as usual, before it was quite dark, (as we had neither\nfire nor candle) but had not been there long before some person knocked\nat the door & enquir'd if _James Albert_ lived there? I answer'd in the\naffirmative, and rose immediately; as soon as I open'd the door I found\nit was the servant of an eminent Attorney who resided at\n_Colchester_.--He ask'd me how it was with me? if I was not almost\nstarv'd? I burst out a crying, and told him I was indeed. He said his\nmaster suppos'd so, and that he wanted to speak with me, and I must\nreturn with him. This Gentleman's name was _Danniel_, he was a sincere,\ngood Christian. He used to stand and talk with me frequently when I\nwork'd in the road for Mr. _Handbarrar_, and would have employed me\nhimself, if I had wanted work.--When I came to his house he told me that\nhe had thought a good deal about me of late, and was apprehensive that I\nmust be in want, and could not be satisfied till he sent to enquire\nafter me. I made known my distress to him, at which he was greatly\naffected; and generously gave me a guinea; and promis'd to be kind to me\nin future. I could not help exclaiming. _O the boundless mercies of my\nGod!_ I pray'd unto Him, and He has heard me; I trusted in Him and He\nhas preserv'd me: where shall I begin to praise Him, or how shall I love\nHim enough?\n\nI went immediately and bought some bread and cheese and coal and carried\nit home. My dear wife was rejoiced to see me return with something to\neat. She instantly got up and dressed our Babies, while I made a fire,\nand the first Nobility in the land never made a more comfortable\nmeal.--We did not forget to thank the LORD for all his goodness to\nus.--Soon after this, as the spring came on, Mr. Peter _Daniel_ employed\nme in helping to pull down a house, and rebuilding it. I had then very\ngood work, and full employ: he sent for my wife, and children to\n_Colchester_, and provided us a house where we lived very\ncomfortably.--I hope I shall always gratefully acknowledge his kindness\nto myself and family. I worked at this house for more than a year, till\nit was finished; and after that I was employed by several successively,\nand was never so happy as when I had something to do; but perceiving\nthe winter coming on, and work rather slack, I was apprehensive that we\nshould again be in want or become troublesome to our friends.\n\nI had at this time an offer made me of going to _Norwich_ and having\nconstant employ.--My wife seemed pleased with this proposal, as she\nsupposed she might get work there in the weaving-manufactory, being the\nbusiness she was brought up to, and more likely to succeed there than\nany other place; and we thought as we had an opportunity of moving to a\nTown where we could both be employ'd it was most adviseable to do so;\nand that probably we might settle there for our lives.--When this step\nwas resolv'd on, I went first alone to see how it would answer; which I\nvery much repented after, for it was not in my power immediately to send\nmy wife any supply, as I fell into the hands of a Master that was\nneither kind nor considerate; and she was reduced to great distress, so\nthat she was oblig'd to sell the few goods that we had, and when I sent\nfor her was under the disagreeable necessity of parting with our bed.\n\nWhen she came to _Norwich_ I hired a room ready furnished.--I\nexperienced a great deal of difference in the carriage of my Master from\nwhat I had been accustomed to from some of my other Masters. He was very\nirregular in his payments to me.--My wife hired a loom and wove all the\nleisure time she had and we began to do very well, till we were\novertaken by fresh misfortunes. Our three poor children fell ill of the\nsmall pox; this was a great trial to us; but still I was persuaded in\nmyself we should not be forsaken.--And I did all in my power to keep my\ndear partner's spirits from sinking. Her whole attention now was taken\nup with the children as she could mind nothing else, and all I could get\nwas but little to support a family in such a situation, beside paying\nfor the hire of our room, which I was obliged to omit doing for several\nweeks: but the woman to whom we were indebted would not excuse us, tho'\nI promised she should have the very first money we could get after my\nchildren came about, but she would not be satisfied and had the cruelty\nto threaten us that if we did not pay her immediately she would turn us\nall into the street.\n\nThe apprehension of this plunged me in the deepest distress,\nconsidering the situation of my poor babies: if they had been in health\nI should have been less sensible of this misfortune. But My GOD, _still\nfaithful to his promise_, raised me a friend. Mr. Henry Gurdney, a\nQuaker, a gracious gentleman heard of our distress, he sent a servant of\nhis own to the woman we hired the room of, paid our rent, and bought all\nthe goods with my wife's loom and gave it us all.\n\nSome other gentlemen, hearing of his design, were pleased to assist him\nin these generous acts, for which we never can be thankful enough; after\nthis my children soon came about; we began to do pretty well again; my\ndear wife work'd hard and constant when she could get work, but it was\nupon a disagreeable footing as her employ was so uncertain, sometimes\nshe could get nothing to do and at other times when the weavers of\n_Norwich_ had orders from London they were so excessively hurried, that\nthe people they employ'd were often oblig'd to work on the\n_Sabbath-day_; but this my wife would never do, and it was matter of\nuneasiness to us that we could not get our living in a regular manner,\nthough we were both diligent, industrious, and willing to work. I was\nfar from being happy in my Master, he did not use me well. I could\nscarcely ever get my money from him; but I continued patient 'till it\npleased GOD to alter my situation.\n\nMy worthy friend Mr. Gurdney advised me to follow the employ of chopping\nchaff, and bought me an instrument for that purpose. There were but few\npeople in the town that made this their business beside myself; so that\nI did very well indeed and we became easy and happy.--But we did not\ncontinue long in this comfortable state: Many of the inferior people\nwere envious and ill-natur'd and set up the same employ and work'd under\nprice on purpose to get my business from me, and they succeeded so well\nthat I could hardly get any thing to do, and became again unfortunate:\nNor did this misfortune come alone, for just at this time we lost one of\nour little girls who died of a fever; this circumstance occasion'd us\nnew troubles, for the Baptist Minister refused to bury her because we\nwere not their members. The Parson of the parish denied us because she\nhad never been baptized. I applied to the Quakers, but met with no\nsuccess; this was one of the greatest trials I ever met with, as we did\nnot know what to do with our poor baby.--At length I resolv'd to dig a\ngrave in the garden behind the house, and bury her there; when the\nParson of the parish sent for me to tell me he would bury the child, but\ndid not chuse to read the burial service over her. I told him I did not\nmind whether he would or not, as the child could not hear it.\n\nWe met with a great deal of ill treatment after this, and found it very\ndifficult to live.--We could scarcely get work to do, and were obliged\nto pawn our cloaths. We were ready to sink under our troubles.--When I\npurposed to my wife to go to _Kidderminster_ and try if we could do\nthere. I had always an inclination for that place, and now more than\never as I had heard _Mr. Fawcet_ mentioned in the most respectful\nmanner, as a pious worthy Gentleman; and I had seen his name in a\nfavourite book of mine, Baxter's _Saints everlasting rest_, and as the\nManufactory of _Kidderminster_ seemed to promise my wife some\nemployment, she readily came into my way of thinking.\n\nI left her once more, and set out for _Kidderminster_, in order to judge\nif the situation would suit us.--As soon as I came there I waited\nimmediately on _Mr. Fawcet_, who was pleased to receive me very kindly\nand recommended me to _Mr. Watson_ who employed me in twisting silk and\nworsted together. I continued here about a fortnight, and when I thought\nit would answer our expectation, I returned to _Norwich_ to fetch my\nwife; she was then near her time, and too much indisposed. So we were\nobliged to tarry until she was brought to bed, and as soon as she could\nconveniently travel we came to _Kidderminster_, but we brought nothing\nwith us as we were obliged to sell all we had to pay our debts and the\nexpences of my wife's illness, &c.\n\nSuch is our situation at present.--My wife, by hard labor at the loom,\ndoes every thing that can be expected from her towards the maintenance\nof our family; and God is pleased to incline the hearts of his People at\ntimes to yield us their charitable assistance; being myself through age\nand infirmity able to contribute but little to their support. As\nPilgrims, and very poor Pilgrims, we are travelling through many\ndifficulties towards our Heavenly Home, and waiting patiently for his\ngracious call, when the Lord shall deliver us out of the evils of this\npresent world and bring us to the Everlasting Glories of the world to\ncome.--To HIM be Praise for Ever and Ever, AMEN.\n\n\nFINIS.","title":"A Narrative of the Most Remarkable Particulars in the Life of James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw, an African Prince, as Related by Himself","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":13549}