he might have refused it on the ground of its being occupied as a store, yet, knowing that this inconvenience could be obviated, he was not easy to cloak the real cause of objection with any disguise or subterfuge. Considering, therefore, that this was a fit opportunity to lift up the standard of peace, and to bear his testimony against war, he honestly told the commander, that the apartment he requested was occupied as a store; but, besides, that the purposes for which it was wanted were such as he could not unite with, having a conscientious scruple against war, and everything connected with it.' Upon this, the Earl of M

grew

very angry, and desired the soldiers who were with him to afford the Friend no protection, in case any disturbance should arise. To this observation, the latter replied, that he hoped he should not trust to, or apply for military protection.' The commander went away greatly displeased, and seemed to mark out this Friend as a disaffected person; so that he did not know how soon a prison might be his lot, especially as one of the militia-men who was quartered at his house for many weeks, and had his entertainment at free cost, propagated many false reports of him with respect to political matters; so that his situation became more and more

perilous in consequence. Some months after this, the military began to act with great rigour towards those that were suspected of being United Irishmen (rebels), burning their houses and stacks of corn, &c., and fastening caps besmeared with pitch upon their heads. They were preparing to burn a house of this description in the village of Ferns; and the same Friend, feeling pity for the man's wife and children, who would thus be deprived of a habitation, was induced to intercede with the commanding officer of the militia on their behalf; stating that he did not come to intermeddle between him and the suspected man, but, pitying the poor wife and children, he thought it would be hard treatment to deprive them of shelter and the means of subsistence, when the man was fully in his power, adding, though he might he criminal, probably they were innocent of his crimes.' During this expostulation, the officer became very warm in his temper, and charged the Quakers with meddling, in some cases, to prevent the execution of justice, when, in others, they would give no assistance to the Government.

A short time after this, when the rebels got the ascendency in the town, this Friend was enabled to render the officer some important

services; and, from the grateful acknowledgments expressed by the latter in return, he had the satisfaction of thinking that the prejudice of the officer was not only removed, but exchanged for a feeling of friendship. This occurrence afforded an interesting example of the blessed fruits of a peaceable conduct; the same individual using his influence alternately with those in power—an influence which nothing but an undeviating course of benevolence towards all his fellow-creatures could give him-to intercede for the oppressed and afflicted.

On another occasion, the militia were preparing to hang some suspected persons, for not delivering up their weapons, and to fasten pitch caps on the heads of others. The Friend was fearful of being applied to for ropes, which he had for sale, as he could not be easy to sell them for that purpose; and yet he saw that a refusal might involve him in some danger, as martial law had been proclaimed, and life and property were subjected to military discretion. However, when some of the military came to buy ropes and linen, he had the courage to refuse to sell what was intended to torment or destroy a fellow-creature. The articles were, accordingly, taken by force; and though payment was offered, he refused it.

This circumstance took place just before the general rising of the rebels in that part of the country; and, as it was probably known to some of his neighbours in the town of Ferns, he had reason to believe that, under the direction of Providence, it contributed to the preservation of himself and his family at that juncture.

Observing that, in the evening of the next day, a melancholy silence prevailed, he inquired of a person if there was anything more than usual in prospect, and was told that the country people were collecting in large bodies. At this intelligence, a cloud of darkness, as he described it, overspread his mind, and he was brought into a state of unutterable distress. He knew, indeed, that he had endeavoured to place his dependence on an Almighty Protector; but the feelings natural to every human being possessed of a Christian, peaceable disposition, at the prospect of the gulf that was opening to thousands of his misguided fellow creatures, of the ruin and desolation about to fall upon his country, and of imminent danger to himself and his family, produced for some hours a conflict of which he found it impossible to convey an adequate idea, and almost beyond what he seemed able to endure. At midnight, the town was filled with consternation. Guards and divisions of the

army were placed in different quarters, and the Protestant inhabitants were in continual terror. He prevailed upon his family to retire to bed, but they could not sleep; yet they endeavoured to attain that solemn retirement of soul in which it is best prepared to meet the calamities of life, and to rely on the mercies and the power of Omnipotence.

Early in the morning, while he was in much. anxiety as to the event, a person, whom he supposed to be one of the United Irishmen, came into the house and said, 'Let who may be killed, the Quakers will be spared.' These words, trifling as they might appear, seemed to him, at the time, like the intimation given to Gideon, when he was listening to the man in the Midianites' camp telling his dream to his fellow, which tended to dissipate his fears and to fix his confidence. He then felt his mind somewhat encouraged to hope that their lives would be preserved.

On that morning the scene was very awful: the houses and stacks of corn were in flames in every direction around them, some being set on fire by the yeomanry, and others by their enemies, so that between the two parties total devastation seemed to be at hand; the Protestant inhabitants were fleeing into the towns