80. - To James Ireland, Esq.
With regard to those who propose to learn Latin and Greek, the master your ladyship will appoint may choose to follow his particular method. Mr. Wesley’s books printed for the use of Christian youths, seem to me short and proper, and their expense less, which, I suppose, should be consulted. Two or three dictionaries of Bailey or Dyke, for those who learn English, with two or three Cole’s dictionaries, Screvelius’ and Pasor’s, for those who will learn Latin and Greek, may be a sufficient stock at first. The woman I mentioned died as happy, I trust, as I described her; but she remained speechless some days through the violence of her disorder. Another I buried the same week, who died as triumphant as Mr. Janaway. God prepare us for that solemn change! Mr. Easterbrook joins me in duty to your ladyship. We have rejoiced greatly together at the opening made by the death of Lord B - - - - - - , tor the spreading of the Gospel: may many enter in at that door, and especially all the relations he hath left behind. Mr. James Stillingfleet is presented by Mr. Hill to the living of Shawbury, eight miles from Shrewsbury, and twenty from here. I thank the Lord for this fellow helper. My Christian respects wait upon all that love Jesus about your ladyship. I am your ladyship’s unworthy servant,
J. FLETCHER.
80. - TO JAMES IRELAND, ESQ.
MADELEY, Dec. 30, 1769.
MY DEAR FRIEND, - Last night I received your obliging letter, and am ready to accompany you to Montpelier, provided you will go with me to Nyon. I shall raise about twenty guineas, and with that sum, a gracious Providence, and your purse, I hope we shall want for nothing: if the Lord sends me, I should want nothing, though I had nothing, and though my fellow traveller was no richer than myself.
I hope to be at Bristol soon, to offer you my services to pack up. You desired to have a Swiss servant, and I offer myself to you in that capacity; for I shall be no more ashamed of serving you, as far as I am capable of doing it, than I am of wearing your livery.
Two reasons (to say nothing of the pleasure of your company) engage me to go with you to Montpelier; a desire to visit some poor Hugonots in the south of France, and the need I have to recover a little French, before I go to converse with my compatriots.
The priest at Madeley is going to open his mass house, and I have declared last Sunday, that I propose to strip the whore of Babylon, and expose her nakedness to - morrow. All the Papists are in a great ferment, and they have held meetings to consult on the occasion. One of their bloody bullies came to “picks up,” as he said, a quarrel with me, and what would have been the consequence had not I providentially had company with me I know not. How far more their rage may be kindled tomorrow, I don’t know: but I question whether it will be right for me to leave the field in these circumstances. I forgot to mention that two of our poor ignorant Churchmen are going to join the mass house, which is the cause of my having taken up arms also. Farewell. Yours,
J. FLETCHER
81. - TO JAMES IRELAND, ESQ.
TREVECKA, Jan. 13, 1770.
MY DEAR FRIEND, - I know not what to think of our journey. My heart frequently recoils. I have lost all hopes of being able to preach in French, and I think if I could they would not permit me. I become more stupid every day; my memory fails me in a surprising manner. I am good for nothing but to go and bury myself in my parish. I have those touches of misanthropy which make solitude my element: judge, then, whether I am fit to go into the world. On the other hand, I fear that your journey is undertaken partly from complaisance to me, and in consequence of the engagement we made to go together. I acquit you of your promise, and if your business does not really demand your presence in France, I beg you will not think of going there on my account. The bare idea of giving you trouble would make the journey ten times more disagreeable to me than the season of the year.
The day after I wrote to you I preached the sermons against popery, which I had promised to my people: and Mr. S - - t - - r called out several times in the church yard as the people went out of church, that “there was not one word of truth in the whole of my discourse, and that he would prove it,” and told me that “he would produce a gentleman who should answer my sermon, and the pamphlet I had distributed.” I was therefore obliged to declare in the church, that I should not quit England, and was only going into Wales, from whence I would return soon to reply to the answer of Mr. S - - t - - r and the priest, if they should offer any. I am thus obliged to