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remembrance is painful , though so many years are passed away since that melancholy time . Besides these difficulties , I had conceived a great aversion to live in a little country town or village , which must probably have been
my case whenever I should take the ministry upon me - I 9 and had observed that the most part which compose such country-meetings were people of mean rank and meaner understandings , with whom to take any pains would be a very heartless and unthankful office . In this very disagreeable state I remained
for many months : my father eternally complaining of his disappointment , and sometimes throwing out with heat that I had put him to an extraordinary expense to no purpose . All I durst say for myself was , that I had no objection to being a minister , provided I could be one honestly . This seemed so honest and reasonable , even to
several people to whom my father complained , that they told him it was hard and ungenerous to compel me against my judgment , and , as I was told , spoke so much in my behalf , that he was almost angry with them . But all this in the event signified nothing , for he had so long and so much delighted
himself with the thoughts of seeing me in a pulpit , and of having me applauded by some favourite enthusiasts , that he could not think of being disappointed with any manner of patience , and though he said but very little , it was easy to see that it made a deeper impression on him than a thing of this kind ought in reason to have done .
While matters stood thus , Mr . Gilling , of Newton , came to Plymouth under a disguise . It seems there was a process out against him for keeping a Latin school contrary to the Schism Act ; the bailiffs were looking for him ; and he was advised by Counsellor Wairond and others to step out of the way for a few weeks . He came to oar
house , for he was pretty nearly related to my fethpr .. He was soon made acquainted with my affair , and the result of their conference was , that I was to accompany him in a large tour which he wa 3 about to take , upon his
proraise to use all the persuasion he could with me , and to Pget all the ministers we should fall in with during the journey to do the same . I knew nothing of this bargain at first , and therefore I set out highly delighted with the pro-
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spect of an agreeable ramble , and of seeing new things and new places . We left Plymouth in the beginning of March , 1712 . We go ' t to Tavistock the first day , and the next day to a
farmer ' s house near Tiverton ; from thence we skulked through bye and cross roads to Honiton , and so on till we got clear of the county of Devon , and the bailiffs who were in pursuit of us . The first halt we made was at
Dorchester , where Mr . Gilling was acquainted with one Mr . Howell , minister of the Dissenters in that place . Here we spent two or three days very agreeably , for he was a man of good sense and of generous principles . He was easy and genteel in his
conversation , well acquainted with mankind and the world , and was well known and respected , and yet the most disagreeable preacher I ever heard in my life . He seemed to think much the same way I did about creeds , articles and high priests , and seemed very far from
offering arguments in favour of the ministry . I remember Mr . Gilling preached for him one part of Sunday , and on Monday appeared in the public Coffee in his lay habit and long wig , to the very great diversion of many who had seen him in a different dress
and character the day before . From Dorchester we proceeded to Salisbury , where the judges held the assize . Here I was in company with the great Sir Peter King , then Recorder of London . Mr . Gilling was an old friend and acquaintance of his , and he received him as such , for he used him with great
freedom and civility , invited him to go and stay at Okeham till his return from the circuit , and gave him his advice relating to his affairs . From hence we soon got to town . Mr . Gilling took a bed with one Batt Parr , a relation , to part of which I was invited , but I did not like this , because I found I was to see and know little or
nothing of the town , and be confined very often into the bargain . I therefore inquired out a niece of my mother ' s , who was married in town , to one Dare , an haberdasher of hats , in Bishopsgate Street . This fully
answered my intention , for I found a hearty welcome , had perfect liberty , together with the offer of Mr . Dare ' s company when and where I pleased . Mr . Gilling could make no objection to this remove , but he seemed con-
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132 Memoirs of Himself , by Mr . John Fow .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1821, page 132, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2498/page/4/
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