Page:History of the life and sufferings, of the Reverend John Welch.pdf/28

 young nobleman, though he lot the the etate of Qchiltry, lived to acquire a great etate in Ireland, and was lord Catletewart, and a man of uch excellent part, that he was courted by the earl of Stafford, to be a counellor in Ireland, which he refued to be until the godly ilenced Scottih miniters, who uffered under the bhops in the north of Ireland; were retored to the exercie of their minitery and then he engaged, and o continued for all his life, not only in honour and power but in the profeion and practice of godlines, to the great comfort of the country where he lived. This tory the nobleman communicated to his friends in Ireland, and from them I had it.

While Mr. Welch was miniter in one of the French villages, upon an evening a certain popih friar travelling through the conntrycountry [sic], becaue he could not find lodging in the village, addret himelf to Mr. Welch's houe for one night. The ervants accquainted their mater and he was content to receive this guet. The family had upt before he came, and o the ervants convayed the friar to his chamber, and after they had made his upper, they left him to his ret. There was but a timber partition betwixt him and Mr. Welch, and after the friar had lept his firt leep, he was urpried with the hearing of a ilent, but contant whipering noie, at which he wondered very much, and was not a little troubled with it.

The next morning he walked in the fields, where he chanced to meet with a country man, who aluted him becaue of his habit, aked him where he had lodged that night? The friar anwered he had lodged with the hugenot miniter. then the country man aked him what entertainment he had? The friar anwered, Very bad; for, aid he, I alway held that there were devils haunting thee miniters houes, and I am puruaded there was one with me lat night, for I heard a continual whiper all the night over, which I believe was no other thing, than the miniter and the devil convering together. The country man told him, he was much mitaken, and that it was nothing ele, but the miniter at his night prayer. O, aid the friar does the miniter pray any? Yes, more any man in France, anwered the country man,