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 152 Narrative by John Hoole.

not read it, be not persuaded, from any worldly consideration, to alter the religion in which you were educated : change not, but from conviction of reason V He then most strongly enforced the motives of virtue and piety from the consideration of a future state of reward and punishment, and concluded with ' Remember all this, and God bless you ! Write down what I have said I think you are the third person I have bid do this 2 .' At ten o'clock he dismissed us, thanking us for a visit which he said could not have been very pleasant to us.

Monday, Nov. 29. Called with my son 3 about eleven : saw the Doctor, who said, ' You must not now stay ; ' but, as we were going away, he said, * I will get Mr. Hoole to come next Wednesday and read the Litany to me, and do you and Mrs. Hoole come with him.' He appeared very ill. Returning was with him. In the evening, about eight, called again and just saw him ; but did not stay, as Mr. Langton was with him on business. I met Sir Joshua Reynolds going away 5.

Tuesday, Nov. 30. Called twice this morning, but did not see him : he was much the same. In the evening, between six and seven, went to his house : found there Mr. Langton, Mr. Sastres, and Mr. Ryland : the Doctor being asleep in the chamber, we went all to tea and coffee ; when the Doctor came in to us rather cheerful, and entering said, ' Dear gentlemen, how do you do ? ' He drank coffee, and, in the course of the con versation, said that he recollected a poem of his, made some years ago on a young gentleman coming of age. He repeated the whole with great spirit : it consisted of about fifteen or sixteen stanzas of four lines, in alternate rhyme. He said he had only repeated it once since he composed it, and that he never gave but one copy 6. He said several excellent things that evening, and among the rest, that * scruples made many men

1 For conversions ' from Protes- 3 The Rev. Samuel Hoole. Life, tantism to Popery,' see Life, ii. iv. 409.

105. 4 Ib. iii. 154. 5 Ib. iv. 413.

2 'The other two were Dr. Brockles- 6 It was to Mrs. Thrale that he by and myself.' J. HOOLE. Life, gave the copy. Ante, i. 281 ; Letters, iv. 414. ii. 190; Life, iv. 411.

miserable

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