Tuesday, December 1, 2009

A hurricane as I have scarce known in England

Tues December 1 1747: About noon we reached Stockbridge. The rain then changed into snow. Seeing no prospect of fair weather, after resting a while we set out in the midst of the storm. It blew such a hurricane as I have scarce known in England, and that full in our teeth, so that our horses reeled to and fro, and had much ado to keep their feet. The snow likewise drove so vehemently in our faces in riding over the open downs, where for several miles there was neither house nor tree nor shrub to shelter, that it was hard labour to get forward. But in about an hour the sky cleared up, and we rode on comfortably to Salisbury.
From the concurring account of many witnesses, who spoke no more than they personally knew, I now learned as much as is hitherto brought to light concerning the fall of poor Mr. H.
Twelve years ago he was, without all question, filled with faith and the love of God. He was a pattern of humility, meekness, seriousness, and above all of self-denial, so that in all England, I knew not his fellow.
It were easy to point out the several steps whereby he fell from his steadfastness, even till he fell into a course of adultery, yea, and avowed it in the face of the sun!