60 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



he had never seen, and told him to write down in his Tablet, Proverbs, 

 Chap. 25, verse 5. After a little conversation the party retired. On 

 reaching Saint James, the King turned to his Bible and read aloud to 

 his courtiers, 'Take away the wicked from before the King and his 

 throne shall be established in righteousness.' Sandwich was very 

 angry with old Best, as well he might; but the King ever after was a 

 friend to him and said he should never want, which was verified." 



So far I have copied accurately the manuscript of Mr. Coventry. 

 There is, however, a good deal about Mr. Best which he does not seem 

 to have known. The D. N. B. gives us most of the following: 



This pretended prophet, Samuel Best, was born in 1738, and be- 

 fore he was 50 years of age he had become an inmate of the Work 

 House at Shore Ditch. His life before that time is rather obscure. 

 By some he is said to have been a Spitalfields weaver and by others a 

 servant in different establishments in the city of London. Before he 

 was 50 years of age he disowned his children, he discarded his original 

 name and took that of "Poor-help" (not Poor Help as Coventry 

 thinks), describing as he thought his special mission. 



He was a visionary and enthusiast, not wholly unlike his contem- 

 porary, the celebrated Richard Brothers who came from Newfound- 

 land. He probably was a little touched with insanity and probably 

 believed in his own prophetic and supernatural powers. He was in 

 the habit of receiving his visitors, we are told, in a room adorned with 

 fantastic emblems and devices; he would inspect the palms of their 

 hands and from them give an outline of their past lives. He would 

 also furnish guidance for the future in phrases of scripture, just as he 

 did with Coventry's father; he also believed, or at least claimed, that 

 by licking the hands of his patients he could determine the disease 

 with which they were afflicted. 



After acquiring considerable notoriety he removed to a house in 

 the Kingsland Road and was consulted by many of the upper classes 

 whom he also visited at their own homes. He professed to eat no 

 food but bread and cheese and to drink only gin tinctured with rhubarb. 

 He spent his nights, as he claimed, in communion with the celestial 

 powers. For the last 30 years of his life he was convinced that he was 

 to be the leader of the children of Israel to rebuild the city of Jeru- 

 salem. In that regard he imitated Richard Brothers, who about the 

 same time, that is, the latter part of the 18th Century, gave himself 

 out as a descendant of David, declaring that he was to be revealed as 

 Prince of the Hebrews and Ruler of the World. 



Brothers was more fortunate in some respects than Best in that 

 he convinced many educated Englishmen, members of Parliament 



