‘ 
J 
180 
began his education so early, and with 
so great success, that at three years of age he 
was capable of reading English fluently, and 
at tle same time she instilled into him those 
principles of religion, which, during a period 
of his life that seems by his o+vn account to 
have been sufficiently profligate, were never 
totally forgotten. This worthy woman dicd 
in 1752, and on his father’s marrying againin 
the following year, he was sent to a school in 
Essex, where, however, he continued but for 
a short time; for in 1736, being then only 
eleven, years old his father took him to sea. 
Between that time and 1742, he made se- 
veral voyages to the Mediterranean, and 
mnight have remained at Alicant, under very 
advantageous circumstances, but this his un- 
settled turn of mind caused him to decline. 
In 1742, he had an offer of going to Jamaica 
under the protection of an old friend of his 
father’s and with the fairest prospects of stc- 
cess; but going to visit some relations in 
Kent previous to his departure, he there con- 
tragted an attachment tothe lady whom he 
afterwards married, which caused him to lin- 
ger so longin the country, that the ship in 
which he was to have gone to the West In- 
dies, sailed without bim. In 1743, Mr. 
Newton made a voyage to Venice, soon after 
his return from which, he fellinto the hands 
of a press gang, and was sent on board the 
Harwich man of war, where, through his fa- 
ther’s interest, he was shortly after rated as a 
midshipman, but in the following year on 
ithe ship being ordered to the East ‘ndies, 
Kis. unconquerable dislike to the yoyage 
tnade him attempt to run away from the 
Harwich, in which attempt he was detecced, 
and in consequence was flogged and turned 
before the mast. When the Harwich ar- 
rived at Madeira, some sailors belonging to 
aGuineaman which was lying there, having en- 
tered on board her, Mr. Newton obtained per- 
mission to go on board the vessel they had 
quitted, which happened to be commanded by 
an acquaintance of his father’s. In this ves- 
sel he went to the coist of Guinea, but when 
she had completed her cargo, and was on the 
‘ point of sailing for Europe, he left her and en- 
tered into the service of asettler in the isiand 
of Barbadoes. Mr. Newton had been so im- 
prudent as to make no written agreement with 
his new master who was.a dealer-in slaves; 
and the.consequences may be easily antici- 
pated ; during an Illness with which he was 
. soon seized after his going on shore, he was 
treated with great inhumanity, and the whole 
~ of the fifteen months he continued with this 
man was one continued series of hardships. 
Daring this period, when almost destitute of 
both food and clothing, “it may appear strange 
that he could turn his mind to the study of 
Geometry, which, however, was the case. 
Barrow’s Euclid was the only book in his 
possession, and this, when he could find time, 
he used to study, drawing the diagrams with 
astick on the sand, and in this manner he 
i 
Account of the late Kev. Fohn Newton. _- [Sept. 1. 
madeé himself master of the first six books of 
juclid. Having quitted the service of his 
first master for that of a second, who treated 
him with more consideration, he was sent to 
a factory on the river Kittam, where shortly 
after a vessel called, the captain of which had 
directions to render him every service in his 
power. My. Newton went on beard this ship, 
which was collecting gold dust, ivory, &c. and 
when her cargo was completed, sailed in her 
for England. During the voyage homeward, 
the vessel suffered so much from hard weather, 
that it was with great difficulty they could 
reach Ireland, after having been on short al- 
lowance for eight weeks, and when they cast 
anchor in Lough Swilley, thé last of their pro- 
visions were boiling inthe pot, On his arri- 
val in England, in 1748, -he found that his 
father had sailed for Hudson’s Bay, having 
been appointed Governor of York Fort, 
where he died shortly after. During this va- 
riety of fortune, the religious principles, 
which he had imbibed from the instructions 
of his excellent mother, seem to have lain 
dormant, out the hardships he endured on his 
voyage homewards, brought them back to his 
recollection, and they soon acquired that in- 
flu nce on his conduct which was never after- 
wards lost. Mr. Newton made another voy- 
age to Guinea as mate of a slaye ship, on his 
return from which in 1750, he married the 
lady who so long possessed his affections, He 
afterwards made several voyages as master in 
the same trade, during which he acquired by 
his own exertions and application, a competent 
knowledge of the Latin language. It ought 
not to be forgotten that while commanderofa 
ship, he solemnized divine worship regularly 
twice every Sunday, according to the liturgy 
of the church of England. He continued in 
the African trade till 1754, when, in conse~ 
quence of a fit apoplexy, his physician dis- 
suaded him from another voyage. 
about ten years after this that Mr. Newton 
turned his thoughts tothe ministry, and after 
some difficulty, succeeded in receiving ordina- 
tion as a minister of the church of England, 
ie was for several years curate of Olney, in 
Buckinghamshire, where he became ace 
guainted with the poet Cowper. A volume 
of hymns, entitled Olney Hymns,” thejr 
joint production, was intended to perpetuate. 
the.remembrance of this intimate and en- 
deared friendshin. They had not proceeded 
far upon their proposed plan before Mr. Cow- 
per was _prevented by a long and afflicting ine 
disposition from affording his friend any far- 
ther assistance, and the few hymns in the 
eollection which were written by Mr. Cow- 
per, ate distinguished hy the letter C. Mr. 
Newton was presented about the year 1799, 
to the rectory of St Mary, Woolnoth, in 
Lombard-street, London, the duties of which 
he faithfully, discharged till within a short 
period of his death, amongst a people warmly 
and zealously attached to him. His writings 
are well known and highly esteemed in, the 
; : religious 
Tt was. 
