IlE^'lIY KIUKE -VVniTE. 



answer to Mr Scott, Henry's reply was in a very ditre- 

 rent tone and temper. He said, that to answer that book 

 was out of his power, and out of any man's, for it was 

 founded upon eternal truth ; that it had convinced 

 him of his error ; and that so thoroughly was he im- 

 pressed -with a sense of the importance of his IMalier's 

 favour, that he "would willingly give up all acquisitions 

 of knowledge, and all hopes of fame, and live in a wil- 

 derness, unknown, till death, so he could insure an 

 inlieritance in heaven.* 



A new pursuit was thus opened to him, and he en- 

 gaged in it with his wonted ardour. " It was a constant 

 feature in his mind," says Mr Pigott, '* to persevere in 

 the pursuit of what he deemed noble and important. 

 Religion, in which he now appeared to himself not yet to 

 have taken a step, engaged all his anxiety, as of all con- 

 cerns the most important. He could not rest satisfied till 

 he had formed his principles upon the basis of Christianity, 

 and till he had begun in earnest to think and actagreeably 

 to its pure and heavenly precepts. Hismindluved toraake 

 distant excursions intothe future and remote consequences 

 of things. He no longer limited his vie\vs to the narrow 

 confines of earthly existence ; he was not happy till he 

 had learnt to rest and expatiate in a world to come. 

 What he said to me when we became intimate is worthy 

 of observation : that, he said, which first made him dis- 

 satisfied with the creed he had adopted, and the stan- 

 dard of practice w^hich he had set up for himself, was the 

 purity of mind which he perceived was everywhere in- 

 culcated in the Holy Scriptures, and rt;quired of cverr 



* Mr Soutliey, in an edition publislied in 1822, gives an entirely dif 

 ferent account of the manner of Henry Kirke V.'bite's conversion, 

 mentioning thit he liad been misled in giving ihe above account. 



Restates Oe true circumstances as follows! — A fellow-student oi 

 Kirke White (Rev. .Mr Almond) having teen brought under the power 

 of religions truth, resolved to forsake such corapaiiious as might en- 

 danger his stedfastness, and, among others, caretuUy avoided Kirke i 

 White, formerly one of his most intimate friends. 



White, surprised and grieved at the cnange, sought an explanation, 

 and appeared much struck with his friend's statements. The student 

 gave him " Scott's Force of Truth" to read, which, however, seemed to 

 produce little impression, and was returned with disapprobation. 



But the arrow of conviction had entered his 3.)ul. He was unhappy 

 viihout religion, and at last opened his whole heart to his friend, and 

 with tears in his eyes asked him, What must I do ? 



