THE HORSEMEN 49 



been forty years earlier, Avlieii he commenced his 

 labonrs ; but he did not give up the saddle until 

 very near the last. In 1779, being then in his 

 seventy-seventh year, he was still so active that 

 on one day he rode from Worcester to Bi-econ, 

 sixty miles, and preached on his arrival there. 

 In 1782, when eighty, he still travelled, according 

 to his own computation, four or five thousand 

 miles a year, rose early, preached, and possessed 

 the faculty of sleeping, night or day, Avhenever he 

 desired to do so. When he began to travel he 

 rose at the most astonishing hours — hours un- 

 known even to the early-rising, hard -riding, hard- 

 living travellers of that time. Let us look at his 

 record for Pebruary 1746, along the Great North 

 Hoad : — ■ 



" \Wi Fehniary. — I rose soon after three. I 

 was wondering the day before at the mildness of 

 the weather, such as seldom attends me in my 

 journeys ; but my wonder noAV ceased. The wind 

 Avas turned full north, and blew so exceeding hard 

 and keen that when Ave came (from London) to 

 Hatfield neither my companions nor I had much 

 use of our hands or feet. After resting an hour, 

 Ave bore up again through the Avind and snow, 

 Avhicli drove full in our faces ; but this Avas only 

 a squall. In Baldock fiekl the storm began in 

 earnest ; the large hail drove so vehemently in our 

 faces that we could not see, nor hardly breathe ; 

 hoAvever, before two o'clock Ave reached Baldock, 

 Avliere one met and conducted us safe to Potton. 

 About six I preached to a serious congregation. 

 VOL. I. 4 



