1799-] 
central inn in the town, becaufe it is clofe 
to the {pot where their anceftor was exe- 
‘cuted. Some of thefe tranfactions are re- 
corded in the following curious infcription 
upon.a grave-ftone in the church-yard at 
Bolton: 
«¢ John Okey, the fervant of God, was born 
in London 1668; came into this town 1620; 
married Mary, the daughter of James Cromp-: 
ton, of Breightmet, 1635, with whom he 
lived comfortably 20 years, and had four fons 
and fix daughters. Since then ke lived fole 
till the day of his death. 
many great changes and terrible alterations 5 
48 years civil wars in England, befides many 
dreadful fea-fights; the crown and command 
of England changed eight times; epifcopacy 
laid afide 74 years; London burnt by Papiits, 
and more ftately built again; Germany 
wafted 300:miles ; 200,coo Proteftants mur- 
dered in Ireland by the Papifts: this town 
thrice ftormed; once taken and plundered. 
He went through many troubles and divers 
conditions; found reft, joy and happinefs only 
in holinefs, the faith, fear and love of God in 
Jefus Chrift. He died the 29th of April, and 
lieth here baried, 1684.—Come, Lord Jefus, 
come quickly!” 
The inhabitants of Eolton have not 
been in the beft repute for their ufage of 
ftrangers ; but the evil has probably arifen 
from fuch’rude waffailers (fee Milton’s 
Comus) as are found aloft in every place, 
who have reforted to the inns frequented 
by travellers, whom they have deceived 
and irritated by their impudent compofure 
in telling falfehoods, in order to cheat 
_ them of their money by laying wagers with 
them in oppofition to the plaineft matters 
of fact. Thefe wagers being decided by 
the company, who are all inthe fecret, and 
ehgaged in a confpiracy againft the un- 
fufpecting firanger, he is bound by the de- 
cifion to treat them, as they exprefs them- 
felyes, with glafles round. The natives 
of Bolton, though not diftinguifhed for 
polifhed behaviour, have, F am perfuaded 
from experience, as much genuine benevo- 
lence as any of their neighbours; and I 
ain happy to inform the public, that the 
above mentioned practice is dying away, 
and confined to a very few individuals. 
"Yet of late years, unfortunately, party 
-fpirit has raged in this town with uncom- 
mion bittternefs; though it appears, from 
tlie report of the Secret Committee of the 
Houle of Commons, that thofe called de- 
'Mocrats here have had the wifdom, or the 
“goed fortune, not to have entered into any 
political affociations, which irritate rather 
“tian convince, and only lead their op- 
Ponents.to attempt to exceed them in 
numbers, = 
Account of Bolton in the Moors: 
In his time were : 
179 
About 12 or 14 years 2¢0, a library 
was founded upon the moft jiberal bafis. 
Perfons of all parties and denominations 
fub{cribed to it, and books in favour of 
any fentiments, political or religions, were 
not exempted: from being voted into it. 
After the difcuffions occafioned by the at- 
tempts made to procure the repeal of the 
teft-laws, the diffenters were voted out of 
the committee. Still this fele& commit- 
tee was not at that time fufficiently fcru- 
pulows as to reject fuch works as the 
Rights of Man, or other books of a like 
kind, But previoufly to the commence- 
ment of hoftilities with the French nation, 
when an efigy of Thomas Paine was 
burned, fuch of thefe’ books as could be 
found, belonging to the ‘public library, 
were thrown, by the vote only of a ma- 
jority of the fubfcribers, into the flames. 
Againft this deftruction of common pra- 
perty many protefted. The parties di- 
vided, the reft of the books were fold by 
public audtion, and furnifhed the ground- 
work of two other libraries. Thefe 
tranfactions reminded many of the bar- 
barous” Mahometan, who ordered the 
Alexandrian library to be burned, on the 
principle, that if it contained no more than 
the Koran, it was unneceflary ; if more, 
it was pernicious; and that in either cafe 
it ought to be deftroyed. a: 
The fociety of Proteftant Diffenters, 
improperly called Prefbyterians, have alfo 
a library called The Veftry ; which con- 
tains many theological books on different 
controverfial doétrines, befides feveral vo-~ 
lumes of fcarce and curious tracts, and a 
good colleétion for the inftruétion of young 
perfons in art and fcience, in natural and 
revealed religion. Inthe account of the 
country round Manchefter, the Methodifts — 
of this place are mentioned as aétive in the 
management of their Sunday School, in 
which more than rooo children are in- 
firucted, gratis, in reading and writing. 
The followers of Swedenborg, animated 
by the zeal of a benevolent gentleman, 
named Dawes, have alfo exerted: them- 
felves in the fame good caufe, and not only 
provide about 300 children in this neigh- 
bourhood with the means of good inftruc- 
tion on the Lord’s day, but have founded 
what they call the Economifts’ Library ; 
from which they who fub{cribe only one 
penny every week, or 2s. per year, may 
receive fuch information as it is fitted to 
afford. 
As in many other towns, fince the alarm 
of the: French invafion was firft raifed, 
there have not ‘been wanting perfons in 
Bolten who have united te form corps. 
_ both 

