Saturday, January 5, 2013

Courage


Wednesday, 30.--I rode to Cork. By talking with Captain ---, I found there was no depending on the good offices of the colonel. He had told the captain with great openness, "If Mr. Wesley preached in the barracks, and the mob were to come and break the windows, I might have a long bill from the barrack-master." Break the windows! Nay, it is well if they had not broken the bones of all the soldiers.

A little before five I walked towards the barracks. The boys quickly gathered, and were more and more turbulent. But in a moment all was quiet. This, I afterward found, was owing to Mr. W---, who snatched a stick out of man's hand, and brandished it over his head, on which the whole troop valiantly ran away.

When we came over the south bridge, a large mob gathered; but before they were well formed we reached the barrack gate; at a small distance from which I stood and cried, "Let the wicked forsake his way." The congregation of serious people was large; the mob stood about a hundred yards off. I was a little surprised to observe that almost all the soldiers kept together in a body near the gate, and I knew not but the report might be true that, on a signal given, they were all to retire into the barracks; but they never stirred until I had done. As we walked away, one or two of them followed us. Their numbers increased until we had seven or eight before and a whole troop of them behind; between whom I walked, through an immense mob, to Alderman Pembrock's door. 

The Journal of John Wesley

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