The Journal Of John Wesley

Here we hired a coach for Briel, but were forced to hire a wagon also, to carry a box which one of us could have carried on his shoulders. At Briel we took a boat to Rotterdam. We had not been long there when Mr. Bennet, a bookseller who had invited me to his house, called upon me. But as Mr. Loyal, the minister of the Scotch congregation, had invited me, be gave up his claim and went with us to Mr. Loyal's. I found a friendly, sensible, hospitable, and, I am persuaded, a pious man. We took a walk together round the town, all as clean as a gentleman's parlor. Many of the houses are as high as those in the main street at Edinburgh; and the canals, running through the chief streets, make them convenient, as well as pleasant, bringing the merchants' goods up to their doors. Stately trees grow on all their banks. The whole town is encompassed with a double row of elms so that one may walk all round it in the shade.

Saturday, 14. -- I had much conversation with the two English ministers, sensible, well-bred, serious men. These, as well as Mr. Loyal, were very willing I should preach in their churches; but they thought it would be best for me to preach in the Episcopal Church. By our conversing freely together, many prejudices were removed and all our hearts seemed to be united together.

In the evening we again took a walk around the town, and I observed 1) many of the houses are higher than most in Edinburgh. It is true they have not so many stories; but each story is far loftier.2) The streets, the outside and inside of their houses in every part, doors, windows, well-staircases, furniture, even floors, are kept so nicely clean that you cannot find a speck of dirt; 3) there is such a grandeur and elegance in the fronts of the large houses as I never saw elsewhere; and such a profusion of marble within, particularly in their lower floors and staircases, as I wonder other nations do not imitate.4) The women and children (which I least of all expected) were in general the most beautiful I ever saw. They were surprisingly fair and had an inexpressible air of innocence in their countenance.5) This was wonderfully set off by their dress, which was simplex munditiis, plain and neat in the highest degree.6) It has lately been observed that growing vegetables greatly resist putridity: so there is a use in their numerous rows of trees which was not thought of at first. The elms balance the canals, preventing the putrefaction which those otherwise might produce.