liv’d in hell, and would take all that said these words, and put them in the fire and burn them.—­This terrified me greatly, and I was entirely broke of swearing.—­Soon after this, as I was placing the china for tea, my mistress came into the room just as the maid had been cleaning it; the girl had unfortunately sprinkled the wainscot with the mop; at which my mistress was angry; the girl very foolishly answer’d her again, which made her worse, and she call’d upon God to damn her.—­I was vastly concern’d to hear this, as she was a fine young lady, and very good to me, insomuch that I could not help speaking to her, “Madam, says I, you must not say so,” Why, says she?  Because there is a black man call’d the Devil that lives in hell, and he will put you in the fire and burn you, and I shall be very sorry for that.  Who told you this replied my lady?  Old Ned, says I. Very well was all her answer; but she told my master of it, and he order’d that old Ned should be tyed up and whipp’d, and was never suffer’d to come into the kitchen with the rest of the servants afterwards.—­My mistress was not angry with me, but rather diverted with my simplicity and, by way of talk, She repeated what I had said, to many of her acquaintance that visited her; among the rest, Mr. Freelandhouse, a very gracious, good Minister, heard it, and he took a great deal of notice of me, and desired my master to part with me to him.  He would not hear of it at first, but, being greatly persuaded, he let me go, and Mr. Freelandhouse gave L50. for me.—­He took me home with him, and made me kneel down, and put my two hands together, and pray’d for me, and every night and morning he did the same.—­I could not make out what it was for, nor the meaning of it, nor what they spoke to when they talk’d—­I thought it comical, but I lik’d it very well.—­After I had been a little while with my new master I grew more familiar, and ask’d him the meaning of prayer:  (I could hardly speak english to be understood) he took great pains with me, and made me understand that he pray’d to God, who liv’d in Heaven; that He was my Father and best Friend.—­I told him that this must be a mistake; that my father liv’d at Bournou, and I wanted very much to see him, and likewise my dear mother, and sister, and I wish’d he would be so good as to send me home to them; and I added, all I could think of to induce him to convey me back.  I appeared in great trouble, and my good master was so much affected that the tears ran down his face.  He told me that God was a Great and Good Spirit, that He created all the world, and every person and thing in it, in Ethiopia, Africa, and America, and every where.  I was delighted when I heard this:  There, says I, I always thought so when I liv’d at home!  Now if I had wings like an Eagle I would fly to tell my dear mother that God is greater than the sun, moon, and stars; and that they were made by Him.