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ed every day to approach nearer and nearer. Thefe defired not to be "uncloathed but to be cloathed upon, for they knew that if their frail Tabernacle was diffolved, they had an houfe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Z,

THE

BLACK PRINCE:

Being an account of the Life and Death of Naimbanna, an African King's fon, who arriv ed in England, in the year 1791, and fet fail on his return in June, 1793.

IN Africa, the country where the negroes live,

and from which flaves are taken, there was a king who was not a Chriftian, but who was a better man (to their fhame be it spoken) than many who call themselves Chriftians. Though he could neither read nor write, he had good fenfe enough to grieve for the mifery and ignorance of his poor countrymen, and he was defirous of doing them good if he but knew how.

At length a number of English gentlemen, who had at heart the fame thing, formed themfelves into a company for the purpose of putting a top to the trade in flaves, and fpread. ing in Africa the bleffings of the gospel,

Their plan was to form a fettlement in the river Sierra Leone, where the above mentioned king lived, and they accordingly fent over an agent to talk with the king, and to procure his confent.

The good old king was very glad when he heard of their intentions; he eafily faw that fuch a fettlement would produce great benefit to his country; he therefore became the ftaunch friend of the company; and alfo of the fettlement, which was foon after formed, and he continued fo to the day of his death.

The king had thought, before this time, that there were none but bad people in England; for, to use his own words, he had never before feen any Englishmen who were not bad people; but he now found, that though there were many wicked people in England, there were many good people alfo. Being informed that what made the people in England good was the chriftian religion, he refolved to fend thither his fon, about 23 years of age, who was put under the care of the Sierra Leone Company's agent, and by him brought to England, the Company readily undertaking the charge of his education.

Naimbanna (for fo he was called) arrived in England, in a veffel called the Lapwing, in the year 1791, and proper perfons were chosen to inftru&t him in reading, writing, and other parts of education; but before we proceed to give an account of the progrefs he made during his ftay in this country, it may be proper to make

the reader acquainted with his character at the time of his landing. His perfon was not handfome, but his manners were extremely pleafing, and his difpofition kind and affectionate: at the fame time, his feelings were quick and jealous, and he was very violent in his temper, as well as proud and difdainful. Though he labored under great difadvantages from the want of early education, yet he fhewed figns of a good understanding, and he appeared to be very fharp-fighted in finding out people's real charac

ter.

He had not been long in England before a thirst of knowledge was found to be a leading feature in his character. His teachers have faid that he would often urge them to prolong the time employed in reading, and that he was always thankful to any one who would affift him in learning any thing that was useful. He was never led into company where the time was wafted in idle talk without being forry, and when left to himself, he would employ not lefs than eight or ten hours of the day in reading.

As it was the main object of the gentlemen to whofe care he had been entrusted, to give him right views of Chriftianity, pains were taken to convince him, that the bible was the word of God, and he received it as fuch with great reverence and fimplicity: "When I found," faid he, "all good men minding the Bible, and calling it the word of God, and all bad men difregarding it, I was then fure that the Bible.

must be what good men called it, the word of God." But not content with the report of others, he read the Bible for himself. He would fometimes complain of being fatigued with other ftudies; but even when he was most fatigued, if afked to read a little in the fcriptures, he always expreffed his readiness by some emotion of joy: He used to say, that he was fure of meeting with fomething in the Bible which fuited every cafe, and fhewed him what was right and what was wrong; and that he likewife found in it good examples to encourage him to do what was right, and bad examples, to deter him from doing what was wrong. In fhort, he was not one of those who read the Bible, and think little or nothing about what they read, but he confidered it as the rule of his life; and if at any time his behavior was amifs, and a text of fcripture was mentioned, which proved it to be fo, he would immediately fubmit to its authority. Nor was his regard for the Bible merely of an outward kind; it plainly affected his heart. He had tried, when in Africa, (to use his own words) to make himfelf as proud as he could, and he thought it great to revenge himself on any one who had done him an injury; but from the Bible he acquired fuch humble views of himself, that he was led to fee his need of Chrift as his Saviour, and the neceffity of relying on him as the ground of acceptance with God. Humility was a quality which he found it hard to attain; but before his departure from Eng

land, not only his pride, but also his revengeful fpirit had become hateful to him. The progrefs he had made in fubduing his paffions, during his short stay in this country, confidering the natural violence of his temper, was confiderable. He always expreffed forrow when he had been hafly or paffionate in his conduct; as he became more acquainted with Chriftian principles, he acquired more courtesy and delicacy of manners, fome degree of which was indeed natural to him, and the fuperftitious belief in witchcraft, to which Africans are fo prone, gradually left him.

He paid great respect to the teachers of Chriftianity, whom he wished much to invite over to his country; took great delight in the exercife of devotion, and would talk on religious fubjects with much opennefs and fimplicity, and without any mixture of enthufiafm. Love and gratitude to God, who had delivered him from the ftate of darkness in which, in common with millions of his countrymen, he had been till lately plunged, were ftrongly impressed on his mind, and had a ftrong and abiding effect on the whole of his conduct.

His tenderness of confcience was very ftriking, and it feemed to have become his defire, on all occafions, to know what line of conduct was moft agreeable to the word of God; when he could determine that point, he would not hefitate about refolving to purfue it.

The reader will have a better view of the

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