the life of william carey-第6章

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re　them；　find　the　thing　which　they　had　long　been　groping　after。　　However　that　may　be；　I　observed　the　lad　who　entered　with　Mr。　Old　riveted　in　attention　with　every　mark　and　symptom　of　intelligence　and　feeling；　saying　little；　but　modestly　asking　now　and　then　an　appropriate　question。　　I　took　occasion；　before　I　went　forward；　to　inquire　after　him；　and　found　that；　young　as　he　was；　he　was　a　member　of　the　church　at　Hackleton；　and　looked　upon　as　a　very　consistent　and　promising　character。　　I　lived　at　Olney　till　the　end　of　1785；　and　in　the　course　of　that　time　I　called　perhaps　two　or　three　times　each　year　at　Mr。　Old's；　and　was　each　time　more　and　more　struck　with　the　youth's　conduct；　though　I　said　little；　but；　before　I　left　Olney；　Mr。　Carey　was　out　of　his　engagement　with　Mr。　Old。　I　found　also　that　he　was　sent　out　as　a　probationary　preacher；　and　preached　at　Moulton；　and　I　said　to　all　to　whom　I　had　access；　that　he　would；　if　I　could　judge；　prove　no　ordinary　man。　　Yet；　though　I　often　met　both　old　Mr。　Ryland；　the　present　Dr。　Ryland；　Mr。　Hall；　Mr。　Fuller；　and　knew　almost　every　step　taken　in　forming　your　Missionary　Society；　and　though　I　sometimes　preached　very　near　Moulton；　it　so　happened　that　I　do　not　recollect　having　met　with　him　any　more；　till　he　came　to　my　house　in　London　with　Mr。　Thomas；　to　desire　me　to　use　what　little　influence　I　had　with　Charles　Grant；　Esq。；　to　procure　them　licence　to　go　in　the　Company's　ships　as　missionaries　to　the　British　settlements　in　India；　perhaps　in　1792。　　My　little　influence　was　of　no　avail。　　What　I　said　of　Mr。　Carey　so　far　satisfied　Mr。　Grant　that　he　said；　if　Mr。　Carey　was　going　alone；　or　with　one　equally　to　be　depended　on　along　with　him；　he　would　not　oppose　him；　but　his　strong　disapprobation　of　Mr。　T。；　on　what　ground　I　knew　not；　induced　his　negative。　　I　believe　Mr。　Old　died　soon　after　I　left　Olney；　if　not　just　before；　and　his　shop；　which　was　a　little　building　apart　from　the　house；　was　suffered　to　go　to　decay。　　While　in　this　state　I　several　times　passed　it；　and　said　to　my　sons　and　others　with　me；　that　is　Mr。　Carey's　college。〃

This　cobbler's　shed　which　was　Carey's　college　has　been　since　restored；　but　two　of　the　original　walls　still　stand；　forming　the　corner　in　which　he　sat；　opposite　the　window　that　looks　out　into　the　garden　he　carefully　kept。　　Here；　when　his　second　master　died；　Carey　succeeded　to　the　business；　charging　himself　with　the　care　of　the　widow；　and　marrying　the　widow's　sister；　Dorothy　or　Dolly　Placket。　He　was　only　twenty　when　he　took　upon　himself　such　burdens；　in　the　neighbouring　church　of　Piddington；　a　village　to　which　he　afterwards　moved　his　shop。　　Never　had　minister；　missionary；　or　scholar　a　less　sympathetic　mate；　due　largely　to　that　latent　mental　disease　which　in　India　carried　her　off；　but　for　more　than　twenty　years　the　husband　showed　her　loving　reverence。　　As　we　stand　in　the　Hackleton　shed；　over　which　Carey　placed　the　rude　signboard　prepared　by　his　own　hands；　and　now　in　the　library　of　Regent's　Park　College；　〃Second　Hand　Shoes　Bought　and；〃2　we　can　realise　the　low　estate　to　which　Carey　fell；　even　below　his　father's　loom　and　schoolhouse；　and　from　which　he　was　called　to　become　the　apostle　of　North　India　as　Schwartz　was　of　the　South。

How　was　this　shed　his　college？　　We　have　seen　that　he　brought　with　him　from　his　native　village　an　amount　of　information；　habits　of　observation；　and　a　knowledge　of　books　unusual　in　rustics　of　that　day；　and　even　of　the　present　time。　　At　twelve　he　made　his　first　acquaintance　with　a　language　other　than　his　own；　when　he　mastered　the　short　grammar　in　Dyche's　Latine　Vocabulary；　and　committed　nearly　the　whole　book　to　memory。　　When　urging　him　to　take　the　preaching　at　Barton；　Mr。　Sutcliff　of　Olney　gave　him　Ruddiman's　Latin　Grammar。　The　one　alleviation　of　his　lot　under　the　coarse　but　upright　Nichols　was　found　in　his　master's　small　library。　　There　he　began　to　study　Greek。　　In　a　New　Testament　commentary　he　found　Greek　words；　which　he　carefully　transcribed　and　kept　until　he　should　next　visit　home；　where　a　youth　whom　dissipation　had　reduced　from　college　to　weaving　explained　both　the　words　and　their　terminations　to　him。　　All　that　he　wanted　was　such　beginnings。　　Hebrew　he　seems　to　have　learned　by　the　aid　of　the　neighbouring　ministers；　borrowing　books　from　them；　and　questioning　them　〃pertinently；〃　as　he　did　Scott。3　At　the　end　of　Hopkins's　Three　Sermons　on　the　Effects　of　Sin　on　the　Universe；　preached　in　1759；　he　had　made　this　entry　on　9th　August　1787〃Gulielm。　Careius　perlegit。〃　　He　starved　himself　to　purchase　a　few　books　at　the　sale　which　attended　Dr。　Ryland's　removal　from　Northampton　to　Bristol。　　In　an　old　woman's　cottage　he　found　a　Dutch　quarto；　and　from　that　he　so　taught　himself　the　language　that　in　1789　he　translated　for　Ryland　a　discourse　on　the　Gospel　Offer　sent　to　him　by　the　evangelical　Dr。　Erskine　of　Edinburgh。　　The　manuscript　is　in　an　extremely　small　character；　unlike　what　might　have　been　expected　from　one　who　had　wrought　with　his　hands　for　eight　years。　　French　he　acquired；　sufficiently　for　literary　purposes；　in　three　weeks　from　the　French　version　of　Ditton　on　the　Resurrection；　which　he　purchased　for　a　few　coppers。　　He　had　the　linguistic　gift　which　soon　after　made　the　young　carpenter　Mezzofanti　of　Bologna　famous　and　a　cardinal。　But　the　gift　would　have　been　buried　in　the　grave　of　his　penury　and　his　circumstances　had　his　trade　been　almost　any　other；　and　had　he　not　been　impelled　by　the　most　powerful　of　all　motives。　　He　never　sat　on　his　stall　without　his　book　before　him；　nor　did　he　painfully　toil　with　his　wallet　of　new…made　shoes　to　the　neighbouring　towns　or　return　with　leather　without　conning　over　his　lately…acquired　knowledge；　and　making　it　for　ever；　in　orderly　array；　his　own。　　He　so　taught　his　evening　school　and　his　Sunday　congregations　that　the　teaching　to　him；　like　writing　to　others；　stereotyped　or　lighted　up　the　truths。　　Indeed；　the　school　and　the　cobbling　often　went　on　togethera　fact　commemorated　in　the　addition　to　the　Hackleton　signboard　of　the　Piddington　nail　on　which　he　used　to　fix　his　thread　while　teaching　the　children。

But　that　which　sanctified　and　directed　the　whole　throughout　a　working　life　of　more　than　half　a　century；　was　the　missionary　idea　and　the　missionary　consecration。　　With　a　caution　not　often　shown　at　that　time　by　bishops　in　laying　hands　on　those　whom　they　had　passed　for　deacon's　orders；　the　little　church　at　Olney　thus　dealt　with　the　Father　of　Modern　Missions　before　they　would　recognise　his　call　and　send　him　out　〃to　preach　the　gospel　wherever　God　in　His　providence　might　call　him：〃

〃June　17；　1785。A　request　from　William　Carey　of　Moulton；　in　Northamptonshire；　was　taken　into　consideration。　　He　has　been　and　still　is　in　connection　with　a　society　of　people　at　Hackleton。　　He　is　occasionally　engaged　with　acceptance　in　various　places　in　speaking　the　Word。　He　bears　a　very　good　moral　character。　　He　is　desirous　of　being　sent　out　from　some　reputable　church　of　Christ　into　the　work　of　the　ministry。　　The　principal　Question　was'In　what　manner　shall　we　receive　him？　by　a　letter　from　the　people　of　Hackleton；　or　on　a　profession　of　faith；　etc。？'　　The　final　resolution　of　it　was　left　to　another　church　Meeting。

〃July　14Ch。　Meeting。　　W。　Carey　appeared　before　the　Church；　and　having　given　a　satisfactory　account　of　the　work　of　God　upon　his　soul；　he　was　admitted　a　member。　　He　had　been　formerly　baptised　by　the　Rev。　Mr。　Ryland；　jun。；　of　Northampton。　　He　was　invited　by　the　Church　to　preach　in　public　once　next　Lord's　Day。

〃July　17。Ch。　Meeting；　Lord's　Day　Evening。　　W。　Carey；　in　consequence　of　a　request　from　the　Church；　preached　this　Evening。　After　which　it　was　resolved　that　he　should　be　allowed　to　go　on　preaching　at　those　places　where　he　has　been　for　some　time　employed；　and　that　he　should　engage　again　on　suitable　occasions　for　some　time　before　us；　in　order　that　farther　trial　may　be　made　of　ministerial　gifts。

〃June　16；　1786。C。M。　The　case　of　Bror。　Carey　was　considered；　and　an　unanimous　satisfaction　with　his　ministerial　abilities　being　expressed；　a　vote　was　passed　to　call　him　to　the　Ministry　at　a　proper　time。

〃August　10。Ch。　Meeting。　　This　evening　our　Brother　William　Carey　was　called　to　the　work　of　the　Ministry；　and　sent　out　by　the　Church　to　preach　the　Gospel；　wherever　God　in　His　providence　mi