He now appears to be turn’d of Sixty; has a good natural Understanding; is well acquainted with the Scriptures, and the Things of God, has an amiable and tender Disposition, and his Character can be well attested not only at Kidderminster, the Place of his Residence but likewise by many creditable Persons in London and other Places.  Reader, recommending this Narrative to your perusal, and him who is the Subject of it to your charitable Regard,

I am your faithful and obedient Servant,

For Christ’s Sake,

W. Shirley.

AN

ACCOUNT

OF

James Albert, &c.

I was born in the city Bournou; my mother was the eldest daughter of the reigning King there, of which Bournou is the chief city.  I was the youngest of six children, and particularly loved by my mother, and my grand-father almost doated on me.

I had, from my infancy, a curious turn of mind; was more grave and reserved in my disposition than either of my brothers and sisters.  I often teazed them with questions they could not answer:  for which reason they disliked me, as they supposed that I was either foolish, or insane.  ’Twas certain that I was, at times, very unhappy in myself:  it being strongly impressed on my mind that there was some Great Man of power which resided above the sun, moon and stars, the objects of our worship.  My dear indulgent mother would bear more with me than any of my friends beside.—­I often raised my hand to heaven, and asked her who lived there? was much dissatisfied when she told me the sun, moon and stars, being persuaded, in my own mind, that there must be some Superior Power.—­I was frequently lost in wonder at the works of the Creation:  was afraid and uneasy and restless, but could not tell for what.  I wanted to be informed of things that no person could tell me; and was always dissatisfied.—­These wonderful impressions begun in my childhood, and followed me continually ’till I left my parents, which affords me matter of admiration and thankfulness.

To this moment I grew more and more uneasy every day, in so much that one saturday, (which is the day on which we keep our sabbath) I laboured under anxieties and fears that cannot be expressed; and, what is more extraordinary, I could not give a reason for it.—­I rose, as our custom is, about three o’clock, (as we are oblig’d to be at our place of worship an hour before the sun rise) we say nothing in our worship, but continue on our knees with our hands held up, observing a strict silence ’till the sun is at a certain height, which I suppose to be about 10 or 11 o’clock in England:  when, at a certain sign made by the priest, we get up (our duty being over) and disperse to our different houses.—­Our place of meeting is under a large palm tree; we divide ourselves into many congregations; as it is impossible