Being at play with other children, when three or four years old, I was telling them something, which my mother overhearing, said it had happened before I was born—­I stuck to my story, however, and related somethings which went, in her opinion, to confirm it—­others being called on were greatly astonished, knowing that these things had happened, and caused them to say in my hearing, I surely would be a prophet, as the Lord had shewn me things that had happened before my birth.  And my father and mother strengthened me in this my first impression, saying in my presence, I was intended for some great purpose, which they had always thought from certain marks on my head and breast—­[a parcel of excrescences which I believe are not at all uncommon, particularly among negroes, as I have seen several with the same.  In this case he has either cut them off or they have nearly disappeared]—­My grand mother, who was very religious, and to whom I was much attached—­my master, who belonged to the church, and other religious persons who visited the house, and whom I often saw at prayers, noticing the singularity of my manners, I suppose, and my uncommon intelligence for a child, remarked I had too much sense to be raised, and if I was, I would never be of any service to any one as a slave—­To a mind like mine, restless, inquisitive and observant of every thing that was passing, it is easy to suppose that religion was the subject to which it would be directed, and although this subject principally occupied my thoughts—­there was nothing that I saw or heard of to which my attention was not directed—­The manner in which I learned to read and write, not only had great influence on my own mind, as I acquired it with the most perfect ease, so much so, that I have no recollection whatever of learning the alphabet—­but to the astonishment of the family, one day, when a book was shewn me to keep me from crying, I began spelling the names of different objects—­this was a source of wonder to all in the neighborhood, particularly the blacks—­and this learning was constantly improved at all opportunities—­when I got large enough to go to work, while employed, I was reflecting on many things that would present themselves to my imagination, and whenever an opportunity occurred of looking at a book, when the school children were getting their lessons, I would find many things that the fertility of my own imagination had depicted to me before; all my time, not devoted to my master’s service, was spent either in prayer, or in making experiments in casting different things in moulds made of earth, in attempting to make paper, gunpowder, and many other experiments, that although I could not perfect, yet convinced me of its practicability if I had the means.[Footnote:  When questioned as to the manner of manufacturing those different articles, he was found well informed on the subject.] I was not addicted to stealing in my youth, nor have ever been—­Yet such was the confidence of