palace, the burial-place of the late queen; and to conduct us about the palace. This mark of respect we could not but feel grateful for, although I should have been willing to have passed quietly to our hotel, on leaving the king; as our inclinations would not be more gratified by what we should see, than it had been by the handsome, patient hearing, the king had indulged us with: but fearing, as the person who was in attendance upon us, was very urgent that we should go through the palace, if the king should question him, and he could not say we passed through it, the king might think our guide had neglected us, and he might come into blame, we concluded to follow him. The great simplicity of the furniture in a suite of rooms occupied by the late queen, was gratifying, showing the humble state of her mind: a table stood by her bed-side as she left it, on which remained the Bible she used. Her memory I found was still precious to many of her subjects, on account of her good example. Feelings of reverent gratitude filled my heart, in the belief, that, through the extension of holy help, this day's work (although very trying in prospect) was well got through the retrospect afforded fresh cause for making sweet melody in my heart to the Lord, and singing, "Hitherto the Lord hath helped me." May He alone have the praise from the visitors and the visited, is the prayer of my grateful heart! : In the evening we were visited by an interesting young man, who had been educated in the Jewish persuasion, whose mind had been awakened in consequence of a Testament having been put into his hands: his countenance and demeanour bespoke the divinely-gathered state of his mind, which appeared the more evident as we became further acquainted with him. My dear companion, Thomas Christy, continuing to feel anxious to return home, I no longer durst attempt to detain him; and I began to believe that the time for my own departure was not very distant: the thoughts, however, of my being left alone, felt trying I also found that my kind friend, Lewis Seebohm, would be glad to be released, on his family's account; but I saw no way of safety for me, but to endeavour after patience, and entire resignation to my present allotment; and to move forward from day to day, as the clear pointings of duty may require of me. Fifth-day morning, my companion engaged his place in the diligence to Hamburgh; after which, returning to our hotel, and feeling in our minds that something was due from us to the prince Witgenstein, for the kind attention and assistance which he had afforded us, we drew up the following address :— "TO THE PRINCE WITGENSTEIN. "It is with feelings of gratitude, we request thou wilt permit us to acknowledge thy kindness in making way for us, who are strangers, to express to the king, whose confidence thou enjoyest, the words that were in our minds, and which we think nothing less than the feelings of religious duty would have warranted us in doing. "We are thankful for the opportunity, and thankful to the Almighty Creator of all things, and to the king, that we came away with our minds relieved, and we trust thou wilt share with us in the peaceful reward. "We are desirous of expressing a little matter respecting the prisoners at Spandau, believing thou hast their welfare much at heart. We wish to suggest, how well it would accord with the king's kind disposition towards these poor creatures, for the governor to be directed to furnish a Testament to each of the prisoners, male and female, who shall desire to have one, and who the governor is satisfied are likely to make a proper use of it; and as a further reward for good conduct, a hymn-book and other small books which may be approved; and those who have books, to be allowed a small box with lock and key, which may be made in the prison. A prisoner, when his work is done for the day, would then have a book to resort to, instead of spending his time in hurtful conversation. "We further suggest, whether an advantage would not arise from one of the best readers reading to the rest of the prisoners every evening the prisoners at Hamburgh, we observed, were each furnished with books, and we think to great advantage. "We are, with feelings of sincere regard, "Berlin, 10th of 8th mo. 1824." 66 "THOMAS CHRISTY, After signing the above, my dear companion took the diligence for Hamburgh, leaving me to fill up my measure of suffering and exercise, which I thought still awaited me here. The circumstance of the governor at Spandau having kept me from seeing those prisoners who were considered to be the most desperate characters, began now so to operate on my mind, as to lead me to apprehend it was one of the matters that detained me at Berlin; and yet I was ready to fear attempting another visit, when I considered the difficulty that might attend a second application for that purpose, and the blame that would attach to me, should any of the governor's fears be realized; and yet I felt a dread on my mind of the consequences of my rebelling against that conviction, (which was gaining so much ground on my best feelings;) I therefore found I must be willing to attempt a further visit to the men prisoners at Spandau. Great and powerful were the strugglings between flesh and spirit on this occasion; but seeing no way for me to come at a peaceful, quiet state of mind, but by cheerfully surrendering my life and all into the Divine keeping, I was enabled to breathe forth the language of," Here am I, Lord, send me whithersoever thou pleasest." This resignation being thus brought about in me, the way appeared to open for me, to make a second application to the prince Witgenstein, for liberty to visit the men prisoners again at Spandau: our address of acknowledgment of the prince's kindness being still in my possession, I made the following addition to it : "So far as my visit to the prisoners went, when at Spandau, it was to me satisfactory; but as this visit was only partial-those considered to be the most desperate characters amongst the men not being present at the opportunity, from a fear they might prove unruly—and my mind still feeling anxiously engaged for their welfare, I do not see I can leave Berlin comfortably to myself, without making another journey to Spandau, and visiting these also, if I may be permitted so to do. If the prince should feel his mind easy to assist me in this matter, (as I am not sure that my former letter will be sufficient to admit me for that purpose again,) I shall feel truly thankful for it." "THOMAS SHILLITOE." Sixth-day, having made this addition, my kind friend Lewis Seebohm proceeded to the prince's residence; he being from home, the letter was left. Seventh-day morning, a messenger from the prince came to our hotel, requesting Lewis Seebohm would wait upon him at his own residence. On his being introduced, the prince told him, that on the receipt of my second request to visit the prisoners at Spandau, he himself waited on the minister of justice, and read my request to him, in order that no difficulty should be laid in the way of my making a second visit to the prisoners at Spandau; he then desired Lewis Seebohm to call on the minister of justice for the order of admission; and added, that directions were forwarded to the Bible Society to furnish the prisoners with Bibles. The order for admittance not being prepared, the minister of justice engaged to send it to our hotel in the course of the evening. The way opening in my mind this morning, to make a visit to the commandant of the city and to the minister of the police, we proceeded to the minister of the police. On our first interview, from the distant manner in which he carried himself towards us, I felt discouraged; there being something in such a carriage that is humiliating to the carnal nature; but as we are willing to suffer Divine grace to rise into dominion in our own minds, it raises us above the slights and scornful looks of man. By endeavouring to keep to my own exercise, the way opened for me to lay before him my motives in making this visit to Berlin; to : which he appeared to give agreeable attention, allowing me an opportunity to express what came before me in the line of religious duty he then kindly conducted us to the door himself, and parted from us in a very friendly manner. We next waited on the commandant of the city, who received us courteously. On my laying before him various occasions of immorality, which were within his sphere and power to remedy, he united with me in my views, and expressed his willingness to do his best towards their being remedied; but added, that such were his difficulties in attempting any thing, that it was discouraging. I felt as if I could give him full credit for what he said, and could not but sympathize with him. He said, the subjects I had mentioned to him, he hoped, when a suitable opportunity occurred, to lay before the king. These two visits being thus comfortably gone through, I enjoyed a peaceful quiet. Whilst walking along, I was accosted by my friend the chief magistrate of the city, saying, "So you are about to make another visit to Spandau. I would wish you not to go again. Are you not afraid?-Don't you know some of the prisoners murdered the last governor ?" Although I received his counsel as a mark of his kindness towards me, I found it safest for me to say as little as possible in reply, having heard of this circumstance since our last visit, and that a bowl of scalding liquor had been thrown by one of the prisoners into the present governor's face; nevertheless this caution of the chief magistrate caused me, for a time, to feel keenly on the occasion, and to consider there was not only my own life, but that of my interpreter, the governor, and perhaps other attendants, at stake. Nature was roused, and all within me capable of it became as an army set in battle-array, pleading to be excused from the attempt of a second visit to Spandau; but He, who I was led to believe required this service of me, well knew my sincerity, and the earnest desire that attended my mind (if this service really was of his requiring) to be enabled to stand firm to my post: He mercifully condescended, after he had suffered the discourager to assail me for a short season, to raise up my head, in hope that strength would be given me in the needful time, to proceed in this awful and important engagement before me; and that neither hurting nor destroying should be suffered to come upon me or any one of my helpers therein. This evening a messenger arrived with an order from the minister of justice, [of which the following seems to be a rough translation :] "There is no hesitation that the institution for correction and improvement, and all the prisoners, at Spandau, including those that are separated, may be shown to the gentleman of the deputy* of the communion of Quakers in London, and be presented before him, that he may converse with them; which the director has to mind. "Berlin, 14th August, 1824." "To the Institution for Correction and Improvement." This order being received, I found it best to engage a carriage to take us to Spandau in the morning, in order to return in good time in the evening, when I proposed to sit with such individuals as were disposed to give me their company; for which purpose our landlord furnished a large room; and some serious persons had engaged to give suitable notice. This step being taken, I began to feel as if my work at Berlin was now nearly brought to a close. It was difficult to have my mind divested of the circumstance of the murder of the former governor at Spandau, and the recollection of the alarm of the present governor, on my former request to see them all together; these considerations, I found, without great watchfulness, were in danger of producing such agitation of mind as would be very unprofitable for me. I had concluded, in the course of the night previous to our proceeding to Spandau, to empty my pockets of my money, watch, pocket-book, and my penknife more particularly; for, by having my penknife about me, I might be the cause of furnishing them with the means of my own destruction: this I accordingly did. But on mature deliberation on the step I had thus taken, I was mercifully led to see, that it was the effect of that departure from a full and entire reliance on God's arm of power, which the enemy was endeavouring to bring about in my mind. I sensibly felt the performance of this very act had produced weakness, causing the hands that had been made strong, through the power of the mighty God of Jacob, rather to fall again. I therefore returned to my chamber, and replaced each of these articles as they were before, taking particular care that my penknife was not left behind. Early in the morning, Lewis Seebohm, also the young man who was our former companion, and myself, left our hotel for Spandau : on our arrival there, we were told our former visit had excited astonishment in the minds of the people of the town, that our love should be such as to induce us to leave our families and cross the ocean to visit their land, and that we should remember the poor prisoners of Spandau, who seemed to be forgotten by every body. After taking our breakfast, we went to the prison; but the governor was not to be spoken with before ten o'clock: however, we met with our old friend the pastor of the prison, who received us kindly, and conducted us to the chapel, where we found about fifty young men prisoners receiving instruction, which we were |