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prayers, which upon great and dangerous occasions they
have solemnly put up to God, with assured confidence of
being heard, have been answered in a miraculous manner.
‘They think the contemplating God in His works, and
the adoring Him for them, is a very acceptable piece of wor-
ship to Him.
‘There are many among them that upon a motive of re-
ligion neglect learning, and apply themselves to no sort of
study; nor do they allow themselves any leisure time, but
are perpetually employed, believing that by the good things
that a man does he secures to himself that happiness that
comes after death. Some of these visit the sick; others mend
highways, cleanse ditches, repair bridges, or dig turf, grav-
el, or stone. Others fell and cleave timber, and bring wood,
corn, and other necessaries, on carts, into their towns; nor
do these only serve the public, but they serve even private
men, more than the slaves themselves do: for if there is any-
where a rough, hard, and sordid piece of work to be done,
from which many are frightened by the labour and loath-
someness of it, if not the despair of accomplishing it, they
cheerfully, and of their own accord, take that to their share;
and by that means, as they ease others very much, so they
afflict themselves, and spend their whole life in hard labour:
and yet they do not value themselves upon this, nor lessen
other people’s credit to raise their own; but by their stoop-
ing to such servile employments they are so far from being
despised, that they are so much the more esteemed by the
whole nation.
‘Of these there are two sorts: some live unmarried and

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