The Virginia Gazette

In Pursuance of my Promise, to entertain my Readers with Some diverting Pieces, when no extraordinary News claim'd the Preference of Place, I now present Them with the following one ; which was given me for that Purpose ; and which I hope will be acceptable.

The North-Country Man's Description of
CHRIST's-CHURCH, in Dublin.

In a LETTER to a Friend.

SIR,

I have here sent you a Description of Christ's-Church in Dublin, given me by a Person of the Presbyterian Persuasion, who could not be reconciled to himself for his great Sin and Transgression o' the Lord's Day, (as he terms it.) But, as his going there was by mere Chance, not Design, he is the better reconcil'd to himself. The Fact is this, viz.

A Ship from Portaferry, in the County of Down, came to an Anchor at Aston's Key, loaded with Corn, on a Saturday in the Evening ; the next Morning Two of the Sailors ask'd the Master where they might go to hear the Word of the Lord preach'd ; who gave them the following Directions,

Ge yer wa that Gate, when ve come till the Heed o' the Street, turn neither till the Right Hand nor the Left ; till ye'll come till a great muckle House in Skinner-Row, which is cau'd the Tholsel; dinna turn there, but straight on ge ye still, till ye come to a Yat, it is cau'd Newgate, where a' the Cadys are kept, ge thro' that Yat, then turn upon yer Right Hand, they ca' that New-Row, and then peer for Ussher's-Key, and there ye'll hear a good Preaching.

There is a Preaching-House by the Gate, nearer Hand, but for the very Sake o' ye dinna gang in till it, for they are New-Light.

With the Directions they went; but coming to the Thames; the Lord Mayor was going to Church with his Attendants, and they being curious to know what could be the Meaning of such a Concourse of People, lost each other in the Crowd; one of them went to the High Street towards a Meeting-house, the other went with the Crowd, down Christ-Church-Lane, 'til he came to the Church; at his Entrance, he ask'd a Person what Place it was? who told him it was Christ's-Church. He ask'd again, Pray ye Sir, might ony yen gang in till? Yes Friend, reply'd the Man, come with me, and I will take you in, where he continued all the Time of Service: the which when over, he hired a Boy to Shew him the Way to Allhallows Key. When he came there, and being ask'd, Where he had been? He stood for some Time silent, not being reconcil'd to himself for going to the Place he had been at. After Some Time, he spoke: But I shall give it in his own Words, as near as I can recollect.

What I was, I can ge ne Account of, but I can tell ye what I seed. When first I ged in, I ged doon a great Place, that a' the Floor was cover'd we bread Stens, and a warld o'Foke ganging up and doon, thro' yen another, We cam rill twa great Stairs, and ged under them, whar was a Door gaing in, this Place was amet foo o'Foke, as wcel aboon, as whar I was. this they ca'd the Kirk But as I fhall anfwer, there was not a Pulpit in a' the Place. Looking round me, the firt Thing that I ced, was a mickle mann Bras Bird, wee a Buke on the Back o' him; at the leagh End o' the Kirk, th re was a Table, that was a' rail'd round, there war twa Bukes upon that. On ilky Side there war twa great Brass Cindlefticks, and Candles on them, amet as thick as my Arm. In the Wa o' th' te Side, there war Some ald Cheels we Beards cut out o'Sticks, as I thought, and there was a Cheel we a hantle o' Kees in his Hand rinning about, letting the Folk intill their Places. Re- live came a Cheel we a Black Goon upon the Back o'him. a wbite Siller Wan in his Han, and a wee Bird on the Top o't. There followed him a great fat fwinging Cheel we a white Sark on, and mere Cheels with white Sarks, and lang Wiggs on the Heads o' them, and wee Weans we white Sarks on them. A wheen ged intill the vea Side. and a wheen till the other. At lat ve Cheel we a white Sark tuk up a Buke and readed, and as I Shall anwer. they had Word about we him on the other Side. and a' the Folk about me were glabbring amang them- Sells : what they aid, only God and they ken. The Whitle Pipes fell a Lilting, the Cheels and Weans in white Sarks Skirl'd and Screel'd till them, and I Sweet- ed. On ged they this Gate for fome Time, at laft yen o' the Cheels we a white Sark ged awa till the Bras Bird, and opened the Buke; now as I live, what he readed there was tbe Scripture. He had ne fhooner done, but the Whitle Pipes fell a Blawing, and They Skirling till them. Then another Cheel tuke his Turn at the Bible, but I am ure it was the Scripture that he readed. He was not long about that, and til't they went again. Now I stood about the middle o' the Kirk, and there was a Stick that I leen'd upon, the Cheel we the hantle o' Kees in his Hand cam, and tuke it out intill the Middle o' the Kirk, and laid a Buke upon it, then came the Cheel we the Siller Wan, and a Chcel we a white Sark followed him, he kneeled down upon it, and there he readed, but they had aways Word about we him aboon. He was ne lang at that, but up gets he, and away till his Place. They ged on for a wee While this Gate, then the Whitle Pipes fell a Lilting, and doon came that Cheel we the Siller Wan, and a buy Body was he that Day ; the fat Cheel we the white Sark followed him, and a wee Cheel we a white-Sark, and doon ged they till the leagh End of the Kirk whar the Table and Candles war, and they boued as thcy ged in. The fat Cheel tuke the Buke intil his Hands, and readed, I cou'd undertand weel enough what he readed, it was the Commandments ; but as I hall anwer, the Whitle Pipes lilted till every yen o' them. He had oon done there ; up comes he again, and the Cheel we the Siller Wan, but the fat Cheel did ne gang intil the Place whar he at aboon, but ged intil a Place in the Middle of the Kirk where it tood, I