“APRIL, 1723. “12. _Good Friday_. Read prayers, Mr. Hayward [the vicar] preached, and we administered the sacrament to 236 communicants. After dinner I went into Claughton [two miles off] to visit the sick. “13. Mr. Hayward read prayers; I went into the parish, and administered the sacrament at three private houses to sick and aged people. “14. _Easter Day_. I read prayers. Mr. Hayward preached; and we administered the sacrament to 285 communicants. Afternoon: Mr. Hayward read prayers, and I preached; and then went to visit a sick child.” The reader will be struck with the large attendance at the communion. We have had sad fallings-off since the year 1723! I cannot resist making one or two other extracts, showing the general character of this curious little journal of the Rev. Thomas Parkinson:— “FEBRUARY, 1722. “1. Went to Street to visit Mrs. Salome, and administered the sacrament to her. She is 103 years old, yet very perfect in memory, sight, and hearing to admiration. “APRIL, 1723. “30. Studied hard yesterday in the afternoon and this morning, and finished the 103rd sermon. At night I preached it for T. Raby, of Tarnaker, at St. Michael’s. His son paid me 10s. Mr. Crombleholm, the vicar there, came from London whilst I was there, who, in conjunction with three more, had bought Rawcliff Demain and Tenants, paying to the Board £11,260. It cost them near £1000 more in hush-money, as they call it. “OCTOBER, 1723. “18. In the morning I went to visit William Grayston, who seemed very penitent after an ill-spent life. I pray GOD forgive him. “OCTOBER, 1723. “28. In the morning I went to see W. Grayston, who had been perverted by a Romish priest in his sickness, but, by the blessing of GOD, I restored him to the Church, and administered the communion to him after he had begged pardon. He gave me then £1. 18s. 6d. to distribute, in way of restitution, to some he had unjustly injured. “Nov. 2. Studied all the morning, and finished the 110th. Afternoon: I went to see W. Grayston and old Mrs. Salome.” P.S. I ought to add that the number of attendants at the communion, above stated, was by no means unusual; for besides the communicants being, on ordinary Sundays, at least one hundred, I find the following entries in his next year’s Diary:— “APRIL, 1724. “3. _Good Friday_. I preached. Mr. Hayward, [who seems always to have attended on these occasions,] read prayers, and consecrated. We had a vast number of communicants, more than have been usually seen. “4. Mr. Hayward read prayers. I went into the parish to visit sick and impotent people; that is, such as cou’d not come to church.