my captivity might be turned like that of Job: to be raised high above all my enemies, and the fear of man: that the people might hear me as preparing the way of the Lord as John the Baptist that I might baptize them according to the will of God.

April 9th, 1833. In the night had a view of my ew body. I appeared taller than I am now, very ruddy and fair, with no beard except under the chin, full of animation and sprightliness. There was something said about the tall young man spoken of by Esdras.

At the close of April, the prophet's establishment was broken up, and he took lodgings at the lower extremity of the city, in the hotel corner of Marketfield and West streets. The cause of this change in his domestic arrangements is not exactly known. A strong inference may be drawn, however, from the following entry in Mr. Pierson's diary a month before :

Monday, March 18, 1833. While meditating concerning supplying Mr. M. with a monthly supply, the spirit said, “ give him no more, he has disobeyed me, and thou shalt give him no more at all. This word is sure unto thee, saith the Lord that heareth thee.

The within injunction was made in the most unqualified terms, and repeated. One point of disobedience appeared to be about the watch. It was said, thou hast obeyed my voice, therefore I will bless thee above men.

There must be no change of this determination. The Lord requires it so.

An additional reason for supposing that a misunderstanding had arisen between the prophet and his disciple, is found in the fact, that during the three or four months of his boarding at the before-mentioned hotel, he was evidently but ill-supplied with money. His custom was to pay his reckonings

daily, whenever he had the means; but there were occasional periods of three or four days, when he was entirely destitute, and his wardrobe seemed to be less amply furnished with new garments, than during the preceding summer.

The contiguity of his present quarters to the Battery enabled him to indulge himself to the full in walks upon that beautiful esplanade; and on returning to the hotel, he was certain to be followed by a portion of the crowd, who, from motives of curiosity, or to annoy him with questions, or irritate him by contradictions, would be sure to remain so long in the bar-room as enabled the landlord to find his account in it. As to the general deportment of Matthews during this period, it is not represented as having been particularly obnoxious to censure. On his first introduction to the hotel, he attempted once or twice to play off his prophetical airs, and display his boisterous oratory. But the landlord perfectly understood him, and being withal a man of energy, he soon took the conceit out of him, and subse

quently had no trouble with him. The frequenters of the bar-room would occasionally exasperate him, and in return he would pour forth a torrent of curses upon them; but whenever the landlord perceived that he was likely to proceed too far, he would step up and say to him, "Mr. Matthias, it is time for you to go to bed." The intimation was sufficient, and he would obey it from that source with the docility of a child. Justice also requires it to be said, that so far as is known or believed, his moral conduct while residing at the Battery, was irreproachable.

Whether there had actually been a quarrel between the prophet and his disciple, it has already been said, is not known. But if it were so, it will shortly appear that the differences between them were not lasting. Meantime, in conclusion of the present chapter, as we have done with Mr. Pierson's recorded conversations with the Deity, it is proper to state the explanation which he gave of the manner in which those conversations were held. He maintained indeed that God spoke audibly to him; but on being asked, how it happened, that if God spoke thus to him, no other persons could hear him? he replied, that it was not exactly a voice which he heard, but words were in some mysterious manner communicated to him, which he was enabled to hear though they could not be heard by others.

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CHAPTER VII.

History of Mr. and Mrs. Folger resumed-Commencement of their acquaintance with Matthias-Pierson's instructionsEfforts of Matthias to bring Mr. Folger into his powerThrows himself upon the family of Mr. F. at Singsing uninvited-Mr. and Mrs. Folger's narrative of the circumstancesDreams, and Visions, and Vagaries of the Prophet, in which the Reader will find more of ingenuity than he expects-His discourse with Adam-Claims Divine Attributes and the Authorship of the Bible-Strange notions about the transmigration of the Spirit of Truth-Vision of the Indian-New Theory of Sickness-Diet and general manner of living at Mount Zion--Cruel treatment of Mrs. Folger in SicknessBathing-Refutation of Calumnies upon that Subject-Daniel's Image of Gold, and Gen. Jackson's falling from the Bridge at Castle Garden an Evil omen to his Successor-Gift of the Holy Ghost conferred upon Pierson-Explanations of the Prophet's attire-The Chariot of Israel-The Prophet's notions respecting marriage-Re-marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Folger by Mr. Pierson-And again by the Prophet-Internal description of the household of Mount Zion-Journey to Albany for the family of Matthias-Whipping of his Daughter-Whips the sick Devil out of Isabella-Discipline of his own Family -Mount Zion given to the Prophet-Mr. Folger's Bankruptcy-A Catastrophe with a Coach-Mr. Folger doubts the Prophet-Rupture-Seizes him by the Throat-Reconciliation-Sickness and Death of Mr. Pierson-Removal to NewYork-The Delusion passes away-Matthias driven awayEnd of the Narrative.

THUS far the reader will have perceived that Mr. Benjamin H. Folger and his wife had had no connection or acquaintance with the pretended Prophet, into whose toils they were ultimately doomed to fall. They had indeed early been the victims of the lady (Mrs. ***), with whom commenced the infatuation that in the end was productive of such disastrous results an infatuation engendered in fanaticism, and running into an almost unheard of delusion;-and

hey had, moreover, been associated with that lady and Mr. Pierson in most of their memorable proceedings at Bowery Hill; but they had hitherto escaped the fellowship of the impostor, for whose appearance the way had been so admirably prepared. But the glance of the pretended Shiloh had singled them out for his prey, and they seem to have had no more power of escape than the charmed bird from the glittering folds of the serpent.

During the summer of 1832, Mr. Pierson had made frequent efforts to procure the attendance of Mr. Folger upon the preaching of Matthias, by repeated calls at his place of business, and also by letter. But, as has already been stated, Mr. Folger's affairs required his attention in the interior, and he did not return with his family to the city until the close of September. The only knowledge which at that time he possessed of Matthias, had been derived from Mr. Pierson's letters, and the newspaper accounts of his arrest and confinement, as detailed in the preceding chapter. Having determined to form no definite opinion respecting him until after their return to the city, nor even then from mere hearsay and rumour, they early sought an interview with Mr. Pierson. Of that interview, and its consequences, and the history of their subsequent acquaintance with the impostor himself, and the manner in which he wrought upon their credulity, and subverted for a time their understandings, they will be allowed to speak for themselves, in the following narrative, which they have prepared at the solicitation of the writer. The insertion of this narrative, nearly entire, is due