18 December 1780 – 24 December 1780

At the desire of some of my friends, I accompanied them to the British Museum. What an immense field is here for curiosity to range in! One large room is filled from top to bottom with things brought from Otaheite; two or three more with things dug out of the ruins of Herculaneum! Seven huge apartments are filled with curious books; five with manuscripts; two with fossils of all sorts, and the rest with various animals. But what account will a man give to the judge of quick and dead for a life spent in collecting all these?

Desiring to make the most of this solemn day, I preached early in the morning at the new chapel; at ten and four I preached at West Street; and in the evening met the society at each end of the town.