into a friendship, which was not terminated by Mr. Gabb's relinquishment of that curacy, but continued until his death, in 1844.

The next edition of the brief memoir of James Davies, comprised as well the letter of 1823, as a second letter addressed in 1831 by the same writer to the same correspondent; and a dedication of the work to the then Bishop of Llandaff, Dr. Edward Copleston; who had been nominated to that see in 1828, and who had recommended the publication of both letters, from a conviction that they would tend to promote the cause of true religion and genuine charity.

Several editions of those letters were published between 1832 and 1839; and as the Devauden schoolmaster became thus widely known, considerable sums of money were contributed to further his benevolent labours at that place.

The original school-room, built for him in 1815, was licensed for religious worship; and, having received suitable additions, was converted into a chapel. Another school-room was erected, to which a residence for the master was attached; and endowments, which were contributed for

both chapel and school, were secured upon suitable investments.

In 1839 the publication was enlarged, by adding to the letters of Mr. Gabb, an account of the consecration of the Devauden chapel, written by that gentleman, as well as a short continuation of the memoir with some observations, from the pen of Bishop Copleston; and to this memoir was appended a tract by James Davies, called, Recollections of the Last Days of William James; the only production of his pen which has hitherto been made public. memoir thus augmented in size and interest, was published in 1839, under the direction of the Committee of General Literature and Education, appointed by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

The

A new edition of that work having been called for, it was republished in 1849, with a prefatory letter to the Rev. T. B. Murray, M.A. Secretary of the Society, from the Rev. James Endell Tyler, B.D. Canon of St. Paul's and Rector of St. Giles'-in-the-Fields; and in that edition a brief account was given of the removal

of the old man to Llangattock-Lingoed, the last scene of his earthly labours. Shortly before his death, when some one called his attention to a passage in the memoir of his life, he said he had never read the work; an indifference to the praise of men which is not very common.

On his death, in October 1849, the friends, who had encouraged his removal to Llangattock, and who regarded with grateful feelings the self-denying labours of his valuable life,-resolved to prepare for publication a more complete account than has yet appeared, of the actions of a man,-who loved the Lord his God with all his heart, and his neighbour as himself. It was thought, in the first instance, that this might be done, by adding, to the memoir published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, a continuation of his life from the year 1839, to his death at Llangattock; but on further reflection that plan was abandoned.

In a biography, events should be presented to the reader in something like chronological order; otherwise the formation of character will be imperfectly developed, and the interest and value of the narrative impaired.

The letters of Mr. Gabb were written under circumstances, which precluded systematic arrangement; and events were narrated by him, less in the order of their occurrence, than on account of their bearing on special and temporary objects, which have long received their accomplishment.

Those letters have however been largely employed in the present work; and in acknowledging my obligations to Mr. Gabb, I would bear witness to his services, not only as a Christian pastor, but as Secretary, for many years, to the District Committee, within the county of Monmouth, of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

The preceding memoirs of James Davies have employed the pens of a bishop of the Church, a canon of our metropolitan cathedral, and a beneficed clergyman; each of whom in turn has described the actions, or delineated the character, of the Village Schoolmaster. task of preparing for the press a more complete narrative of that good man's life, has now been committed to a layman; who owes to comparatively recent labours in promoting the

The

education of his countrymen, the gratifying distinction, of having his name associated with the humble teacher of the children of the poor.

The head of James Davies, contained in this work, has been engraved from the picture of the old man in the school-room at Devauden, which was painted for Bishop Copleston; and the wood-cuts have been prepared from drawings which I owe to the kindness of the Rev. Arthur Wyatt, Incumbent of Penrose.