I 
 
 THE 
 
 PRINCE, 
 
 A TRUE STORY; 
 
 BEING 
 
 M ACCOUNT of the LIFE and DEATH 
 
 OF 
 
 NJIMBANNA, 
 
 AN AFRICAN KING's SON, 
 |bo arrived in England in the Year 1791, and set Sail on hi. 
 Return in June, 1793. 
 
 % If 
 
 rin M rUothe Chr-ao^ • EV &NS AND C 0o 
 K^4z ^S^?^* Religious Trac::, 
 Bath ^^Hcxoo P,rr ' WB * Tte fi w »«»?Wtih aad 
 
 5 aild by al? £S W \^ : By S. HAZARD; 
 
 ^oofcseUers .Newsmen, a::j Ha^e- ' 
 
 ' Gr%t AllowancewiUbe n ^ Count '7' ' 
 • P W ONB P°E^^.*^ 
 .J£ 6s ; Mr hundred; * 
 
I 
 
THE 
 
 BLACK PRINCE 
 
 A TRUE STORY. 
 
 IN Africa, the country where the negroes lire, 
 land from which slaves are taken, there was a 
 ling who was not a Christian, bat who was a better 
 M (to their shame be it spoken ) than many who 
 all themselves Christians. Though he could nei- 
 '« read nor write, he had good sense enough to 
 grieve for the misery and ignorance of his poor 
 
 T!T in ' and he Was desirous of doing them 
 Pjifhe but knew how. 
 
 ^ length a number of English gentlemen, who 
 istoL t esame th ' m S> formed themselves 
 k If % f0r the P ur P<*e of putting a stop to 
 feinK Slam ' , nd ^Feadirig in Africa the 
 
 Weon? 7 S t0 form a settIe ment in the river 
 J .and ,u, erethe above mentioned king liv- 
 
 e(l ' J nd rW " u " vc u.HMiuonea mag Iiv- 
 
 **i«lHhe kin C ° U ] gly Sent ovcr an a S e nt to 
 Ti *good Uu ??*• and to P roCL,re his consent. 
 NnSi:'¥ was ver y *M whe " ^ heard 
 ^twouid ££ ; 6 easil y 5aw that sucl1 a settle- 
 Stforeb^ gVeat benefit to his country- 
 i'-W Hko TtT 'c e stau "ch friend of the Com- 
 
 Kit w,lich was soon 
 
 Wft, ' and he continued so to the day of his 
 
( 4 ) 
 
 The king had thought before this time that there 
 was none but bad people in England, for to use h« 
 own words, he had 1 never before seen any English* 
 men who were not bad people,' but he now found 
 though there were many wicked people inEngW 
 there were many good people also. Being inform' 
 ed what made the people in England good, 
 Christian religion, he resolved to send 
 son about twenty-three years of age, who was 
 under the care of the Sierra Leone Company 
 agent, and by him brought to England, the Com- 
 pany readily undertaking the charge of his education, 
 Naimbanna, for so he was called, arrived in Eng- 
 land, in the vessel called the Lapwing, in the year 
 .1791, and proper persons were chosen to instruct 
 him in reading, writing, and other parts of educati- 
 on but before we proceed to give an account of 
 the progress he made during his stay in this coun- 
 try, it may be proper to make the reader acquaint- 
 eo] with , his character at the time of his landing 
 His person was not handsome, but l^ s man f , 
 ( \vere - ; .extremely pleasing, and his disposition km 
 and affectionate: at the same time, his feel* 
 were quick and jealous, and he was veryviw 
 his temper, as well as proud and disdainful, i 
 he laboured under great disadvantages bm 
 want of early education, yet he shewed sigfl 
 good understanding, and he appeared to e 
 *harp sighted in finding out people's real cna J 
 He had not been long in England before a ^ 
 of knowledge was found to be a leading tea a 
 his character. His teachers have said that j 
 p'ften urge them to prolong the time ef ; 
 
( 5 ) 
 
 in reading, and that he was al ways thankful- to any 
 „e who would assist him in learning 'a'riy thing 
 that was useful. He was never led into company 
 where the time was wasted in idle talk without be* 
 ig sorry, and when left to himself, he would em- 
 no less than eight or ten hours a day in read- 
 
 H 1 
 
 As it was the main object of the gentlemen to 
 whose care he had been intrusted, to give him right 
 views of Christianity, pains were taken to convince 
 him that the Bible was the word of God, and he 
 received it as such with great reverence and sim- 
 plicity; " When I found (said he) all good men 
 minding the Bible and calling it the word of God, 
 and all bad men disregarding it, I then was sure 
 that the Bible must be what good men called it, the 
 wrdofGod." But not content with the report of 
 others he read the Bible for himself. He would 
 Wimes complain of being fatigued with other 
 studies, but even when he was most fatigued, if 
 m to read a little of the Scriptures, he always 
 expressed his readiness by some emotion of joy : 
 F |used i to say, that hrfe was sure of meeting with 
 thC Bibie Nvhich suited every case, 
 andthTl h ! lm What was ri g ntand vvhat vva s wrong; 
 Qicouri n V lkewise f ° Und in jt l ' ood exarr 'P les **> 
 
 ^nipleft \ t0 d ° What was ri S ht > ^ bad 
 wroni I deter hitn from doing what was 
 
 read theB'Kl I ' he Was not one of those ™ ho 
 ^h d t thev ' and think little or nothing about 
 
 r'^and'f he considered itas the ™ } e of 
 211(1 a text of s Ut any time his be haviour was amiss, 
 H i[ ^ be so ,P tur€ Was mentioned, which prov- 
 aUtho % Nnr W ? Uld immediately submit to R, 
 r was hls regard for the Bible merely 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 It 
 
 of an outward kind, it plainly affected hi* ha* 
 He had tried, when in Africa, (to use his 
 *ords ; to make himself as proud as be could and? 
 thought it great to revenge himself on any onewh 
 jiad done him an injury : but from the Bible lie 
 acquired such humble views of himself, that lie 
 was led to see his need of Christ as his Saviour, 
 and the necessity of relying on him as the ground 
 of acceptance with God. Humility was aq 
 which he found it hard to attain, but before & 
 departure from England, not only his pride, but 
 also his revengeful spirit had become hateful to 
 him. The progress he had made in subduing his 
 passions during his short stay in this country, con- 
 sidering the natural violence of his temper, was 
 considerable. He always expressed sorrow when 
 he had been hasty or passionate in his conduct: as 
 he became more acquainted with christian princi- 
 ples, he acquired more courtesy and delicacy of 
 manners, some degree of which indeed was natural 
 to him; and the superstitious belief in witchcraft 
 to whxh Africans are so prone, gradually ledtofc 
 He paid great respect to the teachers of m 
 tiandty, whom he wished much to invite over 
 his country; took great delight in the exercises 
 devotion, and would talk on religious sub J ects t ^ 
 much openness and simplicity, and ^ [fl 
 mixture of enthusiasm. Love and £ ratlt " J 
 God, who had delivered him ff *3 
 
 of 
 
 darkness in which, in common with ^W^J ^ff 
 
 it! 
 
 and abiding effect on the whole of his ^ n ^i| 
 
 aantness in wnicn, in common . 
 countrymen, he had been lately P l ^\' str ^ 
 
 strongly impressed on his mind, and ha 
 id abiding effect on the whole of his ^ n , 
 His tenderness of conscience was very 
 
 and it seemed to hsrve become his (le 
 
i r n 
 
 • n, know what line of conduct was most 
 9CCaSl H ' it the word of God : when he could de^ 
 S2e£ point, he would not hisitate about re- 
 
 teXStve a better view of the cha- 
 racter of this Black Prince from the following sto- 
 ries of him, the truth of which is well established. 
 His father had seen so much drunkenness among 
 the English slave traders on the coast of Africa, 
 that he concluded drunkenness was very common in 
 England, and in order to prevent his son's falling 
 into this abominable practiee, he laid a command 
 on him, (stating at the same time the ground of his 
 fears) that when he came to England, he should 
 not be prevailed upon to drink spirits of any kind, 
 nor to drink more than a glass or two of wine at a 
 meal. 
 
 When young Naimbanna found how strongly 
 >edience to parents is enjoined in the Bible, he re- 
 garded this command of his father as sacred, nor 
 *w he ever known to violate it. 
 Soon after he came to London, he was takan to 
 Jee St. Paul's, the grandeur of which it was thought 
 
 o * v * * * * ^ - - ' * — — O 
 
 NenttlT him> bUt t0 the sur P rise of the & en " 
 b 
 
 0] 
 
 ^nest ml ( i m !' le church-yard, when in a very 
 
 went with him, on setting to the upper 
 Wofthebuildi ■ ■ " 
 
 her feel 
 
 safely^ 3° v- di - he St0 P m he found himseIf 
 
 ; Ye °* ™ building, tenor seemed to swallow up 
 •descend fe - 1 - ng ; he made the utrnost haste to 
 
 ^ fanner he thanked God for having spared 
 duct he s ^ na u kecl the reason ofthh strange con- 
 
 uc t he sn "rl u T,a5>uij ui uub bii ange con- 
 
 6f- St P av ;n , at 011 lookifig down from the top 
 ' shs wa sso struck with the nearness 
 judgment, that he lost sight of every 
 
( 8 ) ■ ' -i 
 iher object ; that he never M bef : ' < m • 
 he deserved punishment at the lianF Wm 
 that he only thought ofe.« ^ ^ ,H« 
 punishment as that of falW fm n V , U '« 
 Paul's should overtake him * thtf I 
 
 lie was present once at the House of Com 
 dtinng a debate-on .the slave trade. He tfiffi 
 a gentleman who spoke in favour of ^tde ' 
 some things very degrading to the character 
 countrymen. He.was so enraged at tin to 
 commgoutof the House, he cried o ft tj 
 vehemence » will, kill. .thai fellow whe.ev? 
 meet him, mr he has told lies of my country- 
 he was put in mind of the christian duty offc 
 giving his emmies; on which he answered: nearly 
 
 m the following words : •'• If a man should rob 
 
 me of my money, I can forgive him; if a man | 
 should shoot at me I can forgive him: ifamanl 
 should sell me and all my family to a slaver, iip, I 
 so that we should pass all the rest of our lives in 
 slavery in the West Indies, I can forgive him; 
 out, •, added he with great emotion) if a man 
 takes away the Character of the people of my 
 country, 1 never can forgive him." Being asked 
 why he would not exiend his forgiveness to one 
 who took away the character of the people of his 
 
 country, he answered, "Ifa man should try 
 
 to kill me, or should sell mv family for slaves, be 
 
 the 
 
 not 4^ 
 in- 
 
 would do an injury to as many as he niighi 
 veil, but if any one takes away the character - . 
 people that man injuries black people all over 
 world; and when he has once taken avvay, ; 
 character, there is nothing which he may not * 
 Mack people ever after. That man, tf^ 
 Ifance, will beat black men, and say, 13 J 
 
( j 1 
 
 ,blackman, why should I not beat him ?" That 
 man will make skives of black people; for when 
 je has taken away their character, he. wjtj say, •' O, 
 they are oaly black people, why should not I make 
 ftem slaves." . That: man will take away all the., 
 people of Africa, if he' can caich them,, arid if you' 1 
 askhifh why do yod take away all those 'people'?;, 
 fie wii'l say, " 0, they are only black people, they! 
 are not iiKe white people, why should potjt'tile' 
 tan?" That is the reason why i can riot forgive 
 tie man who takes away the character of the peo- 
 ple of my country. " 
 
 He was then told that it would be very wicked 
 tokilltliis gentleman, or even not to forgive him 
 Wiethe . Scripture said, " foreive your enc- 
 Vengeance' js mine, I |?U 
 th he Lord." This immediately quieted his. 
 gudhe became as calm as a lamb, nor was 
 « ' rwards to express the least anger a-amst 
 
 Wlt heaclan f m, he' 
 
 mhll'Th * ,d taIkwi gun t d : 
 
 llio ofcar v ° ' e wassure i,e deserved it, and 
 * b fctd'j )f .; n i gaf ; un a !W ab ° ut him to shoot 
 ^ r 'Pt re whi.., As S a° n - ''O'-vever, as a' passage 
 Sen,| »nedtoh si C0 " 0Cmned Sl,ch violence >vaS 
 * r l f of it., a!| g'-i- ceased, and he became 
 
 S'^ch h-dT 5 V - Iliie wading a book to a 
 rHhemeh", ^fyWWk to him as a 
 
( I* } 
 
 lady soon after quitted tho room,when hisdhnl 
 sure, which her presence had kept him from 
 pressing broke forth; he dashed the book jftfi 
 degree of fury which astonished the gentleman who 
 was present, against the wall of the room, declar- 
 ing'that the man who wrote the book, -ought to be 
 punished for deceiving people, and putting bad 
 thoughts into their heads ; and as for the book itself, 
 that he should burn it wherever he might happen 
 to meet with it. He was soon convinced of the i| 
 property of his warmth, but he continued to regard 
 the book, and its author, as highly blameable, 
 
 He was so concerned for the credit of his coun- 
 try, and so fearful of the consequence of drawing 
 contempt upon it, that, except with particular per- 
 sons, he was averse from giving very minute ac- 
 counts of the state of African manners, arts, culti- 
 vation, or society. On the same account he studi- 
 ously avoided strong marks of wonder at anything 
 he saw in England, lest an inference should be drawn 
 from it to the disadvantage of Africa. When lie 
 chose however to be unreserved in talking about his 
 country, he was never known to violate truth in 
 the accounts he gave. , 
 
 Among the difficulties which his new view ot 
 things laid upon him, one respected his wives. ^ 
 had two while in Africa, but he clearly saw 
 New Testament allowed only one : his («« 
 was, to know which of them it was right for J I 
 keep. He thought at first it would be ng^i 
 keep her whom he had first married ; but g 
 considered that she had borne him no c ^| 
 that the second (who was besides the wi .-jv| 
 afiectionsj had brought him a son; this \ 
 
ciimstance seemed t& have decided the question in 
 jyour of the second ; he declared hiinself ready, 
 however to make a sacrifice of his feeling should 
 iiappear right to keep the first in preference. 
 In about a year and a half after his arrival i n Eng- 
 land he could read fluently, (though at first, he 
 lev little of the English tongue) and could write 
 ijetter. He had also made himself acquainted 
 ltd common arithmetic, and the first elements of 
 mathematics, and had besides embibed much gene- 
 ral knowledge. 
 
 While he thus went on improving, the news of 
 liis father's death reached England, and called him 
 suddenly to Sierra Leone. He felt much anxiety 
 vhenhe was ou the eve of returning, from the va- 
 riety of new duties which the deplorable state of 
 
 is country seemed to lay upon him. He was very 
 esirous that his future conduct might not discredit 
 hls new religion ; and it appeared to those with 
 ™om he conversed, that there was no personal sa- 
 wewhich he was not ready to make for the sake 
 
 Mm if tlanUy " To have the honour of becoming 
 to S ateaCher ° f itj seemed t0 be the sui ™it of 
 
 ^tje month of June, 1793, he embarked on 
 called frn he Sierra Leone Company's vessels, 
 to affect > i ths Naimb anna, after having taken 
 inlTt] aVe ofaU his Merits in England. 
 s Hemii epa f SUge ^ his mind was allllos t con* 
 ftich he Tu*l P° llderin g over those difficulties 
 re( ^t Af° Ug should have *° combat on his 
 ^ in g.them Ca, vr nd in devisi ng the means of over- 
 
 ^^edfnrfu Umberless werc the P lans whic h 
 ^« purpose of spreading the light of 
 
r \i ) 
 
 the gospel among the rude countrymen : though! 
 seemed at the same time ^ suffer muchuneaS 
 from alear of disappointment which becamestrorJ 
 lis he approached his native shore. He had left 
 Engl and m petfedt health, but on reaching a war. 
 mer climate, he was much affected by the heat" 
 and caught a violent cold, which began with pains 
 in his throat and head, and ended in a fever, whicl 
 the contiunal working of his mind had probably 
 contributed much to produce. He was frequently 
 light headed, and his intervals of serice were short 
 and few but they afforded to those around him stii|j 
 ifjg proofs of a humble trust in the mercies of Gol 
 through Christ, and of a perfect resignation to bis 
 will. During one of those intervals he called to his 
 bedside a fellow passenger, and observing to him, 
 that he began to think he should be called km 
 before lie had an opportunity of telling his mother 
 and friends what mercies God had shewn him, aid 
 what obligations he lay under to the Sierra Leon? 
 Company, he begged of the gentleman to writer 
 will, the substance of Which was, that his brother 
 should take charge of his property, till his son, w 
 a child, came of age 3 and, in the mean time, shou 
 reimburse the Sierra Leone Company for tnesu 
 "advanced by them on his account. .. 
 
 To this he subjoined a strong request that ^ 
 brother should, as far as in him lay, ^P^^ 
 "slave trade, and for the satisfaction of m s n 
 he added, " That nothing may be imputed ^ 
 Sierra Leone Company by any evil-min e ^ rtll j| 
 whose interest may oppose that or f flat 
 
 company, I here declare in the P resen , j«j 
 Goo, in whom I place my trust, that au e 
 
( '3 ) 
 
 day in England, I always enjoyed very good health, 
 and received the greatest civilities from all those 
 under whose care I was, and at my leaving England 
 I was in perfect health/' 
 When the vessel got to Sierra Leone, he had he- 
 come insensible to every thing that passed around 
 ■him, except for very s! sort intervals. He was ta- 
 ken ashore to the governor's house at Freetown, 
 where his mother, with a brother, and a sister of 
 his, and some other of his relations, to whom notice 
 of his dangerous sta te had been sent, soon after 
 appeared. The distracted looks of Jus mother and 
 the wildncss of (lie sister's grief on seeing him, 
 affected every one ; but when at length they De- 
 ceived that he breathed no more, their shrieks'and 
 cnes were distressing beyond measure. He died 
 about twelve hours after coming on shore. 
 
 has ended the days of this amiable and ZtiUgk* 
 J A ncan from whose labours extensive good 
 
 X Z he r eXpeCted - before we*™ 
 
 ^to ma e a few reflections on tins story, it wilt 
 
 fed inL 1 ? memorandums which were* 
 
 pervetoco T , °? k aftcr his death > and ««« 
 Werne J" What • - S been alre *dy said of the 
 ftaoners. 3 qonscienc ^ and the purity of his 
 The fj ,% 
 
 "8 i Xmi 8 , WrktCn ^mwnc* of his fall- 
 Nation La Pm 7 were P rofime :i » d obscene 
 t ^care of • PaSSed ' and xvas « follows •« 1 shall 
 ^they ^ I8 .«>mpany, which I now. fall into, 
 
 fe wness and g fi °uf de *i« and talk a!1 "Woiiae 
 
( H ) 
 
 The other was written after he had h* 
 time at sea, and had made some ^ 
 monstrances to the captain on the profit J" 
 his crew ; and m it he declared, " that if Z * 
 of other vessels should be like the . crew ^ 
 Naimbanna, he should never think of coming 
 England, though he had friends there as dean 
 him as the last words of his father." 
 
 May we not conclude from the above story thai 
 God has given to the most rude and savage people 
 minds capable of knowing, loving, and serving him, 
 And may we not learn hence, tocherish sentiments 
 of kindness and affection towards all men, whatever 
 be their colour, or however low they may stand in 
 the scale of human beings. Those especially who 
 know how to estimate the blessings of religion, and 
 who have a regard for the everlasting happiness of 
 their fellow creatures, will be encouraged by it, to 
 promote, with zeal, every plan which tends to in- 
 troduce Christianity among the savage nations of 
 the earth, or to remove the hindrances to its intro- 
 election. Happy, if through their instrumental^ 
 those who now sit in darkness, should be brought 
 like Naimbanna, to know God and themselves, m 
 to rejoice in hope of his glory. 
 
 Let us also learn from this story, that God's M$ 
 are not as our way. Short sighted as we are, J 
 are ready to conclude, that this young _ map * 
 been sent by Heaven to be a blessing to Am 
 and to spread the christian Religion among P°j 
 countrymen. But God, who sees and knows^ 
 things, determined otherwise. He saw it 
 take Naimbanna from the evil to come ; 
 appointing our hopes, bur, at the same tiro , 
 
j us to check the disposition we are too apt to 
 Midge, of prying into the secrets of heaven, and 
 to conduct all our plans and enquiries, under a sense 
 of our own ignorance, and in a full dependance on 
 the over ruling- providence and righteous gover- 
 nient of God. 
 
 May we not also draw a lesson from the conduct 
 of the old King on the occasion. It was not the 
 wealth, the grandeur, the learning, or the arts of 
 England which struck him as desirable,but the reli- 
 gion of England. He sent his son thither, not to 
 make a fortune, not to procure an insight into trade, 
 nor to form great connections, but to learn the 
 Christian Religion. How many parents are there 
 in this country, where it is so easy to attain the 
 means of learning the Christian Religion, who take 
 nopainstomake their children acquainted with it. 
 
 But a still more instructive lesson, and one which 
 appaes more generally, may be drawn from the 
 ^(lnct of the Black Prince, whose story has just 
 
 eentold, He comes among us rude and ignorant* 
 
 thnojust : ideas of religion, and after having been 
 
 « n? e i° r twent y three y ears t0 indulge all his 
 ^ s without any restraint. No sooner, however. 
 
 >iw n !f y placed before bfm ' than he is st ™ck 
 
 child lit lUland beauty, and embraces it with a 
 
 fr<5E£ p i y - As he views himseIf in the 
 
 fl ^re to k t Perceives its account of human 
 
 Sunder 6 hh 0Wn ex P erience - Hum- 
 
 ^blino-, a i SenSe ot hissin s and imperfections, 
 
 ^cesoFM ' pprehensions of the con *e- 
 himspl f i ' and sensible ^ his inability to 
 
 ^ him i i g hd] y h y* hold of the 
 
 nope set 
 
 ' ne ?mm ^ promises of Cod to the 
 
penitent, and relics for salvation on Christ 1 
 Nor were the new views unavailing;' on tb* 
 traryj they produced striking effects. 1°$ 
 quenceofthem, with the help of God's mce'f 
 imbibes the spirit of the gospel His 
 are overcome, his copper is regulated, his passi! 
 curbed, his very in aimers are improved 'by it: in 
 .short, he seemed, to use the language of .Scrjptk 
 " to become a new creature/' Tell, me,' Read 
 
 hast thou ever experienced hi thyself th is change 
 which Nai mbanna underwent ? Remember that our 
 Saviour, lias told us, that "except we be concerted, 
 ana become as little children, we shall in no wise 
 enter the kingdom. of Heaven/' £}as ih? \\mi% 
 turned to fear and to love and to serve theXbracy 
 God, or does thy conscience" witness' against 'fa 
 that thou art yet a stranger to peace and joy, f 
 well as to the obedience of the gospel! 
 
 If the living in a christian land, and called l)j,a 
 christian name, thou art nevertheless no Christian, 
 repent without delay I beseech thee. Recejyejroffl 
 this time the Gospel as a little child/ 
 pride which stands in the way of thy repentance, anl 
 'of thy salvation. Be humble and willing to M 
 like this Prince Naimbanna. Reafj^r^l 
 sacred Scriptures, with reverence and ; with 01 
 to God' for his Blessing. Soon/tKy.WMlg 
 shall be numbered, and if thou, who ^J or f§i 
 christian land shouldst leave the .world jfP?&L 
 ing ever truly known the powerful inflaence.Q, ,| 
 tianity, . the wejcy story which. thou hast mffl 
 &halijfiereafter rise up'in judgment again*