,,george ,,fox      ,,an ,,autobiography
      ,illustration3 ,,george ,,fox     
,,from ,a ,,painting ,,by ,s4 ,,chinn   
,,george ,,fox      ,an ,autobiography  
,,edited ,,with ,,an ,,introduction     
,,and ,,notes ,,by    ,,rufus ,m4       
,,jones1 ,m4,a41 ,,litt4 ,d4            
,,professor ,,of ,,philosophy ,,in      
,,haverford ,,college                   
,illustration3 printer's logo           
,philadelphia3    ,,ferris  ,,leach     
#bi ,,south ,,seventh ,,street    #aiji 
,,copyright1 #aijc1 ,,by ,,ferris       
,,leach        ,dedicated      ,,to     
,,the ,,sweet ,,and ,,shining ,,memory  
,,of ,,the ,,little    ,,lad ,,whose    
,,beautiful ,,life ,,was ,a ,,visible   
,,revelation ,,to ,,me ,,of ,,the       
,,truth1 ,,which    ,,this              
,,autobiography ,,teaches1 ,,that       
,,the ,,divine ,,and ,,the ,,human      
,,are ,,not ,,far-,,sundered4           
,it 7,george ,fox's ,journal7 is one of 
the most extraordinary       and        
instructive narratives in the world2    

which no reader of       competent      
judgment can peruse without revering the
 virtue of the       writer4            
--,,sir ,,james ,,mackintosh4           
,the basis of his ,george ,fox's        
teaching was the belief       that each 
soul is in religious matters answerable 
not to its       fellows1 but to ,god   
alone1 without priestly mediation1      
because       the ,holy ,spirit is      
immediately present in every soul and is
 thus       a direct cause of           
illumination4 ,from this central belief 
flowed       two important practical    
consequences1 both essentially modern2  
one was complete toleration1 the other  
was complete equality of       human    
beings before the law4                  
--,,john ,,fiske4         ,to sum up in 
fewest possible words the impression    
made by his       ,george ,fox's words  
and works upon one who studies them     
across the level of two centuries3 he   
was a man of lion-like       courage and
 adamantine strength of will1 absolutely

 truthful1       devoted to the         
fulfillment of what he believed to be   
his       ,god-appointed mission1 and   
without any of those side-long looks    
at worldly promotion and aggrandizement 
which many sincere       leaders of     
church parties have cast at intervals of
 their       journey4                   
--,,thomas ,,hodgkin4         ,i have   
read through the ponderous folio of     
,george ,fox4 ,pray1       how may ,i   
return it to ,mr4 ,skewell at ,ipswich8 
,i fear to send       such a treasure by
 a stage-coach1 not that ,i am afraid of
 the       coachman or the guard        
,,reading it1 but it might be lost4 ,can
       you put me in a way of sending it
 safely8 ,the kind-hearted owner        
trusted it to me for six ,,months2 ,i   
think ,i was about as many       ,,days 
in getting through it1 and ,i do not    
think that ,i skipped a       word of   
it4                      --,,charles    
,,lamb to ,bernard ,barton1 ,feb41      
#ahbc4         ,fox judged truly that   

the new ,protestant scholasticism       
had not reached to the heart of things  
in any image of past       experience1  
or in any printed book however sacred3  
that academic       learning was not in 
itself an adequate passport to the      
,christian       ministry2 that the     
words of ,god should not supersede the  
,word       of ,god4 ,he realized1 as   
few men have ever realized1 that we are 
placed under the dispensation of the    
,spirit3 that the power from       on   
high with which the risen ,christ       
promised to endue ,his ,people       was
 no exceptional or transitory gift1 but 
an ,eternal ,presence1       an         
unfailing spring of energy1 answering to
 new wants and new       labours4 ,he   
felt that the ,spirit which had guided  
the fathers       was waiting still to  
lead forward their children3 that ,he   
who       spoke through men of old was  
not withdrawn from the world like       
the gods of ,epicurus1 but ready in all 
ages to enter into holy       souls and 

make them friends of ,god and prophets4 
--,bishop ,,brooke ,,foss ,,westcott4   
,illustration3                 ,,map    
,,of ,,the         ,,english ,,counties 
,,and ,,the          ,,principal ,,towns
            ,,visited ,,by              
,,george ,,fox      ,towns in which he  
was imprisoned marked thus 99      ,the 
maps of ,lancashire and of ,middlesex   
used by kind permission       of the    
,meeting for ,sufferings of ,london     
,yearly ,meeting          ,,preface4    
,the ,journal of ,george ,fox is one of 
the great religious  autobiographies1   
and has its place with the ,confessions 
of ,st4  ,augustine1 ,saint ,teresa's   
,life1 ,bunyan's ,grace ,abounding to   
the  ,chief of ,sinners1 the ,life of   
,madam ,guyon1 ,written by ,herself1    
and ,john ,wesley's ,journal4 ,the great
 interest which has developed  in recent
 years in the ,psychology of ,religion1 
and in the study of  mysticism1 has most
 naturally given new interest and       
prominence to  all autobiographical     

writings which lay bare the inward      
states and  processes of the seeking1 or
 the triumphant soul4 ,professor        
,william  ,james has stated a well-known
 fact when he says that religion must   
be studied in those individuals in whom 
it is manifested to an  extra-normal    
degree4 ,in other words1 we must go to  
those individuals  who have a genius for
 religion--for whom religion has        
constituted  well nigh the whole of     
life4 ,george ,fox is eminently a       
character of  this sort1 as nearly every
 recent student of personal religion has
  recognized4    ,then1 again1 his      
,journal is one of the best sources in  
existence  for the historical study of  
the inner life of the ,commonwealth and 
,restoration periods4 ,there were few   
hamlets so obscure1 few villages  so    
remote that they did not have their     
streets traversed by this  strange man  
in leather who always travelled with his
 eyes open4 ,he  knew all the sects and 
shades of religion which flourished in  

these  prolific times4 ,he never rides  
far without having some experience      
which shows the spirit and tendencies of
 the epoch4 ,he never writes  for       
effect1 and he would have failed if he  
had tried1 but he has1  though utterly  
unconscious of it himself1 filled his   
pages with the  homely stuff out of     
which the common life of his ,england   
was made4    ,the world-events which    
moved rapidly across the stage during   
the  crowded years of his activity      
receive but scant description from his  
pen4 ,they are never told for           
themselves4 ,they come in as by-products
  of a narrative1 whose main purpose is 
the story of personal inward            
experience4 ,the camera is set for a    
definite object1 but it catches  the    
whole background with it4 ,so here we   
have the picture of a  sensitive soul1  
bent singly and solely on following a   
,divine ,voice1  yet its tasks are done1
 not in a desert1 but in the setting of 
great  historic events4 ,here are the   

soldiers of ,marston ,moor and ,dunbar2 
,cromwell and his household2 ,desborough
 and ,monk2 the quartering of  regicides
 and the new era under the second       
,charles4 ,at every point  we have vivid
 scenes in courts1 in prisons1 in       
churches1 and in inns4  ,people of all  
classes and sorts talk in their natural 
tongue in these  pages4 ,fox has little 
dramatic power1 but everything which    
furthers1  or hinders his earthly       
mission interests him and gets caught in
 his  narrative4 ,pepys and ,evelyn have
 readier pens1 but ,fox had many  points
 of contact with the ,england of those  
days which they lacked4    ,in its      
original1 unabridged form1 the ,journal 
contains many epistles1  and long1 arid 
passages which are somewhat forbidding1 
and it has  always required a patient1  
faithful reader4 ,it has1 however1      
always  had a circle of readers outside 
the religious body which was founded  by
 ,george ,fox4 ,this circle has been    
composed of those who were  somewhat    

kindred in spirit with him1 and the     
circle has kept small1  mainly owing to 
the inherent difficulties of the        
ponderous1 unedited  mass of material4  
,of the ,journal1 in its complete form1 
there have  nevertheless been thirteen  
editions published--nine in ,england and
  four in ,america4    ,the present     
editor has undertaken the task of       
abridging and editing  it1 in the belief
 that the time is ripe for such a work4 
,the parts  of the ,journal which have  
been omitted--and they are many--have   
gone because they possess no living1    
present interest1 or because  they were 
repetitions of what is left4 ,the story1
 as it stands1  is continuous1 and in no
 way suffers by omissions4 ,the writer  
of  the ,journal lacked perspective4    
,everything that came was equally       
important1 and his first editors1 in    
#afid1 looked upon these  writings as   
too precious and sacred to be tampered  
with or seriously  condensed4 ,the      
original manuscript1 which has never    

been published  7now in the possession  
of ,charles ,james ,spence1 of ,north   
,shields1  ,england71 shows us that the 
little group of early editors contented 
themselves with improving the diction1  
introducing some system into  the       
spelling1 and cutting out an occasional 
anecdote which they  feared might       
startle the sober reader4 ,the original 
manuscript is a  little livelier1       
fresher and more graphic than any       
published edition1  though in the main  
we have in the editions a faithful      
reproduction of  what ,fox wrote4       
,the notes which attend the text in this
 edition have seemed necessary  for a   
clear understanding of the passages to  
which they refer4 ,they  have been made 
as brief and as few in number as the    
situation  would warrant4 ,the          
,introduction is an attempt to put      
,george ,fox in  his historical setting1
 and to develop the central ideas which 
he  expounded1 though all points of     
detail are postponed to the notes4      

,this estimate of his religious message 
is based on a study of the  body of his 
writings1 which are voluminous1 and on  
the writings of  his contemporaries and 
fellow-laborers4 ,it is a pleasure for  
the  editor to acknowledge the valuable 
assistance which he has received  from  
his friends1 ,norman ,penney1 ,john     
,wilhelm ,rowntree1 ,joshua  ,rowntree  
and ,prof4 ,allen ,c4 ,thomas4    ,among
 recent writers the following have been 
appreciative students  of ,george ,fox3 
,thomas ,hodgkin1 in his ,george ,fox2  
,spurgeon1 in his  ,george ,fox2        
,bancroft1 in his ,history of ,america2 
,barclay1 in his  ,inner ,life of the   
,religious ,societies of the            
,commonwealth2 ,arthur  ,gordon's       
,articles on ,george ,fox in the        
,theological ,review2 and in  the       
,dictionary of ,national ,biography2    
,frank ,granger1 in his ,the  ,soul of a
 ,christian2 ,starbuck1 author of       
,psychology of ,religion2  ,william     
,james1 in ,varieties of ,religious     

,experience2 ,josiah ,royce1  in ,the   
,mysticism of ,george ,fox2 ,canon      
,curteis1 ,dissent in ,its  ,relation to
 the ,english ,church 7see ,chapter ,v41
 ,the ,quakers72  ,westcott ,social     
,christianity 7see pp4 #aai-acc1 ,the   
,quakers71 and  ,john ,stephenson       
,rowntree1 ,two ,lectures on ,george    
,fox4          ,,introduction4          
,there are mysterious moments in the    
early life of the individual  which we  
call budding periods4 ,they are         
incubation crises1 when  some new power 
or function is coming into being4 ,the  
budding tendency  to creep1 to walk1 to 
imitate1 or to speak1 is an indication  
that the  psychological moment has come 
for learning the special operation4     
,there are1 too1 similar periods in the 
history of the race1  mysterious times  
of gestation1 when something new is     
coming to be1  however dimly the age    
itself comprehends the significance of  
its  travail4 ,these racial budding     
periods1 like those others1 have        

organic connection with the past4 ,they 
are life-events which the  previous     
history of humanity has made possible1  
and so they cannot be  understood by    
themselves4    ,the most notable        
characteristic of such times is the     
simultaneous  outbreaking of new aspects
 of truth in sundered places and through
  diverse lives1 as though the breath of
 a new ,pentecost were abroad4  ,this   
dawning time is generally followed by   
the appearance of some  person who      
proves to be able to be the exponent of 
what others  have dimly or              
subconsciously felt1 and yet could not  
explicitly set  forth4 ,such a person   
becomes by a certain divine right the   
prophet  of the period because he knows 
how to interpret its ideas with such    
compelling force that he organizes men1 
either for action or for  perpetuating  
the truth4    ,in the life history of   
the ,anglo-,saxon people few periods are
 more  significant than that which is   
commonly called the ,commonwealth       

period1 though the term must be used    
loosely to cover the span from  #afdj to
 #affj4 ,it was in high degree one of   
these incubation epochs  when something 
new came to consciousness1 and things   
equally new came  to deed4 ,this is not 
the place to describe the political     
struggles  which finally produced       
tremendous constitutional changes1 nor  
to tell  how those who formed the pith  
and marrow of a nation rose against  an 
antiquated conception of kingship and   
established principles of               
self-government4 ,the civil and         
political commotion was the outcome  of 
a still deeper commotion4 ,for a century
 the burning questions had  been        
religious questions4 ,the ,church of    
that time was the result of  compromise4
 ,it had inherited a large stock of     
medival thought1 and  had absorbed a    
mass of medival traditions4 ,the men of 
moral and  religious earnestness were   
bent on some measure of fresh reform4 ,a
  spirit was abroad which could not be  

put down1 and which would not  be quiet4
 ,the old idea of an authoritative      
,church was outgrown1 and  yet no       
religious system had come in its place  
which provided for a  free personal     
approach to ,god ,himself4 ,it has1 in  
fact1 always been  a peculiarly         
difficult problem to discover some form 
of organization  which will conserve the
 inherited truth and guarantee the      
stability  of the whole1 while at the   
same time it promotes the personal      
freedom  of the individual4    ,the long
 struggle for religious reforms in      
,england followed two lines  of         
development4 ,there was on the one hand 
a well-defined movement  toward         
,presbyterianism1 and on the other a    
somewhat chaotic search  for freer      
religious life--a movement towards      
,independency4 ,the  rapid spread of    
,presbyterianism increased rather than  
diminished  the general religious       
commotion4 ,it soon became clear that   
this was  another form of ecclesiastical

 authority1 as inflexible as the old1   
and lacking the sacred sanction of      
custom4 ,then1 too1 the ,calvinistic    
theology of the time did violence to    
human nature as a whole4  ,its linked   
logic might compel intellectual assent1 
but there is  something in a man as real
 as his intellect1 which is not         
satisfied  with this clamping of eternal
 truth into inflexible propositions4    
,personal soul-hunger1 and the necessity
 which many individuals feel  for       
spiritual quest1 must always be reckoned
 with4 ,it should not be  forgotten that
 ,george ,fox came to his spiritual     
crisis under this  theology4    ,thus   
while theology was stiffening into fixed
 form with one group1 it  was becoming  
ever more fluid among great masses of   
people throughout  the nation4          
,religious authority ceased to count as 
it had in the  past4 ,existing religious
 conditions were no longer accepted as  
final4  ,there was a widespread         
restlessness which gradually produced a 

host  of curious sects4 ,fox came       
directly in contact with at least four  
of the leading sectarian movements of   
the time and there can be no  question  
that they exerted an influence upon him 
both positively  and negatively4 ,the   
first sect in importance1 and the first 
to  touch the life of ,george ,fox1 was 
the ,baptist--at that time often  called
 ,anabaptist4 ,his uncle ,pickering was 
a member of this sect1  and1 though     
,george seems to have been rather afraid
 of the ,baptists1  he must have learned
 something from them4 ,they already had 
a long  history1 reaching back on the   
continent to the time of ,luther1 and   
their entire career had been marked by  
persecution and suffering4  ,they were  
,independents1 i4 e41 they believed that
 ,church and  ,state should be separate1
 and that each local church should have 
its own independent life4 ,they stoutly 
objected to infant baptism1  maintaining
 that no act could have a religious     
value unless it were  an act of will and

 of faith4 ,edwards1 in his ,gangrna1   
#afdf1  reports a doctrine then afloat  
to the intent that it is as lawful  to  
baptize a cat1 or a dog1 or a chicken as
 to baptize an infant4  ,their views on 
ministry were novel and must surely have
 interested  ,fox4 ,they encouraged a   
lay ministry1 and they actually had     
cobblers1  leather-sellers1 tailors1    
weavers and at least one brewer1        
preaching  in their meetings4 ,john     
,bunyan1 who was of them1 proved to     
general  satisfaction that ,oxford and  
,cambridge were not necessary to fit men
  to preach4 ,still stranger1 they had  
what their enemies scornfully  called   
,she-preachers4 ,edwards has recorded   
this dreadful error in  his list of one 
hundred and ninety-nine distinct errors1
 heresies  and blasphemies3 ,some say   
that 'tis lawful for women to preach1   
that they have gifts as well as men2 and
 some of them do actually  preach1      
having great resort to them6            
,furthermore1 they held that all tithes 

and all set stipends were  unlawful4    
,they maintained that preachers should  
work with their  own hands and not go in
 black clothes4 ,this sad error appears 
in ,edwards's chaotic list3 ,it is said 
that all settled certain  maintenance   
for ministers of the gospel is unlawful4
 ,finally many of  the ,baptists opposed
 the use of steeple houses and held the 
view  that no person is fitted to preach
 or prophesy unless the ,spirit  moves  
him4    ,the ,seekers are occasionally  
mentioned in the ,journal and were      
widely scattered throughout ,england    
during the ,commonwealth4 ,they  were   
serious-minded people who saw nowhere in
 the world any adequate  embodiment of  
religion4 ,they held that there was no  
true ,church1 and  that there had been  
none since the days of the apostles4    
,they did  not celebrate any sacraments1
 for they held that there was nobody  in
 the world who possessed an anointing   
clearly1 certainly and  infallibly      
enough to perform such rites4 ,they had 

no heads to their  assemblies1 for they 
had none among them who had the power or
 the  gift to go before one another in  
the way of eminency or authority4       
,william ,penn says that they met       
together not in their own wills  and    
waited together in silence1 and as      
anything arose in one of  their minds   
that they thought favored with a divine 
spring1 so they  sometimes spoke4    ,we
 are able to pick out a few of their    
characteristic errors from  ,edwards's  
list in the ,gangrna4 ,that to read the 
,scriptures to a  mixed congregation is 
dangerous4 ,that we did look for great  
matters  from ,one crucified in         
,jerusalem #afjj years ago1 but that    
does no  good2 it must be a ,christ     
formed in us4 ,that men ought to preach 
and exercise their gifts without study  
and premeditation and not to  think what
 they are to say till they speak1       
because it shall be given  them in that 
hour and the ,spirit shall teach them4  
,that there is  no need of human        

learning or reading of authors for      
preachers1 but  all books and learning  
must go down4 ,it comes from want of the
 ,spirit  that men write such great     
volumes4    ,the ,seekers expected that 
the light was soon to break1 the days of
  apostasy would end and the ,spirit    
would make new revelations4 ,in the     
light of this expectation a peculiar    
significance attaches to the  frequent  
assertion of ,fox that he and his       
followers were living in  the same      
,spirit which gave forth the            
,scriptures1 and received direct        
commands as did the apostles4 ,i told   
him1 says ,fox of a priest1  that to    
receive and go with a message1 and to   
have a word from  the ,lord1 as the     
prophets and apostles had and did1 and  
as ,i had  done1 was quite another thing
 from ordinary experience4 ,a much  more
 chaotic sect was that of the ,ranters4 
,there was probably a  small seed of    
truth in their doctrines1 but under the 
excitement of  religious enthusiasm they

 went to wild and perilous extremes1 and
 in  some cases even fell over the edge 
of sanity4 ,they started with the       
belief that ,god is in everything1 that 
every man is a manifestation  of ,god1  
and they ended with the conclusion which
 their bad logic gave  them that        
therefore what the man does ,god does4  
,they were above  all authority and     
actually said3 ,have not we the ,spirit1
 and why  may not we write scriptures as
 well as ,paul8 ,they believed the      
,scriptures not because such and such   
writ it1 but because they  could affirm 
,god saith so in me4 ,what ,christ did  
was for them only  a temporal figure1   
and nothing external was of consequence1
 since  they had ,god ,himself in them4 
,as the law had been fulfilled they held
  that they were free from all law1 and 
might without sin do what they  were    
prompted to do4 ,richard ,baxter says   
that the horrid villainies  of the sect 
did speedily extinguish it4 ,judge      
,hotham told ,fox in  #afea that if ,god

 had not raised up the principle of     
,light and life  which he 7,fox7        
preached1 the nation had been overrun   
with ,ranterism4  ,many of the ,ranters 
became ,friends1 some of them becoming  
substantial persons in the new ,society1
 though there were for a time  some     
serious ,ranter influences at work      
within the ,society1 and a  strenuous   
opposition was made to the establishment
 of discipline1  order and system4 ,the 
uprising of the ,fifth-monarchy men is  
the  only other movement which calls for
 special allusion4 ,they were  literal  
interpreters of ,scripture1 and had     
discovered grounds for  believing in the
 near approach of the millennium4 ,by   
some system  of calculation they had    
concluded that the last of the four     
world  monarchies--the ,assyrian1       
,persian1 ,greek and ,roman--was        
tottering  toward its fall1 and the     
,fifth universal                        
monarchy--,christ's--was  about to be   
set up4 ,the saints were to reign4 ,the 

new monarchy was  so slow in coming that
 they thought they might hasten it with 
carnal  weapons4 ,perhaps a miracle     
would be granted if they acted on their 
faith4 ,the miracle did not come1 but   
the uprising brought serious  trouble to
 ,fox1 who had before told these        
visionaries in beautifully  plain       
language that ,christ has come and has  
dashed to pieces the  four monarchies4  
,the person of genius discovers in the  
great mass of things about him  just    
that which is vital and essential4 ,he  
seizes the eternal in the  temporal1 and
 all that he borrows1 he fuses with     
creative power into  a new whole4 ,this 
creative power belonged to ,george ,fox4
 ,there was  hardly a single truth in   
the ,quaker message which had not been  
held  by some one of the many sects of  
the time4 ,he saw the spiritual and     
eternal element which was almost lost in
 the chaos of half truths and  errors4  
,in his message these scattered truths  
and ideas were fused  into a new whole  

and received new life from his living   
central idea4    ,it is a strange fact  
that1 though ,england had been facing   
religious  problems of a most complex   
sort since the oncoming of the          
,reformation1 it had produced no        
religious genius4 ,no one had appeared  
who saw truth on a new level1 or who    
possessed a personality and  a personal 
message which compelled the attention of
 the nation4  ,there had been long years
 of ingenious1 patchwork compromise1 but
  no distinct prophet4 ,george ,fox is  
the first real prophet of the  ,english 
,reformation1 for he saw what was       
involved in this great  religious       
movement4,a ,perhaps the most convincing
 proof of this  is not the remarkable   
immediate results of his labors1 though 
these  are significant enough1 but      
rather the easily-verified fact that the
  progress of religious truth during the
 last hundred years has been  toward the
 truth which he made central in his     
message4,b ,however his  age            

misunderstood him1 he would to-day find 
a goodly fellowship of  believers4      
,a ,but of 'prophets' there are very    
few4 ,the good ,god does    not seem to 
need many4 ,centuries pass1 as ,he      
orders history1 in    which there are   
none4 ,so we call them ,dark ,ages4     
,then comes some    ,john in the desert1
 and the world is wakened2 some ,wesley 
in the    ,church of ,england1 and there
 is a revival of religion4      ,for our
 ,english races1 since there were       
,english races1 ,i    count three or    
four such prophets2 for the world of    
,europe ,i    count perhaps eleven      
worthy of our gratitude to-day4 ,i mean 
the gratitude of all mankind4 ,saint    
,paul and ,saint ,john are    two2      
,augustine of ,hippo is three2 ,dante   
and ,francis of ,assisi    are two more2
 ,thomas  ,kempis and ,jacob ,bhme1 two 
more2 and1    coming across to ,england1
 ,wiclif1 ,john ,milton1 ,george ,fox1  
and    ,john ,wesley4--,edward ,everett 
,hale1 in an ,address at the ,wesley    

,bicentennial ,celebration in ,people's 
,temple1 ,boston4      ,the three most  
influential ,englishmen of the last     
three    centuries were ,george ,fox1   
,john ,wesley and ,john ,henry ,newman4 
,those who wish really to understand    
those three centuries must    read1     
mark1 learn1 and inwardly digest ,fox's 
,journal1 ,wesley's    ,journal1 and    
,newman's ,apologia4 ,the entire future 
of ,england and    the ,english ,empire 
depends upon the answer to this         
question3    ,will ,newman defeat ,fox  
and ,wesley1 or will ,fox and ,wesley   
defeat    ,newman8                      
,editorial in ,the ,methodist ,times4   
,b ,the ,quaker religion which he       
7,george ,fox7 founded is    something  
which it is impossible to overpraise4   
,in a day of    shams1 it was a religion
 of veracity rooted in spiritual        
inwardness1 and a return to something   
more like the original    gospel truth  
than men had ever known in ,england4 ,so
 far as our    ,christian sects to-day  

are evolving into liberality1 they are  
simply reverting in essence to the      
position which ,fox and the    early    
,quakers so long ago assumed4 ,no one   
can pretend for a    moment that in     
point of spiritual sagacity and         
capacity1 ,fox's    mind was unsound4   
,every one who confronted him           
personally1 from    ,oliver ,cromwell   
down to county magistrates and jailers1 
seems to    have acknowledged his       
superior power4               ,james's  
,varieties of ,religious ,experience1   
page #f4    ,the purpose of this book is
 to have him tell his own story1  which 
in the main he knows how to do4 ,it     
will1 however1 be of  some service to   
the reader to develop in advance the    
principle  of which he was the exponent4
 ,the first period of his life is       
occupied with a most painful quest for  
something which would  satisfy his      
heart4 ,his celebrated contemporary1    
,bunyan1 possessed  much greater power  
of describing inward states and         

experiences1  but one is led to believe 
on comparing the two autobiographical   
passages that the sufferings of ,fox1 in
 his years of spiritual  desolation1    
were even more severe than were those of
 ,bunyan1  though it is to be noted that
 the former does not suffer from  the   
awful sense of personal sin as the      
latter does4 ,when ,i came  to eleven   
years of age1 ,i knew pureness and      
righteousness1  is ,fox's report of his 
own early deliverance from the sense of 
sin4 ,his despair1 from which he could  
find no comfort1 was  caused by the     
extreme sensitiveness of his soul4 ,the 
discovery  that the world1 and even the 
,church1 was full of wickedness and  sin
 crushed him4 ,i looked upon the great  
professors of the city  ,london1 #afdc1 
and ,i saw all was dark and under the   
chain of  darkness4 ,this settled upon  
him with a weight1 deep almost as       
death4 ,nothing in the whole world      
seemed to him so real as the  world's   
wickedness4 ,i could have wished1 he    

cries out1 ,i had  never been born1 or  
that ,i had been born blind that ,i     
might  never have seen wickedness or    
vanity2 and deaf that ,i might never    
have heard vain and wicked words1 or the
 ,lord's name blasphemed4    ,he was    
overwhelmed1 however1 not merely because
 he discovered  that the world was      
wicked1 but much more because he        
discovered  that priests were empty     
hollow casks1 and that religion1 as far 
as he could discover any in ,england1   
was weak and ineffective1  with no      
dynamic message which moved with the    
living power of ,god  behind it4 ,he    
could find theology enough and theories 
enough1  but he missed everywhere the   
direct evidence that men about him  had 
found ,god4 ,religion seemed to him to  
be reduced to a system  of clever       
substitutes for ,god1 while his own soul
 could not rest  until it found the     
,life itself4    ,the turning point of  
his life is the discovery--through what 
he beautifully calls an opening--that   

,christ is not merely  an historic      
person who once came to the world and   
then forever  withdrew1 but that ,he is 
the continuous ,divine ,presence1 ,god  
manifested humanly1 and that this       
,christ can speak to his  condition4    
,at first sight1 there appears to be    
nothing epoch-making in these  simple   
words4 ,but it soon develops that what  
he really means is  that he has         
discovered within the deeps of his own  
personality  a meeting place of the     
human spirit with the ,divine ,spirit4  
,he  had never had any doubts about the 
historical ,christ4 ,all that  the      
,christians of his time believed about  
,christ1 he1 too1  believed4 ,his long  
search had not been to find out         
something  about ,christ1 but to find   
,him4 ,the ,christ of the theological   
systems was too remote and unreal to be 
dynamic for him4 ,assent  to all the    
propositions about ,him left one still  
in the power of  sin4 ,he emerges from  
the struggle with an absolute certainty 

in  his own mind that he has discovered 
a way by which his soul has  immediate  
dealings with the living ,god4 ,the     
larger truth involved  in his experience
 soon becomes plain to him1 namely1 that
 he  has found a universal principle1   
that the ,spirit of ,god reaches  every 
man4 ,he finds this divine-human        
relation taught everywhere  in          
,scripture1 but he challenges everybody 
to find the primary  evidence of it in  
his own consciousness4 ,he points out   
that every  hunger of the heart1 every  
dissatisfaction with self1 every act  of
 self-condemnation1 every sense of      
shortcoming shows that the  soul is not 
unvisited by the ,divine ,spirit1 ,to   
want ,god at all  implies some          
acquaintance with ,him4 ,the ability to 
appreciate  the right1 to discriminate  
light from darkness1 the possibility  of
 being anything more than a creature of 
sense1 living for the  moment1 means    
that our personal life is in contact at 
some point  with the ,infinite ,life1   

and that all things are possible to him 
who believes and obeys4    ,to all sorts
 and conditions of men1 ,fox continually
 makes  appeal to that of ,god within   
them4 ,at other times he calls it       
indiscriminately the ,light1 or the     
,seed1 or the ,principle  of ,god within
 the man4 ,frequently it is the ,christ 
within4 ,in  every instance he means    
that the ,divine ,being operates        
directly  upon the human life1 and the  
new birth1 the real spiritual life1     
begins when the individual becomes aware
 of ,him and sets himself  to obey ,him4
 ,he may have been living along with no 
more explicit  consciousness of a       
,divine presence than the bubble has of 
the  ocean on which it rests and out of 
which it came2 but even so1  ,god is as 
near him as is the beating of his own   
heart1 and only  needs to be found and  
obeyed4    ,instead of making him       
undervalue the historic revelations of  
,god1  the discovery of this principle  
of truth gave him a new insight  into   

the revelations of the past and the     
supreme manifestations  of the ,divine  
,life and ,love4 ,he could interpret his
 own inward  experience in the light of 
the gathered revelation of the ages4    
,his contemporaries used to say that1   
though the ,bible were lost1  it might  
be found in the mouth of ,george ,fox1  
and there is not  a line in the ,journal
 to indicate that he undervalued either 
the ,holy ,scriptures or the historic   
work of ,christ for human  salvation4   
,entirely the contrary4 ,as soon as he  
realized that the  same ,god who spoke  
directly to men in earlier ages still   
speaks  directly1 and that to be a man  
means to have a seed of ,god  within1 he
 saw that there were no limits to the   
possibilities  of a human life4 ,it     
becomes possible to live entirely in the
  power of the ,spirit and to have one's
 life made a free and  victorious       
spiritual life4 ,so to live is to be a  
man--for  sin and disobedience reduce a 
man4 ,the normal person1 then1 is  the  

one who has discovered the infinite     
,divine resources1 and  is turning them 
into the actual stuff of a human life4  
,that it  happens now and then is no    
mystery2 that it happens so seldom is   
the real mystery4 ,i asked them if they 
were living in the power  of the ,spirit
 that gave forth the ,scriptures is his 
frequent and  somewhat nave question1 as
 though everybody ought to be doing it4 
,the consciousness of the presence of   
,god is the characteristic  thing in    
,george ,fox's religious life4 ,his own 
life is in  immediate contact with the  
,divine ,life4 ,it is this conviction   
which unifies and gives direction to all
 his activities4 ,god has  found him and
 he has found ,god4 ,it is this         
experience which puts  him among the    
mystics4    ,but here we must not       
overlook the distinction in types of    
mysticism4 ,there is a great group of   
mystics who have painfully  striven to  
find ,god by a path of negation4 ,they  
believe that  everything finite is a    

shadow1 an illusion--nothing real4 ,to  
find ,god1 then1 every vestige of the   
finite must be given up4  ,the infinite 
can be reached only by wiping out all   
marks of the  finite4 ,the ,absolute can
 be attained only when every thing and  
every thought have been reduced to zero4
 ,but the difficulty  is that this kind 
of an ,absolute becomes absolutely      
unknowable4  ,from the nature of the    
case ,he could not be found1 for to have
  any consciousness of ,him at all would
 be to have a finite and  illusory      
thought4    ,george ,fox belongs rather 
among the positive mystics1 who seek  to
 realize the presence of ,god in this   
finite human life4 ,that  ,he transcends
 all finite experiences they fully      
realize1 but the  reality of any finite 
experience lies just in this fact1 that 
the  living ,god is in it and expresses 
some divine purpose through it1  so that
 a man may1 as ,george ,fox's friend1   
,isaac ,penington says1  become an organ
 of the life and power of ,god1 and     

progagate  ,god's life in the world4    
,the mystic of this type may feel the   
light break within him and know that    
,god is there1 or he may  equally well  
discover ,him as he performs some clear1
 plain duty  which lies across his path4
 ,his whole mystical insight is in  his 
discovery that ,god is near1 and not    
beyond the reach of the  ladders which  
,he has given us4    ,but no one has    
found the true ,george ,fox when he     
stops with an  analysis of the views    
which he held4 ,almost more remarkable  
than  the truth which he proclaimed was 
the fervor1 the enthusiasm1 the  glowing
 passion of the man4 ,he was of the     
genuine apostolic type4  ,he had come   
through years of despair over the       
wickedness of the  world1 but as soon as
 the ,light really broke1 and he knew   
that  he had a message for the world in 
its sin and ignorance1 there  was after 
that nothing but the grave itself which 
could keep him  quiet4 ,he preached in  
cathedrals1 on hay stacks1 on cliffs of 

rock1 from hill tops1 under apple trees 
and elm trees1 in barns  and in city    
squares1 while he sent epistles from    
every prison in  which he was shut up4  
,wherever he could find men who had     
souls to  save he told them of the life 
and ,truth which he had found4          
,whether one is in sympathy with ,fox's 
mystical view of life or  not1 it is    
impossible not to be impressed with the 
practical  way in which he wrought out  
his faith4 ,after all1 the view that    
,god and man are not isolated was not   
new2 the really new thing  was the      
appearance of a man who genuinely       
practiced the ,divine  presence and     
lived as though he knew that his life   
was in a  ,divine environment4    ,we   
have dwelt upon the fundamental         
religious principle of ,fox at  some    
length1 because his great work as a     
social reformer and as  the organizer of
 a new system of ,church government     
proceeds from  this root principle4 ,one
 central idea moves through all he did4 

,his originality lies1 however1 not so  
much in the discovery1 or  the          
rediscovery1 of the principle as in the 
fearless application  of it4 ,other men 
had believed in ,divine guidance2 other 
,christians had proclaimed the          
impenetration of ,god in the lives  of  
men4 ,but ,george ,fox had the courage  
to carry his conviction  to its logical 
conclusions4 ,he knew that there were   
difficulties  entailed in calling men   
everywhere to trust the ,light and to   
follow the ,voice1 but he believed that 
there were more serious  difficulties to
 be faced by those who put some external
 authority  in the place of the soul's  
own sight4 ,he was ready for the        
consequences and he proceeded to carry  
out both in the social  and in the      
religious life of his time the          
experiment of obeying  the ,light       
within4 ,it is this courageous fidelity 
to his insight  that made him a social  
reformer and a religious organizer4 ,he 
belongs1 in this respect1 in the same   

list with ,st4 ,francis  of ,assisi4    
,they both attempted the difficult task 
of bringing  religion from heaven to    
earth4    #a4 ,in the light of his      
religious discovery ,fox reinterpreted  
man  as a member of society4 ,if man has
 direct intercourse with  ,god he is to 
be treated with noble respect4 ,he met  
the doctrine  of the divine right of    
kings with the conviction of the divine 
right of man4 ,every man is to be       
treated as a man4 ,he was a  leveler1   
but he leveled up1 not down4 ,every man 
was to be  read in terms of his         
possibilities--if not of royal descent1 
certainly of royal destiny4 ,this view  
made ,fox an unparalleled  optimist4 ,he
 believed that a mighty transformation  
would come as  soon as men were made    
aware of this divine relationship which 
he  had discovered4 ,they would go to   
living as he had done1 in the  power of 
this conviction4    ,he began at once to
 put in practice his principle of       
equality--i4 e41 equality of privilege4 

,he cut straight through  the elaborate 
web of social custom which hid man's    
true nature  from himself4 ,human life  
had become sicklied o'er with a cast of 
sham1 until man had half forgotten to   
act as man4 ,fox rejected  for himself  
every social custom which seemed to him 
to be hollow  and to belittle man       
himself4 ,the honor which belonged to   
,god he  would give to no man1 and the  
honor which belonged to any man  he gave
 to every man4 ,this was the reason for 
his thee and  thou4 ,the plural form had
 been introduced to give distinction4   
,he would not use it4 ,the ,lord        
,protector and the humble cotter  were  
addressed alike4 ,he had an eye for the 
person of great gifts  and he never     
wished to reduce men to                 
indistinguishable atoms of  society1 but
 he was resolved to guard the jewel of  
personality in  every individual--man or
 woman4    #b4 ,his estimate of the     
worth of man made him a reformer4 ,in   
society as he found it men were often   

treated more as things than  as persons4
 ,for petty offenses they were hung1,c  
and if they  escaped this fate they were
 put into prisons1 where no touch of    
man's humanity was in evidence4 ,in the 
never-ending wars the  common people    
were hardly more than human dice4 ,their
 worth as  men was well nigh forgotten4 
,trade was conducted on a system of     
sliding prices--high for this man1 low  
for some other4 ,dealers  were honest   
where they had to be2 dishonest where   
they could be4  ,the courts of justice  
were extremely uncertain and irregular1 
as  the pages of this journal           
continually show4 ,against every such   
crooked system which failed to recognize
 the divine right of  man ,george ,fox  
set himself4 ,he himself had large      
opportunities  of observing the courts  
of justice and the inhuman pens which   
by courtesy were called jails4 ,but he  
became a reformer1 not  to secure his   
own rights or to get a better jail to   
lie in1  but to establish the principle 

of human rights for all men4 ,he  went  
calmly to work to carry an out-and-out  
honesty into all  trade relations1 to   
establish a fixed price for goods of    
every  sort1 to make principles of      
business square with principles of      
religion4 ,by voice or by epistle he    
called every judge in the  realm to mind
 that of ,god within him4 ,he refused   
ever to take  an oath1 because he was   
resolved to make a plain man's yea      
weigh as heavy as an oath4 ,he was      
always in the lists against the         
barbarity of the penal system1 the      
iniquity of enslaving men1 the          
wickedness of war1 the wastefulness of  
fashion and the evils of  drunkenness1  
and by argument and deed he undertook to
 lead the  way to a new heroism1 better 
than the heroism of battlefields4       
,c ,at this epoch there were more than  
two hundred capital    offenses4    #c4 
,the logic of his principle compelled   
him to value education4 ,if  all men are
 to count as men1 it is a man's primal  

duty to be all  he can be4 ,to be a poor
 organ of ,god when one was meant for a 
good  one belongs among the high sins4,d
 ,if it was opened to him that  ,oxford 
and ,cambridge could not make men       
ministers1 his own reason  taught him   
that it is not safe to call all men to  
obey the voice and  follow the light    
without broad-basing them at the same   
time in the  established facts of       
history and nature4 ,fox himself very   
early set  up schools for boys and girls
 alike in which everything civil and    
useful in creation was to be taught4 ,it
 is1 however1 quite possible  that he   
undervalued the sthetic side of man1 and
 that he suffered by  his attempt to    
starve it4 ,in this particular he shared
 the puritan  tendency1 and had not     
learned how to hold all things in       
proportion1  and to make the culture of 
the senses at the same time beautify the
  inner man4      ,d ,dear friends and  
brethren that have gone into ,america   
and    the islands thereaway1 stir up   

the gift of ,god in you and improve     
your talents4 ,let your light shine     
among the ,indians1 the blacks    and   
the whites1 that ye may answer the truth
 in them and bring    them to the       
standard and ensign that ,god hath set  
up1 ,jesus    ,christ4 ,grow in the     
faith and grace of ,christ that ye be   
not    like dwarfs1 for a dwarf shall   
not come near to offer upon ,god's      
altar4                     ,from an     
,epistle of ,george ,fox written in     
#afij4    #d4 ,on the distinctively     
religious side his discovery of a direct
  divine-human relationship led to a new
 interpretation of worship  and         
ministry4 ,god is not far off4 ,he needs
 no vicar1 no person  of any sort       
between ,himself and the worshipper4    
,grace no more  needs a special channel 
than the dew does4 ,there is no special 
holy place1 as though ,god were more    
there than here4 ,he does  not come from
 somewhere else4 ,he is ,spirit1 and    
needs only a  responsive soul1 an open  

heart1 to be found4 ,worship properly   
begins when the soul discovers ,him and 
enjoys ,his presence--in  the simplest  
words it is the soul's appreciation of  
,god4 ,with his  usual optimism1 he     
believed that all men and women were    
capable  of this stupendous attainment4 
,he threw away all crutches at the      
start and called upon everybody to walk 
in the ,spirit1 to live  in the ,light4 
,his house of worship was bare of       
everything but  seats4 ,it had no       
shrine1 for the shekinah was to be in   
the hearts  of those who worshipped4 ,it
 had no altar1 for ,god needed no       
appeasing1 seeing that ,he ,himself had 
made the sacrifice for sin4  ,it had no 
baptismal font1 for baptism was in his  
belief nothing  short of immersion into 
the life of the ,father1 ,son and ,holy 
,spirit--a going down into the          
significance of ,christ's death and  a  
coming up in newness of life with ,him4 
,there was no communion  table1 because 
he believed that the true communion     

consisted in  partaking directly of the 
soul's spiritual bread--the living      
,christ4 ,there were no confessionals1  
for in the silence1 with  the noise and 
din of the outer life hushed1 the soul  
was to  unveil itself to its ,maker and 
let ,his light lay bare its true        
condition4 ,there was no organ or choir1
 for each forgiven soul  was to give    
praise in the glad notes that were      
natural to it4 ,no  censer was swung1   
for he believed ,god wanted only the    
fragrance  of sincere and prayerful     
spirits4 ,there was no priestly mitre1  
because each member of the true ,church 
was to be a priest unto  ,god4 ,no      
official robes were in evidence1 because
 the entire  business of life1 in       
meeting and outside1 was to be the      
putting  on of the white garments of a  
saintly life4 ,from beginning to  end   
worship was the immediate appreciation  
of ,god1 and the  appropriate activity  
of the whole being in response to ,him4 
,william ,penn says of him3 ,the most   

awful1 living1 reverent frame  ,i ever  
felt or beheld was his in prayer4 ,and  
this was because  he realized that he   
was in the presence of ,god when he     
prayed4  ,he believed that the ministry 
of truth is limited to no class of  men 
and to no sex4 ,as fast and as far as   
any man discovers ,god it  becomes his  
business to make ,him known to others4  
,his ability to  do this effectively is 
a gift from ,god1 and makes him a       
minister4  ,the only thing the ,church  
does is to recognize the gift4 ,this    
idea carried with it perfect freedom of 
utterance to all who felt  a call to    
speak1 a principle which has worked out 
better than  the reader would guess1    
though it has been often sorely tested4 
,in the ,society which he founded there 
was no distinction of  clergy and laity4
 ,he undertook the difficult task of    
organizing a  ,christian body on which  
the priesthood of believers should be an
  actual fact1 and in which the ordinary
 religious exercises of the  ,church    

should be under the directing and       
controlling power of the  ,holy ,spirit 
manifesting itself through the          
congregation4    ,not the least service 
of ,fox to his age was the important    
part  which he took in breaking down the
 intolerable doctrine of                
predestination1 which hung like an      
incubus over men's lives4  ,it threw a  
gloom upon every person who found       
himself forced by  his logic to believe 
it1 and its effect upon sensitive souls 
was simply dreadful4 ,fox met this      
doctrine with argument1 but  he met it  
also with something better than         
argument--he set over  against it two   
facts3 that ,divine grace and light are 
free1  and that an inward certainty of  
,god's favor and acceptance is  possible
 for every believer4 ,wherever          
,quakerism went this inward  assurance  
went with it4 ,the shadow of dread      
uncertainty gave  place to sunlight and 
joy4 ,this was the beginning of a       
spiritual  emancipation which is still  

growing1 and peaceful faces and         
fragrant lives are the result4    ,no   
reader of the ,journal can fail to be   
impressed with the fact  that ,george   
,fox believed himself to be an          
instrument for the  manifestation of    
miraculous power4 ,diseases were cured  
through  him2 he foretold coming events2
 he often penetrated states and         
conditions of mind and heart2 he        
occasionally had a sense of what  was   
happening in distant parts1 and he      
himself underwent on at  least three    
occasions striking bodily changes1 so   
that he seemed1  for days at a time1    
like one dead1 and was in one of these  
times  incapable of being bled4 ,these  
passages need trouble no one1 nor  need 
their truthfulness be questioned4 ,he   
possessed an unusual  psychical nature1 
delicately organized1 capable of        
experiences of  a novel sort1 but such  
as are to-day very familiar to the      
student  of psychical phenomena4 ,the   
marvel is that with such a mental       

organization he was so sane and         
practical1 and so steadily kept  his    
balance throughout a life which         
furnished numerous chances  for         
shipwreck4    ,it is very               
noticeable--rather more so in the       
complete ,journal  than in this         
,autobiography--that judgments came upon
 almost  everybody who was a malicious  
opposer of him or his work4  ,god cut   
him off soon after1 is a not infrequent 
phrase4 ,it  is manifestly impossible to
 investigate these cases now1 and  to   
verify the facts1 but the well-tested   
honesty of the early  ,friends leaves   
little ground for doubting that the     
facts were  substantially as they are   
reported4 ,fox's own inference that all 
these persons had misfortune as a direct
 judgment for having  harmed him and    
hindered his cause will naturally seem  
to us a too  hasty conclusion4 ,it is   
not at all strange that in this eventful
  period many persons who had dealings  
with him should have  suffered swift    

changes of fortune1 and of course he    
failed to  note how many there were who 
did not receive judgment in this  direct
 manner4 ,one regrets1 of course1 that  
this kindly spiritual  man should have  
come so near enjoying what seemed to him
 a divine  vengeance upon his enemies1  
but we must remember that he believed   
in his soul that his work was ,god's    
work1 and hence to frustrate  it was    
serious business4    ,he founded a      
,society1 as he called it1 which he     
evidently hoped1  and probably believed1
 would sometime become universal4,e     
,the organization in every aspect       
recognized the fundamentally  spiritual 
nature of man4 ,every individual was to 
be a vital1  organic part of the whole2 
free1 but possessed of a freedom  which 
had always to be exercised with a view  
to the interests  and edification of the
 whole4 ,it was modelled exactly on the 
conception of ,paul's universal ,church 
of many members1 made a  unity not from 
without1 but by the living presence of  

the ,one  ,spirit4 ,all this work of    
organization was effected while ,fox    
himself was in the saddle1 carrying his 
message to town after  town1 interrupted
 by long absences in jail and dungeon1  
and  steadily opposed by the fanatical  
antinomian elements which had  flocked  
to his standard4 ,it is not the least   
mark of his genius  that in the face of 
an almost unparalleled persecution he   
left  his fifty thousand followers in   
,great ,britain and ,ireland formed     
into a working and growing body1 with   
equally well-organized  meetings in     
,holland1 ,new ,england1 ,new ,york1    
,pennsylvania1  ,maryland1 ,virginia and
 the ,carolinas4 ,his personality and   
his  message had won men from every     
station of life1 and if the rank  and   
file were from the humbler walks1 there 
were also men and  women of scholarship 
and fame4 ,robert ,barclay1 from the    
schools  of ,paris1 gave the new faith  
its permanent expression in his         
,apology4 ,william ,penn worked its     

principles out in a holy  experiment in 
a ,christian ,commonwealth1 and ,isaac  
,penington1  in his brief essays1 set   
forth in rich and varied phrase the     
mystical truth which was at the heart of
 the doctrine4      ,e ,in #afeh there  
was not a ,quaker living who did not    
believe    ,quakerism to be the one only
 true ,church of the living ,god4       
,hancock's ,peculium1 page #h4    ,this 
is the place for exposition1 not for    
criticism4 ,it requires  no searchlight 
to reveal in this man the limitations   
and  imperfections which his age and his
 own personal peculiarities  fixed upon 
him4 ,he saw in part and he prophesied  
in part4 ,but1  like his great          
contemporary1 ,cromwell1 he had a brave 
sincerity1  a soul absolutely loyal to  
the highest he saw4 ,the testimony  of  
the ,scarborough jailer is as true as it
 is unstudied--as  stiff as a tree and  
as pure as a bell4 ,it is fitting that  
this  study of him should close with the
 words of the man who knew him          

best--,william ,penn3 ,i write my       
knowledge and not report1 and  my       
witness is true1 having been with him   
for weeks and months  together on       
diverse occasions1 and those of the     
nearest and  most exercising nature1 by 
sea and land1 in this country and  in   
foreign countries2 and ,i can say ,i    
never saw him out of his  place1 or not 
a match for every service or occasion4  
,for in all  things he acquitted himself
 like a man1 yea1 a strong man1 a new   
and heavenly-minded man2 a divine and a 
naturalist1 and all of  ,god ,almighty's
 making4,f      ,f ,from ,william       
,penn's ,preface to the ,journal of     
,george ,fox4          ,,the ,,testimony
 ,,of ,,william ,,penn ,,concerning     
,,that ,,faithful ,,servant    ,,george 
,,fox4      ,the blessed instrument of  
and in this day of ,god1 and of whom ,i 
am  now about to write1 was ,george     
,fox1 distinguished from another of     
that name1 by that other's addition of  
younger to his name in all  his         

writings2 not that he was so in years1  
but that he was so in the  truth2 but he
 was also a worthy man1 witness and     
servant of ,god in  his time4    ,but   
this ,george ,fox was born in           
,leicestershire1 about the year #afbd4  
,he descended of honest and sufficient  
parents1 who endeavoured to  bring him  
up1 as they did the rest of their       
children1 in the way  and worship of the
 nation2 especially his mother1 who was 
a woman  accomplished above most of her 
degree in the place where she lived4    
,but from a child he appeared of another
 frame of mind than the rest  of his    
brethren2 being more religious1 inward1 
still1 solid1 and  observing1 beyond his
 years1 as the answers he would give1   
and the  questions he would put upon    
occasion manifested1 to the astonishment
  of those that heard him1 especially in
 divine things4    ,his mother taking   
notice of his singular temper1 and the  
gravity1  wisdom1 and piety that very   
early shone through him1 refusing       

childish and vain sports and company    
when very young1 she was  tender and    
indulgent over him1 so that from her he 
met with little  difficulty4 ,as to his 
employment1 he was brought up in country
  business2 and as he took most delight 
in sheep1 so he was very  skilful in    
them2 an employment that very well      
suited his mind in  several respects1   
both for its innocency and solitude2 and
 was a just  figure of his after        
ministry and service4    ,i shall not   
break in upon his own account1 which is 
by much the best  that can be given2 and
 therefore desire1 what ,i can1 to avoid
 saying  anything of what is said       
already1 as to the particular passages  
of  his coming forth2 but1 in general1  
when he was somewhat above twenty1  he  
left his friends1 and visited the most  
retired and religious  people1 and some 
there were at that time in this nation1 
especially  in those parts1 who waited  
for the consolation of ,israel night    
and day1 as ,zacharias1 ,anna1 and good 

old ,simeon did of old time4  ,to these 
he was sent1 and these he sought out in 
the neighboring  countries1 and among   
them he sojourned till his more ample   
ministry  came upon him4    ,at this    
time he taught and was an example of    
silence1 endeavouring to  bring people  
from self-performances1 testifying and  
turning to the  light of ,christ within 
them1 and encouraging them to wait in   
patience  to feel the power of it to    
stir in their hearts1 that their        
knowledge  and worship of ,god might    
stand in the power of an endless life1  
which  was to be found in the light1 as 
it was obeyed in the manifestation  of  
it in man4 ,for in the ,word was life1  
and that life was the light  of men4    
,life in the ,word1 light in men1 and   
life too1 as the light  is obeyed2 the  
children of the light living by the life
 of the ,word1  by which the ,word      
begets them again to ,god1 which is the 
regeneration  and new birth1 without    
which there is no coming unto the       

kingdom of  ,god2 and which1 whoever    
comes to1 is greater than ,john1 that   
is1  than ,john's ministry1 which was   
not that of the kingdom1 but the        
consummation of the legal1 and opening  
of the gospel-dispensation4             
,accordingly1 several meetings were     
gathered in those parts2 and thus  his  
time was employed for some years4    ,in
 #afeb1 he being in his usual retirement
 to the ,lord upon a very  high         
mountain1 in some of the hither parts of
 ,yorkshire1 as ,i take  it1 his mind   
exercised towards the ,lord1 he had a   
vision of the  great work of ,god in the
 earth1 and of the way that he was to go
  forth to begin it4 ,he saw people as  
thick as motes in the sun1 that  should 
in time be brought home to the ,lord1   
that there might be but  one ,shepherd  
and one sheepfold in all the earth4     
,there his eye was  directed northward1 
beholding a great people that should    
receive him  and his message in those   
parts4 ,upon this mountain he was moved 

of  the ,lord to sound out his great and
 notable day1 as if he had been in  a   
great auditory1 and from thence went    
north1 as the ,lord had shewn  him3 and 
in every place where he came1 if not    
before he came to it1  he had his       
particular exercise and service shewn to
 him1 so that the  ,lord was his leader 
indeed2 for it was not in vain that he  
travelled1  ,god in most places sealing 
his commission with the convincement of 
some of all sorts1 as well publicans as 
sober professors of religion4  ,some of 
the first and most eminent of them1     
which are at rest1 were  ,richard       
,farnsworth1 ,james ,nayler1 ,william   
,dewsberry1 ,francis ,howgil1  ,edward  
,burrough1 ,john ,camm1 ,john ,audland1 
,richard ,hubberthorn1 ,t4  ,taylor1    
,john ,aldam1 ,t4 ,holmes1 ,alexander   
,parker1 ,william ,simpson1  ,william   
,caton1 ,john ,stubbs1 ,robert ,widders1
 ,john ,burnyeat1 ,robert  ,lodge1      
,thomas ,salthouse1 and many more       
worthies1 that cannot be well  here     

named1 together with divers yet living  
of the first and great  convincement1   
who after the knowledge of ,god's       
purging judgments in  themselves1 and   
some time of waiting in silence upon    
him1 to feel  and receive power from on 
high to speak in his name 7which none   
else  rightly can1 though they may use  
the same words71 felt the divine        
motions1 and were frequently drawn      
forth1 especially to visit the  publick 
assemblies1 to reprove1 inform and      
exhort them1 sometimes  in markets1     
fairs1 streets1 and by the highway side1
 calling people  to repentance1 and to  
turn to the ,lord with their hearts as  
well as  their mouths2 directing them to
 the light of ,christ within them1 to   
see and examine and consider their ways 
by1 and to eschew the evil  and do the  
good and acceptable will of ,god4 ,and  
they suffered great  hardships for this 
their love and good-will1 being often   
stocked1  stoned1 beaten1 whipped and   
imprisoned1 though honest men and of    

good report where they lived1 that had  
left wives and children1 and  houses and
 lands1 to visit them with a living call
 to repentance4 ,and  though the priests
 generally set themselves to oppose     
them1 and write  against them1 and      
insinuated most false and scandalous    
stories to  defame them1 stirring up the
 magistrates to suppress them1          
especially  in those northern parts1 yet
 ,god was pleased so to fill them with  
his  living power1 and give them such an
 open door of utterance in his  service1
 that there was a mighty convincement   
over those parts4    ,and through the   
tender and singular indulgence of ,judge
 ,bradshaw and  ,judge ,fell1 in the    
infancy of things1 the priests were     
never able  to gain the point they      
laboured for1 which was to have         
proceeded to  blood1 and if possible1   
,herod-like1 by a cruel exercise of the 
civil  power1 to have cut them off and  
rooted them out of the country4         
,especially ,judge ,fell1 who was not   

only a check to their rage in the       
course of legal proceedings1 but        
otherwise upon occasion1 and finally    
countenanced this people2 for his wife  
receiving the truth with the  first1 it 
had that influence upon his spirit1     
being a just and wise  man1 and seeing  
in his own wife and family a full       
confutation of all  the popular clamours
 against the way of truth1 that he      
covered them  what he could1 and freely 
opened his doors1 and gave up his house 
to  his wife and her friends1 not       
valuing the reproach of ignorant or     
evil-minded people1 which ,i here       
mention to his and her honour1 and      
which will be ,i believe an honour and a
 blessing to such of their  name and    
family as shall be found in that        
tenderness1 humility1 love  and zeal for
 the truth and people of the ,lord4     
,that house was for some years at first1
 till the truth had opened  its way in  
the southern parts of this island1 an   
eminent receptacle  of this people4     

,others of good note and substance in   
those northern  countries had also      
opened their houses with their hearts to
 the many  publishers1 that in a short  
time the ,lord had raised to declare his
  salvation to the people1 and where    
meetings of the ,lord's messengers  were
 frequently held1 to communicate their  
services and exercises1  and comfort and
 edify one another in their blessed     
ministry4    ,but lest this may be      
thought a digression1 having touched    
upon  this before1 ,i return to this    
excellent man3 and for his personal     
qualities1 both natural1 moral1 and     
divine1 as they appeared in his         
converse with his brethren and in the   
church of ,god1 take as follows4    ,i4 
,he was a man that ,god endowed with a  
clear and wonderful depth1  a discerner 
of others' spirits1 and very much a     
master of his own4  ,and though the side
 of his understanding which lay next to 
the  world1 and especially the          
expression of it1 might sound uncouth   

and unfashionable to nice ears1 his     
matter was nevertheless very  profound1 
and would not only bear to be often     
considered1 but the  more it was so1 the
 more weighty and instructing it        
appeared4 ,and  as abruptly and brokenly
 as sometimes his sentences would fall  
from him about divine things1 it is well
 known they were often as  texts to many
 fairer declarations4 ,and indeed it    
shewed beyond all  contradiction that   
,god sent him1 that no arts or parts had
 any  share in the matter or manner of  
his ministry1 and that so many  great1  
excellent1 and necessary truths as he   
came forth to preach to  mankind1 had   
therefore nothing of man's wit or wisdom
 to recommend  them4 ,so that as to man 
he was an original1 being no man's copy4
  ,and his ministry and writings shew   
they are from one that was not  taught  
of man1 nor had learned what he said by 
study4 ,nor were they  notional or      
speculative1 but sensible and practical 
truths1 tending  to conversion and      

regeneration1 and the setting up the    
kingdom of  ,god in the hearts of men1  
and the way of it was his work4 ,so that
 ,i  have many times been overcome in   
myself1 and been made to say with  my   
,lord and ,master upon the like         
occasion1 ,i thank thee1 ,o ,father1    
,lord of heaven and earth1 that thou    
hast hid these things from the  wise and
 prudent of this world1 and revealed    
them to babes2 for  many times hath my  
soul bowed in an humble thankfulness to 
the ,lord1  that he did not choose any  
of the wise and learned of this world to
  be the first messenger in our age of  
his blessed truth to men2 but  that he  
took one that was not of high degree1 or
 elegant speech1  or learned after the  
way of this world1 that his message and 
work  ,he sent him to do might come with
 less suspicion or jealousy of  human   
wisdom and interest1 and with more force
 and clearness upon  the consciences of 
those that sincerely sought the way of  
truth in  the love of it4 ,i say1       

beholding with the eye of my mind1 which
 the  ,god of heaven had opened in me1  
the marks of ,god's finger and hand     
visibly in this testimony from the      
clearness of the principle1 the  power  
and efficacy of it in the exemplary     
sobriety1 plainness1 zeal1  steadiness1 
humility1 gravity1 punctuality1 charity1
 and circumspect  care in the government
 of church affairs1 which shined in his 
and  their life and testimony that ,god 
employed in this work1 it greatly       
confirmed me that it was of ,god1 and   
engaged my soul in a deep love1  fear1  
reverence1 and thankfulness for his love
 and mercy therein to  mankind2 in which
 mind ,i remain1 and shall1 ,i hope1 to 
the end of my  days4    ,,ii4 ,in his   
testimony or ministry he much laboured  
to open truth to  the people's          
understandings1 and to bottom them upon 
the principle  and principal1 ,christ   
,jesus1 the light of the world1 that by 
bringing  them to something that was of 
,god in themselves1 they might the      

better know and judge of him and        
themselves4    ,he had an extraordinary 
gift in opening the ,scriptures4 ,he    
would go  to the marrow of things1 and  
shew the mind1 harmony1 and fulfilling  
of them with much plainness1 and to     
great comfort and edification4    ,the  
mystery of the first and second ,adam1  
of the fall and  restoration1 of the law
 and gospel1 of shadows and substance1  
of the  servant and son's state1 and the
 fulfilling of the ,scriptures in       
,christ1 and by ,christ the true light1 
in all that are ,his1 through  the      
obedience of faith1 were much of the    
substance and drift of  his testimonies4
 ,in all which he was witnessed to be of
 ,god1 being  sensibly felt to speak    
that which he had received of ,christ1  
and was  his own experience in that     
which never errs nor fails4    ,but     
above all he excelled in prayer4 ,the   
inwardness and weight of his  spirit1   
the reverence and solemnity of his      
address and behaviour1  and the fewness 

and fullness of his words1 have often   
struck even  strangers with admiration1 
as they used to reach others with       
consolation4 ,the most awful1 living1   
reverent frame ,i ever felt or  beheld1 
,i must say1 was his in prayer4 ,and    
truly it was a testimony  he knew1 and  
lived nearer to the ,lord than other    
men2 for they that  know him most will  
see most reason to approach him with    
reverence and  fear4    ,he was of an   
innocent life1 no busy-body1 nor        
self-seeker1 neither  touchy nor        
critical3 what fell from him was very   
inoffensive1 if not  very edifying4 ,so 
meek1 contented1 modest1 easy1 steady1  
tender1 it  was a pleasure to be in his 
company4 ,he exercised no authority but 
over evil1 and that everywhere and in   
all2 but with love1 compassion1  and    
long-suffering4 ,a most merciful man1 as
 ready to forgive as  unapt to take or  
give offence4 ,thousands can truly say1 
he was of an  excellent spirit and      
savour among them1 and because thereof  

the most  excellent spirits loved him   
with an unfeigned and unfading love4    
,he was an incessant labourer2 for in   
his younger time1 before his  many great
 and deep sufferings and travels had    
enfeebled his body  for itinerant       
services1 he laboured much in the word  
and doctrine  and discipline in         
,england1 ,scotland1 and ,ireland1      
turning many to  ,god1 and confirming   
those that were convinced of the truth1 
and  settling good order as to church   
affairs among them4 ,and towards  the   
conclusion of his travelling services1  
between the years  seventy-one and      
seventy-seven1 he visited the churches  
of ,christ in  the plantations in       
,america1 and in the ,united ,provinces1
 and ,germany1  as his following        
,journal relates1 to the convincement   
and consolation  of many4 ,after that   
time he chiefly resided in and about the
 city  of ,london1 and besides the      
services of his ministry1 which were    
frequent1 he wrote much both to them    

that are within and those that  are     
without the communion4 ,but the care he 
took of the affairs of the  church in   
general was very great4    ,he was often
 where the records of the affairs of the
 church are  kept1 and the letters from 
the many meetings of ,god's people over 
all the world1 where settled1 come upon 
occasions2 which letters he  had read to
 him1 and communicated them to the      
meeting that is weekly  held there for  
such services2 he would be sure to stir 
them up to  discharge them1 especially  
in suffering cases3 showing great       
sympathy  and compassion upon all such  
occasions1 carefully looking into the   
respective cases1 and endeavouring      
speedy relief according to the  nature  
of them2 so that the churches and any of
 the suffering members  thereof were    
sure not to be forgotten or delayed in  
their desires if  he were there4    ,as 
he was unwearied1 so he was undaunted in
 his services for ,god and  his people2 
he was no more to be moved to fear than 

to wrath4 ,his  behaviour at ,derby1    
,litchfield1 ,appleby1 before ,oliver   
,cromwell at  ,launceston1 ,scarborough1
 ,worcester1 and ,westminster-hall1 with
 many  other places and exercises1 did  
abundantly evidence it to his enemies   
as well as his friends4    ,but as in   
the primitive times some rose up against
 the blessed  apostles of our ,lord     
,jesus ,christ1 even from among those   
that they  had turned to the hope of the
 gospel1 and who became their greatest  
trouble1 so this man of ,god had his    
share of suffering from some that  were 
convinced by him1 who through prejudice 
or mistake ran against  him as one that 
sought dominion over conscience2 because
 he pressed1  by his presence or        
epistles1 a ready and zealous compliance
 with such  good and wholesome things as
 tended to an orderly conversation about
  the affairs of the church1 and in     
their walking before men4 ,that  which  
contributed much to this ill work1 was  
in some a begrudging of  this meek man  

the love and esteem he had and deserved 
in the hearts  of the people1 and       
weakness in others that were taken with 
their  groundless suggestions of        
imposition and blind obedience4    ,they
 would have had every man independent1  
that as he had the  principle in        
himself1 he should only stand and fall  
to that and  nobody else2 not           
considering that the principle is one in
 all1 and  though the measure of light  
or grace might differ1 yet the nature of
  it was the same1 and being so they    
struck at the spiritual unity1  which a 
people guided by the same principle are 
naturally led into3  so that what is    
evil to one is so to all1 and what is   
virtuous1  honest1 and of good report to
 one1 is so to all1 from the sense and  
savour of the one universal principle   
which is common to all1 and  7which the 
disaffected profess to be7 the root of  
all true ,christian  fellowship1 and    
that spirit into which the people of    
,god drink1 and  come to be spiritually 

minded1 and of one heart and one soul4  
,some weakly mistook good order in the  
government of church-affairs  for       
discipline in worship1 and that it was  
so pressed or recommended  by him and   
other brethren2 and they were ready to  
reflect the  same things that dissenters
 had very reasonably objected upon the  
national churches1 that have coercively 
pressed conformity to their  respective 
creeds and worships3 whereas these      
things related wholly  to conversation1 
and the outward and 7as ,i may say7     
civil part of the  church1 that men     
should walk up to the principles of     
their belief1  and not be wanting in    
care and charity4 ,but though some have 
stumbled  and fallen through mistakes   
and an unreasonable obstinacy1 even to a
  prejudice1 yet blessed be ,god1 the   
generality have returned to their  first
 love1 and seen the work of the enemy1  
that loses no opportunity  or advantage 
by which he may check or hinder the work
 of ,god1 and  disquiet the peace of    

,his church1 and chill the love of ,his 
people to  the truth1 and one to        
another2 and there is hope of divers    
that are  yet at a distance4    ,in all 
these occasions1 though there was no    
person the discontented  struck so      
sharply at as this good man1 he bore all
 their weakness and  prejudice1 and     
returned not reflection for reflection2 
but forgave  them their weak and bitter 
speeches1 praying for them that they    
might  have a sense of their hurt1 and  
see the subtlety of the enemy to rend   
and divide1 and return into their first 
love that thought no ill4    ,and truly1
 ,i must say1 that though ,god had      
visibly cloathed him with  a divine     
preference and authority1 and indeed his
 very presence  expressed a religious   
majesty1 yet he never abused it1 but    
held his  place in the church of ,god   
with great meekness1 and a most engaging
  humility and moderation4 ,for upon all
 occasions1 like his blessed  ,master1  
he was a servant to all1 holding and    

exercising his eldership  in the        
invisible power that had gathered them1 
with reverence to the  head and care    
over the body1 and was received only in 
that spirit and  power of ,christ1 as   
the first and chief elder in this age2  
who as he  was therefore worthy of      
double honour1 so for the same reason it
 was  given by the faithful of this day2
 because his authority was inward  and  
not outward1 and that he got it and kept
 it by the love of ,god  and power of an
 endless life4 ,i write my knowledge and
 not report1  and my witness is true1   
having been with him for weeks and      
months  together on divers occasions1   
and those of the nearest and most       
exercising nature1 and that by night and
 by day1 by sea and by land1  in this   
and in foreign countries3 and ,i can say
 ,i never saw him out  of his place1 or 
not a match for every service or        
occasion4    ,for in all things he      
acquitted himself like a man1 yea a     
strong man1  a new and heavenly-minded  

man4 ,a divine1 and a naturalist1 and   
all  of ,god ,almighty's making4 ,i have
 been surprised at his questions and    
answers in natural things1 that whilst  
he was ignorant of useless  and         
sophistical science1 he had in him the  
foundation of useful and  commendable   
knowledge1 and cherished it everywhere4 
,civil beyond all  forms of breeding in 
his behaviour2 very temperate1 eating   
little and  sleeping less1 though a     
bulky person4    ,thus he lived and     
sojourned among us1 and as he lived so  
he died1  feeling the same eternal power
 that had raised and preserved him  in  
his last moments4 ,so full of assurance 
was he that he triumphed  over death2   
and so even to the last1 as if death    
were hardly worth  notice or a mention3 
recommending to some with him the       
dispatch and  dispersion of an epistle1 
just before written to the churches of  
,christ1 throughout the world1 and his  
own books2 but above all1  friends1 and 
of all friends those in ,ireland and    

,america1 twice over3  saying1 ,mind    
poor friends in ,ireland and ,america4  
,and to some that came in and inquired  
how he found himself1 he  answered1     
,never heed1 the ,lord's power is over  
all weakness and  death1 the ,seed      
reigns1 blessed be the ,lord3 which was 
about four  or five hours before his    
departure out of this world4 ,he was at 
the  great meeting near ,lombard ,street
 on the first day of the week1 and  it  
was the third following about ten at    
night when he left us1 being  at the    
house of ,h4 ,goldney in the same court4
 ,in a good old age he  went1 after     
having lived to see his children's      
children to several  generations in the 
truth4 ,he had the comfort of a short   
illness1 and  the blessing of a clear   
sense to the last2 and we may truly say 
with  a man of ,god of old1 that being  
dead1 he yet speaketh2 and though       
absent in body1 he is present in        
,spirit2 neither time nor place being   
able to interrupt the communion of      

saints1 or dissolve the fellowship  of  
the spirits of the just4 ,his works     
praise him1 because they are  to the    
praise of ,him that worked by him2 for  
which his memorial is  and shall be     
blessed4 ,i have done1 as to this part  
of my preface1  when ,i have left this  
short epitaph to his name3 ,many sons   
have done  virtuously in this day1 but1 
dear ,george1 thou excellest them all4  
,,contents                              
,,page      ,,preface1                  
#i      ,,introduction1                 
#ae      ,,the ,,testimony ,,of         
,,william ,,penn ,,concerning ,,that    
,,faithful ,,servant1 ,,george ,,fox1   
#df      ,i4--,,boyhood--,a ,,seeker1   
#fe    #afbd-afdh4      ,,ii4--,,the    
,,first ,,years ,,of ,,ministry1        
#ij    #afdh-afdi4      ,,iii4--,,the   
,,challenge ,,and ,,the ,,first ,,taste 
,,of ,,prison1    #aji    #afdh-afdi4   
,,iv4--,a ,,year ,,in ,,derby ,,jail1   
#aah    #afej-afea4      ,v4--,,one     
,,man ,,may ,,shake ,,the ,,country     

,,for ,,ten    ,,miles1                 
#acb    #afea-afeb4      ,,vi4--,a ,,new
 ,,era ,,begins1                        
#aej    #afeb4      ,,vii4--,,in        
,,prison ,,again1                       
#agi    #afec4      ,,viii4--,a ,,visit 
,,to ,,oliver ,,cromwell1               
#aig    #afec-afed4      ,,ix4--,a      
,,visit ,,to ,,the ,,southern           
,,counties1 ,,which ,,ends    ,,in      
,,launceston ,,jail1                    
#bbb    #afee-afef4      ,x4--,,planting
 ,,the ,,seed ,,in ,,wales1             
#bfi    #afef-afeg4      ,,xi4--,,in    
,,the ,,home ,,of ,,the ,,covenanters1  
#big    #afeg4      ,,xii4--,,great     
,,events ,,in ,,london1                 
#cag    #afeh-afei4      ,,xiii4--,,in  
,,the ,,first ,,year ,,of ,,king        
,,charles1             #cca    #affj4   
,,xiv4--,,labors1 ,,dangers ,,and       
,,sufferings1                 #cfc      
#affa-affb4      ,,xv4--,,in ,,prison   
,,for ,,not ,,swearing1                 
#cib    #affb-affe4      ,,xvi4--,a     

,,year ,,in ,,scarborough ,,castle1     
#dcf    #affe-afff4      ,,xvii4--,,at  
,,the ,,work ,,of ,,organizing1         
#dei    #affg-afgj4      ,,xviii4--,,two
 ,,years ,,in ,,america1                
#dhb    #afga-afgc4      ,,xix4--,,the  
,,last ,,imprisonment1                  
#ecf    #afgc-afgh4      ,,xx4--,,the   
,,seed ,,reigns ,,over ,,death1         
#efb    #afgi-afia4        ,,index1     
#egi    ,illustration3 ,signature       
,george ,fox           ,,chapter ,i4    
,boyhood--,a ,seeker4    #afbd-afdh4    
,that all may know the dealings of the  
,lord with me1 and the various          
exercises1 trials1 and troubles through 
which ,he led me1 in order  to prepare  
and fit me for the work unto which ,he  
had appointed me1  and may thereby be   
drawn to admire and glorify ,his        
infinite wisdom  and goodness1 ,i think 
fit 7before ,i proceed to set forth my  
public  travels in the service of       
,truth7 briefly to mention how it was   
with  me in my youth1 and how the work  

of the ,lord was begun1 and gradually   
carried on in me1 even from my          
childhood4    ,i was born in the month  
called ,july1 #afbd1 at                 
,drayton-in-the-,clay1#a  in            
,leicestershire4 ,my father's name was  
,christopher ,fox2 he was by  profession
 a weaver1 an honest man2 and there was 
a ,seed of ,god in  him4 ,the neighbours
 called him ,righteous ,christer4 ,my   
mother was an  upright woman2 her maiden
 name was ,mary ,lago1 of the family of 
the  ,lagos1 and of the stock of the    
martyrs4#b      #a ,now called ,fenny   
,drayton2 a little hamlet about five    
miles    from ,nuneaton1 in a flat1     
though beautiful farming country4 ,the  
house in which ,george ,fox was born has
 long since vanished1    and the few    
cottages which cluster here about the   
crossing of    two roads are of modern  
structure4 ,an obelisk1 with a long     
inscription1 stands within a hundred    
yards or so of the site of    the       
birthplace4      #b ,this martyred      

ancestor of ,mary ,lago was probably a  
member of    the ,glover family1 of     
,mancetter1 a few miles north of        
,drayton4    7,see article on ,fox in   
,dict4 of ,nat4 ,biog41 which refers to 
,riching's ,mancetter ,martyrs1 #ahfj47 
,in my very young years ,i had a gravity
 and stayedness of mind and  spirit not 
usual in children2 insomuch that when ,i
 saw old men behave  lightly and        
wantonly towards each other1 ,i had a   
dislike thereof  raised in my heart1 and
 said within myself1 ,if ever ,i come to
 be a  man1 surely ,i shall not do so1  
nor be so wanton4    ,when ,i came to   
eleven years of age ,i knew pureness and
 righteousness2  for while a child ,i   
was taught how to walk to be kept pure4 
,the ,lord  taught me to be faithful in 
all things1 and to act faithfully two   
ways1 viz41 inwardly1 to ,god1 and      
outwardly1 to man2 and to keep to  ,yea 
and ,nay in all things4 ,for the ,lord  
showed me that1 though the  people of   
the world have mouths full of deceit1   

and changeable words1  yet ,i was to    
keep to ,yea and ,nay in all things2 and
 that my words  should be few and       
savoury1 seasoned with grace2 and that  
,i might  not eat and drink to make     
myself wanton1 but for health1 using the
  creatures#c in their service1 as      
servants in their places1 to the  glory 
of ,him that created them4      #c      
,creatures here and frequently means    
created things4    ,as ,i grew up1 my   
relations thought to have made me a     
priest1#d but  others persuaded to the  
contrary4 ,whereupon ,i was put to a man
 who  was a shoemaker#e by trade1 and   
dealt in wool4 ,he also used grazing1   
and sold cattle2 and a great deal went  
through my hands4 ,while ,i was  with   
him he was blessed1 but after ,i left   
him he broke and came to  nothing4      
#d ,priest here means clergyman in the  
established ,church1    though the      
priests with whom he comes in contact in
 the early    years of his ministry are 
,presbyterian4 ,the word is usually     

employed for any minister who receives  
pay for preaching4      #e ,this brief  
connection with shoemaking has been     
effectively    used by ,carlyle in his  
famous characterization of ,george ,fox4
    7,see ,sartor ,resartus1 book iii41 
chapter #a3 ,an ,incident in    ,modern 
,history47 ,there is1 however1 no       
historical foundation for    ,carlyle's 
picture4 ,sewel denies that there was   
any connection    between ,fox's suit of
 leather and his former leather-work4   
,croese says the shoemaker and cattle   
grazer lived in ,nottingham4    ,i never
 wronged man or woman in all that time2 
for the ,lord's  power was with me and  
over me1 to preserve me4 ,while ,i was  
in that  service ,i used in my dealings 
the word ,verily1 and it was a common   
saying among those that knew me1 ,if    
,george says verily1 there is no        
altering him4 ,when boys and rude       
persons would laugh at me1 ,i let  them 
alone and went my way2 but people had   
generally a love to me for  my innocency

 and honesty4    ,when ,i came towards  
nineteen years of age1 being upon       
business at  a fair1 one of my cousins1 
whose name was ,bradford1 having another
  professor#f with him1 came and asked  
me to drink part of a jug of  beer with 
them4 ,i1 being thirsty1 went in with   
them for ,i loved any  who had a sense  
of good1 or that sought after the ,lord4
      #f ,professor means here and      
everywhere throughout this book a       
nominal ,christian4 ,our modern         
substitute for the expression would     
be a church member4    ,when we had     
drunk a glass apiece1 they began to     
drink healths1 and  called for more     
drink1 agreeing together that he that   
would not  drink should pay all4 ,i was 
grieved that any who made profession of 
religion should offer to do so4 ,they   
grieved me very much1 having  never had 
such a thing put to me before by any    
sort of people4  ,wherefore ,i rose up1 
and1 putting my hand in my pocket1 took 
out a  groat1 and laid it upon the table

 before them1 saying1 ,if it be so1  ,i 
will leave you4    ,so ,i went away2 and
 when ,i had done my business returned  
home2 but  did not go to bed that night1
 nor could ,i sleep1 but sometimes      
walked  up and down1 and sometimes      
prayed and cried to the ,lord1 who said 
unto me3 ,thou seest how young people go
 together into vanity1 and  old people  
into the earth2 thou must forsake all1  
young and old1 keep  out of all1 and be 
as a stranger unto all4    ,then1 at the
 command of ,god1 the ninth of the      
,seventh month1 #afdc1  ,i left my      
relations1 and broke off all familiarity
 or fellowship  with young or old4 ,i   
passed to ,lutterworth1 where ,i stayed 
some time4  ,from thence ,i went to     
,northampton1 where also ,i made some   
stay2 then  passed to ,newport-,pagnel1 
whence1 after ,i had stayed awhile1 ,i  
went  to ,barnet1 in the ,fourth month1 
called ,june1#g in the year #afdd4      
#g ,until #ageb the ,english year began 
in ,march1 so that by the    calendar   

then in use ,june was the fourth month4 
,this method of    reckoning time runs  
through the entire book1 and may be     
mentioned    here once for all4    ,as  
,i thus traveled through the country1   
professors took notice of me1  and      
sought to be acquainted with me2 but ,i 
was afraid of them1 for ,i  was sensible
 they did not possess what they         
professed4    ,during the time ,i was at
 ,barnet a strong temptation to despair 
came  upon me4 ,i then saw how ,christ  
was tempted1 and mighty troubles ,i was 
in4 ,sometimes ,i kept myself retired to
 my chamber1 and often walked  solitary 
in the ,chase to wait upon the ,lord4 ,i
 wondered why these  things should come 
to me4 ,i looked upon myself1 and said1 
,was ,i ever  so before8 ,then ,i       
thought1 because ,i had forsaken my     
relations ,i had  done amiss against    
them4    ,so ,i was brought to call to  
mind all my time that ,i had spent1 and 
to consider whether ,i had wronged any2 
but temptations grew more and  more1 and

 ,i was tempted almost to despair2 and  
when ,satan could not  effect his design
 upon me that way1 he laid snares and   
baits to draw  me to commit some sin1   
whereof he might take advantage to bring
 me to  despair4    ,i was about twenty 
years of age when these exercises came  
upon me2  and some years ,i continued in
 that condition1 in great trouble2 and  
fain ,i would have put it from me4 ,i   
went to many a priest to look for       
comfort1 but found no comfort from them4
    ,from ,barnet ,i went to ,london1   
where ,i took a lodging1 and was  under 
great misery and trouble there2 for ,i  
looked upon the great  professors of the
 city of ,london1 and saw all was dark  
and under the  chain of darkness4 ,i had
 an uncle there1 one ,pickering1 a      
,baptist2  the ,baptists were tender#h  
then2 yet ,i could not impart my mind to
  him1 nor join with them2 for ,i saw   
all1 young and old1 where they  were4   
,some tender people would have had me   
stay1 but ,i was fearful1  and returned 

homeward into ,leicestershire1 having a 
regard upon my  mind to my parents and  
relations1 lest ,i should grieve them1  
for ,i  understood they were troubled at
 my absence4      #h ,tender is one of  
,george ,fox's favorite words4 ,it will 
come often4 ,it means that the persons  
to whom it is applied are    religiously
 inclined1 serious1 and earnest in their
 search for    spiritual realities4     
,being returned#i into ,leicestershire1 
my relations would have had me  married2
 but ,i told them ,i was but a lad1 and 
must get wisdom4 ,others  would have had
 me join the auxiliary band among the   
soldiery1,g but  ,i refused1 and was    
grieved that they offered such things to
 me1 being  a tender youth4 ,then ,i    
went to ,coventry1 where ,i took a      
chamber for  awhile at a professor's    
house1 till people began to be          
acquainted  with me1 for there were many
 tender people in that town4 ,after some
  time ,i went into my own country      
again1 and continued about a year1 in   

great sorrow and trouble1 and walked    
many nights by myself4      #i ,from his
 return home in #afdd1 ,george ,fox     
dates the beginning    of his religious 
society4 7,see ,epistles1 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 
#aj4    ,philadelphia edition1 #ahca47  
,g ,the ,civil ,war was at its height4  
,then the priest of ,drayton1 the town  
of my birth1 whose name was  ,nathaniel 
,stephens1 came often to me1 and ,i went
 often to him2 and  another priest      
sometimes came with him2 and they would 
give place to  me1 to hear me2 and ,i   
would ask them questions1 and reason    
with them4  ,this priest1 ,stephens1    
asked me why ,christ cried out upon the 
cross1  ,my ,god1 my ,god1 why hast thou
 forsaken me8 and why ,he said1 ,if it  
be possible1 let this cup pass from me2 
yet not my will1 but thine1  be done8 ,i
 told him that at that time the sins of 
all mankind were  upon ,him1 and their  
iniquities and transgressions1 with     
which ,he was  wounded2 which ,he was to
 bear1 and to be an offering for1 as ,he

 was  man2 but died not1 as ,he was     
,god2 so1 in that ,he died for all men1 
tasting death for every man1 ,he was an 
offering for the sins of the  whole     
world4    ,this ,i spoke1 being at that 
time in a measure sensible of ,christ's 
sufferings4 ,the priest said it was a   
very good1 full answer1 and  such a one 
as he had not heard4 ,at that time he   
would applaud and  speak highly of me to
 others2 and what ,i said in discourse  
to him on  week-days1 he would preach of
 on ,first-days1#aj which gave me a     
dislike to him4 ,this priest afterwards 
became my great persecutor4      #aj ,it
 was a settled custom1 in fact1 a matter
 of conscience    with ,fox1 to avoid   
the names of the days and of the months4
 ,he    disliked them because they      
commemorated heathen divinities1 and    
he always makes a point of using numeral
 adjectives instead of    the names4 ,it
 was not an original scruple with him1  
but a similar    position was taken by  
some of the leading ,separatists before 

the ,commonwealth period4 7,see         
,barrow's ,false ,churches1 p4 #bjd47   
,after this ,i went to another ancient  
priest,h at ,mancetter1 in              
,warwickshire1 and reasoned with him    
about the ground of despair and         
temptations4 ,but he was ignorant of my 
condition2 he bade me take  tobacco and 
sing psalms4 ,tobacco was a thing ,i did
 not love1 and  psalms ,i was not in a  
state to sing2 ,i could not sing4 ,he   
bade me  come again1 and he would tell  
me many things2 but when ,i came he was 
angry and pettish1 for my former words  
had displeased him4 ,he told  my        
troubles1 sorrows1 and griefs to his    
servants1 so that it got out  among the 
milk-lasses4 ,it grieved me that ,i     
should have opened my  mind to such a   
one4 ,i saw they were all miserable     
comforters1 and  this increased my      
troubles upon me4 ,i heard of a priest  
living about  ,tamworth1 who was        
accounted an experienced man4 ,i went   
seven miles to  him1 but found him like 

an empty1 hollow cask4      ,h ,richard 
,abell4    ,i heard also of one called  
,dr4 ,cradock1 of ,coventry1 and went to
  him4 ,i asked him the ground of       
temptations and despair1 and how        
troubles came to be wrought in man8 ,he 
asked me1 ,who were ,christ's  father   
and mother8 ,i told him1 ,mary was ,his 
mother1 and that ,he was  supposed to be
 the ,son of ,joseph1 but ,he was the   
,son of ,god4    ,now1 as we were       
walking together in his garden1 the     
alley being  narrow1 ,i chanced1 in     
turning1 to set my foot on the side of a
 bed1  at which the man was in a rage1  
as if his house had been on fire4  ,thus
 all our discourse was lost1 and ,i went
 away in sorrow1 worse  than ,i was when
 ,i came4 ,i thought them miserable     
comforters1 and saw  they were all as   
nothing to me1 for they could not reach 
my condition4    ,after this ,i went to 
another1 one ,macham1,i a priest in high
  account4 ,he would needs give me some 
physic1 and ,i was to have been  let    

blood2 but they could not get one drop  
of blood from me1 either  in arms or    
head 7though they endeavoured to do so71
 my body being1  as it were1 dried up   
with sorrows1 grief and troubles1 which 
were  so great upon me that ,i could    
have wished ,i had never been born1 or  
that ,i had been born blind1 that ,i    
might never have seen wickedness  or    
vanity2 and deaf1 that ,i might never   
have heard vain and wicked  words1 or   
the ,lord's name blasphemed4      ,i ,of
 ,atherstone4    ,when the time called  
,christmas came1 while others were      
feasting and  sporting themselves ,i    
looked out poor widows from house to    
house1  and gave them some money4 ,when 
,i was invited to marriages 7as ,i      
sometimes was71 ,i went to none at all2 
but the next day1 or soon  after1 ,i    
would go and visit them1 and if they    
were poor ,i gave them  some money2 for 
,i had wherewith both to keep myself    
from being  chargeable to others and to 
administer something to the necessities 

of those who were in need4#aa      #aa  
,it is difficult to find out where      
,george ,fox's money came    from4 ,he  
reports in the original ,,ms4 of the    
,journal1 p4 #ag1 a    remark his       
relatives made about him when he left   
home3 ,when hee    went from us hee had 
a greate deale of gould and sillver     
about    him4 ,he is always well        
supplied4 ,he goes to inns1 always has a
    good horse1 wears clean linen and   
frequently gives to charity4 ,in        
signed papers in the ,spence collection 
he gives orders for the    disposal of  
money invested in ships and trade1 as   
well as of    a thousand acres of land  
in ,pennsylvania which ,william ,penn   
had    assigned to him4    ,about the   
beginning of the year #afdf1 as ,i was  
going to ,coventry1  and approaching    
towards the gate1 a consideration arose 
in me1 how  it was said that ,all       
,christians are believers1 both         
,protestants and  ,papists2 and the     
,lord opened#ab to me that if all were  

believers1  then they were all born of  
,god1 and passed from death to life2 and
  that none were true believers but     
such2 and1 though others said they  were
 believers1 yet they were not4 ,at      
another time1 as ,i was walking  in a   
field on a ,first-day morning1 the ,lord
 opened unto me that  being bred at     
,oxford or ,cambridge was not enough to 
fit and qualify  men to be ministers of 
,christ2 and ,i wondered at it1 because 
it was  the common belief of people4    
,but ,i saw it clearly as the ,lord     
opened  it unto me1 and was satisfied1  
and admired the goodness of the ,lord1  
who had opened this thing unto me that  
morning4 ,this struck at priest         
,stephens's ministry1 namely1 that to be
 bred at ,oxford or ,cambridge  was not 
enough to make a man fit to be a        
minister of ,christ4 ,so that  which    
opened in me ,i saw struck at the       
priest's ministry4      #ab ,this       
expression opened has a mystical import1
 and will    be of frequent occurrence4 

,he means to say that it was directly   
revealed in his soul so that he         
assuredly knew it to be true4    ,often 
he uses the expression in reference to  
some truth which he    might easily have
 discovered in the ,scriptures or have  
learned    from contemporary sources4   
,but in this solemn way he announces    
that this truth has now at length come  
to be a living truth    for him4 ,it is 
no longer a mere statement of fact--it  
is a    principle1 the truth of which he
 sees4    ,but my relations were much   
troubled that ,i would not go with them 
to hear the priest2 for ,i would go into
 the orchard or the fields1  with my    
,bible1 by myself4 ,i asked them1 ,did  
not the ,apostle say to  believers that 
they needed no man to teach them1 but as
 the anointing  teacheth them8 ,though  
they knew this was ,scripture1 and that 
it was  true1 yet they were grieved     
because ,i could not be subject in this 
matter1 to go to hear the priest with   
them4 ,i saw that to be a true  believer

 was another thing than they looked upon
 it to be2 and ,i saw  that being bred  
at ,oxford or ,cambridge did not qualify
 or fit a man  to be a minister of      
,christ2 what then should ,i follow such
 for8 ,so  neither them1 nor any of the 
dissenting people1 could ,i join with2  
but was as a stranger to all1 relying   
wholly upon the ,lord ,jesus  ,christ4  
,at another time it was opened in me    
that ,god1 who made the world1 did  not 
dwell in temples made with hands4 ,this 
at first seemed a strange  word1 because
 both priests and people used to call   
their temples1 or  churches1 dreadful   
places1 holy ground1 and the temples of 
,god4 ,but  the ,lord showed me clearly 
that ,he did not dwell in these temples 
which men had commanded and set up1 but 
in people's hearts2 for both  ,stephen  
and the apostle ,paul bore testimony    
that ,he did not dwell in  temples made 
with hands1 not even in that which ,he  
had once commanded  to be built1 since  
,he put an end to it2 but that ,his     

people were ,his  temple1 and ,he dwelt 
in them4    ,this opened in me as ,i    
walked in the fields to my relations'   
house4  ,when ,i came there they told me
 that ,nathaniel ,stephens1 the priest1 
had been there1 and told them he was    
afraid of me1 for going after  new      
lights4 ,i smiled in myself1 knowing    
what the ,lord had opened in  me        
concerning him and his brethren2 but ,i 
told not my relations1  who1 though they
 saw beyond the priests1 yet went to    
hear them1  and were grieved because ,i 
would not go also4 ,but ,i brought them 
,scriptures1,j and told them there was  
an anointing within man to  teach him1  
and that the ,lord would teach ,his     
people ,himself4      ,j ,that is1 gave 
them ,scripture references4    ,i had   
also great openings concerning the      
things written in the  ,revelations2 and
 when ,i spoke of them the priests and  
professors  would say that was a sealed 
book1 and would have kept me out of it4 
,but ,i told them ,christ could open the

 seals1 and that they were the  nearest 
things to us2 for the epistles were     
written to the saints  that lived in    
former ages1 but the ,revelations were  
written of things  to come4    ,after   
this ,i met with a sort of people that  
held women have no souls1  7adding in a 
light manner71 ,no more than a goose4#ac
 ,but ,i reproved  them1 and told them  
that was not right2 for ,mary said1 ,my 
soul doth  magnify the ,lord1 and my    
spirit hath rejoiced in ,god my         
,saviour4      #ac ,this was one of the 
many curious religious sects with which 
the ,england of the ,commonwealth was   
overrun4 7,see ,edwards's    ,gangrna47 
,removing to another place1 ,i came     
among a people that relied much on      
dreams4 ,i told them1 except they could 
distinguish between dream and  dream1   
they would confound all together2 for   
there were three sorts  of dreams2      
multitude of business sometimes caused  
dreams1 and there  were whisperings of  
,satan in man in the night season2 and  

there were  speakings of ,god to man in 
dreams4 ,but these people came out of   
these  things1 and at last became       
,friends4#ad      #ad ,friends is here  
used for the first time in the ,journal 
as    the name of the new denomination4 
,it is not possible to determine    when
 the name was adopted or why it was     
chosen4 ,when the ,journal    was       
written the term had already become     
fixed and ,fox uses it    without       
comment or explanation1 referring it    
back to a period    before it came into 
use as the name of the ,society4 ,at    
first the    word friends was probably  
used in an untechnical sense for        
those who were friendly1 and little by  
little it hardened into    a name4 ,at  
the very beginning they called          
themselves ,children of    the ,light4  
,now1 though ,i had great openings1 yet 
great trouble and temptation  came many 
times upon me2 so that when it was day  
,i wished for night1  and when it was   
night ,i wished for day2 and by reason  

of the openings  ,i had in my troubles1 
,i could say as ,david said1 ,day unto  
day  uttereth speech1 and night unto    
night showeth knowledge4 ,when ,i had   
openings they answered one another and  
answered the ,scriptures2 for ,i  had   
great openings of the ,scriptures3 and  
when ,i was in troubles1 one  trouble   
also answered to another4    ,about the 
beginning of the year #afdg ,i was moved
 of the ,lord to go  into ,derbyshire1  
where ,i met with some friendly people1 
and had  many discourses with them4     
,then1 passing into the ,peak           
country1#ae  ,i met with more friendly  
people1 and with some in empty high     
notions4#af ,travelling through some    
parts of ,leicestershire1 and  into     
,nottinghamshire1 ,i met with a tender  
people1 and a very tender  woman1 whose 
name was ,elizabeth ,hooton4#ag ,with   
these ,i had some  meetings and         
discourses2 but my troubles continued1  
and ,i was often  under great           
temptations4      #ae ,in the northern  

part of ,derbyshire4      #af ,these    
were ,ranters who will appear again and 
often4 ,they    claimed to be perfect   
and above the possibility of sinning4   
,some    even went to the wild extreme  
of claiming to be ,christ1 or ,god4     
,they went on living for the most part  
much as they chose1 and    justified    
their acts on the ground that it was    
,god who was acting    in them4 ,it is  
clearly apparent from this autobiography
 that such    persons were very numerous
 at the time4 ,it will be noticed that  
,george ,fox believes also in the       
possibility of freedom from sin1    but 
perfection as he holds it means         
something quite other than    this      
doctrine of the ,ranters1 as the        
,journal will show4      #ag ,elizabeth 
,hooton was a woman of good standing1   
who was born    in ,nottingham about the
 year #afjj4 ,she was the first person  
of    her sex to become a minister in   
the newly-gathered ,society4 ,the       
preaching of women at this time was not 

entirely novel1 as it    was allowed by 
several of the religious sects of the   
period4    ,elizabeth ,hooton had her   
faith severely tested by persecution and
    long imprisonment4 ,she performed   
two religious visits to ,america    and 
the ,west ,indies and died in ,jamaica  
in #afga4    ,i fasted much1 walked     
abroad in solitary places many days1 and
 often  took my ,bible1 and sat in      
hollow trees and lonesome places till   
night  came on2 and frequently in the   
night walked mournfully about by        
myself2 for ,i was a man of sorrows in  
the time of the first workings  of the  
,lord in me4    ,during all this time ,i
 was never joined in profession of      
religion  with any1 but gave up myself  
to the ,lord1 having forsaken all evil  
company1 taken leave of father and      
mother1 and all other relations1  and   
travelled up and down as a stranger in  
the earth1 which way  the ,lord inclined
 my heart2 taking a chamber to myself in
 the town  where ,i came1 and tarrying1 

sometimes more1 sometimes less1 in a    
place4 ,for ,i durst not stay long in a 
place1 being afraid both of  professor  
and profane1 lest1 being a tender young 
man1 ,i should be  hurt by conversing   
much with either4 ,for this reason ,i   
kept much as  a stranger1 seeking       
heavenly wisdom and getting knowledge   
from the  ,lord1 and was brought off    
from outward things to rely on the ,lord
  alone4    ,though my exercises and    
troubles were very great1 yet were they 
not  so continual but that ,i had some  
intermissions1 and ,i was sometimes     
brought into such an heavenly joy that  
,i thought ,i had been in  ,abraham's   
bosom4    ,as ,i cannot declare the     
misery ,i was in1 it was so great and   
heavy  upon me1 so neither can ,i set   
forth the mercies of ,god unto me in    
all my misery4 ,o the everlasting love  
of ,god to my soul1 when ,i was  in     
great distress6 ,when my troubles and   
torments were great1 then  was ,his love
 exceeding great4 ,thou1 ,lord1 makest a

 fruitful field a  barren wilderness1   
and a barren wilderness a fruitful      
field6 ,thou  bringest down and settest 
up6 ,thou killest and makest alive6 all 
honour and glory be to thee1 ,o ,lord of
 ,glory6 ,the knowledge of ,thee  in the
 ,spirit is life2 but that knowledge    
which is fleshly works  death4#ah       
#ah ,all profound spiritual teachers    
contrast wisdom and    knowledge--what  
is here called knowledge in the ,spirit 
and    knowledge in the flesh1 or1 what 
is perhaps more frequently    called    
knowledge of the heart and knowledge of 
the head4    ,the latter expression     
means a knowledge of fact--the knowing  
that a thing is so by evidence which    
satisfies the mind4 ,the    former      
expression means the soul's immediate   
grasp of truth by    the test of        
practical experience4 ,the goal in one  
case is the    establishment of some    
fact2 the goal in the other case is the 
production of positive life and         
character by the appreciation of    the 

truth4    ,while there is this knowledge
 in the flesh1 deceit and self will     
conform to anything1 and will say ,yes1 
,yes1 to that it doth not know4  ,the   
knowledge which the world hath of what  
the prophets and apostles  spake1 is a  
fleshly knowledge2 and the apostates    
from the life in  which the prophets and
 apostles were have got their words1 the
 ,holy  ,scriptures1 in a form1 but not 
in the life nor spirit that gave them   
forth4 ,so they all lie in confusion2   
and are making provision for the  flesh1
 to fulfil the lusts thereof1 but not to
 fulfil the law and  command of ,christ 
in ,his power and ,spirit4 ,for that    
they say they  cannot do2 but to fulfil 
the lusts of the flesh1 that they can do
  with delight4    ,now1 after ,i had   
received that opening from the ,lord1   
that to be  bred at ,oxford or          
,cambridge was not sufficient to fit a  
man to be  a minister of ,christ1 ,i    
regarded the priests less1 and looked   
more  after the ,dissenting people4,k   

,among them ,i saw there was some       
tenderness2 and many of them came       
afterwards to be convinced1 for  they   
had some openings4      ,k ,the         
,separatists--especially here the       
,congregationalists and    ,baptists4   
,but as ,i had forsaken the priests1 so 
,i left the separate preachers  also1   
and those esteemed the most experienced 
people2 for ,i saw there  was none among
 them all that could speak to my        
condition4 ,when all  my hopes in them  
and in all men were gone1 so that ,i had
 nothing  outwardly to help me1 nor     
could ,i tell what to do1 then1 oh1     
then1 ,i  heard a voice which said1     
,there is one1 even ,christ ,jesus1 that
 can  speak to thy condition2#ai and    
when ,i heard it1 my heart did leap  for
 joy4      #ai ,compare this great      
passage where ,george ,fox describes his
    conversion with ,paul's account of  
the spiritual fiat lux in    #b ,cor4   
#d3 #f1 ,for ,god who commanded the     
light to shine out of    darkness the   

first fiat lux hath shined in our hearts
 to    give the light of the knowledge  
of the glory of ,god in the face    of  
,jesus ,christ4    ,then the ,lord let  
me see why there was none upon the earth
 that could  speak to my condition1     
namely1 that ,i might give ,him all the 
glory4  ,for all are concluded under    
sin1 and shut up in unbelief1 as ,i had 
been2 that ,jesus ,christ might have the
 pre-eminence1 who enlightens1  and     
gives grace1 and faith1 and power4 ,thus
 when ,god doth work1 who  shall hinder 
it8 and this ,i knew experimentally4    
,my desire after the ,lord grew         
stronger1 and zeal in the pure          
knowledge of ,god1 and of ,christ alone1
 without the help of any man1  book1 or 
writing4 ,for though ,i read the        
,scriptures that spoke of  ,christ and  
of ,god1 yet ,i knew ,him not1 but by   
revelation1 as ,he who  hath the key did
 open1 and as the ,father of ,life drew 
me to ,his ,son  by ,his ,spirit4 ,then 
the ,lord gently led me along1 and let  

me see ,his  love1 which was endless and
 eternal1 surpassing all the knowledge  
that men have in the natural state1 or  
can obtain from history or  books2 and  
that love let me see myself1 as ,i was  
without ,him4    ,i was afraid of all   
company1 for ,i saw them perfectly where
 they  were1 through the love of ,god1  
which let me see myself4 ,i had not     
fellowship with any people1 priests or  
professors1 or any sort of  separated   
people1 but with ,christ1 who hath the  
key1 and opened the  door of ,light and 
,life unto me4 ,i was afraid of all     
carnal talk and  talkers1 for ,i could  
see nothing but corruptions1 and the    
life lay  under the burthen of          
corruptions4    ,when ,i myself was in  
the deep1 shut up under all1 ,i could   
not  believe that ,i should ever        
overcome2 my troubles1 my sorrows1 and  
my  temptations were so great that ,i   
thought many times ,i should have       
despaired1 ,i was so tempted4 ,but when 
,christ opened to me how ,he was        

tempted by the same devil1 and overcame 
him and bruised his head1 and  that     
through ,him and ,his power1 light1     
grace1 and ,spirit1 ,i should  overcome 
also1 ,i had confidence in ,him2 so ,he 
it was that opened to  me when ,i was   
shut up and had no hope nor faith4      
,christ1 who had  enlightened me1 gave  
me ,his light to believe in2 ,he gave me
 hope1  which ,he ,himself revealed in  
me1 and ,he gave me ,his ,spirit and    
grace1  which ,i found sufficient in the
 deeps and in weakness4    ,thus1 in the
 deepest miseries1 and in the greatest  
sorrows and  temptations1 that many     
times beset me1 the ,lord in ,his mercy 
did keep  me4    ,i found that there    
were two thirsts in me--the one after   
the  creatures1 to get help and strength
 there1 and the other after  the ,lord1 
the ,creator1 and ,his ,son ,jesus      
,christ4 ,i saw all the  world could do 
me no good2 if ,i had had a king's diet1
 palace1 and  attendance1 all would have
 been as nothing2 for nothing gave me   

comfort but the ,lord by ,his power4 ,at
 another time ,i saw the great  love of 
,god1 and was filled with admiration at 
the infiniteness of it4    ,one day1    
when ,i had been walking solitarily     
abroad1 and was come  home1 ,i was taken
 up in the love of ,god1 so that ,i     
could not but  admire the greatness of  
,his love2 and while ,i was in that     
condition1  it was opened unto me by the
 eternal light and power1 and ,i therein
  clearly saw that all was done and to  
be done in and by ,christ1 and  how ,he 
conquers and destroys this tempter the  
devil1 and all his  works1 and is atop  
of him2 and that all these troubles were
 good for  me1 and temptations for the  
trial of my faith1 which ,christ had    
given  me4    ,the ,lord opened me1 that
 ,i saw all through these troubles and  
temptations4 ,my living faith was       
raised1 that ,i saw all was done by     
,christ the life1 and my belief was in  
,him4    ,when at any time my condition 
was veiled1 my secret belief was stayed 

firm1 and hope underneath held me1 as an
 anchor in the bottom of the  sea1 and  
anchored my immortal soul to its        
,bishop1 causing it to swim  above the  
sea1 the world1 where all the raging    
waves1 foul weather1  tempests and      
temptations are4 ,but ,o6 then did ,i   
see my troubles1  trials1 and           
temptations more clearly than ever ,i   
had done4 ,as the  light appeared all   
appeared that is out of the light2      
darkness1  death1 temptations1 the      
unrighteous1 the ungodly2 all was       
manifest  and seen in the light4    ,i  
heard of a woman in ,lancashire that had
 fasted two and twenty days1  and ,i    
travelled to see her2 but when ,i came  
to her ,i saw that she  was under a     
temptation4 ,when ,i had spoken to her  
what ,i had from the  ,lord1 ,i left    
her1 her father being one high in       
profession4    ,passing on1 ,i went     
among the professors at ,duckingfield   
and  ,manchester1 where ,i stayed       
awhile1 and declared truth among them4  

,there were some convinced who received 
the ,lord's teaching1 by which  they    
were confirmed and stood in the truth4  
,but the professors  were in a rage1 all
 pleading for sin and imperfection1 and 
could  not endure to hear talk of       
perfection1 and of a holy and sinless   
life4#bj ,but the ,lord's power was over
 all1 though they were  chained under   
darkness and sin1 which they pleaded    
for1 and quenched  the tender thing in  
them4      #bj ,at the very beginning of
 his ministry in #afdg ,george ,fox     
evidently preached the possibility of   
complete freedom from sin4    ,but he   
was very careful to avoid presenting the
 mere theory or    notion of perfection1
 which was common among all the types of
    ,ranters4 ,he believed that ,christ 
came to destroy sin1 and he    stoutly  
held that when ,he ruled in a man sin   
and the dominion of    it were done     
away4 ,man could come into the condition
 ,adam was    in before he fell1 to use 
his own expression4 ,one of his most    

frequent challenges was to demand that  
modern ,christians should    come into  
the same life and power which those were
 in who gave    forth the ,scriptures4  
,but ,george ,fox's test of holiness was
 the    practical test of daily life4   
,no man was to be accounted holy if     
he were not in fact holy4    ,about this
 time there was a great meeting of the  
,baptists1 at  ,broughton1 in           
,leicestershire1 with some that had     
separated from them1  and people of     
other notions went thither1 and ,i went 
also4 ,not many  of the ,baptists came1 
but many others were there4 ,the ,lord  
opened my  mouth1 and the everlasting   
truth was declared amongst them1 and the
  power of the ,lord was over them all4 
,for in that day the ,lord's power      
began to spring1 and ,i had great       
openings in the ,scriptures4 ,several   
were convinced in those parts and were  
turned from darkness to light1  from the
 power of ,satan unto ,god1 and many    
were raised up to praise  ,god4 ,when ,i

 reasoned with professors and other     
people1 some became  convinced4    ,i   
went back into ,nottinghamshire1 and    
there the ,lord showed me  that the     
natures of those things1 which were     
hurtful without1 were  within1 in the   
hearts and minds of wicked men4 ,the    
natures of dogs1  swine1 vipers1 of     
,sodom and ,egypt1 ,pharaoh1 ,cain1     
,ishmael1 ,esau1  etc42 the natures of  
these ,i saw within1 though people had  
been  looking without4 ,i cried to the  
,lord1 saying1 ,why should ,i be        
thus1,l seeing ,i was never addicted to 
commit those evils8 and  the ,lord      
answered1 ,that it was needful ,i should
 have a sense of all  conditions1 how   
else should ,i speak to all conditions6 
and in this ,i  saw the infinite love of
 ,god4      ,l ,that is1 why should ,i  
have suffered such troubles and         
temptations4    ,i saw1 also1 that there
 was an ocean of darkness and death2 but
 an  infinite ocean of light and love1  
which flowed over the ocean of          

darkness4 ,in that also ,i saw the      
infinite love of ,god1 and ,i had  great
 openings4    ,then came people from far
 and near to see me2 but ,i was fearful 
of  being drawn out by them2 yet ,i was 
made to speak1 and open things  to them4
 ,there was one ,brown1 who had great   
prophecies and sights  upon his         
death-bed of me4 ,he spoke only of what 
,i should be made  instrumental by the  
,lord to bring forth4 ,and of others he 
spoke1 that  they should come to        
nothing1 which was fulfilled on some1   
who then  were something in show4       
,when this man was buried a great work  
of the ,lord fell upon me1  to the      
admiration of many1 who thought ,i had  
been dead1 and many  came to see me for 
about fourteen days4 ,i was very much   
altered  in countenance and person1 as  
if my body had been new moulded or      
changed4#ba ,my sorrows and troubles    
began to wear off1 and tears  of joy    
dropped from me1 so that ,i could have  
wept night and day with  tears of joy to

 the ,lord1 in humility and brokenness  
of heart4      #ba ,for those who are   
interested in the psychology of ,george 
,fox    this is one of the most         
important passages in the ,journal4     
,these    sweeping psychical and        
physical changes are most significant4  
,on two other occasions of his life1    
which will be noted later1    he        
underwent similar1 though perhaps       
profounder1 changes4 ,these    passages 
in the ,journal reveal1 to those who are
 familiar with    such phenomena1 the   
fact that ,george ,fox was subject to   
deep    subliminal transformations4 ,the
 passage1 too1 throws much light    back
 upon his long travail through distress 
and darkness4    ,i saw into that which 
was without end1 things which cannot be 
uttered1 and of the greatness and       
infinitude of the love of ,god1  which  
cannot be expressed by words4 ,for ,i   
had been brought through  the very ocean
 of darkness and death1 and through and 
over the power  of ,satan1 by the       

eternal1 glorious power of ,christ2 even
 through that  darkness was ,i brought1 
which covered over all the world1 and   
which  chained down all and shut up all 
in death4 ,the same eternal power of    
,god1 which brought me through these    
things1 was that which afterwards  shook
 the nations1 priests1 professors and   
people4    ,then could ,i say ,i had    
been in spiritual ,babylon1 ,sodom1     
,egypt1 and  the grave2 but by the      
eternal power of ,god ,i was come out of
 it1 and  was brought over it1 and the  
power of it1 into the power of ,christ4 
,i  saw the harvest white1 and the seed 
of ,god lying thick in the ground1  as  
ever did wheat that was sown outwardly1 
and none to gather it2 for  this ,i     
mourned with tears4    ,a report went   
abroad of me1 that ,i was a young man   
that had a  discerning spirit2 whereupon
 many came to me1 from far and near1    
professors1 priests1 and people4 ,the   
,lord's power broke forth1 and ,i  had  
great openings and prophecies1 and spoke

 unto them of the things  of ,god1 which
 they heard with attention and silence1 
and went away  and spread the fame      
thereof4    ,then came the tempter and  
set upon me again1 charging me that ,i  
had  sinned against the ,holy ,ghost2   
but ,i could not tell in what4 ,then    
,paul's condition came before me1 how   
after he had been taken up  into the    
third heaven1 and seen things not lawful
 to be uttered1  a messenger of ,satan  
was sent to buffet him4 ,thus by the    
power of  ,christ ,i got over that      
temptation also4          ,,chapter     
,,ii4    ,the ,first ,years of ,ministry
    #afdh-afdi4      ,after this,m ,i   
went to ,mansfield1 where was a great   
meeting of  professors and people4 ,here
 ,i was moved to pray2 and the ,lord's  
power was so great that the house seemed
 to be shaken4 ,when ,i had  done1 some 
of the professors said it was now as in 
the days of the  apostles1 when the     
house was shaken where they were4#bb    
,after ,i had  prayed1 one of the       

professors would pray1 which brought    
deadness and  a veil over them2 and     
others of the professors were grieved at
 him  and told him it was a temptation  
upon him4 ,then he came to me1 and      
desired that ,i would pray again2 but ,i
 could not pray in man's will4      ,m  
,in the year #afdh4      #bb ,william   
,penn gives the following testimony to  
,fox's power in    prayer3      ,but    
above all he excelled in prayer4 ,the   
inwardness and weight    of his spirit1 
the reverence and solemnity of his      
address and    behaviour1 and the       
fewness and fulness of his words1 have  
often    struck1 even strangers1 with   
admiration1 as they used to reach       
others with consolation4 ,the most      
awful1 living1 reverent frame ,i    ever
 felt or beheld1 ,i must say1 was his in
 prayer4 ,and truly it    was a         
testimony he knew and lived nearer to   
the ,lord than other    men4--,preface  
to ,george ,fox's ,journal4    ,soon    
after there was another great meeting of

 professors1 and a  captain1 whose name 
was ,amor ,stoddard1 came in4 ,they were
 discoursing  of the blood of ,christ2  
and as they were discoursing of it1 ,i  
saw1  through the immediate opening of  
the invisible ,spirit1 the blood of     
,christ4 ,and ,i cried out among them1  
and said1 ,do ye not see the  blood of  
,christ8 ,see it in your hearts1 to     
sprinkle your hearts and  consciences   
from dead works1 to serve the living    
,god2 for ,i saw it1  the blood of the  
,new ,covenant1 how it came into the    
heart4#bc      #bc ,this is a           
characteristic illustration of the way  
,fox    passed beyond theories and      
doctrines1 and demanded practical       
life-results4    ,this startled the     
professors1 who would have the blood    
only without  them1 and not in them4    
,but ,captain ,stoddard was reached1 and
 said1  ,let the youth speak2 hear the  
youth speak2 when he saw they           
endeavoured to bear me down with many   
words4    ,there was also a company of  

priests1 that were looked upon to be    
tender2 one of their names was ,kellett2
 and several people that were  tender   
went to hear them4 ,i was moved to go   
after them1 and bid them  mind the      
,lord's teaching in their inward parts4 
,that priest ,kellett  was against      
parsonages then2 but afterwards he got a
 great one1 and  turned a persecutor4   
,now1 after ,i had had some service in  
these parts1 ,i went through            
,derbyshire into my own county4         
,leicestershire1 again1 and several     
tender people were convinced4           
,passing thence1 ,i met with a great    
company of professors in  ,warwickshire1
 who were praying1 and expounding the   
,scriptures in  the fields4 ,they gave  
the ,bible to me1 and ,i opened it on   
the fifth  of ,matthew1 where ,christ   
expounded the law2 and ,i opened the    
inward  state to them1 and the outward  
state2 upon which they fell into a      
fierce contention1 and so parted2 but   
the ,lord's power got ground4    ,then  

,i heard of a great meeting to be at    
,leicester1 for a  dispute1 wherein     
,presbyterians1 ,independents1 ,baptists
 and  ,common-prayer-men,n were said to 
be all concerned4 ,the meeting was  in a
 steeple-house2 and thither ,i was moved
 by the ,lord ,god to go1  and be       
amongst them4 ,i heard their discourse  
and reasonings1 some  being in pews1 and
 the priest in the pulpit2 abundance of 
people  being gathered together4      ,n
 ,that is1 members of the ,english or   
,episcopal ,church4    ,at last one     
woman asked a question out of ,peter1   
,what that birth  was1 viz41 a being    
born again of incorruptible seed1 by the
 ,word of  ,god1 that liveth and abideth
 for ever8 ,and the priest said to her1 
,i permit not a woman to speak in the   
church2 though he had before  given     
liberty for any to speak4 ,whereupon ,i 
was wrapped up1 as in a  rapture1 in the
 ,lord's power2 and ,i stepped up and   
asked the priest1  ,dost thou call this 
7the steeple-house7 a church8 ,or dost  

thou call  this mixed multitude a       
church8 ,for the woman asking a         
question1 he  ought to have answered it1
 having given liberty for any to speak4 
,but1 instead of answering me1 he asked 
me what a church was8 ,i told  him the  
church was the pillar and ground of     
truth1 made up of living  stones1 living
 members1 a spiritual household1 which  
,christ was the  head of2 but he was not
 the head of a mixed multitude1 or of an
 old  house made up of lime1 stones and 
wood4#bd      #bd ,the ,friends from the
 time of ,fox until the present have    
been careful to use the word church only
 for the community of    spiritual      
believers4 ,the cathedrals and churches 
were called    steeple-houses1 and their
 own places of worship were called      
meeting-houses4    ,this set them all on
 fire4 ,the priest came down from his   
pulpit1 and  others out of their pews1  
and the dispute there was marred4 ,i    
went  to a great inn1 and there disputed
 the thing with the priests and         

professors1 who were all on fire4 ,but  
,i maintained the true church1  and the 
true head thereof1 over their heads1    
till they all gave out  and fled away4  
,one man seemed loving1 and appeared for
 a while to  join with me2 but he soon  
turned against me1 and joined with a    
priest  in pleading for infant-baptism1 
though himself had been a ,baptist      
before2 so he left me alone4 ,howbeit1  
there were several convinced  that day2 
the woman that asked the question was   
convinced1 and her  family2 and the     
,lord's power and glory shone over all4 
,after this ,i returned into            
,nottinghamshire again1 and went into   
the  ,vale of ,beavor4#be ,as ,i went1  
,i preached repentance to the people4   
,there were many convinced in the ,vale 
of ,beavor1 in many towns2 for ,i       
stayed some weeks amongst them4      #be
 ,a beautiful valley southwest of       
,nottingham1 near the edge of    the    
counties of ,nottinghamshire and        
,leicestershire1 just west of    ,bardon

 ,hills4    ,one morning1 as ,i was     
sitting by the fire1 a great cloud came 
over  me1 and a temptation beset me2 and
 ,i sat still4 ,it was said1 ,all       
things come by nature2 and the elements 
and stars came over me1 so  that ,i was 
in a manner quite clouded with it4 ,but 
as ,i sat still and  said nothing1 the  
people of the house perceived nothing4  
,and as ,i sat  still under it and let  
it alone1 a living hope and a true voice
 arose  in me1 which said1 ,there is a  
living ,god who made all things4#bf     
,immediately the cloud and temptation   
vanished away1 and life rose  over it   
all2 my heart was glad1 and ,i praised  
the living ,god4      #bf ,see          
,whittier's poem1 ,revelation4    ,after
 some time ,i met with some people who  
had a notion that there  was no ,god1   
but that all things come by nature4 ,i  
had a great dispute  with them1 and     
overturned them1 and made some of them  
confess that  there is a living ,god4   
,then ,i saw that it was good that ,i   

had gone  through that exercise4,o ,we  
had great meetings in those parts2  for 
the power of the ,lord broke through in 
that side of the country4      ,o ,he   
means experience4    ,returning into    
,nottinghamshire1 ,i found there a      
company of shattered  ,baptists1 and    
others4 ,the ,lord's power wrought      
mightily1 and gathered  many of them4   
,afterwards ,i went to ,mansfield and   
thereaway1 where  the ,lord's power was 
wonderfully manifested both at          
,mansfield and  other towns thereabouts4
    ,in ,derbyshire the mighty power of 
,god wrought in a wonderful manner4  ,at
 ,eton1 a town near ,derby1 there was a 
meeting of ,friends1#bg where  appeared 
such a mighty power of ,god that they   
were greatly shaken1  and many mouths   
were opened in the power of the ,lord   
,god4 ,many were  moved by the ,lord to 
go to steeple-houses1 to the priests and
 people1  to declare the everlasting    
truth unto them4      #bg ,there is no  
account of the origin of this meeting1  

which    seems to have been in existence
 before ,fox came to ,eton4 ,there      
seems to have been considerable definite
 work done which is    not detailed in  
the ,journal4 ,see ,epistles1 ,vol4 ,i41
 page    #b1 ,truth sprang up 7to us as 
to be a people of the ,lord7 in         
,derbyshire in #afdg4 ,eton is in       
,derbyshire4    ,at a certain time1 when
 ,i was at ,mansfield1 there was a      
sitting of  the justices about hiring of
 servants2 and it was upon me from the  
,lord to go and speak to the justices1  
that they should not oppress  the       
servants in their wages4 ,so ,i walked  
towards the inn where they  sat2 but    
finding a company of fiddlers there1 ,i 
did not go in1 but  thought to come in  
the morning1 when ,i might have a more  
serious  opportunity to discourse with  
them4    ,but when ,i came in the       
morning1 they were gone1 and ,i was     
struck  even blind1 that ,i could not   
see4 ,i inquired of the innkeeper where 
the justices were to sit that day2 and  

he told me1 at a town eight  miles off4 
,my sight began to come to me again2 and
 ,i went and ran  thitherward as fast as
 ,i could4 ,when ,i was come to the     
house where  they were1 and many        
servants with them1 ,i exhorted the     
justices not  to oppress the servants in
 their wages1 but to do that which was  
right and just to them2 and ,i exhorted 
the servants to do their  duties1 and   
serve honestly4#bh ,they all received my
 exhortation  kindly2 for ,i was moved  
of the ,lord therein4      #bh ,this is 
an interesting illustration of ,fox's   
sensitiveness    to wrong social        
conditions and of the practical         
character of his    religion4           
,moreover1 ,i was moved to go to several
 courts and steeple-houses at           
,mansfield1 and other places1 to warn   
them to leave off oppression  and oaths1
 and to turn from deceit to the ,lord1  
and to do justly4  ,particularly at     
,mansfield1 after ,i had been at a court
 there1 ,i  was moved to go and speak to

 one of the most wicked men in the      
country1 one who was a common drunkard1 
a noted whore-master1 and a             
rhyme-maker2 and ,i reproved him in the 
dread of the mighty ,god1 for  his evil 
courses4    ,when ,i had done speaking1 
and left him1 he came after me1 and told
 me  that he was so smitten when ,i     
spoke to him1 that he had scarcely any  
strength left in him4 ,so this man was  
convinced1 and turned from his          
wickedness1 and remained an honest1     
sober man1 to the astonishment of  the  
people who had known him before4        
,thus the work of the ,lord went        
forward1 and many were turned from  the 
darkness to the light1 within the       
compass of these three years1  #afdf1   
#afdg and #afdh4 ,divers meetings of    
,friends1 in several places1  were then 
gathered to ,god's teaching1 by his     
light1 ,spirit1 and  power2 for the     
,lord's power broke forth more and more 
wonderfully4    ,now ,i was come up in  
spirit through the flaming sword1 into  

the  paradise of ,god4 ,all things were 
new2 and all the creation gave unto  me 
another smell than before1 beyond what  
words can utter4 ,i knew  nothing but   
pureness1 and innocency1 and            
righteousness2 being renewed  into the  
image of ,god by ,christ ,jesus1 to the 
state of ,adam1 which  he was in before 
he fell4 ,the creation was opened to me2
 and it was  showed me how all things   
had their names given them according to 
their nature and virtue4    ,i was at a 
stand in my mind whether ,i should      
practise physic for the  good of        
mankind1 seeing the nature and virtues  
of things were so  opened to me by the  
,lord4 ,but ,i was immediately taken up 
in spirit to  see into another or more  
steadfast state than ,adam's innocency1 
even  into a state in ,christ ,jesus    
that should never fall4 ,and the ,lord  
showed me that such as were faithful to 
,him1 in the power and light  of        
,christ1 should come up into that state 
in which ,adam was before he  fell2 in  

which the admirable works of the        
creation1 and the virtues  thereof1 may 
be known1 through the openings of that  
divine ,word of  wisdom and power by    
which they were made4    ,great things  
did the ,lord lead me into1 and         
wonderful depths were  opened unto me1  
beyond what can by words be declared2   
but as people  come into subjection to  
the ,spirit of ,god1 and grow up in the 
image  and power of the ,almighty1 they 
may receive the ,word of wisdom that    
opens all things1 and come to know the  
hidden unity in the ,eternal  ,being4#bi
      #bi ,this passage which records a 
striking personal experience is         
undated4 ,it is strangely like an       
experience of the great ,german         
mystic1 ,jacob ,boehme1 whose works were
 published in ,england    about the time
 ,fox was beginning his missionary      
labors4 ,he1 too1    had all nature     
opened to him1 so that he says he saw   
the true    significance and essence of 
things4 ,see ,jacob ,boehme1 ,signatura 

,rerum1 which was published in ,english 
in #afdi4 ,muggleton1 in his    ,looking
 ,glass for ,g4 ,fox 7second edition1   
#agef1 page #aj71 says    that the      
writings of ,boehme are the chief books 
bought by the    followers of ,fox4     
,thus ,i travelled on in the ,lord's    
service1 as ,he led me4 ,when ,i came   
to ,nottingham1 the mighty power of ,god
 was there among ,friends4#cj  ,from    
thence ,i went to ,clawson1 in          
,leicestershire1 in the ,vale of        
,beavor2 and the mighty power of ,god   
appeared there also1 in several  towns  
and villages where ,friends were        
gathered4      #cj ,the name ,friends is
 apparently used as formerly on page #gg
    to designate the gatherings of      
persons who sympathized with ,fox's     
message and who afterwards were called  
,friends4    ,while ,i was there the    
,lord opened to me three things relating
 to  those three great professions in   
the world1--law1 physic1 and  divinity  
7so called74 ,he showed me that the     

physicians were out of  the wisdom of   
,god1 by which the creatures were made2 
and knew not  the virtues of the        
creatures1 because they were out of the 
,word of  wisdom1 by which they were    
made4 ,he showed me that the priests    
were  out of the true faith1 of which   
,christ is the author1--the faith  which
 purifies1 gives victory and brings     
people to have access to  ,god1 by which
 they please ,god2 the mystery of which 
faith is held in  a pure conscience4 ,he
 showed me also that the lawyers were   
out of the  equity1 out of the true     
justice1 and out of the law of ,god1    
which  went over the first              
transgression1 and over all sin1 and    
answered  the ,spirit of ,god that was  
grieved and transgressed in man2 and    
that  these three1--the physicians1 the 
priests1 and the lawyers1--ruled  the   
world out of the wisdom1 out of the     
faith1 and out of the equity  and law of
 ,god2 one pretending the cure of the   
body1 another the cure  of the soul1 and

 the third the protection of the        
property of the  people4 ,but ,i saw    
they were all out of the wisdom1 out of 
the faith1  out of the equity and       
perfect law of ,god4    ,and as the     
,lord opened these things unto me ,i    
felt that ,his power  went forth over   
all1 by which all might be reformed if  
they  would receive and bow unto it4    
,the priests might be reformed and      
brought into the true faith1 which is   
the gift of ,god4 ,the lawyers  might be
 reformed and brought into the law of   
,god1 which answers  that indwelling    
,spirit of ,god#ca which is in every    
one1 is  transgressed in every one1 and 
which yet1 if heeded brings one to  love
 his neighbour as himself4 ,this lets   
man see that if he wrongs  his          
neighbour1 he wrongs himself2 and       
teaches him to do unto others  as he    
would they should do unto him4 ,the     
physicians might be reformed  and       
brought into the wisdom of ,god1 by     
which all things were made and  created2

 that they might receive a right        
knowledge of the creatures1  and        
understand their virtues1 which the     
,word of wisdom1 by which they  were    
made and are upheld1 hath given them4   
#ca ,one could wish that this important 
account of ,fox's    practical mission  
to the world were more clearly expressed
 than    is here done in his            
phraseology1 which needs translation    
into    modern terms4 ,there is1 he     
means to say1 a universal ,divine       
principle or law of life which finds    
expression or voice in every    soul4   
,that of ,god in the individual answers 
or corresponds    with the universal    
,divine principle4 ,but1 unfortunately1 
this    ,divine ,light within is        
disobeyed1 and thus men are astray--out 
of    their true life and function4     
,fox's mission is to call all such    to
 obedience to that of ,god within them4 
,abundance was opened concerning these  
things2 how all lay out of the  wisdom  
of ,god1 and out of the righteousness   

and holiness that man at  the first was 
made in4 ,but as all believe in the     
,light1 and walk in  the ,light1--that  
,light with which ,christ hath          
enlightened every man  that cometh into 
the world1--and become children of the  
,light1 and of  the day of ,christ1 all 
things1 visible and invisible1 are seen1
 by  the divine ,light of ,christ1 the  
spiritual heavenly man1 by whom all     
things were created4    ,moreover1 when 
,i was brought up into ,his image in    
righteousness  and holiness1 and into   
the paradise of ,god ,he let me see how 
,adam  was made a living soul2 and also 
the stature of ,christ1 the mystery     
that had been hid from ages and         
generations3 which things are  hard to  
be uttered1 and cannot be borne by many4
 ,for of all the  sects in ,christendom 
7so called7 that ,i discoursed with1 ,i 
found  none who could bear to be told   
that any should come to ,adam's         
perfection1--into that image of ,god1   
that righteousness and holiness1  that  

,adam was in before he fell2 to be clean
 and pure1 without sin1  as he was4     
,therefore how shall they be able to    
bear being told that  any shall grow up 
to the measure of the stature of the    
fulness of  ,christ1 when they cannot   
bear to hear that any shall come1 whilst
  upon earth1 into the same power and   
,spirit that the prophets and  apostles 
were in8--though it be a certain truth  
that none can  understand their writings
 aright without the same ,spirit by     
which  they were written4    ,now the   
,lord ,god opened to me by ,his         
invisible power that every man  was     
enlightened by the divine ,light of     
,christ1#cb and ,i saw it  shine through
 all2 and that they that believed in it 
came out of  condemnation to the ,light 
of life1 and became the children of it2 
but they that hated it1 and did not     
believe in it1 were condemned by  it1   
though they made a profession of        
,christ4 ,this ,i saw in the pure       
openings of the ,light without the help 

of any man2 neither did ,i then  know   
where to find it in the ,scriptures2    
though afterwards1 searching  the       
,scriptures1 ,i found it4 ,for ,i saw1  
in that ,light and ,spirit which  was   
before the ,scriptures were given forth1
 and which led the holy  men of ,god to 
give them forth1 that all1 if they would
 know ,god or  ,christ1 or the          
,scriptures aright1 must come to that   
,spirit by which  they that gave them   
forth were led and taught4      #cb     
,this is the central teaching of ,george
 ,fox4 ,everything else    comes out of 
this elemental truth4 ,it is1 as he     
says1 clearly    enough taught in the   
,scriptures1 but he now saw the truth as
 an    immediate revelation--as a       
primary fact of experience4    ,on a    
certain time1 as ,i was walking in the  
fields1 the ,lord said unto  me1 ,thy   
name is written in the ,lamb's book of  
life1 which was before  the foundation  
of the world3 and as the ,lord spoke it1
 ,i believed1  and saw in it the new    

birth4 ,some time after the ,lord       
commanded me to  go abroad into the     
world1 which was like a briery1 thorny  
wilderness4  ,when ,i came in the       
,lord's mighty power with the ,word of  
life into  the world1 the world swelled1
 and made a noise like the great raging 
waves of the sea4 ,priests and          
professors1 magistrates and people1     
were all like a sea when ,i came to     
proclaim the day of the ,lord  amongst  
them1 and to preach repentance to them4 
,i was sent to turn people from darkness
 to the ,light1 that they might  receive
 ,christ ,jesus2 for to as many as      
should receive ,him in ,his  light1 ,i  
saw ,he would give power to become the  
sons of ,god2 which  power ,i had       
obtained by receiving ,christ4 ,i was to
 direct people to  the ,spirit that gave
 forth the ,scriptures1 by which they   
might be led  into all truth1 and up to 
,christ and ,god1 as those had been who 
gave  them forth4    ,yet ,i had no     
slight esteem of the holy ,scriptures4  

,they were very  precious to me2 for ,i 
was in that ,spirit by which they were  
given  forth2 and what the ,lord opened 
in me ,i afterwards found was  agreeable
 to them4 ,i could speak much of these  
things1 and many  volumes might be      
written upon them2 but all would prove  
too short to  set forth the infinite    
love1 wisdom1 and power of ,god1 in     
preparing1  fitting1 and furnishing me  
for the service to which ,he had        
appointed  me2 letting me see the depths
 of ,satan on the one hand1 and opening 
to me1 on the other hand1 the divine    
mysteries of ,his own everlasting       
kingdom4    ,when the ,lord ,god and    
,his ,son ,jesus ,christ sent me forth  
into the  world to preach ,his          
everlasting gospel and kingdom1 ,i was  
glad that ,i  was commanded to turn     
people to that inward ,light1 ,spirit1  
and ,grace1  by which all might know    
their salvation and their way to ,god2  
even  that ,divine ,spirit which would  
lead them into all truth1 and which ,i  

infallibly knew would never deceive     
any4#cc      #cc ,the soul's own        
assurance of salvation was well         
proclaimed    by ,luther1 but the high  
and joyous experience was well-nigh lost
    in ,calvinistic ,england4 ,fox      
reaffirms the privilege of this         
experience4 ,he proclaims no man's      
infallibility1 but rather the           
infallibility of the ,spirit1 in union  
with which a man may know    that he    
pleases ,god4    ,but with and by this  
divine power and ,spirit of ,god1 and   
the ,light of  ,jesus1 ,i was to bring  
people off from all their own ways1 to  
,christ1  the new and living way2 and   
from their churches1 which men had made 
and gathered1 to the ,church in ,god1   
the general assembly written in  heaven1
 of which ,christ is the head4 ,and ,i  
was to bring them off from  the world's 
teachers1 made by men1 to learn of      
,christ1 who is the  ,way1 the ,truth1  
and the ,life1 of whom the ,father said1
 ,this is my  beloved ,son1 hear ye     

,him2 and off from all the world's      
worships1 to  know the ,spirit of ,truth
 in the inward parts1 and to be led     
thereby2  that in it they might worship 
the ,father of spirits1 who seeks such  
to worship ,him4 ,and ,i saw that they  
that worshipped not in the ,spirit  of  
,truth1 knew not what they worshipped4  
,and ,i was to bring people off from all
 the world's religions1 which  are vain1
 that they might know the pure religion2
 might visit the  fatherless1 the       
widows1 and the strangers1 and keep     
themselves from  the spots of the world4
 ,then there would not be so many       
beggars1  the sight of whom often       
grieved my heart1 as it denoted so much 
hard-heartedness amongst them that      
professed the name of ,christ4    ,i was
 to bring them off from all the world's 
fellowships1 and  prayings1 and         
singings1 which stood in forms without  
power2 that  their fellowship might be  
in the ,holy ,ghost1 and in the ,eternal
  ,spirit of ,god2 that they might pray 

in the ,holy ,ghost1 and sing in  the   
,spirit and with the grace that comes by
 ,jesus2 making melody in  their hearts 
to the ,lord1 who hath sent ,his beloved
 ,son to be their  ,saviour1 and hath   
caused ,his heavenly sun to shine upon  
all the  world1 and ,his heavenly rain  
to fall upon the just and the unjust1   
as ,his outward rain doth1 fall1 and    
,his outward sun doth shine on all4     
,i was to bring people off from ,jewish 
ceremonies1 and from heathenish         
fables1#cd and from men's inventions and
 worldly doctrines1 by which  they blew 
the people about this way and the other1
 from sect to  sect2 and from all their 
beggarly rudiments1 with their schools  
and  colleges for making ministers of   
,christ1--who are indeed ministers  of  
their own making1 but not of ,christ's2 
and from all their images1  and crosses1
 and sprinkling of infants1 with all    
their holy-days 7so  called71 and all   
their vain traditions1 which they had   
instituted  since the ,apostles' days1  

against all of which the ,lord's power  
was  set3 in the dread and authority of 
which power ,i was moved to declare     
against them all1 and against all that  
preached and not freely1 as  being such 
as had not received freely from ,christ4
      #cd ,by a clear spiritual insight 
,fox saw how large a    contribution    
both ,judaism and ,paganism had made to 
the historic    church4 ,he went to work
 to carry the reformation to its logical
    conclusion4 ,to re-instate primitive
 ,christianity was his aim4             
,moreover1 when the ,lord sent me forth 
into the world1 ,he forbade me  to put  
off my hat to any1 high or low2 and ,i  
was required to ,thee and  ,thou all men
 and women1 without any respect to rich 
or poor1 great or  small4#ce ,and as ,i 
travelled up and down ,i was not to bid 
people  ,good morrow1 or ,good evening2 
neither might ,i bow or scrape with my  
leg to any one2 and this made the sects 
and professions to rage4 ,but  the      
,lord's power carried me over all to    

,his glory1 and many came to  be turned 
to ,god in a little time2 for the       
heavenly day of the ,lord  sprung from  
on high1 and broke forth apace1 by the  
light of which  many came to see where  
they were4      #ce ,the real principles
 here involved were simplicity of life1 
equal respect for all men alike1 and    
strict sincerity4 ,it must    be        
confessed that these principles have    
sometimes been lost sight    of1 and    
dress and language have sometimes become
 a form to those    who opposed all     
forms4    ,oh1 the blows1 punchings1    
beatings1 and imprisonments that we     
underwent for not putting off our hats  
to men6 ,some had their hats  violently 
plucked off and thrown away1 so that    
they quite lost them4  ,the bad language
 and evil usage we received on this     
account are hard  to be expressed1      
besides the danger we were sometimes in 
of losing  our lives for this matter2   
and that by the great professors of     
,christianity1 who thereby discovered   

they were not true believers4    ,and   
though it was but a small thing in the  
eye of man1 yet a  wonderful confusion  
it brought among all professors and     
priests2  but1 blessed be the ,lord1    
many came to see the vanity of that     
custom  of putting off the hat to men1  
and felt the weight of ,truth's         
testimony,p against it4      ,p ,that   
is1 the testimony of the ,spirit4       
,about this time ,i was sorely exercised
 in going to their courts to  cry for   
justice1 in speaking and writing to     
judges and justices to  do justly2 in   
warning such as kept public houses for  
entertainment  that they should not let 
people have more drink than would do    
them  good2 in testifying against wakes1
 feasts1 ,may-games1 sports1 plays1  and
 shows1 which trained up people to      
vanity and looseness1 and led  them from
 the fear of ,god2 and the days set     
forth for holidays were  usually the    
times wherein they most dishonoured ,god
 by these things4    ,in fairs1 also1   

and in markets1 ,i was made to declare  
against their  deceitful merchandise1   
cheating1 and cozening2 warning all to  
deal  justly1 to speak the truth1 to let
 their yea be yea1 and their nay be     
nay1 and to do unto others as they would
 have others do unto them2  forewarning 
them of the great and terrible day of   
the ,lord1 which  would come upon them  
all4    ,i was moved1 also1 to cry      
against all sorts of music1 and against 
the mountebanks playing tricks on their 
stages2 for they burthened  the pure    
life1 and stirred up people's minds to  
vanity4 ,i was  much exercised1 too1    
with school-masters and                 
school-mistresses1  warning them to     
teach children sobriety in the fear of  
the ,lord1  that they might not be      
nursed and trained up in lightness1     
vanity1  and wantonness4 ,i was made to 
warn masters and mistresses1 fathers    
and mothers in private families1 to take
 care that their children  and servants 
might be trained up in the fear of the  

,lord1 and that  themselves should be   
therein examples and patterns of        
sobriety and  virtue to them4    ,the   
earthly spirit of the priests wounded my
 life2 and when ,i heard  the bell toll 
to call people together to the          
steeple-house1 it struck  at my life2   
for it was just like a market-bell1 to  
gather people  together1 that the priest
 might set forth his ware for sale4 ,oh1
 the  vast sums of money that are gotten
 by the trade they make of selling  the 
,scriptures1 and by their preaching1    
from the highest bishop to  the lowest  
priest6 ,what one trade else in the     
world is comparable  to it8             
notwithstanding the ,scriptures were    
given forth freely1 and  ,christ        
commanded ,his ministers to preach      
freely1 and the prophets  and apostles  
denounced judgment against all covetous 
hirelings and  diviners for money4      
,but in this free ,spirit of the ,lord  
,jesus was ,i sent forth to declare  the
 ,word of life and reconciliation       

freely1 that all might come to  ,christ1
 who gives freely1 and who renews up    
into the image of ,god1  which man and  
woman were in before they fell1 that    
they might sit  down in heavenly places 
in ,christ ,jesus4          ,,chapter   
,,iii4    ,the ,challenge and the ,first
 ,taste of ,prison    #afdh-afdi4       
,now1 as ,i went towards ,nottingham1 on
 a ,first-day1 in the morning1  going   
with ,friends to a meeting there1 when  
,i came on the top of a  hill in sight  
of the town1 ,i espied the great        
steeple-house4 ,and the  ,lord said unto
 me1 ,thou must go cry against yonder   
great idol1 and  against the worshippers
 therein4    ,i said nothing of this to 
the ,friends that were with me1 but went
  on with them to the meeting1 where the
 mighty power of the ,lord was  amongst 
us2 in which ,i left ,friends sitting in
 the meeting1 and went  away to the     
steeple-house4 ,when ,i came there1 all 
the people looked  like fallow ground2  
and the priest 7like a great lump of    

earth7 stood  in his pulpit above4      
,he took for his text these words of    
,peter1 ,we have also a more sure  ,word
 of prophecy1 whereunto ye do well that 
ye take heed1 as unto  a light that     
shineth in a dark place1 until the day  
dawn1 and the  day-star arise in your   
hearts4 ,and he told the people that    
this was  the ,scriptures1 by which they
 were to try all doctrines1 religions1  
and opinions4    ,now the ,lord's power 
was so mighty upon me1 and so strong in 
me1 that  ,i could not hold1 but was    
made to cry out and say1 ,oh1 no2 it is 
not the ,scriptures6 and ,i told them   
what it was1 namely1 the ,holy  ,spirit1
 by which the holy men of ,god gave     
forth the ,scriptures1  whereby         
opinions1 religions1 and judgments were 
to be tried2 for  it led into all truth1
 and so gave the knowledge of all truth4
  ,the ,jews had the ,scriptures1 and   
yet resisted the ,holy ,ghost1 and      
rejected ,christ1 the bright morning    
star4 ,they persecuted ,christ  and ,his

 apostles1 and took upon them to try    
their doctrines by the  ,scriptures2 but
 they erred in judgment1 and did not try
 them aright1  because they tried       
without the ,holy ,ghost4    ,as ,i     
spoke thus amongst them1 the officers   
came and took me away1 and  put me into 
a nasty1 stinking prison2#cf the smell  
whereof got so  into my nose and throat 
that it very much annoyed me4      #cf  
,this is one of the very few instances  
in his entire career    when ,fox       
interrupted a minister4 ,it was neither 
illegal nor    contrary to custom for   
any one to speak after the minister was 
done--a privilege which ,fox often used4
 ,on this particular    occasion1 his   
feeling overmastered him1 and he spoke  
before his    time4    ,but that day the
 ,lord's power sounded so in their ears 
that they  were amazed at the voice1 and
 could not get it out of their ears for 
some time after1 they were so reached by
 the ,lord's power in the               
steeple-house4 ,at night they took me   

before the mayor1 aldermen1 and         
sheriffs of the town2 and when ,i was   
brought before them1 the mayor  was in a
 peevish1 fretful temper1 but the       
,lord's power allayed him4  ,they       
examined me at large2 and ,i told them  
how the ,lord had moved me  to come4    
,after some discourse between them and  
me1 they sent me back  to prison again4 
,some time after1 the head sheriff1     
whose name was  ,john ,reckless1 sent   
for me to his house4 ,when ,i came in1  
his wife met  me in the hall1 and said1 
,salvation is come to our house4 ,she   
took  me by the hand1 and was much      
wrought upon by the power of the ,lord  
,god2 and her husband1 and children1 and
 servants were much changed1  for the   
power of the ,lord wrought upon them4   
,i lodged at the sheriff's1 and great   
meetings we had in his house4  ,some    
persons of considerable condition in the
 world came to them1 and  the ,lord's   
power appeared eminently amongst them4  
,this sheriff sent for the other        

sheriff1 and for a woman they had  had  
dealings with in the way of trade2 and  
he told her1 before the  other sheriff1 
that they had wronged her in their      
dealings with her  7for the other       
sheriff and he were partners71 and that 
they ought  to make her restitution4    
,this he spoke cheerfully2 but the other
  sheriff denied it1 and the woman said 
she knew nothing of it4 ,but  the       
friendly sheriff said it was so1 and    
that the other knew it well  enough2 and
 having discovered the matter1 and      
acknowledged the wrong  done by them1 he
 made restitution to the woman1 and     
exhorted the  other sheriff to do the   
like4 ,the ,lord's power was with this  
friendly  sheriff1 and wrought a mighty 
change in him2 and great openings he    
had4    ,the next market-day1 as he was 
walking with me in the chamber1 he      
said1 ,i must go into the market1 and   
preach repentance to the  people4       
,accordingly he went in his slippers    
into the market1 and  into several      

streets1 and preached repentance to the 
people4 ,several  others also in the    
town were moved to speak to the mayor   
and  magistrates1 and to the people1    
exhorting them to repent4 ,hereupon  the
 magistrates grew very angry1 sent for  
me from the sheriff's house  and        
committed me to the common prison4      
,when the assize came on1 one person was
 moved to come and offer up  himself for
 me1 body for body1 yea1 life also2 but 
when ,i should have  been brought before
 the judge1 the sheriff's man being     
somewhat long  in bringing me to the    
sessions-house1 the judge was risen     
before ,i  came4 ,at which ,i understood
 the judge was offended1 and said1 ,i   
would have admonished the youth if he   
had been brought before me3  for ,i was 
then imprisoned by the name of a youth4 
,so ,i was returned  to prison again1   
and put into the common jail4    ,the   
,lord's power was great among ,friends2 
but the people began to be  very rude3  
wherefore the governor of the castle    

sent soldiers1 and  dispersed them4     
,after that they were quiet4 ,both      
priests and people  were astonished at  
the wonderful power that broke forth4   
,several of  the priests were made      
tender1 and some did confess to the     
power of  the ,lord4    ,after ,i was   
set at liberty from ,nottingham jail1   
where ,i had been  kept prisoner a      
pretty long time1 ,i travelled as       
before1 in the work  of the ,lord4      
,coming to ,mansfield-,woodhouse1 ,i    
found there a distracted woman under  a 
doctor's hand1 with her hair loose about
 her ears4 ,he was about to  let her    
blood1#cg she being first bound1 and    
many people about her1  holding her by  
violence2 but he could get no blood from
 her4      #cg ,this gives a glimpse at 
the medical practice of the    time4    
,fox frequently showed remarkable power 
in dealing    with cases of hysteria1   
such as the one here reported4 ,he      
evidently did not understand the nature 
of the disease4 ,but his    commanding  

presence1 his piercing eye 7testified to
 by even    his persecutors71 and the   
absolute assurance which his voice      
gave that he was equal to the occasion1 
were worth a thousand    doctors with   
their lancets4 ,those who understand the
 psychology    of suggestion1 and the   
effect of faith on certain diseases1    
will    hardly question the simple      
accounts given here and elsewhere4    ,i
 desired them to unbind her and let her 
alone1 for they could not  touch the    
spirit in her by which she was          
tormented4 ,so they did  unbind her2 and
 ,i was moved to speak to her1 and in   
the name of the  ,lord to bid her be    
quiet2 and she was so4 ,the ,lord's     
power settled  her mind1 and she mended4
 ,afterwards she received the truth1 and
  continued in it to her death2 and the 
,lord's name was honoured4    ,many     
great and wonderful things were wrought 
by the heavenly power in  those days2   
for the ,lord made bare ,his omnipotent 
arm1 and manifested  ,his power1 to the 

astonishment of many1 by the healing    
virtue whereby  many have been delivered
 from great infirmities4 ,and the devils
 were  made subject through ,his name2  
of which particular instances might be  
given1 beyond what this unbelieving age 
is able to receive or bear4    ,now     
while ,i was at ,mansfield-,woodhouse1  
,i was moved to go to the  steeple-house
 there1 and declare the truth to the    
priest and people2  but the people fell 
upon me in great rage1 struck me down1  
and almost  stifled and smothered me2   
and ,i was cruelly beaten and bruised by
  them with their hands1 and with       
,bibles and sticks4 ,then they haled me 
out1 though ,i was hardly able to stand1
 and put me into the stocks1  where ,i  
sat some hours2 and they brought        
dog-whips and horse-whips1  threatening 
to whip me4    ,after some time they had
 me before the magistrate1 at a knight's
  house1 where were many great persons2 
who1 seeing how evilly ,i had  been     
used1 after much threatening1 set me at 

liberty4 ,but the rude  people stoned me
 out of the town1 for preaching the     
,word of life to  them4    ,i was       
scarcely able to move or stand by reason
 of the ill usage ,i  had received2 yet 
with considerable effort ,i got about a 
mile from  the town1 and then ,i met    
with some people who gave me something  
to  comfort me1 because ,i was inwardly 
bruised2 but the ,lord's power soon     
healed me again4 ,that day some people  
were convinced of the ,lord's  truth1   
and turned to ,his teaching1 at which ,i
 rejoiced4    ,then ,i went into        
,leicestershire1 several ,friends       
accompanying me4  ,there were some      
,baptists in that country1 whom ,i      
desired to see and  speak with1 because 
they were separated from the public     
worship4 ,so  one ,oates1 who was one of
 their chief teachers1 and others of the
  heads of them1 with several others of 
their company1 came to meet us  at      
,barrow2 and there we discoursed with   
them4    ,one of them said that what was

 not of faith was sin1 whereupon ,i     
asked them what faith was and how it was
 wrought in man4 ,but they  turned off  
from that1 and spoke of their baptism in
 water4 ,then ,i  asked them whether    
their mountain of sin was brought down  
and laid  low in them and their rough   
and crooked ways made smooth and        
straight  in them1--for they looked upon
 the ,scriptures as meaning outward     
mountains and ways4#ch ,but ,i told them
 they must find these things  in their  
own hearts2 at which they seemed to     
wonder4      #ch ,as everywhere1 he is  
interested in the state of the person   
himself1 and in the real and vital      
things of religion4 ,many of    ,fox's  
followers came from the ,baptists4      
,we asked them who baptized ,john the   
,baptist1 and who baptized ,peter1      
,john and the rest of the apostles1 and 
put them to prove by ,scripture  that   
these were baptized in water2 but they  
were silent4 ,then ,i asked  them1      
,seeing ,judas1 who betrayed ,christ1   

and was called the son of  perdition1   
had hanged himself1 what son of         
perdition was that of  which ,paul      
spoke1 that sat in the temple of ,god1  
exalted above all  that is called ,god8 
and what temple of ,god was that in     
which this son  of perdition sat8 ,and  
,i asked them whether he that betrays   
,christ  within himself be not one in   
nature with that ,judas that betrayed   
,christ without4 ,but they could not    
tell what to make of this1 nor  what to 
say to it4 ,so1 after some discourse1 we
 parted2 and some of  them were loving  
to us4    ,on the ,first-day following  
we came to ,bagworth1 and went to a     
steeple-house1 where some ,friends were 
got in1 and the people locked  them in1 
and themselves1 too1 with the priest4   
,but1 after the priest  had done1 they  
opened the door1 and we went in also1   
and had service  for the ,lord amongst  
them4 ,afterwards we had a meeting in   
the town1  amongst several that were in 
high notions4    ,passing thence1 ,i    

heard of a people in prison at ,coventry
 for  religion4 ,as ,i walked towards   
the jail1 the word of the ,lord came to 
me1 saying1 ,my love was always to thee1
 and thou art in my love4  ,and ,i was  
ravished with the sense of the love of  
,god1 and greatly  strengthened in my   
inward man4 ,but when ,i came into the  
jail where  those prisoners were1 a     
great power of darkness struck at me2   
and ,i  sat still1 having my spirit     
gathered into the love of ,god4    ,at  
last these prisoners began to rant1     
vapour1 and blaspheme2 at  which my soul
 was greatly grieved4 ,they said that   
they were ,god2 but  we could not bear  
such things4 ,when they were calm1 ,i   
stood up and  asked them whether they   
did such things by motion1 or from      
,scripture4  ,they said1 ,from          
,scripture4 ,then1 a ,bible lying by1 ,i
 asked them for  that ,scripture2 and   
they showed me that place where the     
sheet was let  down to ,peter2 and it   
was said to him that what was sanctified

 he  should not call common or unclean4 
,when ,i had showed them that that      
,scripture made nothing for their       
purpose1 they brought another1 which    
spake of ,god's reconciling all things  
to ,himself1 things in heaven  and      
things in earth4 ,i told them ,i owned  
that ,scripture also2 but  showed them  
that it likewise was nothing to their   
purpose4    ,then1 seeing they said that
 they were ,god1 ,i asked them if they  
knew  whether it would rain to-morrow4  
,they said they could not tell4 ,i  told
 them ,god could tell4 ,i asked them if 
they thought they should  be always in  
that condition1 or should change4 ,they 
answered that  they could not tell4     
,then1 said ,i1 ,god can tell1 and ,he  
doth not  change4 ,you say you are ,god1
 and yet you cannot tell whether you    
shall change or no4 ,so they were       
confounded1 and quite brought down  for 
the time4    ,after ,i had reproved them
 for their blasphemous expressions1 ,i  
went  away2 for ,i perceived they were  

,ranters4 ,i had met with none before2  
and ,i admired the goodness of the ,lord
 in appearing so unto me before  ,i went
 amongst them4 ,not long after this one 
of these ,ranters1 whose  name was      
,joseph ,salmon1 published a            
recantation2 upon which they were  set  
at liberty4          ,,chapter ,,iv4    
,a ,year in ,derby ,jail    #afej-afea4 
,as ,i travelled through markets1 fairs1
 and divers places1 ,i saw  death and   
darkness in all people where the power  
of the ,lord ,god had  not shaken them4 
,as ,i was passing on in ,leicestershire
 ,i came to  ,twy-,cross1 where there   
were excise-men4 ,i was moved of the    
,lord to  go to them1 and warn them to  
take heed of oppressing the poor2 and   
people were much affected with it4      
,there was in that town a great man that
 had long lain sick1 and was  given up  
by the physicians2 and some ,friends in 
the town desired me  to go to see him4  
,i went up to him in his chamber1 and   
spoke the  ,word of life to him1 and was

 moved to pray by him2 and the ,lord was
  entreated1 and restored him to health4
 ,but when ,i was come down  stairs1    
into a lower room1 and was speaking to  
the servants1 and to  some people that  
were there1 a serving-man of his came   
raving out of  another room1 with a     
naked rapier in his hand1 and set it    
just to my  side4 ,i looked steadfastly 
on him1 and said1 ,alack for thee1 poor 
creature6 what wilt thou do with thy    
carnal weapon8 ,it is no more  to me    
than a straw4 ,the bystanders were much 
troubled1 and he went  away in a rage   
and full of wrath4 ,but when the news of
 it came to his  master1 he turned him  
out of his service4    ,thus the ,lord's
 power preserved me and raised up the   
weak man1 who  afterwards was very      
loving to ,friends2 and when ,i came to 
that town  again both he and his wife   
came to see me4    ,after this ,i was   
moved to go into ,derbyshire1 where the 
mighty power  of ,god was among         
,friends4 ,and ,i went to ,chesterfield1

 where one  ,britland was priest4 ,he   
saw beyond the common sort of priests1  
for  he had been partly convinced1 and  
had spoken much on behalf of ,truth     
before he was priest there2 but when the
 priest of that town died1 he  got the  
parsonage1 and choked himself with it4  
,i was moved to speak  to him and the   
people in the great love of ,god1 that  
they might come  off from all men's     
teaching unto ,god's teaching2 and he   
was not able  to gainsay4    ,but they  
had me before the mayor1 and threatened 
to send me1 with  some others1 to the   
house of correction1 and kept us in     
custody till  it was late in the night4 
,then the officers1 with the watchmen1  
put  us out of the town1 leaving us to  
shift as we could4 ,so ,i bent my       
course towards ,derby1 having a friend  
or two with me4 ,in our way we  met with
 many professors2 and at ,kidsey ,park  
many were convinced4    ,then1 coming to
 ,derby1 ,i lay at the house of a       
doctor1 whose wife was  convinced2 and  

so were several more in the town4 ,as ,i
 was walking in  my chamber1 the        
steeple-house bell rang1 and it struck  
at my life  at the very hearing of it2  
so ,i asked the woman of the house what 
the bell rang for4 ,she said there was  
to be a great lecture there  that day1  
and many of the officers of the army1   
and priests1 and  preachers were to be  
there1 and a colonel1 that was a        
preacher4    ,then was ,i moved of the  
,lord to go up to them2 and when they   
had  done ,i spoke to them what the     
,lord commanded me1 and they were       
pretty quiet4 ,but there came an officer
 and took me by the hand1 and  said that
 ,i and the other two that were with me 
must go before the  magistrates4 ,it was
 about the first hour after noon that we
 came  before them4    ,they asked me   
why we came thither4 ,i said ,god moved 
us so to do2 and  ,i told them1 ,god    
dwells not in temples made with hands4  
,i told them  also that all their       
preaching1 baptism and sacrifices would 

never  sanctify them1 and bade them look
 unto ,christ within them1 and not  unto
 men2 for it is ,christ that sanctifies4
 ,then they ran into many  words2 but ,i
 told them they were not to dispute of  
,god and ,christ1  but to obey ,him4#ci 
#ci ,no single sentence better sums up  
,george ,fox's whole    theology than   
this3 ,i told them they were not to     
dispute of ,god    and ,christ1 but to  
obey ,him4    ,the power of ,god        
thundered among them1 and they did fly  
like chaff  before it4 ,they put me in  
and out of the room often1 hurrying me  
backward and forward1 for they were from
 the first hour till the  ninth at night
 in examining me4 ,sometimes they would 
tell me in a  deriding manner that ,i   
was taken up in raptures4    ,at last   
they asked me whether ,i was sanctified4
 ,i answered1 ,yes2 for  ,i am in the   
paradise of ,god4 ,then they asked me if
 ,i had no sin4 ,i  answered1 ,christ my
 ,saviour has taken away my sin2 and in 
,him there  is no sin4 ,they asked how  

we knew that ,christ did abide in us4 ,i
  said1 ,by ,his ,spirit1 that ,he hath 
given us4 ,they temptingly asked  if any
 of us were ,christ4 ,i answered1 ,nay2 
we are nothing2 ,christ  is all4 ,they  
said1 ,if a man steal1 is it no sin8 ,i 
answered1 ,all  unrighteousness is      
sin4#dj      #dj ,these answers         
sufficiently differentiate ,george ,fox 
from the    ,ranters4    ,when they had 
wearied themselves in examining me1 they
 committed me  and one other man to the 
house of correction in ,derby for six   
months1  as blasphemers1#da as may      
appear by the mittimus1 a copy whereof  
here followeth3      #da ,here begins   
,fox's first serious imprisonment4 ,the 
charge    was direct and distinct4 ,he  
was committed as a blasphemer4 ,under   
the law passed by both ,houses of       
,parliament1 in #afdh1 ,fox might       
easily have been condemned to suffer a  
death penalty4 ,it was an    offense1   
punishable by death1 to deny that the   
,scriptures are the    ,word of ,god1 or

 that the bodies of men shall rise after
 they are    dead4 ,it was blasphemy to 
say that the two sacraments of ,baptism 
and the ,lord's ,supper are not         
commanded by ,god4 ,it was also         
blasphemy to declare that man has by    
nature free will to turn to    ,god4 ,it
 was1 of course1 not difficult to find a
 charge of the    violation of this     
drag-net act4      ,from ,derby prison  
he wrote many letters1 to the           
magistrates1 to    the justices1 to the 
priests1 to the court at ,derby1 to the 
mayor1 to the individual justices1 and  
to the ringers of bells    in           
steeple-houses4 ,he calls them all to   
obedience to the light    within them4  
,mind that which is eternal and         
invisible4 ,keep in    the innocency and
 be obedient to the faith in ,him4      
,to the master of the house of          
correction in ,derby1 greeting3         
,we have sent you herewithal the bodies 
of ,george ,fox1 late       of          
,mansfield1 in the county of            

,nottingham1 and ,john ,fretwell1       
late of ,staniesby1 in the county of    
,derby1 husbandman1 brought       before
 us this present day1 and charged with  
the avowed uttering       and broaching 
of divers blasphemous opinions1 contrary
 to the       late ,act of ,parliament2 
which1 upon their examination before    
us1 they have confessed4 ,these are     
therefore to require you                
forthwith1 upon sight hereof1 to receive
 them1 the said ,george       ,fox and  
,john ,fretwell1 into your custody1 and 
them therein       safely to keep during
 the space of six months1 without bail  
or       mainprize1 or until they shall 
find sufficient security to be of       
good behaviour1 or be thence delivered  
by order from ourselves4       ,hereof  
you are not to fail4 ,given under our   
hands and seals this       #cjth day of 
,october1 #afej4                        
,,gervase ,,bennet1                     
,,nath4 ,,barton4    ,while ,i was here 
in prison divers professors came to     

discourse with  me4 ,i had a sense1     
before they spoke1 that they came to    
plead for  sin and imperfection4 ,i     
asked them whether they were believers  
and  had faith4 ,they said1 ,yes4 ,i    
asked them1 ,in whom8 ,they said1 ,in   
,christ4 ,i replied4 ,if ye are true    
believers in ,christ1 you are  passed   
from death to life2 and if passed from  
death1 then from sin  that bringeth     
death2 and if your faith be true1 it    
will give you  victory over sin and the 
devil1 purify your hearts and           
consciences  7for the true faith is held
 in a pure conscience71 and bring you to
  please ,god1 and give you access to   
,him again4    ,but they could not      
endure to hear of purity1 and of victory
 over sin  and the devil4 ,they said    
they could not believe any could be free
  from sin on this side of the grave4 ,i
 bade them give over babbling  about the
 ,scriptures1 which were holy men's     
words1 whilst they  pleaded for         
unholiness4    ,at another time a       

company of professors came1 who also    
began to plead  for sin4 ,i asked them  
whether they had hope4 ,they said1 ,yes3
 ,god  forbid but we should have hope4  
,i asked them1 ,what hope is it that    
you have8 ,is ,christ in you the hope of
 your glory8 ,doth it purify  you1 as   
,he is pure8 ,but they could not abide  
to hear of being made  pure here4 ,then 
,i bade them forbear talking of the     
,scriptures1 which  were the holy men's 
words2 for1 said ,i1 the holy men that  
wrote  the ,scriptures pleaded for      
holiness in heart1 life1 and            
conversation  here2 but since you plead 
for impurity and sin1 which is of the   
devil1 what have you to do with the holy
 men's words8    ,the keeper of the     
prison1 being a high professor1 was     
greatly enraged  against me1 and spoke  
very wickedly of me2 but it pleased the 
,lord  one day to strike him1 so that he
 was in great trouble and under  much   
terror of mind4 ,and1 as ,i was walking 
in my chamber ,i heard  a doleful noise1

 and1 standing still1 ,i heard him say  
to his wife1  ,wife1 ,i have seen the   
day of judgment1 and ,i saw ,george     
there2 and ,i  was afraid of him1       
because ,i had done him so much wrong1  
and spoken  so much against him to the  
ministers and professors1 and to the    
justices1 and in taverns and alehouses4 
,after this1 towards the evening1 he    
came into my chamber1 and said to  me1  
,i have been as a lion against you2 but 
now ,i come like a lamb1  and like the  
jailer that came to ,paul and ,silas    
trembling4 ,and he  desired he might    
lodge with me4 ,i told him ,i was in his
 power2 he  might do what he would2 but 
he said1 ,nay1 that he would have my    
leave1 and that he could desire to be   
always with me1 but not to have  me as a
 prisoner4 ,he said he had been plagued1
 and his house had been  plagued1 for my
 sake4 ,so ,i suffered him to lodge with
 me4    ,then he told me all his heart1 
and said that he believed what ,i had   
said of the true faith and hope to be   

true2 and he wondered that the  other   
man1 who was put in prison with me1 did 
not stand it2 and said1  ,that man was  
not right1 but you are an honest man4   
,he confessed  also to me that at those 
times when ,i had asked him to let me go
  forth to speak the word of the ,lord  
to the people1 when he refused  to let  
me go1 and ,i laid the weight thereof   
upon him1 he used to be  under great    
trouble1 amazed1 and almost distracted  
for some time  after1 and in such a     
condition that he had little strength   
left him4    ,when the morning came he  
rose and went to the justices1 and told 
them that he and his house had been     
plagued for my sake4 ,one of the        
justices replied 7as he reported to me7 
that the plagues were upon  them1 too1  
for keeping me4 ,this was ,justice      
,bennet1 of ,derby1 who was  the first  
that called us ,quakers1 because ,i bade
 them tremble at the  word of the       
,lord4#db ,this was in the year #afej4  
#db ,this is the whole of our data for  

the origin of the name    ,quaker4 ,fox 
told the ,justice to tremble at the word
 of the    ,lord1 and the ,justice      
thereupon fixed the name quaker upon    
him4    ,there is probably1 however1    
something back of this particular       
incident which helped give the name     
significance4 ,the editors of    the    
,new ,english ,dictionary 7see the word 
,quaker7 have discovered    the fact    
that this name for a religious sect was 
not entirely    new at this time4       
,letter ,no4 #b1fbd of the ,clarendon   
collection1    written in #afdg1 speaks 
of a sect from the continent possessed  
of a remarkable capacity for trembling  
or quaking3 ,i heare of a    sect of    
woemen 7they are at ,southworke7 come   
from beyond the ,sea1    called quakers1
 and these swell1 shiver and shake1 and 
when they    come to themselves 7for in 
all this fitt ,mahomett's holy-ghost    
hath bin conversing with them7 they     
begin to preach what hath    been       
delivered to them by the ,spirit4 ,it   

seems probable that    ,justice ,bennet 
merely employed a term of reproach      
already    familiar4 ,it is1 further1   
evident that the ,friends themselves    
were sometimes given to trembling1 and  
that the name came into    general use  
because it fitted4 7,see ,sewel's       
,history of the    ,people ,called      
,quakers1 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #fc4            
,philadelphia1 #ahbc47 ,the    name     
first appears in the records of         
,parliament1 in the ,journals    of the 
,house of ,commons1 in #afed4    ,after 
this the justices gave leave that ,i    
should have liberty to walk  a mile4 ,i 
perceived their end1 and told the       
jailer1 that if they  would set down to 
me how far a mile was1 ,i might take the
 liberty of  walking it sometimes4 ,for 
,i had a sense that they thought ,i     
would  go away4 ,and the jailer         
confessed afterwards they did it with   
that  intent1 to have me go away1 to    
ease them of their plague2 but ,i told  
him ,i was not of that spirit4    ,while

 ,i was in the house of correction my   
relations came to see me2  and1 being   
troubled for my imprisonment1 they went 
to the justices  that cast me into      
prison and desired to have me home with 
them1  offering to be bound in one      
hundred pounds1 and others of ,derby in 
fifty pounds apiece with them1 that ,i  
should come no more thither to  declare 
against the priests4    ,so ,i was taken
 up before the justices2 and because ,i 
would not  consent that they or any     
should be bound for me 7for ,i was      
innocent  of any ill behaviour1 and had 
spoken the ,word of life and truth unto 
them71 ,justice ,bennet rose up in a    
rage2 and1 as ,i was kneeling down  to  
pray to the ,lord to forgive him1 he ran
 upon me1 and struck me  with both his  
hands1 crying1 ,away with him1 jailer2  
take him away1  jailer4 ,whereupon ,i   
was taken again to prison1 and there    
kept till  the time of my commitment for
 six months was expired4    ,but ,i had 
now the liberty of walking a mile by    

myself1 which ,i made  use of as ,i felt
 freedom4 ,sometimes ,i went into the   
market and  streets1 and warned the     
people to repent of their wickedness1   
and  returned to prison again4 ,and     
there being persons of several sorts  of
 religion in the prison1 ,i sometimes   
visited them in their meetings  on      
,first-days4    ,while ,i was yet in the
 house of correction there came unto me 
a  trooper1 and said that as he was     
sitting in the steeple-house1  hearing  
the priest1 exceeding great trouble fell
 upon him2 and the  voice of the ,lord  
came to him1 saying1 ,dost thou not know
 that my  servant is in prison8 ,go to  
him for direction4 ,so ,i spake to his  
condition1 and his understanding was    
opened4 ,i told him that that  which    
showed him his sins1 and troubled him   
for them1 would show him  his salvation2
 for ,he that shows a man his sin is the
 same that takes  it away4    ,while ,i 
was speaking to him the ,lord's power   
opened his mind1 so that  he began to   

have a good understanding in the ,lord's
 truth1 and to be  sensible of ,god's   
mercies4 ,he spoke boldly in his        
quarters amongst  the soldiers1 and to  
others1 concerning truth 7for the       
,scriptures  were very much opened to   
him71 insomuch that he said that his    
colonel  was as blind as                
,nebuchadnezzar1 to cast the servant of 
the ,lord into  prison4    ,upon this   
his colonel conceived a spite against   
him1 and at ,worcester  fight1 the year 
after1 when the two armies lay near one 
another1  and two came out from the     
king's army and challenged any two of   
the ,parliament army to fight with them1
 his colonel made choice of  him and    
another to answer the challenge4 ,when  
in the encounter his  companion was     
slain1 he drove both his enemies within 
musket-shot of  the town without firing 
a pistol at them4 ,this1 when he        
returned1  he told me with his own      
mouth4 ,but when the fight was over he  
saw  the deceit and hypocrisy of the    

officers1 and1 being sensible how       
wonderfully the ,lord had preserved him1
 and seeing also to the end of          
fighting1 he laid down his arms4    ,the
 time of my commitment to the house of  
correction being very  nearly ended1 and
 there being many new soldiers raised1  
the  commissioners would have made me   
captain over them2 and the  soldiers    
cried out that they would have none but 
me4 ,so the keeper  of the house of     
correction was commanded to bring me    
before the  commissioners and soldiers  
in the market-place1 where they offered 
me that preferment1 as they called it1  
asking me if ,i would not take  up arms 
for the ,commonwealth against ,charles  
,stuart4 ,i told them ,i  knew whence   
all wars arose1 even from the lusts1    
according to ,james'  doctrine2 and that
 ,i lived in the virtue of that life and
 power that  took away the occasion of  
all wars4#dc      #dc ,this is the true 
ground of opposition to war1 namely1    
that    a ,christian is to live a life  

that does away with the occasion    for 
war4    ,yet they courted me to accept  
of their offer1 and thought ,i did but  
compliment them4 ,but ,i told them ,i   
was come into the covenant of  peace1   
which was before wars and strifes were4 
,they said they offered  it in love and 
kindness to me because of my virtue2 and
 such-like  flattering words they used4 
,but ,i told them1 if that was their    
love  and kindness1 ,i trampled it under
 my feet4    ,then their rage got up1   
and they said1 ,take him away1 jailer1  
and  put him into the prison amongst the
 rogues and felons4 ,so ,i was put  into
 a lousy1 stinking place1 without any   
bed1 amongst thirty felons1  where ,i   
was kept almost half a year2#dd yet at  
times they would let  me walk to the    
garden1 believing ,i would not go away4 
#dd ,he was imprisoned on a definite    
charge for six months1 and    then1     
without any further trial1 apparently   
because he would not    join ,cromwell's
 army1 he was held in close confinement 

for nearly    six months more4    ,when 
they had got me into ,derby prison1 it  
was the saying of people  that ,i would 
never come out2 but ,i had faith in ,god
 that ,i should  be delivered in ,his   
time2 for the ,lord had given me to     
believe that  ,i was not to be removed  
from that place yet1 being set there for
 a  service which ,he had for me to do4 
,while ,i was here in prison there was a
 young woman in the jail for  robbing   
her master4 ,when she was to be tried   
for her life ,i wrote to  the judge and 
jury1 showing them how contrary it was  
to the law of  ,god in old time to put  
people to death for stealing1 and moving
 them  to show mercy4 ,yet she was      
condemned to die1 and a grave was made  
for  her1 and at the time appointed she 
was carried forth to execution4  ,then  
,i wrote a few words1 warning all to    
beware of greediness or  covetousness1  
for it leads from ,god2 and that all    
should fear the  ,lord1 avoid earthly   
lusts1 and prize their time while they  

have  it2 this ,i gave to be read at the
 gallows4 ,and1 though they had  her    
upon the ladder1 with a cloth bound over
 her face1 ready to  be turned off1 yet 
they did not put her to death1 but      
brought her  back to prison1 where she  
afterwards came to be convinced of      
,god's  everlasting truth4    ,there was
 also in the jail1 while ,i was there1 a
 wicked1 ungodly man1  who was reputed a
 conjurer4 ,he threatened that he would 
talk with  me1 and boasted of what he   
would do2 but he never had power to open
  his mouth to me4 ,and the jailer and  
he falling out1 he threatened  to raise 
the devil and break his house down2 so  
that he made the  jailer afraid4 ,i was 
moved of the ,lord to go in ,his power  
and rebuke  him1 and to say to him1     
,come1 let us see what thou canst do2 do
  thy worst4 ,i told him that the devil 
was raised high enough in him  already2 
but the power of ,god chained him down1 
so he slunk away from  me4    ,the time 
of ,worcester fight coming on1 ,justice 

,bennet sent constables  to press me for
 a soldier1 seeing ,i would not         
voluntarily accept of a  command4 ,i    
told them that ,i was brought off from  
outward wars4 ,they  came again to give 
me press-money2 but ,i would take none4 
,then ,i  was brought up to ,sergeant   
,holes1 kept there awhile1 and taken    
down  again4 ,afterwards the constables 
brought me a second time before the     
commissioners1 who said ,i should go for
 a soldier2 but ,i told them ,i  was    
dead to it4 ,they said ,i was alive4 ,i 
told them that where envy  and hatred is
 there is confusion4 ,they offered me   
money twice1 but  ,i refused it4 ,being 
disappointed1 they were angry1 and      
committed me  close prisoner1 without   
bail or mainprize4    ,great was the    
exercise and travail in spirit that ,i  
underwent during  my imprisonment here1 
because of the wickedness that was in   
this  town2 for though some were        
convinced1 yet the generality were a    
hardened people4 ,i saw the visitation  

of ,god's love pass away from  them4 ,i 
mourned over them4    ,there was a great
 judgment upon the town1 and the        
magistrates were  uneasy about me2 but  
they could not agree what to do with me4
 ,one  while they would have sent me up 
to the ,parliament2 another while  they 
would have banished me to ,ireland4 ,at 
first they called me  a deceiver1 a     
seducer and a blasphemer4 ,afterwards1  
when ,god had  brought his plagues upon 
them1 they styled me an honest1 virtuous
  man4 ,but their good report and bad   
report were nothing to me2 for  the one 
did not lift me up1 nor the other cast  
me down2 praised be  the ,lord6 ,at     
length they were made to turn me out of 
jail1 about the  beginning of winter1 in
 the year #afea1 after ,i had been a    
prisoner in  ,derby almost a year1--six 
months in the house of correction1 and  
the  rest of the time in the common     
jail4          ,,chapter ,v4    ,one    
,man ,may ,shake the ,country for ,ten  
,miles    #afea-afeb4      ,being again 

at liberty1 ,i went on1 as before1 in   
the work of the  ,lord1 passing through 
the country into ,leicestershire1 having
  meetings as ,i went2 and the ,lord's  
,spirit and power accompanied me4    ,as
 ,i was walking with several ,friends1  
,i lifted up my head and saw  three     
steeple-house spires1 and they struck at
 my life4 ,i asked them  what place that
 was4 ,they said1 ,lichfield4           
,immediately the ,word of  the ,lord    
came to me that ,i must go thither4     
,being come to the house  we were going 
to1 ,i wished the ,friends to walk into 
the house1 saying  nothing to them of   
whither ,i was to go4 ,as soon as they  
were gone ,i  stepped away1 and went by 
my eye over hedge and ditch till ,i came
  within a mile of ,lichfield1 where1 in
 a great field1 shepherds were  keeping 
their sheep4    ,then was ,i commanded  
by the ,lord to pull off my shoes4 ,i   
stood  still1 for it was winter2 and the
 ,word of the ,lord was like a fire  in 
me4 ,so ,i put off my shoes1 and left   

them with the shepherds2 and  the poor  
shepherds trembled1 and were astonished4
 ,then ,i walked on  about a mile1 and  
as soon as ,i was got within the city1  
the ,word of  the ,lord came to me      
again1 saying1 ,cry1 ',woe to the bloody
 city of  ,lichfield6' ,so ,i went up   
and down the streets1 crying with a loud
  voice1 ,woe to the bloody city of     
,lichfield6 ,it being market-day1 ,i    
went into the market-place1 and to and  
fro in the several parts of  it1 and    
made stands1 crying as before1 ,woe to  
the bloody city of  ,lichfield6 ,and no 
one laid hands on me4    ,as ,i went    
thus crying through the streets1 there  
seemed to me to be  a channel of blood  
running down the streets1 and the       
market-place  appeared like a pool of   
blood4    ,when ,i had declared what was
 upon me1 and felt myself clear1 ,i went
  out of the town in peace1 and1        
returning to the shepherds1 ,i gave     
them some money1 and took my shoes of   
them again4 ,but the fire of the  ,lord 

was so in my feet1 and all over me1 that
 ,i did not matter to put  on my shoes  
again1 and was at a stand whether ,i    
should or no1 till  ,i felt freedom from
 the ,lord so to do2 then1 after ,i had 
washed my  feet1 ,i put on my shoes     
again4    ,after this a deep            
consideration came upon me1 for what    
reason ,i  should be sent to cry against
 that city1 and call it the bloody      
city6 ,for1 though the ,parliament had  
had the minster one while1 and  the     
,king another1 and much blood had been  
shed in the town during  the wars       
between them1 yet that was no more than 
had befallen many  other places4 ,but   
afterwards ,i came to understand1 that  
in the  ,emperor ,diocletian's time a   
thousand ,christians were martyred in   
,lichfield4#de      #de ,it must be     
remembered that this act of ,george ,fox
 occurred    at the close of a year of  
imprisonment1 part of which had been    
in a horrible jail4 ,he was throughout  
his life restless and    active to an   

extreme degree4 ,for an entire year1    
just as his    work was getting well    
begun1 he had been forced to live in    
this    nut-shell of a prison--day after
 day inactive4 ,now he was free         
again1 and the old restlessness to be   
doing something came upon    him with   
irresistible force4 ,he was in no       
condition to inhibit    suggestions4 ,it
 is quite possible that some            
subconscious memory    here gave the    
suggestion4 ,in #afab one ,wightman was 
burned at the    stake in ,lichfield1   
and the deed was fresh in the minds of  
men at    this time4 ,then the name     
,lichfield means field of dead bodies1  
a name which doubtless had its origin in
 some baptism of blood1    and ,george  
in his boyhood may have heard some tale 
of those    bloody times4    ,passing   
on1 ,i was moved of the ,lord to go to  
,beverley steeple-house1  which was then
 a place of high profession2 and being  
very wet with  rain1 ,i went first to an
 inn4 ,as soon as ,i came to the door1 a

 young  woman of the house came to the  
door1 and said1 ,what1 is it you8 come  
in1 as if she had known me before2 for  
the ,lord's power bowed their  hearts4  
,so ,i refreshed myself and went to bed2
 and in the morning1  my clothes being  
still wet1 ,i got ready1 and having paid
 for what ,i  had had in the inn1 ,i    
went up to the steeple-house1 where was 
a man  preaching4 ,when he had done1 ,i 
was moved to speak to him1 and to  the  
people1 in the mighty power of ,god1 and
 to turn them to their  teacher1 ,christ
 ,jesus4 ,the power of the ,lord was so 
strong1 that it  struck a mighty dread  
amongst the people4 ,the mayor came and 
spoke a  few words to me2 but none of   
them had any power to meddle with me4   
,so ,i passed away out of the town1 and 
in the afternoon went to  another       
steeple-house about two miles off4 ,when
 the priest had  done1 ,i was moved to  
speak to him1 and to the people very    
largely1  showing them the way of life  
and truth1 and the ground of election   

and reprobation4 ,the priest said he was
 but a child1 and could not  dispute    
with me4 ,i told him ,i did not come to 
dispute1 but to hold  forth the ,word of
 life and truth unto them1 that they    
might all know  the one ,seed1 to which 
the promise of ,god was given1 both in  
the  male and in the female4 ,here the  
people were very loving1 and would  have
 had me come again on a week-day1 and   
preach among them2 but ,i  directed them
 to their teacher1 ,christ ,jesus1 and  
so passed away4    ,the next day ,i went
 to ,cranswick1 to ,captain ,pursloe's1 
who  accompanied me to ,justice         
,hotham's4 ,this ,justice ,hotham was a 
tender  man1 one that had had some      
experience of ,god's workings in his    
heart4  ,after some discourse with him  
of the things of ,god1 he took me into  
his closet1 where1 sitting with me1 he  
told me he had known that  principle,q  
these ten years1 and was glad that the  
,lord did now  publish it abroad to the 
people4 ,after a while there came a     

priest  to visit him1 with whom also ,i 
had some discourse concerning the       
,truth4 ,but his mouth was quickly      
stopped1 for he was nothing but a       
notionist1 and not in possession of what
 he talked of4      ,q ,the light of    
,christ working on the heart4    ,while 
,i was here1 there came a great woman of
 ,beverley to speak to  ,justice ,hotham
 about some business2 and in discourse  
she told him  that the last ,sabbath-day
 7as she called it7 there came an angel 
or  spirit into the church at ,beverley1
 and spoke the wonderful things  of     
,god1 to the astonishment of all that   
were there2 and when it  had done1 it   
passed away1 and they did not know      
whence it came1  nor whither it went2   
but it astonished all1--priest1         
professors1  and magistrates of the     
town4 ,this relation ,justice ,hotham   
gave me  afterwards1 and then ,i gave   
him an account of how ,i had been that  
day  at ,beverley steeple-house1 and had
 declared truth to the priest and       

people there4    ,i went to another     
steeple-house about three miles off1    
where preached  a great high-priest1    
called a doctor1 one of them whom       
,justice ,hotham  would have sent for to
 speak with me4 ,i went into the        
steeple-house1  and stayed till the     
priest had done4 ,the words which he    
took for  his text were these1 ,ho1     
every one that thirsteth1 come ye to the
  waters2 and he that hath no money1    
come ye1 buy and eat1 yea come1  buy    
wine and milk without money and without 
price4    ,then was ,i moved of the     
,lord ,god to say unto him1 ,come down1 
thou  deceiver2 dost thou bid people    
come freely1 and take of the water  of  
life freely1 and yet thou takest three  
hundred pounds a year of  them for      
preaching the ,scriptures to them4      
,mayest thou not blush for  shame8 ,did 
the prophet ,isaiah1 and ,christ do so1 
who spoke the words1  and gave them     
forth freely8 ,did not ,christ say to   
,his ministers1 whom  ,he sent to       

preach1 ',freely ye have received1      
freely give'8    ,the priest1 like a man
 amazed1 hastened away4 ,after he had   
left his  flock1 ,i had as much time as 
,i could desire to speak to the people2 
and ,i directed them from the darkness  
to the ,light1 and to the grace  of     
,god1 that would teach them1 and bring  
them salvation2 to the  ,spirit of ,god 
in their inward parts1 which would be a 
free teacher  unto them4    ,having     
cleared myself amongst the people1 ,i   
returned to ,justice  ,hotham's house   
that night4 ,when ,i came in he took me 
in his arms1 and  said his house was my 
house2 for he was exceedingly glad of   
the work  of the ,lord1 and that ,his   
power was revealed4    ,thence ,i passed
 on through the country1 and came at    
night to an inn  where was a company of 
rude people4 ,i bade the woman of the   
house1 if  she had any meat1 to bring me
 some2 but because ,i said ,thee and    
,thou  to her1 she looked strangely on  
me4 ,i asked her if she had any milk4   

,she said1 ,no4 ,i was sensible she     
spake falsely2 and1 being willing to    
try her further1 ,i asked her if she had
 any cream8 ,she denied that  she had   
any4    ,there stood a churn in the     
room1 and a little boy1 playing about1  
put  his hands into it and pulled it    
down1 and threw all the cream on the    
floor before my eyes4 ,thus was the     
woman manifested to be a liar4  ,she was
 amazed1 blessed herself1 took up the   
child1 and whipped it  sorely3 but ,i   
reproved her for her lying and deceit4  
,after the ,lord  had thus discovered   
her deceit and perverseness1 ,i walked  
out of the  house1 and went away till ,i
 came to a stack of hay1 and lay in the 
hay-stack that night1 in rain and snow1 
it being but three days  before the time
 called ,christmas4    ,the next day ,i 
came into ,york1 where were several very
 tender people4  ,upon the ,first-day   
following1 ,i was commanded of the ,lord
 to go and  speak to priest ,bowles and 
his hearers in their great cathedral4   

,accordingly ,i went4 ,when the priest  
had done1 ,i told them ,i had  something
 from the ,lord ,god to speak to the    
priest and people4 ,then  say on        
quickly1 said a professor1 for there was
 frost and snow1 and  it was very cold  
weather4 ,then ,i told them that this   
was the ,word of  the ,lord ,god unto   
them1--that they lived in words1 but    
,god ,almighty  looked for fruits       
amongst them4    ,as soon as the words  
were out of my mouth1 they hurried me   
out1 and  threw me down the steps4 ,but 
,i got up again without hurt1 and went  
to  my lodging1 and several were        
convinced there4 ,for that which arose  
from the weight and oppression that was 
upon the ,spirit of ,god in  me1 would  
open people1 strike them1 and make them 
confess that the  groans which broke    
forth through me did reach them1 for my 
life was  burthened with their          
profession without possession1 and their
 words  without fruit4         ,after   
being thus violently tumbled down the   

steps of the great       minster1       
,george ,fox found his next few days    
crowded with hot       discussion4      
,papists and ,ranters and ,scotch       
priests made him       stand forth for  
the hope that was in him4 ,the ,ranters1
 he says1       had spent their         
portions1 and not living in that which  
they       spake of1 were now become    
dry4 ,they had some kind of meetings1   
but they took tobacco and drank ale in  
their meetings and were       grown     
light and loose4 ,after the narrative of
 an attempt to       push him over the  
cliffs the account continues4           
,another priest sent to have a dispute  
with me1 and ,friends went with  me to  
the house where he was2 but when he     
understood we were come1 he  slipped out
 of the house1 and hid himself under an 
hedge4 ,the people  went and found him1 
but could not get him to come to us4    
,then ,i went to a steeple-house hard   
by1 where the priest and people  were in
 a great rage4 ,this priest had         

threatened ,friends what he  would do2  
but when ,i came he fled2 for the       
,lord's power came over him  and them4  
,yea1 the ,lord's everlasting power was 
over the world1 and  reached to the     
hearts of people1 and made both priests 
and professors  tremble4 ,it shook the  
earthly and airy spirit in which they   
held  their profession of religion and  
worship2 so that it was a dreadful      
thing to them when it was told them1    
,the man in leathern breeches is        
come4#df ,at the hearing thereof the    
priests in many places got out  of the  
way1 they were so struck with the dread 
of the eternal power  of ,god2 and fear 
surprised the hypocrites4      #df ,this
 is the foundation for the famous       
passage on ,george    ,fox1 in          
,carlyle's ,sartor ,resartus1 ,book     
,,iii41 ,chap4 #a4 ,there    is1        
however1 no foundation for ,carlyle's   
picture of ,fox cutting    and stitching
 his own leather suit4 ,sewel distinctly
 says that    these leather breeches had

 no connection with his former leather  
work4 ,croese says that his entire suit 
was leather4 ,this form of    dress was 
not very unusual at the time1 and was   
probably chosen    for its durability4  
,at ,pickering he stood in the          
steeple-house yard and told the         
people what his mission was1 with as    
clear a claim to a divine               
commission as a ,hebrew prophet would   
have made4    ,i was sent of the ,lord  
,god of heaven and earth to preach      
freely1 and  to bring people off from   
these outward temples made with hands1  
which  ,god dwelleth not in2 that they  
might know their bodies to become the   
temples of ,god and of ,christ2 and to  
draw people off from all their          
superstitious ceremonies1 ,jewish and   
heathenish customs1 traditions1  and    
doctrines of men2 and from all the      
world's hireling teachers1  that take   
tithes and great wages1 preaching for   
hire1 and divining  for money1 whom ,god
 and ,christ never sent1 as themselves  

confess when  they say that they never  
heard ,god's nor ,christ's voice4 ,i    
exhorted  the people to come off from   
all these things1 directing them to the 
,spirit and grace of ,god in themselves1
 and to the ,light of ,jesus in  their  
own hearts2 that they might come to know
 ,christ1 their free  teacher1 to bring 
them salvation1 and to open the         
,scriptures to them4    ,thus the ,lord 
gave me a good opportunity to open      
things largely unto  them4 ,all was     
quiet1 and many were convinced2 blessed 
be the ,lord4    ,i passed to another   
town1 where was another great meeting1  
the old  priest being with me2 and there
 came professors of several sorts to    
it4 ,i sat on a hay-stack1 and spoke    
nothing for some hours2 for ,i  was to  
famish them from words4 ,the professors 
would ever and anon be  speaking to the 
old priest1 and asking him when ,i would
 begin1 and  when ,i would speak8 ,he   
bade them wait2 and told them that the  
people  waited upon ,christ a long while

 before ,he spoke4    ,at last ,i was   
moved of the ,lord to speak2 and they   
were struck by  the ,lord's power4 ,the 
,word of life reached to them1 and there
 was a  general convincement amongst    
them4    ,now ,i came towards           
,cranswick1 to ,captain ,pursloe's and  
,justice  ,hotham's1 who received me    
kindly1 being glad that the ,lord's     
power  had so appeared2 that truth was  
spread1 and so many had received it4    
,justice ,hotham said that if ,god had  
not raised up this principle of  ,light 
and life which ,i preached1 the nation  
would have been overrun  with           
,ranterism1#dg and all the justices in  
the nation could not  have stopped it   
with all their laws2 ,because1 said he1 
they would  have said as we said1 and   
done as we commanded1 and yet have kept 
their own principle still4 ,but this    
principle of truth1 said he1  overthrows
 their principle1 and the root and      
ground thereof2 and  therefore he was   
glad the ,lord had raised up this       

principle of life  and truth4      #dg  
,this remark of ,justice ,hotham is an  
observation of    considerable          
historical significance4    ,the next   
day ,friends and friendly people having 
left me1 ,i travelled  alone1 declaring 
the day of the ,lord amongst people in  
the towns  where ,i came1 and warning   
them to repent4 ,i came towards night   
into  a town called ,patrington4 ,as ,i 
walked along the town1 ,i warned both   
priest and people 7for the priest was in
 the street7 to repent and  turn to the 
,lord4 ,it grew dark before ,i came to  
the end of the town1  and a multitude of
 people gathered about me1 to whom ,i   
declared the  ,word of life4    ,when ,i
 had cleared myself ,i went to an inn1  
and desired them to let  me have a      
lodging2 but they would not4 ,i desired 
a little meat or  milk1 and said ,i     
would pay for it2 but they refused4 ,so 
,i walked out  of the town1 and a       
company of fellows followed1 and asked  
me1 ,what  news8 ,i bade them repent1   

and fear the ,lord4    ,after ,i was    
gone a pretty way1 ,i came to another   
house1 and desired  the people to let me
 have a little meat1 drink1 and lodging 
for my  money2 but they denied me4 ,i   
went to another house1 and desired the  
same2 but they refused me also4 ,by this
 time it was grown so dark  that ,i     
could not see the highway2 but ,i       
discerned a ditch1 and got a  little    
water1 and refreshed myself4 ,then ,i   
got over the ditch2 and1  being weary   
with travelling1 ,i sat down amongst the
 furze bushes till  it was day4         
,about break of day ,i got up1 and      
passed on over the fields4 ,a man  came 
after me with a great pike-staff and    
went along with me to a  town2 and he   
raised the town upon me1 with the       
constable and chief  constable1 before  
the sun was up4 ,i declared ,god's      
everlasting  truth amongst them1 warning
 them of the day of the ,lord1 that was 
coming upon all sin and wickedness2 and 
exhorted them to repent4 ,but  they     

seized me1 and had me back to           
,patrington1 about three miles1         
guarding me with watch-bills1 pikes1    
staves1 and halberds4    ,when ,i was   
come to ,patrington1 all the town was in
 an uproar1 and  the priest and         
constables were consulting together2 so 
,i had another  opportunity to declare  
the ,word of life amongst them1 and warn
 them  to repent4 ,at last a professor1 
a tender man1 called me into his  house1
 and there ,i took a little milk and    
bread1 having not eaten for  some days  
before4 ,then they guarded me about nine
 miles to a justice4    ,when ,i was    
come near his house1 a man came riding  
after us1 and asked  me whether ,i was  
the man that was apprehended4 ,i asked  
him wherefore  he asked4 ,he said1 ,for 
no hurt4 ,i told him ,i was3 so he rode 
away  to the justice before us4 ,the men
 that guarded me said it would be  well 
if the justice were not drunk before we 
got to him2 for he used  to get drunk   
early4    ,when ,i was brought in before

 him1 because ,i did not put off my hat1
  and because ,i said ,thou to him1 he  
asked the man that rode thither  before 
me whether ,i was not mazed or fond4,r  
,the man told him1 ,no2  it was my      
principle4      ,r ,foolish4    ,i      
warned him to repent1 and come to the   
light with which ,christ had            
enlightened him2 that by it he might see
 all his evil words and  actions1 and   
turn to ,christ ,jesus whilst he had    
time2 and that whilst  he had time he   
should prize it4 ,ay1 ay1 said he1 the  
,light that is  spoken of in the third  
of ,john4 ,i desired he would mind it1  
and obey  it4    ,as ,i admonished him1 
,i laid my hand upon him1 and he was    
brought down  by the power of the ,lord2
 and all the watchmen stood amazed4     
,then  he took me into a little parlour 
with the other man1 and desired to  see 
what ,i had in my pockets of letters or 
intelligence4 ,i plucked  out my linen1 
and showed him ,i had no letters4 ,he   
said1 ,he is not a  vagrant1 by his     

linen2 then he set me at liberty4    ,i 
went back to ,patrington with the man   
that had rode before me to  the justice3
 for he lived at ,patrington4 ,when ,i  
came there1 he would  have had me have a
 meeting at the ,cross2 but ,i said it  
was no matter2  his house would serve4  
,he desired me to go to bed1 or lie down
 upon  a bed2 which he did1 that they   
might say they had seen me in a bed1  or
 upon a bed2 for a report had been      
raised that ,i would not lie on  any    
bed1 because at that time ,i lay many   
times out of doors4#dh ,now  when the   
,first-day of the week was come1 ,i went
 to the steeple-house1  and declared the
 truth to the priest and people2 and the
 people did  not molest me1 for the     
power of ,god was come over them4       
,presently  after ,i had a great meeting
 at the man's house where ,i lay1 and   
many  were convinced of the ,lord's     
everlasting truth1 who stand faithful   
witnesses of it to this day4 ,they were 
exceedingly grieved that they  had not  

received me1 nor given me lodging1 when 
,i was there before4      #dh ,fox's    
power of endurance will be noticed in   
every part of    this autobiography4 ,he
 sleeps under hedges1 fences or         
haystacks4    ,he goes days without     
suitable food4 ,he speaks in difficult  
places    as often as occasion presents1
 and goes through the attacks of        
hostile crowds with an endurance which  
is astonishing4 ,this iron              
constitution carried him through the    
long imprisonments which    thinned the 
ranks of his co-laborers4    ,thence ,i 
travelled through the country1 even to  
the furthest part  thereof1 warning     
people1 in towns and villages1 to       
repent1 and  directing them to ,christ  
,jesus1 their teacher4    ,on the       
,first-day of the week ,i came to one   
,colonel ,overton's house1  and had a   
great meeting of the prime of the people
 of that country2  where many things    
were opened out of the ,scriptures which
 they had  never heard before4 ,many    

were convinced1 and received the ,word  
of  life1 and were settled in the truth 
of ,god4    ,then ,i returned to        
,patrington again1 and visited those    
,friends that  were convinced there2 by 
whom ,i understood that a tailor1 and   
some  wild blades in that town1 had     
occasioned my being carried before  the 
justice4 ,the tailor came to ask my     
forgiveness1 fearing ,i would  complain 
of him4 ,the constables also were       
afraid1 lest ,i should  trouble them4   
,but ,i forgave them all1 and warned    
them to turn to the  ,lord1 and to amend
 their lives4    ,now that which made   
them the more afraid was this3 when ,i  
was in  the steeple-house at ,oram1 not 
long before1 there came a professor1    
who gave me a push on the breast in the 
steeple-house1 and bade me  get out of  
the church4 ,alas1 poor man6 said ,i1   
dost thou call  the steeple-house the   
,church8 ,the ,church is the people1    
whom ,god  hath purchased with ,his     
blood1 and not the house4 ,it happened  

that  ,justice ,hotham came to hear of  
this man's abuse1 sent his warrant  for 
him1 and bound him over to the sessions2
 so affected was he with  the ,truth and
 so zealous to keep the peace4 ,and     
indeed this ,justice  ,hotham had asked 
me before whether any people had meddled
 with me1  or abused me2 but ,i was not 
at liberty to tell him anything of that 
kind1 but was to forgive all4    ,the   
next ,first-day ,i went to ,tickhill1   
whither the ,friends of that  side      
gathered together1 and a mighty         
brokenness by the power of ,god  there  
was amongst the people4 ,i went out of  
the meeting1 being moved  of ,god to go 
to the steeple-house4 ,when ,i came     
there1 ,i found the  priest and most of 
the chief of the parish together in the 
chancel4    ,i went up to them1 and     
began to speak2 but they immediately    
fell  upon me2 the clerk up with his    
,bible1 as ,i was speaking1 and struck  
me on the face with it1 so that my face 
gushed out with blood2 and  ,i bled     

exceedingly in the steeple-house4 ,the  
people cried1 ,let us  have him out of  
the church4 ,when they had got me out1  
they beat  me exceedingly1 threw me     
down1 and turned me over a hedge4 ,they 
afterwards dragged me through a house   
into the street1 stoning and  beating me
 as they dragged me along2 so that ,i   
was all over besmeared  with blood and  
dirt4 ,they got my hat from me1 which ,i
 never had  again4 ,yet when ,i was got 
upon my legs1 ,i declared the ,word of  
life1  showed them the fruits of their  
teacher1 and how they dishonored        
,christianity4    ,after awhile ,i got  
into the meeting again amongst ,friends1
 and the  priest and people coming by   
the house1 ,i went with ,friends into   
the  yard1 and there spoke to the priest
 and people4 ,the priest scoffed at  us1
 and called us ,quakers4 ,but the       
,lord's power was so over them1 and  the
 ,word of life was declared in such     
authority and dread to them1  that the  
priest fell a-trembling himself2 and one

 of the people said1  ,look how the     
priest trembles and shakes2 he is turned
 a ,quaker also4    ,when the meeting   
was over1 ,friends departed2 and ,i went
 without my  hat to ,balby1 about seven 
or eight miles4 ,friends were much      
abused  that day by the priest and his  
people3 insomuch that some moderate     
justices hearing of it1 two or three of 
them came and sat at the town  to       
examine the business4 ,he that had shed 
my blood was afraid of  having his hand 
cut off for striking me in the church1  
as they called  it2 but ,i forgave him1 
and would not appear against him4       
,thence ,i went to ,wakefield2 and on   
the ,first-day after1 ,i went  to a     
steeple-house where ,james ,nayler#di   
had been a member of  an ,independent   
church2 but upon his receiving truth1 he
 was  excommunicated4 ,when ,i came in1 
and the priest had done1 the people     
called upon me to come up to the priest1
 which ,i did2 but when ,i  began to    
declare the ,word of life to them1 and  

to lay open the deceit  of the priest1  
they rushed upon me suddenly1 thrust me 
out at the  other door1 punching and    
beating me1 and cried1 ,let us have him 
to  the stocks4 ,but the ,lord's power  
restrained them1 that they were not     
suffered to put me in4      #di ,this   
,james ,nayler1 who left his            
,independent church to become    a      
,quaker had a future history of pathetic
 interest4 ,he was a    powerful        
minister1 and his very success led to   
his downfall1    which will be recorded 
in the proper place later on4    ,so ,i 
passed away to the meeting1 where were a
 great many professors  and friendly    
people gathered1 and a great            
convincement there was that  day2 for   
the people were mightily satisfied that 
they were directed  to the ,lord's      
teaching in themselves4 ,here we got    
some lodging2 for  four of us had lain  
under a hedge the night before1 there   
being then  few ,friends in that place4 
,the priest of that church1 of which    

,james ,nayler had been a member1  whose
 name was ,marshall1 raised many wicked 
slanders about me1 as  that ,i carried  
bottles with me1 and made people drink  
of them1 which  made them follow me2 and
 that ,i rode upon a great black horse1 
and  was seen in one country upon it in 
one hour1 and at the same hour in       
another country threescore miles off2   
and that ,i would give a fellow  money  
to follow me1 when ,i was on my black   
horse4 ,with these lies  he fed his     
people1 to make them think evil of the  
truth which ,i had  declared amongst    
them4 ,but by these lies he preached    
many of his  hearers away from him2 for 
,i was then travelling on foot1 and had 
no  horse at that time2 which the people
 generally knew4    ,as we travelled    
through the country1 preaching          
repentance to the  people1 we came into 
a market-town1 where a lecture was held 
that  day4 ,i went into the             
steeple-house1 where many priests1      
professors  and people were4 ,the priest

 that preached took for his text those  
words of ,jeremiah #e3ca1 ,my people    
love to have it so3 leaving out  the    
foregoing words1 viz43 ,the prophets    
prophesy falsely1 and the  priests bear 
rule by their means4 ,i showed the      
people his deceit2  and directed them to
 ,christ1 the true teacher within2      
declaring that  ,god was come to teach  
,his people himself1 and to bring them  
off  from all the world's teachers and  
hirelings2 that they might come  to     
receive freely from ,him4 ,then1 warning
 them of the day of the  ,lord that was 
coming upon all flesh1 ,i passed thence 
without much  opposition4    ,at night  
we came to a country place1 where there 
was no public house  near4 ,the people  
desired us to stay all night2 which we  
did1 and had  good service for the      
,lord1 declaring ,his truth amongst     
them4    ,the ,lord had said unto me    
that if but one man or woman were raised
  by ,his power to stand and live in the
 same ,spirit that the prophets  and    

apostles were in who gave forth the     
,scriptures1 that man or woman  should  
shake all the country in their          
profession,s for ten miles  round4 ,for 
people had the ,scriptures1 but were not
 in the same ,light1  power1 and ,spirit
 which those were in who gave forth the 
,scriptures2  so they neither knew ,god1
 ,christ1 nor the ,scriptures aright2   
nor had  they unity one with another1   
being out of the power and ,spirit of   
,god4 ,therefore we warned all1 wherever
 we met them1 of the day of the  ,lord  
that was coming upon them4      ,s ,all 
the country in their profession means   
all the people    throughout the country
 who are mere nominal ,christians4      
,,chapter ,,vi    ,a ,new ,era ,begins  
#afeb4      ,as we travelled we came    
near a very great hill1 called ,pendle  
,hill1  and ,i was moved of the ,lord to
 go up to the top of it2 which ,i did   
with difficulty1 it was so very steep   
and high4 ,when ,i was come to  the top1
 ,i saw the sea bordering upon          

,lancashire4 ,from the top of  this hill
 the ,lord let me see in what places he 
had a great people to  be gathered4 ,as 
,i went down1 ,i found a spring of water
 in the side of  the hill1 with which ,i
 refreshed myself1 having eaten or drunk
 but  little for several days before4#ej
      #ej ,this spring is still called  
,george ,fox's well4    ,at night we    
came to an inn1 and declared truth to   
the man of the  house1 and wrote a paper
 to the priests and professors1         
declaring the  day of the ,lord1 and    
that ,christ was come to teach people   
,himself1 by  ,his power and ,spirit in 
their hearts1 and to bring people off   
from  all the world's ways and teachers1
 to ,his own free teaching1 who  had    
bought them1 and was the ,saviour of all
 them that believed in  ,him4 ,the man  
of the house spread the paper abroad1   
and was mightily  affected with the     
truth4 ,here the ,lord opened unto me1  
and let me  see a great people in white 
raiment by a river side1 coming to the  

,lord2 and the place that ,i saw them in
 was about ,wensleydale and             
,sedbergh4#ea      #ea ,no part of      
,fox's life is more remarkable than     
these few    months of service that     
follow in ,westmoreland--in and about   
,wensleydale and ,sedbergh4 ,here he    
gathers about himself a band    of      
preachers only slightly less gifted than
 himself4 ,he wins    the support of the
 ,fells of ,swarthmore ,hall1 which     
becomes    henceforth a sort of         
headquarters to the movement1 and he    
gains    the incalculable assistance of 
,margaret ,fell1--for many years a      
wise and faithful friend1 and finally   
his wife4    ,the next day we travelled 
on1 and at night got a little fern or   
bracken to put under us1 and lay upon a 
common4 ,next morning we  reached a     
town1 where ,richard ,farnsworth#eb     
parted from me2 and  then ,i travelled  
alone again4 ,i came up ,wensleydale1   
and at the  market-town in that ,dale1  
there was a lecture on the market-day4  

,i went into the steeple-house2 and     
after the priest had done ,i  proclaimed
 the day of the ,lord to the priest and 
people1 warning  them to turn from      
darkness to the ,light1 and from the    
power of ,satan  unto ,god1 that they   
might come to know ,god and ,christ     
aright1 and to  receive ,his teaching1  
who teacheth freely4 ,largely and freely
 did  ,i declare the ,word of life unto 
them1 and had not much persecution      
there4      #eb ,richard ,farnsworth was
 convinced at ,balby in #afea1 and      
became one of ,george ,fox's most       
valuable helpers4    ,afterwards ,i     
passed up the ,dales1 warning people to 
fear ,god1 and  preaching the           
everlasting gospel to them4 ,in my way  
,i came to a great  house1 where was a  
schoolmaster2 and they got me into the  
house4 ,i  asked them questions about   
their religion and worship2 and         
afterwards  ,i declared the truth to    
them4 ,they had me into a parlour1 and  
locked  me in1 pretending that ,i was a 

young man that was mad1 and had run     
away from my relations2 and that they   
would keep me till they could  send to  
them4 ,but ,i soon convinced them of    
their mistake1 and they  let me forth1  
and would have had me to stay2 but ,i   
was not to stay  there4    ,then having 
exhorted them to repentance1 and        
directed them to the  ,light of ,christ 
,jesus1 that through it they might come 
unto ,him and  be saved1 ,i passed from 
them1 and came in the night to a little 
ale-house on a common1 where there was a
 company of rude fellows  drinking4     
,because ,i would not drink with them1  
they struck me with  their clubs2 but ,i
 reproved them1 and brought them to be  
somewhat  cooler2 and then ,i walked out
 of the house upon the common in the    
night4    ,after some time one of these 
drunken fellows came out1 and would have
  come close up to me1 pretending to    
whisper to me2 but ,i perceived he  had 
a knife2 and therefore ,i kept off him1 
and bade him repent1 and  fear ,god4 ,so

 the ,lord by ,his power preserved me   
from this wicked man2  and he went into 
the house again4 ,the next morning ,i   
went on through  other ,dales1 warning  
and exhorting people everywhere as ,i   
passed1  to repent and turn to the      
,lord3 and several were convinced4 ,at  
one  house that ,i came to1 the man of  
the house 7whom ,i afterwards found  to 
be a kinsman of ,john ,blakelin's7 would
 have given me money1 but ,i  would not 
receive it4    ,the next day ,i went to 
a meeting at ,justice ,benson's1 where  
,i met  a people that were separated    
from the public worship4 ,this was the  
place ,i had seen1 where a people came  
forth in white raiment4 ,a large        
meeting it was1 and the people were     
generally convinced2 and they  continue 
still a large meeting of ,friends near  
,sedbergh2 which was  then first        
gathered through my ministry in the name
 of ,jesus4    ,in the same week there  
was a great fair1 at which servants used
 to  be hired2 and ,i declared the day  

of the ,lord through the fair4 ,after   
,i had done so1 ,i went into the        
steeple-house yard1 and many of the     
people of the fair came thither to me1  
and abundance of priests and            
professors4 ,there ,i declared the      
everlasting truth of the ,lord and  the 
,word of life for several hours1 showing
 that the ,lord was come to  teach ,his 
people ,himself1 and to bring them off  
from all the world's  ways and teachers1
 to ,christ1 the true teacher1 and the  
true way to  ,god4 ,i laid open their   
teachers1 showing that they were like   
them  that were of old condemned by the 
prophets1 and by ,christ1 and by the    
apostles4 ,i exhorted the people to come
 off from the temples made  with hands2 
and wait to receive the ,spirit of the  
,lord1 that they  might know themselves 
to be the temples of ,god4    ,not one  
of the priests had power to open his    
mouth against what ,i  declared3 but at 
last a captain said1 ,why will you not  
go into the  church8 this is not a fit  

place to preach in4 ,i told him ,i      
denied  their church4 ,then stood up    
,francis ,howgill1 who was preacher to a
  congregation4 ,he had not seen me     
before2 yet he undertook to answer  that
 captain2 and he soon put him to        
silence4 ,then said ,francis  ,howgill  
of me1 ,this man speaks with authority1 
and not as the  scribes4    ,after this1
 ,i opened to the people that that      
ground and house were no  holier than   
another place2 and that the house is not
 the ,church1 but  the people1 of whom  
,christ is the head4 ,after awhile the  
priests came  up to me1 and ,i warned   
them to repent4 ,one of them said ,i was
 mad2 so  they turned away4 ,but many   
were convinced there that day1 who were 
glad to hear the truth declared1 and    
received it with joy4 ,amongst  these   
was ,captain ,ward1 who received the    
truth in the love of it1 and  lived and 
died in it4    ,the next ,first-day ,i  
came to ,firbank chapel in              
,westmoreland1 where  ,francis ,howgill 

and ,john ,audland#ec had been preaching
 in the  morning4 ,the chapel was full  
of people1 so that many could not get   
in4 ,francis said he thought ,i looked  
into the chapel1 and his spirit  was    
ready to fail1 the ,lord's power did so 
surprise him3 but ,i did  not look in4  
,they made haste1 and had quickly done1 
and they and some  of the people went to
 dinner2 but abundance stayed till they 
came  again4 ,john ,blakelin and others 
came to me1 and desired me not to       
reprove them publicly2 for they were not
 parish-teachers1 but pretty  tender    
men4 ,i could not tell them whether ,i  
should or no1 though ,i  had not at that
 time any drawings to declare publicly  
against them2  but ,i said they must    
leave me to the ,lord's movings4        
#ec ,howgill and ,audland became two of 
the little band of    powerful ministers
 who gave their lives to the            
proclamation of    the truth as ,fox    
interpreted it4    ,while others were   
gone to dinner1 ,i went to a brook1 got 

a little  water1 and then came and sat  
down on the top of a rock hard by the   
chapel4 ,in the afternoon the people    
gathered about me1 with several  of     
their preachers4 ,it was judged there   
were above a thousand people2  to whom  
,i declared ,god's everlasting truth and
 ,word of life freely  and largely for  
about the space of three hours4 ,i      
directed all to the  ,spirit of ,god in 
themselves2 that they might be turned   
from darkness  to ,light1 and believe in
 it2 that they might become the children
 of  it1 and might be turned from the   
power of ,satan unto ,god2 and by the   
,spirit of truth might be led into all  
truth1 and sensibly understand  the     
words of the prophets1 of ,christ1 and  
of the apostles2 and might  all come to 
know ,christ to be their teacher to     
instruct them1 their  counsellor to     
direct them1 their shepherd to feed     
them1 their bishop  to oversee them1 and
 their prophet to open divine mysteries 
to them2  and might know their bodies to

 be prepared1 sanctified1 and made fit  
temples for ,god and ,christ to dwell   
in4 ,in the openings of heavenly  life  
,i explained unto them the prophets1 and
 the figures and shadows1  and directed 
them to ,christ1 the substance4 ,then ,i
 opened the  parables and sayings of    
,christ1 and things that had been long  
hid4    ,now there were many old people 
who went into the chapel and looked  out
 at the windows1 thinking it a strange  
thing to see a man preach  on a hill1   
and not in their church1 as they called 
it2 whereupon  ,i was moved to open to  
the people that the steeple-house1 and  
the  ground whereon it stood were no    
more holy than that mountain2 and  that 
those temples1 which they called the    
dreadful houses of ,god were  not set up
 by the command of ,god and of ,christ2 
nor their priests  called1 as ,aaron's  
priesthood was2 nor their tithes        
appointed by ,god1  as those amongst the
 ,jews were2 but that ,christ was come1 
who ended  both the temple and its      

worship1 and the priests and their      
tithes2  and that all should now hearken
 unto ,him2 for ,he said1 ,learn of  me2
 and ,god said of ,him1 ,this is my     
beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well        
pleased2 hear ye ,him4    ,i declared   
unto them that the ,lord ,god had sent  
me to preach the  everlasting gospel and
 ,word of life amongst them1 and to     
bring  them off from all these temples1 
tithes1 priests1 and rudiments of  the  
world1 which had been instituted since  
the apostles' days1 and  had been set up
 by such as had erred from the ,spirit  
and power the  apostles were in4 ,very  
largely was ,i opened at this meeting1  
and  the ,lord's convincing power       
accompanied my ministry1 and reached    
the hearts of the people1 whereby many  
were convinced2 and all the  teachers of
 that congregation 7who were many7 were 
convinced of ,god's  everlasting truth4 
,at ,kendal a meeting was held in the   
,town-hall4 ,several were convinced  and
 many were loving4 ,one whose name was  

,cock met me in the street  and would   
have given me a roll of tobacco1 for    
people were then  much given to smoking4
 ,i accepted his love1 but did not      
receive his  tobacco4    ,thence ,i went
 to ,underbarrow1 and several people    
going along with me1  great reasonings  
,i had with them1 especially with       
,edward ,burrough4#ed      #ed ,edward  
,burrough has been called the           
,whitefield of ,quakerism4    ,he       
possessed a trained mind and unusual    
original power4 ,he was    a vigorous   
writer1 and his ministry was remarkably 
effective4    ,son of thunder and       
consolation1 he was named4 ,he was one  
of the    early martyrs to the truth1   
dying in a ,london prison in #affb4     
,just before his death he said3 ,now my 
soul and spirit is entered    into its  
own being with ,god1 and this form of   
person must return    whence it was     
taken4    ,at night the priest and many 
professors came to the house2 and a     
great deal of disputing ,i had with     

them4 ,supper being provided for  the   
priest and the rest of the company1 ,i  
had not freedom to eat with  them2 but  
told them that if they would appoint a  
meeting for the next  day at the        
steeple-house1 and acquaint the people  
with it1 ,i might  meet them4 ,they had 
a great deal of reasoning about it2 some
 being  for1 and some against it4    ,in
 the morning1 after ,i had spoken to    
them again concerning the  meeting1 as  
,i walked upon a bank by the house1     
there came several  poor travellers1    
asking relief1 who ,i saw were in       
necessity2 and  they gave them nothing1 
but said they were cheats4 ,it grieved  
me to  see such hard-heartedness amongst
 professors2 whereupon1 when they  were 
gone in to their breakfast1 ,i ran after
 the poor people about a  quarter of a  
mile1 and gave them some money4         
,meanwhile some that were in the house1 
coming out1 and seeing me a  quarter of 
a mile off1 said ,i could not have gone 
so far in such an  instant1 if ,i had   

not had wings4 ,hereupon the meeting was
 like to  have been put by2 for they    
were filled with such strange thoughts  
concerning me that many of them were    
against having a meeting with  me4,t    
,t ,the superstitions everywhere        
existent among the people should    be  
noted4    ,i told them that ,i had run  
after those poor people to give them    
some  money2 being grieved at the       
hard-heartedness of those who gave them 
nothing4    ,then came ,miles and       
,stephen ,hubbersty1 who1 being more    
simple-hearted  men1 would have the     
meeting held4 ,so to the chapel ,i went1
 and the  priest came4    ,a great      
meeting there was1 and the way of life  
and salvation was  opened2 and after    
awhile the priest fled away4 ,many of   
,crook and  ,underbarrow were convinced 
that day1 received the ,word of life1   
and  stood fast in it under the teaching
 of ,christ ,jesus4    ,after ,i had    
declared the truth to them for some     
hours1 and the  meeting was ended1 the  

chief constable and some other          
professors fell  to reasoning with me in
 the chapel yard4 ,whereupon ,i took a  
,bible and  opened the ,scriptures1 and 
dealt tenderly with them1 as one would  
do  with a child4 ,they that were in the
 ,light of ,christ and ,spirit of ,god  
knew when ,i spake ,scripture1 though ,i
 did not mention chapter and  verse1    
after the priest's form1 to them4       
,then ,i went to an ale-house1 to which 
many resorted betwixt the time  of their
 morning and afternoon preaching1 and   
had a great deal of  reasoning with the 
people1 declaring to them that ,god was 
come to  teach ,his people1 and to bring
 them off from the false teachers1  such
 as the prophets1 ,christ1 and the      
apostles cried against4 ,many  received 
the ,word of life at that time1 and     
abode in it4    ,thence ,i went to      
,ulverstone1 and so to ,swarthmore,u to 
,judge  ,fell's2 whither came up one    
,lampitt1 a priest1 who was a high      
notionist4 ,with him ,i had much        

reasoning2 for he talked of high        
notions and perfection1 and thereby     
deceived the people4 ,he would  have    
owned me1 but ,i could not own nor join 
with him1 he was so full  of filth4#ee  
,he said he was above ,john2 and made as
 though he knew  all things4 ,but ,i    
told him that death reigned from ,adam  
to ,moses2  that he was under death1 and
 knew not ,moses1 for ,moses saw the    
paradise of ,god2 but he knew neither   
,moses nor the prophets nor ,john2  for 
that crooked and rough nature stood in  
him1 and the mountain of  sin and       
corruption2 and the way was not prepared
 in him for the ,lord4      ,u ,in the  
,furness district4      #ee ,of no other
 minister has ,fox spoken so harshly as 
of this    man ,lampitt4 ,there is every
 reason for believing that the picture  
which he gives of ,lampitt is correct1  
though in ,calamy's ,ejected            
,ministers he is spoken of as a warm and
 lively preacher4    ,he confessed he   
had been under a cross in things2 but   

now he could  sing psalms1 and do       
anything4 ,i told him that now he could 
see a  thief1 and join hand in hand with
 him2 but he could not preach ,moses1   
nor the prophets1 nor ,john1 nor        
,christ1 except he were in the same     
,spirit that they were in4    ,margaret 
,fell had been absent in the day-time2  
and at night her  children told her that
 priest ,lampitt and ,i had disagreed1  
which  somewhat troubled her1 because   
she was in profession with him2 but he  
hid his dirty actions from them4 ,at    
night we had much reasoning1 and  ,i    
declared the truth to her and her       
family4 ,the next day ,lampitt came     
again1 and ,i had much discourse with   
him before ,margaret ,fell1 who  then   
clearly discerned the priest4 ,a        
convincement of the ,lord's truth  came 
upon her and her family4    ,soon after 
a day was to be observed for a          
humiliation1 and ,margaret  ,fell asked 
me to go with her to the steeple-house  
at ,ulverstone1 for  she was not wholly 

come off from them4 ,i replied1 ,i must 
do as ,i am  ordered by the ,lord4 ,so  
,i left her1 and walked into the fields2
 and  the ,word of the ,lord came to me1
 saying1 ,go to the steeple-house  after
 them4    ,when ,i came1 ,lampitt was   
singing with his people2 but his spirit 
was  so foul1 and the matter they sung  
so unsuitable to their states1 that     
after they had done singing1 ,i was     
moved of the ,lord to speak to him  and 
the people4 ,the word of the ,lord to   
them was1 ,he is not a ,jew  that is one
 outwardly1 but he is a ,jew that is one
 inwardly1 whose  praise is not of man1 
but of ,god4    ,as the ,lord opened    
further1 ,i showed them that ,god was   
come to teach  ,his people by ,his      
,spirit1 and to bring them off from all 
their old  ways1 religions1 churches1   
and worships2 for all their religions1  
worships1 and ways were but talking with
 other men's words2 but they  were out  
of the life and ,spirit which they were 
in who gave them  forth4    ,then cried 

out one1 called ,justice ,sawrey1 ,take 
him away2 but ,judge  ,fell's wife said 
to the officers1 ,let him alone2 why may
 not he  speak as well as any other8#ef 
,lampitt also1 the priest1 in deceit    
said1 ,let him speak4 ,so at length1    
when ,i had declared some time1         
,justice ,sawrey caused the constable to
 put me out2 and then ,i spoke  to the  
people in the graveyard4      #ef       
,during the ,commonwealth period it was 
no violation of law or    custom for a  
person in the congregation to stand up  
and speak or    object after the        
minister had finished his sermon4 ,in   
most cases1    where ,fox spoke in the  
churches1 he was exercising a right     
which    was well-established4          
,occasionally he interrupted1 which was 
contrary to good order1 but he justified
 it by an appeal to the    call of the  
,spirit1 which he could not resist4     
7,see page #aaj47    ,justices of the   
,peace had authority to forbid any      
person to speak4    ,from thence ,i went

 into the island of ,walney2 and after  
the priest  had done ,i spoke to him1   
but he got away4 ,then ,i declared the  
truth  to the people1 but they were     
something rude4 ,i went to speak with   
the  priest at his house1 but he would  
not be seen4 ,the people said he  went  
to hide himself in the hay-mow2 and they
 looked for him there1  but could not   
find him4 ,then they said he was gone to
 hide himself in  the standing corn1 but
 they could not find him there either4  
,i went  to ,james ,lancaster's1 in the 
island1 who was convinced1 and from     
thence returned to ,swarthmore1 where   
the ,lord's power seized upon  ,margaret
 ,fell1 her daughter ,sarah1 and several
 others4    ,then ,i went to ,baycliff1 
where ,leonard ,fell was convinced1 and 
became  a minister of the everlasting   
gospel4 ,several others were convinced  
there1 and came into obedience to the   
truth4 ,here the people said  they could
 not dispute2 and would fain have put   
some other to hold  talk with me2 but ,i

 bade them fear the ,lord1 and not in a 
light way  hold a talk of the ,lord's   
words1 but put the things in            
practice4#eg      #eg ,most wholesome   
words these1 for that period of endless 
dispute1 when religion too often meant  
the acceptance of some    verbal        
statement4    ,i directed them to the   
,divine ,light of ,christ1 and ,his     
,spirit in  their hearts1 which would   
let them see all the evil thoughts1     
words1  and actions that they had       
thought1 spoken1 and acted2 by which    
,light  they might see their sin1 and   
also their ,saviour ,christ ,jesus to   
save them from their sins4 ,this ,i told
 them was their first step to  peace1   
even to stand still in the ,light that  
showed them their sins  and             
transgressions2 by which they might come
 to see they were in the  fall of old   
,adam1 in darkness and death1 strangers 
to the covenant  of promise1 and without
 ,god in the world2 and by the same     
,light they  might see ,christ that died

 for them to be their ,redeemer and     
,saviour1  and their way to ,god4       
,soon after1 ,judge ,fell being come    
home1 ,margaret ,fell1 his wife1  sent  
to me1 desiring me to return thither2   
and feeling freedom from  the ,lord so  
to do1 ,i went back to ,swarthmore4 ,i  
found the priests  and professors1 and  
that envious ,justice ,sawrey1 had much 
incensed  ,judge ,fell and ,captain     
,sands against the truth by their lies2 
but  when ,i came to speak with him ,i  
answered all his objections1 and so     
thoroughly satisfied him by the         
,scriptures that he was convinced in    
his judgment4 ,he asked me if ,i was    
that ,george ,fox of whom ,justice      
,robinson spoke so much in commendation 
amongst many of the ,parliament  men8 ,i
 told him ,i had been with ,justice     
,robinson1 and with ,justice  ,hotham in
 ,yorkshire1 who were very civil and    
loving to me2 and that  they were       
convinced in their judgment by the      
,spirit of ,god that the  principle to  

which ,i bore testimony was the truth2  
and they saw over  and beyond the       
priests of the nation1 so that they1 and
 many others1  were now come to be wiser
 than their teachers4    ,after we had  
discoursed some time together1 ,judge   
,fell himself was  satisfied also1 and  
came to see1 by the openings of the     
,spirit of ,god  in his heart1 over all 
the priests and teachers of the world1  
and did  not go to hear them for some   
years before he died2 for he knew it was
  the truth that ,i declared1 and that  
,christ was the teacher of ,his  people1
 and their ,saviour4 ,he sometimes      
wished that ,i were a while  with ,judge
 ,bradshaw to discourse with him4       
,there came to ,judge ,fell's ,captain  
,sands before-mentioned1  endeavouring  
to incense the ,judge against me1 for he
 was an  evil-minded man1 and full of   
envy against me2 and yet he could speak 
high things1 and use the ,scripture     
words1 and say1 ,behold1 ,i make  all   
things new4 ,but ,i told him1 then he   

must have a new ,god1 for his  ,god was 
his belly4 ,besides him came also that  
envious justice1 ,john  ,sawrey4 ,i told
 him his heart was rotten1 and he was   
full of hypocrisy  to the brim4 ,several
 other people also came1 of whose states
 the ,lord  gave me a discerning2 and ,i
 spoke to their conditions4,v ,while ,i 
was  in those parts1 ,richard           
,farnsworth and ,james ,nayler came to  
see me  and the family2 and ,judge      
,fell1 being satisfied that it was the  
way  of truth1 notwithstanding all their
 opposition1 suffered the meeting  to be
 kept at his house4 ,a great meeting was
 settled there in the  ,lord's power1   
which continued near forty years1 until 
the year #afij1  when a new             
meeting-house was erected near it4#eh   
,v ,speaking to their conditions meant  
describing their inward    state4       
#eh ,justice ,fell never became an      
avowed ,friend4 ,he1 however1    had    
much sympathy with the movement1 and    
used his influence and    authority to  

protect the ,friends4 ,he put no        
hindrance in the way    of his wife1 who
 did join them4 ,swarthmore ,hall was   
always open    to travelling ministers1 
and there is good reason to believe     
that substantial assistance went from   
,swarthmore ,hall to those    who were  
labouring throughout the kingdom4       
,margaret ,fell was a                   
great-granddaughter of ,anne ,askew1 who
 was burned at the stake in    #aede4   
,judge ,fell was member for ,parliament 
in #afde4      ,this meeting-house1     
erected near ,swarthmore ,hall in #afij1
 the    gift of ,george ,fox1 is still  
standing1 and contains many objects     
of interest4    ,on the market-day ,i   
went to ,lancaster1 and spoke through   
the market  in the dreadful power of    
,god1 declaring the day of the ,lord to 
the  people1 and crying out against all 
their deceitful merchandise4 ,i         
preached righteousness and truth unto   
them1 which all should follow  after1   
walk and live in1 directing them how and

 where they might find  and receive the 
,spirit of ,god to guide them thereinto4
    ,after ,i had cleared myself in the 
market1 ,i went to my lodging1  whither 
several people came2 and many were      
convinced who have since  stood faithful
 to the truth4    ,the ,first-day       
following1 in the forenoon1 ,i had a    
great meeting in  the street at         
,lancaster1 amongst the soldiers and    
people1 to whom ,i  declared the ,word  
of life1 and the everlasting truth4 ,i  
opened unto  them that all the          
traditions they had lived in1 all their 
worships  and religions1 and the        
profession they made of the ,scriptures1
 were  good for nothing while they lived
 out of the life and power which  those 
were in who gave forth the ,scriptures4 
,i directed them to  the ,light of      
,christ1 the heavenly man1 and to the   
,spirit of ,god in  their own hearts1   
that they might come to be acquainted   
with ,god and  ,christ1 receive ,him for
 their teacher1 and know ,his kingdom   

set up in  them4    ,in the afternoon ,i
 went to the steeple-house at           
,lancaster1 and  declared the truth to  
the priest and people1 laying open      
before them  the deceit they lived in1  
and directing them to the power and     
,spirit  of ,god which they wanted4 ,but
 they haled me out1 and stoned me along 
the street till ,i came to ,john        
,lawson's house4    ,another ,first-day 
,i went to a steeple-house by the       
water-side1 where  one ,whitehead was   
priest4 ,to him and to the people ,i    
declared the  truth in the dreadful     
power of ,god4 ,there came a doctor so  
full of  envy that he said he could find
 it in his heart to run me through  with
 his rapier1 though he were hanged for  
it the next day2 yet this  man came     
afterwards to be convinced of the truth 
so far as to be  loving to ,friends4    
,some were convinced thereabouts who    
willingly sat  down under the ministry  
of ,christ1 their teacher2 and a meeting
 was  settled there in the power of     

,god1 which has continued to this day4  
,after this ,i returned into            
,westmoreland1 and spoke through ,kendal
 on  a market-day4 ,so dreadful was the 
power of ,god upon me1 that people  flew
 like chaff before me into their houses4
 ,i warned them of the  mighty day of   
the ,lord1 and exhorted them to hearken 
to the voice  of ,god in their own      
hearts1 who was now come to teach ,his  
people  ,himself4 ,when some opposed1   
many others took my part4 ,at last some 
fell to fighting about me2 but ,i went  
and spoke to them1 and they  parted     
again4 ,several were convinced4         
,after ,i had travelled up and down in  
those countries1 and had had  great     
meetings1 ,i came to ,swarthmore again4 
,and when ,i had visited  ,friends in   
those parts1 ,i heard of a great meeting
 the priests were  to have at           
,ulverstone1 on a lecture-day4 ,i went  
to it1 and into the  steeple-house in   
the dread and power of the ,lord4 ,when 
the priest  had done1 ,i spoke among    

them the ,word of the ,lord1 which was  
as a  hammer1 and as a fire amongst     
them4 ,and though ,lampitt1 the priest  
of  the place1 had been at variance with
 most of the priests before1 yet        
against the truth they all joined       
together4 ,but the mighty power of  the 
,lord was over all2 and so wonderful was
 the appearance thereof1  that priest   
,bennett said the church shook1 insomuch
 that he was  afraid and trembled4 ,and 
when he had spoken a few confused words 
he  hastened out for fear it should fall
 on his head4 ,many priests got         
together there2 but they had no power as
 yet to persecute4    ,when ,i had      
cleared my conscience towards them1 ,i  
went up to  ,swarthmore again1 whither  
came four or five of the priests4       
,coming to  discourse1 ,i asked them    
whether any one of them could say he had
 ever  had the word of the ,lord to go  
and speak to such or such a people4     
,none of them durst say he had2 but one 
of them burst out into a  passion and   

said that he could speak his experiences
 as well as ,i4    ,i told him          
experience was one thing2 but to receive
 and go with  a message1 and to have a  
,word from the ,lord1 as the prophets   
and  apostles had had and done1 and as  
,i had done to them1 this was  another  
thing4 ,and therefore ,i put it to them 
again1 ,can any of you  say you have    
ever had a command or word from the     
,lord immediately at  any time8 but none
 of them could say so4    ,then ,i told 
them that the false prophets1 the false 
apostles1 and  the antichrists1 could   
use the words of the true prophets1 the 
true  apostles1 and of ,christ1 and     
would speak of other men's experiences1 
though they themselves never knew or    
heard the voice of ,god or  ,christ2 and
 that such as they might obtain the good
 words and  experiences of others4 ,this
 puzzled them much1 and laid them open4 
,at another time1 when ,i was           
discoursing with several priests at     
,judge  ,fell's house1 and he was by1 ,i

 asked them the same question1--whether 
any of them had ever heard the voice of 
,god or ,christ1 to bid him  go to such 
and such a people1 to declare ,his word 
or message unto  them4 ,any one1 ,i told
 them1 that could but read1 might       
declare the  experiences of the prophets
 and apostles1 which were recorded in   
the ,scriptures4 ,thereupon ,thomas     
,taylor1#ei an ancient priest1 did      
ingenuously confess before ,judge ,fell 
that he had never heard the  voice of   
,god1 nor of ,christ1 to send him to any
 people2 but that he  spoke his         
experiences1 and the experiences of the 
saints in former  ages1 and that he     
preached4 ,this very much confirmed     
,judge ,fell in  the persuasion he had  
that the priests were wrong2 for he had 
thought  formerly1 as the generality of 
people then did1 that they were sent    
from ,god4      #ei ,this ,thomas       
,taylor was educated at ,oxford1 and was
 a man    of profound insight4 ,he      
became a valiant supporter of ,fox and a

    convincing minister4    ,now began  
the priests to rage more and more1 and  
as much as they  could to stir up       
persecution4 ,james ,nayler and ,francis
 ,howgill were  cast into prison in     
,appleby jail1 at the instigation of the
 malicious  priests1 some of whom       
prophesied that within a month we should
 be  all scattered again1 and come to   
nothing4 ,but1 blessed for ever be  the 
worthy name of the ,lord1 ,his work went
 on and prospered2 for  about this time 
,john ,audland1 ,francis ,howgill1 ,john
 ,camm1 ,edward  ,burrough1 ,richard    
,hubberthorn1 ,miles ,hubbersty1 and    
,miles ,halhead1  with several others1  
being endued with power from on high1   
came  forth in the work of the ministry1
 and approved themselves faithful       
labourers therein1 travelling up and    
down1 and preaching the gospel  freely2 
by means whereof multitudes were        
convinced1 and many  effectually turned 
to the ,lord4    ,on a lecture-day ,i   
was moved to go to the steeple-house at 

,ulverstone1 where were abundance of    
professors1 priests1 and  people4 ,i    
went near to priest ,lampitt1 who was   
blustering on in his  preaching4 ,after 
the ,lord had opened my mouth to speak1 
,john ,sawrey1  the justice1 came to me 
and said that if ,i would speak         
according  to the ,scriptures1 ,i should
 speak4 ,i admired him for speaking so  
to me1 and told him ,i would speak      
according to the ,scriptures1 and  bring
 the ,scriptures to prove what ,i had to
 say2 for ,i had something  to speak to 
,lampitt and to them4 ,then he said ,i  
should not speak1  contradicting        
himself1 for he had said just before    
that ,i should  speak if ,i would speak 
according to the ,scriptures4 ,the      
people were  quiet1 and heard me gladly1
 till this ,justice ,sawrey 7who was the
  first stirrer-up of cruel persecution 
in the north7 incensed them  against me1
 and set them on to hale1 beat1 and     
bruise me4 ,but now  on a sudden the    
people were in a rage1 and fell upon me 

in the  steeple-house before his face1  
knocked me down1 kicked me1 and         
trampled upon me4 ,so great was the     
uproar1 that some tumbled over  their   
seats for fear4    ,at last he came and 
took me from the people1 led me out of  
the  steeple-house1 and put me into the 
hands of the constables and other       
officers1 bidding them whip me1 and put 
me out of the town4 ,they led  me about 
a quarter of a mile1 some taking hold by
 my collar1 some by  my arms and        
shoulders2 and they shook and dragged me
 along4    ,many friendly people being  
come to the market1 and some to the     
steeple-house to hear me1 divers of     
these they knocked down also1  and broke
 their heads1 so that the blood ran down
 from several2 and  ,judge ,fell's son  
running after to see what they would do 
with me1  they threw him into a ditch of
 water1 some of them crying1 ,knock the 
teeth out of his head4    ,when they had
 haled me to the common moss-side1 a    
multitude  following1 the constables and

 other officers gave me some blows  over
 my back with their willow rods1 and    
thrust me among the  rude multitude1    
who1 having furnished themselves with   
staves1  hedge-stakes1 holm or holly    
bushes1 fell upon me1 and beat me on my 
head1 arms1 and shoulders1 till they had
 deprived me of sense2 so  that ,i fell 
down upon the wet common4    ,when ,i   
recovered again1 and saw myself lying in
 a watery common1 and  the people       
standing about me1 ,i lay still a little
 while1 and the  power of the ,lord     
sprang through me1 and the eternal      
refreshings  revived me2 so that ,i     
stood up again in the strengthening     
power of  the eternal ,god1 and         
stretching out my arms toward them1 ,i  
said1  with a loud voice1 ,strike again2
 here are my arms1 my head1 and my      
cheeks4    ,there was in the company a  
mason1 a professor1 but a rude fellow1  
who  with his walking rule-staff gave me
 a blow with all his might just  over   
the back of my hand1 as it was stretched

 out2 with which blow my  hand was so   
bruised1 and my arm so benumbed1 that ,i
 could not draw it  to me again4 ,some  
of the people cried1 ,he hath spoiled   
his hand for  ever having the use of it 
any more4 ,but ,i looked at it in the   
love  of ,god 7for ,i was in the love of
 ,god to all that persecuted me71 and   
after awhile the ,lord's power sprang   
through me again1 and through my  hand  
and arm1 so that in a moment ,i         
recovered strength in my hand and  arm  
in the sight of them all4    ,then they 
began to fall out among themselves4     
,some of them came  to me1 and said that
 if ,i would give them money they would 
secure  me from the rest4 ,but ,i was   
moved of the ,lord to declare the ,word 
of life1 and showed them their false    
,christianity1 and the fruits  of their 
priest's ministry1 telling them that    
they were more like  heathens and ,jews 
than true ,christians4    ,then was ,i  
moved of the ,lord to come up again     
through the midst of  the people1 and go

 into ,ulverstone market4 ,as ,i went1  
there met me  a soldier1 with his sword 
by his side4 ,sir1 said he to me1 ,i see
  you are a man1 and ,i am ashamed and  
grieved that you should be thus  abused2
 and he offered to assist me in what he 
could4 ,i told him  that the ,lord's    
power was over all2 and ,i walked       
through the people  in the market1 none 
of whom had power to touch me then4 ,but
 some of  the market people abusing some
 ,friends in the market1 ,i turned      
about1  and saw this soldier among them 
with his naked rapier2 whereupon ,i     
ran1 and1 catching hold of the hand his 
rapier was in1 bid him put up  his sword
 again if he would go along with me4    
,about two weeks after this ,i went into
 ,walney island1 and ,james  ,nayler    
went with me4 ,we stayed one night at a 
little town on this  side1 called       
,cockan1 and had a meeting there1 where 
one was convinced4    ,after a while    
there came a man with a pistol1         
whereupon the people  ran out of doors4 

,he called for me2 and when ,i came out 
to him he  snapped his pistol at me1 but
 it would not go off4 ,this caused the  
people to make a great bustle about him2
 and some of them took hold  of him1 to 
prevent his doing mischief4 ,but ,i was 
moved in the ,lord's  power to speak to 
him2 and he was so struck by the power  
of the  ,lord that he trembled for fear1
 and went and hid himself4 ,thus the    
,lord's power came over them all1 though
 there was a great rage in the  country4
    ,next morning ,i went over in a boat
 to ,james ,lancaster's4 ,as soon as  ,i
 came to land there rushed out about    
forty men with staves1 clubs1  and      
fishing-poles1 who fell upon me1 beating
 and punching me1 and  endeavouring to  
thrust me backward into the sea4 ,when  
they had thrust  me almost into the sea1
 and ,i saw they would knock me down in 
it1  ,i went up into the midst of them2 
but they laid at me again1 and  knocked 
me down1 and stunned me4    ,when ,i    
came to myself1 ,i looked up and saw    

,james ,lancaster's wife  throwing      
stones at my face1 and her husband1     
,james ,lancaster1 was  lying over me1  
to keep the blows and the stones off me4
 ,for the  people had persuaded ,james  
,lancaster's wife that ,i had bewitched 
her  husband1 and had promised her that 
if she would let them know when ,i  came
 thither they would be my death4 ,and   
having got knowledge of my  coming1 many
 of the town rose up in this manner with
 clubs and staves  to kill me2 but the  
,lord's power preserved me1 that they   
could not  take away my life4    ,at    
length ,i got up on my feet1 but they   
beat me down again into the  boat2 which
 ,james ,lancaster observing1 he        
presently came into it1  and set me over
 the water from them2 but while we were 
on the water  within their reach they   
struck at us with long poles1 and threw 
stones after us4 ,by the time we were   
come to the other side1 we saw  them    
beating ,james ,nayler2 for whilst they 
had been beating me1 he  walked up into 

a field1 and they never minded him till 
,i was gone2  then they fell upon him1  
and all their cry was1 ,kill him1 kill  
him4    ,when ,i was come over to the   
town again1 on the other side of the    
water1 the townsmen rose up with        
pitchforks1 flails1 and staves1 to  keep
 me out of the town1 crying1 ,kill him1 
knock him on the head1  bring the cart1 
and carry him away to the churchyard4   
,so after they  had abused me1 they     
drove me some distance out of the town1 
and there  left me4    ,then ,james     
,lancaster went back to look after      
,james ,nayler2 and ,i  being now left  
alone1 went to a ditch of water1 and    
having washed  myself 7for they had     
besmeared my face1 hands1 and clothes   
with miry  dirt71 ,i walked about three 
miles to ,thomas ,hutton's house1 where 
lodged ,thomas ,lawson1 the priest that 
was convinced4    ,when ,i came in ,i   
could hardly speak to them1 ,i was so   
bruised2 only  ,i told them where ,i    
left ,james ,nayler4 ,so they took each 

of them a  horse1 and went and brought  
him thither that night4 ,the next day   
,margaret ,fell hearing of it1 sent a   
horse for me2 but ,i was so sore  with  
bruises1 ,i was not able to bear the    
shaking of the horse without  much pain4
    ,when ,i was come to ,swarthmore1   
,justice ,sawrey and one ,justice       
,thompson1 of ,lancaster1 granted a     
warrant against me2 but ,judge ,fell    
coming home1 it was not served upon me2 
for he was out of the country  all this 
time that ,i was thus cruelly abused4   
,when he came home he  sent forth       
warrants into the isle of ,walney1 to   
apprehend all those  riotous persons2   
whereupon some of them fled the country4
    ,james ,lancaster's wife was        
afterwards convinced of the truth1 and  
repented of the evils she had done me2  
and so did others of those  bitter      
persecutors also2 but the judgments of  
,god fell upon some of  them1 and       
destruction is come upon many of them   
since4 ,judge ,fell  asked me to give   

him a relation of my persecution2 but ,i
 told him  they could do no otherwise in
 the spirit wherein they were1 and that 
they manifested the fruits of their     
priest's ministry1 and their  profession
 and religion to be wrong4 ,so he told  
his wife ,i made light  of it1 and that 
,i spoke of it as a man that had not    
been concerned2  for1 indeed1 the       
,lord's power healed me again4    ,the  
time for the sessions at ,lancaster     
being come1 ,i went thither  with ,judge
 ,fell1 who on the way told me he had   
never had such a  matter brought before 
him before1 and he could not well tell  
what  to do in the business4 ,i told    
him1 when ,paul was brought before the  
rulers1 and the ,jews and priests came  
down to accuse him1 and laid  many false
 things to his charge1 ,paul stood still
 all that while4 ,and  when they had    
done1 ,festus1 the governor1 and king   
,agrippa1 beckoned  to him to speak for 
himself2 which ,paul did1 and cleared   
himself of  all those false accusations2

 so he might do with me4    ,being come 
to ,lancaster1 ,justice ,sawrey and     
,justice ,thompson having  granted a    
warrant to apprehend me1 though ,i was  
not apprehended  by it1 yet hearing of  
it1 ,i appeared at the sessions1 where  
there  appeared against me about forty  
priests4 ,these had chosen one          
,marshall1 priest of ,lancaster1 to be  
their orator2 and had provided  one     
young priest1 and two priests' sons1 to 
bear witness against me1  who had sworn 
beforehand that ,i had spoken blasphemy4
    ,when the justices were sat1 they   
heard all that the priests and their    
witnesses could say and charge against  
me1 their orator ,marshall  sitting by1 
and explaining their sayings for them4  
,but the witnesses  were so confounded  
that they discovered themselves to be   
false  witnesses2 for when the court had
 examined one of them upon oath1  and   
then began to examine another1 he was at
 such loss he could not  answer         
directly1 but said the other could say  

it4 ,which made the  justices say to    
him1 ,have you sworn it1 and given it in
 already upon  your oath1 and now say   
that he can say it8 ,it seems you did   
not hear  those words spoken yourself1  
though you have sworn it4    ,there were
 then in court several who had been at  
that meeting1  wherein the witnesses    
swore ,i spoke those blasphemous words  
which  the priests accused me of2 and   
these1 being men of integrity and       
reputation in the country1 did declare  
and affirm in court that the  oath which
 the witnesses had taken against me was 
altogether false2  and that no such     
words as they had sworn against me were 
spoken by  me at that meeting4 ,indeed1 
most of the serious men of that side of 
the country1 then at the sessions1 had  
been at that meeting2 and had  heard me 
both at that and at other meetings also4
    ,this was taken notice of by        
,colonel ,west1 who1 being a justice of 
the  peace1 was then upon the bench2 and
 having long been weak in body1  blessed

 the ,lord and said that ,he had healed 
him that day2 adding  that he never saw 
so many sober people and good faces     
together in all  his life4 ,then1       
turning himself to me1 he said in the   
open sessions1  ,george1 if thou hast   
anything to say to the people1 thou     
mayest  freely declare it4    ,i was    
moved of the ,lord to speak2 and as soon
 as ,i began1 priest  ,marshall1 the    
orator for the rest of the priests1 went
 his way4 ,that  which ,i was moved to  
declare was this3 that the holy         
,scriptures were  given forth by the    
,spirit of ,god2 and that all people    
must come to  the ,spirit of ,god in    
themselves in order to know ,god and    
,christ1 of  whom the prophets and      
apostles learnt3 and that by the same   
,spirit  all men might know the holy    
,scriptures4 ,for as the ,spirit of ,god
 was  in them that gave forth the       
,scriptures1 so the same ,spirit must be
  in all them that come to understand   
the ,scriptures4 ,by this ,spirit  they 

might have fellowship with the ,father1 
with the ,son1 with the  ,scriptures1   
and with one another3 and without this  
,spirit they can  know neither ,god1    
,christ1 nor the ,scriptures1 nor have a
 right  fellowship one with another4    
,i had no sooner spoken these words than
 about half a dozen priests1  that stood
 behind me1 burst into a passion4 ,one  
of them1 whose name  was ,jackus1       
amongst other things that he spake      
against the ,truth1  said that the      
,spirit and the letter were inseparable4
 ,i replied1  ,then every one that hath 
the letter hath the ,spirit2 and they   
might  buy the ,spirit with the letter  
of the ,scriptures4    ,this plain      
discovery of darkness in the priest     
moved ,judge ,fell and  ,colonel ,west  
to reprove them openly1 and tell them   
that according  to that position they   
might carry the ,spirit in their pockets
 as  they did the ,scriptures4 ,upon    
this the priests1 being confounded and  
put to silence1 rushed out in a rage    

against the justices1 because  they     
could not have their bloody ends upon   
me4 ,the justices1 seeing  the witnesses
 did not agree1 and perceiving that they
 were brought  to answer the priests'   
envy1 and finding that all their        
evidences  were not sufficient in law to
 make good their charge against me1     
discharged me4    ,after ,judge ,fell   
had spoken to ,justice ,sawrey and      
,justice ,thompson  concerning the      
warrant they had given forth against me1
 and showing  them the errors thereof1  
he and ,colonel ,west granted a         
supersedeas,w  of those lying           
accusations which the malicious priests 
had laid to my  charge3 and multitudes  
of people praised ,god that day1 for it 
was a  joyful day to many4 ,justice     
,benson1 of ,westmoreland1 was          
convinced2  and ,major ,ripan1 mayor of 
the town of ,lancaster1 also4      ,w ,a
 writ or order from the ,court setting  
aside or staying the    execution of the
 original writ4    ,it was a day of     

everlasting salvation to hundreds of    
people3 for  the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1  
the way to the ,father1 the free        
,teacher1 was  exalted and set up2 ,his 
everlasting gospel was preached1 and the
 ,word  of eternal life was declared    
over the heads of the priests1 and all  
such lucrative preachers4 ,for the ,lord
 opened many mouths that day  to speak  
,his ,word to the priests1 and several  
friendly people and  professors reproved
 them in their inns1 and in the streets1
 so that  they fell1 like an old rotten 
house3 and the cry was among the people 
that the ,quakers had got the day1 and  
the priests were fallen4                
,,chapter ,,vii4    ,in ,prison ,again  
#afec4      ,about the beginning of the 
year #afec ,i returned to ,swarthmore1  
and  going to a meeting at ,gleaston1 a 
professor challenged to dispute  with   
me4 ,i went to the house where he was1  
and called him to come  forth2 but the  
,lord's power was over him1 so that he  
durst not meddle4    ,i departed thence1

 visited the meetings of ,friends in    
,lancashire1 and  came back to          
,swarthmore4 ,great openings ,i had from
 the ,lord1 not only  of divine and     
spiritual matters1 but also of outward  
things relating  to the civil           
government4    ,being one day in        
,swarthmore ,hall1 when ,judge ,fell and
 ,justice ,benson  were talking of the  
news1 and of the ,parliament then       
sitting 7called  the ,long ,parliament71
 ,i was moved to tell them that before  
that day  two weeks the ,parliament     
should be broken up1 and the ,speaker   
plucked  out of his chair4 ,that day two
 weeks ,justice ,benson told ,judge     
,fell  that now he saw ,george was a    
true prophet2 for ,oliver had broken up 
the ,parliament4#fj      #fj ,cromwell  
ejected the ,rump ,parliament ,april    
#bjth1 #afec4    ,there is no           
contemporary authentification of this   
prophecy1 but    there is no reason to  
doubt the correctness of this account4  
,such cases of specific fore-seeing have

 been common throughout    the entire   
history of ,friends4 ,they have received
 some    slight investigation by the    
,london branch of the ,society for      
,psychical ,research1 though they have  
never received the careful              
investigation which they deserve4       
,about this time ,i was in a fast for   
about ten days1 my spirit being  greatly
 exercised on ,truth's behalf3 for      
,james ,milner and ,richard  ,myer went 
out into imaginations1 and a company    
followed them4 ,this  ,james ,milner and
 some of his company had true openings  
at the first2  but getting up into pride
 and exaltation of spirit1 they ran out 
from  ,truth4 ,i was sent for to them1  
and was moved of the ,lord to go and    
show them their outgoings4 ,they were   
brought to see their folly1 and         
condemned it2 and came into the way of  
,truth again4    ,after some time ,i    
went to a meeting at ,arnside1 where was
 ,richard  ,myer1 who had been long lame
 of one of his arms4 ,i was moved of the

  ,lord to say unto him amongst all the 
people1 ,stand up upon thy  legs1 for he
 was sitting down4 ,and he stood up1 and
 stretched out  his arm that had been   
lame a long time1 and said1 ,be it known
 unto  you1 all people1 that this day ,i
 am healed4#fa ,yet his parents  could  
hardly believe it2 but after the meeting
 was done1 they had him  aside1 took off
 his doublet1 and then saw it was true4 
#fa ,this case of healing belongs in the
 inexhaustible list of    cases of      
healing by faith4 ,there are many forms 
of mental healing    and of faith       
healing1 and the researches of modern   
psychology    have given us a principle 
of explanation for all cures of this    
sort4 ,all such remarkable events seemed
 to ,george ,fox to partake    of the   
miraculous and most naturally gave him  
the impression that    he was a         
peculiarly-chosen instrument of the     
,lord4    ,he came soon after to        
,swarthmore meeting1 and there declared 
how the  ,lord had healed him4 ,yet     

after this the ,lord commanded him to go
 to  ,york with a message from ,him1    
which he disobeyed2 and the ,lord struck
  him again1 so that he died about      
three-quarters of a year after4    ,now 
were great threatenings given forth in  
,cumberland that if ever ,i  came there 
they would take away my life4 ,when ,i  
heard it ,i was drawn  to go into       
,cumberland2 and went to ,miles         
,wennington's1 in the same  parish from 
which those threatenings came3 but they 
had not power to  touch me4    ,on a    
,first-day ,i went into the             
steeple-house at ,bootle2,x and when    
the priest had done1 ,i began to speak4 
,but the people were exceeding  rude1   
and struck and beat me in the yard2 one 
gave me a very great  blow over my      
wrist1 so that the people thought he had
 broken my hand  to pieces4 ,the        
constable was very desirous to keep the 
peace1 and  would have set some of them 
that struck me by the heels1 if ,i would
  have given way to it4 ,after my       

service amongst them was over1 ,i went  
to ,joseph ,nicholson's house1 and the  
constable went a little way with  us1 to
 keep off the rude multitude4      ,x   
,in ,cumberland4    ,in the afternoon ,i
 went again4 ,the priest had got to help
 him  another priest1 that came from    
,london1 and was highly accounted  of4  
,before ,i went into the steeple-house1 
,i sat a little upon the  cross1 and    
,friends with me2 but the ,friends were 
moved to go into the  steeple-house1 and
 ,i went in after them4    ,the ,london 
priest was preaching4 ,he gathered up   
all the ,scriptures  he could think of  
that spoke of false prophets1 and       
antichrists1 and  deceivers1 and threw  
them upon us2 but when he had done ,i   
recollected  all those ,scriptures1 and 
brought them back upon himself4 ,then   
the  people fell upon me in a rude      
manner2 but the constable charged them  
to keep the peace1 and so made them     
quiet again4 ,then the priest  began to 
rage1 and said ,i must not speak there4 

,i told him he had his  hour-glass1 by  
which he had preached2 and he having    
done1 the time  was free for me1 as well
 as for him1 for he was but a stranger  
there  himself4#fb      #fb ,this       
passage throws interesting light on the 
church customs    of the time4 ,after   
the minister has preached his hour by   
the hour    glass there is then liberty 
for any one to speak4 ,george ,fox      
himself evidently did not observe the   
hour glass4    ,so ,i opened the        
,scriptures to them1 and let them see   
that those  ,scriptures that spoke of   
the false prophets1 and antichrists1 and
  deceivers1 described them and their   
generation2 and belonged to  them who   
were found walking in their steps1 and  
bringing forth  their fruits2 and not   
unto us1 who were not guilty of such    
things4  ,i manifested to them that they
 were out of the steps of the true      
prophets and apostles2 and showed them  
clearly1 by the fruits and  marks1 that 
it was they of whom those ,scriptures   

spoke1 and not we4  ,and ,i declared the
 ,truth1 and the ,word of life to the   
people2 and  directed them to ,christ   
their teacher4    ,when ,i came down    
again to ,joseph ,nicholson's house1 ,i 
saw a great  hole in my coat1 which was 
cut with a knife2 but it was not cut    
through my doublet1 for the ,lord had   
prevented their mischief4 ,the  next day
 there was a rude1 wicked man who would 
have done violence to  a ,friend1 but   
the ,lord's power stopped him4    ,now  
was ,i moved to send ,james ,lancaster  
to appoint a meeting at the             
steeple-house of ,john ,wilkinson1 near 
,cockermouth1--a preacher in  great     
repute1 who had three parishes under    
him4 ,i stayed at ,milholm1  in ,bootle1
 till ,james ,lancaster came back again4
 ,in the meantime  some of the gentry of
 the country had formed a plot against  
me1 and  had given a little boy a       
rapier1 with which to do me mischief4   
,they  came with the boy to ,joseph     
,nicholson's to seek me2 but the ,lord  

had  so ordered it that ,i was gone into
 the fields4 ,they met with ,james      
,lancaster1 but did not much abuse him2 
and not finding me in the  house1 they  
went away again4 ,so ,i walked up and   
down in the fields  that night1 as very 
often ,i used to do1 and did not go to  
bed4    ,we came the next day to the    
steeple-house where ,james ,lancaster   
had  appointed the meeting4 ,there were 
at this meeting twelve soldiers and     
their wives1 from ,carlisle2 and the    
country people came in1 as if it  were  
to a fair4 ,i lay at a house somewhat   
short of the place1 so  that many       
,friends got thither before me4 ,when ,i
 came ,i found ,james  ,lancaster       
speaking under a yew tree which was so  
full of people that  ,i feared they     
would break it down4    ,i looked about 
for a place to stand upon1 to speak unto
 the people1  for they lay all up and   
down1 like people at a leaguer4,y ,after
 ,i  was discovered1 a professor asked  
if ,i would not go into the church8  ,i1

 seeing no place abroad convenient to   
speak to the people from1  told him1    
,yes2 whereupon the people rushed in1 so
 that when ,i came  the house and pulpit
 were so full ,i had much ado to get in4
 ,those  that could not get in stood    
abroad about the walls4      ,y ,this   
indicates that he had seen besieging    
armies during the    ,civil ,war4       
,when the people were settled ,i stood  
up on a seat1 and the ,lord  opened my  
mouth to declare ,his everlasting ,truth
 and ,his everlasting  day4 ,when ,i had
 largely declared the ,word of life unto
 them for about  the space of three     
hours1 ,i walked forth amongst the      
people1 who  passed away well satisfied4
 ,among the rest a professor followed   
me1  praising and commending me2 but his
 words were like a thistle to me4  ,many
 hundreds were convinced that day1 and  
received the ,lord ,jesus  ,christ and  
,his free teaching1 with gladness2 of   
whom some have died  in the ,truth1 and 
many stand faithful witnesses thereof4  

,the soldiers  also were convinced1 and 
their wives4    ,after this ,i went to a
 village1 and many people accompanied   
me4 ,as  ,i was sitting in a house full 
of people1 declaring the ,word of life  
unto them1 ,i cast mine eye upon a      
woman1 and discerned an unclean  spirit 
in her4 ,and ,i was moved of the ,lord  
to speak sharply to her1  and told her  
she was under the influence of an       
unclean spirit2#fc  whereupon she went  
out of the room4 ,now1 ,i being a       
stranger there1  and knowing nothing of 
the woman outwardly1 the people wondered
 at  it1 and told me afterwards that ,i 
had discovered a great thing2 for  all  
the country looked upon her to be a     
wicked person4      #fc ,it must be     
remembered that ,fox uses here the      
language and    the popular ideas of the
 time1 as we should expect him to do4   
,the ,lord had given me a spirit of     
discerning1 by which ,i many times  saw 
the states and conditions of people1 and
 could try their spirits4  ,for not long

 before1 as ,i was going to a meeting1  
,i saw some women in  a field1 and ,i   
discerned an evil spirit in them2 and ,i
 was moved to  go out of my way into the
 field to them1 and declare unto them   
their  conditions4 ,at another time     
there came one into ,swarthmore ,hall in
  the meeting time1 and ,i was moved to 
speak sharply to her1 and told  her she 
was under the power of an evil spirit2  
and the people said  afterwards she was 
generally accounted so4 ,there came also
 at another  time another woman1 and    
stood at a distance from me1 and ,i cast
 mine  eye upon her1 and said1 ,thou    
hast been an harlot2 for ,i perfectly   
saw the condition and life of the woman4
 ,the woman answered and said  that many
 could tell her of her outward sins1 but
 none could tell her  of her inward4    
,then ,i told her her heart was not     
right before the  ,lord1 and that from  
the inward came the outward4 ,this woman
 came  afterwards to be convinced of    
,god's truth1 and became a ,friend4     

,thence we travelled to ,carlisle4 ,the 
pastor of the ,baptists1 with  most of  
his hearers1 came to the abbey1 where ,i
 had a meeting2 and  ,i declared the    
,word of life amongst them4 ,many of the
 ,baptists and  of the soldiers were    
convinced4 ,after the meeting the pastor
 of the  ,baptists1 an high notionist   
and a flashy man1 asked me what must be 
damned4 ,i was moved immediately to tell
 him that that which spoke  in him was  
to be damned4 ,this stopped his mouth2  
and the witness of  ,god was raised up  
in him4 ,i opened to him the states of  
election and  reprobation2 so that he   
said he never heard the like in his     
life4 ,he  came afterwards to be        
convinced4    ,then ,i went to the      
castle among the soldiers1 who beat a   
drum and  called the garrison together4 
,i preached the ,truth amongst them1    
directing them to the ,lord ,jesus      
,christ to be their teacher1 and  to the
 measure of ,his ,spirit in themselves1 
by which they might be  turned from     

darkness to light1 and from the power of
 ,satan unto ,god4  ,i warned them all  
that they should do no violence to any  
man1 but  should show forth a ,christian
 life3 telling them that ,he who was to 
be their ,teacher would be their        
condemner if they were disobedient to   
,him4 ,so ,i left them1 having no       
opposition from any of them1 except  the
 sergeants1 who afterwards came to be   
convinced4    ,on the market-day ,i went
 up into the market1 to the             
market-cross4  ,the magistrates had both
 threatened1 and sent their sergeants2  
and  the magistrates' wives had said    
that if ,i came there they would  pluck 
the hair off my head2 and the sergeants 
should take me up4  ,nevertheless ,i    
obeyed the ,lord ,god1 went up on the   
cross1 and  declared unto them that the 
day of the ,lord was coming upon all    
their  deceitful ways and doings1 and   
deceitful merchandise2 that they  should
 put away all cozening and cheating1 and
 keep to ,yea and ,nay1  and speak the  

truth one to another4 ,so the ,truth and
 the power of ,god  was set over them4  
,after ,i had declared the ,word of life
 to the people1 the throng being  so    
great that the sergeants could not reach
 me1 nor the magistrates'  wives come at
 me1 ,i passed away quietly4 ,many      
people and soldiers  came to me1 and    
some ,baptists1 that were bitter        
contenders2 amongst  whom one of their  
deacons1 an envious man1 finding that   
the ,lord's  power was over them1 cried 
out for very anger4 ,whereupon ,i set my
  eyes upon him1 and spoke sharply to   
him in the power of the ,lord3  and he  
cried1 ,do not pierce me so with thy    
eyes2 keep thy eyes off  me4#fd      #fd
 ,this is an interesting testimony to   
the power of ,george    ,fox's eyes4    
,the same remark is made on several     
occasions during    his life4 ,this     
power of the eye undoubtedly was a      
considerable    element in his          
commanding influence over others4       
,the ,first-day following ,i went into  

the steeple-house3 and after the  priest
 had done1 ,i preached the ,truth to the
 people1 and declared the  ,word of life
 amongst them4 ,the priest got away2 and
 the magistrates  desired me to go out  
of the steeple-house4 ,but ,i still     
declared the  way of the ,lord unto     
them1 and told them ,i came to speak the
 ,word of  life and salvation from the  
,lord amongst them4 ,the power of the   
,lord  was dreadful amongst them1 so    
that the people trembled and shook1 and 
they thought the steeple-house shook2   
some of them feared it would  have      
fallen down on their heads4 ,the        
magistrates' wives were in a  rage1 and 
strove mightily to get at me3 but the   
soldiers and friendly  people stood     
thick about me4    ,at length the rude  
people of the city rose1 and came with  
staves and  stones into the             
steeple-house1 crying1 ,down with these 
round-headed  rogues2 and they threw    
stones4 ,whereupon the governor sent a  
file or  two of musketeers into the     

steeple-house to appease the tumult1 and
  commanded all the other soldiers out4 
,so those soldiers took me by  the hand 
in a friendly manner1 and said they     
would have me along with  them4    ,when
 we came into the street the city was in
 an uproar4 ,the governor  came down2   
and some of the soldiers were put in    
prison for standing  by me against the  
townspeople4    ,a lieutenant1 who had  
been convinced1 came and brought me to  
his  house1 where there was a ,baptist  
meeting1 and thither came ,friends      
also4 ,we had a very quiet meeting2 they
 heard the ,word of life  gladly1 and   
many received it4    ,the next day1 the 
justices and magistrates of the town    
being  gathered together in the         
town-hall1 they granted a warrant       
against  me1 and sent for me before     
them4 ,i was then gone to a ,baptist's2 
but hearing of it1 ,i went up to the    
hall1 where many rude people  were1 some
 of whom had sworn false things against 
me4 ,i had a great  deal of discourse   

with the magistrates1 wherein ,i laid   
open the  fruits of their priests'      
preaching1 showed them how they were    
void  of ,christianity1 and that1 though
 they were such great professors  7for  
they were ,independents and             
,presbyterians7 they were without the   
possession of that which they professed4
 ,after a large examination1  they      
committed me to prison as a blasphemer1 
a heretic1 and a  seducer1#fe though    
they could not justly charge any such   
thing  against me4      #fe ,as in      
,derby1 the charge is blasphemy1 under  
the ,act of #afdh4    ,the report1      
spoken of later1 that he would be put to
 death1 was    not mere rumor1 for it   
was a real possibility under this ,act4 
,the jail at ,carlisle had two jailers1 
an upper and an under1 who  looked like 
two great bear-wards4 ,when ,i was      
brought in the upper  jailer took me up 
into a great chamber1 and told me ,i    
should have  what ,i would in that room4
 ,but ,i told him he should not expect  

any  money from me1 for ,i would neither
 lie in any of his beds1 nor eat  any of
 his victuals4 ,then he put me into     
another room1 where after  awhile ,i got
 something to lie upon4    ,there ,i lay
 till the assizes came1 and then all the
 talk was that ,i  was to be hanged4    
,the high sheriff1 ,wilfred ,lawson1    
stirred them much  up to take away my   
life1 and said he would guard me to my  
execution  himself4 ,they were in a     
rage1 and set three musketeers for guard
 upon  me1 one at my chamber-door1      
another at the stairs-foot1 and a third 
at the street-door2 and they would let  
none come at me1 except one  sometimes1 
to bring me some necessary things4      
,at night1 sometimes as late as the     
tenth hour1 they would bring up  priests
 to me1 who were exceeding rude and     
devilish4 ,there were a  company of     
bitter ,scotch priests1 ,presbyterians1 
made up of envy and  malice1 who were   
not fit to speak of the things of ,god1 
they were so  foul-mouthed4 ,but the    

,lord1 by ,his power1 gave me dominion  
over them  all1 and ,i let them see both
 their fruits and their spirits4 ,great 
ladies also 7as they were called7 came  
to see the man that they said  was to   
die4 ,while the judge1 justices1 and    
sheriff were contriving  together how   
they might put me to death1 the ,lord   
disappointed their  design by an        
unexpected way4#ff      #ff ,justice    
,anthony ,pearson pointed out to the    
judges of the    ,carlisle courts that  
there was no evidence to support the    
charges    against the prisoner1 and    
that he was illegally held4 ,he was     
finally dismissed without formal trial4 
,the release of ,fox was1    however1   
hastened by an urgent letter from       
,parliament 7the famous    ,barebones   
,parliament71 requesting that he be set 
free4    ,the next day1 after the judges
 were gone out of town1 an order  was   
sent to the jailer to put me down into  
the prison amongst the  moss-troopers1,z
 thieves1 and murderers2 which          

accordingly he did4  ,a filthy1 nasty   
place it was1 where men and women were  
put together  in a very uncivil manner1 
and never a house of office to it2 and  
the  prisoners were so lousy that one   
woman was almost eaten to death with    
lice4 ,yet bad as the place was1 the    
prisoners were all made very  loving and
 subject to me1 and some of them were   
convinced of the  ,truth1 as the        
publicans and harlots were of old2 so   
that they were  able to confound any    
priest that might come to the grates to 
dispute4      ,z ,a kind of freebooter4 
,but the jailer was cruel1 and the      
under-jailer very abusive both to  me   
and to ,friends that came to see me2 for
 he would beat with a great  cudgel     
,friends who did but come to the window 
to look in upon me4  ,i could get up to 
the grate1 where sometimes ,i took in my
 meat2 at  which the jailer was often   
offended4 ,once he came in a great rage 
and  beat me with his cudgel1 though ,i 
was not at the grate at that time2  and 

as he beat me1 he cried1 ,come out of   
the window1 though ,i was  then far from
 it4 ,while he struck me1 ,i was moved  
in the ,lord's power  to sing1 which    
made him rage the more4 ,then he fetched
 a fiddler1  and set him to play1       
thinking to vex me4 ,but while he       
played1 ,i was  moved in the everlasting
 power of the ,lord ,god to sing2 and my
 voice  drowned the noise of the fiddle1
 struck and confounded them1 and made   
them give over fiddling and go their    
way4    ,whilst ,i was in prison at     
,carlisle1 ,james ,parnell1 a little lad
  about sixteen years of age1 came to   
see me1 and was convinced4 ,the  ,lord  
quickly made him a powerful minister of 
the ,word of life1 and  many were turned
 to ,christ by him1 though he lived not 
long4 ,for1  travelling into ,essex in  
the work of the ministry1 in the year   
#afee1  he was committed to ,colchester 
castle1 where he endured very great     
hardships and sufferings4 ,he was put by
 the cruel jailer into a hole  in the   

castle wall1 called the oven1 so high   
from the ground that  he went up to it  
by a ladder1 which being six feet too   
short1 he  was obliged to climb from the
 ladder to the hole by a rope that was  
fastened above4 ,when ,friends would    
have given him a cord and a basket  in  
which to draw up his victuals1 the      
inhuman jailer would not suffer  them1  
but forced him to go down and up by that
 short ladder and rope  to fetch his    
victuals1 which for a long time he did1 
or else he might  have famished in the  
hole4    ,at length his limbs became    
much benumbed with lying in that place2 
yet being still obliged to go down to   
take up some victuals1 as he  came up   
the ladder again with his victuals in   
one hand1 and caught  at the rope with  
the other1 he missed the rope1 and fell 
down from a  very great height upon the 
stones2 by which fall he was so wounded 
in  the head1 arms1 and body1 that he   
died a short time after4#fg      #fg    
,this is one of the saddest stories in  

the annals of ,quaker    martyrology4   
,james ,parnell was well trained        
mentally1 and held    successful        
discussions with the ,cambridge         
students4 ,the dungeon    in ,colchester
 ,castle1 where this brief holy life    
came to an end1    is still visited by  
tourists4    ,while ,i thus lay in the  
dungeon at ,carlisle1 the report raised 
at the  time of the assize that ,i      
should be put to death was gone far and 
near2 insomuch that the ,parliament then
 sitting1 which1 ,i think1 was  called  
the ,little ,parliament1 hearing that a 
young man at ,carlisle  was to die for  
religion1 caused a letter to be sent the
 sheriff and  magistrates concerning me4
    ,not long after this the ,lord's    
power came over the justices1 and  they 
were made to set me at liberty4 ,but    
some time previous the  governor and    
,anthony ,pearson came down into the    
dungeon1 to see the  place where ,i was 
kept and understand what usage ,i had   
had4 ,they  found the place so bad and  

the savour so ill1 that they cried shame
  on the magistrates for suffering the  
jailer to do such things4 ,they  called 
for the jailers into the dungeon1 and   
required them to find  sureties for     
their good behaviour2 and the           
under-jailer1 who had been  such a cruel
 fellow1 they put into the dungeon with 
me1 amongst the  moss-troopers4    ,now 
,i went into the country1 and had mighty
 great meetings4 ,the  everlasting      
gospel and ,word of life flourished1 and
 thousands were  turned to the ,lord    
,jesus ,christ1 and to ,his teaching4   
,the priests and magistrates were in a  
great rage against me in  ,westmoreland1
 and had a warrant to apprehend me1     
which they renewed  from time to time1  
for a long time2 yet the ,lord did not  
suffer them  to serve it upon me4 ,i    
travelled on amongst ,friends1 visiting 
the  meetings till ,i came to           
,swarthmore1 where ,i heard that the    
,baptists  and professors in ,scotland  
had sent to have a dispute with me4 ,i  

sent  them word that ,i would meet them 
in ,cumberland1 at ,thomas ,bewley's    
house1 whither accordingly ,i went1 but 
none of them came4    ,some dangers at  
this time ,i underwent in my travels2   
for at one time1  as we were passing    
from a meeting1 and going through       
,wigton on a  market-day1 the people of 
the town had set a guard with           
pitchforks2  and although some of their 
own neighbours were with us1 they kept  
us out of the town1 and would not let us
 pass through it1 under the  pretence of
 preventing the sickness2 though there  
was no occasion  for any such thing4    
,however1 they fell upon us1 and had    
like to have  spoiled us and our horses2
 but the ,lord restrained them1 that    
they  did not much hurt2 and we passed  
away4    ,another time1 as ,i was       
passing between two ,friends' houses1   
some rude  fellows lay in wait in a     
lane1 and exceedingly stoned and abused 
us2  but at last1 through the ,lord's   
assistance1 we got through them1  and   

had not much hurt4 ,but this showed the 
fruits of the priest's  teaching1 which 
shamed their profession of              
,christianity4    ,after ,i had visited 
,friends in that county1 ,i went through
 the county  into ,durham1 having large 
meetings by the way4 ,a very large one  
,i  had at ,anthony ,pearson's1 where   
many were convinced4 ,from thence ,i    
passed through ,northumberland to       
,derwentwater1 where there were great   
meetings2 and the priests threatened    
that they would come1 but none  came4   
,the everlasting ,word of life was      
freely preached1 and freely  received2  
and many hundreds were turned to        
,christ1 their teacher4    ,in          
,northumberland many came to dispute1 of
 whom some pleaded against  perfection4 
,unto these ,i declared that ,adam and  
,eve were perfect  before they fell2    
that all that ,god made was perfect2    
that the  imperfection came by the      
devil1 and the fall2 but that ,christ1  
who  came to destroy the devil1 said1   

,be ye perfect4    ,one of the          
professors alleged that ,job said1      
,shall mortal man be  more pure than his
 ,maker8 ,the heavens are not clean in  
,his sight4 ,god  charged ,his angels   
with folly4 ,but ,i showed him his      
mistake1 and  let him see that it was   
not ,job that said so1 but one of those 
that  contended against ,job2 for ,job  
stood for perfection1 and held his      
integrity2 and they were called         
miserable comforters4    ,then these    
professors said that the outward body   
was the body of  death and sin4 ,i      
showed them their mistake in that also2 
for ,adam and  ,eve had each of them an 
outward body1 before the body of death  
and  sin got into them2 and that man and
 woman will have bodies when the  body  
of sin and death is put off again2 when 
they are renewed again  into the image  
of ,god by ,christ ,jesus1 in which they
 were before they  fell4 ,so they ceased
 at that time from opposing further2 and
 glorious  meetings we had in the       

,lord's power4    ,then passed we to    
,hexam1 where we had a great meeting on 
top of a  hill4 ,the priest threatened  
that he would come and oppose us1 but   
he came not2 so all was quiet4 ,and the 
everlasting day and renowned  ,truth of 
the everliving ,god was sounded over    
those dark countries1  and ,his ,son    
exalted over all4 ,it was proclaimed    
amongst the people  that the day was now
 come wherein all that made a profession
 of the  ,son of ,god might receive     
,him2 and that to as many as would      
receive  ,him ,he would give power to   
become the sons of ,god1 as ,he had done
 to  me4    ,it was further declared    
that he who had the ,son of ,god1 had   
life  eternal2 but he that had not the  
,son of ,god1 though he professed  all  
the ,scriptures from the first of       
,genesis to the last of the             
,revelation1 had no life4    ,so after  
all were directed to the light of       
,christ1 by which they  might see ,him1 
receive ,him1 and know where their true 

teacher was1  and the everlasting ,truth
 had been largely declared amongst them1
 we  passed through ,hexam peaceably1   
and came into ,gilsland1 a country      
noted for thieving4    ,the next day we 
came into ,cumberland again1 where we   
had a general  meeting of thousands of  
people on top of an hill near           
,langlands4  ,a glorious and heavenly   
meeting it was2 for the glory of the    
,lord  did shine over all2 and there    
were as many as one could well speak    
over1,,aa the multitude was so great4   
,their eyes were turned to  ,christ1    
their teacher2 and they came to sit     
under their own vine2  insomuch that    
,francis ,howgill1 coming afterwards to 
visit them1 found  they had no need of  
words2 for they were sitting under their
 teacher  ,christ ,jesus2 in the sense  
whereof ,he sat down amongst them1      
without  speaking anything4      ,,aa   
,that is1 reach with the voice4    ,a   
great convincement there was in         
,cumberland1 ,bishoprick1               

,northumberland1 ,westmoreland1         
,lancashire1 and ,yorkshire2 and the    
plants of ,god grew and flourished1 the 
heavenly rain descending1 and  ,god's   
glory shining upon them4 ,many mouths   
were opened by the ,lord to  ,his       
praise2 yea1 to babes and sucklings he  
ordained strength4          ,,chapter   
,,viii4    ,a ,visit to ,oliver         
,cromwell    #afec-afed4      ,about    
this time the priests and professors    
fell to prophesying  against us afresh4 
,they had said long before that we      
should be  destroyed within a month2 and
 after that1 they prolonged the time  to
 half a year4 ,but that time being long 
expired1 and we mightily  increased in  
number1 they now gave forth that we     
would eat out one  another4 ,for often  
after meetings many tender people1      
having a great  way to go1 tarried at   
,friends' houses by the way1 and        
sometimes more  than there were beds to 
lodge in2 so that some lay on the       
hay-mows4  ,hereupon ,cain's fear       

possessed the professors and world's    
people2 for  they were afraid that when 
we had eaten one another out1 we should 
all come to be maintained by the        
parishes1 and be chargeable to them4    
,but after awhile1 when they saw that   
the ,lord blessed and increased         
,friends1 as he did ,abraham1 both in   
the field and in the basket1 at  their  
goings forth and their comings in1 at   
their risings up and  their lyings down1
 and that all things prospered with     
them2 then they  saw the falseness of   
all their prophecies against us1 and    
that it was  in vain to curse whom ,god 
had blessed4    ,at the first           
convincement1 when ,friends could not   
put off their hats  to people1 or say   
,you to a single person1 but ,thou and  
,thee2--when  they could not bow1 or use
 flattering words in salutation1 or     
adopt  the fashions and customs of the  
world1 many ,friends1 that were         
tradesmen of several sorts1 lost their  
customers at first1 for the  people were

 shy of them1 and would not trade with  
them2 so that for a  time some ,friends 
could hardly get money enough to buy    
bread4    ,but afterwards1 when people  
came to have experience of ,friends'    
honesty and faithfulness1 and found that
 their yea was yea1 and their  nay was  
nay2 that they kept to a word in their  
dealings1 and would  not cozen and      
cheat1 but that if a child were sent to 
their shops for  anything1 he was as    
well used as his parents would have     
been2--then  the lives and conversation 
of ,friends did preach1 and reached to  
the  witness of ,god in the people4     
,then things altered so1 that all the   
inquiry was1 ,where is there  a draper1 
or shop-keeper1 or tailor1 or shoemaker1
 or any other  tradesman1 that is a     
,quaker8 ,insomuch that ,friends had    
more trade  than many of their          
neighbours1 and if there was any        
trading1 they had  a great part of it4  
,then the envious professors altered    
their note1  and began to cry out1 ,if  

we let these ,quakers alone1 they will  
take  the trade of the nation out of our
 hands4#fh      #fh ,this record of the 
effect of ,quaker honesty is supported  
by    impartial contemporary testimony4 
,a curious confirmation of the          
business successes of the ,quaker       
traders is found in a satiric    ballad 
of the times1 called ,wickham ,wakened2 
or1 the ,quakers    ,madrigall in ,rime 
,dogerell1 published in ,ebsworth's     
,choyce    ,drollery4 ,the ,rhymster    
tells how the ,quaker is settling down  
to    great thrift1 his period of       
tipling being done1 i4e41 his    days of
 ranting being over1 and those who come 
into competition    with him wish him   
back in the ranting stage4        ,o be 
drunk again1 ,quaker1      ,take thy    
canniken and shake her1      ,for thou  
art the worse for thy mending4    ,this 
has been the ,lord's doing to and for   
,his people6 which my  desire is that   
all who profess ,his holy truth may be  
kept truly  sensible of1 and that all   

may be preserved in and by ,his power   
and ,spirit1 faithful to ,god and man4  
,faithful first to ,god1 in  obeying    
,him in all things2 and next in doing   
unto all men that  which is just and    
righteous in all things1 that the ,lord 
,god may  be glorified in their         
practising truth1 holiness1 godliness1  
and  righteousness amongst people in all
 their lives and conversation4    ,while
 ,friends abode in the northern parts1 a
 priest of ,wrexham1  in ,wales1 named  
,morgan ,floyd1 having heard reports    
concerning  us1 sent two of his         
congregation into the north to inquire  
concerning us1 to try us1 and bring him 
an account of us4 ,when  these triers   
came amongst us1 the power of the ,lord 
seized on  them1 and they were both     
convinced of the truth4 ,so they stayed 
some time with us1 and then returned to 
,wales2 where afterwards  one of them   
departed from his convincement2 but the 
other1 named  ,john-ap-,john1 abode in  
the truth1 and received a part in the   

ministry1 in which he continued         
faithful4#fi      #fi ,this was the     
beginning of the movement in ,wales4 ,in
 #afeg1    ,george ,fox travelled and   
laboured extensively in ,wales1 where   
many followers were gathered4    ,about 
this time the oath or engagement to     
,oliver ,cromwell was  tendered to the  
soldiers1 many of whom were disbanded   
because1 in  obedience to ,christ1 they 
could not swear4#gj ,john ,stubbs1 for  
one1 who was convinced when ,i was in   
,carlisle prison1 became a good  soldier
 in the ,lamb's war1 and a faithful     
minister of ,christ ,jesus2  travelling 
much in the service of the ,lord in     
,holland1 ,ireland1  ,scotland1 ,italy1 
,egypt1 and ,america4 ,and the ,lord's  
power preserved  him from the hands of  
the papists1 though many times he was in
 great  danger of the ,inquisition4 ,but
 some of the soldiers1 who had been     
convinced in their judgment1 but had not
 come into obedience to  the ,truth1    
took ,oliver ,cromwell's oath2 and1     

going afterwards into  ,scotland1 and   
coming before a garrison there1 the     
garrison1 thinking  they had been       
enemies1 fired at them1 and killed      
divers of them1  which was a sad event4 
#gj ,nothing caused ,friends so much    
trouble as their absolute    refusal to 
take any kind of an oath4    ,when the  
churches were settled in the north1 and 
,friends were  established under        
,christ's teaching1 and the glory of the
 ,lord shined  over them1 ,i passed from
 ,swarthmore to ,lancaster about the    
beginning  of the year #afed1 visiting  
,friends1 till ,i came to ,synder-hill  
green1 where a meeting had been         
appointed three weeks before4 ,we       
passed through ,halifax1 a rude town of 
professors1 and came to  ,thomas        
,taylor's1 who had been a captain1 where
 we met with some  janglers2,,ab but the
 ,lord's power was over all2 for ,i     
travelled in  the motion of ,god's      
power4      ,,ab ,ranters4    ,when ,i  
came to ,synder-hill green1 there was a 

mighty meeting4  ,some thousands of     
people1 as it was judged1 were there1   
and many  persons of note1 captains and 
other officers4 ,there was a general    
convincement2 for the ,lord's power and 
,truth was set over all1 and  there was 
no opposition4    ,about this time did  
the ,lord move upon the spirits of many 
whom ,he  had raised up and sent forth  
to labour in ,his vineyard1 to travel   
southwards1 and spread themselves in the
 service of the gospel to the  eastern1 
southern1 and western parts of the      
nation4 ,francis ,howgill  and ,edward  
,burrough went to ,london2 ,john ,camm  
and ,john ,audland to  ,bristol2        
,richard ,hubberthorn and ,george       
,whitehead towards ,norwich2  ,thomas   
,holmes into ,wales2 and many others    
different ways3 for above  sixty        
ministers had the ,lord raised up1 and  
did now send abroad out  of the north   
country4 ,the sense of their service was
 very weighty  upon me4#ga      #ga ,at 
the end of six years of ministry these  

sixty ministers    had been gathered to 
the work which now absorbed ,george     
,fox4 ,it    was a remarkable group of  
men1--young1 vigorous1 ready speakers1  
eager for the hard service1 welcoming   
persecution and undaunted    by any     
dangers or difficulties4 ,they so       
completely caught the    idea of ,fox   
that they practically all spoke the same
 religious    language4      ,to them   
,george ,fox addressed a quaint1 but    
strikingly spiritual1    epistle of     
advice as they went out to begin their  
labours4 ,here    are a few sentences   
from it3      ,all ,friends everywhere1 
,know the ,seed of ,god1 which bruiseth 
the seed of the serpent1 and is atop of 
the seed of the serpent3    which ,seed 
sins not1 but bruiseth the serpent's    
head that doth    sin1 and that tempts  
to sin3 to which ,seed is ,god's promise
 and    blessing2 and which ,seed is one
 in the male and in the female4444      
,this is the ,word of the ,lord to you  
all3 ,every one in the    measure of    

life wait1 that with it all your minds  
may be guided    up to the ,father of   
life1 the ,father of spirits3 to receive
 power    from ,him1 and wisdom1 that   
with it you may be ordered to ,his      
glory3 to whom be all glory forever6    
,all keep in the ,light and    ,life1   
that judgeth down that which is contrary
 to the ,light and    ,life4 ,so the    
,lord ,god ,almighty be with you all4444
      ,all ,friends that speak in       
public1 see that it be in the life    of
 ,god2 for that begets to ,god2 the     
fruits of that shall never    wither4   
,this sows to the ,spirit which is in   
prison1 and of the    ,spirit reaps     
life2 and the other sows to the flesh1  
and of the    flesh reaps corruption4   
,this you may see all the world over    
amongst these seeds-men1--that which may
 be reaped in the field1    that is the 
world4 ,therefore wait in the ,spirit of
 the ,lord1    which cuts down and casts
 out all this1 the root and branches of 
it4 ,so in that wait to receive power1  

and the ,lord ,god ,almighty    preserve
 you in it2 whereby you may come to feel
 the ,light1 that    comprehends time   
and the world1 and fathoms it3 which1   
believed    in1 gives you victory over  
the world4 ,here the power of the ,lord 
is received1 which subdues all the      
contrary1 and puts off the    garments  
that will stain and pollute4    ,about  
this time ,rice ,jones1 of ,nottingham1 
7who had been a ,baptist1  and was      
turned ,ranter71 and his company1 began 
to prophesy against  me2 giving out that
 ,i was then at the highest1 and that   
after that  time ,i should fall down as 
fast4 ,he sent a bundle of railing      
papers  from ,nottingham to ,mansfield1 
,clawson1 and the towns thereabouts1    
judging ,friends for declaring the      
,truth in the markets and in            
steeple-houses2 which papers ,i         
answered4 ,but his and his company's    
prophecies came upon themselves2 for    
soon after they fell to pieces1  and    
many of his followers became ,friends1  

and continued so4    ,and through the   
,lord's blessed power1 ,truth and       
,friends have  increased1 and do        
increase in the increase of ,god3 and   
,i1 by the same  power1 have been and am
 preserved1 and kept in the everlasting 
,seed1  that never fell1 nor changes4   
,but ,rice ,jones took the oaths that   
were  put to him1 and so disobeyed the  
command of ,christ4    ,many such false 
prophets have risen up against me1 but  
the ,lord hath  blasted them1 and will  
blast all who rise against the blessed  
,seed1  and me in that4 ,my confidence  
is in the ,lord2 for ,i saw their end1  
and how the ,lord would confound them1  
before ,he sent me forth4    ,i         
travelled up and down in ,yorkshire1 as 
far as ,holderness1 and to  the land's  
end that way1 visiting ,friends and the 
churches of ,christ2  which were finely 
settled under ,christ's teaching4 ,at   
length ,i came  to ,captain ,bradford's 
house1 whither came many ,ranters from  
,york to  wrangle2 but they were        

confounded and stopped4 ,thither came   
also she  who was called the ,lady      
,montague1 who was then convinced1 and  
lived  and died in the ,truth4          
,thence ,i went to ,drayton in          
,leicestershire to visit my relations4  
,as  soon as ,i was come in1 ,nathaniel 
,stephens1 the priest1 having got       
another priest1 and given notice to the 
country1 sent to me to come  to them1   
for they could not do anything till ,i  
came4 ,having been  three years away    
from my relations1 ,i knew nothing of   
their design4  ,but at last ,i went into
 the steeple-house yard1 where the two  
priests  were2 and they had gathered    
abundance of people4    ,when ,i came   
there1 they would have had me go into   
the steeple-house4  ,i asked them what  
,i should do there2 and they said that  
,mr4 ,stephens  could not bear the cold4
 ,i told them he might bear it as well  
as ,i4  ,at last we went into a great   
hall1 ,richard ,farnsworth being with   
me2 and a great dispute we had with     

these priests concerning their          
practices1 how contrary they were to    
,christ and ,his apostles4    ,the      
priests would know where tithes were    
forbidden or ended4 ,i showed  them out 
of the seventh chapter to the ,hebrews  
that not only tithes1  but the          
priesthood that took tithes1 was ended2 
and the law by which  the priesthood was
 made1 and tithes were commanded to be  
paid1 was  ended and annulled4 ,then the
 priests stirred up the people to some  
lightness and rudeness4    ,i had known 
,stephens from a child1 therefore ,i    
laid open his  condition1 and the manner
 of his preaching2 and how he1 like the 
rest  of the priests1 did apply the     
promises to the first birth1 which must 
die4 ,but ,i showed that the promises   
were to the ,seed1 not to many  seeds1  
but to one ,seed1 ,christ2 who was one  
in male and female2 for  all were to be 
born again before they could enter into 
the kingdom of  ,god4    ,then he said1 
,i must not judge so2 but ,i told him   

that ,he that was  spiritual judged all 
things4 ,then he confessed that that was
 a full  ,scripture2 but1 neighbours1   
said he1 this is the business2 ,george  
,fox is come to the light of the sun1   
and now he thinks to put out my         
star-light4    ,i told him that ,i would
 not quench the least measure of ,god in
 any1  much less put out his star-light1
 if it were true star-light--light  from
 the ,morning ,star4 ,but1 ,i told him1 
if he had anything from  ,christ or     
,god1 he ought to speak it freely1 and  
not take tithes from  the people for    
preaching1 seeing that ,christ commanded
 ,his ministers  to give freely1 as they
 had received freely4 ,so ,i charged him
 to  preach no more for tithes or any   
hire4 ,but he said he would not yield   
to that4    ,after a while the people   
began to be vain and rude1 so we broke  
up2  yet some were made loving to the   
,truth that day4 ,before we parted  ,i  
told them that if the ,lord would1 ,i   
intended to be at the town  again that  

day week4 ,in the interim ,i went into  
the country1 and had  meetings1 and came
 thither again that day week4           
,against that time this priest had got  
seven priests to help him2  for priest  
,stephens had given notice at a lecture 
on a market-day at  ,adderston1 that    
such a day there would be a meeting and 
a dispute  with me4 ,i knew nothing of  
it2 but had only said ,i should be in   
town that day week again4 ,these eight  
priests had gathered several  hundreds  
of people1 even most of the country     
thereabouts1 and they  would have had me
 go into the steeple-house2 but ,i would
 not go in1  but got on a hill1 and     
there spoke to them and the people4     
,there were with me ,thomas ,taylor1 who
 had been a priest1 ,james  ,parnell1   
and several other ,friends4 ,the priests
 thought that day  to trample down      
,truth2 but the ,truth overcame them4   
,then they grew  light1 and the people  
rude2 and the priests would not stand   
trial  with me2 but would be contending 

here a little and there a little1  with 
one ,friend or another4 ,at last one of 
the priests brought his  son to dispute 
with me2 but his mouth was soon stopped4
 ,when he could  not tell how to answer1
 he would ask his father2 and his father
 was  confounded also1 when he came to  
answer for his son4    ,so1 after they  
had toiled themselves1 they went away in
 a rage to  priest ,stephens's house to 
drink4 ,as they went away1 ,i said1 ,i  
never  came to a place where so many    
priests together would not stand the    
trial with me4 ,thereupon they and some 
of their wives came about me1  laid hold
 of me1 and fawningly said1 ,what might 
you not have been1  if it had not been  
for the ,quakers6    ,then they began to
 push ,friends to and fro1 to thrust    
them from me1  and to pluck me to       
themselves4 ,after a while several lusty
 fellows  came1 took me up in their     
arms1 and carried me into the           
steeple-house  porch1 intending to carry
 me into the steeple-house by force2 but

 the  door being locked they fell down  
in a heap1 having me under them4  ,as   
soon as ,i could1 ,i got up from under  
them1 and went to the hill  again4 ,then
 they took me from that place to the    
steeple-house wall1  and set me on      
something like a stool2 and all the     
priests being come  back1 stood under   
with the people4    ,the priests cried1 
,come1 to argument1 to argument4 ,i said
 that ,i  denied all their voices1 for  
they were the voices of hirelings and   
strangers4 ,they cried1 ,prove it1 prove
 it4 ,then ,i directed them to  the     
tenth of ,john1 where they might see    
what ,christ said of such4 ,he  declared
 that ,he was the true ,shepherd that   
laid down ,his life for  ,his sheep1 and
 ,his sheep heard ,his voice and        
followed ,him2 but the  hireling would  
fly when the wolf came1 because he was a
 hireling4  ,i offered to prove that    
they were such hirelings4 ,then the     
priests  plucked me off the stool again2
 and they themselves got all upon       

stools under the steeple-house wall4    
,then ,i felt the mighty power of ,god  
arise over all1 and ,i told them  that  
if they would but give audience1 and    
hear me quietly1 ,i would  show them by 
the ,scriptures why ,i denied those     
eight priests1 or  teachers1 that stood 
before me1 and all the hireling teachers
 of  the world whatsoever2 and ,i would 
give them ,scriptures for what ,i  said4
 ,whereupon both priests and people     
consented4 ,then ,i showed  them out of 
the prophets ,isaiah1 ,jeremiah1        
,ezekiel1 ,micah1 ,malachi1  and others1
 that they were in the steps of such as 
,god sent ,his true  prophets to cry    
against4    ,when ,i appealed to that of
 ,god in their consciences1 the ,light  
of  ,christ ,jesus in them1 they could  
not abide to hear it4 ,they had been    
all quiet before2 but then a professor  
said1 ,george1 what6 wilt thou  never   
have done8 ,i told him ,i should have   
done shortly4 ,i went on a  little      
longer1 and cleared myself of them in   

the ,lord's power4 ,when ,i  had done1  
all the priests and people stood silent 
for a time4    ,at last one of the      
priests said that they would read the   
,scriptures  ,i had quoted4 ,i told them
 ,i desired them to do so with all my   
heart4  ,they began to read the         
twenty-third of ,jeremiah1 where they   
saw the  marks of the false prophets    
that he cried against4 ,when they had   
read  a verse or two ,i said1 ,take     
notice1 people2 but the priests said1   
,hold thy tongue1 ,george4 ,i bade them 
read the whole chapter1 for it  was all 
against them4 ,then they stopped1 and   
would read no further4    ,my father1   
though a hearer and follower of the     
priest1 was so well  satisfied that he  
struck his cane upon the ground1 and    
said1 ,truly1  ,i see that he that will 
but stand to the truth1 it will bear him
  out4#gb      #gb ,this is the only    
indication of the extent of ,righteous  
,christer's sympathy with his son's     
somewhat revolutionary    message4      

,after this ,i went into the country1   
had several meetings1 and came to       
,swannington1 where the soldiers came2  
but the meeting was quiet1 the  ,lord's 
power was over all1 and the soldiers did
 not meddle4    ,then ,i went to        
,leicester2 and from ,leicester to      
,whetstone4 ,there  came about seventeen
 troopers of ,colonel ,hacker's         
regiment1 with  his marshal1 and took me
 up before the meeting1 though ,friends 
were  beginning to gather together2 for 
there were several ,friends from  divers
 parts4#gc ,i told the marshal he might 
let all the ,friends go2  that ,i would 
answer for them all4 ,thereupon he took 
me1 and let all  the ,friends go2 only  
,alexander ,parker went along with me4  
#gc ,colonel ,hacker and his regiment   
superintended the execution    of       
,charles ,i41 and held back the         
threatening crowd of ,london            
citizens4 ,he apparently now suspected  
that ,fox and the ,quakers    were in a 
plot to bring in ,charles ,,ii4         

,cromwell had for about    six months   
been ,lord ,protector4 ,gerard and      
,vowel's plot was    discovered about   
this time4    ,at night they had me     
before ,colonel ,hacker1 his major1 and 
captains1  a great company of them2 and 
a great deal of discourse we had about  
the priests1 and about meetings2 for at 
this time there was a noise  of a plot  
against ,oliver ,cromwell4 ,much        
reasoning ,i had with them  about the   
,light of ,christ1 which enlighteneth   
every man that cometh  into the world4  
,colonel ,hacker asked whether it was   
not this ,light of  ,christ that made   
,judas betray his ,master1 and          
afterwards led him to  hang himself8 ,i 
told him1 ,no2 that was the spirit of   
darkness1 which  hated ,christ and ,his 
,light4    ,then ,colonel ,hacker said  
,i might go home1 and keep at home1 and 
not  go abroad to meetings4 ,i told him 
,i was an innocent man1 free from       
plots1 and denied all such work4 ,his   
son ,needham said1 ,father1 this  man   

hath reigned too long2 it is time to    
have him cut off4 ,i asked  him1 ,for   
what8 ,what have ,i done8 ,whom have ,i 
wronged8 ,i was bred  and born in this  
country1 and who can accuse me of any   
evil1 from  childhood up8 ,colonel      
,hacker asked me again if ,i would go   
home1  and stay at home4 ,i told him    
that if ,i should promise him this1 it  
would manifest that ,i was guilty of    
something1 to make my home a  prison2   
and if ,i went to meetings they would   
say ,i broke their order4  ,therefore ,i
 told them ,i should go to meetings as  
the ,lord should  order me1 and could   
not submit to their requirings2 but ,i  
said we  were a peaceable people4       
,well1 then1 said ,colonel ,hacker1 ,i  
will send you to-morrow morning  by six 
o'clock to my ,lord ,protector1 by      
,captain ,drury1 one of his  life-guard4
    ,that night ,i was kept prisoner at 
the ,marshalsea2 and the next  morning  
by the sixth hour ,i was delivered to   
,captain ,drury4 ,i desired  that he    

would let me speak with ,colonel ,hacker
 before ,i went2 and  he took me to his 
bedside4 ,colonel ,hacker again         
admonished me to go  home1 and keep no  
more meetings4 ,i told him ,i could not 
submit to  that2 but must have my       
liberty to serve ,god1 and to go to     
meetings4  ,then1 said he1 you must go  
before the ,protector4 ,thereupon ,i    
kneeled at his bedside1 and besought the
 ,lord to forgive him2 for  he was as   
,pilate1 though he would wash his hands2
 and ,i bade him  remember1 when the day
 of his misery and trial should come    
upon  him1 what ,i had said to him4 ,but
 he was stirred up and set on by        
,stephens1#gd and the other priests and 
professors1 wherein their  envy and     
baseness was manifest4 ,when they could 
not overcome me by  disputes and        
arguments1 nor resist the ,spirit of the
 ,lord that was in  me1 they got        
soldiers to take me up4      #gd ,this  
is the minister of ,drayton1 who said   
there was never    such a plant bred in 

,england as ,george ,fox4               
,afterwards1 when ,colonel ,hacker was  
imprisoned in ,london1 a day or  two    
before his execution1 he was put in mind
 of what he had done  against the       
innocent2 and he remembered it1 and     
confessed it to  ,margaret ,fell1 saying
 he knew well whom she meant2 and he had
 trouble  upon him for it4    ,now ,i   
was carried up a prisoner by ,captain   
,drury from ,leicester2 and  when we    
came to ,harborough he asked me if ,i   
would go home and stay a  fortnight8 ,i 
should have my liberty1 he said1 if ,i  
would not go to1  nor keep meetings4 ,i 
told him ,i could not promise any such  
thing4  ,several times upon the road did
 he ask and try me after the same       
manner1 and still ,i gave him the same  
answers4 ,so he brought me to  ,london1 
and lodged me at the ,mermaid,,ac over  
against the ,mews at  ,charing-,cross4  
,,ac ,this was not the famous ,mermaid  
of ,shakespeare and ,ben    ,jonson4    
,as we travelled ,i was moved of the    

,lord to warn people at the inns  and   
places where ,i came of the day of the  
,lord that was coming  upon them4       
,william ,dewsbury and ,marmaduke ,storr
 being in prison at  ,northampton1      
,captain ,drury let me go and visit     
them4    ,after ,captain ,drury had     
lodged me at the ,mermaid1 he left me   
there1  and went to give the ,protector 
an account of me4 ,when he came to  me  
again1 he told me that the ,protector   
required that ,i should  promise not to 
take up a carnal sword or weapon against
 him or the  government1 as it then was1
 and that ,i should write it in what    
words  ,i saw good1 and set my hand to  
it4 ,i said little in reply to ,captain 
,drury4    ,the next morning ,i was     
moved of the ,lord to write a paper to  
the  ,protector1 ,oliver ,cromwell2     
wherein ,i did1 in the presence of the  
,lord ,god1 declare that ,i denied the  
wearing or drawing of a carnal  sword1  
or any other outward weapon1 against him
 or any man2 and  that ,i was sent of   

,god to stand a witness against all     
violence1 and  against the works of     
darkness2 and to turn people from       
darkness to  light2 and to bring them   
from the causes of war and fighting1 to 
the  peaceable gospel4 ,when ,i had     
written what the ,lord had given me to  
write1 ,i set my name to it1 and gave it
 to ,captain ,drury to hand to  ,oliver 
,cromwell1 which he did4    ,after some 
time ,captain ,drury brought me before  
the ,protector himself  at              
,whitehall4#ge ,it was in a morning1    
before he was dressed1 and  one ,harvey1
 who had come a little among ,friends1  
but was disobedient1  waited upon him4  
,when ,i came in ,i was moved to say1   
,peace be in this  house2 and ,i        
exhorted him to keep in the fear of     
,god1 that he might  receive wisdom from
 ,him1 that by it he might be directed1 
and order  all things under his hand to 
,god's glory4      #ge ,cromwell and    
,fox were at this period the two most   
striking    men in ,england4 ,cromwell's

 greatest work was already done2 ,fox1  
now thirty years old1 was only getting  
well under way with    his earthly      
mission4 ,he never comprehended the     
greatness of    ,cromwell's work1 nor   
did he appreciate the complex tangle    
which    the ,protector had to unravel4 
,he was so sun-clear and ingenuous      
himself that he could not fathom a man  
who skillfully zigzagged    toward the  
ends which he could not reach by        
perfectly direct    steps4 ,carlyle     
gives a happy paraphrase of this passage
 in the    ,journal3 ',i exhorted him1' 
writes ,george1 'to keep in the fear    
of ,god1' whereby he might 'receive     
,wisdom from ,god1' which would    be a 
useful guidance for any sovereign       
person4 ,in fact1 ,i had    'much       
discourse' with him2 explaining what ,i 
and ,friends had    been led to think   
',concerning ,christ and ,his ,apostles'
 of old    time1 and ,his ,priests and  
,ministers of new2 concerning ,life     
and concerning ,death2 concerning the   

,unfathomable ,universe in    general1  
and the ,light in it from ,above and the
 ,darkness in it    that is from ,below3
 to all which the ,protector 'carried   
himself    with much moderation4' ,yes1 
,george2 this ,protector has a sympathy 
with the ,perennial2 and feels it across
 the ,temporary3 no hulls1    leathern  
or other1 can entirely hide it from the 
sense of him4    ,carlyle's ,oliver     
,cromwell's ,letters and ,speeches4     
7,centenary    ,edition47 ,vol4 ,,iii41 
p4 #bbe4    ,i spoke much to him of     
,truth1 and much discourse ,i had with  
him about  religion2 wherein he carried 
himself very moderately4 ,but he said   
we quarrelled with priests1 whom he     
called ministers4 ,i told him ,i  did   
not quarrel with them1 but that they    
quarrelled with me and my  friends4     
,but1 said ,i1 if we own the prophets1  
,christ1 and the  apostles1 we cannot   
hold up such teachers1 prophets1 and    
shepherds1  as the prophets1 ,christ1   
and the apostles declared against2 but  

we  must declare against them by the    
same power and ,spirit4    ,then ,i     
showed him that the prophets1 ,christ1  
and the apostles  declared freely1 and  
against them that did not declare       
freely2 such  as preached for filthy    
lucre1 and divined for money1 and       
preached for  hire1 and were covetous   
and greedy1 that could never have       
enough2 and  that they that have the    
same spirit that ,christ1 and the       
prophets1  and the apostles had1 could  
not but declare against all such now1 as
  they did then4 ,as ,i spoke1 he       
several times said1 it was very good1   
and it was truth4 ,i told him that all  
,christendom 7so called7 had  the       
,scriptures1 but they wanted the power  
and ,spirit that those had  who gave    
forth the ,scriptures2 and that was the 
reason they were  not in fellowship with
 the ,son1 nor with the ,father1 nor    
with the  ,scriptures1 nor one with     
another4    ,many more words ,i had with
 him2 but people coming in1 ,i drew a   

little  back4 ,as ,i was turning1 he    
caught me by the hand1 and with tears in
  his eyes said1 ,come again to my      
house2 for if thou and ,i were but  an  
hour of a day together1 we should be    
nearer one to the other2  adding that he
 wished me no more ill than he did to   
his own soul4 ,i  told him if he did he 
wronged his own soul2 and admonished him
 to  hearken to ,god's voice1 that he   
might stand in his counsel1 and obey    
it2 and if he did so1 that would keep   
him from hardness of heart2 but  if he  
did not hear ,god's voice1 his heart    
would be hardened4 ,he said  it was     
true4    ,then ,i went out2 and when    
,captain ,drury came out after me he    
told me  the ,lord ,protector had said  
,i was at liberty1 and might go whither 
,i  would4    ,then ,i was brought into 
a great hall1 where the ,protector's    
gentlemen  were to dine4 ,i asked them  
what they brought me thither for4 ,they 
said it was by the ,protector's order1  
that ,i might dine with them4 ,i  bid   

them let the ,protector know that ,i    
would not eat of his bread1  nor drink  
of his drink4 ,when he heard this he    
said1 ,now ,i see there  is a people    
risen that ,i cannot win with gifts or  
honours1 offices or  places2 but all    
other sects and people ,i can4 ,it was  
told him again  that we had forsaken our
 own possessions2 and were not like to  
look  for such things from him4         
,being set at liberty1 ,i went to the   
inn where ,captain ,drury at first      
lodged me4 ,this captain1 though he     
sometimes carried it fairly1 was  an    
enemy to me and to ,truth1 and opposed  
it4 ,when professors came to  me1 while 
,i was under his custody1 and he was by1
 he would scoff at  trembling1 and call 
us ,quakers1 as the ,independents and   
,presbyterians  had nicknamed us        
before4#gf ,but afterwards he came and  
told me  that1 as he was lying on his   
bed to rest himself in the daytime1 a   
sudden trembling seized on him2 that his
 joints knocked together1  and his body 

shook so that he could not rise from his
 bed4 ,he was so  shaken that he had not
 strength enough left to rise4 ,but he  
felt the  power of the ,lord was upon   
him2 and he tumbled off his bed1 and    
cried  to the ,lord1 and said he would  
never speak more against the ,quakers1  
such as trembled at the word of ,god4   
#gf ,this implies that the nickname was 
given because the ,friends    trembled  
when they spoke4    ,during the time ,i 
was prisoner at ,charing-,cross1 there  
came abundance  to see me1 almost of all
 sorts1 priests1 professors1 officers of
 the  army1 etc4 ,once a company of     
officers1 being with me1 desired me to  
pray with them4 ,i sat still1 with my   
mind retired to the ,lord4 ,at  last ,i 
felt the power and ,spirit of ,god move 
in me2 and the ,lord's  power did so    
shake and shatter them that they        
wondered1 though they  did not live in  
it4    ,among those that came was       
,colonel ,packer1 with several of his   
officers4 ,while they were with me1     

there came in one ,cob1 and a great     
company of ,ranters with him4 ,the      
,ranters began to call for drink and    
tobacco2 but ,i desired them to forbear 
it in my room1 telling them if  they had
 such a mind to it1 they might go into  
another room4 ,one of  them cried1 ,all 
is ours2 and another of them said1 ,all 
is well4  ,i replied1 ,how is all well1 
while thou art so peevish1 envious1  and
 crabbed8 for ,i saw he was of a peevish
 nature4 ,i spake to  their conditions1 
and they were sensible of it1 and looked
 one upon  another1 wondering4    ,then 
,colonel ,packer began to talk with a   
light1 chaffy mind1  concerning ,god1   
and ,christ1 and the ,scriptures4 ,it   
was a great grief  to my soul and spirit
 when ,i heard him talk so lightly2 so  
that ,i  told him he was too light to   
talk of the things of ,god1 for he did  
not know the solidity of a man4         
,thereupon the officers raged1 and  were
 wroth that ,i should speak so of their 
colonel4    ,this ,packer was a         

,baptist1 and he and the ,ranters bowed 
and scraped  to one another very much2  
for it was the manner of the ,ranters to
  be exceedingly complimentary 7as they 
call it71 so that ,packer bade  them    
give over their compliments4 ,but ,i    
told them they were fit to go  together1
 for they were both of one spirit4      
,this ,colonel ,packer lived at         
,theobald's1 near ,waltham1 and was made
  a justice of the peace4 ,he set up a  
great meeting of the ,baptists at       
,theobald's ,park2 for he and some other
 officers had purchased it4  ,they were 
exceedingly high1 and railed against    
,friends and ,truth1 and  threatened to 
apprehend me with their warrants if ever
 ,i came there4    ,yet after ,i was set
 at liberty1 ,i was moved of the ,lord  
,god to go  down to ,theobald's1 and    
appoint a meeting hard by them2 to which
 many  of his people came1 and divers of
 his hearers were convinced of the  way 
of ,truth1 and received ,christ1 the    
free teacher1 and came off  from the    

,baptist2 and that made him rage the    
more4 ,but the ,lord's  power came over 
him1 so that he had not power to meddle 
with me4    ,then ,i went to ,waltham1  
close by him1 and had a meeting there2  
but  the people were very rude1 and     
gathered about the house and broke the  
windows4 ,thereupon ,i went out to them1
 with the ,bible in my hand1  and       
desired them to come in2 and told them  
that ,i would show them  ,scripture both
 for our principles and practices4 ,when
 ,i had done so1  ,i showed them also   
that their teachers were in the steps of
 such as  the prophets1 and ,christ1 and
 the apostles testified against4 ,then  
,i  directed them to the ,light of      
,christ and ,spirit of ,god in their own
  hearts1 that by it they might come to 
know their free teacher1 the  ,lord     
,jesus ,christ4    ,the meeting being   
ended1 they went away quieted and       
satisfied1 and a  meeting hath since    
been settled in that town4 ,but this was
 some time  after ,i was set at liberty 

by ,oliver ,cromwell4    ,when ,i came  
from ,whitehall to the ,mermaid at      
,charing-,cross1 ,i stayed  not long    
there1 but went into the city of        
,london1 where we had great  and        
powerful meetings4 ,so great were the   
throngs of people that ,i  could hardly 
get to and from the meetings for the    
crowds2 and the  ,truth spread          
exceedingly4 ,thomas ,aldam1 and ,robert
 ,craven1 who had  been sheriff of      
,london1 and many ,friends1 came up to  
,london after me2  but ,alexander       
,parker abode with me4#gg      #gg      
,during this same year1 #afed1 a        
remarkable work was done in    ,london  
by ,edward ,burrough and ,francis       
,howgill4 ,it is estimated    that not  
less than #aj1jjj adherents were        
gathered in the city    during these    
early years of ,friends' ministry4      
,after a while ,i went to ,whitehall    
again1 and was moved to declare the  day
 of the ,lord amongst them1 and that the
 ,lord was come to teach ,his  people   

,himself4 ,so ,i preached ,truth1 both  
to the officers1 and to  them that were 
called ,oliver's gentlemen1 who were of 
his guard4 ,but  a priest opposed while 
,i was declaring the ,word of the ,lord 
amongst  them2 for ,oliver had several  
priests about him1 of which this was his
  newsmonger1 an envious priest1 and a  
light1 scornful1 chaffy man4 ,i  bade   
him repent1 and he put it in his        
newspaper the next week that ,i  had    
been at ,whitehall and had bidden a     
godly minister there to repent4    ,when
 ,i went thither again ,i met with him2 
and abundance of people  gathered about 
me4 ,i manifested the priest to be a    
liar in several  things that he had     
affirmed2 and he was put to silence4 ,he
 put in  the news that ,i wore silver   
buttons2 which was false1 for they were 
but alchemy4#gh ,afterwards he put in   
the news that ,i hung ribands  on       
people's arms1 which made them follow   
me4 ,this was another of his  lies1 for 
,i never used nor wore ribands in my    

life4      #gh ,a cheap metal made to   
imitate gold4    ,three ,friends went to
 examine this priest1 that gave forth   
this false  intelligence1 and to know of
 him where he had had that information4 
,he said it was a woman that told him   
so1 and that if they would come  again  
he would tell them the woman's name4    
,when they came again he  said it was a 
man1 but would not tell them his name   
then1 but said  that if they would come 
again he would tell them his name and   
where  he lived4    ,they went the third
 time2 and then he would not say who    
told him2  but offered1 if ,i would give
 it under my hand that there was no such
  thing he would put that into the news4
 ,thereupon the ,friends carried  it to 
him under my hand2 but when they came he
 broke his promise1 and  would not put  
it in3 but was in a rage1 and threatened
 them with the  constable4    ,this was 
the deceitful doing of this forger of   
lies2 and these lies  he spread over the
 nation in the news1 to render ,truth   

odious and  to put evil into people's   
minds against ,friends and ,truth2 of   
which  a more large account may be seen 
in a book printed soon after this  time1
 for the clearing of ,friends and ,truth
 from the slanders and  false reports   
raised and cast upon them4    ,these    
priests1 the newsmongers1 were of the   
,independent sect1 like  them in        
,leicester2 but the ,lord's power came  
over all their lies1  and swept them    
away2 and many came to see the          
naughtiness of these  priests4 ,the ,god
 of heaven carried me over all in ,his  
power1 and ,his  blessed power went over
 the nation2 insomuch that many ,friends
 about  this time were moved to go up   
and down to sound forth the everlasting 
gospel in most parts of this nation1 and
 also in ,scotland2 and the  glory of   
the ,lord was felt over all1 to ,his    
everlasting praise4    ,a great         
convincement there was in ,london2 some 
in the ,protector's  house and family4  
,i went to see him again1 but could not 

get to him1  the officers were grown so 
rude4          ,,chapter ,,ix4    ,a    
,visit to the ,southern ,counties ,which
 ,ends in ,launceston ,jail             
#afee-afef4      ,it came upon me about 
this time from the ,lord to write a     
short paper  and send it forth as an    
exhortation and warning to the ,pope1   
and to  all kings and rulers in ,europe4
    ,besides this ,i was moved to write 
a letter to the ,protector 7so  called7 
to warn him of the mighty work the ,lord
 hath to do in  the nations1 and the    
shaking of them2 and to beware of his   
own  wit1 craft1 subtilty1 and policy1  
and of seeking any by-ends to           
himself4#gi      #gi ,this paper to the 
,protector was published in #afef4 ,the 
paper mentioned just before was ,a      
,warning from the ,lord to    the ,pope 
and to all his ,train of ,idolatries4   
,published at    the ,black-,spread     
,eagle in #afef4 ,he wrote many more    
letters at    this period4 ,among them  
was a long letter to all professors of  

,christianity4 ,here is a characteristic
 passage from it3      ,let us be glad1 
and rejoice for ever6 ,singleness of    
heart is    come2 pureness of heart is  
come2 joy and gladness is come4 ,the    
glorious ,god is exalting ,himself2     
,truth hath been talked of1 but    now  
it is possessed4 ,christ hath been      
talked of2 but now ,he is    come and   
possessed4 ,the glory hath been talked  
of2 but now it    is possessed1 and the 
glory of man is defacing4 ,the ,son of  
,god    hath been talked of2 but now ,he
 is come1 and hath given us an          
understanding4 ,unity hath been talked  
of2 but now it is come4    ,virgins have
 been talked of2 but now they are come  
with oil in    their lamps4    ,i       
travelled till ,i came to ,reading1     
where ,i found a few that were          
convinced of the way of the ,lord4 ,i   
stayed till the ,first-day1 and  had a  
meeting in ,george ,lamboll's orchard2  
and a great part of the  town came to   
it4 ,a glorious meeting it proved2 great

 convincement  there was1 and the people
 were mightily satisfied4 ,thither came 
two  of ,judge ,fell's daughters to me1 
and ,george ,bishop1 of ,bristol1 with  
his sword by his side1 for he was a     
captain4    ,after the meeting many     
,baptists and ,ranters came privately1  
reasoning  and discoursing2 but the     
,lord's power came over them4 ,the      
,ranters  pleaded that ,god made the    
devil4 ,i denied it1 and told them ,i   
was  come into the power of ,god1 the   
seed ,christ1 which was before the      
devil was1 and bruised his head2 and he 
became a devil by going out  of truth2  
and so became a murderer and a          
destroyer4 ,i showed them  that ,god did
 not make him a devil2 for ,god is a    
,god of truth1 and  made all things     
good1 and blessed them2 but ,god did not
 bless the  devil4 ,and the devil is    
bad1 and was a liar and a murderer from 
the  beginning1 and spoke of himself1   
and not from ,god4    ,so the ,truth    
stopped and bound them1 and came over   

all the highest  notions in the nation1 
and confounded them4 ,for by the power  
of the  ,lord ,i was manifest1 and      
sought to be made manifest to the       
,spirit  of ,god in all1 that by it they
 might be turned to ,god2 as many were  
turned to the ,lord ,jesus ,christ by   
the ,holy ,spirit1 and were come to  sit
 under ,his teaching4    ,after this ,i 
passed to ,london1 where ,i stayed      
awhile1 and had large  meetings2 then   
went into ,essex1 and came to ,cogshall1
 where was a  meeting of about two      
thousand people1 as it was judged1 which
 lasted  several hours1 and a glorious  
meeting it was4 ,the ,word of life was  
freely declared1 and people were turned 
to the ,lord ,jesus ,christ  their      
,teacher and ,saviour1 the ,way1 the    
,truth1 and the ,life4    ,on the       
,sixth-day ,i had a large meeting near  
,colchester1 to which  many professors  
and the ,independent teachers came4     
,after ,i had done  speaking1 and was   
stepped down from the place on which ,i 

stood1  one of the ,independent teachers
 began to make a jangling2 which  ,amor 
,stoddart perceiving1 said1 ,stand up   
again1 ,george2 for ,i was  going away1 
and did not at first hear them4 ,but    
when ,i heard the  ,independent1 ,i     
stood up again1 and after awhile the    
,lord's power came  over him and his    
company2 they were confounded and the   
,lord's ,truth  went over all4 ,a great 
flock of sheep hath the ,lord in that   
country1  that feed in ,his pastures of 
life4    ,on the ,first-day following we
 had a very large meeting not far from  
,colchester1 wherein the ,lord's power  
was eminently manifested1 and  the      
people were very well satisfied2 for1   
being turned to the ,lord  ,jesus       
,christ's free teaching1 they received  
it gladly4 ,many of these  people were  
of the stock of the martyrs4    ,as ,i  
passed through ,colchester1 ,i went to  
visit ,james ,parnell in  prison2 but   
the jailer would hardly let us come in  
or stay with him4  ,very cruel they were

 to him4 ,the jailer's wife threatened  
to have his  blood2 and in that jail    
they did destroy him1 as the reader may 
see  in a book printed soon after his   
death1 giving an account of his life    
and death2 and also in an epistle       
printed with his collected books  and   
writings4    ,we came to ,yarmouth1     
where there was a ,friend1 ,thomas      
,bond1 in prison  for the ,truth of     
,christ1 and there stayed a while4      
,there we had some  service2 and some   
were turned to the ,lord in that town4  
,thence we rode to another town1 about  
twenty miles off1 where were  many      
tender people2 and ,i was moved of the  
,lord to speak to them1 as  ,i sat on my
 horse1 in several places as ,i passed  
along4 ,we went to  another town about  
five miles beyond1 and put up our horses
 at an  inn1 ,richard ,hubberthorn and  
,i having travelled five and forty miles
  that day4 ,there were some ,friendly  
people in the town2 and we had a        
tender1 broken meeting amongst them1 in 

the ,lord's power4    ,we bade the      
hostler have our horses ready by three  
in the morning2  for we intended to ride
 to ,lynn1 about three and thirty miles1
 next  morning4 ,but when we were in bed
 at our inn1 about eleven at night1  the
 constable and officers came1 with a    
great rabble of people1 into  the inn4  
,they said they were come with a        
hue-and-cry from a justice  of the peace
 that lived near the town1 about five   
miles off1 where ,i  had spoken to the  
people in the streets1 as ,i rode along4
 ,they had  been told to search for two 
horsemen1 that rode upon gray horses1   
and  in gray clothes2 a house having    
been broken into the ,seventh-day       
before at night4 ,we told them we were  
honest1 innocent men1 and  abhorred such
 things2 yet they apprehended us1 and   
set a guard with  halberts and pikes    
upon us that night1 calling upon some of
 those  ,friendly people1 with others1  
to watch us4    ,next morning we were up
 betimes1 and the constable1 with his   

guard1  carried us before a justice of  
the peace about five miles off4 ,we     
took with us two or three of the        
sufficient men of the town1 who had     
been with us at the great meeting at    
,captain ,lawrence's1 and could  testify
 that we lay both the ,seventh-day night
 and the ,first-day  night at ,captain  
,lawrence's2 and it was on the          
,seventh-day night that  they said the  
house was broken into4    ,during the   
time that ,i was a prisoner at the      
,mermaid at  ,charing-,cross1 this      
,captain ,lawrence brought several      
,independent  justices to see me there1 
with whom ,i had much discourse1 at     
which  they took offence4 ,for they     
pleaded for imperfection1 and to sin as 
long as they lived2 but did not like to 
hear of ,christ teaching ,his  people   
,himself1 and making people as clear1   
whilst here upon the  earth1 as ,adam   
and ,eve were before they fell4 ,these  
justices had  plotted together this     
mischief against me in the country1     

pretending  that a house was broken     
into1 that they might send their        
hue-and-cry  after me4 ,they were vexed1
 also1 and troubled1 to hear of the     
great  meeting at ,john ,lawrence's     
aforesaid2 for a colonel was there      
convinced that day who lived and died in
 the ,truth4    ,but ,providence so     
ordered that the constable carried us to
 a justice  about five miles onward in  
our way towards ,lynn1 who was not an   
,independent1 as the rest were4 ,when we
 were brought before him he  began to be
 angry because we did not put off our   
hats to him4 ,i told  him ,i had been   
before the ,protector1 and he was not   
offended at my  hat2 and why should he  
be offended at it1 who was but one of   
his  servants8 ,then he read the        
hue-and-cry2 and ,i told him that that  
night wherein the house was said to have
 been broken into1 we were  at ,captain 
,lawrence's house and that we had       
several men present who  could testify  
the truth thereof4    ,thereupon the    

justice1 having examined us and them1   
said he believed  we were not the men   
that had broken into the house2 but he  
was sorry1  he said1 that he had no more
 against us4 ,we told him he ought not  
to  be sorry for not having evil against
 us1 but ought rather to be glad2  for  
to rejoice when he got evil against     
people1 as for housebreaking  or the    
like1 was not a good mind in him4    ,it
 was a good while1 however1 before he   
could resolve whether to let  us go or  
send us to prison1 and the wicked       
constable stirred him up  against us1   
telling him we had good horses and that 
if it pleased him  he would carry us to 
,norwich jail4 ,but we took hold of the 
justice's  confession that he believed  
we were not the men that had broken into
  the house2 and1 after we had          
admonished him to fear the ,lord in his 
day1 the ,lord's power came over him1 so
 that he let us go2 so their  snare was 
broken4    ,a great people was          
afterwards gathered to the ,lord in that

 town1  where ,i was moved to speak to  
them in the street1 and whence the      
hue-and-cry came4    ,being set at      
liberty1 we passed on to ,cambridge4    
,when ,i came into the  town the        
scholars1 hearing of me1 were up1 and   
were exceeding rude4 ,i  kept on my     
horse's back1 and rode through them in  
the ,lord's power2  but they unhorsed   
,amor ,stoddart before he could get to  
the inn4  ,when we were in the inn they 
were so rude in the courts and in the   
streets that the miners1 colliers and   
carters could not be ruder4 ,the  people
 of the house asked us what we would    
have for supper4 ,supper6  said ,i1 were
 it not that the ,lord's power is over  
them1 these rude  scholars look as if   
they would pluck us in pieces and make a
 supper  of us4 ,they knew ,i was so    
against the trade of preaching1 which   
they  were there as apprentices to      
learn1 that they raged as greatly as    
ever ,diana's craftsmen did against     
,paul4    ,at this place ,john ,crook   

met us4#hj ,when it was night the mayor 
of  the town being friendly1 came and   
fetched me to his house2#ha and as  we  
walked through the streets there was a  
bustle in the town2 but  they did not   
know me1 it being darkish4 ,they were in
 a rage1 not only  against me1 but      
against the mayor also2 so that he was  
almost afraid  to walk the streets with 
me for the tumult4 ,we sent for the     
,friendly  people1 and had a fine       
meeting in the power of ,god2 and ,i    
stayed  there all night4      #hj ,john 
,crook was ,justice of the ,peace in    
,bedford ,county4 ,he    became an      
eminent minister among the ,friends and 
suffered many    imprisonments4      #ha
 ,the wife of this mayor of ,cambridge  
had been to a great    meeting which    
,fox held the day before near the ,isle 
of ,ely4 ,james    ,parnell had already 
labored in ,cambridge before this visit 
of    ,george ,fox4 ,one gets here an   
interesting glimpse at the students     
of two hundred and fifty years ago4 ,it 

is an interesting fact    that they     
failed to unhorse ,fox4 ,the struggle   
between ,fox and the    students is the 
subject of one of ,robert ,spence's     
etchings4    ,next morning1 having      
ordered our horses to be ready by the   
sixth  hour1 we passed peaceably out of 
town4 ,the destroyers were              
disappointed3 for they thought ,i would 
have stayed longer in the  town1 and    
intended to have done us mischief2 but  
our passing away  early in the morning  
frustrated their evil purposes against  
us4    ,at ,evesham ,i heard that the   
magistrates had cast several ,friends   
into  divers prisons1 and that1 hearing 
of my coming1 they made a pair of  high 
stocks4 ,i sent for ,edward ,pittaway1 a
 ,friend that lived near  ,evesham1 and 
asked him the truth of the thing4 ,he   
said it was so4  ,i went that night with
 him to ,evesham2 and in the evening we 
had a  large1 precious meeting1 wherein 
,friends and people were refreshed  with
 the ,word of life1 the power of the    

,lord4    ,next morning ,i rode to one  
of the prisons1 and visited ,friends    
there1  and encouraged them4 ,then ,i   
rode to the other prison1 where were    
several prisoners4 ,amongst them was    
,humphry ,smith1 who had been a  priest1
 but was now become a free minister of  
,christ4 ,when ,i had  visited ,friends 
at both prisons1 and was turned to go   
out of the  town1 ,i espied the         
magistrates coming up the town1         
intending to seize  me in prison4 ,but  
the ,lord frustrated their intent1 the  
innocent  escaped their snare1 and      
,god's blessed power came over them all4
 ,but  exceeding rude and envious were  
the priests and professors about this   
time in these parts4    ,i went from    
,evesham to ,worcester1 and had a quiet 
and a precious  meeting there4 ,from    
,worcester we went to ,tewkesbury1 where
 in the  evening we had a great meeting1
 to which came the priest of the town   
with a great rabble of rude people4     
,leaving ,tewkesbury1 we passed to      

,warwick1 where in the evening we  had a
 meeting with many sober people at a    
widow-woman's house4 ,a  precious       
meeting we had in the ,lord's power2    
several were convinced  and turned to   
the ,lord4 ,after the meeting a ,baptist
 in the company  began to jangle2 and   
the bailiff of the town1 with his       
officers1 came  in and said1 ,what do   
these people here at this time of night8
 ,so he  secured ,john ,crook1 ,amor    
,stoddart1 ,gerrard ,roberts and me2 but
 we had  leave to go to our inn1 and to 
be forthcoming in the morning4    ,the  
next morning many rude people came into 
the inn1 and into our  chambers1        
desperate fellows2 but the ,lord's power
 gave us dominion  over them4 ,gerrard  
,roberts and ,john ,crook went to the   
bailiff to know  what he had to say to  
us4 ,he said we might go our ways1 for  
he had  little to say to us4 ,as we rode
 out of town it lay upon me to ride to  
his house to let him know that1 the     
,protector having given forth an        

instrument of government in which       
liberty of conscience was granted1  it  
was very strange that1 contrary to that 
instrument of government1  he would     
trouble peaceable people that feared    
,god4    ,the ,friends went with me1 but
 the rude people gathered about us with 
stones4 ,one of them took hold of my    
horse's bridle and broke it2 but  the   
horse1 drawing back1 threw him under    
him4 ,though the bailiff saw  this1 yet 
he did not stop1 nor so much as rebuke  
the rude multitude2  so that it was     
strange we were not slain or hurt in the
 streets2 for  the people threw stones  
and struck at us as we rode along the   
town4    ,when we were quite out of the 
town ,i told ,friends that it was upon  
me from the ,lord that ,i must go back  
into the town again2 and if any  one of 
them felt anything upon him from the    
,lord he might follow me2  the rest1    
that did not1 might go on to ,dun-,cow4 
,so ,i passed through  the market in the
 dreadful power of ,god1 declaring the  

,word of life  to them2 and ,john ,crook
 followed me4 ,some struck at me2 but   
the  ,lord's power was over them1 and   
gave me dominion over all4 ,i showed    
them their unworthiness to claim the    
name of ,christians1 and the            
unworthiness of their teachers1 that had
 not brought them into more  sobriety2  
and what a shame they were to           
,christianity4    ,having cleared       
myself1 ,i turned out of the town again1
 and passed  to ,coventry1 where we     
found the people closed up with         
darkness4 ,i  went to the house of a    
professor1 where ,i had formerly been1  
and  he was drunk2 which grieved my soul
 so that ,i did not go into any  house  
in the town2 but rode into some of the  
streets1 and into the  market-place4 ,i 
felt that the power of the ,lord was    
over the town4    ,then ,i went on to   
,dun-,cow1 and had a meeting in the     
evening1 and some  were turned to the   
,lord by ,his ,spirit1 as some also were
 at ,warwick  and at ,tewkesbury4 ,we   

lay at ,dun-,cow that night2 we met with
 ,john  ,camm1 a faithful minister of   
the everlasting gospel4 ,in the morning 
there gathered a rude company of priests
 and people who behaved more  like      
beasts than men1 for some of them came  
riding on horseback into  the room where
 we were2 but the ,lord gave us dominion
 over them4    ,thence we passed into   
,leicestershire1 and after that to      
,baddesley in  ,warwickshire4 ,here     
,william ,edmundson1 who lived in       
,ireland1 having  some drawings upon his
 spirit to come into ,england to see me1
 met  with me2 by whom ,i wrote a few   
lines to ,friends then convinced in the 
north of ,ireland4#hb         ,friends3 
,in that which convinced you1 wait2 that
 you may have that       removed you are
 convinced of4 ,and all my dear         
,friends1 dwell in       the life1 and  
love1 and power1 and wisdom of ,god1 in 
unity one       with another1 and with  
,god2 and the peace and wisdom of ,god  
fill       all your hearts that nothing 

may rule in you but the life which      
stands in the ,lord ,god4               
,g4 ,f4      #hb ,this ,william         
,edmundson was one of the first persons 
to    espouse and proclaim the          
principles of the ,quakers in ,ireland4 
,he had been a soldier in ,cromwell's   
army1 and he carried the    spirit and  
courage of an ,ironside into the new    
service4 ,he had    strange and         
unspeakably difficult experiences to    
endure in those    trying days of       
unsettlement in ,ireland1 but he was    
enabled to do    a great work for the   
cause which he served4 ,he also had     
large and    valuable service in        
,america4    ,when these few lines were 
read amongst the ,friends in ,ireland at
  their meeting1 the power of the ,lord 
came upon all in the room4    ,from     
,baddesley we passed to ,swannington and
 ,higham1 and so into  ,northamptonshire
 and ,bedfordshire1 having great        
meetings2 and many  were turned to the  
,lord by ,his power and ,spirit4        

,when we came to ,baldock in            
,hertfordshire1 ,i asked if there was   
nothing in that town1 no profession2 and
 it was answered me that  there were    
some ,baptists1 and a ,baptist woman who
 was sick4 ,john  ,rush1 of             
,bedfordshire1 went with me to visit    
her4    ,when we came in there were many
 tender people about her4 ,they told me 
she was not a woman for this world1 but 
if ,i had anything that would  comfort  
her concerning the world to come1 ,i    
might speak to her4 ,i  was moved of the
 ,lord ,god to speak to her2 and the    
,lord raised her  up again1 to the      
astonishment of the town and country4   
,this ,baptist  woman and her husband1  
whose name was ,baldock1 came to be     
convinced1  and many hundreds of people 
have met at their house since4 ,great   
meetings and convincements were in those
 parts afterwards2 many  received the   
,word of life1 and sat down under the   
teaching of ,christ1  their ,saviour4   
,when we had visited this sick woman we 

returned to our inn1 where  were two    
desperate fellows fighting so furiously 
that none durst  come nigh to part them4
 ,but ,i was moved1 in the ,lord's      
power1 to go  to them2 and when ,i had  
loosed their hands1 ,i held one of them 
by  one hand and the other by the other1
 showed them the evil of their  doings1 
and reconciled them one to the other2   
and they were so  loving and thankful to
 me that people marveled at it4#hc      
#hc ,these cases are further            
illustration of ,fox's power to    deal 
with sickness and with desperate        
persons4 ,he always felt    himself     
equal to any emergency which confronted 
him4    ,now1 after ,i had tarried some 
time in ,london1 and had visited        
,friends  in their meetings1 ,i went out
 of town1 leaving ,james ,nayler in the 
city4 ,as ,i passed from him ,i cast my 
eyes upon him1 and a fear struck  me    
concerning him2 but ,i went away and    
rode down to ,ryegate1 in  ,surrey1     
where ,i had a little meeting4#hd ,there

 the ,friends told me  of one ,thomas   
,moore1 a justice of the peace1 that    
lived not far from  ,ryegate1 a         
,friendly1 moderate man4 ,i went to     
visit him at his house1  and he came to 
be a serviceable man in ,truth4      #hd
 ,james ,nayler's fall1 which is here   
felt in dim forecast1    became very    
soon only too sadly real4    ,thence we 
went to ,dorchester1 and alighted at an 
inn1 a ,baptist's  house4 ,we sent into 
the town to the ,baptists1 to ask them  
to let us  have their meeting-house to  
assemble in1 and to invite the sober    
people to the meeting2 but they denied  
it us4 ,we sent to them again1  to know 
why they would deny us their            
meeting-house1 so the thing was  noised 
about in the town4 ,then we sent them   
word that if they would  not let us come
 to their house1 they1 or any people    
that feared ,god1  might come to our    
inn1 if they pleased2 but they were in a
 great  rage4 ,their teacher and many of
 them came up1 and slapped their        

,bibles on the table4    ,i asked them  
why they were so angry1--,were they     
angry with the  ,bible8 ,but they fell  
into a discourse about their            
water-baptism4 ,i  asked them whether   
they could say they were sent of ,god to
 baptize  people1 as ,john was1 and     
whether they had the same ,spirit and   
power  that the apostles had8 ,they said
 they had not4    ,then ,i asked them   
how many powers there are1--whether     
there are any  more than the power of   
,god and the power of the devil4 ,they  
said  there was not any other power than
 those two4 ,then said ,i1 ,if you  have
 not the power of ,god that the apostles
 had1 you act by the  power of the      
devil4 ,many sober people were present1 
who said they  have thrown themselves on
 their backs4 ,many substantial people  
were  convinced that night2 a precious  
service we had there for the ,lord1  and
 ,his power came over all4    ,next     
morning1 as we were passing away1 the   
,baptists1 being in a rage1  began to   

shake the dust off their feet after us4 
,what1 said ,i1 in  the power of        
darkness6 ,we1 who are in the power of  
,god1 shake off the  dust of our feet   
against you4    ,leaving ,dorchester1 we
 came to ,weymouth2 where also we       
inquired  after sober people2 and about 
fourscore of them gathered together at  
a priest's house4 ,most of them received
 the ,word of life and were  turned to  
their teacher1 ,christ ,jesus1 who had  
enlightened them  with ,his divine      
,light1 by which they might see their   
sins1 and ,him  who saveth from sin4 ,a 
blessed meeting we had with them1 and   
they  received the ,truth in the love of
 it1 with gladness of heart4    ,the    
meeting held several hours4 ,the state  
of their teachers1 and  their apostasy  
was opened to them2 and the state of the
 apostles1  and of the ,church in their 
days2 and the state of the law and of   
the  prophets before ,christ1 and how   
,christ came to fulfill them2 that ,he  
was their teacher in the apostles' days2

 and that ,he was come now  to teach    
,his people ,himself by ,his power and  
spirit4 ,all was quiet1  the meeting    
broke up peaceably1 the people were very
 loving2 and a  meeting is continued in 
that town to this day4 ,many are added  
to  them2 and some who had been ,ranters
 came to own the ,truth1 and to  live   
very soberly4    ,there was a captain of
 horse in the town1 who sent to me1 and 
would  fain have had me stay longer2 but
 ,i was not to stay4 ,he and his man    
rode out of town with me about seven    
miles2 ,edward ,pyot also being  with   
me4 ,this captain was the fattest1      
merriest1 cheerfullest man1  and the    
most given to laughter1 that ever ,i met
 with3 insomuch that  ,i was several    
times moved to speak in the dreadful    
power of the ,lord  to him2 yet it was  
become so customary to him that he would
 presently  laugh at anything he saw4   
,but ,i still admonished him to come to 
sobriety1 and the fear of the ,lord and 
sincerity4    ,we lay at an inn that    

night1 and the next morning ,i was moved
 to  speak to him again1 when he parted 
from us4 ,the next time ,i saw him  he  
told me that when ,i spoke to him at    
parting1 the power of the ,lord  so     
struck him that before he got home he   
was serious enough1 and  discontinued   
his laughing4 ,he afterwards was        
convinced1 and became a  serious and    
good man1 and died in the ,truth4       
,after this we passed to ,totness1 a    
dark town4 ,we lodged there at  an inn2 
and that night ,edward ,pyot was sick1  
but the ,lord's power  healed him1 so   
that the next day we got to             
,kingsbridge1 and at  our inn inquired  
for the sober people of the town4 ,they 
directed  us to ,nicholas ,tripe and his
 wife2 and we went to their house4      
,they sent for the priest1 with whom we 
had some discourse2 but he1  being      
confounded1 quickly left us4 ,nicholas  
,tripe and his wife were  convinced2 and
 since that time there has been a good  
meeting of  ,friends in that country4   

,in the evening we returned to our inn4 
,there being many people  drinking in   
the house1 ,i was moved of the ,lord to 
go amongst them1  and to direct them to 
the ,light with which ,christ1 the      
heavenly man1  had enlightened them2 by 
which they might see all their evil     
ways1  words1 and deeds1 and by the same
 ,light might also see ,christ ,jesus   
their ,saviour4    ,the innkeeper stood 
uneasy1 seeing it hindered his guests   
from  drinking2 and as soon as the last 
words were out of my mouth he  snatched 
up the candle1 and said1 ,come1 here is 
a light for you to  go into your        
chamber4 ,next morning1 when he was     
cool1 ,i represented  to him what an    
uncivil thing it was for him so to do2  
then1 warning  him of the day of the    
,lord1 we got ready and passed away4    
,we came next day to ,plymouth1         
refreshed ourselves at our inn1 and     
went to ,robert ,cary's1 where we had a 
very precious meeting4 ,at this  meeting
 was ,elizabeth ,trelawny1 daughter to a

 baronet4 ,she being  somewhat thick of 
hearing1 came close up to me1 and       
clapped her  ear very nigh me while ,i  
spake2 and she was convinced4 ,after    
this  meeting came in some jangling     
,baptists2 but the ,lord's power came   
over them1 and ,elizabeth ,trelawny gave
 testimony thereto4 ,a fine  meeting was
 settled there in the ,lord's power1    
which hath continued  ever since1 where 
many faithful ,friends have been        
convinced4    ,thence we passed into    
,cornwall1 and came to an inn in the    
parish of  ,menheriot4 ,at night we had 
a meeting at ,edward ,hancock's1 to     
which  came ,thomas ,mounce and a       
priest1 with many people4 ,we brought   
the  priest to confess that he was a    
minister made by the state1 and         
maintained by the state2 and he was     
confounded and went his way2 but  many  
of the people stayed4    ,i directed    
them to the ,light of ,christ1 by which 
they might see their  sins2 and their   
,saviour ,christ ,jesus1 the way to     

,god1 their ,mediator1  to make peace   
betwixt ,god and them2 their ,shepherd  
to feed them1 and  their ,prophet to    
teach them4 ,i directed them to the     
,spirit of ,god in  themselves1 by which
 they might know the ,scriptures1 and be
 led into  all ,truth2 and by the       
,spirit might know ,god1 and in it have 
unity  one with another4 ,many were     
convinced at that time1 and came under  
,christ's teaching2 and there are fine  
gatherings in the name of ,jesus  in    
those parts at this day4    ,when we    
came to ,ives1 ,edward ,pyot's horse    
having cast a shoe1 we  stayed to have  
it set2 and while he was getting his    
horse shod1 ,i  walked down to the      
seaside4 ,when ,i returned ,i found the 
town in an  uproar4 ,they were haling   
,edward ,pyot and the other ,friend     
before  ,major ,peter ,ceely1 a major in
 the army and a justice of the peace4 ,i
  followed them into the justice's      
house1 though they did not lay hands    
upon me4    ,when we came in1 the house 

was full of rude people2 whereupon ,i   
asked  if there were not an officer     
among them to keep the people civil4    
,major ,ceely said that he was a        
magistrate4 ,i told him that he should  
then show forth gravity and sobriety1   
and use his authority to keep  the      
people civil2 for ,i never saw any      
people ruder2 the ,indians were  more   
like ,christians than they4    ,after a 
while they brought forth a paper1 and   
asked whether ,i would  own it4,,ad ,i  
said1 ,yes4 ,then he tendered the oath  
of abjuration to  us2 whereupon ,i put  
my hand in my pocket and drew forth the 
answer to  it which ,i had given to the 
,protector4 ,after ,i had given him     
that1  he examined us severally1 one by 
one4 ,he had with him a silly young     
priest1 who asked us many frivolous     
questions2 and amongst the rest  he     
desired to cut my hair1 which was then  
pretty long2 but ,i was not  to cut it1 
though many times many were offended at 
it4 ,i told them ,i  had no pride in it1

 and it was not of my own putting on4   
,,ad ,a paper which ,george ,fox had    
written to the seven parishes    of     
,land's ,end4    ,at length the justice 
put us under a guard of soldiers1 who   
were hard  and wild1 like the justice   
himself2 nevertheless we warned the     
people  of the day of the ,lord1 and    
declared the ,truth to them4 ,the next  
day  he sent us1 guarded by a party of  
horse with swords and pistols1 to       
,redruth4 ,on ,first-day the soldiers   
would have taken us away2 but we  told  
them it was their ,sabbath1 and it was  
not usual to travel on  that day4       
,several of the townspeople gathered    
about us1 and whilst ,i held  the       
soldiers in discourse1 ,edward ,pyot    
spoke to the people2 and  afterwards he 
held the soldiers in discourse1 whilst  
,i spoke to the  people4 ,in the        
meantime the other ,friend got out the  
back way1 and  went to the steeple-house
 to speak to the priest and people4 ,the
  people were exceedingly desperate1 in 

a mighty rage against him1 and  they    
sorely abused him4 ,the soldiers also1  
missing him1 were in a  great rage1     
ready to kill us2 but ,i declared the   
day of the ,lord and  the ,word of      
eternal life to the people that gathered
 about us4    ,in the afternoon the     
soldiers were resolved to take us away1 
so we  took horse4 ,when we were come to
 the town's end ,i was moved of the     
,lord to go back again1 to speak to the 
old man of the house4 ,the  soldiers    
drew out their pistols1 and swore ,i    
should not go back4 ,i  heeded them not1
 but rode back1 and they rode after me4 
,i cleared  myself to the old man and   
the people1 and then returned with them1
  and reproved them for being so rude   
and violent4    ,at night we were       
brought to a town then called ,smethick1
 but since  known as ,falmouth4 ,it     
being the evening of the ,first-day1    
there came  to our inn the chief        
constable of the place1 and many sober  
people1  some of whom began to inquire  

concerning us4 ,we told them we were    
prisoners for ,truth's sake2 and much   
discourse we had with them  concerning  
the things of ,god4 ,they were very     
sober and loving to us4  ,some were     
convinced1 and stood faithful ever      
after4    ,when the constable and these 
people were gone1 others came in1 who   
were also very civil1 and went away very
 loving4 ,when all were gone1  we went  
to our chamber to go to bed2 and about  
the eleventh hour  ,edward ,pyot said1  
,i will shut the door2 it may be some   
may come to  do us mischief4 ,afterwards
 we understood that ,captain ,keat1 who 
commanded the party1 had intended to do 
us some injury that night2  but the door
 being bolted1 he missed his design4    
,next morning ,captain ,keat brought a  
kinsman of his1 a rude1 wicked  man1 and
 put him into the room2 himself standing
 without4 ,this  evil-minded man walked 
huffing up and down the room2 ,i bade   
him fear  the ,lord4 ,thereupon he ran  
upon me1 struck me with both his hands1 

and1 clapping his leg behind me1 would  
have thrown me down if he  could2 but he
 was not able1 for ,i stood stiff and   
still1 and let him  strike4    ,as ,i   
looked towards the door1 ,i saw ,captain
 ,keat look on1 and see his  kinsman    
thus beat and abuse me4 ,i said to him1 
,keat1 dost thou allow  this8 ,he said  
he did4 ,is this manly or civil1 said   
,i1 to have  us under a guard1 and then 
put a man to abuse and beat us8 ,is this
  manly1 civil1 or ,christian8 ,i       
desired one of our friends to send for  
the constables1 and they came4    ,then 
,i desired the ,captain to let the      
constables see his warrant or  order1 by
 which he was to carry us2 which he did4
 ,his warrant was to  conduct us safe to
 ,captain ,fox1 governor of ,pendennis  
,castle2 and if  the governor should not
 be at home1 he was to convey us to     
,launceston  jail4 ,i told him he had   
broken his order concerning us2 for we1 
who  were his prisoners1 were to be     
safely conducted2 but he had brought  a 

man to beat and abuse us2 so he having  
broken his order1 ,i wished  the        
constable to keep the warrant4          
,accordingly he did1 and told the       
soldiers they might go their ways1 for  
he would take charge of the  prisoners2 
and if it cost twenty shillings in      
charges to carry us up1  they should not
 have the warrant again4 ,i showed the  
soldiers the  baseness of their carriage
 towards us2 and they walked up and down
  the house1 pitifully blank and down4  
,the constables went to the castle1 and 
told the officers what they  had done4  
,the officers showed great dislike of   
,captain ,keat's base  carriage towards 
us2 and told the constables that        
,major-,general  ,desborough was coming 
to ,bodmin1 and that we should meet him2
 and it  was likely he would free us4   
,meanwhile our old guard of soldiers    
came  by way of entreaty to us1 and     
promised that they would be civil to us 
if we would go with them4    ,thus the  
morning was spent till about the        

eleventh hour2 and then1  upon the      
soldiers' entreaty1 and their promise to
 be more civil1 the  constables gave    
them the order again2 and we went with  
them4    ,great was the civility and    
courtesy of the constables and people   
of that town towards us4 ,they kindly   
entertained us1 and the ,lord  rewarded 
them with ,his truth2 for many of them  
have since been  convinced thereof1 and 
are gathered into the name of ,jesus1   
and sit  under ,christ1 their ,teacher  
and ,saviour4    ,captain ,keat1 who    
commanded our guard1 understanding that 
,captain  ,fox1 who was governor of     
,pendennis ,castle1 was gone to meet    
,major-,general ,desborough1#he did not 
carry us thither2 but took us  directly 
to ,bodmin1 in the way to ,launceston4  
,we met ,major-,general  ,desborough on 
the way4 ,the captain of his troop1 who 
rode before him1  knew me1 and said1    
,oh1 ,mr4 ,fox1 what do you here8 ,i    
replied1 ,i am  a prisoner4 ,alack1 he  
said1 for what8 ,i told him ,i was taken

 up  as ,i was travelling4 ,then1 said  
he1 ,i will speak to my lord1 and  he   
will set you at liberty4      #he       
,major-,general ,desborough was one of  
,cromwell's favorite    generals1 who   
received many places of honour from the 
,protector4    ,in #afee he received his
 commission as major-general1 in charge 
of ,wiltshire1 ,somersetshire1          
,devonshire and ,cornwall1 and in the   
main he proved an able administrator in 
this office4    ,so he came from the    
head of his troop1 and rode up to the   
coach1 and  spoke to the                
,major-,general4 ,we also gave him an   
account of how we  were taken4 ,he began
 to speak against the ,light of ,christ2
 against  which ,i exhorted him4 ,then  
he told the soldiers that they might    
carry  us to ,launceston2 for he could  
not stay to talk with us1 lest his      
horses should take cold4    ,to ,bodmin 
we were taken that night2 and when we   
came to our inn  ,captain ,keat1 who was
 in before us1 put me into a room and   

went his  way4 ,when ,i was come in1    
there stood a man with a naked rapier in
  his hand4 ,whereupon ,i turned out    
again1 called for ,captain ,keat1 and   
said1 ,what now1 ,keat2 what trick hast 
thou played now1 to put me  into a room 
where there is a man with his naked     
rapier8 ,what is thy  end in this8 ,oh1 
said he1 pray hold your tongue2 for if  
you speak  to this man1 we cannot rule  
him1 he is so devilish4 ,then1 said  ,i1
 dost thou put me into a room where     
there is such a man with a  naked rapier
 that thou sayest you cannot rule him8  
,what an unworthy1  base trick is this8 
and to put me single into this room1    
away from  my friends that were         
fellow-prisoners with me8 ,thus his plot
 was  discovered and the mischief they  
intended was prevented4    ,afterward we
 got another room1 where we were        
together all night2 and  in the evening 
we declared the ,truth to the people2   
but they were  dark and hardened4 ,the  
soldiers1 notwithstanding their fair    

promises1  were very rude and wicked to 
us again1 and sat up drinking and       
roaring all night4    ,next day we were 
brought to ,launceston1 where ,captain  
,keat delivered  us to the jailer4 ,now 
was there no ,friend1 nor ,friendly     
people1  near us2 and the people of the 
town were a dark1 hardened people4  ,the
 jailer required us to pay seven        
shillings a week for our                
horse-meat1,,ae and seven shillings a   
week apiece for our diet4 ,after  some  
time several sober persons came to see  
us1 and some people of  the town were   
convinced1 and many friendly people out 
of several  parts of the country came to
 visit us1 and were convinced4      ,,ae
 ,provender for their horses4    ,then  
got up a great rage among the professors
 and priests against us4  ,they said1   
,this people ',thou' and ',thee' all men
 without respect  and will not put off  
their hats1 nor bow the knee to any man2
 but we  shall see1 when the assize     
comes1 whether they will dare to ',thou'

  and ',thee' the judge1 and keep on    
their hats before him4 ,they  expected  
we should be hanged at the assize4      
,but all this was little to us2 for we  
saw how ,god would stain the  world's   
honour and glory2 and were commanded not
 to seek that honour1  nor give it2 but 
knew the honour that cometh from ,god   
only1 and  sought that4    ,it was nine 
weeks from the time of our commitment to
 the time of the  assizes1 to which     
abundance of people came from far and   
near to hear  the trial of the ,quakers4
 ,captain ,bradden lay there with his   
troop  of horse4 ,his soldiers and the  
sheriff's men guarded us to the court   
through the multitude that filled the   
streets2 and much ado they had  to get  
us through4 ,besides1 the doors and     
windows were filled with  people looking
 upon us4    ,when we were brought into 
the court1 we stood a while with our    
hats  on1 and all was quiet4 ,i was     
moved to say1 ,peace be amongst you4    
,judge ,glynne1 a ,welshman1 then       

,chief-,justice of ,england1 said to    
the jailer1 ,what be these you have     
brought here into the court8            
,prisoners1 my lord1 said he4    ,why do
 you not put off your hats8 said the    
,judge to us4 ,we said  nothing4    ,put
 off your hats1 said the ,judge again4  
,still we said nothing4  ,then said the 
,judge1 ,the ,court commands you to put 
off your hats4    ,then ,i spoke1 and   
said1 ,where did ever any magistrate1   
king1 or  judge1 from ,moses to ,daniel1
 command any to put off their hats1 when
  they came before him in his court1    
either amongst the ,jews1 the  people of
 ,god1 or amongst the heathen8#hf and if
 the law of ,england  doth command any  
such thing1 show me that law either     
written or  printed4      #hf ,this was 
,puritan ,england1 and an appeal to ,old
 ,testament    precedents was not out of
 place4    ,then the ,judge grew very   
angry1 and said1 ,i do not carry my     
law-books on my back4 ,but1 said ,i1    
tell me where it is printed in  any     

statute-book1 that ,i may read it4      
,then said the ,judge1 ,take him away1  
prevaricator6 ,i'll ferk him4  ,so they 
took us away1 and put us among the      
thieves4    ,presently after he calls to
 the jailer1 ,bring them up again4      
,come1 said he1 where had they hats1    
from ,moses to ,daniel2 come1  answer   
me3 ,i have you fast now4    ,i replied1
 ,thou mayest read in the third of      
,daniel1 that the three  children were  
cast into the fiery furnace by          
,nebuchadnezzar's  command1 with their  
coats1 their hose1 and their hats on4   
,this plain instance stopped him3 so    
that1 not having anything else  to say  
to the point1 he cried again1 ,take them
 away1 jailer4    ,accordingly we were  
taken away1 and thrust in among the     
thieves1  where we were kept a great    
while2 and then1 without being called   
again1 the sheriff's men and the        
troopers made way for us 7but we  were  
almost spent7 to get through the crowd  
of people1 and guarded us  to the prison

 again1 a multitude of people following 
us1 with whom we  had much discourse and
 reasoning at the jail4    ,we had some 
good books to set forth our principles1 
and to inform  people of the ,truth4    
,the ,judge and justices hearing of     
this1 they  sent ,captain ,bradden for  
them4 ,he came into the jail to us1 and 
violently took our books from us1 some  
out of ,edward ,pyot's hands1  and      
carried them away2 so we never got them 
again4         ,while in the jail ,fox  
addressed a paper against swearing to   
the grand and petty juries4    ,this    
paper passing among them from the jury  
to the justices1 they  presented it to  
the ,judge2 so that when we were called 
before the  ,judge1 he bade the clerk   
give me that paper1 and then asked me   
whether that seditious paper was mine4  
,i said to him1 ,if they will  read it  
out in open court1 that ,i may hear it1 
if it is mine ,i will  own it1 and stand
 by it4 ,he would have had me take it   
and look  upon it in my own hand2 but ,i

 again desired that it might be read1   
that all the country might hear it1 and 
judge whether there was any  sedition in
 it or not2 for if there were1 ,i was   
willing to suffer for  it4    ,at last  
the clerk of the assize read it1 with an
 audible voice1 that  all the people    
might hear it4 ,when he had done ,i told
 them it was  my paper2 that ,i would   
own it1 and so might they too1 unless   
they  would deny the ,scripture3 for was
 not this ,scripture language1 and  the 
words and commands of ,christ1 and the  
,apostle1 which all true  ,christians   
ought to obey8    ,then they let fall   
that subject2 and the ,judge fell upon  
us about our  hats again1 bidding the   
jailer take them off2 which he did1 and 
gave  them to us2 and we put them on    
again4 ,then we asked the ,judge and    
the justices1 for what cause we had lain
 in prison these nine weeks1  seeing    
they now objected to nothing but our    
hats4 ,and as for putting  off our hats1
 ,i told them that that was the honour  

which ,god would  lay in the dust1      
though they made so much ado about it2  
the honour  which is of men1 and which  
men seek one of another1 and is a mark  
of  unbelievers4 ,for ,how can ye       
believe1 saith ,christ1 who receive     
honour one of another1 and seek not the 
honour that cometh from ,god  only8     
,christ saith1 ,i receive not honour    
from men2 and all true  ,christians     
should be of ,his mind4    ,then the    
,judge began to make a pompous speech1  
how he represented the  ,lord           
,protector's person1 who made him ,lord 
,chief-,justice of ,england1  and sent  
him to come that circuit1 etc4 ,we      
desired him1 then1 that  he would do us 
justice for our false imprisonment which
 we had  suffered nine weeks wrongfully4
 ,but instead of that1 they brought  an 
indictment framed against us2 so full of
 lies that ,i thought it  had been      
against some of the thieves1--that we   
came by force and  arms1 and in a       
hostile manner1 into the court2 who were

 brought  as aforesaid4 ,i told them it 
was all false2 and still we cried for   
justice for our false imprisonment1     
being taken up in our journey  without  
cause by ,major ,ceely4    ,then ,peter 
,ceely said to the ,judge1 ,may it      
please you1 my lord1 this  man 7pointing
 to me7 went aside with me1 and told me 
how serviceable  ,i might be for his    
design2 that he could raise forty       
thousand men at  an hour's warning1     
involve the nation in blood1 and so     
bring in ,king  ,charles4 ,i would have 
aided him out of the country1 but he    
would not  go4 ,if it please you1 my    
lord1 ,i have a witness to swear it4    
,so he called upon his witness2 but the 
,judge not being forward to  examine the
 witness1 ,i desired that he would be   
pleased to let my  mittimus be read in  
the face of the court and the country1  
in which  the crime was signified for   
which ,i was sent to prison4 ,the ,judge
  said it should not be read4 ,i said1  
,it ought to be1 seeing it  concerned my

 liberty and my life4 ,the ,judge said  
again1 ,it shall  not be read4 ,i said1 
,it ought to be read2 for if ,i have    
done  anything worthy of death1 or of   
bonds1 let all the country know it4     
,then seeing they would not read it1 ,i 
spoke to one of my  fellow-prisoners3   
,thou hast a copy of it2 read it up4 ,it
 shall not  be read1 said the ,judge2   
jailer1 take him away4 ,i'll see whether
 he  or ,i shall be master4    ,so ,i   
was taken away1 and awhile after called 
for again4 ,i still  called to have the 
mittimus read2 for that signified the   
cause of my  commitment4 ,i again spoke 
to the ,friend1 my fellow-prisoner1 to  
read  it up2 which he did4 ,the ,judge1 
justices1 and the whole court were      
silent2 for the people were eager to    
hear it4 ,it was as followeth3          
,peter ,ceely1 one of the justices of   
the peace of this county1 to the keeper 
of ,his ,highness's jail        at      
,launceston1 or his lawful deputy in    
that behalf1 greeting3        ,i send   

you here withal by the bearers hereof1  
the bodies of ,edward      ,pyot1 of    
,bristol1 and ,george ,fox1 of          
,drayton-in-the-,clay1 in               
,leicestershire1 and ,william ,salt1 of 
,london1 which they pretend to be       
the places of their habitations1 who go 
under the notion of ,quakers1      and  
acknowledge themselves to be such2 who  
have spread several papers      tending 
to the disturbance of the public peace1 
and cannot render any      lawful cause 
of coming into those parts1 being       
persons altogether      unknown1 having 
no pass for travelling up and down the  
country1 and      refusing to give      
sureties for their good behaviour1      
according to the      law in that behalf
 provided2 and refuse to take oath of   
abjuration1      etc4 ,these are1       
therefore1 in the name of his highness  
the ,lord      ,protector1 to will and  
command you1 that when the bodies of the
 said      ,edward ,pyot1 ,george ,fox1 
and ,william ,salt1 shall be unto you   

brought1      you them receive1 and in  
,his ,highness's prison aforesaid you   
safely      keep them1 until by due     
course of law they shall be delivered4  
,hereof fail you not1 as you will answer
 the contrary at your perils4           
,given under my hand and seal1 at ,st4  
,ives1 the #ahth day of ,january1       
#afee4                                  
,p4 ,,ceely4    ,when it was read ,i    
spoke thus to the ,judge and justices3  
,thou that sayest thou art              
,chief-,justice of ,england1 and you    
justices1 know that1 if ,i had put in   
sureties1 ,i might have gone  whither ,i
 pleased1 and have carried on the design
 7if ,i had had one7  with which ,major 
,ceely hath charged me4 ,and if ,i had  
spoken those  words to him1 which he    
hath here declared1 judge ye whether    
bail or  mainprize could have been taken
 in that case4    ,then1 turning my     
speech to ,major ,ceely1 ,i said3       
,when or where did ,i take thee aside8  
,was not thy house full of rude  people1

 and thou as rude as any of them1 at our
 examination2 so that  ,i asked for a   
constable or some other officer to keep 
the people  civil8 ,but if thou art my  
accuser1 why sittest thou on the bench8 
,it  is not the place of accusers to sit
 with the judge4 ,thou oughtest to  come
 down and stand by me1 and look me in   
the face4    ,besides1 ,i would ask the 
,judge and justices whether ,major      
,ceely  is not guilty of this treason1  
which he charges against me1 in         
concealing it so long as he hath done8  
,does he understand his place1  either  
as a soldier or a justice of the peace8 
,for he tells you here  that ,i went    
aside with him1 and told him what a     
design ,i had in hand1  and how         
serviceable he might be for my design3  
that ,i could raise  forty thousand men 
in an hour's time1 bring in ,king       
,charles1 and  involve the nation in    
blood4 ,he saith1 moreover1 that he     
would have  aided me out of the country1
 but ,i would not go2 and therefore he  

committed me to prison for want of      
sureties for the good behaviour1  as the
 mittimus declares4    ,now1 do you not 
see plainly that ,major ,ceely is guilty
 of this plot  and treason he talks of1 
and hath made himself a party to it by  
desiring me to go out of the country1   
demanding bail of me1 and not  charging 
me with this pretended treason till now1
 nor discovering  it8 ,but ,i deny and  
abhor his words1 and am innocent of his 
devilish  design4    ,so that business  
was let fall2 for the ,judge saw clearly
 enough that  instead of ensnaring me1  
,major ,ceely had ensnared himself4     
,major ,ceely got up again1 and said1   
,if it please you1 my lord1 to  hear me3
 this man struck me1 and gave me such a 
blow as ,i never had  in my life4 ,at   
this ,i smiled in my heart1 and said1   
,major ,ceely1  art thou a justice of   
the peace1 and a major of a troop of    
horse1 and  tellest the ,judge1 in the  
face of the court and country1 that ,i1 
a  prisoner1 struck thee and gave thee  

such a blow as thou never hadst  the    
like in thy life8 ,what6 art thou not   
ashamed8 ,prithee1 ,major  ,ceely1 said 
,i1 where did ,i strike thee8 and who is
 thy witness for  that8 who was by8     
,he said it was in the ,castle-,green1  
and ,captain ,bradden was standing  by  
when ,i struck him4 ,i desired the      
,judge to let him produce his  witness  
for that2 and called again upon ,major  
,ceely to come down  from the bench1    
telling him that it was not fit that the
 accuser  should sit as judge over the  
accused4 ,when ,i called again for his  
witness he said that ,captain ,bradden  
was his witness4    ,then ,i said1      
,speak1 ,captain ,bradden1 didst thou   
see me give him such  a blow1 and strike
 him as he saith8 ,captain ,bradden made
 no answer2  but bowed his head towards 
me4 ,i desired him to speak up1 if he   
knew  any such thing2 but he only bowed 
his head again4 ,nay1 said ,i1  speak   
up1 and let the court and country hear1 
and let not bowing of  the head serve   

the turn4 ,if ,i have done so1 let the  
law be inflicted  on me2 ,i fear not    
sufferings1 nor death itself1 for ,i am 
an innocent  man concerning all this    
charge4    ,but ,captain ,bradden never 
testified to it2 and the ,judge1 finding
  those snares would not hold1 cried1   
,take him away1 jailer2 and  then1 when 
we were taken away1 he fined us twenty  
marks apiece for  not putting off our   
hats2 and sentenced us to be kept in    
prison till  we paid it2 so he sent us  
back to the jail4    ,at night ,captain 
,bradden came to see us1 and seven or   
eight justices  with him1 who were very 
civil to us1 and told us they believed  
neither the ,judge nor any in the court 
gave credit to the charges  which ,major
 ,ceely had brought forward against me  
in the face of the  country4 ,and       
,captain ,bradden said that ,major      
,ceely had an intent to  take away my   
life if he could have got another       
witness4    ,but1 said ,i1 ,captain     
,bradden1 why didst not thou witness for

 me1  or against me1 seeing ,major      
,ceely produced thee for a witness1 that
  thou saw me strike him8 and when ,i   
desired thee to speak either for  me or 
against me1 according to what thou saw  
or knew1 thou wouldst  not speak4       
,why1 said he1 when ,major ,ceely and ,i
 came by you1 as you were  walking in   
the ,castle-,green1 he put off his hat  
to you1 and said1  ',how do you do1 ,mr4
 ,fox8 ,your servant1 ,sir4' ,then you  
said to him1  ',major ,ceely1 take heed 
of hypocrisy1 and of a rotten heart3 for
 when  came ,i to be thy master1 and    
thou my servant8 ,do servants cast their
  masters into prison8' ,this was the   
great blow he meant you gave him4       
,then ,i called to mind that they walked
 by us1 and that he spoke  so to me1 and
 ,i to him2 which hypocrisy and         
rotten-heartedness he  manifested       
openly1 when he complained of this to   
the ,judge in open  court1 and in the   
face of the country2 and would have made
 them all  believe that ,i struck him   

outwardly with my hand4    ,there came  
also to see us one ,colonel ,rouse a    
justice of the peace1  and a great      
company with him4 ,he was as full of    
words and talk as  ever ,i heard any man
 in my life1 so that there was no       
speaking to  him4 ,at length ,i asked   
him whether he had ever been at school1 
and  knew what belonged to questions and
 answers2 7this ,i said to stop  him74  
,at school6 said he1 ,yes4    ,at       
school6 said the soldiers2 doth he say  
so to our colonel1 that  is a scholar8  
,then1 said ,i1 if he be so1 let him be 
still and receive answers to  what he   
hath said4    ,then ,i was moved to     
speak the ,word of life to him in ,god's
 dreadful  power2 which came so over him
 that he could not open his mouth4 ,his 
face swelled1 and was red like a turkey2
 his lips moved1 and he  mumbled        
something2 but the people thought he    
would have fallen down4  ,i stepped up  
to him1 and he said he was never so in  
his life before3  for the ,lord's power 

stopped the evil power in him2 so that  
he was  almost choked4    ,the man was  
ever after very loving to ,friends1 and 
not so full of  airy words to us2 though
 he was full of pride2 but the ,lord's  
power  came over him1 and the rest that 
were with him4    ,another time there   
came an officer of the army1 a very     
malicious1  bitter professor whom ,i had
 known in ,london4 ,he was full of his  
airy  talk also1 and spoke slightingly  
of the ,light of ,christ1 and against   
the ,truth1 and against the ,spirit of  
,god being in men1 as it was in  the    
apostles' days2 till the power of ,god1 
that bound the evil in  him1 had almost 
choked him as it did ,colonel ,rouse3   
for he was so  full of evil that he     
could not speak1 but blubbered and      
stuttered4  ,but from the time that the 
,lord's power struck him and came over  
him1  he was ever after more loving to  
us4    ,the assizes being over1 and we  
settled in prison upon such a           
commitment that we were not likely to be

 soon released1 we broke off  from      
giving the jailer seven shillings a week
 apiece for our horses1  and seven      
shillings a week for ourselves1 and sent
 our horses into  the country4 ,upon    
which he grew very wicked and devilish1 
and put us  down into ,doomsdale1 a     
nasty1 stinking place1 where they used  
to put  murderers after they were       
condemned4#hg      #hg ,this description
 of ,doomsdale is far from pleasant     
reading1    but it is a true and        
faithful picture of a dungeon in the    
seventeenth century1 and because of its 
historic importance it    is left       
exactly as it was written4 ,it is no    
wonder the ,quakers    became prison    
reformers4    ,the place was so noisome 
that it was observed few that went in   
did  ever come out again in health4     
,there was no house of office in it2    
and the excrement of the prisoners that 
from time to time had been  put there   
had not been carried out 7as we were    
told7 for many years4  ,so that it was  

all like mire1 and in some places to the
 tops of the  shoes in water and urine2 
and he would not let us cleanse it1 nor 
suffer us to have beds or straw to lie  
on4    ,at night some friendly people of
 the town brought us a candle and a     
little straw2 and we burned a little of 
our straw to take away the  stink4 ,the 
thieves lay over our heads1 and the head
 jailer in a room  by them1 over our    
heads also4 ,it seems the smoke went up 
into the  room where the jailer lay2    
which put him into such a rage that he  
took the pots of excrement from the     
thieves and poured them through  a hole 
upon our heads in ,doomsdale1 till we   
were so bespattered that  we could not  
touch ourselves nor one another4 ,and   
the stink increased  upon us2 so that   
what with stink1 and what with smoke1 we
 were almost  choked and smothered4 ,we 
had the stink under our feet before1 but
  now we had it on our heads and backs  
also2 and he having quenched  our straw 
with the filth he poured down1 had made 

a great smother  in the place4          
,moreover1 he railed at us most         
hideously1 calling us  hatchet-faced    
dogs1 and such strange names as we had  
never heard of4  ,in this manner we were
 obliged to stand all night1 for we     
could not  sit down1 the place was so   
full of filthy excrement4    ,a great   
while he kept us after this manner      
before he would let us  cleanse it1 or  
suffer us to have any victuals brought  
in but what  we got through the grate4  
,one time a girl brought us a little    
meat2  and he arrested her for breaking 
his house1 and sued her in the          
town-court for breaking the prison4 ,a  
great deal of trouble he put  the young 
woman to2 whereby others were so        
discouraged that we had  much ado to get
 water1 drink1 or victuals4 ,near this  
time we sent  for a young woman1 ,ann   
,downer1 from ,london1 who could write  
and take  things well in short-hand1 to 
buy and dress our meat for us2 which    
she was very willing to do1 it being    

also upon her spirit to come to  us in  
the love of ,god2 and she was very      
serviceable to us4    ,the head-jailer1 
we were informed1 had been a thief1 and 
was burnt  both in the hand and in the  
shoulder2 his wife1 too1 had been burnt 
in the hand4 ,the under-jailer had been 
burnt both in the hand and  in the      
shoulder3 his wife had been burnt in the
 hand also4 ,colonel  ,bennet1 a        
,baptist teacher1 having purchased the  
jail and lands  belonging to the castle1
 had placed this head-jailer there4 ,the
  prisoners and some wild people would  
be talking of spirits that  haunted     
,doomsdale1 and how many had died in it1
 thinking perhaps  to terrify us        
therewith4 ,but ,i told them that if all
 the spirits  and devils in hell were   
there1 ,i was over them in the power of 
,god1  and feared no such thing2 for    
,christ1 our ,priest1 would sanctify    
the walls of the house to us1 ,he who   
had bruised the head of the  devil4#hh  
,the priest was to cleanse the plague   

out of the walls of  the house under the
 law1 which had been ended by ,christ1  
our ,priest1  who sanctifies both       
inwardly and outwardly the walls of the 
house1  the walls of the heart1 and all 
things to his people4      #hh ,this has
 the ring of one of ,luther's           
utterances4    ,by this time the general
 quarter-sessions drew nigh2 and the    
jailer  still carrying himself basely   
and wickedly towards us1 we drew up  our
 suffering case1 and sent it to the     
sessions at ,bodmin4 ,on the  reading   
thereof1 the justices gave order that   
,doomsdale door should  be opened1 and  
that we should have liberty to cleanse  
it1 and to  buy our meat in the town4   
,we also sent a copy of our sufferings  
to  the ,protector1 setting forth how we
 had been taken and committed by  ,major
 ,ceely2 and abused by ,captain ,keat as
 aforesaid1 and the rest in  order4 ,the
 ,protector sent down an order to       
,captain ,fox1 governor of  ,pendennis  
,castle1 to examine the matter about the

 soldiers abusing  us1 and striking me4 
,there were at that time many of the    
gentry of the country at the  ,castle2  
and ,captain ,keat's kinsman1 that      
struck me1 was sent for  before them1   
and much threatened4 ,they told him that
 if ,i should  change my principles1 ,i 
might take the extremity of the law     
against  him1 and might recover sound   
damages of him4 ,captain ,keat also was 
checked1 for suffering the prisoners    
under his charge to be abused4    ,this 
was of great service in the country2 for
 afterwards ,friends  might speak in any
 market or steeple-house thereabouts1   
and none  would meddle with them4 ,i    
understood that ,hugh ,peters1 one of   
the  ,protector's chaplains1 told him   
they could not do ,george ,fox a        
greater service for the spreading of his
 principles in ,cornwall1 than  to      
imprison him there4    ,and indeed my   
imprisonment there was of the ,lord1 and
 for ,his service  in those parts2 for  
after the assizes were over1 and it was 

known  that we were likely to continue  
prisoners1 several ,friends from most   
parts of the nation came in to the      
country to visit us4 ,those parts  of   
the west were very dark countries at    
that time2 but the ,lord's  light and   
truth broke forth1 shone over all1 and  
many were turned  from darkness to      
light1 and from ,satan's power unto     
,god4 ,many were  moved to go to the    
steeple-houses2 and several were sent to
 prison  to us2 and a great convincement
 began in the country4 ,for now we had  
liberty to come out1 and to walk in the 
,castle-,green2 and many came  to us on 
,first-days1 to whom we declared the    
,word of life4    ,great service we had 
among them1 and many were turned to     
,god1 up and  down the country2 but     
great rage possessed the priests and    
professors  against the ,truth and us4  
,one of the envious professors had      
collected  many ,scripture sentences to 
prove that we ought to put off our hats 
to the people2 and he invited the town  

of ,launceston to come into  the        
castle-yard to hear him read them4      
,amongst other instances that  he there 
brought1 one was that ,saul bowed to the
 witch of ,endor4 ,when  he had done1 we
 got a little liberty to speak2 and we  
showed both him  and the people that    
,saul was gone from ,god1 and had       
disobeyed ,god  when he went to the     
witch of ,endor3 that neither the       
prophets1 nor  ,christ1 nor the apostles
 ever taught people to bow to a witch4  
,another time1 about eleven at night1   
the jailer1 being half drunk1  came and 
told me that he had got a man now to    
dispute with me3 7this  was when we had 
leave to go a little into the town74 ,as
 soon as he  spoke these words ,i felt  
there was mischief intended to my body4 
,all  that night and the next day ,i lay
 down on a grass-plot to slumber1  and  
felt something still about my body3 ,i  
started up1 and struck at  it in the    
power of the ,lord1 and still it was    
about my body4    ,then ,i rose and     

walked into the ,castle-,green1 and the 
under-keeper  came and told me that     
there was a maid would speak with me in 
the  prison4 ,i felt a snare in his     
words1 too1 therefore ,i went not into  
the prison1 but to the grate2 and       
looking in1 ,i saw a man that was       
lately brought to prison for being a    
conjurer1 who had a naked knife  in his 
hand4 ,i spoke to him1 and he threatened
 to cut my chaps2 but1  being within the
 jail he could not come at me4 ,this was
 the jailer's  great disputant4    ,i   
went soon after into the jailer's house1
 and found him at  breakfast2 he had    
then got his conjurer out with him4 ,i  
told the  jailer his plot was           
discovered4 ,then he got up from the    
table1 and  cast his napkin away in a   
rage2 and ,i left them1 and went to my  
chamber2 for at this time we were out of
 ,doomsdale4    ,at the time the jailer 
had said the dispute should be1 ,i went 
down  and walked in the court 7the place
 appointed7 till about the eleventh     

hour2 but nobody came4 ,then ,i went up 
to my chamber again2 and after  awhile  
heard one call for me4 ,i stepped to the
 stairshead1 where ,i  saw the jailer's 
wife upon the stairs1 and the conjurer  
at the bottom  of the stairs1 holding   
his hand behind his back1 and in a great
 rage4    ,i asked him1 ,man1 what hast 
thou in thy hand behind thy back8 ,pluck
  thy hand before thee1 said ,i2 let's  
see thy hand1 and what thou  hast in it4
    ,then he angrily plucked forth his  
hand1 with a naked knife in it4 ,i      
showed the jailer's wife their wicked   
design against me2 for this was  the man
 they brought to dispute of the things  
of ,god4 ,but the ,lord  discovered     
their plot1 and prevented their evil    
design2 and they both  raged1 and the   
conjurer threatened4    ,then ,i was    
moved of the ,lord to speak sharply to  
him in the dreadful  power of the ,lord2
 and the ,lord's power came over him1   
and bound him  down2 so that he never   
after durst appear before me1 to speak  

to me4  ,i saw it was the ,lord alone   
that had preserved me out of their      
bloody  hands2 for the devil had a great
 enmity to me1 and stirred up his       
instruments to seek my hurt4 ,but the   
,lord prevented them2 and my  heart was 
filled with thanksgivings and praises to
 him4#hi      #hi ,the #adth of ,may1   
#afef1 ,edward ,pyot1 ,fox's fellow     
prisoner1    wrote a long letter to     
,john ,glyn1 ,chief ,justice of         
,england1    in which he showed that    
they were suffering contrary to law4    
,george ,fox himself1 as his custom was1
 spent much of his time of              
imprisonment writing letters and        
religious epistles4 ,here is a    sound 
word of advice from his ,epistle to     
,friends3 ,be patterns1    be examples  
in all countries1 places1 islands1      
nations1 wherever    you come1 that your
 life and conduct may preach among all  
sorts    of people and to them4    ,in  
,cornwall1 ,devonshire1 ,dorsetshire1   
and ,somersetshire1 ,truth  began       

mightily to spread4 ,many were turned to
 ,christ ,jesus and ,his  free teaching3
 for many ,friends that came to visit us
 were drawn  to declare the ,truth in   
those counties4 ,this made the priests  
and  professors rage1 and they stirred  
up the magistrates to ensnare  ,friends4
 ,they set up watches in the streets and
 highways1 on pretence  of taking up    
suspicious persons1 under which colour  
they stopped and  took up ,friends      
coming to visit us in prison2 which was 
done that  these ,friends might not pass
 up and down in the ,lord's service4    
,but that by which they thought to have 
stopped the ,truth was the  means of    
spreading it so much the more2 for then 
,friends were  frequently moved to speak
 to one constable and to another        
officer1  and to the justices before    
whom they were brought2 which caused the
  ,truth to spread the more in all their
 parishes4 ,and when ,friends were  got 
among the watches1 it would be a        
fortnight or three weeks before  they   

could get out of them again2 for no     
sooner had one constable  taken and     
carried them before the justices1 and   
these had discharged  them1 but another 
would take them up and carry them before
 other  justices3 which put the country 
to a great deal of needless trouble  and
 charges4    ,as ,thomas ,rawlinson was 
coming out of the north to visit us1 a  
constable in ,devonshire took him up1   
and at night took twenty  shillings out 
of his pocket3 and after being thus     
robbed he was cast  into ,exeter jail4  
,they cast into prison in ,devonshire1  
under pretence  of his being a ,jesuit1 
,henry ,pollexfen1 who had been a       
justice of  the peace for almost forty  
years4 ,many ,friends were cruelly      
beaten  by them2 nay1 some clothiers    
that were but going to mill with their  
cloth1 and others about their outward   
occasions1 they took up and  whipped2   
though men of about eighty or an hundred
 pounds by the year1  and not above four
 or five miles from their families4     

,the mayor of ,launceston took up all he
 could1 and cast them into  prison4 ,he 
would search substantial1 grave women1  
their petticoats  and their head-cloths4
 ,a young man coming to see us1 ,i drew 
up all  the gross1 inhuman1 and         
unchristian actions of the mayor1 gave  
it  him1 and bade him seal it up1 and go
 out again the back way2 and  then come 
into the town through the gates4 ,he did
 so1 and the watch  took him up and     
carried him before the mayor2 who       
presently searched  his pockets and     
found the letter4 ,therein he saw all   
his actions  characterized2 which shamed
 him so that from that time he meddled  
little with the ,lord's servants4       
,while ,i was in prison here1 the       
,baptists and ,fifth-monarchy men       
prophesied that this year ,christ should
 come1 and reign upon earth  a thousand 
years4 ,and they looked upon this reign 
to be outward3  when ,he was come       
inwardly in the hearts of ,his people1  
to reign and  rule2 where these         

professors would not receive ,him4 ,so  
they failed  in their prophecy and      
expectation1 and had not the possession 
of  ,him4 ,but ,christ is come1 and doth
 dwell and reign in the hearts of  ,his 
people4#ij ,thousands1 at the door of   
whose hearts ,he hath been  knocking1   
have opened to ,him1 and ,he is come in1
 and doth sup with  them1 and they with 
,him2 the heavenly supper with the      
heavenly and  spiritual man4 ,so many of
 these ,baptists and ,monarchy-people   
turned  the greatest enemies to the     
followers of ,christ2 but ,he reigns in 
the  hearts of ,his saints over all     
their envy4      #ij ,it will be found  
interesting to compare this brief       
comment    on the views of the          
,fifth-monarchy men with ,cromwell's    
treatment of them4 ,see ,speech ,,ii41  
in ,first ,parliament4 ,carlyle's       
,oliver ,cromwell1 ,centenary ,edition1 
,vol4 ,,iii41 p4 #aac4 ,the    modern   
reader will also find it interesting to 
compare this    passage with the        

present-day teachings of the ,second    
,coming4    ,at the assize divers       
justices came to us1 and were pretty    
civil1  and reasoned of the things of   
,god soberly2 expressing a pity to us4  
,captain ,fox1 governor of ,pendennis   
,castle1 came and looked me in the      
face1 and said never a word2 but went to
 his company and told them he  never saw
 a simpler man in his life4 ,i called   
after him1 and said1  ,stay1 man2 we    
will see who is the simpler man4 ,but he
 went his way4  ,a light1 chaffy person4
    ,thomas ,lower#ia also came to visit
 us1 and offered us money1 which  we    
refused2 accepting nevertheless of his  
love4 ,he asked us many  questions      
concerning our denying the ,scriptures  
to be the ,word of  ,god2 concerning the
 sacraments1 and such like3 to all which
 he  received satisfaction4 ,i spoke    
particularly to him2 and he afterwards  
said my words were as a flash of        
lightning1 they ran so through him4  ,he
 said he had never met with such men in 

his life1 for they knew  the thoughts of
 his heart2 and were as the wise        
master-builders of  the assemblies that 
fastened their words like nails4 ,he    
came to be  convinced of the truth1 and 
remains a ,friend to this day4      #ia 
,this ,thomas ,lower married ,judge     
,fell's daughter1 ,mary4    ,when he    
came home to his aunt ,hambley's1 where 
he then lived1 and  made report to her  
concerning us1 she1 with her sister     
,grace ,billing1  hearing the report of 
,truth1 came to visit us in prison1 and 
was  convinced also4 ,great sufferings  
and spoiling of goods both he and  his  
aunt have undergone for the ,truth's    
sake4    ,after the assizes1 the        
sheriff1 with some soldiers1 came to    
guard  to execution a woman that was    
sentenced to die2 and we had much       
discourse with them4 ,one of them       
wickedly said1 ,christ was as           
passionate a man as any that lived upon 
the earth2 for which we  rebuked him4   
,another time we asked the jailer what  

doings there were  at the sessions2 and 
he said1 ,small matters2 only about     
thirty  for bastardy4 ,we thought it    
very strange that they who professed    
themselves ,christians should make small
 matters of such things4    ,but this   
jailer was very bad himself2 ,i often   
admonished him to  sobriety2 but he     
abused people that came to visit us4    
,edward ,pyot had  a cheese sent him    
from ,bristol by his wife2 and the      
jailer took it  from him1 and carried it
 to the mayor1 to search it for         
treasonable  letters1 as he said2 and   
though they found no treason in the     
cheese1  they kept it from us4#ib ,this 
jailer might have been rich--if he had  
carried himself civilly2 but he sought  
his own ruin1 which soon after  came    
upon him4      #ib ,this1 however1 was  
not the last of the cheese4 ,after their
    release they revisited ,launceston1 
as this extract will show3      ,from   
,thomas ,mounce's we passed to          
,launceston again1 and visited    that  

little remnant of ,friends that had been
 raised up there    while we were in    
prison4 ,the ,lord's plants grew finely1
 and were    established on ,christ1    
their rock and foundation4 ,as we were  
going out of town again1 the constable  
of ,launceston came running    to us    
with the cheese that had been taken from
 ,edward ,pyot2 which    they had kept  
from us all this while1 and were        
tormented with it4    ,but being now set
 at liberty1 we would not receive it4   
,the next year he was turned out of his 
place1 and for some  wickedness cast    
into the jail himself2 and there begged 
of our  ,friends4 ,and for some         
unruliness in his conduct he was1 by the
  succeeding jailer1 put into           
,doomsdale1 locked in irons1 and beaten1
  and bidden to remember how he had     
abused those good men whom he had       
wickedly1 without any cause1 cast into  
that nasty dungeon2 and told  that now  
he deservedly should suffer for his     
wickedness2 and the same  measure he had

 meted to others1 should be meted out to
 himself4 ,he  became very poor1 and    
died in prison2 and his wife and family 
came to  misery4    ,while ,i was in    
prison in ,launceston1 a ,friend went to
 ,oliver  ,cromwell1 and offered        
himself1 body for body1 to lie in       
,doomsdale in  my stead2 if he would    
take him1 and let me have liberty4      
,which thing  so struck him1 that he    
said to his great men and council1      
,which of  you would do as much for me  
if ,i were in the same condition8 ,and  
though he did not accept of the         
,friend's offer1 but said he could not  
do it1 for that it was contrary to law1 
yet the ,truth thereby came  mightily   
over him4 ,a good while after this he   
sent down ,major-,general  ,desborough1 
pretending to set us at liberty4 ,when  
he came1 he offered  us our liberty if  
we would say we would go home and preach
 no more2  but we could not promise him4
 ,then he urged that we should promise  
to  go home1 if the ,lord permitted4    

,after this#ic ,major-,general          
,desborough came to the ,castle-,green1 
and played at bowls with the justices   
and others4 ,several ,friends  were     
moved to go and admonish them not to    
spend their time so vainly1  desiring   
them to consider1 that though they      
professed themselves to  be ,christians1
 yet they gave themselves up to their   
pleasures1 and  kept the servants of    
,god meanwhile in prison2 and telling   
them that  the ,lord would plead with   
them and visit them for such things4    
,but  notwithstanding what was written  
or said to him1 he went away1 and  left 
us in prison4      #ic ,both ,edward    
,pyot and ,george ,fox had written      
letters to    ,major-,general           
,desborough1 showing that they were     
innocent1    law-abiding men1 doing the 
,lord's work in the world1 and that     
they could not promise to go home1 it   
being the free right of an              
,englishman to go where his duty or his 
business carried him4    ,we understood 

afterwards that he left the business to 
,colonel ,bennet1  who had the command  
of the jail4 ,for some time after       
,bennet would  have set us at liberty if
 we would have paid his jailer's fees4  
,but  we told him we could give the     
jailer no fees1 for we were innocent    
sufferers2 and how could they expect    
fees of us1 who had suffered so  long   
wrongfully8 ,after a while ,colonel     
,bennet coming to town1 sent  for us to 
an inn1 and insisted again upon fees1   
which we refused4 ,at  last the power of
 the ,lord came so over him1 that he    
freely set us  at liberty on the #acth  
day of the ,seventh month1 #afef4 ,we   
had been  prisoners nine weeks at the   
first assize1 called the ,lent-assize1  
which was in the spring of the year4    
,,chapter ,x4    ,panting the ,seed in  
,wales4    #afef-afeg4      ,being      
released from our imprisonment1 we got  
horses1 rode towards  ,humphrey         
,lower's1 and met him upon the road4 ,he
 told us he was much  troubled in his   

mind concerning us1 and could not rest  
at home1 but  was going to ,colonel     
,bennet to seek our liberty4 ,when we   
told him we  were set at liberty1 and   
were going to his house1 he was         
exceeding  glad4 ,to his house we went1 
and had a fine1 precious meeting2 many  
were convinced1 and turned by the       
,spirit of the ,lord to the ,lord       
,jesus ,christ's teaching4    ,soon     
after we came to ,exeter1 where many    
,friends were in prison2  and amongst   
the rest ,james ,nayler4 ,for a little  
before we were set  at liberty1 ,james  
had run out into imaginations1 and a    
company with  him1 who raised a great   
darkness in the nation4 ,he came to     
,bristol1  and made a disturbance       
there4#id ,from thence he was coming to 
,launceston to see me2 but was stopped  
by the way1 and imprisoned at  ,exeter2 
as were several others1 one of whom1 an 
honest1 tender man1  died in prison     
there4 ,his blood lieth on the heads of 
his persecutors4      #id ,poor ,james  

,nayler proved unable to stand the      
strain of this    strenuous work4 ,a    
fanatical group got about him and in a  
period    of evident aberration he      
allowed these flattering followers to   
give him a ,triumphal ,entry into       
,bristol1 as ,christ1 returned in    the
 flesh4 ,here is ,carlyle's account3 ,in
 the month of ,october1    #afee1 there 
was seen a strange sight at ,bristol in 
the ,west4    ,a procession of eight    
persons3 one a man on horseback1 riding 
single2 the others1 men and women1      
partly riding double1 partly    on foot1
 in the muddiest highway1 in the wettest
 weather2    singing1 all but the       
single-rider1 at whose bridle splash and
    walk two women3 ',hosannah6 ,holy1  
holy6 ,lord ,god of ,sabaoth6'444       
,the single-rider is a raw-boned male   
figure1 'with lank hair    reaching     
below his cheeks'2 hat drawn close over 
his brows2 of    abstruse 'down look'   
and large1 dangerous jaws1 strictly     
closed2    he sings not2 sits there     

covered1 and is sung to by the others1  
bare4 ,amid pouring deluges and mud     
knee-deep3 'so that the rain    ran in  
at their necks1 and they vented it at   
their hose and    breeches1' a spectacle
 to the west of ,england and posterity6 
,singing as above2 answering no         
questions except in song4 ,at    the    
,high ,cross1 they are laid hold of by  
the ,authorities2    turn out to be     
,james ,nayler and ,company4 7,carlyle's
 ,oliver    ,cromwell's ,letters and    
,speeches4 ,vol4 ,,iii41 pp4 #bbc1      
#bbd47    ,what he needed was mental    
treatment4 ,what he received was the    
harshest punishment ,parliament could   
devise4 ,he missed the death    penalty 
by a vote of #hb to #if4 ,his sentence1 
passed by ,parliament    ,december      
#afth1 #afef1 was to be pilloried for   
two hours1 to be    whipped by the      
hangman through the streets from        
,westminster to    the ,old ,exchange in
 the city1 to be pilloried again after  
two    days for two hours more1 to have 

his tongue bored through with a         
red-hot iron1 and to be branded in the  
forehead with the letter    ,b1 to be   
again flogged through the streets of    
,bristol1 and then    to be committed to
 prison with solitary confinement and   
hard    labor during the pleasure of    
,parliament4 ,poor ,james ,nayler6      
,his fall did the ,quakers almost       
irreparable injury in public            
estimation4 ,fox had already had an     
intimation of this trouble4 ,as    he   
left ,james ,nayler in ,london he wrote3
 ,as ,i passed him ,i cast    my eye    
upon him and a fear struck me concerning
 him4    ,the night that we came to     
,exeter ,i spoke with ,james ,nayler3   
for ,i saw  he was out1 and wrong1 and  
so was his company4 ,the next day1 being
  ,first-day1 we went to visit the      
prisoners1 and had a meeting with  them 
in the prison2 but ,james ,nayler1 and  
some of them1 could not  stay the       
meeting4 ,there came a corporal of horse
 into the meeting1  who was convinced1  

and remained a very good ,friend4       
,the next day ,i spoke to ,james ,nayler
 again2 and he slighted what ,i  said1  
was dark1 and much out2 yet he would    
have come and kissed me4  ,but ,i said  
that since he had turned against the    
power of ,god1 ,i could  not receive his
 show of kindness4 ,the ,lord moved me  
to slight him1  and to set the power of 
,god over him4 ,so after ,i had been    
warring  with the world1 there was now a
 wicked spirit risen amongst ,friends   
to war against4 ,i admonished him and   
his company4    ,when he was come to    
,london1 his resisting the power of ,god
 in me1 and  the ,truth that was        
declared to him by me1 became one of his
 greatest  burdens4 ,but he came to see 
his out-going1 and to condemn it2 and   
after some time he returned to ,truth   
again2#ie as in the printed  relation of
 his repentance1 condemnation1 and      
recovery may be more  fully seen4       
#ie ,his death came not long after his  
awful punishment1 and just    before the

 end of life he wrote these words3      
,there is a spirit which ,i feel1 which 
delights to do no evil1    nor to       
revenge any wrong2 but delights to      
endure all things1    in hope to enjoy  
its own in the end4 ,its hope is to     
outlive    all wrath and contention1 and
 to weary out all exaltation and        
cruelty1 or whatever is of a nature     
contrary to itself4 ,it sees    to the  
end of all temptations2 as it bears no  
evil in itself1 so    it conceives none 
in thought to any other4 ,if it be      
betrayed1 it    bears it2 for its ground
 and spring is the mercy and forgiveness
    of ,god4 ,its crown is meekness2 its
 life is everlasting love    unfeigned4 
,it takes its kingdom with entreaty1 and
 not with    contention1 and keeps it by
 lowliness of mind4 ,in ,god alone it   
can rejoice1 though none else regard it1
 or can own its life4 ,it    is         
conceived in sorrow1 and brought forth  
without any to pity it2    nor doth it  
murmur at grief and oppression4 ,it     

never rejoiceth1    but through         
sufferings2 for with the world's joy it 
is murdered4    ,i found it alone2 being
 forsaken4 ,i have fellowship therein1  
with    those who lived in dens and     
desolate places in the earth2 who       
through death obtained this             
resurrection1 and eternal1 holy life6   
,see also ,james ,nayler's answer to the
 ,fanatick ,history as far as    it     
relates to him4      ,the wild extreme  
to which ,nayler went had a very        
sobering effect    on the ,friends      
themselves4    ,on ,first-day morning ,i
 went to the meeting in ,broadmead at   
,bristol1  which was large and quiet4   
,notice was given of a meeting to be in 
the  afternoon in the orchard4    ,there
 was at ,bristol a rude ,baptist1 named 
,paul ,gwin1 who had before  made great 
disturbance in our meetings1 being      
encouraged and set on  by the mayor1    
who1 it was reported1 would sometimes   
give him his  dinner to encourage him4  
,such multitudes of rude people he      

gathered  after him1 that it was thought
 there had been sometimes ten thousand  
people at our meeting in the orchard4   
,as ,i was going into the orchard1 the  
people told me that ,paul ,gwin  was    
going to the meeting4 ,i bade them never
 heed1 for it was nothing  to me who    
went to it4    ,when ,i was come into   
the orchard1 ,i stood upon the stone    
that ,friends  used to stand on when    
they spoke2 and ,i was moved of the     
,lord to put  off my hat1 and to stand a
 while1 and let the people look at me2  
for  some thousands of people were      
there4 ,while ,i thus stood silent1 this
  rude ,baptist began to find fault with
 my hair2 but ,i said nothing  to him4  
,then he ran on into words2 and at last1
 ,ye wise men of  ,bristol1 said he1 ,i 
marvel at you1 that you will stand here1
 and  hear a man speak and affirm that  
which he cannot make good4    ,then the 
,lord opened my mouth 7for as yet ,i had
 not spoken a word71  and ,i asked the  
people whether they had ever heard me   

speak1 or had  ever seen me before2 and 
,i bade them take notice what kind of   
man  this was amongst them that should  
so impudently say that ,i spoke and     
affirmed that which ,i could not make   
good2 and yet neither he nor  they had  
ever heard me or seen me before4        
,therefore that was a lying1  envious1  
malicious spirit that spoke in him2 and 
it was of the devil1  and not of ,god4  
,i charged him in the dread and power of
 the ,lord to  be silent3 and the mighty
 power of ,god came over him1 and all   
his  company4    ,then a glorious1      
peaceable meeting we had1 and the ,word 
of life was  divided amongst them2 and  
they were turned from darkness to the   
,light1--to ,jesus their ,saviour4 ,the 
,scriptures were largely opened to      
them2 and the traditions1 rudiments1    
ways1 and doctrines of men were  laid   
open before the people2 and they were   
turned to the ,light of  ,christ1 that  
with it they might see these things1 and
 see ,him to lead  them out of them4    

,i opened also to them the types1       
figures1 and shadows of ,christ in  the 
time of the law2 and showed them that   
,christ was come1 and had  ended the    
types1 shadows1 tithes1 and oaths1 and  
put down swearing2  and had set up yea  
and nay instead of it1 and a free       
ministry4 ,for ,he  was now come to     
teach the people ,himself1 and ,his     
heavenly day was  springing from on     
high4    ,for many hours did ,i declare 
the ,word of life amongst them in the   
eternal power of ,god1 that by ,him they
 might come up into the  beginning1 and 
be reconciled to ,him4 ,and having      
turned them to the  ,spirit of ,god in  
themselves1 that would lead into all    
,truth1 ,i was  moved to pray in the    
mighty power of ,god2 and the ,lord's   
power came  over all4 ,when ,i had done1
 this fellow began to babble again2 and 
,john ,audland was moved to bid him     
repent1 and fear ,god4 ,so his own      
people and followers being ashamed of   
him1 he passed away1 and never  came    

again to disturb the meeting4 ,the      
meeting broke up quietly1 and  the      
,lord's power and glory shone over all3 
a blessed day it was1 and  the ,lord had
 the praise4 ,after a while this ,paul  
,gwin went beyond the  seas2 and many   
years after ,i met him in ,barbadoes4   
,soon after we rode to ,london4 ,when we
 came near ,hyde ,park we saw a  great  
concourse of people1 and1 looking       
towards them1 espied the  ,protector    
coming in his coach4 ,whereupon ,i rode 
to his coach side4  ,some of his        
life-guard would have put me away2 but  
he forbade them4  ,so ,i rode by his    
coach side with him1 declaring what the 
,lord gave  me to say to him1 of his    
condition1 and of the sufferings of     
,friends  in the nation1 showing him how
 contrary this persecution was to the   
words of ,christ and ,his apostles1 and 
to ,christianity4    ,when we were come 
to ,james's ,park ,gate1 ,i left him2   
and at parting  he desired me to come to
 his house4 ,the next day one of his    

wife's  maids1 whose name was ,mary     
,sanders1 came to me at my lodging1 and 
told me that her master came to her1 and
 said he would tell her some  good news4
 ,when she asked him what it was1 he    
told her1 ,george ,fox  is come to town4
 ,she replied ,that is good news indeed 
7for she had  received ,truth71 but she 
said she could hardly believe him till  
he  told her how ,i met him1 and rode   
from ,hyde ,park to ,james's ,park with 
him4    ,after a little time ,edward    
,pyot and ,i went to ,whitehall to  see 
,oliver ,cromwell2 and when we came     
before him1 ,dr4 ,owen1  vice-chancellor
 of ,oxford1 was with him4 ,we were     
moved to speak to  him concerning the   
sufferings of ,friends1 and laid them   
before him3  and we directed him to the 
,light of ,christ1 who had enlightened  
every  man that cometh into the world4  
,he said it was a natural light2  but we
 showed him the contrary2 and proved    
that it was divine and  spiritual1      
proceeding from ,christ the spiritual   

and heavenly man2 and  that that which  
was called the life in ,christ the      
,word1 was called  the ,light in us4    
,the power of the ,lord ,god arose in   
me1 and ,i was moved in it to bid  him  
lay down his crown at the feet of       
,jesus4 ,several times ,i spoke to  him 
to the same effect4 ,i was standing by  
the table1 and he came and  sat upon the
 table's side by me1 saying he would be 
as high as ,i was4  ,so he continued    
speaking against the ,light of ,christ  
,jesus2 and went  his way in a light    
manner4 ,but the ,lord's power came over
 him so that  when he came to his wife  
and other company1 he said1 ,i never    
parted  so from them before2 for he was 
judged in himself4    ,after this ,i    
travelled into ,yorkshire1 and returned 
out of  ,holderness1 over ,humber1      
visiting ,friends2 and then returning   
into  ,leicestershire1 ,staffordshire1  
,worcestershire1 and ,warwickshire1     
among ,friends1 ,i had a meeting at     
,edge-,hill4 ,there came to it          

,ranters1 ,baptists1 and several sorts  
of rude people2 for ,i had sent  word   
about three weeks before to have a      
meeting there1 so that  hundreds of     
people were gathered thither1 and many  
,friends came to  it from afar4 ,the    
,lord's everlasting ,truth and ,word of 
life reached  over all2 the rude and    
unruly spirits were chained down2 and   
many  that day were turned to the ,lord 
,jesus ,christ1 by ,his power and       
,spirit1 and came to sit under ,his     
blessed1 free teaching1 and to be  fed  
with ,his eternal1 heavenly food4 ,all  
was peaceable2 the people  passed       
quietly away1 and some of them said it  
was a mighty1 powerful  meeting2 for the
 presence of the ,lord was felt1 and    
,his power and  ,spirit was amongst     
them4    ,thence ,i passed to ,warwick  
and to ,bagley1 having precious         
meetings2  and then into                
,gloucestershire1 and so to ,oxford1    
where the scholars  were very rude2 but 
the ,lord's power came over them4 ,great

 meetings  we had as we travelled up and
 down4    ,thus having travelled over   
most of the nation1 ,i returned to      
,london  again1 having cleared myself of
 that which lay upon me from the  ,lord4
 ,for after ,i was released out of      
,launceston jail1 ,i was moved  of the  
,lord to travel over the nation1 the    
,truth being now spread in  most places1
 that ,i might answer1 and remove out of
 the minds of the  people1 some         
objections which the envious priests and
 professors had  raised and spread      
abroad concerning us4    ,in this year  
the ,lord's ,truth was finely planted   
over the nation1  and many thousands    
were turned to the ,lord2 insomuch that 
there were  seldom fewer than one       
thousand in prison in this nation for   
,truth's  testimony2 some for tithes1   
some for going to the steeple-houses1   
some for contempts 7as they called      
them71 some for not swearing1 and       
others for not putting off their hats4  
,having stayed some time in ,london1 and

 visited the meetings of  ,friends in   
and about the city1 and cleared myself  
of what services  the ,lord had at that 
time laid upon me there1 ,i left the    
town and  travelled into ,kent1 ,sussex1
 and ,surrey1 visiting ,friends4 ,i had 
great meetings1 and often met with      
opposition from ,baptists and other     
jangling professors2 but the ,lord's    
power went over them4    ,we lay one    
night at ,farnham1 where we had a little
 meeting4 ,the  people were exceeding   
rude2 but at last the ,lord's power came
 over  them4 ,after meeting we went to  
our inn1 and gave notice that any who   
feared ,god might come to our inn to us4
 ,there came abundance of rude  people1 
the magistrates of the town1 and some   
professors4 ,i declared  the ,truth to  
them2 and those people that behaved     
themselves rudely1  the magistrates put 
out of the room4    ,when they were     
gone1 another rude company of professors
 came up1 and  some of the chief of the 
town4 ,they called for faggots and      

drink1  though we forbade them1 and were
 as rude a people as ever ,i met4  ,the 
,lord's power chained them1 that they   
had not power to do us any  mischief2   
but when they went away they left all   
the faggots and beer1  for which they   
had called1 in the room1 for us to pay  
for in the  morning4 ,we showed the     
innkeeper what an unworthy thing it was2
 but  he told us we must pay it2 and pay
 it we did4    ,before we left the town 
,i wrote to the magistrates and heads of
 the  town1 and to the priest1 showing  
them how he had taught his people1  and 
laying before them their rude and       
uncivil carriage to strangers  that     
sought their good4    ,leaving that     
place we came to ,basingstoke1 a very   
rude town2 where  they had formerly very
 much abused ,friends4 ,there ,i had a  
meeting  in the evening1 which was      
quiet2 for the ,lord's power chained the
  unruly4 ,at the close of the meeting  
,i was moved to put off my hat and  to  
pray to the ,lord to open their         

understandings2 upon which they  raised 
a report that ,i put off my hat to them 
and bade them good  night1 which was    
never in my heart4    ,after the        
meeting1 when we came to our inn1 ,i    
sent for the innkeeper1  as ,i was used 
to do2 and he came into the room to us1 
and showed  himself a very rude man4 ,i 
admonished him to be sober1 and fear the
  ,lord2 but he called for faggots and a
 pint of wine1 and drank it off         
himself2 then called for another1 and   
called up half a dozen men into  our    
chamber4 ,thereupon ,i bade him go out  
of the chamber1 and told  him he should 
not drink there2 for we called him up to
 speak to him  concerning his eternal   
good4    ,he was exceeding mad1 rude1   
and drunk4 ,when he continued his       
rudeness  and would not be gone1 ,i told
 him that the chamber was mine for the  
time ,i lodged in it2 and called for the
 key4 ,then he went away in a  rage4 ,in
 the morning he would not be seen2 but  
,i told his wife of his  unchristian    

carriage towards us4    ,we then        
travelled to ,exeter2 and at the sign of
 the ,seven ,stars1  an inn at the      
bridge foot1 had a general meeting of   
,friends out of  ,cornwall and          
,devonshire2 to which came ,humphrey    
,lower1 ,thomas ,lower1  and ,john      
,ellis from the ,land's ,end2 ,henry    
,pollexfen1 and ,friends from           
,plymouth2 ,elizabeth ,trelawny1 and    
divers other ,friends4 ,a blessed       
heavenly meeting we had1 and the ,lord's
 everlasting power came over  all1 in   
which ,i saw and said that the ,lord's  
power had surrounded  this nation round 
about as with a wall and bulwark1 and   
,his seed  reached from sea to sea4     
,friends were established in the        
everlasting  ,seed of life1 ,christ     
,jesus1 their ,life1 ,rock1 ,teacher1   
and ,shepherd4    ,next morning ,major  
,blackmore sent soldiers to apprehend   
me2 but ,i  was gone before they came4  
,as ,i was riding up the street ,i saw  
the  officers going down2 so the ,lord  

crossed them in their design1 and       
,friends passed away peaceably and      
quietly4 ,the soldiers examined some    
,friends after ,i was gone1 asking them 
what they did there2 but when  they told
 them that they were in their inn1 and  
had business in the  city1 they went    
away without meddling any further with  
them4    ,we passed through the         
countries1,,af having meetings1 and     
gathering  people in the name of        
,christ1 their heavenly teacher1 till we
 came to  ,brecknock1 where we put up   
our horses at an inn4 ,there went with  
me  ,thomas ,holmes and ,john ap-,john1 
who was moved of the ,lord to speak in  
the streets4 ,i walked out but a little 
into the fields2 and when ,i  returned  
the town was in an uproar4 ,when ,i came
 into the chamber in  the inn1 it was   
full of people1 and they were speaking  
in ,welsh4 ,i  desired them to speak in 
,english1 which they did2 and much      
discourse  we had4 ,after a while they  
went away4      ,,af ,in ,wales4        

,towards night the magistrates gathered 
in the streets with a  multitude of     
people1 and they bade them shout1 and   
gathered up the  town2 so that1 for     
about two hours together1 there was a   
noise the  like of which we had not     
heard2 and the magistrates set them on  
to  shout again when they had given     
over4 ,we thought it looked like the    
uproar amongst ,diana's craftsmen4 ,this
 tumult continued till night1  and if   
the ,lord's power had not limited them1 
they would likely have  pulled down the 
house1 and torn us to pieces4    ,at    
night the woman of the house would have 
had us go to supper in  another room2   
but we1 discerning her plot1 refused4   
,then she would  have had half a dozen  
men come into the room to us1 under the 
pretence of discoursing with us4 ,we    
told her1 ,no person shall come  into   
our room this night1 neither will we go 
to them4 ,then she said  we should sup  
in another room2 but we told her we     
would have no  supper if we had it not  

in our own room4 ,at length1 when she   
saw she  could not get us out1 she      
brought up our supper4    ,so she and   
they were crossed in their design2 for  
they had an intent  to do us mischief1  
but the ,lord prevented them4 ,next     
morning ,i wrote  a paper to the town   
concerning their unchristian carriage1  
showing  the fruits of their priests and
 magistrates2 and as ,i passed out  of  
town ,i spoke to the people1 and told   
them they were a shame to  ,christianity
 and religion4    ,after this we        
returned to ,england1 and came to       
,shrewsbury1 where we  had a great      
meeting1 and visited ,friends all over  
the countries in  their meetings1 till  
we came to ,william ,gandy's1 in        
,cheshire1 where  we had a meeting of   
between two and three thousand people1  
as it  was thought2 and the everlasting 
,word of life was held forth1 and       
received that day4 ,a blessed meeting it
 was1 for ,friends were settled  by the 
power of ,god upon ,christ ,jesus1 the  

,rock and ,foundation4    ,at this time 
there was a great drought2 and after    
this general  meeting was ended1 there  
fell so great a rain that ,friends said 
they  thought we could not travel1 the  
waters would be so risen4 ,but ,i       
believed the rain had not extended as   
far as they had come that day  to the   
meeting4 ,next day1 in the afternoon1   
when we turned back into  some parts of 
,wales again1 the roads were dusty1 and 
no rain had  fallen there4    ,when     
,oliver ,cromwell sent forth a          
proclamation for a fast throughout  the 
nation1 for rain1 when there was a very 
great drought1 it was  observed that as 
far as ,truth had spread in the north1  
there were  pleasant showers and rain   
enough1 while in the south1 in many     
places1  the fields were almost spoiled 
for want of rain4 ,at that time ,i was  
moved to write an answer to the         
,protector's proclamation1 wherein ,i   
told him that if he had come to own     
,god's ,truth1 he should have had  rain2

 and that the drought was a sign unto   
them of their barrenness1  and their    
want of the water of life4    ,we passed
 through ,montgomeryshire into ,wales1  
and so into  ,radnorshire1 where there  
was a meeting like a leaguer1,,ag for   
multitudes4 ,i walked a little aside    
whilst the people were gathering3  and  
there came to me ,john ap-,john1 a      
,welshman1 whom ,i asked to go to  the  
people2 and if he had anything upon him 
from the ,lord to them1  he might speak 
in ,welsh1 and thereby gather more      
together4 ,then came  ,morgan ,watkins  
to me1 who was become loving to         
,friends1 and said1  ,the people lie    
like a leaguer1 and the gentry of the   
country are  come in4 ,i bade him go up 
also1 and leave me2 for ,i had a great  
travail upon me for the salvation of the
 people4      ,,ag ,a besieging army4   
,when they were well gathered1 ,i went  
into the meeting1 and stood upon  a     
chair about three hours4 ,i stood a     
pretty while before ,i began  to speak4 

,after some time ,i felt the power of   
the ,lord over the  whole assembly3 and 
,his everlasting life and ,truth shone  
over all4  ,the ,scriptures were opened 
to them1 and the objections they had in 
their minds answered4 ,they were        
directed to the ,light of ,christ1 the  
heavenly man2 that by it they might see 
their sins1 and ,christ ,jesus  to be   
their ,saviour1 their ,redeemer1 their  
,mediator2 and come to feed  upon ,him1 
the bread of life from heaven4    ,many 
were turned to the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1
 and to ,his free teaching  that day2   
and all were bowed down under the power 
of ,god2 so that  though the multitude  
was so great that many sat on horseback 
to hear1  there was no opposition4 ,a   
priest sat with his wife on horseback1  
heard attentively1 and made no          
objection4    ,the people parted        
peaceably1 with great satisfaction2 many
 of them  saying they had never heard   
such a sermon before1 nor the           
,scriptures  so opened4 ,for the new    

covenant was opened1 and the old1 and   
the  nature and terms of each2 and the  
parables were explained4 ,the state  of 
the ,church in the apostles' days was   
set forth1 and the apostasy  since was  
laid open2 the free teaching of ,christ 
and the apostles was  set atop of all   
the hireling teachers2 and the ,lord had
 the praise of  all1 for many were      
turned to ,him that day4#if      #if    
,great numbers of these ,welsh ,friends 
migrated to    ,pennsylvania and settled
 ,montgomery ,county4 ,haverford1 ,bryn 
,mawr1    ,merion and ,radnor are some  
of the historic townships whose names   
were transferred to the new world by    
these followers of ,fox4    ,i went     
thence to ,leominster1 where was a great
 meeting in a close1  many hundreds of  
people being gathered together4 ,there  
were about six  congregational preachers
 and priests amongst the people2 and    
,thomas  ,taylor1 who had been a priest1
 but was now become a minister of       
,christ ,jesus1 was with me4 ,i stood up

 and declared about three hours2  and   
none of the priests were able to open   
their mouths in opposition2  the ,lord's
 power and ,truth so reached and bound  
them4    ,at length one priest went off 
about a bow-shot from me1 drew several  
of the people after him1 and began to   
preach to them4 ,so ,i kept our         
meeting1 and he kept his4 ,after awhile 
,thomas ,taylor was moved to go  and    
speak to him1 upon which he gave over3  
and he1 with the people he  had drawn   
off1 came to us again2 and the ,lord's  
power went over all4    ,from this place
 ,i travelled on in ,wales1 having      
several meetings1  till ,i came to      
,tenby1 where1 as ,i rode up the street1
 a justice of  the peace came out to me1
 asked me to alight1 and desired that ,i
  would stay at his house1 which ,i did4
 ,on ,first-day the mayor1 with  his    
wife1 and several others of the chief   
people of the town1 came  in about the  
tenth hour1 and stayed all the time of  
the meeting4 ,a  glorious meeting it    

was4    ,john ap-,john being then with  
me1 left the meeting1 and went to the   
steeple-house2 and the governor cast him
 into prison4 ,on ,second-day  morning  
the governor sent one of his officers to
 the justice's to  fetch me2 which      
grieved the mayor and the justice2 for  
they were both  with me in the justice's
 house when the officer came4 ,the mayor
 and  the justice went to the governor  
before me2 and awhile after ,i went     
with the officer4 ,when ,i came in ,i   
said1 ,peace be unto this house1  and   
before the governor could examine me ,i 
asked him why he cast my  friend into   
prison4 ,he said1 ,for standing with his
 hat on in the  church4    ,i said1 ,had
 not the priest two caps on his head1 a 
black one and a  white one8 ,cut off the
 brims of the hat1 and then my friend   
would  have but one3 and the brims of   
the hat were but to defend him from     
weather4    ,these are frivolous things1
 said the governor4    ,why1 then1 said 
,i1 dost thou cast my friend into prison

 for such  frivolous things8    ,he     
asked me whether ,i owned election and  
reprobation4 ,yes1 said ,i1  and thou   
art in the reprobation4    ,at that he  
was in a rage and said he would send me 
to prison till ,i  proved it4 ,i told   
him ,i would prove that quickly if he   
would confess  ,truth4 ,i asked him     
whether wrath1 fury1 rage and           
persecution were not  marks of          
reprobation2 for he that was born of the
 flesh persecuted  him that was born of 
the ,spirit2 but ,christ and ,his       
disciples never  persecuted nor         
imprisoned any4    ,he fairly confessed 
that he had too much wrath1 haste and   
passion in  him4 ,i told him that ,esau 
was up in him1 the first birth2 not     
,jacob1  the second birth4 ,the ,lord's 
power so reached the man and came over  
him that he confessed to ,truth2 and the
 other justice came and shook  me kindly
 by the hand4    ,as ,i was passing away
 ,i was moved to speak to the governor  
again2 and  he invited me to dinner with

 him1 and set my friend at liberty4 ,i  
went back to the other justice's house2 
and after some time the mayor  and his  
wife1 and the justice and his wife1 and 
divers other ,friends  of the town1 went
 about half a mile out of town with us1 
to the  water-side1 when we went away2  
and there1 when we parted from them1 ,i 
was moved of the ,lord to kneel down    
with them1 and pray to the ,lord  to    
preserve them4 ,so1 after ,i had        
recommended them to the ,lord ,jesus    
,christ1 their ,saviour and free        
,teacher1 we passed away in the ,lord's 
power2 and ,he had the glory4    ,we    
travelled to ,pembrokeshire1 and in     
,pembroke had some service for  the     
,lord4 ,thence we passed to ,haverford  
,west1 where we had a great  meeting1   
and all was quiet4 ,the ,lord's power   
came over all1 and  many were settled in
 the new covenant1 ,christ ,jesus1 and  
built upon  ,him1 their ,rock and       
,foundation2 and they stand a precious  
meeting to  this day4 ,next day1 being  

their fair-day1 we passed through it1   
and  sounded the day of the ,lord1 and  
,his everlasting ,truth1 amongst them4  
,after this we passed into another      
county1 and at noon came into a  great  
market-town1 and went into several inns 
before we could get  any meat for our   
horses4 ,at last we came to one where we
 got some4  ,then ,john ap-,john being  
with me1 went and spoke through the     
town1  declaring the ,truth to the      
people2 and when he came to me again1 he
  said he thought all the town were as  
people asleep4 ,after awhile he  was    
moved to go and declare ,truth in the   
streets again2 then the town  was all in
 an uproar1 and they cast him into      
prison4    ,presently after several of  
the chief people of the town came1 with 
others1 to the inn where ,i was1 and    
said1 ,they have cast your man  into    
prison4    ,for what8 said ,i4    ,he   
preached in our streets1 said they4     
,then ,i asked them1 ,what did he say8  
,had he reproved some of the  drunkards 

and swearers1 and warned them to repent1
 and leave off  their evil doings1 and  
turn to the ,lord8 ,i asked them who    
cast  him into prison4 ,they said1 the  
high-sheriff and justices1 and the      
mayor4 ,i asked their names1 and whether
 they understood themselves2  and       
whether that was their conduct to       
travellers that passed through  their   
town1 and strangers that admonished and 
exhorted them to fear  the ,lord1 and   
reproved sin in their gates4    ,these  
went back1 and told the officers what ,i
 had said2 and after  awhile they       
brought down ,john ap-,john1 guarded    
with halberts1 in  order to put him out 
of the town4 ,being at the inn door1 ,i 
bade the  officers take their hands off 
him4 ,they said that the mayor and      
justices had commanded them to put him  
out of town4 ,i told them ,i  would talk
 with their mayor and justices          
concerning their uncivil and            
unchristian carriage towards him4    ,so
 ,i spoke to ,john to go look after the 

horses1 and get them ready1  and charged
 the officers not to touch him4 ,after  
,i had declared the  ,truth to them1 and
 showed them the fruits of their        
priests1 and their  incivility and      
unchristian carriage1 they left us4     
,they were a kind  of ,independents2 a  
very wicked town1 and false4 ,we bade   
the innkeeper  give our horses a peck of
 oats2 and no sooner had we turned our  
backs  than the oats were stolen from   
our horses4    ,after we had refreshed  
ourselves a little1 and were ready1 we  
took  horse1 and rode up to the inn1    
where the mayor1 sheriff1 and justices  
were4 ,i called to speak with them1 and 
asked them why they had  imprisoned     
,john ap-,john1 and kept him in prison  
two or three hours4  ,but they would not
 answer me a word2 they only looked out 
at the  windows upon me4 ,so ,i showed  
them how unchristian was their carriage 
to strangers and travellers1 and how it 
manifested the fruits of  their         
teachers2 and ,i declared the truth unto

 them1 and warned them  of the day of   
the ,lord1 that was coming upon all     
evil-doers2 and the  ,lord's power came 
over them1 that they looked ashamed2 but
 not a  word could ,i get from them in  
answer4    ,so when ,i had warned them  
to repent1 and turn to the ,lord1 we    
passed away4 ,at night we came to a     
little inn1 very poor1 but very  cheap2 
for our own provision and that for our  
two horses cost but  eight-pence2 but   
the horses would not eat their oats4 ,we
 declared the  ,truth to the people of  
the place1 and sounded the day of the   
,lord  through the countries4,,ah       
,,ah ,counties4    ,passing thence we   
came to a great town1 and went to an    
inn4 ,edward  ,edwards went into the    
market1 and declared the ,truth amongst 
the  people2 and they followed him to   
the inn1 and filled the yard1 and  were 
exceedingly rude4 ,yet good service we  
had for the ,lord amongst  them2 for the
 life of ,christianity and the power of 
it tormented  their chaffy spirits1 and 

came over them1 so that some were       
reached  and convinced2 and the ,lord's 
power came over all4 ,the magistrates   
were bound2 they had no power to meddle 
with us4    ,after this we came to      
another great town on a market-day2 and 
,john  ap-,john declared the everlasting
 ,truth through the streets1 and        
proclaimed the day of the ,lord amongst 
them4 ,in the evening many  people      
gathered about the inn2 and some of     
them1 being drunk1 would  fain have had 
us come into the street again4 ,but     
seeing their design1  ,i told them that 
if there were any that feared ,god and  
desired to  hear the ,truth1 they might 
come into our inn2 or else we might have
 a  meeting with them next morning4     
,some service for the ,lord we had      
amongst them1 both over night and  in   
the morning2 and though the people were 
slow to receive the  ,truth1 yet the    
seed was sown2 and thereabouts the ,lord
 hath a people  gathered to ,himself4   
,in that inn1 also1 ,i but turned my    

back to the man that was giving  oats to
 my horse1 and1 looking round again1 ,i 
observed he was filling  his pockets    
with the provender4 ,a wicked1 thievish 
people1 to rob the  poor1 dumb creature 
of his food4 ,i would rather they had   
robbed me4    ,thence we went to        
,beaumaris1 a town wherein ,john        
ap-,john had formerly  been a preacher4 
,after we had put up our horses at an   
inn1 ,john went  and spoke through the  
street2 and there being a garrison in   
the town1  they took him and put him    
into prison4 ,the innkeeper's wife came 
and  told me that the governor and      
magistrates were sending for me1 to     
commit me to prison also4 ,i told her   
that they had done more than  they could
 answer already2 and had acted contrary 
to ,christianity in  imprisoning him for
 reproving sin in their streets and     
gates1 and for  declaring the ,truth4   
,soon after came other friendly people1 
and told  me that if ,i went into the   
street1 the governor and magistrates    

would  imprison me also2 therefore they 
desired me to keep within the inn4      
,upon this ,i was moved to go and walk  
up and down in the streets4#ig  ,and ,i 
told the people what an uncivil1        
unchristian thing they  had done in     
casting my friend into prison4 ,and they
 being high  professors1 ,i asked them  
if this was the entertainment they had  
for strangers2 if they would willingly  
be so served themselves2 and  whether   
they1 who looked upon the ,scriptures to
 be their rule1 had  any example in the 
,scriptures from ,christ or ,his        
apostles1 for what  they had done4 ,so  
after awhile they set ,john ap-,john at 
liberty4      #ig ,this was very        
characteristic of the man4    ,next day1
 being market-day1 we were to cross a   
great water2#ih  and not far from the   
place where we were to take boat1 many  
of the  market-people drew to us4       
,amongst these we had good service for  
the  ,lord1 declaring the ,word of ,life
 and everlasting ,truth unto them1      

proclaiming amongst them the day of the 
,lord1 which was coming upon  all       
wickedness2 and directing them to the   
,light of ,christ1 with which  ,he1 the 
heavenly man1 had enlightened them2 by  
which they might see  all their sins1   
and all their false ways1 religions1    
worships and  teachers2 and by the same 
,light might see ,christ ,jesus1 who was
 come  to save them1 and lead them to   
,god4      #ih ,beaumaris is in         
,anglesey1 so that they were to cross   
,beaumaris ,bay to the mainland4        
,after the ,truth had been declared to  
them in the power of ,god1 and  ,christ 
the free teacher set over all the       
hireling teachers1 ,i made  ,john       
ap-,john get his horse into the boat1   
which was then ready4 ,but  there being 
a company of wild gentlemen1 as they    
were called1  gotten into it 7whom we   
found very rude1 and far from           
gentleness71  they1 with others1 kept   
his horse out of the boat4 ,i rode to   
the  boat's side1 and spoke to them1    

showing them what an unmanly and        
unchristian carriage it was2 and told   
them that they showed an  unworthy      
spirit1 below ,christianity or humanity4
    ,as ,i spoke1 ,i leaped my horse    
into the boat amongst them1 thinking    
,john's horse would follow when he had  
seen mine go in before him4 ,but  the   
water being pretty deep1 ,john could not
 get his horse into the  boat4          
,therefore ,i leaped out again on       
horseback into the water1 and  stayed   
with ,john on that side till the boat   
returned4    ,there we tarried1 from the
 eleventh hour of the forenoon to the   
second in the afternoon1 before the boat
 came to fetch us2 and then  had        
forty-two miles to ride that evening2   
and by the time we had paid  for our    
passage1 we had but one groat left      
between us in money4    ,we rode about  
sixteen miles1 and then got a little hay
 for our  horses4 ,setting forward      
again1 we came in the night to a little 
ale-house1 where we thought to have     

stayed and baited4 ,but1 finding  we    
could have neither oats nor hay there1  
we travelled all night2  and about the  
fifth hour in the morning got to a place
 within six  miles of ,wrexham1 where   
that day we met with many ,friends1 and 
had  a glorious meeting4 ,the ,lord's   
everlasting power and ,truth was over   
all2 and a meeting is continued there to
 this day4    ,next day we passed thence
 into ,flintshire1 sounding the day of  
the  ,lord through the towns2 and came  
into ,wrexham at night4 ,here many  of  
,floyd's people came to us2 but very    
rude1 wild1 and airy they  were1 and    
little sense of truth they had2 yet some
 were convinced in  that town4 ,next    
morning one called a lady sent for me1  
who kept a  preacher in her house4 ,i   
went1 but found both her and her        
preacher  very light and airy2 too light
 to receive the weighty things of  ,god4
 ,in her lightness she came and asked me
 if she should cut my  hair2 but ,i was 
moved to reprove her1 and bade her cut  

down the  corruptions in herself with   
the sword of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,so   
after  ,i had admonished her to be more 
grave and sober1 we passed away2 and    
afterwards1 in her frothy mind1 she made
 her boast that she came  behind me and 
cut off the curl of my hair2#ii but she 
spoke falsely4      #ii ,this curl is   
two or three times mentioned4 ,he always
 wore    his hair long and apparently   
had a long curling lock behind4    ,from
 ,wrexham we came to ,chester2 and it   
being the fair time1 we  stayed a while1
 and visited ,friends4 ,for ,i had      
travelled through  every county in      
,wales1 preaching the everlasting gospel
 of ,christ2  and a brave people there  
is now1 who have received it1 and sit   
under  ,christ's teaching4 ,but before  
,i left ,wales ,i wrote to the          
magistrates  of ,beaumaris concerning   
the imprisoning of ,john ap-,john2      
letting them  see their conditions1 and 
the fruits of their ,christianity1 and  
of  their teachers4 ,afterwards ,i met  

with some of them near ,london2 but1    
oh1 how ashamed they were of their      
action6    ,soon we came to ,manchester1
 and the sessions being there that day  
many rude people were come out of the   
country4 ,in the meeting they  threw at 
me coals1 clods1 stones1 and water2 yet 
the ,lord's power  bore me up over them 
that they could not strike me down4 ,at 
last1  when they saw they could not     
prevail by throwing water1 stones1 and  
dirt at me1 they went and informed the  
justices in the sessions1 who  thereupon
 sent officers to fetch me before them4 
,the officers came in while ,i was      
declaring the ,word of life to the      
people1 plucked me down1 and haled me   
into their court4 ,when ,i came  there  
all the court was in a disorder and a   
noise4 ,i asked1 ,where  are the        
magistrates that they do not keep the   
people civil8 ,some of  the justices    
said that they were magistrates4 ,i     
asked them why1 then1  they did not     
appease the people1 and keep them sober1

 for one cried1  ,i'll swear1 and       
another cried1 ,i'll swear4    ,i       
declared to the justices how we were    
abused in our meeting by the  rude      
people1 who threw stones1 clods1 dirt1  
and water2 and how ,i  was haled out of 
the meeting and brought thither1        
contrary to the  instrument of          
government1 which said that none should 
be molested in  their meetings that     
professed ,god1 and owned the ,lord     
,jesus ,christ2  which ,i did4 ,the     
,truth so came over them that when one  
of the rude  followers cried1 ,i'll     
swear1 one of the justices checked him1 
saying ,what will you swear8 hold your  
tongue4    ,at last they bade the       
constable take me to my lodging1 and    
there  secure me till they sent for me  
again to-morrow morning4 ,so the        
constable took me to my lodging4    ,as 
we went the people were exceedingly     
rude2 but ,i let them see  the fruits of
 their teachers1 how they shamed        
,christianity1 and  dishonored the name 

of ,jesus which they professed4    ,at  
night we went to see a justice in the   
town who was pretty  moderate1 and ,i   
had a great deal of discourse with him4 
,next morning  we sent to the constable 
to know if he had anything more to say  
to  us4 ,he sent us word that he had    
nothing to say to us2 we might go       
whither we would4    ,the ,lord hath    
since raised up a people to stand for   
,his name and  ,truth in that town over 
those chaffy professors4    ,we passed  
from ,manchester1 having many precious  
meetings in several  places1 till we    
came to ,preston4 ,between ,preston and 
,lancaster ,i had  a general meeting1   
from which ,i went to ,lancaster4 ,there
 at our inn ,i  met with ,colonel ,west1
 who was very glad to see me1 and       
meeting with  ,judge ,fell he told him  
that ,i was mightily grown in the       
,truth2 when1  indeed1 he was come      
nearer to the ,truth1 and so could      
better discern  it4    ,we came from    
,lancaster to ,robert ,widders's4 ,on   

the ,first-day after  ,i had a general  
meeting of ,friends of ,westmoreland and
 ,lancashire  near ,sandside1 when the  
,lord's everlasting power was over all4 
,in  this meeting the ,word of eternal  
life was declared1 and ,friends were    
settled upon the foundation ,christ     
,jesus1 under ,his free teaching2  and  
many were convinced1 and turned to the  
,lord4    ,next day ,i came over the    
,sands to ,swarthmore1 where ,friends   
were glad  to see me4 ,i stayed there   
two ,first-days1 visiting ,friends in   
their  meetings thereabouts4 ,they      
rejoiced with me in the goodness of the 
,lord1 who by ,his eternal power had    
carried me through and over many        
difficulties and dangers in ,his        
service2 to ,him be the praise for      
ever6          ,,chapter ,,xi4    ,in   
the ,home of the ,covenanters4    #afeg4
      ,after ,i had tarried two         
,first-days at ,swarthmore1#ajj and had 
visited ,friends in their meetings      
thereabouts1 ,i passed into             

,westmoreland1 in the same work1 till ,i
 came to ,john ,audland's1 where  there 
was a general meeting4      #ajj ,while 
waiting at ,swarthmore1 between the     
labors in ,wales    and the visit to    
,scotland1 ,george ,fox wrote several   
epistles4    ,here is a beautiful little
 ,postscript to his epistle to ,friends3
      ,postscript--,and1 ,friends1 be   
careful how ye set your feet among      
the tender plants1 that are springing up
 out of ,god's earth2    lest ye tread  
upon them1 hurt1 bruise1 or crush them  
in ,god's    vineyard4    ,the night    
before ,i had had a vision of a         
desperate creature that was  coming to  
destroy me1 but ,i got victory over it4 
,and next day in  meeting-time came one 
,otway1 with some rude fellows4 ,he rode
 round  about the meeting with his sword
 or rapier1 and would fain have  got in 
through the ,friends to me2 but the     
meeting being great1 the  ,friends stood
 close1 so that he could not easily come
 at me4 ,when he  had ridden about      

several times raging1 and found he could
 not get in1  being limited by the      
,lord's power1 he went away4    ,it was 
a glorious meeting1 ended peaceably1 and
 the ,lord's  everlasting power came    
over all4 ,this wild man went home1     
became  distracted1 and not long after  
died4 ,i sent a paper to ,john ,blakelin
  to read to him1 while he lay ill1     
showing him his wickedness1 and he      
acknowledged something of it4    ,i had 
for some time felt drawings on my spirit
 to go into ,scotland1  and had sent to 
,colonel ,william ,osburn of ,scotland1 
desiring him  to meet me2 and he1 with  
some others1 came out of ,scotland to   
this  meeting4#aja ,after it was over   
7which1 he said1 was the most  glorious 
meeting that ever he saw in his life71  
,i passed with him  and his company into
 ,scotland1 having with me ,robert      
,widders1 a  thundering man against     
hypocrisy1 deceit1 and the rottenness of
 the  priests4      #aja ,this was a    
great general meeting at ,langlands1 in 

,cumberland4    ,the first night we came
 into ,scotland we lodged at an inn4    
,the  innkeeper told us an earl lived   
about a quarter of a mile off1 who  had 
a desire to see me2 and had left word at
 the inn that if ever ,i  came into     
,scotland1 he should be told of it4 ,the
 innkeeper told us  there were three    
drawbridges to the earl's house2 and    
that it would  be nine o'clock before   
the third bridge was drawn4    ,finding 
we had time in the evening1 we walked to
 his house4 ,he  received us very       
lovingly1 and said he would have gone   
with us on our  journey1 but that he was
 before engaged to go to a funeral4     
,after we  had spent some time with him1
 we parted very friendly1 and returned  
to our inn4 ,next morning we travelled  
on1 and passing through  ,dumfries1 came
 to ,douglas1 where we met with some    
,friends4 ,thence we  passed to the     
,heads1 where we had a blessed meeting  
in the name of  ,jesus1 and felt ,him in
 the midst4    ,leaving ,heads1 we went 

to ,badcow1 and had a meeting there1 to 
which  abundance of people came1 and    
many were convinced4 ,amongst them was  
one called a lady4 ,from thence we      
passed towards the ,highlands to        
,william ,osburn's1 where we gathered up
 the sufferings of ,friends1 and  the   
principles of the ,scotch priests1 which
 may be seen in a book  called ,the     
,scotch ,priests' ,principles4          
,afterwards we returned to ,heads1      
,badcow1 and ,garshore1 where the said  
lady1 ,margaret ,hambleton1 was         
convinced2 who afterwards went to warn  
,oliver ,cromwell and ,charles          
,fleetwood of the day of the ,lord that 
was  coming upon them4    ,on ,first-day
 we had a great meeting1 and several    
professors came to  it4 ,now1 the       
priests had frightened the people with  
the doctrine of  election and           
reprobation1 telling them that ,god had 
ordained the  greatest part of men and  
women for hell2 and that1 let them pray1
 or  preach1 or sing1 or do what they   

would1 it was all to no purpose1  if    
they were ordained for hell4 ,also that 
,god had a certain number  elected for  
heaven1 let them do what they would2 as 
,david was an  adulterer1 and ,paul a   
persecutor1 yet still they were elected 
vessels  for heaven4 ,so the priests    
said the fault was not at all in the    
creature1 less or more1 but that ,god   
had ordained it so4    ,i was led to    
open to the people the falseness and    
folly of their  priests' doctrines1 and 
showed how they1 the priests1 had abused
  those ,scriptures they quoted4 ,now   
all that believe in the ,light  of      
,christ1 as ,he commands1 are in the    
election1 and sit under the  teaching of
 the grace of ,god1 which brings their  
salvation4 ,but such  as turn this grace
 into wantonness1 are in the            
reprobation2 and such  as hate the      
,light1 are in the condemnation4    ,so 
,i exhorted all the people to believe in
 the ,light1 as ,christ  commands1 and  
to own the grace of ,god1 their free    

teacher2 and it  would assuredly bring  
them their salvation2 for it is         
sufficient4  ,many ,scriptures were     
opened concerning reprobation1#ajb and  
the eyes  of the people were opened2 and
 a spring of life rose up among them4   
#ajb ,in this discussion the ,scripture 
arguments were gone over1    and ,george
 ,fox offset the proof-texts on election
 with passages    showing man's         
responsibility4    ,these things soon   
came to the priest's ears2 for the      
people that sat  under their dark       
teachings began to see light1 and to    
come into the  covenant of light4 ,the  
noise was spread over ,scotland1 amongst
 the  priests1 that ,i was come thither2
 and a great cry went up among them     
that all would be spoiled2 for1 they    
said1 ,i had spoiled all the  honest men
 and women in ,england already2 so1     
according to their own  account1 the    
worst were left to them4    ,upon this  
they gathered great assemblies of       
priests together1  and drew up a number 

of curses to be read in their several   
steeple-houses1 that all the people     
might say ,amen to them4 ,some  few of  
these ,i will here set down2 the rest   
may be read in the book  before         
mentioned1 of ,the ,scotch ,priests'    
,principles4    ,the first was1 ,cursed 
is he that saith1 ,every man hath a     
light  within him sufficient to lead him
 to salvation2 and let all the  people  
say1 ,amen4    ,the second1 ,cursed is  
he that saith1 ,faith is without sin2   
and let  all the people say1 ,amen4     
,the third1 ,cursed is he that denieth  
the ,sabbath-day2 and let all  the      
people say1 ,amen4    ,in this last they
 make the people curse themselves2 for  
on the  ,sabbath-day 7which is the      
seventh day of the week1 which the ,jews
  kept by the command of ,god to them7  
they kept markets and fairs1 and  so    
brought the curse upon their own        
heads4#ajc      #ajc ,the ,friends      
always refused to keep the ,first ,day  
as though    it were a continuation of  

the ,jewish ,sabbath4 ,for them it was a
    day set apart for man's high        
spiritual use4    ,now were the priests 
in such a rage that they posted to      
,edinburgh to  ,oliver ,cromwell's      
,council there1 with petitions against  
me4 ,the noise  was that all was gone2  
for several ,friends were come out of   
,england  and spread over ,scotland1    
sounding the day of the ,lord1 preaching
 the  everlasting gospel of salvation1  
and turning people to ,christ ,jesus1   
who died for them1 that they might      
receive ,his free teaching4    ,after ,i
 had gathered the principles of the     
,scotch priests1 and the  sufferings of 
,friends1 and had seen the ,friends1 in 
that part of  ,scotland settled by the  
,lord's power1 upon ,christ their       
foundation1  ,i went to ,edinburgh1 and 
in the way came to ,linlithgow1 where   
lodging  at an inn1 the innkeeper's     
wife1 who was blind1 received the ,word 
of  life1 and came under the teaching of
 ,christ ,jesus1 her ,saviour4    ,at   

night there came in abundance of        
soldiers and some officers1 with  whom  
we had much discourse2 and some were    
rude4 ,one of the officers  said he     
would obey the ,turk's or ,pilate's     
command1 if they should  command him to 
guard ,christ to crucify ,him4 ,so far  
was he from all  tenderness1 or sense of
 the ,spirit of ,christ1 that he would  
rather  crucify the just than suffer for
 or with them2 whereas many officers    
and magistrates have lost their places  
before they would turn against  the     
,lord and ,his ,just ,one4    ,when ,i  
had stayed a while at ,edinburgh1 ,i    
went to ,leith1 where  many officers of 
the army came in with their wives1 and  
many were  convinced4 ,among these      
,edward ,billings's wife was one4 ,she  
brought a  great deal of coral in her   
hand1 and threw it on the table before  
me1  to see whether ,i would speak      
against it or not4 ,i took no notice of 
it1 but declared the ,truth to her1 and 
she was reached4 ,there came  in many   

,baptists1 who were very rude2 but the  
,lord's power came over  them1 so that  
they went away confounded4    ,then     
there came in another sort1 and one of  
them said he would  dispute with me2 and
 for argument's sake would deny there   
was a ,god4  ,i told him he might be one
 of those fools that said in his heart1 
,there is no ,god1 but he would know    
,him in the day of ,his judgment4  ,so  
he went his way4    ,a precious time we 
had afterwards with several people of   
account2  and the ,lord's power came    
over all4 ,william ,osburn was with me4 
,colonel ,lidcot's wife1 and ,william   
,welch's wife1 and several of the       
officers themselves1 were convinced4    
,edward ,billings and his wife at  that 
time lived apart2 and she being reached 
by ,truth1 and become  loving to        
,friends1 we sent for her husband1 who  
came4 ,the ,lord's  power reached unto  
them both1 and they joined in it1 and   
agreed to  live together in love and    
unity as man and wife4    ,after this we

 returned to ,edinburgh where many      
thousands were  gathered together1 with 
abundance of priests among them1 about  
burning a witch1 and ,i was moved to    
declare the day of the ,lord  amongst   
them4 ,when ,i had done1 ,i went thence 
to our meeting1 whither  came many rude 
people and ,baptists4    ,the ,baptists 
began to vaunt with their logic and     
syllogisms2 but ,i  was moved in the    
,lord's power to thresh their chaffy1   
light minds4  ,i showed the people that1
 after that fallacious way of           
discoursing1  they might make white seem
 black1 and black seem white2 as1 that  
because a cock had two legs1 and each of
 them had two legs1  therefore they were
 all cocks4#ajd ,thus they might turn   
anything  into lightness and vanity2 but
 it was not the way of ,christ1 or ,his 
apostles1 to teach1 speak1 or reason    
after that manner4      #ajd ,the       
reference is to the logical definition  
of man as an    unfeathered biped1 which
 is as old as ,plato4    ,hereupon those

 ,baptists went their way2 and after    
they were gone we  had a blessed meeting
 in the ,lord's power1 which was over   
all4    ,i mentioned before that many of
 the ,scotch priests1 being greatly     
disturbed at the spreading of ,truth1   
and the loss of their hearers  thereby1 
were gone to ,edinburgh to petition the 
,council against me4  ,when ,i came from
 the meeting to the inn where ,i lodged1
 an officer  belonging to the ,council  
brought me the following order3         
,thursday1 the #hth of ,october1 #afeg1 
at his ,highness' ,council in           
,scotland3         ,ordered1 ,that      
,george ,fox do appear before the       
,council on       ,tuesday1 the #acth of
 ,october next1 in the forenoon4        
,e4 ,,downing1 ,clerk of the ,council4  
,when he had delivered me the order1 he 
asked me whether ,i would  appear or    
not4 ,i did not tell him2 but asked him 
if he had not forged  the order4 ,he    
said ,no2 that it was a real order from 
the ,council1  and he was sent as their 

messenger with it4    ,when the time    
came ,i appeared1 and was taken into a  
great room1 where  many persons came and
 looked at me4 ,after awhile the        
doorkeeper took  me into the            
council-chamber2 and as ,i was going he 
took off my hat4  ,i asked him why he   
did so1 and who was there that ,i might 
not go in  with my hat on4 ,i told him  
,i had been before the ,protector with  
my  hat on4 ,but he hung up my hat and  
took me in before them4    ,when ,i had 
stood awhile1 and they said nothing to  
me1 ,i was moved of  the ,lord to say1  
,peace be amongst you4 ,wait in the fear
 of ,god1 that  ye may receive ,his     
wisdom from above1 by which all things  
were made  and created2 that by it ye   
may all be ordered1 and may order all   
things under your hands to ,god's glory4
    ,they asked me what was the occasion
 of my coming into that nation4  ,i told
 them ,i came to visit the ,seed of     
,god1 which had long lain in  bondage   
under corruption1 so that all in the    

nation who professed  the ,scriptures1  
the words of ,christ1 of the prophets   
and apostles1  might come to the light1 
,spirit and power1 which they were in   
who  gave them forth4 ,i told them that 
in and by the ,spirit they might        
understand the ,scriptures1 and know    
,christ and ,god aright1 and might  have
 fellowship with them1 and one with     
another4    ,they asked me whether ,i   
had any outward business there4 ,i said1
  ,nay4 ,then they asked me how long ,i 
intended to stay in that  country4 ,i   
told them ,i should say little to that2 
my time was not to  be long2 yet in my  
freedom in the ,lord ,i stood1 in the   
will of ,him  that sent me4    ,then    
they bade me withdraw1 and the          
doorkeeper took me by the hand  and led 
me forth4 ,in a little time they sent   
for me again1 and told  me that ,i must 
depart the nation of ,scotland by that  
day sevennight4  ,i asked them1 ,why8   
,what have ,i done8 ,what is my         
transgression that  you pass such a     

sentence upon me to depart out of the   
nation8 ,they  told me they would not   
dispute with me4 ,i desired them to hear
 what  ,i had to say to them4 ,they said
 they would not hear me4 ,i told them1  
,pharaoh heard ,moses and ,aaron1 yet he
 was an heathen2 and ,herod  heard ,john
 the ,baptist2 and you should not be    
worse than these4 ,but  they cried1     
,withdraw1 withdraw4 ,thereupon the     
doorkeeper took me  again by the hand   
and led me out4    ,i returned to my    
inn1 and continued still in ,edinburgh2 
visiting  ,friends there and            
thereabouts1 and strengthening them in  
the ,lord4  ,after a little time ,i     
wrote a letter to the ,council to lay   
before  them their unchristian dealings 
in banishing me1 an innocent man1  that 
sought their salvation and eternal good4
    ,after ,i had spent some time among 
,friends at ,edinburgh and  thereabouts1
 ,i passed thence to ,heads again1 where
 ,friends had been  in great sufferings4
 ,for the ,presbyterian priests had     

excommunicated  them1 and given charge  
that none should buy or sell or eat or  
drink  with them4 ,so they could neither
 sell their commodities nor buy what    
they wanted2 which made it go very hard 
with some of them2 for if  they had     
bought bread or other victuals of any of
 their neighbors1  the priests          
threatened them so with curses that they
 would run and  fetch it from them      
again4 ,but ,colonel ,ashfield1 being a 
justice of  the peace in that country1  
put a stop to the priests' proceedings4 
,this ,colonel ,ashfield was afterwards 
convinced himself1 had a meeting        
settled at his house1 declared the      
,truth1 and lived and died in it4       
,after ,i had visited ,friends at and   
about ,heads1 and encouraged them  in   
the ,lord1 ,i went to ,glasgow1 where a 
meeting was appointed2 but  not one of  
the town came to it4 ,as ,i went into   
the city1 the guard  at the gates took  
me before the governor1 who was a       
moderate man4 ,a  great deal of         

discourse ,i had with him4 ,he was too  
light to receive  the ,truth2 yet he set
 me at liberty2 so ,i passed to the     
meeting4    ,seeing none of the town's  
people came to the meeting1 we declared 
,truth through the town2 then passed    
away1 visited ,friends' meetings        
thereabouts1 and returned towards       
,badcow4 ,several ,friends declared     
,truth in the steeple-houses and the    
,lord's power was with them4    ,once as
 ,i was going with ,william ,osburn to  
his house there lay a  company of rude  
fellows by the wayside1 hid under the   
hedges and  in bushes4 ,seeing them1 ,i 
asked him what they were4 ,oh1 said he1 
they are thieves4 ,robert ,widders1     
being moved to go and speak to  a       
priest1 was left behind1 intending to   
come after4 ,so ,i said to  ,william    
,osburn1 ,i will stay here in this      
valley1 and do thou go and  look after  
,robert ,widders2 but he was unwilling  
to go1 being afraid  to leave me there  
alone1 because of those fellows1 till ,i

 told him ,i  feared them not4    ,then 
,i called to them1 asking them what they
 lay lurking there for1  and ,i bade    
them come to me2 but they were loath to 
come4 ,i charged  them to come up to me1
 or else it might be worse with them2   
then  they came trembling1 for the dread
 of the ,lord had struck them4 ,i       
admonished them to be honest1 and       
directed them to the ,light of  ,christ 
in their hearts1 that by it they might  
see what an evil it was  to follow after
 theft and robbery2 and the power of the
 ,lord came  over them4    ,i stayed    
there till ,william ,osburn and ,robert 
,widders came up1 then  we passed on    
together4 ,but it is likely that1 if we 
two had gone away  before1 they would   
have robbed ,robert ,widders when he had
 come after  alone1 there being three or
 four of them4    ,we went to ,william  
,osburn's house1 where we had a good    
opportunity to  declare the ,truth to   
several people that came in4 ,then we   
went among  the ,highlanders1 who were  

so devilish they were like to have      
spoiled  us and our horses2 for they ran
 at us with pitchforks4 ,but through    
the ,lord's goodness we escaped them1   
being preserved by ,his power4          
,thence we passed to ,stirling1 where   
the soldiers took us up1 and had  us to 
the main guard4 ,after a few words with 
the officers1 the ,lord's  power coming 
over them1 we were set at liberty2 but  
no meeting could  we get amongst them in
 the town1 they were so closed up in    
darkness4  ,next morning there came a   
man with a horse that was to run a race1
  and most of the townspeople and       
officers went to see it4 ,as they came  
back from the race1 ,i had a brave      
opportunity to declare the day of  the  
,lord and ,his ,word of life amongst    
them4 ,some confessed to it1 and  some  
opposed2 but the ,lord's truth and power
 came over them all4    ,leaving        
,stirling1 we came to ,burntisland1     
where ,i had two meetings  at one       
,captain ,pool's house2 one in the      

morning1 the other in the  afternoon4   
,whilst they went to dine ,i walked to  
the seaside1 not  having freedom to eat 
with them4 ,both he and his wife were   
convinced1  and became good ,friends    
afterward2 and several officers of the  
army  came in and received the ,truth4  
,we passed thence through several other 
places1 till we came to  ,johnstons1    
where were several ,baptists that were  
very bitter1 and  came in a rage to     
dispute with us4 ,vain janglers and     
disputers indeed  they were4 ,when they 
could not prevail by disputing they went
 and  informed the governor against us2 
and next morning he raised a whole      
company of foot1 and banished me and    
,alexander ,parker1 also ,james         
,lancaster and ,robert ,widders1 out of 
the town4    ,as they guarded us through
 the town1 ,james ,lancaster was moved  
to  sing with a melodious sound in the  
power of ,god2 and ,i was moved to      
proclaim the day of the ,lord1 and      
preach the everlasting gospel to  the   

people4 ,for the people generally came  
forth1 so that the streets  were filled 
with them1 and the soldiers were so     
ashamed that they  said they would      
rather have gone to ,jamaica than       
guarded us so4    ,but we were put into 
a boat with our horses1 carried over the
 water1  and there left4 ,the ,baptists1
 who were the cause of our being thus   
put out of this town1 were themselves1  
not long after1 turned out of  the army2
 and he that was then governor was      
discarded also when the  king came in4  
,being thus thrust out of ,johnstons1 we
 went to another market-town1  where    
,edward ,billings and many soldiers were
 quartered4 ,we went to an  inn1 and    
desired to have a meeting in the town1  
that we might preach  the everlasting   
gospel amongst them4 ,the officers and  
soldiers said  we should have it in the 
town-hall2 but the ,scotch magistrates  
in  spite appointed a meeting there that
 day for the business of the town4      
,when the officers of the soldiery      

understood this1 and perceived that  it 
was done in malice1 they would have had 
us go into the town-hall  nevertheless4 
,but we told them1 ,no2 by no means2 for
 then the  magistrates might inform the 
governor against us and say1 ',they took
  the town-hall from us by force1 when  
we were to do our town-business         
therein4' ,we told them we would go to  
the market-place4 ,they said it  was    
market-day4 ,we replied1 ,it is so much 
the better2 for we would  have all      
people to hear the ,truth and know our  
principles4    ,alexander ,parker went  
and stood upon the market-cross1 with a 
,bible in his hand1 and declared the    
,truth amongst the soldiers and         
market-people2 but the ,scots1 being a  
dark1 carnal people1 gave  little heed1 
and hardly took notice what was said4   
,after awhile ,i  was moved of the ,lord
 to stand up at the cross1 and to       
declare with  a loud voice the          
everlasting ,truth1 and the day of the  
,lord that was  coming upon all sin and 

wickedness4 ,thereupon the people came  
running  out of the town-hall and       
gathered so together that at last we had
 a  large meeting2 for they only sat in 
the court for a colour to hinder  us    
from having the hall to meet in4        
,when the people were come away the     
magistrates followed them4 ,some  walked
 by1 but some stayed and heard2 and the 
,lord's power came over  all and kept   
all quiet4 ,the people were turned to   
the ,lord ,jesus  ,christ1 who died for 
them1 and had enlightened them1 that    
with ,his  ,light they might see their  
evil deeds1 be saved from their sins by 
,him1 and might come to know ,him to be 
their teacher4 ,but if they  would not  
receive ,christ1 and own ,him1 it was   
told them that this  ,light which came  
from ,him would be their condemnation4  
,we travelled from this town to ,leith1 
warning and exhorting people1  as we    
went1 to turn to the ,lord4 ,at ,leith  
the innkeeper told me that  the ,council
 had granted warrants to apprehend me1  

because ,i was  not gone out of the     
nation after the seven days were expired
 that  they had ordered me to depart in4
 ,several friendly people also came  and
 told me the same2 to whom ,i said1 ,why
 do ye tell me of their  warrants       
against me8 ,if there were a cart-load  
of them ,i would not  heed them1 for the
 ,lord's power is over them all4#aje    
#aje ,here is more of the ,luther       
spirit4 ,he is reported to have    said3
 ,i would go to ,leipsic if it rained   
,duke ,georges nine days    running4    
,i went from ,leith to ,edinburgh again1
 where they said the warrants  from the 
,council were out against me4 ,i went to
 the inn where ,i had  lodged before1   
and no man offered to meddle with me4   
,after ,i had  visited ,friends in the  
city1 ,i desired those that travelled   
with me  to get ready their horses in   
the morning1 and we rode out of town    
together4 ,there were with me at that   
time ,thomas ,rawlinson1 ,alexander     
,parker1 and ,robert ,widders4    ,when 

we were out of town they asked me       
whither ,i would go4 ,i told  them it   
was upon me from the ,lord to go back   
again to ,johnstons 7the  town out of   
which we had been lately thrust71 to set
 the power of ,god  and ,his ,truth over
 them also4 ,alexander ,parker said he  
would go along  with me2 and ,i wished  
the other two to stay at a town about   
three  miles from ,edinburgh till we    
returned4    ,then ,alexander and ,i got
 over the water1 about three miles      
across1  and rode through the country2  
but in the afternoon1 his horse being   
weak and not able to hold up with mine1 
,i rode on ahead and got into           
,johnstons just as they were drawing up 
the bridges1 the officers  and soldiers 
never questioning me4 ,i rode up the    
street to ,captain  ,davenport's house1 
from which we had been banished4 ,there 
were many  officers with him2 and when  
,i came amongst them they lifted up     
their  hands1 wondering that ,i should  
come again4 ,but ,i told them the ,lord 

,god had sent me amongst them again2 so 
they went their way4    ,the ,baptists  
sent me a letter1 by way of challenge1  
to discourse with  me next day4 ,i sent 
them word that ,i would meet them at    
such a house1  about half a mile out of 
the town1 at such an hour4 ,for ,i      
considered  that if ,i should stay in   
town to discourse with them they might1 
under pretence of discoursing with me1  
raise men to put me out of the  town    
again1 as they had done before4    ,at  
the time appointed ,i went to the place1
 ,captain ,davenport and his  son       
accompanying me4 ,there ,i stayed some  
hours1 but not one of them  came4 ,while
 ,i stayed there waiting for them1 ,i   
saw ,alexander ,parker  coming4 ,not    
being able to reach the town1 he had    
lain out the night  before2 and ,i was  
exceedingly glad that we were met again4
    ,this ,captain ,davenport was then  
loving to ,friends2 and afterwards1     
coming more into obedience to ,truth1 he
 was turned out of his place  for not   

putting off his hat1 and for saying     
,thou and ,thee to them4    ,when we had
 waited beyond reasonable ground to     
expect any of them  coming1 we departed2
 and ,alexander ,parker being moved to  
go again  to the town1 where we had the 
meeting at the market-cross1 ,i passed  
alone to ,lieutenant ,foster's quarters1
 where ,i found several officers  that  
were convinced4 ,thence ,i went up to   
the town1 where ,i had left  the other  
two ,friends1 and we went back to       
,edinburgh together4    ,when we were   
come to the city1 ,i bade ,robert       
,widders follow me2  and in the dread   
and power of the ,lord we came up to the
 two first  sentries4 ,the ,lord's power
 came so over them that we passed by    
them without any examination4 ,then we  
rode up the street to the  market-place 
and by the main-guard1 out at the gate  
by the third  sentry1 and so clear out  
into the suburbs2 and there we came to  
an  inn and put up our horses1 it being 
,seventh-day4 ,i saw and felt that  we  

had ridden as it were against the       
cannon's mouth or the sword's  point2   
but the ,lord's power and immediate hand
 carried us over the  heads of them all4
    ,next day ,i went to the meeting in 
the city1 ,friends having had notice    
that ,i would attend it4 ,there came    
many officers and soldiers to it1  and a
 glorious meeting it was2 the           
everlasting power of ,god was set  over 
the nation1 and ,his ,son reigned in    
,his glorious power4 ,all was  quiet1   
and no man offered to meddle with me4   
,when the meeting was ended1 and ,i had 
visited ,friends1 ,i came out  of the   
city to my inn again4 ,the next day1    
being ,second-day1 we set  forward      
towards the borders of ,england4    ,as 
we travelled along the country ,i espied
 a steeple-house1 and it  struck at my  
life4 ,i asked what steeple-house it    
was1 and was told  that it was ,dunbar4 
,when ,i came thither1 and had put up at
 an inn1 ,i  walked to the              
steeple-house1 having a ,friend or two  

with me4    ,when we came to the        
steeple-house yard1 one of the chief men
 of the  town was walking there4 ,i     
asked one of the ,friends that was with 
me  to go to him and tell him that about
 the ninth hour next morning  there     
would be a meeting there of the people  
of ,god called ,quakers2  of which we   
desired he would give notice to the     
people of the town4  ,he sent me word   
that they were to have a lecture there  
by the ninth  hour2 but that we might   
have our meeting there by the eighth    
hour1 if  we would4 ,we concluded to do 
so1 and desired him to give notice of   
it4    ,accordingly1 in the morning both
 poor and rich came2 and there being  a 
captain of horse quartered in the town1 
he and his troopers came  also1 so that 
we had a large concourse2 and a glorious
 meeting it  was1 the ,lord's power     
being over all4 ,after some time the    
priest  came1 and went into the         
steeple-house2 but we being in the yard1
 most  of the people stayed with us4    

,friends were so full and their voices  
so high in the power of ,god1 that the  
priest could do little in the  house1   
but quickly came out again1 stood       
awhile1 and then went his  way4    ,i   
opened to the people where they might   
find ,christ ,jesus1 and  turned them to
 the ,light with which ,he had          
enlightened them1 that  in the ,light   
they might see ,christ who died for     
them1 turn to ,him1  and know him to be 
their ,saviour and ,teacher4 ,i let them
 see that  the teachers they had        
hitherto followed were hirelings1 who   
made the  gospel chargeable2 showed them
 the wrong ways they had walked in the  
night of apostasy2 directed them to     
,christ1 the new and living way  to     
,god1 and manifested unto them how they 
had lost the religion and  worship which
 ,christ set up in spirit and truth1 and
 had hitherto  been in the religions and
 worships of men's making and setting   
up4    ,after ,i had turned the people  
to the ,spirit of ,god which led the    

holy  men of ,god to give forth the     
,scriptures1 and showed them that they  
must also come to receive and be led by 
the same ,spirit in themselves  7a      
measure of which was given unto every   
one of them7 if ever  they would come to
 know ,god and ,christ and the          
,scriptures aright1  perceiving the     
other ,friends to be full of power and  
the ,word of the  ,lord1 ,i stepped     
down1 giving way for them to declare    
what they had  from the ,lord to the    
people4    ,towards the latter end of   
the meeting some professors began to    
jangle1 whereupon ,i stood up again1 and
 answered their questions1 so  that they
 seemed to be satisfied1 and our meeting
 ended in the ,lord's  power1 quiet and 
peaceable4    ,this was the last meeting
 ,i had in ,scotland2 the ,truth and the
 power  of ,god was set over that       
nation1 and many1 by the power and      
,spirit  of ,god1 were turned to the    
,lord ,jesus ,christ1 their ,saviour and
  ,teacher1 whose blood was shed for    

them2 and there is since a great        
increase and great there will be in     
,scotland4 ,for when first ,i set my    
horse's feet upon ,scottish ground ,i   
felt the ,seed of ,god to sparkle  about
 me1 like innumerable sparks of fire4   
,not but that there is abundance of the 
thick1 cloddy earth of  hypocrisy and   
falseness above1 and a briery1 brambly  
nature1 which is  to be burnt up with   
,god's ,word1 and ploughed up with ,his 
spiritual  plough1 before ,god's ,seed  
brings forth heavenly and spiritual     
fruit  to ,his glory4 ,but the          
husbandman is to wait in patience4#ajf  
#ajf ,this passage has suggested the    
idea which finds beautiful    expression
 in the closing stanzas of ,whittier's  
,barclay of ,ury3        ,knowing this1 
that never yet      ,share of truth was 
vainly set        ,in the world's wide  
fallow2      ,after hands shall sow the 
seed1      ,after hands from mill and   
mead        ,reap the harvests yellow4  
,thus with somewhat of the seer         

,must the moral pioneer        ,from the
 future borrow2      ,clothe the waste  
with dreams of grain1      ,and1 on     
midnight's sky of rain        ,paint the
 golden morrow4            ,,chapter    
,,xii4      ,great ,events in ,london4  
#afeh-afei4        ,we came into        
,bedfordshire1 where we had large       
gatherings in the    name of ,jesus4#ajg
 ,after some time we came to ,john      
,crook's1    where a general yearly     
meeting for the whole nation was        
appointed    to be held4#ajh ,this      
meeting lasted three days1 and many     
,friends    from most parts of the      
nation came to it2 so that the inns and 
towns round thereabouts were filled1 for
 many thousands of people    were at it4
 ,and although there was some           
disturbance by some rude    people that 
had run out from ,truth1 yet the ,lord's
 power came    over all1 and a glorious 
meeting it was4 ,the everlasting gospel 
was preached1 and many received it1     
which gospel brought life and           

immortality to light in them1 and shined
 over all4      #ajg ,there were few    
novel experiences on the way from       
,scotland    to ,bedfordshire4 ,at      
,nottingham he had a controversy with   
,rice    ,jones1 an opposer of the      
earlier visit4 ,he pointed out that many
    of ,rice ,jones's followers were    
become the greatest foot-ball    players
 and wrestlers in the whole country1    
which is an    interesting comment on   
the ministry of ,rice ,jones6      #ajh 
,john ,crook's ,house was at ,luton1 in 
,bedfordshire4 ,this    is among the    
first of the great national general     
meetings out    of which came in course 
of development the present ,london      
,yearly ,meeting of ,friends4 ,the first
 general meeting was held    at         
,swannington in ,leicestershire in      
#afed4 ,isaac ,penington was            
convinced at this meeting4 ,he tells us 
that he felt the healings    drop upon  
his soul from under ,his wings4    ,now 
these things were upon me to open unto  

all1 that they might mind  and see what 
it is they sit down in4,,ai      ,,ai   
,the sentence means3 ,i felt called to  
set forth the    significance of various
 religious states and the things to     
which    they lead4    ,first1 ,they    
that sit down in ,adam in the fall1 sit 
down in misery1  in death1 in darkness  
and corruption4    ,secondly1 ,they that
 sit down in the types1 figures1 and    
shadows1 and  under the first           
priesthood1 law1 and covenant1 sit down 
in that which  must have an end1 and    
which made nothing perfect4    ,thirdly1
 ,they that sit down in the apostasy    
that hath got up since  the ,apostles'  
days1 sit down in spiritual ,sodom and  
,egypt2 and are  drinking of the whore's
 cup1 under the beast's and dragon's    
power4    ,fourthly1 ,they that sit down
 in the state in which ,adam was before 
he fell1 sit down in that which may be  
fallen from2 for he fell from  that     
state1 though it was perfect4           
,fifthly1 ,they that sit down in the    

prophets1 sit down in that which  must  
be fulfilled2 and they that sit down in 
the fellowship of water1  bread1 and    
wine1 these being temporal things1 they 
sit down in that  which is short of     
,christ1 and of ,his baptism4           
,sixthly1 ,to sit down in a profession  
of all the ,scriptures1 from  ,genesis  
to the ,revelations1 and not be in the  
power and ,spirit which  those were in  
that gave them forth2--that was to be   
turned away from  by them that came into
 the power and ,spirit which those were 
in that  gave forth the ,scriptures4    
,seventhly1 ,they that sit down in the  
heavenly places in ,christ  ,jesus1 sit 
down in ,him that never fell1 nor ever  
changed4    ,after this meeting was     
over1 and most of the ,friends gone     
away1 as ,i  was walking in ,john       
,crook's garden1 there came a party of  
horse1 with  a constable1 to seize me4  
,i heard them ask1 ,who is in the house8
  ,somebody made answer that ,i was     
there4 ,they said that ,i was the man   

they looked for2 and went forthwith into
 the house1 where they had  many words  
with ,john ,crook and some few ,friends 
that were with him4  ,but the ,lord's   
power so confounded them that they came 
not into the  garden to look for me2 but
 went their way in a rage4    ,when ,i  
came into the house1 ,friends were very 
glad to see that  ,i had escaped them4  
,next day ,i passed thence2 and1 after  
,i had  visited ,friends in several     
places1 came to ,london1 the ,lord's    
power  accompanying me1 and bearing me  
up in ,his service4    ,during the time 
,i was at ,london ,i had many services  
laid upon me1  for it was a time of much
 suffering4 ,i was moved to write to    
,oliver  ,cromwell1 and lay before him  
the sufferings of ,friends both in this 
nation and in ,ireland4 ,there was also 
a talk about this time of  making       
,cromwell king2 whereupon ,i was moved  
to go to him and warn  him against      
accepting it2 and of divers dangers     
which1 if he did not  avoid them1 would1

 ,i told him1 bring shame and ruin upon 
himself and  his posterity4 ,he seemed  
to take well what ,i said to him1 and   
thanked  me2 yet afterwards ,i was moved
 to write to him more fully concerning  
that matter4    ,about this time the    
,lady ,claypole 7so called7 was sick1   
and much  troubled in mind1 and could   
receive no comfort from any that came to
  her4 ,when ,i heard of this ,i was    
moved to write to her4#aji      #aji    
,here is a long extract from the letter 
to ,lady ,claypole1    ,cromwell's      
daughter1 who died soon after this time3
         ,keep in the fear of the ,lord 
,god2 that is the ,word of the ,lord    
unto thee4 ,for all these things happen 
to thee for thy good1       and for the 
good of those concerned for thee1 to    
make you know       yourselves and your 
own weakness1 that ye may know the      
,lord's       strength and power1 and   
may trust in ,him4 ,let the time past be
       sufficient to every one1 who in  
any thing hath been lifted up       in  

transgression out of the power of the   
,lord2 for ,he can bring       down and 
abase the mighty1 and lay them in the   
dust of the       earth4 ,therefore1 all
 keep low in ,his fear1 that thereby ye 
may       receive the secrets of ,god   
and ,his wisdom1 may know the shadow    
of the ,almighty1 and sit under it in   
all tempests1 storms1 and       heats4  
,for ,god is a ,god at hand1 and the    
,most ,high rules in the       children 
of men4 ,this is the word of the ,lord  
,god unto you all2       what the ,light
 doth make manifest and discover1 as    
temptations1       distractions1        
confusions2 do not look at these        
temptations1       confusions1          
corruptions1 but at the ,light which    
discovers them       and makes them     
manifest2 and with the same ,light you  
may feel       over them1 to receive    
power to stand against them4 ,the same  
,light which lets you see sin and       
transgression1 will let you see         
the covenant of ,god1 which blots out   

your sin and transgression1       which 
gives victory and dominion over it1 and 
brings into       covenant with ,god4   
,for looking down at sin1 corruption1   
and       distraction1 ye are swallowed 
up in it2 but looking at the            
,light1 which discovers them1 ye will   
see over them4 ,that will       give    
victory1 and ye will find grace and     
strength2 there is the       first step 
to peace4 ,that will bring salvation2 by
 it ye may see       to the beginning1  
and the ',glory that was with the       
,father before       the world began'2  
and come to know the ,seed of ,god1     
which is the       heir of the promise  
of ,god1 and of the world which hath no 
end2       and which bruises the head of
 the serpent1 who stops people from     
coming to ,god4 ,that ye may feel the   
power of an endless life1       the     
power of ,god which is immortal1 which  
brings the immortal       soul up to the
 immortal ,god1 in whom it doth rejoice4
 ,so in the       name and power of the 

,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,god ,almighty    
strengthen       thee4                  
,g4 ,f4    ,this note follows the       
letter3         ,when the foregoing     
paper was read to ,lady ,claypole1 she  
said1       it stayed her mind for the  
present4 ,afterwards many ,friends got  
copies of it1 both in ,england and      
,ireland1 and read it to people         
that were troubled in mind2 and it was  
made useful for the       settling of   
the minds of several4    ,about this    
time came forth a declaration from      
,oliver ,cromwell1 the  ,protector1 for 
a collection towards the relief of      
divers ,protestant  churches1 driven out
 of ,poland2 and of twenty ,protestant  
families1  driven out of the confines of
 ,bohemia4 ,and there having been a like
  declaration published some time       
before1 to invite the nation to a  day  
of solemn fasting and humiliation1 in   
order to a contribution  being made for 
the suffering ,protestants of the       
valleys of ,lucerne1  ,angrona1 etc41   

who were persecuted by the ,duke of     
,savoy1#aaj ,i  was moved to write to   
the ,protector and chief magistrates on 
this  occasion1 both to show them the   
nature of a true fast 7such as ,god     
requires and accepts71 and to make them 
sensible of their injustice  and        
self-condemnation in blaming the        
,papists for persecuting the            
,protestants abroad1 while they         
themselves1 calling themselves          
,protestants1 were at the same time     
persecuting their ,protestant           
neighbours and friends at home4         
#aaj ,this was the persecution which    
called forth ,milton's great    sonnet3 
,avenge1 ,o ,lord6 thy slaughtered      
saints whose bones      ,lie scattered  
on the ,alpine mountains cold4          
,divers times1 both in the time of the  
,long ,parliament and of the  ,protector
 7so called7 and of the ,committee of   
,safety1 when they  proclaimed fasts1 ,i
 was moved to write to them1 and tell   
them  their fasts were like unto        

,jezebel's2 for commonly1 when they     
proclaimed fasts1 there was some        
mischief contrived against us4  ,i knew 
their fasts were for strife and debate1 
to smite with the  fist of wickedness2  
as the ,new ,england professors soon    
after did2  who1 before they put our    
,friends to death1 proclaimed a fast    
also4    ,now it was a time of great    
suffering2 and many ,friends being in   
prisons1 many other ,friends were moved 
to go to the ,parliament1  to offer     
themselves up to lie in the same prisons
 where their  friends lay1 that those in
 prison might go forth1 and not perish  
in the stinking jails4 ,this we did in  
love to ,god and our  brethren1 that    
they might not die in prison2 and in    
love to those  that cast them in1 that  
they might not bring innocent blood upon
  their own heads1 which we knew would  
cry to the ,lord1 and bring  ,his wrath1
 vengeance1 and plagues upon them4      
,but little favour could we find from   
those professing  ,parliaments2 instead 

thereof1 they would rage1 and sometimes 
threaten ,friends that attended them1 to
 whip and send them home4  ,then        
commonly soon after the ,lord would turn
 them out1 and send  them home2 who had 
not an heart to do good in the day of   
their  power4 ,but they went not off    
without being forewarned2 for ,i was    
moved to write to them1 in their several
 turns1 as ,i did to the  ,long         
,parliament1 unto whom ,i declared1     
before they were broken  up1 that thick 
darkness was coming over them all1 even 
a day of  darkness that should be felt4 
,and because the ,parliament that now   
sat was made up mostly of  high         
professors1 who1 pretending to be more  
religious than  others1 were indeed     
greater persecutors of those that were  
truly  religious1 ,i was moved to send  
them the following lines1 as a  reproof 
of their hypocrisy3#aaa      #aaa ,this 
was ,cromwell's ,second ,parliament4    
,o friends1 do not cloak and cover      
yourselves2 there is a ,god       that  

knoweth your hearts1 and that will      
uncover you4 ,he seeth       your way4  
',wo be unto him that covereth1 but not 
with my ,spirit1       saith the ,lord4'
 ,do ye act contrary to the law1 and    
then put       it from you6 ,mercy and  
true judgment ye neglect4 ,look1 what   
was       spoken against such4 ,my      
,saviour spoke against such2 ',i was    
sick1       and ye visited me not2 ,i   
was hungry1 and ye fed me not2 ,i was a 
stranger1 and ye took me not in2 ,i was 
in prison1 and ye visited       me not4'
 ,but they said1 ',when saw we thee in  
prison1 and did       not come to thee8'
 ',inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of
 these       little ones1 ye did it not 
unto me4' ,friends1 ye imprison them    
that are in the life and power of       
,truth1 and yet profess to be       the 
ministers of ,christ2 but if ,christ had
 sent you1 ye would       bring out of  
prison1 out of bondage1 and receive     
strangers4       ,ye have lived in      
pleasure on the earth1 and been wanton2 

ye       have nourished your hearts1 as 
in a day of slaughter2 ye have          
condemned and killed the just1 and he   
doth not resist you4                    
,g4 ,f4    ,after this1 as ,i was going 
out of town1 having two ,friends with   
me1  when we were little more than a    
mile out of the city1 there met us  two 
troopers belonging to ,colonel ,hacker's
 regiment1 who took me1 and  the        
,friends that were with me1 and brought 
us back to the ,mews1 and  there kept us
 prisoners4 ,but the ,lord's power was  
so over them that  they did not take us 
before any officer2 but shortly after   
set us at  liberty again4    ,the same  
day1 taking boat1 ,i went to ,kingston1 
and thence to ,hampton  ,court1 to speak
 with the ,protector about the          
sufferings of ,friends4  ,i met him     
riding in ,hampton ,court ,park1 and    
before ,i came to him1  as he rode at   
the head of his life-guard1 ,i saw and  
felt a waft or  apparition of death go  
forth against him2 and when ,i came to  

him he  looked like a dead man4         
,after ,i had laid the sufferings of    
,friends before him1 and had warned     
him1 according as ,i was moved to speak 
to him1 he bade me come to his  house4  
,so ,i returned to ,kingston1 and next  
day went to ,hampton ,court1  to speak  
further with him4 ,but when ,i came he  
was sick1 and ----  ,harvey1,,aj who was
 one that waited on him1 told me the    
doctors were  not willing ,i should     
speak with him4 ,so ,i passed away1 and 
never saw  him more4#aab      ,,aj      
,harvey was groom of the bed chamber4   
#aab ,this visit of ,fox to ,cromwell is
 treated in ,carlyle's    ,oliver       
,cromwell1 ,vol ,,iv41 pp4 #aii1 #bjj4  
,oliver ,cromwell died    ,september    
#c;d1 #afeh4 ,this waft or whiff of     
death which ,fox felt    was not the    
only forewarning of his end which came  
to ,friends4    ,a letter was delivered 
into ,cromwell's hand a month before his
    death1 which contained these words3 
,if thou continueth in thy              

oppression1 the ,lord will suddenly     
smite thee4 ,see ,burrough's    ,good   
,counsel and ,advice ,rejected by       
,disobedient ,men4    ,from ,kingston ,i
 went to ,isaac ,penington's1#aac in    
,buckinghamshire1  where ,i had         
appointed a meeting1 and the ,lord's    
,truth and power were  preciously       
manifested amongst us4 ,after ,i had    
visited ,friends in  those parts1 ,i    
returned to ,london1 and soon after went
 into ,essex1  where ,i had not been    
long before ,i heard that the ,protector
 was dead1  and his son ,richard made   
,protector in his room4 ,thereupon ,i   
came up  to ,london again4      #aac    
,isaac ,penington was one of the finest1
 richest spirits that    came under the 
influence of ,fox4 ,he was highest in   
social rank of    all the early         
,friends1 and after ,fox himself the    
best exponent of    the fundamental     
,quaker idea4    ,before this time the  
church faith 7so called7 was given      
forth1 which  was said to have been made

 at the ,savoy in eleven days' time4#aad
 ,i  got a copy before it was published1
 and wrote an answer to it2 and  when   
their book of church faith was sold in  
the streets1 my answer to  it was sold  
also4 ,this angered some of the         
,parliament men1 so that  one of them   
told me1 ,we must have you to           
,smithfield4 ,i told him1  ,i am above  
your fires1 and fear them not4 ,and1    
reasoning with him1  ,i wished him to   
consider1 had all people been without a 
faith these  sixteen hundred years1 that
 now the priests must make them one8    
,did  not the apostle say that ,jesus   
was the author and finisher of their    
faith8 ,and since ,christ ,jesus was the
 author of the ,apostles' faith1  of the
 ,church's faith in primitive times1 and
 of the martyrs' faith1  should not all 
people look unto ,him to be the author  
and finisher  of their faith1 and not to
 the priests8 ,much work we had about   
the  priest-made faith4      #aad ,this 
,church-faith 7so-called7 was a         

,declaration of    the ,faith and ,order
 owned and practiced in the             
,congregational    ,churches in         
,england3 ,agreed upon and consented    
unto by their    ,elders and messengers 
in their meeting at the ,savoy1 ,october
    #abth1 #afeh4 ,fox's reply has the  
following title3 ,something    in       
,answer to that ,book called1 ,the      
,church-,faith3 ,set forth by           
,independants 7sic7 and others2 agreed  
upon by ,divine messengers    at the    
,savoy in ,london4    ,there was great  
persecution in many places1 both by     
imprisoning1  and by breaking up of     
meetings4 ,at a meeting about seven     
miles from  ,london1 the rude people    
usually came out of several parishes    
round  about1 to abuse ,friends1 and    
often beat and bruised them exceedingly4
  ,one day they abused about eighty     
,friends that went to that meeting  out 
of ,london1 tearing their coats and     
cloaks from off their backs1  and       
throwing them into ditches and ponds2   

and when they had besmeared  them with  
dirt1 they said they looked like        
witches4    ,the next ,first-day ,i was 
moved of the ,lord to go to that        
meeting1  though ,i was then very weak4 
,when ,i came there ,i bade ,friends    
bring  a table1 and set it in the close1
 where they used to meet1 to stand      
upon4 ,according to their wonted course1
 the rude people came2 and ,i1  having a
 ,bible in my hand1 showed them theirs  
and their teachers'  fruits2 and the    
people became ashamed1 and were quiet4  
,but it was a time of great sufferings2 
for1 besides imprisonments1  through    
which many died1 our meetings were      
greatly disturbed4 ,they  have thrown   
rotten eggs and wild-fire into our      
meetings1 and brought  in drums beating1
 and kettles to make noises with1 that  
the ,truth  might not be heard2 and1    
among these1 the priests were as rude as
  any1 as may be seen in the book of the
 fighting priests1 wherein a  list is   
given of some priests that had actually 

beaten and abused  ,friends4    ,many   
,friends were brought prisoners to      
,london1 to be tried before the         
,committee2 where ,henry ,vane1 being   
chairman1 would not suffer ,friends  to 
come in1 except they would put off their
 hats4#aae ,but at last  the ,lord's    
power came over him1 so that1 through   
the mediation of  others1 they were     
admitted4 ,many of us having been       
imprisoned upon  contempts 7as they     
called them7 for not putting off our    
hats1 it was  not a likely thing that   
,friends1 who had suffered so long for  
it from  others1 should put off their   
hats to him4 ,but the ,lord's power came
  over all1 and wrought so that several 
were set at liberty by them4      #aae  
,from being ,cromwell's most intimate   
friend ,sir ,harry ,vane    had become  
his most fearless opposer1 and an       
advocate of extreme    republicanism4   
,after the downfall of ,richard         
,cromwell1 ,vane had    a brief return  
to influence and power4 ,in ,september1 

#afei1 he    was made ,president of the 
,council1 and was in this position the  
executive head of the nation in civil   
affairs4 ,this episode must1            
therefore1 be dated in the autumn of    
#afei4    ,i wrote to ,oliver several   
times1 and let him know that while he   
was  persecuting ,god's people1 they    
whom he accounted his enemies were      
preparing to come upon him4 ,when some  
forward spirits that came  amongst us   
would have bought ,somerset-,house1 that
 we might have  meetings in it1 ,i      
forbade them to do so3 for ,i then      
foresaw the  ,king's coming in again4   
,besides1 there came a woman to me in   
the  ,strand1 who had a prophecy        
concerning ,king ,charles's coming in1  
three  years before he came3 and she    
told me she must go to him to declare   
it4 ,i advised her to wait upon the     
,lord1 and keep it to herself2 for  if  
it should be known that she went on such
 a message1 they would  look upon it to 
be treason3 but she said she must go1   

and tell him  that he should be brought 
into ,england again4    ,i saw her      
prophecy was true1 and that a great     
stroke must come  upon them in power2   
for they that had then got possession   
were so  exceeding high1 and such great 
persecution was acted by them1 who      
called themselves saints1 that they     
would take from ,friends their  copyhold
 lands1 because they could not swear in 
their courts4    ,sometimes when we laid
 these sufferings before ,oliver        
,cromwell1 he  would not believe it4    
,therefore ,thomas ,aldam and ,anthony  
,pearson  were moved to go through all  
the jails in ,england1 and to get copies
  of ,friends' commitments under the    
jailer's hands1 that they might  lay the
 weight of their sufferings upon ,oliver
 ,cromwell4 ,and when  he would not give
 order for the releasing of them1       
,thomas ,aldam was  moved to take his   
cap from off his head1 and to rend it in
 pieces  before him1 and to say unto    
him1 ,so shall thy government be rent   

from thee and thy house4    ,another    
,friend also1 a woman1 was moved to go  
to the ,parliament 7that  was envious   
against ,friends7 with a pitcher in her 
hand1 which she  broke into pieces      
before them1 and told them that so      
should they be  broken to pieces3 which 
came to pass shortly after4    ,in my   
great suffering and travail of spirit   
for the nation1 being  grievously       
burdened with their hypocrisy1          
treachery1 and falsehood1  ,i saw ,god  
would bring that over them which they   
had been above2 and  that all must be   
brought down to that which convinced    
them1 before  they could get over that  
bad spirit within and without3 for it is
 the  pure1 invisible ,spirit1 that doth
 and only can work down all deceit  in  
people4    ,now was there a great pother
 made about the image or effigy of      
,oliver  ,cromwell lying in state2 men  
standing and sounding with trumpets over
  his image1 after he was dead4 ,at this
 my spirit was greatly grieved1  and the

 ,lord1 ,i found1 was highly offended4  
,about this time great stirs were in the
 nation1 the minds of people  being     
unsettled4 ,much plotting and contriving
 there was by the  several factions1 to 
carry on their several interests4 ,and a
 great  care being upon me1 lest any    
young or ignorant people1 that might    
sometimes come amongst us1 should be    
drawn into that snare1 ,i was  moved to 
give forth an epistle#aaf as a warning  
unto all such4      #aaf ,this epistle  
begins3 ,all ,friends everywhere keep   
out of    plots and bustling and the arm
 of flesh4 ,a little later he    writes 
again3      ,stand in the fear and dread
 of the ,lord ,god2 ,his power1 life1   
light1 seed and wisdom1 by which ye may 
take away the occasion    of wars1 and  
so know a kingdom which hath no end1 and
 fight for    that with spiritual       
weapons1 which takes away the occasion  
of the    carnal2 and there gather men  
to war1 as many as ye can1 and set    up
 as many as ye can with these weapons4  

,g4 ,f4          ,,chapter ,,xiii4      
,in the ,first ,year of ,king ,charles4 
#affj4      ,i entered ,bristol on the  
,seventh day of the week4#aag ,the day  
before1 the soldiers came with their    
muskets into the meeting1 and  were     
exceedingly rude1 beating and striking  
,friends with them1 and  drove them out 
of the orchard in a great rage1         
threatening what  they would do if      
,friends came there again4 ,for the     
mayor and the  commander of the soldiers
 had1 it seems1 combined together to    
make a  disturbance amongst ,friends4   
#aag ,after leaving ,london1 he had     
travelled extensively through    the    
eastern and southern counties1          
revisiting ,cornwall1 where he    had   
had such a long experience in           
,launceston jail in #afef4    ,when     
,friends told me what a rage there was  
in the town1 how they were  threatened  
by the mayor and soldiers1 and how      
unruly the soldiers had  been the day   
before1 ,i sent for several ,friends1 as

 ,george ,bishop1  ,thomas ,gouldney1   
,thomas ,speed1 and ,edward ,pyot1 and  
desired them to  go to the mayor and    
aldermen1 and request them1 seeing he   
and they  had broken up our meetings1 to
 let ,friends have the town-hall to meet
  in4 ,for the use of it ,friends would 
give them twenty pounds a-year1  to be  
distributed amongst the poor and when   
the mayor and aldermen  had business to 
do in it1 ,friends would not meet in it1
 but only on  ,first-days4    ,these    
,friends were astonished at this1 and   
said the mayor and  aldermen would think
 that they were mad4 ,i said1 ,nay2 for 
this would  be a considerable benefit to
 the poor4 ,and it was upon me from the 
,lord to bid them go4 ,at last they     
consented1 and went1 though in the      
cross to their own wills4    ,when they 
had laid the thing before the mayor1 he 
said1 ,for my part  ,i could consent to 
it1 but ,i am but one2 and he told      
,friends of  another great hall they    
might have2 but that they did not       

accept1 it  being inconvenient4    ,so  
,friends came away1 leaving the mayor in
 a very loving frame  towards them2 for 
they felt the ,lord's power had come    
over him4  ,when they came back1 ,i     
spoke to them to go also to the colonel 
that  commanded the soldiers1 and lay   
before him the rude conduct of his      
soldiers1 how they came armed amongst   
innocent people1 who were  waiting upon 
and worshipping the ,lord2 but they were
 backward to go  to him4    ,next       
morning1 being ,first-day1 we went to   
the meeting in the orchard1  where the  
soldiers had lately been so rude4 ,after
 ,i had declared the  ,truth some time  
in the meeting1 there came in many rude 
soldiers and  people1 some with drawn   
swords4 ,the innkeepers had made some of
 them  drunk2 and one had bound himself 
with an oath to cut down and kill  the  
man that spoke4 ,he came pressing in1   
through all the crowd of  people1 to    
within two yards of me1 and stopped at  
those four ,friends  before mentioned   

7who should have gone to the colonel as 
,i would  have had them71 and began     
jangling with them4 ,suddenly ,i saw his
  sword was put up and gone3 for the    
,lord's power came over all1 and        
chained him with the rest4 ,we had a    
blessed meeting1 and the ,lord's        
everlasting power and presence were felt
 amongst us4    ,on the day following1  
the four ,friends went and spoke with   
the  colonel1 and he sent for the       
soldiers1 and cut and slashed some of   
them before the ,friends' faces4 ,when  
,i heard of this ,i blamed the  ,friends
 for letting him do so1 and also that   
they did not go on the  ,seventh-day1 as
 ,i would have had them1 which might    
have prevented  this cutting of the     
soldiers1 and the trouble they gave at  
our  meeting4 ,but thus the ,lord's     
power came over all those persecuting1  
bloody minds1 and the meeting there was 
held in peace for a good  while after   
without disturbance4    ,i had then also
 a general meeting at ,edward ,pyot's1  

near ,bristol1  at which it was judged  
were several thousands of people3#aah   
for  besides ,friends from many parts   
thereabouts1 some of the ,baptists and  
,independents1 with their teachers1 came
 to it1 and many of the sober  people of
 ,bristol2 insomuch that the people who 
stayed behind said  the city looked     
naked1 so many were gone out of it to   
this meeting4  ,it was very quiet1 and  
many glorious truths were opened to the 
people4      #aah ,these great meetings 
were at this period held out of doors1  
in fields or orchards1 or on some high  
hill4    ,as we had much work with      
priests and professors who pleaded for  
imperfection1 ,i was opened to declare  
and manifest to them that  ,adam and    
,eve were perfect before they fell1 and 
all that ,god made ,he  saw was good1   
and ,he blessed it2 but the imperfection
 came in by the  fall1 through man's and
 woman's hearkening to the devil who was
 out  of ,truth4 ,and though the law    
made nothing perfect1 yet it made way   

for the bringing in of the better hope1 
which hope is ,christ1 who  destroys the
 devil and his works1 which made man and
 woman imperfect4    ,christ saith to   
,his disciples1 ,be ye perfect1 even as 
your heavenly  ,father is perfect3 and  
,he1 who ,himself was perfect1 comes to 
make  man and woman perfect again1 and  
brings them again to the state in  which
 ,god made them4 ,so ,he is the maker-up
 of the breach1 and the  peace betwixt  
,god and man4    ,that this might the   
better be understood by the lowest      
capacities1 ,i  used a comparison of two
 old people who had their house broken  
down  by an enemy1 so that they1 with   
all their children1 were liable to  all 
storms and tempests4 ,and there came to 
them some that pretended  to be workmen1
 and offered to build up their house    
again1 if they  would give them so much 
a year2 but when they had got the money 
they  left the house as they found it4  
,after this manner came a second1 third1
 fourth1 fifth1 and sixth1  each with   

his several pretence to build up the old
 house1 and each  got the people's      
money1 and then cried that they could   
not rear  up the house1 the breach could
 not be made up2 for there is no        
perfection here4 ,they tell the old     
people that the house can never be      
perfectly built up again in this life1  
though they have taken the  people's    
money for doing it4    ,so all the      
sect-masters in ,christendom 7so called7
 have pretended  to build up ,adam's and
 ,eve's fallen house2 and when they have
 got  the people's money1 they tell them
 the work cannot be perfectly done      
here2 so their house lies as it did4    
,but ,i told the people ,christ was     
come to do it freely1 who by one        
offering hath perfected for ever  all   
them that are sanctified1 and renews    
them up into the image of  ,god1 which  
man and woman were in before they fell1 
and makes man's  and woman's house as   
perfect again as ,god made them at the  
first2  and this ,christ1 the heavenly  

,man1 doth freely4 ,therefore all are to
  look unto ,him1 and all that have     
received ,him are to walk in ,him1 the  
,life1 the ,substance1 the ,first1 and  
the ,last1 the ,rock of ,ages1 the      
,foundation of many ,generations4       
,about this time the soldiers under     
,general ,monk's command were  rude and 
troublesome at ,friends' meetings in    
many places1 whereof  complaint being   
made to him he gave forth the following 
order1 which  somewhat restrained them3 
,st4 ,james's1 the #ith of ,march1      
#afei4         ,i do require all        
officers and soldiers to forbear to     
disturb       the peaceable meetings of 
the ,quakers1 they doing nothing        
prejudicial to the ,parliament or       
,commonwealth of ,england4              
,,george ,,monk4    ,we passed thence to
 ,tewkesbury and so to ,worcester1      
visiting ,friends  in their meetings as 
we went4 ,and in all my time ,i never   
saw such  drunkenness as in the towns1  
for they had been choosing ,parliament  

men4 ,at ,worcester the ,lord's ,truth  
was set over all1 people were  finely   
settled therein1 and ,friends praised   
the ,lord2 nay1 ,i saw the  very earth  
rejoiced4    ,yet great fears and       
troubles were in many people1 and a     
looking for  the ,king's coming in1 and 
all things being altered4 ,they would   
ask  me what ,i thought of times and    
things4 ,i told them the ,lord's power  
was over all1 and ,his light shone over 
all2 that fear would take hold  only on 
the hypocrites1 such as had not been    
faithful to ,god1 and on  our           
persecutors4    ,in my travail and      
sufferings at ,reading1 when people were
 at a stand1  and could not tell what   
might come in1 and who might rule1 ,i   
told  them the ,lord's power was over   
all 7for ,i had travelled through in    
it71 and ,his day shined1 whosoever     
should come in2 and whether the  ,king  
came in or not1 all would be well to    
them that loved the ,lord1  and were    
faithful to ,him4 ,therefore ,i bade all

 ,friends fear none but  the ,lord1 and 
keep in ,his power4    ,from ,worcester 
,i visited ,friends in their meetings1  
till ,i came to  ,badgley1 and thence ,i
 went to ,drayton1 in ,leicestershire1  
to visit my  relations4 ,while there1   
one ,burton1 a justice1 hearing ,i had a
 good  horse1 sent a warrant to search  
for me and my horse2 but ,i was gone    
before they came2 and so he missed of   
his wicked end4    ,i passed on to      
,twy-,cross1 ,swannington1 and ,derby1  
where ,i visited  ,friends1 and found   
amongst them my old jailer1 who had     
formerly kept  me in the house of       
correction there1 now convinced of the  
,truth  which ,i then suffered under him
 for4    ,passing into ,derbyshire and  
,nottinghamshire1 ,i came to            
,synderhill-,green1 visiting ,friends   
through all those parts in their        
meetings1 and so on to ,balby in        
,yorkshire1 where our ,yearly ,meeting  
at that time was held in a great orchard
 of ,john ,killam's1 where  it was      

supposed some thousands of people and   
,friends were gathered  together4    ,in
 the morning ,i heard that a troop of   
horse was sent from ,york to  break up  
our meeting1 and that the militia1 newly
 raised1 was to join  them4 ,i went into
 the meeting1 and stood up on a great   
stool1 and  after ,i had spoken some    
time two trumpeters came up1 sounding   
their  trumpets near me1 and the captain
 of the troop cried1 ,divide to the     
right and left1 and make way4 ,then they
 rode up to me4    ,i was declaring the 
everlasting ,truth and ,word of life in 
the mighty  power of the ,lord4 ,the    
captain bade me come down1 for he was   
come to  disperse our meeting4 ,after   
some time ,i told him they all knew we  
were a peaceable people1 and used to    
have such great meetings2 but if  he    
apprehended that we met in a hostile    
way1 ,i desired him to make  search     
among us1 and if he found either sword  
or pistol about any  there1 let such    
suffer4    ,he told me he must see us   

dispersed1 for he came all night on     
purpose  to disperse us4 ,i asked him   
what honour it would be to him to ride  
with swords and pistols amongst so many 
unarmed men and women as  there were4   
,if he would be still and quiet our     
meeting probably  might not continue    
above two or three hours2 and when it   
was done1 as  we came peaceably         
together1 so we should part2 for he     
might perceive  the meeting was so      
large1 that all the country thereabouts 
could not  entertain them1 but that they
 intended to depart towards their homes 
at night4    ,he said he could not stay 
to see the meeting ended1 but must      
disperse  them before he went4 ,i       
desired him1 then1 if he himself could  
not  stay1 that he would let a dozen of 
his soldiers stay1 and see the  order   
and peaceableness of our meeting4 ,he   
said he would permit us  an hour's time1
 and left half a dozen soldiers with us4
 ,then he went  away with his troop1 and
 ,friends of the house gave the soldiers

 that  stayed1 and their horses1 some   
meat4    ,when the captain was gone the 
soldiers that were left told us we      
might stay till night if we would4 ,but 
we stayed but about three  hours after1 
and had a glorious1 powerful meeting2   
for the presence  of the living ,god was
 manifest amongst us1 and the ,seed1    
,christ1  was set over all4 ,friends    
were built upon ,him1 the foundation1   
and  settled under ,his glorious1       
heavenly teaching4    ,after the meeting
 ,friends passed away in peace1 greatly 
refreshed  with the presence of the     
,lord1 and filled with joy and gladness 
that the ,lord's power had given them   
such dominion4 ,many of the             
militia-soldiers stayed also1 much vexed
 that the captain and  troopers had not 
broken up our meeting2 and cursed the   
captain and  his troopers4 ,it was      
reported that they intended evil against
 us  that day2 but the troopers1 instead
 of assisting them1 were rather         
assistant to us1 in not joining them as 

they expected1 but preventing  them from
 doing the mischief they designed4      
,this captain was a desperate man2 for  
it was he that said to me in  ,scotland 
that he would obey his superior's       
commands2 if it were to  crucify ,christ
 he would do it1 or would execute the   
great ,turk's  commands against the     
,christians if he were under him4 ,so   
that it was  an eminent power of the    
,lord which chained both him and his    
troopers1  and those envious            
militia-soldiers also1 who went away1   
not having  power to hurt any of us1 nor
 to break up our meeting4    ,next day  
we had an heavenly meeting at           
,warmsworth of ,friends in the          
ministry1 with several others2 and then 
,friends parted4 ,as they  passed       
through the country several were taken  
up2 for on the day on  which our first  
meeting was held1 ,lambert was routed1  
and it made  great confusion in the     
country2 but ,friends were not kept long
 in  prison at that time4    ,as ,i went

 to this meeting there came to me       
several at ,skegby1 in                  
,nottinghamshire1 who were going to be  
soldiers under ,lambert1 and  would have
 bought my horse of me4 ,because ,i     
would not sell him1 they  were in a     
great rage against me1 using many       
threatening words3 but ,i  told them    
that ,god would confound and scatter    
them2 and within two or  three days     
after they were scattered indeed4       
,from ,warmsworth ,i passed1 in the     
,lord's power1 to ,barton ,abbey1  where
 ,i had a great meeting2 thence to      
,thomas ,taylor's2 and so on  to        
,skipton1 where was a general meeting of
 men ,friends out of many  counties     
concerning the affairs of the           
,church4#aai      #aai ,this meeting for
 the affairs of the ,church1 held at    
,skipton1 in ,yorkshire1 in #afei1 is   
generally considered to be the          
original yearly meeting4    ,a ,friend  
went naked through the town1 declaring  
,truth1 and was much  beaten4#abj ,some 

other ,friends also came to me all      
bloody4 ,as ,i  walked in the street1 a 
desperate fellow had an intent to do me 
mischief2 but he was prevented1 and our 
meeting was quiet4      #abj ,naked     
means naked to the waist4 ,there are a  
few other    instances of similar       
actions in ,england and ,america4    ,to
 this meeting came many ,friends out of 
most parts of the nation2  for it was   
about business relating to the ,church  
both in this nation  and beyond the     
seas4 ,several years before1 when ,i was
 in the north1 ,i  was moved to         
recommend to ,friends the setting up of 
this meeting for  that service2 for many
 ,friends had suffered in divers parts  
of the  nation1 their goods were taken  
from them contrary to law1 and they     
understood not how to help themselves1  
or where to seek redress4#aba  ,but     
after this meeting was set up1 several  
,friends who had been  magistrates1 and 
others that understood something of the 
law1 came  thither1 and were able to    

inform ,friends1 and to assist them in  
gathering up the sufferings1 that they  
might be laid before the  justices1     
judges1 or ,parliament4      #aba ,this 
is the beginning of what was later known
 as the    ,meeting for ,sufferings1    
which has been throughout its history a 
remarkable body4 ,the minutes of the    
,meeting for ,sufferings date    from   
,fifth month #bb;d1 #afge4    ,this     
meeting had stood several years1 and    
divers justices and  captains had come  
to break it up1 but when they understood
 the  business ,friends met about1 and  
saw their books and accounts of         
collections for relief of the poor1 how 
we took care one county to  help        
another1 and to help our ,friends beyond
 the seas1 and provide  for our poor1   
that none of them should be chargeable  
to their  parishes1 etc41 the justices  
and officers confessed we did their     
work1 and passed away peaceably and     
lovingly1 commending ,friends'          
practice4    ,sometimes there would come

 two hundred of the poor of other       
people1  and wait there till the meeting
 was done 7for all the country knew we  
met about the poor71 and after the      
meeting ,friends would send to the      
bakers for bread1 and give every one of 
these poor people a loaf1 how  many     
soever there were of them2 for we were  
taught to do good unto  all2 though     
especially to the household of faith4   
,after this meeting ,i visited ,friends 
in their meetings till ,i came to       
,lancaster2 whence ,i went to ,robert   
,widders's1 and so on to ,arnside1      
where ,i had a general meeting for all  
the ,friends in ,westmoreland1          
,cumberland1 and ,lancashire4 ,it was   
quiet and peaceable1 and the  living    
presence of the ,lord was amongst us4 ,i
 went back with ,robert  ,widders2 and  
,friends all passed away1 fresh in the  
life and power  of ,christ1 in which    
they had dominion1 being settled upon   
,him1 the  heavenly ,rock and           
,foundation4    ,i went next day to     

,swarthmore1 ,francis ,howgill and      
,thomas ,curtis  being with me4 ,i had  
not been long there before ,henry       
,porter1 a  justice1 sent a warrant by  
the chief constable and three petty     
constables to apprehend me4 ,i had a    
sense of this beforehand2 and  being in 
the parlor with ,richard ,richardson and
 ,margaret ,fell1 her  servants came and
 told her there were some come to search
 the house  for arms2 and they went up  
into the chambers under that pretence4  
,it came upon me to go out to them2 and 
as ,i was going by some of them  ,i     
spoke to them2 whereupon they asked me  
my name4 ,i readily told them  my name2 
and then they laid hold on me1 saying   
that ,i was the man  they looked for1   
and led me away to ,ulverstone4    ,they
 kept me all night at the constable's   
house1 and set a guard of  fifteen or   
sixteen men to watch me2 some of whom   
sat in the chimney1  for fear ,i should 
go up it2 such dark imaginations        
possessed them4  ,they were very rude   

and uncivil1 and would neither suffer me
 to  speak to ,friends1 nor suffer them 
to bring me necessaries2 but with       
violence thrust them out1 and kept a    
strong guard upon me4 ,very  wicked and 
rude they were1 and a great noise they  
made about me4 ,one  of the constables1 
whose name was ,ashburnham1 said he did 
not think  a thousand men could have    
taken me4 ,another of the constables1   
whose  name was ,mount1 a very wicked   
man1 said he would have served ,judge   
,fell himself so1 if he had been alive1 
and he had had a warrant for  him4      
,next morning1 about six1 ,i was putting
 on my boots and spurs to go  with them 
before some justice2 but they pulled off
 my spurs1 took my  knife out of my     
pocket1 and hurried me away through the 
town1 with a  party of horse and        
abundance of people1 not suffering me to
 stay till  my own horse came down4     
,when ,i was gone about a quarter of a  
mile with them1 some ,friends1  with    
,margaret ,fell and her children1 came  

towards me2 and then a  great party of  
horse gathered about me in a mad rage   
and fury1 crying  out1 ,will they rescue
 him8 ,will they rescue him8 ,thereupon 
,i said  unto them1 ,here is my hair2   
here is my back2 here are my cheeks2    
strike on6 ,with these words their heat 
was a little assuaged4    ,then they    
brought a little horse1 and two of them 
took up one of my  legs and put my foot 
in the stirrup1 and two or three lifting
 over my  other leg1 set me upon it     
behind the saddle1 and so led the horse 
by  the halter2 but ,i had nothing to   
hold by4 ,when they were come some      
distance out of the town they beat the  
little horse1 and made him  kick and    
gallop4 ,thereupon ,i slipped off him4  
,i told them they should  not abuse the 
creature4 ,they were much enraged at my 
getting off1 and  took me by the legs   
and feet1 and set me upon the same      
horse1 behind  the saddle again2 and so 
led it about two miles till they came to
 a  great water called the              

,carter-,ford4    ,by this time my own  
horse was come to us1 and the water     
being deep1  and their little horse     
scarcely able to carry me through1 they 
let me  get upon my own1 through the    
persuasion of some of their own company1
  leading him through the water4 ,one   
wicked fellow kneeled down1 and1        
lifting up his hands1 blessed ,god that 
,i was taken4    ,when ,i was come over 
the ,sands1 ,i told them that ,i heard  
,i had  liberty to choose what justice  
,i would go before2 but ,mount and the  
other constables cried1 ,no1 you shall  
not4 ,then they led me to  ,lancaster1  
about fourteen miles1 and a great       
triumph they thought to  have had2 but  
as they led me ,i was moved to sing     
praises to the ,lord1  in ,his power    
triumphing over all4    ,when ,i was    
come to ,lancaster1 the spirits of the  
people being  mightily up1 ,i stood and 
looked earnestly upon them1 and they    
cried1  ,look at his eyes6#abb ,after a 
while ,i spoke to them1 and they  were  

pretty sober4 ,then came a young man who
 took me to his house1  and after a     
little time the officers took me to the 
house of ,major  ,porter1 the justice   
who had sent the warrant against me1 and
 who had  several others with him4      
#abb ,this is the second time the       
striking character of his eyes    has   
been commented on4    ,when ,i came in1 
,i said1 ,peace be amongst you4 ,porter 
asked me why  ,i came into the country  
at that troublesome time4#abc ,i told   
him1  ,to visit my brethren4 ,but1 said 
he1 you have great meetings up  and     
down4 ,i told him that though we had1   
our meetings were known  throughout the 
nation to be peaceable1 and we were a   
peaceable people4      #abc ,this was   
just at the troublous time when ,charles
 ,,ii4 was    coming to the throne1 and 
the kingdom was being reorganized4      
,every traveller was suspected1 and     
every gathering of people was           
watched4    ,he said that we saw the    
devil in people's faces4 ,i told him    

that  if ,i saw a drunkard1 or a        
swearer1 or a peevish heady man1 ,i     
could  not say ,i saw the ,spirit of    
,god in him4 ,and ,i asked him if he    
could  see the ,spirit of ,god4 ,he said
 we cried against their ministers4 ,i   
told him that while we were as ,saul1   
sitting under the priests1 and  running 
up and down with their packets of       
letters1 we were never  called pestilent
 fellows nor makers of sects2 but when  
we were come  to exercise our           
consciences towards ,god and man1 we    
were called  pestilent fellows1 as ,paul
 was4    ,he said we could express      
ourselves well enough1 and he would not 
dispute with me2 but he would restrain  
me4 ,i desired to know for  what1 and by
 whose order he had sent his warrant for
 me2 and ,i  complained to him of the   
abuse of the constables and other       
officers  after they had taken me1 and  
in their bringing me thither4 ,he would 
not take notice of that1 but told me he 
had an order1 but would  not let me see 

it2 for he would not reveal the ,king's 
secrets2  and besides1 ,a prisoner1 he  
said1 is not to see for what he is      
committed4 ,i told him that was not     
reason2 for how1 then1 should he  make  
his defence8 ,i said ,i ought to have a 
copy of it4 ,but he said  there was a   
judge once that fined one for letting a 
prisoner have a  copy of his mittimus2  
and1 said he1 ,i have an old clerk1     
though ,i  am a young justice4    ,then 
he called to his clerk1 saying1 ,is it  
not ready yet8 ,bring  it2 meaning the  
mittimus4 ,but it not being ready1 he   
told me ,i  was a disturber of the      
nation4 ,i told him ,i had been a       
blessing to  the nation1 in and through 
the ,lord's power and ,truth2 and that  
the  ,spirit of ,god in all consciences 
would answer it4 ,then he charged me  as
 an enemy to the ,king1 that ,i         
endeavoured to raise a new war1 and     
imbrue the nation in blood again4 ,i    
told him ,i had never learned the       
postures of war1 but was clear and      

innocent as a child concerning  those   
things2 and therefore was bold4    ,then
 came the clerk with the mittimus1 and  
the jailer was sent for  and commanded  
to take me1 put me into the ,dark-house1
 and let none  come at me1 but to keep  
me there close prisoner till ,i should  
be  delivered by the ,king or           
,parliament4 ,then the justice asked the
  constables where my horse was4 ,for ,i
 hear1 said he1 he hath a good  horse2  
have ye brought his horse8 ,i told him  
where my horse was1 but  he did not     
meddle with him4    ,as they had me to  
the jail the constable gave me my knife 
again1 and  then asked me to give it to 
him4 ,i told him1 ,nay2 he had not been 
so civil to me4 ,so they put me into the
 jail1 and the under-jailer1  one       
,hardy1 a very wicked man1 was exceeding
 rude and cruel1 and many  times would  
not let me have meat brought in but as  
,i could get it  under the door4 ,many  
came to look at me1 some in a rage1 and 
very  uncivil and rude4    ,being now a 

close prisoner in the common jail at    
,lancaster1 ,i desired  ,thomas ,cummins
 and ,thomas ,green to go to the jailer1
 and desire of  him a copy of my        
mittimus1 that ,i might know what ,i    
stood committed  for4 ,they went and the
 jailer answered that he could not give 
a  copy of it1 for another had been     
fined for so doing2 but he gave  them   
liberty to read it over4 ,to the best of
 their remembrance the  matters therein 
charged against me were that ,i was a   
person generally  suspected to be a     
common disturber of the peace of the    
nation1 an  enemy to the ,king1 and a   
chief upholder of the ,quakers' sect2   
and  that1 together with others of my   
fanatic opinion1 ,i had of late         
endeavoured to raise insurrections in   
these parts of the country1  and to     
embroil the whole kingdom in blood4     
,wherefore the jailer was  commanded to 
keep me in safe custody until ,i should 
be released by  order of the ,king and  
,parliament4    ,when ,i had thus got   

the heads of the charge contained in the
  mittimus1 ,i wrote a plain answer in  
vindication of my innocency in  each    
particular2 as follows3         ,i am a 
prisoner at ,lancaster1 committed by    
,justice ,porter4       ,a copy of the  
mittimus ,i cannot get1 but such        
expressions ,i       am told are in it  
as are very untrue2 as that ,i am       
generally       suspected to be a common
 disturber of the nation's peace1 an    
enemy to the ,king1 and that ,i1 with   
others1 endeavour to raise              
insurrections to embroil the nation in  
blood2 all of which is       utterly    
false1 and ,i do1 in every part thereof1
 deny it4         ,for ,i am not a      
person generally suspected to be a      
disturber       of the nation's peace1  
nor have ,i given any cause for such    
suspicion2 for through the nation ,i    
have been tried for these       things  
formerly4 ,in the days of ,oliver ,i was
 taken up on       pretence of raising  
arms against him1 which was also false2 

for       ,i meddled not with raising   
arms at all4 ,yet ,i was then carried   
up a prisoner to ,london1 and brought   
before him2 when ,i cleared             
myself1 and denied the drawing of a     
carnal weapon against him1       or any 
man upon the earth2 for my weapons are  
spiritual1 which       take away the    
occasion of war1 and lead into peace4   
,upon my       declaring this to        
,oliver1 ,i was set at liberty by him4  
,after this ,i was taken and sent to    
prison by ,major ,ceely in              
,cornwall1 who1 when ,i was brought     
before the judge1 informed       against
 me that ,i took him aside1 and told him
 that ,i could       raise forty        
thousand men in an hour's time1 to      
involve the       nation in blood1 and  
bring in ,king ,charles4 ,this also was 
utterly false1 and a lie of his own     
inventing1 as was then       proved upon
 him for ,i never spoke any such word to
 him4         ,i never was found in any 
plot2 ,i never took any engagement or   

oath2 nor have ,i ever learned          
war-postures4 ,as those were false      
charges against me then1 so are these   
now which come from ,major              
,porter1 who is lately appointed to be  
justice1 but formerly       wanted power
 to exercise his cruelty against us2    
which is but       the wickedness of the
 old enemy4 ,the peace of the nation ,i 
am       not a disturber of1 nor ever   
was2 but ,i seek the peace of it1       
and of all men1 and stand for all       
nations' peace1 and all men's           
peace upon the earth1 and wish all knew 
my innocency in these       things4     
,and whereas ,major ,porter saith ,i am 
an enemy to the ,king1 this       is    
false2 for my love is to him and to all 
men1 even though       they be enemies  
to ,god1 to themselves1 and to me4 ,and 
,i can say       it is of the ,lord that
 the ,king is come in1 to bring down    
many       unrighteously set up2 of     
which ,i had a sight three years before 
he came in4 ,it is much ,major ,porter  

should say ,i am an enemy to       the  
,king2 for ,i have no reason so to be1  
he having done nothing       against me4
         ,but ,i have been often        
imprisoned and persecuted these eleven  
or       twelve years by those that have
 been both against the ,king and        
his father1 even the party by whom      
,porter was made a major and       for  
whom he bore arms2 but not by them that 
were for the ,king4       ,i was never  
an enemy to the ,king1 nor to any man's 
person upon       the earth4 ,i am in   
the love that fulfils the law1 which    
thinks       no evil1 but loves even    
enemies2 and would have the ,king saved1
       and come to the knowledge of the 
,truth1 and be brought into the         
fear of the ,lord1 to receive ,his      
wisdom from above1 by which all         
things were made and created2 that with 
that wisdom he may order       all      
things to the glory of ,god4            
,whereas he calleth me ',a chief        
upholder of the ,quakers' sect1'        

,i answer3 ,the ,quakers are not a      
sect1#abd but are in the power       of 
,god1 which was before sects were1 and  
witness the election       before the   
world began1 and are come to live in the
 life in       which the prophets and   
apostles lived1 who gave forth the      
,scriptures2 therefore are we hated by  
envious1 wrathful1 wicked1              
persecuting men4 ,but ,god is the       
upholder of us all by ,his mighty       
power1 and preserves us from the wrath  
of the wicked that would       swallow  
us up4      #abd ,george ,fox never     
admitted that the ,quakers were a sect1 
nor did any ,friend of the first fifty  
years4 ,there was but one    ,church1   
composed of those who obeyed the ,light 
and in whom ,christ    dwelt1 and of    
this ,church ,fox and his followers     
claimed to be    members4 ,this position
 has been ably put in ,thomas ,hancock's
    ,peculium--a ,prize ,essay4         
,and whereas he saith that ,i1 together 
with others of my fanatic       opinion1

 as he calls it1 have of late           
endeavoured to raise                    
insurrections1 and to embroil the whole 
kingdom in blood1 ,i answer1       ,this
 is altogether false4 ,to these things  
,i am as a child2 ,i know       nothing 
of them4 ,the postures of war ,i never  
learned2 my weapons are       spiritual 
and not carnal1 for with carnal weapons 
,i do not fight4 ,i       am a follower 
of ,him who said1 ',my kingdom is not of
 this world1' and       though these    
lies and slanders are raised upon me1 ,i
 deny drawing       any carnal weapon   
against the ,king or ,parliament1 or any
 man upon       the earth4 ,for ,i am   
come to the end of the ,law1 but am in  
that which       saves men's lives4 ,a  
witness ,i am against all murderers1    
plotters1       and all such as would   
imbrue the nation in blood2 for it is   
not in my       heart to have any man's 
life destroyed4         ,and as for the 
word fanatic1 which signifies furious1  
foolish1 mad1       etc41 he might have 

considered himself before he had used   
that word1       and have learned the   
humility which goes before honour4 ,we  
are not       furious1 foolish1 or mad2 
but through patience and meekness have  
borne lies1 slanders and persecutions   
many years1 and have undergone          
great sufferings4 ,the spiritual man1   
that wrestles not with flesh       and  
blood1 and the ,spirit that reproves sin
 in the gate1 which is the       ,spirit
 of ,truth1 wisdom1 and sound judgment1 
is not mad1 foolish1       furious1     
which fanatic signifies2 but all are of 
a mad1 furious1       foolish spirit    
that in their furiousness1 foolishness  
and rage       wrestle with flesh and   
blood1 with carnal weapons4 ,this is not
 the       ,spirit of ,god1 but of      
error1 that persecutes in a mad1 blind  
zeal1       like ,nebuchadnezzar and    
,saul4         ,inasmuch as ,i am       
ordered to be kept prisoner till ,i be  
delivered by       order from the ,king 
or ,parliament1 therefore ,i have       

written these       things to be laid   
before you1 the ,king and ,parliament1  
that ye may       consider of them      
before ye act anything therein2 that ye 
may weigh1       in the wisdom of ,god1 
the intent and end of men's spirits1    
lest ye       act the thing that will   
bring the hand of the ,lord upon you and
       against you1 as many who have    
been in authority have done before you1 
whom ,god hath overthrown4 ,in ,him we  
trust whom we fear and cry unto         
day and night1 who hath heard us1 doth  
hear us1 and will hear us1 and          
avenge our cause4 ,much innocent blood  
hath been shed4 ,many have been         
persecuted to death by such as were in  
authority before you1 whom       ,god   
hath vomited out because they turned    
against the just4 ,therefore            
consider your standing now that ye have 
the day1 and receive this as       a    
warning of love to you4         ,from an
 innocent sufferer in bonds1 and close  
prisoner in ,lancaster       ,castle1   

called                                  
,,george ,,fox4    ,after this ,margaret
 ,fell determined to go to ,london1 to  
speak with  the ,king about my being    
taken1 and to show him the manner of it1
 and  the unjust dealing and evil usage 
,i had received4#abe ,when ,justice     
,porter heard of this1 he vapoured that 
he would go and meet her in  the gap4   
,but when he came before the ,king1     
having been a zealous man  for the      
,parliament against the ,king1 several  
of the courtiers spoke  to him          
concerning his plundering their houses2 
so that he quickly had  enough of the   
court1 and soon returned into the       
country4      #abe ,margaret ,fell was  
now the head of ,swarthmore ,hall1      
,judge    ,fell having died in #afeh4   
,as the arrest was made from her house  
she felt herself implicated in the false
 charge4 ,she wrote a    vigorous letter
 about the case to the proper           
magistrates4    ,meanwhile the jailer   
seemed very fearful1 and said he was    

afraid  ,major ,porter would hang him   
because he had not put me in the        
dark-house4 ,but when the jailer waited 
on him after his return from  ,london1  
he was very blank and down1 and asked   
how ,i did1 pretending  he would find a 
way to set me at liberty4 ,but having   
overshot himself  in his mittimus by    
ordering me to be kept a prisoner till  
,i should  be delivered by the ,king or 
,parliament1 he had put it out of his   
power to release me if he would4    ,he 
was the more down also upon reading a   
letter which ,i sent him2 for  when he  
was in the height of his rage and       
threats against me1 and  thought to     
ingratiate himself into the ,king's     
favour by imprisoning  me1 ,i was moved 
to write to him and put him in mind how 
fierce he had  been against the ,king   
and his party1 though now he would be   
thought  zealous for the ,king4         
,among other things in my letter ,i     
called to his remembrance that when  he 
held ,lancaster ,castle for the         

,parliament against the ,king1 he was   
so rough and fierce against those that  
favoured the ,king that he said  he     
would leave them neither dog nor cat1 if
 they did not bring him  provision to   
the ,castle4 ,i asked him also whose    
great buck's horns  were those that were
 in his house2 and whence he had both   
them and  the wainscot with which he    
ceiled his house2 had he them not from  
,hornby ,castle8    ,about this time    
,ann ,curtis1 of ,reading1 came to see  
me2 and  understanding how ,i stood     
committed1 it was upon her also to go to
  the ,king about it4 ,her father1 who  
had been sheriff of ,bristol1 was       
hanged near his own door for            
endeavouring to bring the ,king in2 upon
  which consideration she had some hopes
 the ,king might hear her on my  behalf4
 ,accordingly1 when she returned to     
,london1 she and ,margaret  ,fell went  
to the ,king together2 who1 when he     
understood whose  daughter she was1     
received her kindly4 ,her request to him

 being to  send for me up1 and hear the 
cause himself1 he promised her he would2
  and he commanded his secretary to send
 an order for bringing me up4    ,but   
when they came to the secretary for the 
order he said it was not  in his power2 
he must go according to law2 and ,i must
 be brought  up by a writ of habeas     
corpus before the judges4 ,so he wrote  
to  the ,judge of the ,king's ,bench1   
signifying that it was the ,king's      
pleasure ,i should be sent up by a writ 
of habeas corpus4 ,accordingly  a writ  
was sent and delivered to the sheriff2  
but because it was  directed to the     
chancellor of ,lancaster the sheriff put
 it off to  him2 on the other hand1 the 
chancellor would not make the warrant   
upon it1 but said the sheriff must do   
that4    ,at length both chancellor and 
sheriff were got together2 but being    
both enemies to ,truth1 they sought     
occasion for delay1 and found an  error 
in the writ1 which was that1 being      
directed to the chancellor1  it said1   

,george ,fox in prison under your       
custody1 whereas  the prison ,i was in  
was not in the chancellor's custody1 but
 the  sheriff's2 so the word your should
 have been his4 ,upon this they         
returned the writ to ,london again1 only
 to have that one word altered4    ,when
 it was altered and brought down again1 
the sheriff refused to  carry me up     
unless ,i would seal a writing to him   
and become bound to  pay for the sealing
 and the charge of carrying me up3 which
 ,i denied1  telling them ,i would not  
seal anything4    ,i was moved also to  
write to the ,king to exhort him to     
exercise mercy  and forgiveness towards 
his enemies and to warn him to restrain 
the  profaneness and looseness that was 
risen up in the nation upon his  return4
                                    ,,to
 ,,the ,,king4         ,,king ,,charles3
         ,thou camest not into this     
nation by sword1 nor by victory of      
war1 but by the power of the ,lord4     
,now1 if thou dost not live in          

this power1 thou wilt not prosper4      
,if the ,lord hath showed thee mercy and
 forgiven thee1 and thou       dost not 
show mercy and forgive1 ,god will not   
hear thy prayers1       nor them that   
pray for thee4 ,if thou dost not stop   
persecution       and persecutors1 and  
take away all laws that hold up         
persecution       about religion2 if    
thou persist in them1 and uphold        
persecution1       that will make thee  
as blind as those that have gone before 
thee3 for persecution hath always       
blinded those that have gone       into 
it4 ,such ,god by his power overthrows1 
doeth ,his valiant       acts upon1 and 
bringeth salvation to ,his oppressed    
ones4         ,if thou bear the sword in
 vain1 and let drunkenness1 oaths1      
plays1 ,may-games1 as setting up of     
,may-poles1 with the image       of the 
crown atop of them1 with such like      
abominations and       vanities1 be     
encouraged or go unpunished1 the nation 
will       quickly turn like ,sodom and 

,gomorrah1 and be as bad as those men   
of the old world1 who grieved the ,lord 
till ,he overthrew them4       ,so ,he  
will overthrow you if these things be   
not suppressed4         ,hardly ever    
before has there been so much wickedness
 at liberty       as there is at this   
day1 as though there were no terror nor 
sword of magistracy4 ,such looseness    
doth not grace a government1       nor  
please them that do well4 ,our prayers  
are for them that are       in          
authority1 that under them we may live a
 godly life in peace1       and that we 
may not be brought into ungodliness by  
them4 ,hear       and consider1 and do  
good in thy time1 whilst thou hast      
power2       be merciful and forgive2   
that is the way to overcome and obtain  
the kingdom of ,christ4                 
,g4 ,f4    ,it was long before the      
sheriff would yield to remove me to     
,london  unless ,i would seal a bond to 
him1 and bear the charges2 which ,i     
still refused to do4 ,then they         

consulted how to convey me up1 and      
first concluded to send up a party of   
horse with me4 ,i told them1 ,if  ,i    
were such a man as you have represented 
me to be1 you would have  need to send a
 troop or two of horse to guard me4     
,when they considered what a charge it  
would be to them to send up a  party of 
horse with me1 they altered their       
purpose1 and concluded to  send me up   
guarded only by the jailer and some     
bailiffs4 ,but upon  farther            
consideration they found that this also 
would be a great  charge to them1 and   
therefore they sent for me to the       
jailer's house1  and told me that if ,i 
would put in bail that ,i would be in   
,london on  such a day of the term1 ,i  
should have leave to go up with some of 
my  own friends4    ,i told them ,i     
would neither put in bail1 nor give one 
piece of silver  to the jailer2 for ,i  
was an innocent man1--that they had     
imprisoned  me wrongfully1 and laid a   
false charge upon me4 ,nevertheless1 ,i 

said1  if they would let me go up with  
one or two of my friends to bear me     
company1 ,i might go up and be in       
,london on such a day1 if the ,lord     
should permit2 and if they desired it1  
,i or any of my friends that  went with 
me would carry up their charge against  
myself4    ,when they saw they could do 
no otherwise with me1 the sheriff       
consented that ,i should come up with   
some of my friends1 without any  other  
engagement than my word1 to appear      
before the judges at ,london  such a day
 of the term1 if the ,lord should       
permit4    ,thereupon ,i was let out of 
prison1 and went to ,swarthmore1 where  
,i  stayed two or three days2 and thence
 went to ,lancaster1 and so to          
,preston1 having meetings amongst       
,friends till ,i came into ,cheshire1   
to ,william ,gandy's1 where was a large 
meeting without doors1 the  house not   
being sufficient to contain it4 ,that   
day the ,lord's  everlasting ,seed1     
which is the heir of the promise1 was   

set over all1  and ,friends were turned 
to it4    ,thence ,i came into          
,staffordshire and ,warwickshire1 to    
,anthony  ,bickliff's1 and at           
,nuneaton1,,ak at a priest's widow's    
house1 we  had a blessed meeting1       
wherein the everlasting ,word of life   
was  powerfully declared1 and many were 
settled in it4 ,then1 travelling  on1   
visiting ,friends' meetings1 in about   
three weeks' time from my  coming out of
 prison ,i reached ,london1 ,richard    
,hubberthorn and ,robert  ,withers being
 with me4      ,,ak ,nuneaton was only  
two miles from his home at ,drayton1 but
 he    seems not to have stopped for a  
visit4    ,when we came to              
,charing-,cross1 multitudes of people   
were gathered  together to see the      
burning of the bowels of some of the old
 ,king's  judges1 who had been hanged1  
drawn and quartered4    ,we went next   
morning to ,judge ,mallet's chamber4 ,he
 was putting on his  red gown to sit in 
judgment upon some more of the ,king's  

judges4 ,he  was then very peevish and  
froward1 and said ,i might come another 
time4    ,we went again to his chamber  
when there was with him ,judge ,foster1 
who was called the ,lord ,chief-,justice
 of ,england4 ,with me was one  called  
,esquire ,marsh1 who was one of the     
bedchamber to the ,king4  ,when we had  
delivered to the judges the charge that 
was against  me1 and they had read to   
those words1 that ,i and my friends were
  embroiling the nation in blood1 etc41 
they struck their hands on the  table4  
,whereupon ,i told them that ,i was the 
man whom that charge was  against1 but  
,i was as innocent of any such thing as 
a new-born child1  and had brought it up
 myself2 and some of my friends came up 
with me1  without any guard4    ,as yet 
they had not minded my hat1 but now     
seeing it on1 they said1  ,what1 do you 
stand with your hat on6 ,i told them ,i 
did not so in  any contempt of them4    
,then they commanded it to be taken off2
 and  when they called for the marshal  

of the ,king's ,bench1 they said to     
him1 ,you must take this man and secure 
him2 but let him have a  chamber1 and   
not be put amongst the prisoners4    ,my
 lord1 said the marshal1 ,i have no     
chamber to put him into2 my  house is so
 full ,i cannot tell where to provide a 
room for him but  amongst the prisoners4
    ,nay1 said the judge1 you must not  
put him amongst the prisoners4    ,but  
when the marshal still answered that he 
had no other  place wherein to put me1  
,judge ,foster said to me1 ,will you    
appear to-morrow about ten o'clock at   
the ,king's ,bench bar in               
,westminster-,hall8    ,i said1 ,yes1 if
 the ,lord gives me strength4    ,then  
said ,judge ,foster to the other judge1 
,if he says ,yes1 and  promises it1 you 
may take his word2 so ,i was dismissed4 
,next day ,i appeared at the ,king's    
,bench bar at the hour appointed1       
,robert ,widders1 ,richard ,hubberthorn1
 and ,esquire ,marsh going with me4  ,i 
was brought into the middle of the      

court2 and as soon as ,i came in1  was  
moved to look round1 and1 turning to the
 people1 say1 ,peace be  among you4 ,the
 power of the ,lord spread over the     
court4    ,the charge against me was    
read openly4 ,the people were moderate1 
and  the judges cool and loving2 and the
 ,lord's mercy was to them4 ,but  when  
they came to that part which said that  
,i and my friends were  embroiling the  
nation in blood1 and raising a new war1 
and that ,i was  an enemy to the ,king1 
etc41 they lifted up their hands4       
,then1 stretching out my arms1 ,i said1 
,i am the man whom that charge  is      
against2 but ,i am as innocent as a     
child concerning the charge1  and have  
never learned any war-postures4 ,and1   
said ,i1 do ye think  that1 if ,i and my
 friends had been such men as the charge
 declares1  ,i would have brought it up 
myself against myself8 ,or that ,i      
should  have been suffered to come up   
with only one or two of my friends with 
me8 ,had ,i been such a man as this     

charge sets forth1 ,i had need to be    
guarded with a troop or two of horse4   
,but the sheriff and magistrates  of    
,lancashire thought fit to let me and my
 friends come up with it  ourselves1    
nearly two hundred miles1 without any   
guard at all2 which1  ye may be sure1   
they would not have done1 had they      
looked upon me to  be such a man4       
,then the ,judge asked me whether it    
should be filed1 or what ,i would  do   
with it4 ,i answered1 ,ye are judges1   
and able1 ,i hope1 to judge  in this    
matter2 therefore1 do with it what ye   
will2 for ,i am the man  these charges  
are against1 and here ye see ,i have    
brought them up  myself4 ,do ye what ye 
will with them2 ,i leave it to you4     
,then1 ,judge ,twisden beginning to     
speak some angry words1 ,i appealed  to 
,judge ,foster and ,judge ,mallet1 who  
had heard me over-night4  ,thereupon    
they said they did not accuse me1 for   
they had nothing  against me4 ,then     
stood up ,esquire ,marsh1 who was of the

 ,king's  bedchamber1 and told the      
judges it was the ,king's pleasure that 
,i  should be set at liberty1 seeing no 
accuser came up against me4 ,they  asked
 me whether ,i would put it to the ,king
 and ,council4 ,i said1  ,yes1 with a   
good will4    ,thereupon they sent the  
sheriff's return1 which he had made to  
the writ of habeas corpus1 containing   
the matter charged against  me in the   
mittimus1 to the ,king1 that he might   
see for what ,i was  committed4 ,the    
return of the sheriff of ,lancaster was 
as follows3         ,by virtue of ,his  
,majesty's writ1 to me directed1 and    
hereunto       annexed1 ,i certify that 
before the receipt of the said writ     
,george ,fox1 in the said writ          
mentioned1 was committed to ,his        
,majesty's jail at the ,castle of       
,lancaster1 in my custody1 by a         
warrant from ,henry ,porter1 ,esq41 one 
of ,his ,majesty's justices       of    
peace within the county palatine        
aforesaid1 bearing date the       fifth 

of ,june now last past2 for that he1 the
 said ,george ,fox1       was generally 
suspected to be a common disturber of   
the peace       of this nation1 an enemy
 of our sovereign lord the ,king1 and   
a chief upholder of the ,quakers' sect2 
and that he1 together       with others 
of his fanatic opinion1 have of late    
endeavoured to       make insurrections 
in these parts of the country1 and to   
embroil       the whole kingdom in      
blood4 ,and this is the cause of his    
taking       and detaining4             
,nevertheless1 the body of the said     
,george ,fox ,i       have ready before 
,thomas ,mallet1 knight1 one of ,his    
,majesty's       justices1 assigned to  
hold pleas before ,his ,majesty1 at his 
chamber in ,sergeants' ,inn1 in ,fleet  
,street1 to do and receive       those  
things which his ,majesty's said justice
 shall determine       concerning him in
 this behalf1 as by the aforesaid writ  
is       required4                      
,,george ,,chetham1 ,esq41 ,sheriff4    

,on perusal of this1 and consideration  
of the whole matter1 the ,king1  being  
satisfied of my innocency1 commanded his
 secretary to send an  order to ,judge  
,mallet for my release1 which he did    
thus3         ,it is his ,majesty's     
pleasure that you give order for        
releasing1       and setting at full    
liberty the person of ,george ,fox1 late
 a       prisoner in ,lancaster jail1   
and commanded hither by an habeas       
corpus4 ,and this signification of his  
,majesty's pleasure shall       be your 
sufficient warrant4 ,dated at           
,whitehall1 the #bdth of       ,october1
 #affj4                                 
,,edward ,,nicholas4         ,for ,sir  
,thomas ,mallet1 knight1 one        of  
the justices of the ,king's ,bench4     
,when this order was delivered to ,judge
 ,mallet1 he forthwith sent his  warrant
 to the marshal of the ,king's ,bench   
for my release2 which  warrant was thus 
worded3         ,by virtue of a warrant 
which this morning ,i have received     

from the ,right ,honorable ,sir ,edward 
,nicholas1 knight1 one of       his     
,majesty's principal secretaries1 for   
the releasing and       setting at      
liberty of ,george ,fox1 late a prisoner
 in ,lancaster       jail1 and thence   
brought hither by habeas corpus1 and    
yesterday       committed unto your     
custody2 ,i do hereby require you       
accordingly       to release and set the
 said prisoner ,george ,fox at liberty3 
for       which this shall be your      
warrant and discharge4 ,given under my  
hand the #beth day of ,october1 in the  
year of our ,lord ,god #affj4           
,,thomas ,,mallet4         ,to ,sir     
,john ,lenthal1 knight1          marshal
 of the ,king's ,bench1          or his 
deputy4    ,thus1 after ,i had been a   
prisoner somewhat more than twenty      
weeks1  ,i was freely set at liberty by 
the ,king's command1 the ,lord's power  
having wonderfully wrought for the      
clearing of my innocency1 and  ,porter1 
who committed me1 not daring to appear  

to make good the  charge he had falsely 
suggested against me4 ,but1 after it was
 known ,i  was discharged1 a company of 
envious1 wicked spirits were troubled1  
and terror took hold of ,justice        
,porter2 for he was afraid ,i would     
take the advantage of the law against   
him for my wrong imprisonment1  and     
thereby undo him1 his wife and children4
 ,and indeed ,i was pressed  by some in 
authority to make him and the rest      
examples2 but ,i said ,i  should leave  
them to the ,lord2 if the ,lord forgave 
them ,i should not  trouble myself with 
them4          ,,chapter ,,xiv4         
,labors1 ,dangers and ,sufferings4      
#affa-affb4      ,now did ,i see the end
 of the travail which ,i had in my sore 
exercise  at ,reading2#abf for the      
everlasting power of the ,lord was over 
all1  and ,his blessed ,truth1 life1 and
 light shined over the nation4 ,great   
and glorious meetings we had1 and very  
quiet2 and many flocked unto  the       
,truth4 ,richard ,hubberthorn had been  

with the ,king1 who said that  none     
should molest us so long as we lived    
peaceably1 and promised  this upon the  
word of a king2 telling ,richard that we
 might make use  of his promise4#abg    
#abf ,in #afeh ,fox had written3 ,i went
 to ,reading1 where ,i was    under     
great exercises and sufferings1 and in  
great travail    of spirit for about ten
 weeks4 ,this was apparently over the   
disturbed political situation1 and he   
tells us that at this time    he had a  
sight and sense of the king's return4   
#abg ,poor ,george little realized how  
futile this promise was to    prove1 or 
how soon the whips of ,oliver were to   
become scorpions    under the new order 
of affairs4    ,some ,friends were also 
admitted in the ,house of ,lords1 to    
declare  their reasons why they could   
not pay tithes1 swear1 go to the        
steeple-house worship1 or join with     
others in worship2 and the ,lords  heard
 them moderately4 ,there being about    
seven hundred ,friends  in prison1 who  

had been committed under ,oliver's and  
,richard's  government1 upon contempts  
7so called7 when the ,king came in1 he  
set  them all at liberty4    ,there     
seemed at that time an inclination and  
intention in the  government to grant   
,friends liberty1 because those in      
authority  were sensible that we had    
suffered as well as they under the      
former  powers4 ,but still1 when        
anything was going forward in order     
thereto1  some dirty spirits or         
other1#abh that would seem to be for us1
 threw  something in the way to stop it4
 ,it was said there was an instrument   
drawn up for confirming our liberty1 and
 that it only wanted signing2  when     
suddenly that wicked attempt of the     
,fifth-monarchy people  broke out1 and  
put the city and nation in an uproar4   
,this was on a  ,first-day night1 and   
very glorious meetings we had had that  
day1  wherein the ,lord's ,truth shone  
over all1 and ,his power was exalted    
above all2 but about midnight1 or soon  

after1 the drums beat1 and the  cry was1
 ,arm1 ,arm6      #abh ,in this instance
 ,fifth-monarchy men1 whose insurrection
    brought on the new persecution4     
,i got up out of bed1 and in the morning
 took boat1 and1 landing at             
,whitehall-stairs1 walked through       
,whitehall4 ,the people there looked    
strangely at me1 but ,i passed through  
them1 and went to ,pall-,mall1  where   
divers ,friends came to me1 though it   
had now become dangerous  to pass       
through the streets2 for by this time   
the city and suburbs  were up in arms4  
,exceedingly rude the people and        
soldiers were4  ,henry ,fell1 going to a
 ,friend's house1 was knocked1 down by  
the  soldiers1 and he would have been   
killed had not the ,duke of ,york come  
by4    ,great mischief was done in the  
city this week2 and when the next       
,first-day came1 as ,friends went to    
their meetings1 many were taken         
prisoners4 ,i stayed at ,pall-,mall1    
intending to be at the meeting  there2  

but on ,seventh-day night a company of  
troopers came and  knocked at the door4 
,the servant let them in4 ,they rushed  
into the  house1 and laid hold of me2   
and1 there being amongst them one that  
had served under the ,parliament1 he put
 his hand to my pocket and  asked       
whether ,i had any pistol4 ,i told him1 
,you know ,i do not carry  pistols2 why1
 therefore1 ask such a question of me1  
whom you know to  be a peaceable man8   
,others of the soldiers ran into the    
chambers1 and there found in bed        
,esquire ,marsh1 who1 though he was one 
of the ,king's bedchamber1 out  of his  
love to me came and lodged where ,i did4
 ,when they came down  again they said1 
,why should we take this man away with  
us4 ,we will  let him alone4    ,oh1    
said the ,parliament soldier1 he is one 
of the heads1 and a  chief ringleader4  
,upon this the soldiers were taking me  
away1 but ,esquire ,marsh1  hearing of  
it1 sent for him that commanded the     
party1 and desired him  to let me alone1

 for he would see me forthcoming in the 
morning4    ,in the morning1 before they
 could fetch me1 and before the meeting 
was gathered1 there came a company of   
foot soldiers to the house1 and  one of 
them1 drawing his sword1 held it over my
 head4 ,i asked him  why he drew his    
sword at an unarmed man1 at which his   
fellows1 being  ashamed1 bade him put up
 his sword4    ,these foot soldiers took
 me away to ,whitehall before the       
troopers  came for me4    ,as ,i was    
going out several ,friends were coming  
in to the meeting4 ,i  commended their  
boldness and cheerfulness1 and          
encouraged them to  persevere therein4  
,when ,i was brought to ,whitehall1 the 
soldiers and people were  exceedingly   
rude1 yet ,i declared ,truth to them4   
,but some great  persons came by1 who   
were very full of envy4 ,why1 said they1
 do ye  let him preach8 ,put him into a 
place where he may not stir4    ,so into
 such a place they put me1 and the      
soldiers watched over me4 ,i  told them 

that1 though they could confine my body 
and shut that up1  yet they could not   
stop the ,word of life4 ,some came and  
asked me what  ,i was4 ,i told them1 ,a 
preacher of righteousness4    ,after ,i 
had been kept there two or three hours1 
,esquire ,marsh spoke  to ,lord         
,gerrard1 and he came and bade them set 
me at liberty4 ,the  marshal1 when ,i   
was discharged1 demanded fees4 ,i told  
him ,i could not  give him any1 neither 
was it our practice2 and ,i asked him   
how he  could demand fees of me1 who was
 innocent4    ,then ,i went through the 
guards1 the ,lord's power being over    
them2  and1 after ,i had declared ,truth
 to the soldiers1 ,i went up the        
streets with two ,irish colonels that   
came from ,whitehall to an inn  where   
many ,friends were at that time         
prisoners under a guard4 ,i  desired    
these colonels to speak to the guard to 
let me go in to visit  my friends that  
were prisoners there2 but they would    
not4 ,then ,i  stepped up to the sentry1

 and desired him to let me go up2 and he
 did  so4    ,while ,i was there the    
soldiers went again to ,pall-,mall to   
search for  me2 but not finding me they 
turned towards the inn1 and bade all    
come out that were not prisoners2 so    
they went out4 ,but ,i asked the        
soldiers that were within whether ,i    
might not stay there a while with  my   
friends4 ,they said1 ,yes4 ,i stayed1   
and so escaped their hands  again4      
,towards night ,i went to ,pall-,mall1  
to see how it was with the  ,friends    
there2 and1 after ,i had stayed a while1
 ,i went up into the  city4    ,great   
rifling of houses there was at this time
 to search for people4  ,i went to a    
private ,friend's house1 and ,richard   
,hubberthorn was with  me4 ,there we    
drew up a declaration against plots and 
fightings1 to  be presented to the ,king
 and ,council2 but when finished1 and   
sent to  print1 it was taken in the     
press4    ,on this insurrection of the  
,fifth-monarchy men1 great havoc was    

made  both in city and country1 so that 
it was dangerous for sober people  to   
stir abroad for several weeks after4    
,men or women could hardly go  up and   
down the streets to buy provisions for  
their families without  being abused4   
,in the country they dragged men and    
women out of their  houses1 and some    
sick men out of their beds by the legs4 
,nay1 one man  in a fever1 the soldiers 
dragged out of bed to prison1 and when  
he  was brought there he died4 ,his name
 was ,thomas ,pachyn4    ,margaret ,fell
 went to the ,king and told him what sad
 work there was  in the city and nation1
 and showed him we were an innocent1    
peaceable  people1 and that we must keep
 our meetings as heretofore1 whatever we
  suffered2 but that it concerned him to
 see that peace was kept1 that  no      
innocent blood might be shed4    ,the   
prisons were now everywhere filled with 
,friends and others1 in  the city and   
country1 and the posts were so laid for 
the searching  of letters that none     

could pass unsearched4 ,we heard of     
several  thousands of our ,friends that 
were cast into prison in several  parts 
of the nation1 and ,margaret ,fell      
carried an account of them  to the ,king
 and ,council4 ,the next week we had an 
account of several  thousands more that 
were cast into prison1 and she went and 
laid them  also before the ,king and    
,council4 ,they wondered how we could   
have  such intelligence1 seeing they had
 given such strict charge for the       
intercepting of all letters2 but the    
,lord did so order it that we had  an   
account notwithstanding all their       
stoppings4#abi      #abi ,fox wrote a   
tender letter to the sufferers in       
prison1 and    a ,declaration from the  
harmless1 innocent people of ,god called
    ,quakers was sent to the ,king4     
,soon after the ,king gave forth a      
proclamation that no soldiers should    
search any house without a constable4   
,but the jails were still  full1 many   
thousands of ,friends being in prison2  

which mischief was  occasioned by the   
wicked rising of the ,fifth-monarchy    
men4 ,but when  those that were taken   
came to be executed1 they did us the    
justice to  clear us openly from having 
any hand in or knowledge of their plot4 
,after that1 the ,king being continually
 importuned thereunto1 issued  a        
declaration that ,friends should be set 
at liberty without paying  fees4 ,but   
great labour1 travail1 and pains were   
taken before this was  obtained2 for    
,thomas ,moore and ,margaret ,fell went 
often to the ,king  about it4    ,much  
blood was shed this year1 many of the   
old ,king's judges being  hung1 drawn   
and quartered4 ,amongst them that so    
suffered1 ,colonel  ,hacker was one4 ,he
 had sent me prisoner from ,leicester to
 ,london in  ,oliver's time1 of which an
 account is given before4 ,a sad day it 
was1 and a repaying of blood with blood4
 ,for in the time of ,oliver  ,cromwell1
 when several men were put to death by  
him1 being hung1  drawn and quartered   

for pretended treasons1 ,i felt from the
 ,lord  ,god that their blood would be  
required2 and ,i said as much then to   
several4    ,and now1 upon the ,king's  
return1 several that had been against   
him  were put to death1 as the others   
that were for him had been before by    
,oliver4 ,this was sad work1 destroying 
people2 contrary to the nature  of      
,christians1 who have the nature of     
lambs and sheep4 ,but there was  a      
secret hand in bringing this day upon   
that hypocritical generation  of        
professors1 who1 being got into power1  
grew proud1 haughty1 and  cruel beyond  
others1 and persecuted the people of    
,god without pity4    ,when ,friends    
were under cruel persecutions and       
sufferings in the  ,commonwealth's time1
 ,i was moved of the ,lord to write to  
,friends  to draw up accounts of their  
sufferings1 and lay them before the     
justices at their sessions2 and if they 
would not do justice1 then  to lay them 
before the judges at the assize2 and if 

they would not  do justice1 then to lay 
them before the ,parliament1 the        
,protector  and his ,council1 that they 
might all see what was done under their 
government2 and if they would not do    
justice1 then to lay it before  the     
,lord1 who would hear the cries of the  
oppressed1 and of the  widows and       
fatherless whom they had made so4       
,for that for which we suffered1 and for
 which our goods were spoiled1  was our 
obedience to the ,lord in ,his ,power   
and ,his ,spirit4 ,he was  able to help 
and to succour1 and we had no helper in 
the earth but  ,him4 ,and ,he heard the 
cries of ,his people1 and brought an    
overflowing  scourge over the heads of  
all our persecutors1 which brought a    
dread  and a fear amongst and on them   
all4 ,so that those who had nicknamed   
us 7who are the children of ,light7 and 
in scorn called us ,quakers1  the ,lord 
made to quake2 and many of them would   
have been glad to hide  themselves      
amongst us2 and some of them1 through   

the distress that  came upon them1 did  
at length come to confess to the ,truth4
    ,many ways were these professors    
warned1 by word1 by writing1 and by     
signs2 but they would believe none till 
it was too late4 ,william  ,sympson was 
moved of the ,lord to go at several     
times for three years  naked and        
barefooted before them1 as a sign to    
them1 in markets1  courts1 towns1       
cities1 to priests' houses1 and to great
 men's  houses1 telling them1 ,so shall 
ye be stripped naked as ,i am stripped  
naked6 ,and sometimes he was moved to   
put on hair-sackcloth1 and to  besmear  
his face1 and to tell them1 ,so will the
 ,lord ,god besmear all  your religion  
as ,i am besmeared4    ,great sufferings
 did that poor man undergo1 sore        
whippings with  horse-whips and         
coach-whips on his bare body1 grievous  
stoning and  imprisonments1 in three    
years' time1 before the ,king came in1  
that  they might have taken warning2 but
 they would not1 and rewarded his  love 

with cruel usage4 ,only the mayor of    
,cambridge did nobly to him1  for he put
 his gown about him and took him into   
his house4    ,another ,friend1 ,robert 
,huntingdon1 was moved of the ,lord to  
go into  ,carlisle steeple-house with a 
white sheet about him1 amongst the      
great ,presbyterians and ,independents  
there1 to show them that the  surplice  
was coming up again2 and he put an      
halter about his neck to  show them that
 an halter was coming upon them2 which  
was fulfilled  upon some of our         
persecutors not long after4    ,another1
 ,richard ,sale1 living near            
,westchester1 being constable of  the   
place where he lived1 had sent to him   
with a pass a ,friend whom  those wicked
 professors had taken up for a vagabond1
 because he  travelled up and down in   
the work of the ministry4 ,this         
constable1  being convinced by the      
,friend thus brought to him1 gave him   
his pass  and liberty1 and was          
afterwards himself cast into prison4    

,after this1 on a lecture-day1 ,richard 
,sale was moved to go to the            
steeple-house in the time of their      
worship1 and to carry those  persecuting
 priests and people a lantern and       
candle1 as a figure of  their darkness4 
,but they cruelly abused him1 and like  
dark professors  as they were put him   
into their prison called ,little ,ease1 
and so  squeezed his body therein that  
not long after he died4#acj      #acj   
,these ,friends1 in their use of signs  
and striking    symbolisms1 were        
undoubtedly following in the steps of   
the ,hebrew    prophets4 ,both ,william 
,sympson and ,richard ,sale were        
squeezed in    ,little ,ease1 the       
latter1 being very stout1 came to his   
death as a    result4 ,little ,ease was 
a hole hewed out of a rock2 the breadth 
across seventeen inches2 from the back  
to the inside of the great    door at   
the top seven inches2 at the shoulders1 
eight inches2 at    the breast1 nine and
 a half inches2 from the top to the     

bottom1    one yard and a half1 with a  
device to lessen the height for         
purposes of torture4    ,although those 
,friends that had been imprisoned on the
 rising of the  ,fifth-monarchy men were
 set at liberty1 meetings were much     
disturbed1  and great sufferings        
,friends underwent4 ,for besides what   
was done by  officers and soldiers1 many
 wild fellows and rude people often came
  in4    ,one time when ,i was at       
,pall-,mall there came an ambassador    
with a  company of ,irishmen and rude   
fellows4 ,the meeting was over before   
they came1 and ,i was gone into a       
chamber1 where ,i heard one of them  say
 that he would kill all the ,quakers4 ,i
 went down to him1 and was  moved in the
 power of the ,lord to speak to him4 ,i 
told him1 ,the  law said1 ',an eye for  
an eye1 and a tooth for a tooth'2 but   
thou  threateneth to kill all the       
,quakers1 though they have done thee no 
hurt4 ,but1 said ,i1 here is gospel for 
thee3 here is my hair1 here  is my      

cheek1 and here is my shoulder1 turning 
it to him4    ,this so overcame him that
 he and his companions stood as men     
amazed1  and said that if that was our  
principle1 and if we were as we said1   
they never saw the like in their lives4 
,i told them that what ,i was  in words1
 ,i also was in my life4 ,then the      
ambassador1 who stood  without1 came in2
 for he said that this ,irish colonel   
was a desperate  man that he durst not  
come in with him for fear he should do  
us some  mischief4 ,but ,truth came over
 the ,irish colonel1 and he carried     
himself lovingly towards us2 as also did
 the ambassador2 for the  ,lord's power 
was over them all4    ,at ,mile-,end    
,friends were kept out of their         
meeting-place by soldiers1  but they    
stood nobly in the ,truth1 valiant for  
the ,lord's name2 and  at last the      
,truth gave them dominion4    ,about    
this time we had an account that ,john  
,love1 a ,friend that was  moved to go  
and bear testimony against the idolatry 

of the ,papists1  was dead in prison at 
,rome2 it was suspected he was privately
 put to  death4 ,also before this time  
we received account from ,new ,england  
that the government there had made a law
 to banish the ,quakers out  of their   
colonies1 upon pain of death in case    
they returned2 that  several of our     
,friends1 having been so banished and   
returning1 were  thereupon taken and    
actually hanged1 and that divers more   
were in  prison1 in danger of the like  
sentence being executed upon them4      
,when those were put to death ,i was in 
prison at ,lancaster1 and had a  perfect
 sense of their sufferings as though it 
had been myself1 and  as though the     
halter had been put about my own neck1  
though we had  not at that time heard of
 it4#aca      #aca ,we have already seen
 how frequently ,george ,fox had what   
nowadays are called telepathic          
experiences4    ,as soon as we heard of 
it1 ,edward ,burrough went to the ,king 
and told  him that there was a vein of  

innocent blood opened in his dominions  
which1 if it were not stopped1 would    
overrun all4 ,to this the ,king         
replied1 ,but ,i will stop that vein4   
,edward ,burrough said1 ,then  do it    
speedily1 for we know not how many may  
soon be put to death4  ,the ,king       
answered1 ,as speedily as ye will4      
,call1 7said he to some  present7 the   
secretary1 and ,i will do it presently4 
,the secretary being called1 a mandamus 
was forthwith granted4 ,a day  or two   
after1 ,edward ,burrough going again to 
the ,king to desire  the matter might be
 expedited1 the ,king said he had no    
occasion at  present to send a ship     
thither1 but if we would send one we    
might do  it as soon as we would4       
,edward then asked the ,king if it would
 please  him to grant his deputation to 
one called a ,quaker to carry the       
mandamus to ,new ,england4 ,he said1    
,yes1 to whom ye will4    ,whereupon    
,edward ,burrough named ,samuel         
,shattuck1 who1 being an  inhabitant of 

,new ,england1 was banished by their    
law1 to be hanged if  he came again2 and
 to him the deputation was granted4     
,then he sent  for ,ralph ,goldsmith1 an
 honest ,friend1 who was master of a    
good ship1  and agreed with him for     
three hundred pounds 7goods or no goods7
 to  sail in ten days4 ,he forthwith    
prepared to set sail1 and with a        
prosperous gale1 in about six weeks'    
time1 arrived before the town of        
,boston in ,new ,england1 upon a        
,first-day morning4    ,with him went   
many passengers1 both of ,new and ,old  
,england1 ,friends1  whom the ,lord     
moved to go to bear their testimony     
against those  bloody persecutors1 who  
had exceeded all the world in that age  
in  their bloody persecutions4    ,the  
townsmen at ,boston1 seeing a ship come 
into the bay with ,english  colours1    
soon came on board and asked for the    
captain4 ,ralph  ,goldsmith told them he
 was the commander4 ,they asked him if  
he had  any letters4 ,he said1 ,yes4    

,they asked if he would deliver them4   
,he  said1 ,no2 not to-day4    ,so they 
went ashore and reported that there was 
a ship full of  ,quakers1 and that      
,samuel ,shattuck1 who they knew was by 
their law to  be put to death if he came
 again after banishment1 was among them1
  but they knew not his errand nor his  
authority4    ,so all were kept close   
that day1 and none of the ship's company
  suffered to go on shore4 ,next morning
 ,samuel ,shattuck1 the ,king's  deputy1
 and ,ralph ,goldsmith1 went on shore1  
and1 sending back to the  ship the men  
that landed them1 they two went through 
the town to  ,governor ,john ,endicott's
 door1 and knocked4 ,he sent out a man  
to know  their business4 ,they sent him 
word that their business was from the   
,king of ,england1 and that they would  
deliver their message to no one  but the
 ,governor himself4    ,thereupon they  
were admitted1 and the ,governor came to
 them2 and  having received the         
deputation and the mandamus1 he put off 

his hat  and looked upon them4 ,then1   
going out1 he bade the ,friends follow  
him4 ,he went to the deputy-governor1   
and after a short consultation  came out
 to the ,friends1 and said1 ,we shall   
obey his majesty's  commands4    ,after 
this the master gave liberty to the     
passengers to come on  shore1 and       
presently the noise of the business flew
 about the town2  and the ,friends of   
the town and the passengers of the ship 
met  together to offer up their praises 
and thanksgivings to ,god1 who had  so  
wonderfully delivered them from the     
teeth of the devourer4    ,while they   
were thus met1 in came a poor ,friend1  
who1 being sentenced  by their bloody   
law to die1 had lain some time in irons 
expecting  execution4 ,this added to    
their joy1 and caused them to lift up   
their  hearts in high praise to ,god1   
who is worthy for ever to have the      
praise1 the glory1 and the honour2 for  
,he only is able to deliver1  to save1  
and support all that sincerely put their

 trust in ,him4 ,here  follows a copy of
 the mandamus4                          
,,charles ,r4         ,trusty and       
well-beloved1 ,we greet you well4       
,having been       informed that several
 of our subjects amongst you1 called    
,quakers1 have been and are imprisoned  
by you1 whereof some have       been    
executed1 and others 7as hath been      
represented unto us7 are       in danger
 to undergo the like1 we have thought   
fit to signify       our pleasure in    
that behalf for the future2 and do      
hereby       require that if there be   
any of those people called ,quakers     
amongst you1 now already condemned to   
suffer death or other       corporal    
punishment1 or that are imprisoned and  
obnoxious to the       like             
condemnation1 you are to forbear to     
proceed any further       therein2 but  
that you forthwith send the said persons
 7whether       condemned or imprisoned7
 over into this our kingdom of ,england1
       together with the respective     

crimes or offences laid to their        
charge1 to the end that such course may 
be taken with them here       as shall  
be agreeable to our laws and their      
demerits4 ,and for       so doing1 these
 our letters shall be your sufficient   
warrant       and discharge4 ,given at  
our court at ,whitehall the ninth day of
       ,september1 #affa1 in the #acth  
year of our reign4         ,subscribed3 
,to our trusty and well-beloved ,john   
,endicott1       ,esquire1 and to all   
and every other the ,governor or        
governors       of our plantations of   
,new ,england1 and of all the colonies  
thereunto belonging1 that now are or    
hereafter shall be1 and to       all and
 every the ministers and officers of our
 plantations and       colonies         
whatsoever within the continent of ,new 
,england4                               
,by his majesty's command1              
,,william ,,morris4#acb      #acb       
,whittier has beautifully told the story
 of ,samuel    ,shattuck's mission in   

his poem1 ,the ,king's ,missive4        
,longfellow    has made the sufferings  
of the ,quakers the subject of his      
dramatic poem1 ,new ,england ,tragedies4
 ,the story of ,quaker    sufferings is 
told in ,george ,bishop's ,new ,england 
,judged4 ,the    best modern book on the
 subject is ,hallowell's ,quaker        
,invasion    of ,massachusetts4 ,four   
,friends were executed--,william        
,robinson1    ,marmaduke ,stevenson1    
,william ,ledra and ,mary ,dyer4        
,some time after this several ,new      
,england magistrates came over1 with    
one of their priests4 ,we had several   
discourses with them concerning  their  
murdering our ,friends1 the servants of 
the ,lord2 but they were  ashamed to    
stand to their bloody actions4    ,on   
one of these occasions ,i asked ,simon  
,broadstreet1 one of the  ,new ,england 
magistrates1 whether he had not had a   
hand in putting  to death those four    
servants of ,god1 whom they hung only   
for being  ,quakers1 as they had        

nicknamed them4 ,he confessed that he   
had4 ,i  then asked him and the rest of 
his associates that were present        
whether they would acknowledge          
themselves to be subject to the laws  of
 ,england2 and if they did1 by what laws
 they had put our ,friends to  death4   
,they said they were subject to the laws
 of ,england1 and had  put our ,friends 
to death by the same law that the       
,jesuits were put to  death in ,england4
    ,i asked them then whether they     
believed those ,friends of ours whom    
they had put to death were ,jesuits or  
jesuitically affected4 ,they  said1     
,nay4 ,then1 said ,i1 ye have murdered  
them1 if ye have put  them to death by  
the law by which ,jesuits are put to    
death here in  ,england1 and yet confess
 they were no ,jesuits4 ,by this it     
plainly  appears ye have put them to    
death in your own wills1 without any    
law4    ,then ,simon ,broadstreet1      
finding himself and his company ensnared
 by  their own words1 asked if we came  

to catch them4 ,i told them they had    
caught themselves1 and might justly be  
questioned for their lives2  and if the 
father of ,william ,robinson1 one of    
them that were put  to death1 were in   
town1 it was probable he would question 
them1 and  bring their lives into       
jeopardy4    ,here they began to excuse 
themselves1 saying1 ,there is no        
persecution now amongst us4 ,but next   
morning we had letters from ,new        
,england telling us that our ,friends   
were persecuted there afresh4  ,we went 
again and showed them our letters1 which
 put them both to  silence and to shame2
 and in great fear they seemed to be    
lest some  one should call them to      
account and prosecute them for their    
lives4  ,especially was ,simon          
,broadstreet fearful2 for he had before 
so  many witnesses confessed that he had
 a hand in putting our ,friends  to     
death1 that he could not get off from   
it2 though he afterwards  through fear  
shuffled1 and would have unsaid it      

again4 ,after this1 he  and the rest    
soon returned to ,new ,england again4   
,i went also to ,governor ,winthrop1 and
 discoursed with him on these  matters4 
,he assured me that he had no hand in   
putting our ,friends  to death1 or in   
any way persecuting them2 but was one of
 them that  protested against it4       
,about this time ,i lost a very good    
book1 being taken in the printer's      
hands2 it was a useful teaching work1   
containing the signification  and       
explanation of names1 parables1 types1  
and figures in the  ,scriptures4 ,they  
who took it were so affected with it1   
that they were  loth to destroy it2 but 
thinking to make a great advantage of   
it1  they would have let us have it     
again1 if we would have given them a    
great sum of money for it2 which we were
 not free to do4    ,before this1 while 
,i was prisoner in ,lancaster ,castle1  
the book  called the ,battledore was    
published1 which was written to show    
that in all languages ,thou and ,thee is

 the proper and usual form of  speech to
 a single person2 and ,you to more than 
one4 ,this was set  forth in examples or
 instances taken from the ,scriptures1  
and books  of teaching1 in about thirty 
languages4 ,j4 ,stubbs and ,benjamin    
,furly  took great pains in compiling   
it1 which ,i set them upon2 and some    
things ,i added to it4#acc      #acc    
,here is the title page to this curious 
old book which is    now very rare1 and 
is much valued by collectors3           
,a ,battle-,door for ,teachers          
,professors to learn ,singular          
and ,plural2 ,you to ,many1 and ,thou to
 ,one3 ,singular ,one1 ,thou2           
,plural ,many1 ,you1 ,wherein is shewed 
forth by ,grammar1 or        ,scripture 
,examples1 how several ,nations and     
,people have made        a distinction  
between ,singular and ,plural1 ,and     
,first4 ,in the        former part of   
this ,book1 ,called the ,english        
,battle-,door1 may        be seen how   
several ,people have spoken ,singular   

and ,plural1        ,as the             
,apharsathkites1 ,the ,tarpelites1 ,the 
,apharsites1 ,the        ,archevites1   
,the ,babylonians1 ,the ,susanchites1   
,the ,dehavites1 ,the        ,elamites1 
,the ,temanites1 ,the ,naomites1 ,the   
,shuites1 ,the ,buzites1        ,the    
,moabites1 ,the ,hevites1 ,the          
,edomites1 ,the ,philistines1 ,the      
,amalekites1 ,the ,sodomites1 ,the      
,hittites1 ,the ,midianites1 c4         
,also1 in this ,book is set forth       
,examples of the ,singular and          
,plural ,about ,thou1 and ,you in       
several ,languages divided into         
distinct ,battle-,doors1 or ,forms1 or  
,examples2 ,english1 ,latine1           
,italian1 ,greek1 ,hebrew1 ,caldec1     
,syriack1 ,arabick1 ,persiack1          
,ethiopick1 ,samaritan1 ,coptick or     
,egyptick1 ,armenian1 ,saxon1           
,welch1 ,mence1 ,cornish1 ,french1      
,spanish1 ,portugal1 ,high-,dutch1      
,low ,dutch1 ,danish1 ,bohemian1        
,slavonian1 and how ,emperors and       

others have used the ,singular ,word to 
,one2 and how the ,word ,you        7to 
one7 came first from the ,pope4         
,likewise some examples1 in        the  
,polonian1 ,lithvanian1 ,irish and      
,east-,indian1 ,together with        the
 ,singular and ,plural ,words thou and  
you1 in ,swedish1 ,turkish1             
,muscovian and ,curlandian tongues1--,in
 the latter part of this        ,book   
are contained several bad unsavoury     
words gathered first for        certain 
,school ,books1 which have been taught  
,boyes in ,england1        which is a   
,rod and a ,whip to the ,school ,masters
 in ,england and        elsewhere who   
teach such ,books4 ,geo4 ,fox1 ,jno4    
,stubbs1 ,benjamin        ,furley4      
,london3 ,printed for ,robt4 ,wilson1   
and are to be sold at his ,shop         
at the ,signe of the                    
,black-,spread-,eagle and ,wind-,mil in 
,martins le        ,grand #affj4        
,when it was finished1 copies were      
presented to the ,king and his          

,council1 to the ,bishops of ,canterbury
 and ,london1 and to the two            
universities one each2 and many         
purchased them4 ,the ,king said it was  
the proper language of all nations2 and 
the ,bishop of ,canterbury1  being asked
 what he thought of it1 was at a stand1 
and could not tell  what to say to it4  
,for it did so inform and convince      
people1 that few  afterwards were so    
rugged toward us for saying ,thou and   
,thee to a  single person1 for which    
before they were exceedingly fierce     
against  us4    ,thou and ,thee was a   
sore cut to proud flesh1 and them that  
sought  self-honour1 who1 though they   
would say it to ,god and ,christ1 could 
not endure to have it said to           
themselves4 ,so that we were often      
beaten and abused1 and sometimes in     
danger of our lives1 for using  those   
words to some proud men1 who would say1 
,what6 you ill-bred  clown1 do you ,thou
 me8 as though ,christian breeding      
consisted in  saying ,you to one2 which 

is contrary to all their grammars and   
teaching books1 by which they instructed
 their youth4    ,about this time many  
,papists and ,jesuits began to fawn upon
 ,friends1  and talked up and down where
 they came1 that of all the sects the   
,quakers were the best and most         
self-denying people2 and they said it   
was great pity that they did not return 
to the ,holy ,mother ,church4  ,thus    
they made a buzz among the people1 and  
said they would willingly  discourse    
with ,friends4 ,but ,friends were loth  
to meddle with them1  because they were 
,jesuits1 looking upon it to be both    
dangerous and  scandalous4    ,but when 
,i understood it1 ,i said to ,friends1  
,let us discourse with  them1 be they   
what they will4 ,so a time being        
appointed at ,gerrard  ,roberts's1 there
 came two of them like courtiers4 ,they 
asked our  names1 which we told them2   
but we did not ask their names1 for we  
understood they were called ,papists1   
and they knew we were called  ,quakers4 

,i asked them the same question that ,i 
had formerly asked a ,jesuit1  namely1  
whether the ,church of ,rome was not    
degenerated from the  ,church in the    
primitive times1 from the ,spirit1      
power1 and practice  that they were in  
in the ,apostles' times8 ,he to whom ,i 
put this  question1 being subtle1 said  
he would not answer it4 ,i asked him    
why4 ,but he would show no reason4 ,his 
companion said he would answer  me2 and 
said that they were not degenerated from
 the ,church in the  primitive times4 ,i
 asked the other whether he was of the  
same mind4  ,he said1 ,yes4    ,then ,i 
replied that1 for the better            
understanding one of another1 and  that 
there might be no mistake1 ,i would     
repeat my question over again  after    
this manner3 ,is the ,church of ,rome   
now in the same purity1  practice1      
power1 and ,spirit that the ,church in  
the ,apostles' time was  in8 ,when they 
saw we would be exact with them1 they   
flew off and  denied that1 saying it was

 presumption in any to say they had the 
same power and ,spirit which the        
,apostles had4    ,i told them it was   
presumption in them to meddle with the  
words of  ,christ and ,his ,apostles1   
and make people believe they succeeded  
the  ,apostles1 yet be forced to confess
 they were not in the same power  and   
,spirit that the ,apostles were in4     
,this1 said ,i1 is a spirit of          
presumption1 and rebuked by the         
,apostles' spirit4    ,i showed them how
 different their fruits and practices   
were from the  fruits and practices of  
the ,apostles4    ,then got up one of   
them1 and said1 ,ye are a company of    
dreamers4  ,nay1 said ,i1 ye are the    
filthy dreamers1 who dream ye are the   
,apostles' successors1 and yet confess  
ye have not the same power and  ,spirit 
which the ,apostles were in4 ,and are   
not they defilers of the  flesh who say 
it is presumption for any to say they   
have the same  power and ,spirit which  
the ,apostles had8 ,now1 said ,i1 if ye 

have  not the same power and ,spirit    
which the ,apostles had1 then it is     
manifest that ye are led by another     
power and spirit than that by  which the
 ,apostles and ,church in the primitive 
times were led4    ,then ,i began to    
tell them how that evil spirit by which 
they were led  had led them to pray by  
beads and to images1 and to set up      
nunneries1  friaries1 and monasteries1  
and to put people to death for religion2
  which practices ,i showed them were   
below the law1 and far short of  the    
gospel1 in which is liberty4    ,they   
were soon weary of this discourse1 and  
went their way1 and gave  a charge1 as  
we heard1 to the ,papists1 that they    
should not dispute  with us1 nor read   
any of our books4    ,so we were rid of 
them2 but we had reasonings with all the
 other  sects1 ,presbyterians1          
,independents1 ,seekers1 ,baptists1     
,episcopal  men1 ,socinians1 ,brownists1
 ,lutherans1 ,calvinists1 ,arminians1   
,fifth-monarchy men1 ,familists1        

,muggletonians1 and ,ranters2 none of   
which would affirm that they had the    
same power and ,spirit that the         
,apostles had and were in2 so in that   
power and ,spirit the ,lord gave  us    
dominion over them all4    ,as for the  
,fifth-monarchy men ,i was moved to give
 forth a paper1 to  manifest their error
 to them2 for they looked for ,christ's 
personal  coming in an outward form and 
manner1 and fixed the time to the  year 
#afff2 at which time some of them       
prepared themselves when it  thundered  
and rained1 thinking ,christ was then   
come to set up ,his  kingdom1 and they  
imagined they were to kill the whore    
without them4    ,but ,i told them that 
the whore was alive in them1 and was not
 burned  with ,god's fire1 nor judged in
 them with the same power and ,spirit   
the ,apostles were in2 and that their   
looking for ,christ's coming  outwardly 
to set up ,his kingdom was like the     
,pharisees' ,lo here1  and ,lo there4   
,but ,christ was come1 and had set up   

,his kingdom above  sixteen hundred     
years ago1 according to                 
,nebuchadnezzar's dream and  ,daniel's  
prophecy1 and ,he had dashed to pieces  
the four monarchies1  the great image1  
with its head of gold1 breast and arms  
of silver1  belly and thighs of brass1  
legs of iron1 and its feet part of iron 
part of clay2 and they were all blown   
away with ,god's wind1 as the  chaff in 
the summer threshing-floor4    ,and ,i  
told them that when ,christ was on      
earth1 ,he said ,his kingdom  was not of
 this world2 if it had been1 ,his       
servants would have  fought2 but it was 
not1 therefore ,his servants did not    
fight4  ,therefore all the              
,fifth-monarchy men that are fighters   
with carnal  weapons are none of        
,christ's servants1 but the beast's and 
the  whore's4 ,christ said1 ,all power  
in heaven and in earth is given to  me2 
so then ,his kingdom was set up above   
sixteen hundred years ago1  and ,he     
reigns4 ,and we see ,jesus ,christ      

reign1 said the ,apostle1  and ,he shall
 reign till all things be put under ,his
 feet2 though  all things are not yet   
put under ,his feet1 nor subdued4       
,this year several ,friends were moved  
to go beyond the seas1 to  publish      
,truth in foreign countries4 ,john      
,stubbs1 and ,henry ,fell1 and  ,richard
 ,costrop were moved to go towards      
,china and ,prester ,john's  country2   
but no masters of ships would carry     
them4#acd ,with much ado  they got a    
warrant from the ,king2 but the ,east   
,india ,company found  ways to avoid it1
 and the masters of their ships would   
not carry them4      #acd ,these        
,friends undoubtedly believed that the  
principles of    truth which they had   
discovered would ultimately prevail over
 the    entire globe4      ,prester     
,john's ,country was ,abyssinia4        
,prester ,john was a    legendary       
,christian priest1 who was believed in  
the early    ,middle ,ages to reign over
 this ,eastern country4 ,about this time

    ,catherine ,evans and ,sarah        
,chevers1 in their travels1 were put in 
the inquisition-prison at ,malta1 from  
which ,fox secured their    release1    
through the influence of ,lord          
,d',aubeny1 a ,roman ,catholic4    ,then
 they went into ,holland1 hoping to get 
passage there1 but none  could they get 
there either4 ,then ,john ,stubbs and   
,henry ,fell took  shipping for         
,alexandria1 in ,egypt1 intending to go 
thence by the  caravans4 ,meanwhile     
,daniel ,baker1 being moved to go to    
,smyrna1 drew  ,richard ,costrop1       
contrary to his own freedom1 to go along
 with him2  and in the passage1 ,richard
 falling sick1 ,daniel ,baker left him  
so in  the ship1 where he died2 but that
 hard-hearted man afterwards lost  his  
own condition4    ,john ,stubbs and     
,henry ,fell reached ,alexandria2 but   
they had not been  long there before the
 ,english consul banished them2 yet     
before they  came away1 they dispersed  
many books and papers for opening the   

principles and way of ,truth to the     
,turks and ,grecians4 ,they gave the    
book called1 ,the ,pope's ,strength     
,broken1 to an old friar1 for him  to   
give or send to the ,pope4 ,when the    
friar had perused it he placed  his hand
 on his breast and confessed1 ,what is  
written therein is  truth2 but1 said he1
 if ,i should confess it openly1 they   
would burn  me4    ,john ,stubbs and    
,henry ,fell1 not being suffered to go  
further1  returned to ,england1 and came
 to ,london again4 ,john had a vision   
that  the ,english and ,dutch1 who had  
joined together not to carry them1      
would fall out one with the other2 and  
so it came to pass4    ,among the       
exercises and troubles that ,friends had
 from without1 one  was concerning      
,friends' marriages1 which sometimes    
were called in  question4#ace ,in this  
year there happened to be a cause tried 
at the  assize at ,nottingham concerning
 a ,friend's marriage4      #ace        
,friends are married without clergyman  

or magistrate4 ,the    bridal couple    
stand up in a religious assembly1 and1  
taking each    other by the hand1       
promise to be husband and wife till     
death4    ,the case was thus3 ,some     
years before two ,friends were joined   
together  in marriage amongst ,friends1 
and lived together as man and wife      
about two years4 ,then the man died1    
leaving his wife with child1  and       
leaving an estate in lands of copyhold4 
,when the woman was  delivered1 the jury
 presented the child heir to its        
father's lands1  and accordingly the    
child was admitted2 afterwards another  
,friend  married the widow4 ,after that 
a person near of kin to her former      
husband brought his action against the  
,friend who had last married  her1      
endeavoring to dispossess them1 and     
deprive the child of the  inheritance1  
and to possess himself thereof as next  
heir to the  woman's first husband4 ,to 
effect this he endeavoured to prove the 
child illegitimate1 alleging that the   

marriage was not according to  law4     
,in opening the cause the plaintiff's   
counsel used unseemly words  concerning 
,friends1 saying that they went together
 like brute  beasts1 with other ill     
expressions4 ,after the counsel on both 
sides had pleaded1 the ,judge 7viz41    
,judge ,archer7 took the matter  in     
hand1 and opened it to them1 telling    
them1 ,there was a marriage  in paradise
 when ,adam took ,eve and ,eve took     
,adam1 and it was the  consent of the   
parties that made a marriage4 ,and for  
the ,quakers1  he said1 he did not know 
their opinions2 but he did not believe  
they  went together as brute beasts1 as 
had been said of them1 but as           
,christians2 and therefore he did       
believe the marriage was lawful1 and    
the child lawful heir4    ,the better to
 satisfy the jury he brought them a case
 to this  purpose3 ,a man that was weak 
of body1 and kept his bed1 had a desire 
in that condition to marry1 and did     
declare before witnesses that he  did   

take such a woman to be his wife1 and   
the woman declared that she  took that  
man to be her husband4 ,this marriage   
was afterwards called  in question1 and 
all the bishops did conclude it to be a 
lawful  marriage4    ,hereupon the jury 
gave in their verdict for the ,friend's 
child  against the man that would have  
deprived it of its inheritance4    ,now1
 there being very many ,friends in      
prison in the nation1#acf  ,richard     
,hubberthorn and ,i drew up a paper     
concerning them1 and got  it delivered  
to the ,king1 that he might understand  
how we were dealt  with by his officers4
 ,it was directed thus3      #acf ,it is
 estimated that at this time there were 
not less than    #d1ejj ,friends in the 
prisons of ,england and ,wales4 ,this   
letter to    the ,king is strikingly    
direct and straightforward4             
,,for ,,the ,,king3         ,,friend1   
,who art the chief ruler of these       
dominions1 here is a       list of some 
of the sufferings of the people of ,god1

 in scorn       called ,quakers1 that   
have suffered under the changeable      
powers       before thee1 by whom there 
have been imprisoned1 and under         
whom there have suffered for good       
conscience' sake1 and for       bearing 
testimony to the truth as it is in      
,jesus1 three thousand       one hundred
 and seventy-three persons2 and there   
lie yet in       prison1 in the name of 
the ,commonwealth1 seventy-three        
persons1       that we know of4 ,and    
there died in prison in the time of the 
,commonwealth1 and of ,oliver and       
,richard the ,protectors1 through       
cruel and hard imprisonments1 upon nasty
 straw and in dungeons1       thirty-two
 persons4 ,there have been also         
imprisoned in thy name1       since thy 
arrival1 by such as thought to          
ingratiate themselves       thereby with
 thee1 three thousand sixty and eight   
persons4       ,besides this our        
meetings are daily broken up by men with
 clubs       and arms1 though we meet   

peaceably1 according to the practice of 
,god's people in the primitive times1   
and our ,friends are thrown       into  
waters1 and trodden upon1 till the very 
blood gushes out of       them2 the     
number of which abuses can hardly be    
uttered4         ,now this we would have
 of thee1 to set them at liberty that   
lie in prison in the names of the       
,commonwealth1 and of the two           
,protectors1 and them that lie in thy   
own name1 for speaking       the truth1 
and for good conscience' sake1 who have 
not lifted       up a hand against thee 
or any man2 and that the meetings of    
our ,friends1 who meet peaceably        
together in the fear of ,god1       to  
worship ,him1 may not be broken up by   
rude people with their       clubs1     
swords1 and staves4 ,one of the greatest
 things that we       have suffered for 
formerly was1 because we could not swear
 to       the ,protectors and all the   
changeable governments2 and now we      
are imprisoned because we cannot take   

the oath of allegiance4       ,now1 if  
our yea be not yea1 and nay1 nay1 to    
thee1 and to all       men upon the     
earth1 let us suffer as much for        
breaking that1       as others do for   
breaking an oath4 ,we have suffered     
these       many years1 both in lives   
and estates1 under these changeable     
governments1 because we cannot swear1   
but obey ,christ's       doctrine1 who  
commands we should not 'swear at all1'  
and this we       seal with our lives   
and estates1 with our yea and nay1      
according       to the doctrine of      
,christ4         ,hearken to these      
things1 and so consider them in the     
wisdom       of thy ,god that by it such
 actions may be stopped2 thou that      
hast the government1 and mayst do it4   
,we desire all that are in       prison 
may be set at liberty1 and that for the 
time to come       they may not be      
imprisoned for conscience' and for the  
,truth's       sake4 ,if thou question  
the innocency of their sufferings1 let  

them and their accusers be brought      
before thee1 and we shall       produce 
a more particular and full account of   
their sufferings1       if required4    
,,chapter ,,xv4    ,in ,prison for not  
,swearing4    #affb-affe4      ,after ,i
 had made some stay in ,london1 and had 
cleared myself of  those services that  
at that time lay upon me there1 ,i went 
into  the country1 having with me       
,alexander ,parker and ,john ,stubbs4   
,we  travelled through the country1     
visiting ,friends' meetings1 till we    
came to ,bristol4    ,there we          
understood the officers were likely to  
come and break up  the meeting2 yet on  
,first-day we went to the meeting at    
,broadmead1  and ,alexander ,parker     
standing up first1 while he was speaking
 the  officers came and took him away4  
,after he was gone1 ,i stood up and     
declared the everlasting ,truth of the  
,lord ,god in ,his eternal power1  which
 came over all2 the meeting was quiet   
the rest of the time1 and  broke up     

peaceably4 ,i tarried till the          
,first-day following1 visiting          
,friends1 and being visited by them4    
,on ,first-day morning several ,friends 
came to ,edward ,pyot's house  7where ,i
 lay the night before71 and used great  
endeavours to persuade  me not to go to 
the meeting that day1 for the           
magistrates1 they said1  had threatened 
to take me1 and had raised the trained  
bands4 ,i wished  them to go to the     
meeting1 not telling them what ,i       
intended to do2  but ,i told ,edward    
,pyot ,i intended to go1 and he sent his
 son to show  me the way from his house 
by the fields4    ,as ,i went ,i met    
divers ,friends who were coming to me to
 prevent my  going1 and who did what    
they could to stop me4 ,what6 said one1 
wilt thou go into the mouth of the      
beast8 ,wilt thou go into the  mouth of 
the dragon8 said another4 ,i put them by
 and went on4    ,when ,i came to the   
meeting ,margaret ,thomas was speaking2 
and when she  had done ,i stood up4 ,i  

saw a concern and fear upon ,friends for
 me2  but the power of the ,lord1 in    
which ,i declared1 soon struck the fear 
out of them2 life sprang1 and a glorious
 heavenly meeting we had4    ,after ,i  
had cleared myself of what was upon me  
from the ,lord to the  meeting1 ,i was  
moved to pray2 and after that to stand  
up again1 and  tell ,friends how they   
might see there was a ,god in ,israel   
that could  deliver4    ,a very large   
meeting this was1 and very hot2 but     
,truth was over all1  the life was      
exalted1 which carried through all1 and 
the meeting  broke up in peace4 ,the    
officers and soldiers had been breaking 
up  another meeting1 which had taken up 
their time1 so that our meeting  was    
ended before they came4 ,but ,i         
understood afterwards they were in      
great rage because they had missed me2  
for they were heard to say one  to      
another before1 ,i'll warrant we shall  
have him2 but the ,lord  prevented them4
    ,i went from the meeting to ,joan   

,hily's1 where many ,friends came  to   
see me1 rejoicing and blessing ,god for 
our deliverance4 ,in the  evening ,i had
 a fine fresh meeting among ,friends at 
a ,friend's house  over the water1 where
 we were much refreshed in the ,lord4   
,from ,barnet ,hills we came to         
,swannington1 in ,leicestershire1 where 
,william ,smith and some other ,friends 
visited me2 but they went away  towards 
night1 leaving me at a ,friend's house  
in ,swannington4    ,at night1 as ,i was
 sitting in the hall speaking to a widow
 woman and  her daughter1 ,lord         
,beaumont came with a company of        
soldiers1 who1  slapping their swords on
 the door1 rushed into the house with   
swords  and pistols in their hands1     
crying1 ,put out the candles and make   
fast the doors4 ,then they seized upon  
the ,friends in the house1 and  asked if
 there were no more about the house4    
,the ,friends told them  there was one  
man more in the hall4    ,there being   
some ,friends out of ,derbyshire1 one of

 whom was named  ,thomas ,fauks1 ,lord  
,beaumont1 after he had asked all their 
names1 bid  his man set down that man's 
name as ,thomas ,fox4 ,the ,friend said1
 ,nay2  that his name was not ,fox1 but 
,fauks4 ,in the mean time some of the   
soldiers came1 and fetched me out of the
 hall to him4 ,he asked my  name4 ,i    
told him my name was ,george ,fox1 and  
that ,i was well known  by that name4   
,aye1 said he1 you are known all the    
world over4 ,i  said1 ,i was known for  
no hurt1 but for good4    ,then he put  
his hands into my pockets to search     
them1 and plucked out  my comb-case1 and
 afterwards commanded one of his        
officers to search  further for letters4
 ,i told him ,i was no letter-carrier1  
and asked  him why he came amongst a    
peaceable people with swords and pistols
  without a constable1 contrary to the  
king's proclamation and to the  late    
act4 ,for he could not say there was a  
meeting1 ,i being only  talking with a  
poor widow-woman and her daughter4      

,by reasoning thus with him1 he came    
somewhat down2 yet1 sending for  the    
constables1 he gave them charge of us   
that night1 and told them  to bring us  
before him next morning4 ,accordingly   
the constables set a  watch of the      
townspeople upon us that night1 and had 
us next morning  to his house1 about a  
mile from ,swannington4    ,when we came
 before him1 he told us that we had met 
contrary to  the ,act4#acg ,i desired   
him to show us the ,act4 ,why1 says he1 
you have it in your pocket4 ,i told him 
he did not find us in a  meeting4 ,then 
he asked whether we would take the oaths
 of allegiance  and supremacy4 ,i told  
him ,i never took any oath in my life1  
nor  engagement1 nor the covenant4 ,yet 
still he would force the oath upon  us4 
,i desired him to show us the oath1 that
 we might see whether we  were the      
persons it was to be tendered to1 and   
whether it was not  for the discovery of
 popish recusants4 ,at length he brought
 a little  book1 but we called for the  

statute-book4 ,he would not show us     
that1  but caused a mittimus to be made1
 which mentioned that we were  to have  
had a meeting4 ,with this mittimus he   
delivered us to the  constables to      
convey us to ,leicester jail4      #acg 
,this was an act passed in #affb1 for   
preventing mischiefs    and dangers that
 may arise by certain persons called    
,quakers1 and    others refusing to take
 oaths4 ,the act declared it altogether 
unlawful and contrary to the word of    
,god to refuse to take    an oath1 or to
 persuade another person to refuse to do
 so4 ,it    further made it an offense  
for more than five persons1 commonly    
called ,quakers1 to assemble in any     
place under pretense of    joining in a 
religious worship not authorized by the 
laws of this    realm4    ,but when the 
constables had brought us back to       
,swannington1 it being  harvest-time1 it
 was hard to get anybody to go with us4 
,the people  were loth to take their    
neighbors to prison1 especially in such 

a  busy time4 ,they would have given us 
our mittimus to carry ourselves  to the 
jail2 for it had been usual for         
constables to give ,friends  their own  
mittimuses1 and they have gone          
themselves with them to the  jailer4    
,but we told them that1 though our      
,friends had sometimes done  so1 we     
would not take this mittimus2 but some  
of them should go with  us to the jail4 
,at last they hired a poor labouring    
man1 who was loth to go1 though  hired4 
,so we rode to ,leicester1 being five in
 number2 some carried  their ,bibles    
open in their hands1 declaring ,truth to
 the people as we  rode in the fields   
and through the towns1 and telling them 
we were  prisoners of the ,lord ,jesus  
,christ1 going to suffer bonds for ,his 
name and ,truth4 ,one woman ,friend     
carried her wheel on her lap to spin  on
 in prison2 and the people were mightily
 affected4    ,at ,leicester we went to 
an inn4 ,the master of the house seemed 
troubled that we should go to the       

prison2 and being himself in            
commission1 he sent for lawyers in the  
town to advise with1 and would  have    
taken up the mittimus1 kept us in his   
own house1 and not have  let us go into 
the jail4    ,but ,i told ,friends it   
would be a great charge to lie at an    
inn2 and  many ,friends and people would
 be coming to visit us1 and it might  be
 hard for him to bear our having        
meetings in his house4 ,besides1  we had
 many ,friends in the prison already1   
and we had rather be  with them4 ,so we 
let the man know that we were sensible  
of his  kindness1 and to prison we went2
 the poor man that brought us thither   
delivering both the mittimus and us to  
the jailer4    ,this jailer had been a  
very wicked1 cruel man4 ,six or seven   
,friends  being in prison before we     
came1 he had taken some occasion to     
quarrel  with them1 and had thrust them 
into the dungeon amongst the felons1    
where there was hardly room for them to 
lie down4 ,we stayed all that  day in   

the prison-yard1 and desired the jailer 
to let us have some  straw4 ,he surlily 
answered1 ,you do not look like men that
 would lie  on straw4    ,after a while 
,william ,smith1 a ,friend1 came to me1 
and he being  acquainted in the house1  
,i asked him what rooms there were in   
it1 and  what rooms ,friends had usually
 been put into before they were put     
into the dungeon4 ,i asked him also     
whether the jailer or his wife  was the 
master4 ,he said that the wife was      
master2 and that1 though  she was lame1 
and sat mostly in her chair1 being only 
able to go on  crutches1 yet she would  
beat her husband when he came within her
  reach if he did not do as she would   
have him4    ,i considered that probably
 many ,friends might come to visit us1  
and  that if we had a room to ourselves1
 it would be better for them to  speak  
to me1 and me to them1 as there should  
be occasion4 ,wherefore  ,i desired     
,william ,smith to go speak with the    
woman1 and acquaint her  that if she    

would let us have a room1 suffer our    
,friends to come out  of the dungeon1   
and leave it to us to give her what we  
would1 it  might be better for her4     
,he went1 and after some reasoning with 
her1 she consented2 and we  were put    
into a room4 ,then we were told that the
 jailer would not  suffer us to have any
 drink out of the town brought into the 
prison1  but that what beer we drank we 
must take of him4 ,i told them ,i would 
remedy that1 for we would get a pail of 
water and a little wormwood  once a day1
 and that might serve us2 so we should  
have none of his  beer1 and the water he
 could not deny us4    ,before we came1 
when the few ,friends that were         
prisoners there met  together on        
,first-days1 if any of them was moved to
 pray to the ,lord1  the jailer would   
come up with his quarter-staff in his   
hand1 and his  mastiff dog at his heels1
 and pluck them down by the hair of the 
head1 and strike them with his staff2   
but when he struck ,friends1 the        

mastiff dog1 instead of falling upon    
them1 would take the staff out  of his  
hand4    ,when the ,first-day came1 ,i  
spoke to one of my fellow-prisoners1 to 
carry a stool and set it in the yard1   
and give notice to the debtors  and     
felons that there would be a meeting in 
the yard1 and they that  would hear the 
,word of the ,lord declared might come  
thither4 ,so the  debtors and prisoners 
gathered in the yard1 and we went down1 
and  had a very precious meeting1 the   
jailer not meddling4    ,thus every     
,first-day we had a meeting as long as  
we stayed in prison2  and several came  
in out of the town and country4 ,many   
were convinced1  and some there received
 the ,lord's ,truth who have stood      
faithful  witnesses for it ever since4  
,when the sessions came we were brought 
before the justices1 with many  more    
,friends1 sent to prison whilst we were 
there1 to the number of  about twenty4  
,the jailer put us into the place where 
the thieves  were put1 and then some of 

the justices began to tender the oaths  
of  allegiance and supremacy to us4 ,i  
told them ,i never took any oath in  my 
life2 and they knew we could not swear1 
because ,christ and ,his  ,apostle      
forbade it2 therefore they but put it as
 a snare to us4 ,we  told them that if  
they could prove that1 after ,christ and
 the ,apostle  had forbidden swearing1  
they did ever command ,christians to    
swear1  then we would take these oaths2 
otherwise we were resolved to obey      
,christ's command and the ,apostle's    
exhortation4    ,they said we must take 
the oath that we might manifest our     
allegiance  to the king4 ,i told them ,i
 had been formerly sent up a prisoner by
  ,colonel ,hacker1 from that town to   
,london1 under pretence that ,i had     
held meetings to plot to bring in ,king 
,charles4 ,i also desired them  to read 
our mittimus1 which set forth the cause 
of our commitment  to be that we were to
 have a meeting2 and ,i said ,lord      
,beaumont  could not by that act send us

 to jail unless we had been taken at  a 
meeting1 and found to be such persons as
 the act speaks of2  therefore we       
desired that they would read the        
mittimus and see how  wrongfully we were
 imprisoned4    ,they would not take    
notice of the mittimus1 but called a    
jury  and indicted us for refusing to   
take the oaths of allegiance and        
supremacy4 ,when the jury was sworn and 
instructed1 as they were  going out1 one
 that had been an alderman of the city  
spoke to them1  and bade them have a    
good conscience2 and one of the jury1   
being  a peevish man1 told the justices 
there was one affronted the jury2       
whereupon they called him up1 and       
tendered him the oath also1 and he  took
 it4    ,while we were standing where   
the thieves used to stand1 a cut-purse  
had his hand in several ,friends'       
pockets4 ,friends declared it to  the   
justices1 and showed them the man4 ,they
 called him up before  them1 and upon   
examination he could not deny it2 yet   

they set him at  liberty4    ,it was not
 long before the jury returned1 and     
brought us in guilty2  and after some   
words1 the justices whispered together1 
and bid the  jailer take us to prison   
again2 but the ,lord's power was over   
them1  and ,his everlasting ,truth1     
which we declared boldly amongst them4  
,there being a great concourse of       
people1 most of them followed us2 so    
that the crier and bailiffs were fain to
 call the people back again  to the     
court4    ,we declared the ,truth as we 
went along the streets1 till we came to 
the jail1 the streets being full of     
people4    ,when we were in our chamber 
again1 after some time the jailer came  
to us and desired all to go forth that  
were not prisoners4 ,when they  were    
gone he said1 ,gentlemen1 it is the     
court's pleasure that ye  should be set 
at liberty1 except those that are in for
 tithes2 and  you know there are fees   
due to me2 but ,i shall leave it to you 
to  give me what you will4    ,thus we  

were all set at liberty on a sudden1 and
 passed every one  into our services4   
,leonard ,fell went with me again to    
,swannington4    ,i had a letter from   
,lord ,hastings1 who1 hearing of my     
imprisonment1  had written from ,london 
to the justices of the sessions to set  
me at  liberty4 ,i had not delivered    
this letter to the justices2 whether    
any knowledge of his mind received      
through another hand made them          
discharge us so suddenly1 ,i know not4  
,this letter ,i carried to ,lord        
,beaumont1 who had sent us to prison4   
,when he had broken it open and  read   
it1 he seemed much troubled2 but at last
 he came a little lower1  yet threatened
 us that if we had any more meetings at 
,swannington1 he  would break them up   
and send us to prison again4    ,but1   
notwithstanding his threats1 we went to 
,swannington1 and had a  meeting with   
,friends there1 and he neither came nor 
sent to break it  up4         ,after    
travelling through ,northamptonshire1   

,bedfordshire and       ,warwickshire1  
he came again to ,london4    ,i stayed  
not long in ,london1 but went into      
,essex1 and so to ,norfolk1  having     
great meetings4 ,at ,norwich1 when ,i   
came to ,captain ,lawrence's1  there was
 a great threatening of disturbance2 but
 the meeting was  quiet4 ,passing thence
 to ,sutton1 and into ,cambridgeshire1  
,i heard  of ,edward ,burrough's        
decease4 ,being sensible how great a    
grief  and exercise it would be to      
,friends to part with him1 ,i wrote the 
following lines for the staying and     
settling of their minds3                
,,friends3         ,be still and quiet  
in your own conditions1 and settled in  
the       ,seed of ,god1 that doth not  
change2 that in that ye may feel dear   
,edward ,burrough among you in the      
,seed1 in which and by which       he   
begat you to ,god1 with whom he is2 and 
that in the ,seed ye       may all see  
and feel him1 in which is the unity with
 him in the       life2 and so enjoy him

 in the life that doth not change1 which
       is invisible4                    
,,george ,,fox4#ach      #ach ,this     
letter well illustrates the difficulties
 of ,george    ,fox's style4 ,the letter
 manifests a profound and beautiful     
spirit1 but the phraseology is none too 
clear4 ,he means3 ,dear    ,edward is   
living in ,god1 who is invisible and    
unchangeable2    settle your own lives  
down into that same living ,god whose   
divine    presence manifested in ,edward
 ,burrough has begotten a spiritual     
life in you1 and you will feel          
yourselves united in spirit and    life 
with the dear departed one4    ,hereupon
 extensive travels follow1 throughout   
the eastern counties1  then through the 
southern as far as ,land's ,end1 and    
again through  ,wales and the ,english  
,lake district4 ,he finally reaches     
,swarthmore  some time in #affc1 and    
finds that an offer of twenty-five      
pounds has  been made to any man who    
would take him4 ,out of the experiences 

of  this long1 though somewhat          
uneventful trip we give only the        
following  discussion1 which throws good
 light on ,fox's principle of truth3    
,next morning1 some of the chief of the 
town,,al desired to       speak with me1
 amongst whom was ,colonel ,rouse4 ,i   
went1 and had a       great deal of     
discourse with them concerning the      
things of ,god4       ,in their         
reasoning they said1 ',the gospel was   
the four books of       ,matthew1 ,mark1
 ,luke and ,john'2 and they called it   
natural4 ,i       told them1 the gospel 
was the power of ,god1 which was        
preached       before ,matthew1 ,mark1  
,luke or ,john were written2 and it was 
preached to every creature1 of which a  
great part might never       see nor    
hear of those four books1 so that every 
creature was       to obey the power of 
,god2 for ,christ1 the ,spiritual ,man1 
would       judge the world according to
 the gospel1 that is1 according       to
 his invisible power4 ,when they heard  

this1 they could not       gainsay2 for 
the ,truth came over them4 ,i directed  
them to their       ,teacher1 the grace 
of ,god1 and showed them the sufficiency
 of       it1 which would teach them how
 to live1 and what to deny2 and         
being obeyed would bring them salvation4
 ,so to that grace ,i       recommended 
them1 and left them4      ,,al ,truro4  
,i came over the sands to ,swarthmore4  
,there they told me that ,colonel       
,kirby had sent his lieutenant1 who had 
searched trunks and chests for  me4     
,that night1 as ,i was in bed1 ,i was   
moved of the ,lord to go next day  to   
,kirby ,hall1 which was ,colonel        
,kirby's house1 about five miles off1   
to speak with him4 ,when ,i came thither
 ,i found the ,flemings1 and  several   
others of the gentry 7so called7 of the 
country1 who were  come to take their   
leave of ,colonel ,kirby1 he being then 
about to go  up to ,london to the       
,parliament4 ,i was taken into the      
parlour amongst  them2 but ,colonel     

,kirby was not then within1 being gone  
out a little  way4 ,they said little to 
me1 nor ,i much to them4    ,after a    
little while ,colonel ,kirby came in1   
and ,i told him ,i came to  visit him   
7understanding he was desirous to see   
me7 to know what he  had to say to me1  
and whether he had anything against me4 
,he said1 before all the company1 ,as ,i
 am a gentleman1 ,i have nothing        
against you4 ,but1 said he1 ,mistress   
,fell must not keep great  meetings at  
her house1 for they meet contrary to the
 ,act4    ,i told him that that ,act did
 not take hold on us1 but on such as met
  to plot and contrive1 and to raise    
insurrections against the ,king2        
whereas we were no such people3 for he  
knew that they that met at  ,margaret   
,fell's were his neighbours1 and a      
peaceable people4    ,after many words  
had passed1 he shook me by the hand1 and
 said again  that he had nothing against
 me2 and others of them said ,i was a   
deserving man4 ,so we parted1 and ,i    

returned to ,swarthmore4    ,shortly    
after1 when ,colonel ,kirby was gone to 
,london1 there was a  private meeting of
 the justices and deputy-lieutenants at 
,houlker  ,hall1 where ,justice ,preston
 lived1 where they granted a warrant to 
apprehend me4 ,i heard over night both  
of their meeting and of the  warrant1   
and could have gone out of their reach  
if ,i would1 for ,i had  not appointed  
any meeting at that time1 and ,i had    
cleared myself of  the north1 and the   
,lord's power was over all4 ,but ,i     
considered that  there being a noise of 
a plot in the north1 if ,i should go    
away they  might fall upon ,friends2 but
 if ,i gave myself up to be taken1 it   
might prevent them1 and ,friends should 
escape the better4 ,so ,i gave  myself  
up to be taken1 and prepared for their  
coming4    ,next day an officer came    
with his sword and pistols to take me4  
,i  told him ,i knew his errand before1 
and had given myself to be taken2  for  
if ,i would have escaped their          

imprisonment ,i could have been  forty  
miles off before he came2 but ,i was an 
innocent man1 and so it  mattered not   
what they could do to me4 ,he asked me  
how ,i heard of it1  seeing the order   
was made privately in a parlour4 ,i said
 it was no  matter for that2 it was     
sufficient that ,i heard it4    ,i asked
 him to let me see his order1 whereupon 
he laid his hand on  his sword1 and said
 ,i must go with him before the         
lieutenant to  answer such questions as 
they should propound to me4 ,i told him 
it  was but civil and reasonable for him
 to let me see his order2 but he  would 
not4 ,then said ,i1 ,i am ready4    ,so 
,i went along with him1 and ,margaret   
,fell accompanied us to ,houlker  ,hall4
 ,when we came thither there was one    
,rawlinson1 a justice1 and  one called  
,sir ,george ,middleton1 and many more  
that ,i did not know1  besides old      
,justice ,preston1 who lived there4     
,they brought ,thomas ,atkinson1 a      
,friend1 of ,cartmel1 as a witness      

against me for some words which he had  
told to one ,knipe1 who had  informed   
them1 which words were that ,i said ,i  
had written against  the plotters and   
had knocked them down4 ,these words they
 could not  make much of1 for ,i told   
them ,i had heard of a plot1 and had    
written  against it4    ,old ,preston   
asked me whether ,i had an hand in that 
script4 ,i asked  him what he meant4 ,he
 said1 in the ,battledore8 ,i answered1 
,yes4    ,then he asked me whether ,i   
understood languages4 ,i said1          
,sufficient  for myself1 and that ,i    
knew no law that was transgressed by it4
 ,i  told them also that to understand  
outward languages was no matter of      
salvation1 for the many tongues began   
but at the confusion of ,babel2  and if 
,i did understand anything of them1 ,i  
judged and knocked them  down again for 
any matter of salvation that was in     
them4    ,thereupon he turned away1 and 
said1 ,george ,fox knocks down all the  
languages2 come1 said he1 we will       

examine you of higher matters4    ,then 
said ,george ,middleton1 ,you deny ,god1
 and the ,church1 and the  faith4    ,i 
replied1 ,nay1 ,i own ,god and the true 
,church1 and the true faith4  ,but what 
,church dost thou own8 said ,i 7for ,i  
understood he was a  ,papist74    ,then 
he turned again and said1 ,you are a    
rebel and a traitor4    ,i asked him to 
whom he spoke1 or whom did he call      
rebel4 ,he was so  full of envy that for
 a while he could not speak1 but at last
 he  said1 ,i spoke it to you4    ,with 
that ,i struck my hand on the table1 and
 told him1 ,i have  suffered more than  
twenty such as thou2 more than any that 
is here2  for ,i have been cast into    
,derby dungeon for six months together1 
and have suffered much because ,i would 
not take up arms against this  ,king    
before ,worcester fight4 ,i was sent up 
a prisoner out of my  own country by    
,colonel ,hacker to ,oliver ,cromwell1  
as a plotter to  bring in ,king ,charles
 in the year #afed4 ,i have nothing but 

love and  good-will to the ,king1 and   
desire the eternal good and welfare of  
him  and all his subjects4    ,did you  
ever hear the like8 said ,middleton4    
,nay1 said ,i4 ,ye may  hear it again if
 ye will4 ,for ye talk of the ,king1 a  
company of you1  but where were ye in   
,oliver's days1 and what did ye do then 
for him8  ,but ,i have more love to the 
,king for his eternal good and welfare  
than any of you have4    ,then they     
asked me whether ,i had heard of the    
plot4 ,i said1 ,yes1 ,i  have heard of  
it4    ,they asked me how ,i had heard  
of it1 and whom ,i knew in it4 ,i told  
them ,i had heard of it through the     
high-sheriff of ,yorkshire1 who had     
told ,dr4 ,hodgson that there was a plot
 in the north4 ,that was the  way ,i had
 heard of it2 but ,i had never heard of 
any such thing in  the south1 nor till  
,i came into the north4 ,as for knowing 
any in the  plot1 ,i was as a child in  
that1 for ,i knew none of them4    ,then
 said they1 ,why would you write against

 it if you did not know  some that were 
in it8    ,i said1 ,my reason was1      
because you are so forward to crush the 
innocent and guilty together2 therefore 
,i wrote against it to clear  the       
,truth,,am and to stop all forward1     
foolish spirits from running  into such 
things4 ,i sent copies of it into       
,westmoreland1 ,cumberland1  ,durham1   
and ,yorkshire1 and to you here4 ,i sent
 another copy of it to  the ,king and   
his council1 and it is likely it may be 
in print by this  time4      ,,am ,truth
 is used here and often in ,friends'    
writings for the    ,,cause which       
,friends represented4    ,one of them   
said1 ,this man hath great power6    ,i 
said1 ,yes1 ,i have power to write      
against plotters4    ,then said one of  
them1 ,you are against the laws of the  
land4    ,i answered1 ,nay1 for ,i and  
my ,friends direct all people to the    
,spirit of ,god in them1 to mortify the 
deeds of the flesh4 ,this brings  them  
into welldoing1 and away from that which

 the magistrate's sword  is against1    
which eases the magistrates1 who are for
 the punishment  of evil-doers4 ,so     
people being turned to the ,spirit of   
,god1 which  brings them to mortify the 
deeds of the flesh2 this brings them    
from  under the occasion of the         
magistrate's sword2 and this must needs 
be  one with magistracy1 and one with   
the law1 which was added because of     
transgression1 and is for the praise of 
them that do well4 ,in this  we         
establish the law1 are an ease to the   
magistrates1 and are not  against1 but  
stand for all good government4    ,then 
,george ,middleton cried1 ,bring the    
book1 and put the oaths of  allegiance  
and supremacy to him4    ,now he himself
 being a ,papist1 ,i asked him whether  
he1 who was a  swearer1 had taken the   
oath of supremacy4 ,as for us1 we could 
not  swear at all1 because ,christ and  
the ,apostle had forbidden it4    ,some 
of them would not have had the oath put 
to me1 but would have  set me at        

liberty4 ,the rest would not agree to   
it1 for this was their  last snare1 and 
they had no other way to get me into    
prison1 as all  other things had been   
cleared to them4 ,this was like the     
,papists'  sacrament of the altar1 by   
which they ensnared the martyrs4#aci    
#aci ,most of the ,quakers who suffered 
in prison during the reign    of        
,charles were imprisoned for refusing to
 take the oath4    ,so they tendered me 
the oath1 which ,i could not take2      
whereupon they  were about to make my   
mittimus to send me to ,lancaster jail2 
but  considering of it1 they only       
engaged me to appear at the sessions1   
and for that time dismissed me4    ,i   
went back with ,margaret ,fell to       
,swarthmore1 and soon after ,colonel    
,west1 who was at that time a justice of
 the peace1 came to see me4 ,he  told us
 that he had acquainted some of the rest
 of the justices that  he would come and
 see ,margaret ,fell and me2 but it may 
be1 said he1  some of you will take     

offence at it4 ,i asked him1 what he    
thought  they would do with me at the   
sessions8 ,he said they would tender the
  oath to me again4    ,whilst ,i was at
 ,swarthmore1 ,william ,kirby came into 
,swarthmore  meeting1 and brought the   
constables with him4 ,i was sitting with
  ,friends in the meeting1 and he said  
to me1 ,how now1 ,mr4 ,fox6 you  have a 
fine company here4 ,yes1 said ,i1 we    
meet to wait upon the  ,lord4    ,so he 
began to take the names of ,friends1 and
 those that did not  readily tell him   
their names he committed to the         
constables' hands1  and sent some to    
prison4 ,the constables were unwilling  
to take them  without a warrant1        
whereupon he threatened to set them by  
the heels2  but the constable told him  
that he could keep them in his presence1
  but after he was gone he could not    
keep them without a warrant4    ,the    
sessions coming on1 ,i went to          
,lancaster1 and appeared according  to  
my engagement4 ,there was upon the bench

 ,justice ,fleming1 who had  bid five   
pounds in ,westmoreland to any man that 
would apprehend me1  for he was a       
justice both in ,westmoreland and       
,lancashire4 ,there were  also ,justice 
,spencer1 ,colonel ,west and old        
,justice ,rawlinson1 the  lawyer1 who   
gave the charge1 and was very sharp     
against ,truth and  ,friends2 but the   
,lord's power stopped them4    ,the     
session was large1 the concourse of     
people great1 and way being  made for   
me1 ,i came up to the bar1 and stood    
with my hat on1 they  looking earnestly 
upon me and ,i upon them for a pretty   
space4    ,proclamation being made for  
all to keep silence upon pain of        
imprisonment1 and all being quiet1 ,i   
said twice1 ,peace be among you4    ,the
 chairman asked if ,i knew where ,i was4
 ,i said1 ,yes1 ,i do2 but it  may be1  
said ,i1 my hat offends you4 ,that's a  
low thing2 that's not  the honour that  
,i give to magistrates1 for the true    
honour is from  above2 which1 said ,i1  

,i have received1 and ,i hope it is not 
the hat  which ye look upon to be the   
honour4    ,the chairman said they      
looked for the hat1 too1 and asked      
wherein  ,i showed my respect to        
magistrates if ,i did not put off my    
hat4 ,i  replied1 ,in coming when they  
called me4 ,then they bade one take off 
my hat4    ,after this it was some time 
before they spoke to me1 and ,i felt the
  power of the ,lord to arise4 ,after   
some pause old ,justice ,rawlinson1  the
 chairman1 asked me if ,i knew of the   
plot4 ,i told him ,i had heard  of it in
 ,yorkshire by a ,friend1 who had it    
from the high-sheriff4  ,they asked me  
whether ,i had declared it to the       
magistrates4 ,i said1  ,i sent papers   
abroad against plots and plotters1 and  
also to you1  as soon as ,i came into   
the country1 to take all jealousies out 
of  your minds concerning me and my     
friends2 for it is our principle to     
declare against such things4    ,they   
asked me if ,i knew not of an ,act      

against meeting4 ,i said ,i knew  there 
was an ,act that took hold of such as   
met to the terrifying of  the ,king's   
subjects1 were enemies to the ,king1 and
 held dangerous  principles2 but ,i     
hoped they did not look upon us to be   
such men1 for  our meetings were not to 
terrify the ,king's subjects1 neither   
are we  enemies to him or any man4      
,then they tendered me the oaths of     
allegiance and supremacy4 ,i told  them 
,i could not take any oath at all1      
because ,christ and ,his ,apostle  had  
forbidden it2 and they had sufficient   
experience of swearers1  first one way1 
then another2 but ,i had never taken any
 oath in my  life4    ,then ,rawlinson  
asked me whether ,i held it was unlawful
 to swear4 ,this  question he put on    
purpose to ensnare me2 for by an ,act   
that was made  those were liable to     
banishment or a great fine that should  
say it  was unlawful to swear4 ,but ,i1 
seeing the snare1 avoided it1 and told  
him that in the time of the law amongst 

the ,jews1 before ,christ  came1 the law
 commanded them to swear2 but ,christ1  
who doth fulfil  the law in ,his        
gospel-time1 commands not to swear at   
all2 and the  apostle ,james forbids    
swearing1 even to them that were ,jews1 
and had  the law of ,god4    ,after much
 discourse1 they called for the jailer1 
and committed me to  prison4    ,i had  
about me the paper which ,i had written 
as a testimony against  plots1 which ,i 
desired they would read1 or suffer to be
 read1 in open  court2 but they would   
not4 ,so1 being committed for refusing  
to swear1  ,i bade them and all the     
people take notice that ,i suffered for 
the  doctrine of ,christ1 and for my    
obedience to ,his command4              
,afterwards ,i understood that the      
justices said they had private          
instructions from ,colonel ,kirby to    
prosecute me1 notwithstanding his  fair 
carriage and seeming kindness to me     
before1 when he declared  before many of
 them that he had nothing against me4   

,several other ,friends were committed  
to prison1 some for meeting  to worship 
,god1 and some for not swearing2 so that
 the prison was  very full4 ,many of    
them being poor men1 that had nothing to
 maintain  their families by but their  
labour1 which now they were taken from1 
the wives of several went to the        
justices who had committed their        
husbands1 and told them that if they    
kept their husbands in jail for  nothing
 but the truth of ,christ1 and for good 
conscience' sake1 they  would bring     
their children to them to be maintained4
    ,a mighty power of the ,lord rose in
 ,friends1 and gave them great          
boldness1 so that they spoke much to the
 justices4 ,friends also that  were     
prisoners wrote to the justices1 laying 
the weight of their  sufferings upon    
them1 and showing them both their       
injustice and  want of compassion       
towards their poor neighbours1 whom they
 knew to  be honest1 conscientious1     
peaceable people1 that in tenderness of 

conscience could not take any oath2 yet 
they sent them to prison for  refusing  
to take the oath of allegiance4         
,several who were imprisoned on that    
account were known to be men that  had  
served the ,king in his wars1 and had   
hazarded their lives in the  field in   
his cause1 and had suffered great       
hardships1 with the loss  of much blood1
 for him1 and had always stood faithful 
to him from  first to last1 and had     
never received any pay for their        
service4 ,to  be thus requited for all  
their faithful services and sufferings1 
and that by them that pretended to be   
the ,king's friends1 was hard1  unkind1 
and ungrateful dealing4    ,at length   
the justices1 being continually attended
 with complaints  of grievances1        
released some of the ,friends1 but kept 
divers of them  still in prison4    ,i  
was kept till the assize1 and ,judge    
,turner and ,judge ,twisden coming  that
 circuit1 ,i was brought before ,judge  
,twisden1 the #adth of the  month called

 ,march1 the latter end of the year     
#affc4    ,when ,i was brought to the   
bar1 ,i said1 ,peace be amongst you all4
  ,the ,judge looked upon me1 and said1 
,what6 do you come into the court  with 
your hat on6 ,upon which words1 the     
jailer taking it off1 ,i  said1 ,the hat
 is not the honour that comes from ,god4
    ,then said the ,judge to me1 ,will  
you take the oath of allegiance1        
,george ,fox8 ,i said1 ,i never took any
 oath in my life1 nor any  covenant or  
engagement4 ,well1 said he1 will you    
swear or no8 ,i  answered1 ,i am a      
,christian1 and ,christ commands me not 
to swear2 so  does the apostle ,james2  
and whether ,i should obey ,god or man1 
do thou  judge4    ,i ask you again1    
said he1 whether you will swear or no4  
,i  answered again1 ,i am neither ,turk1
 ,jew1 nor heathen1 but a  ,christian1  
and should show forth ,christianity4    
,i asked him if he did not know that    
,christians in the primitive  times1    
under the ten persecutions1 and some    

also of the martyrs in  ,queen ,mary's  
days1 refused swearing1 because ,christ 
and the apostle  had forbidden it4 ,i   
told him also that they had had         
experience  enough1 how many had first  
sworn for the ,king and then against    
him4  ,but as for me1 ,i said1 ,i have  
never taken an oath in my life4 ,my     
allegiance doth not lie in swearing1 but
 in truth and faithfulness1  for ,i     
honour all men1 much more the ,king4    
,but ,christ1 who is the  ,great        
,prophet1 the ,king of kings1 the       
,saviour and ,judge of the whole  world1
 saith ,i must not swear4 ,now1 must ,i 
obey ,christ or thee8 ,for  it is       
because of tenderness of conscience1 and
 in obedience to the  command of        
,christ1 that ,i do not swear and we    
have the word of a ,king  for tender    
consciences4    ,then ,i asked the      
,judge if he did own the ,king4 ,yes1   
said he1 ,i do  own the ,king4    ,why1 
then1 said ,i1 dost thou not observe his
 declaration from  ,breda1 and his      

promises made since he came into        
,england1 that no  man should be called 
in question for matters of religion so  
long  as he lived peaceably8 ,if thou   
ownest the ,king1 said ,i1 why dost     
thou call me in question1 and put me    
upon taking an oath1 which is  a matter 
of religion2 seeing that neither thou   
nor any one else can  charge me with    
unpeaceable living8    ,upon this he was
 moved1 and1 looking angrily at me1     
said1 ,sirrah1  will you swear8    ,i   
told him ,i was none of his ,sirrahs2 ,i
 was a ,christian2 and for him1  an old 
man and a judge1 to sit there and give  
nicknames to prisoners  did not become  
either his grey hairs or his office4    
,well1 said he1 ,i am a ,christian1 too4
    ,then do ,christian works1 said ,i4 
,sirrah6 said he1 thou thinkest to      
frighten me with thy words4  ,then1     
catching himself1 and looking aside1 he 
said1 ,hark6 ,i am using  the word      
sirrah again2 and so checked himself4   
,i said1 ,i spoke to thee in love2 for  

that language did not become  thee1 a   
judge4 ,thou oughtest to instruct a     
prisoner in the law1 if he  were        
ignorant and out of the way4    ,and ,i 
speak in love to thee1 too1 said he4    
,but1 said ,i1 love gives no nicknames4 
,then he roused himself up1 and said1 ,i
 will not be afraid of thee1  ,george   
,fox2 thou speakest so loud thy voice   
drowns mine and the  court's2 ,i must   
call for three or four criers to drown  
thy voice2  thou hast good lungs4    ,i 
am a prisoner here1 said ,i1 for the    
,lord ,jesus ,christ's sake2  for ,his  
sake do ,i suffer2 for ,him do ,i stand 
this day4 ,if my voice  were five times 
louder1 ,i should lift it up and sound  
it for ,christ's  sake4 ,i stand this   
day before your judgment-seat in        
obedience to  ,christ1 who commands not 
to swear2 before whose judgment-seat you
  must all be brought and must give an  
account4    ,well1 said the ,judge1     
,george ,fox1 say whether thou wilt take
 the  oath1 yea or nay8    ,i replied1  

,i say1 as ,i said before1 judge thou   
whether ,i ought to  obey ,god or man4  
,if ,i could take any oath at all ,i    
should take this4  ,i do not deny some  
oaths only1 or on some occasions1 but   
all oaths1  according to ,christ's      
doctrine1 who hath commanded ,his       
followers not  to swear at all4 ,now if 
thou1 or any of you1 or your ministers  
or  priests here1 will prove that ever  
,christ or ,his apostles1 after they    
had forbidden all swearing1 commanded   
,christians to swear1 then ,i  will     
swear4    ,i saw several priests there1 
but not one of them offered to speak4   
,then1 said the ,judge1 ,i am a servant 
to the ,king1 and the ,king  sent me not
 to dispute with you1 but to put the    
laws in execution2  therefore tender him
 the oath of allegiance4    ,if thou    
love the ,king1 said ,i1 why dost thou  
break his word1 and  not keep his       
declarations and speeches1 wherein he   
promised liberty  to tender consciences8
 ,i am a man of a tender conscience1    

and1 in  obedience to ,christ's command1
 ,i cannot swear4    ,then you will not 
swear1 said the ,judge2 take him away1  
jailer4    ,i said1 ,it is for ,christ's
 sake that ,i cannot swear1 and for     
obedience to ,his command ,i suffer2 and
 so the ,lord forgive you all4    ,so   
the jailer took me away2 but ,i felt    
that the mighty power of the  ,lord was 
over them all4    ,the sixteenth day of 
the same month ,i was again brought     
before ,judge  ,twisden4 ,he was        
somewhat offended at my hat2 but it     
being the last  morning of the assize   
before he was to leave town1 and not    
many  people there1 he made the less of 
it4    ,he asked me whether ,i would    
traverse1 stand mute1 or submit4 ,but he
  spoke so fast that it was hard to know
 what he said4 ,however1 ,i told  him ,i
 desired ,i might have liberty to       
traverse the indictment1 and  try it4   
,then said he1 ,take him away2 ,i will  
have nothing to do with him2  take him  
away4    ,i said1 ,well1 live in the    

fear of ,god1 and do justice4    ,why1  
said he1 have ,i not done you justice8  
,i replied1 ,that which thou hast done  
has been against the command of         
,christ4    ,so ,i was taken to the jail
 again1 and kept prisoner till the next 
assizes4    ,some time before this      
assize ,margaret ,fell was sent prisoner
 to  ,lancaster jail by ,fleming1       
,kirby1 and ,preston1 justices2 and at  
the assize the oath was tendered to her 
also1 and she was again  committed to   
prison4    ,in the ,sixth month1#adj the
 assizes were again held at ,lancaster1 
and the same judges1 ,twisden and       
,turner1 again came that circuit4 ,but  
,judge ,turner then sat on the crown    
bench1 and so ,i was brought before     
him4 ,before ,i was called to the bar ,i
 was put among the murderers and  felons
 for about two hours1 the people1 the   
justices and also the  ,judge gazing    
upon me4      #adj ,this would be       
,august of our calendar4 ,again the pen 
was    busy during these weeks in jail1 

and many epistles and documents    were 
written4 ,a ,baptist preacher1 named    
,wiggan1 who had been a    great        
opponent of ,fox1 was brought into      
straits over the oath    which he       
finally took4 ,the episode furnishes    
this interesting    entry3         ,this
 ,wiggan was poor1 and while he was     
prisoner at ,lancaster       he sent    
into the country1 and got money gathered
 for relief of       the poor people of 
,god in prison2 and many people gave    
freely1       thinking it had been for  
us1 when indeed it was for himself4 ,but
       when we heard of it1 we laid it  
upon him1 and wrote into the            
country1 that ,friends might let the    
people know the truth of the            
matter1 that it was not our manner to   
have collections made for       us1 and 
that those collections were only for    
,wiggan and another1       a drunken    
preacher of his society1 who was so     
drunk1 that once       he lost his      
breeches4    ,after they had tried      

several others1 they called me to the   
bar1 and  empanelled a jury4 ,then the  
,judge asked the justices whether they  
had tendered me the oath at the         
sessions4 ,they said that they had4     
,then he said1 ,give them the book1 that
 they may swear they tendered  him the  
oath at the sessions4 ,they said they   
had4 ,then he said1  ,give them the     
book1 that they may swear they tendered 
him the oath  according to the          
indictment4    ,some of the justices    
refused to be sworn2 but the ,judge said
 he would  have it done1 to take away   
all occasion of exception4 ,when the    
jury  were sworn1 and the justices had  
sworn that they had tendered me  the    
oath according to the indictment1 the   
,judge asked me whether ,i  had not     
refused the oath at the last assizes4 ,i
 said1 ,i never took  an oath in my     
life1 and ,christ1 the ,saviour and     
,judge of the world1  said1 ',swear not 
at all4'    ,the ,judge seemed not to   
take notice of my answer1 but asked me  

whether or not ,i had refused to take   
the oath at the last assizes4    ,i     
said1 ,the words that ,i then spoke to  
them were1 that if they  could prove1   
either judge1 justices1 priest1 or      
teacher1 that after  ,christ and the    
,apostle had forbidden swearing1 they   
commanded that  ,christians should      
swear1 ,i would swear4    ,the ,judge   
said he was not at that time to dispute 
whether it was  lawful to swear1 but to 
inquire whether ,i had refused to take  
the  oath4    ,i told him1 ,those things
 mentioned in the oath1 as plotting     
against  the ,king1 and owning the      
,pope's1 or any other foreign power1 ,i 
utterly deny4    ,well1 said he1 you say
 well in that1 but did you refuse to    
take  the oath8 ,what say you8    ,what 
wouldst thou have me to say8 said ,i2 ,i
 have told thee before  what ,i did say4
    ,then he asked me if ,i would have  
these men to swear that ,i had taken    
the oath4 ,i asked him if he would have 
those men to swear that ,i had  refused 

the oath1 at which the court burst into 
laughter4    ,i was grieved to see so   
much lightness in a court1 where such   
solemn  matters are handled1 and        
thereupon asked them1 ,is this court a  
play-house8 ,where is gravity and       
sobriety1 said ,i2 this behaviour  doth 
not become you4    ,then the clerk read 
the indictment1 and ,i told the ,judge  
,i had  something to speak to it2 for ,i
 had informed myself of the errors  that
 were in it4 ,he told me he would hear  
afterwards any reasons that  ,i could   
allege why he should not give judgment4 
,then ,i spoke to the jury1 and told    
them that they could not bring me  in   
guilty according to that indictment1 for
 the indictment was wrong  laid1 and had
 many gross errors in it4    ,the ,judge
 said that ,i must not speak to the     
jury1 but he would speak  to them2 and  
he told them ,i had refused to take the 
oath at the last  assizes2 and1 said he1
 ,i can tender the oath to any man now1 
and  prmunire him for not taking it2 and

 he said they must bring me in  guilty1 
seeing ,i refused to take the oath4     
,then said ,i1 ,what do ye do with a    
form8 ,ye may throw away your form      
then4 ,and ,i told the jury it lay upon 
their consciences1 as they  would answer
 it to the ,lord ,god before ,his       
judgment-seat4    ,then the judge spoke 
again to the jury1 and ,i called to him 
to do me  justice4    ,the jury brought 
me in guilty4 ,thereupon ,i told them   
that both the  justices and they had    
forsworn themselves1 and therefore they 
had  small cause to laugh1 as they did a
 little before4    ,oh1 the envy1 rage1 
and malice that appeared against me1 and
 the  lightness6 ,but the ,lord         
confounded them1 and they were          
wonderfully  stopped4 ,so they set me   
aside1 and called up ,margaret ,fell1   
who had  much good service among them2  
and then the court broke up near the    
second hour4    ,in the afternoon we    
were brought in again to have sentence  
passed  upon us4 ,margaret ,fell desired

 that sentence might be deferred until  
the next morning4 ,i desired nothing but
 law and justice at his hands1  for the 
thieves had mercy2 only ,i requested the
 ,judge to send some to  see my prison1 
which was so bad they would put no      
creature they had  in it2 and ,i told   
him that ,colonel ,kirby1 who was then  
on the bench1  had said ,i should be    
locked up1 and no flesh alive should    
come to me4  ,the ,judge shook his head1
 and said that when the sentence was    
given  he would leave me to the favor of
 the jailer4    ,most of the gentry of  
the country were gathered together1     
expecting  to hear the sentence2 and the
 noise amongst the people was that ,i   
should be transported4 ,but they were   
all crossed at that time2 for  the      
sentence was deferred until the next    
morning1 and ,i was taken to  prison    
again4    ,upon my complaining of the   
badness of my prison1 some of the       
justices1 with ,colonel ,kirby1 went up 
to see it4 ,when they came they  hardly 

durst go in1 the floor was so bad and   
dangerous1 and the  place so open to    
wind and rain4 ,some that came up said1 
,surely it  is a ,jakes-house4 ,when    
,colonel ,kirby saw it1 and heard what  
others  said of it1 he excused the      
matter as well as he could1 saying that 
,i  should be removed ere long to some  
more convenient place4    ,next day1    
towards the eleventh hour1 we were      
called again to hear the  sentence2 and 
,margaret ,fell1 being called first to  
the bar1 she had  counsel to plead1 who 
found many errors in her indictment4    
,thereupon1  after the ,judge had       
acknowledged them1 she was set by4      
,then the ,judge asked what they could  
say to mine4 ,i was not willing  to let 
any man plead for me1 but desired to    
speak to it myself2 and  indeed1 though 
,margaret had some that pleaded for her1
 yet she spoke  as much herself as she  
would4 ,but before ,i came to the bar ,i
 was  moved in my spirit to pray that   
,god would confound their wickedness    

and envy1 set ,his truth over all1 and  
exalt ,his seed4 ,the ,lord heard1  and 
answered1 and did confound them in their
 proceedings against me4  ,and1 though  
they had most envy against me1 yet the  
most gross errors  were found in my     
indictment4    ,i having put by others  
from pleading for me1 the ,judge asked  
me what  ,i had to say why he should not
 pass sentence upon me4 ,i told him ,i  
was no lawyer2 but ,i had much to say1  
if he would but have patience  to hear4 
,at that he laughed1 and others laughed 
also1 and said1  ,come1 what have you to
 say8 ,he can say nothing4 ,yes1 said   
,i1 ,i  have much to say2 have but the  
patience to hear me4    ,i asked him    
whether the oath was to be tendered to  
the ,king's  subjects1 or to the        
subjects of foreign princes4 ,he said1  
,to the  subjects of this realm4 ,then1 
said ,i1 look into the indictment2  ye  
may see that ye have left out the word  
'subject'2 so not having  named me in   
the indictment as a subject1 ye cannot  

prmunire me for  not taking an oath4    
,then they looked over the statute and  
the indictment1 and saw it was  as ,i   
said2 and the ,judge confessed it was an
 error4    ,i told him ,i had something 
else to stop his judgment1 and desired  
him  to look what day the indictment    
said the oath was tendered to me at  the
 sessions there4 ,they looked1 and said 
it was the eleventh day of  ,january4   
,what day of the week was the sessions  
held on8 said ,i4 ,on  a ,tuesday1 said 
they4 ,then1 said ,i1 look in your      
almanacs1 and  see whether there was any
 sessions held at ,lancaster on the     
eleventh  day of ,january1 so called4   
,so they looked1 and found that the     
eleventh day was the day called         
,monday1 and that the sessions was on   
the day called ,tuesday1 which  was the 
twelfth day of that month4    ,look now1
 said ,i1 ye have indicted me for       
refusing the oath in the                
quarter-sessions held at ,lancaster on  
the eleventh day of ,january  last1 and 

the justices have sworn that they       
tendered me the oath in  open sessions  
here that day1 and the jury upon their  
oaths have  found me guilty thereupon2  
and yet ye see there was no session held
  in ,lancaster that day4    ,then the  
,judge1 to cover the matter1 asked      
whether the sessions did  not begin on  
the eleventh day4 ,but some in the court
 answered1 ,no2  the session held but   
one day1 and that was the twelfth4 ,then
 the  ,judge said this was a great      
mistake and an error4    ,some of the   
justices were in a great rage at this1  
stamped1 and said1  ,who hath done this8
 ,somebody hath done this on purpose2   
and a great  heat was amongst them4     
,then said ,i1 ,are not the justices    
here1 that have sworn to this           
indictment1 forsworn men in the face of 
the country8 ,but this is not  all1 said
 ,i4 ,i have more yet to offer why      
sentence should not be  given against   
me4 ,i asked1 ,in what year of the ,king
 was the last  assize here holden1 which

 was in the month called ,march last8   
,the  ,judge said it was in the         
sixteenth year of the ,king4 ,but1 said 
,i1  the indictment says it was in the  
fifteenth year4 ,they looked1 and  found
 it so4 ,this also was acknowledged to  
be another error4    ,then they were all
 in a fret again1 and could not tell    
what to say2  for the ,judge had sworn  
the officers of the court that the oath 
was  tendered to me at the assize       
mentioned in the indictment4 ,now1 said 
,i1 is not the court here forsworn also1
 who have sworn that the oath  was      
tendered to me at the assize holden here
 in the fifteenth year of  the ,king1   
when it was in his sixteenth year1 and  
so they have sworn  a year false8       
,the ,judge bade them look whether      
,margaret ,fell's indictment was so or  
no4 ,they looked1 and found it was not  
so4    ,i told the ,judge ,i had more   
yet to offer to stop sentence2 and asked
  him whether all the oath ought to be  
put into the indictment or no4  ,yes1   

said he1 it ought to be all put in4     
,then1 said ,i1 compare the indictment  
with the oath1 and there  thou mayest   
see these words3 viz41 'or by any       
authority derived1 or  pretended to be  
derived from him or his see1' which is a
 principal  part of the oath1 left out  
of the indictment2 and in another place 
the words1 'heirs and successors1' are  
left out4    ,the ,judge acknowledged   
these also to be great errors4    ,but1 
said ,i1 ,i have something further to   
allege4    ,nay1 said the ,judge1 ,i    
have enough2 you need say no more4      
,if1 said ,i1 thou hast enough1 ,i      
desire nothing but law and justice  at  
thy hands2 for ,i don't look for mercy4 
,you must have justice1 said he1 and you
 shall have law4    ,then ,i asked1 ,am 
,i at liberty1 and free from all that   
ever hath been  done against me in this 
matter8    ,yes1 said the ,judge1 you   
are free from all that hath been done   
against you4 ,but then1 starting up in a
 rage1 he said1 ,i can put  the oath to 

any man here1 and ,i will tender you the
 oath again4    ,i told him he had had  
examples enough yesterday of swearing   
and false  swearing1 both in the        
justices and in the jury2 for ,i saw    
before mine  eyes that both justices and
 jury had forsworn themselves4    ,the  
,judge asked me if ,i would take the    
oath4 ,i bade him do me justice  for my 
false imprisonment all this while2 for  
what had ,i been  imprisoned so long    
for8 and ,i told him ,i ought to be set 
at liberty4    ,you are at liberty1 said
 he1 but ,i will put the oath to you    
again4    ,then ,i turned me about and  
said1 ,all people1 take notice2 this is 
a snare2 for ,i ought to be set free    
from the jailer and from this  court4   
,but the ,judge cried1 ,give him the    
book2 and the sheriff and the  justices 
cried1 ,give him the book4    ,then the 
power of darkness rose up in them like a
 mountain1 and a  clerk lifted up a book
 to me4 ,i stood still and said1 ,if it 
be a  ,bible1 give it me into my hand4  

,yes1 yes1 said the ,judge and justices1
 give it him into his hand4  ,so ,i took
 it and looked into it1 and said1 ,i see
 it is a ,bible2 ,i am  glad of it4     
,now he had caused the jury to be       
called1 and they stood by2 for1  after  
they had brought in their former        
verdict1 he would not dismiss  them1    
though they desired it2 but told them he
 could not dismiss them  yet1 for he    
should have business for them1 and      
therefore they must  attend and be ready
 when they were called4    ,when he said
 so ,i felt his intent1 that if ,i were 
freed1 he would  come on again4 ,so ,i  
looked him in the face1 and the witness 
of ,god  started up in him1 and made him
 blush when he looked at me again1 for  
he saw that ,i saw him4                 
,nevertheless1 hardening himself1 he    
caused the oath to be read to me1  the  
jury standing by2 and when it was read1 
he asked me whether ,i  would take the  
oath or not4    ,then said ,i1 ,ye have 
given me a book here to kiss and to     

swear on1  and this book which ye have  
given me to kiss says1 ',kiss the ,son'2
  and the ,son says in this book1       
',swear not at all'2 and so says also   
the apostle ,james4 ,now1 ,i say as the 
book says1 and yet ye imprison  me2 why 
do ye not imprison the book for saying  
so8 ,how comes it that  the book 7which 
bids me not swear7 is at liberty amongst
 you1 and yet  ye imprison me for doing 
as the book bids me8    ,as ,i was      
speaking this to them1 and held up the  
,bible open in my  hand1 to show them   
the place in the book where ,christ     
forbids  swearing1 they plucked the book
 out of my hand again2 and the ,judge   
said1 ,nay1 but we will imprison ,george
 ,fox4 ,yet this got abroad  over all   
the country as a by-word1 that they gave
 me a book to swear  on that commanded  
me 'not to swear at all'2 and that the  
,bible was at  liberty1 and ,i in prison
 for doing as the ,bible said4    ,now1 
when the ,judge still urged me to swear1
 ,i told him ,i had never  taken oath1  

covenant1 or engagement in my life1 but 
my yea or nay  was more binding to me   
than an oath was to many others2 for had
 they  not had experience how little men
 regarded an oath2 and how they  had    
sworn one way and then another2 and how 
the justices and court  had forsworn    
themselves now8 ,i told him ,i was a man
 of a tender  conscience1 and if they   
had any sense of a tender conscience    
they  would consider that it was in     
obedience to ,christ's command that ,i  
could not swear4 ,but1 said ,i1 if any  
of you can convince me that  after      
,christ and the apostle had commanded   
not to swear1 they altered  that command
 and commanded ,christians to swear1    
then ye shall see ,i  will swear4       
,there being many priests by1 ,i said1  
,if ye cannot do it1 let your  priests  
stand up and do it4 ,but not one of the 
priests made any  answer4    ,oh1 said  
the ,judge1 all the world cannot        
convince you4    ,no1 said ,i1 how is it
 likely the world should convince me2   

for  'the whole world lies in           
wickedness'2 but bring out your         
spiritual  men1 as ye call them1 to     
convince me4    ,then both the sheriff  
and the ,judge said1 ,the angel swore in
 the  ,revelations4 ,i replied1 ,when   
,god bringeth ,his first-begotten ,son  
into the world1 ,he saith1 ',let all the
 angels of ,god worship ,him'2  and ,he 
saith1 ',swear not at all4'    ,nay1    
said the ,judge1 ,i will not dispute4   
,then ,i spoke to the jury1 telling them
 it was for ,christ's sake that  ,i     
could not swear1 and therefore ,i warned
 them not to act contrary to  the       
witness of ,god in their consciences1   
for before ,his judgment-seat  they must
 all be brought4 ,and ,i told them that 
as for plots and  persecution for       
religion and ,popery1 ,i do deny them in
 my heart2  for ,i am a ,christian1 and 
shall show forth ,christianity amongst  
you  this day4 ,it is for ,christ's     
doctrine ,i stand4 ,more words ,i had   
both  with the ,judge and jury before   

the jailer took me away4    ,in the     
afternoon ,i was brought up again1 and  
put among the thieves  some time1 where 
,i stood with my hat on till the jailer 
took it off4  ,then the jury having     
found this new indictment against me for
 not  taking the oath1 ,i was called to 
the bar2 and the ,judge asked me what   
,i would say for myself4 ,i bade them   
read the indictment1 for ,i would  not  
answer to that which ,i did not hear4   
,the clerk read it1 and as he  read the 
,judge said ,take heed it be not false  
again2 but he read it  in such a manner 
that ,i could hardly understand what he 
read4    ,when he had done the ,judge   
asked me what ,i said to the indictment4
 ,i  told him that hearing but once so  
large a writing read1 and at such  a    
distance that ,i could not distinctly   
hear all the parts of it1 ,i  could not 
well tell what to say to it2 but if he  
would let me have a  copy1 and give me  
time to consider it1 ,i would answer it4
    ,this put them to a little stand2   

but after a while the ,judge asked  me1 
,what time would you have8    ,i said1  
,until the next assize4    ,but1 said   
he1 what plea will you now make8 ,are   
you guilty or not  guilty8    ,i said1  
,i am not guilty at all of obstinately  
and wilfully refusing  to swear2 and as 
for those things mentioned in the oath1 
as  jesuitical plots and foreign powers1
 ,i utterly deny them in my heart2  and 
if ,i could take any oath1 ,i should    
take that2 but ,i never took  any oath  
in my life4    ,the ,judge said1 ,you   
speak well2 but the ,king is sworn1 the 
,parliament is sworn1 ,i am sworn1 the  
justices are sworn1 and the law  is     
preserved by oaths4    ,i told him that 
they had had sufficient experience of   
men's swearing1  and he had seen how the
 justices and jury had sworn falsely the
  other day2 and if he had read in the  
,book of ,martyrs how many of  the      
martyrs had refused to swear1 both      
within the time of the ten  persecutions
 and in ,bishop ,bonner's days1 he might

 see that to deny  swearing in obedience
 to ,christ's command was no new thing4 
,he said he wished the laws were        
otherwise4    ,i said1 ,our ,yea is yea1
 and our ,nay is nay2 and if we         
transgress our  yea and our nay1 let us 
suffer as they do1 or should do1 that   
swear  falsely4 ,this1 ,i told him1 we  
had offered to the ,king2 and the ,king 
said it was reasonable4    ,after some  
further discourse they committed me to  
prison again1 there  to lie until the   
next assize2 and ,colonel ,kirby gave   
order to the  jailer to keep me close1  
and suffer no flesh alive to come at me1
  for ,i was not fit1 he said1 to be    
discoursed with by men4 ,i was put  into
 a tower where the smoke of the other   
prisoners came up so thick  it stood as 
dew upon the walls1 and sometimes it was
 so thick that ,i  could hardly see the 
candle when it burned2 and ,i being     
locked under  three locks1 the          
under-jailer1 when the smoke was great1 
would hardly  be persuaded to come up to

 unlock one of the uppermost doors for  
fear of the smoke1 so that ,i was almost
 smothered4    ,besides1 it rained in   
upon my bed1 and many times1 when ,i    
went to  stop out the rain in the cold  
winter-season1 my shirt was as wet as   
muck with the rain that came in upon me 
while ,i was labouring to stop  it out4 
,and the place being high and open to   
the wind1 sometimes as  fast as ,i      
stopped it the wind blew it out again4  
,in this manner ,i lay all that long1   
cold winter till the next assize1  in   
which time ,i was so starved1 and so    
frozen with cold and wet with  the rain 
that my body was greatly swelled and my 
limbs much benumbed4    ,the assize     
began the sixteenth of the month called 
,march1 #affd-e4  ,the same ,judges1    
,twisden and ,turner1 coming that       
circuit again1  ,judge ,twisden sat this
 time on the crown-bench1 and before him
 ,i was  brought4    ,i had informed    
myself of the errors in this indictment 
also2 for1  though at the assize before 

,judge ,turner said to the officers in  
court1 ,pray1 see that all the oath be  
in the indictment1 and that  the word   
'subject' be in1 and that the day of the
 month and year  of the ,king be put in 
right2 for it is a shame that so many   
errors  should be seen and found in the 
face of the country2 yet many  errors1  
and those great ones1 were in this      
indictment1 as well as in  the former4  
,surely the hand of the ,lord was in it1
 to confound their  mischievous work    
against me1 and to blind them therein2  
insomuch  that1 although1 after the     
indictment was drawn at the former      
assize1  the ,judge examined it himself1
 and tried it with the clerks1 yet the  
word subject was left out of this       
indictment also1 the day of the  month  
was put in wrong1 and several material  
words of the oath were  left out2 yet   
they went on confidently against me1    
thinking all was  safe and well4        
,when ,i was brought to the bar1 and the
 jury called over to be sworn1  the     

clerk asked me1 first1 whether ,i had   
any objection to make to any  of the    
jury4 ,i told him ,i knew none of them4 
,then1 having sworn the  jury1 they     
swore three of the officers of the court
 to prove that  the oath was tendered to
 me at the last assizes1 according to   
the  indictment4    ,come1 come1 said   
the ,judge1 it was not done in a corner4
 ,then he  asked me what ,i had to say  
to it2 or whether ,i had taken the oath 
at  the last assize4    ,i told him what
 ,i had formerly said to them1 as it now
 came to my  remembrance4    ,thereupon 
the ,judge said1 ,i will not dispute    
with you but in point  of law4    ,then1
 said ,i1 ,i have something to speak to 
the jury concerning the  indictment4    
,he told me ,i must not speak to the    
jury2 but if ,i had anything to  say1 ,i
 must speak to him4    ,i asked him     
whether the oath was to be tendered to  
the ,king's  subjects only1 or to the   
subjects of foreign princes4    ,he     
replied1 ,to the subjects of this realm4

    ,then1 said ,i1 look in the         
indictment1 and thou mayest see the word
  'subject' is left out of this         
indictment also4 ,therefore1 seeing the 
oath is not to be tendered to any but   
the subjects of this realm1  and ye have
 not put me in as a subject1 the court  
is to take no  notice of this           
indictment4    ,i had no sooner spoken  
thus than the ,judge cried1 ,take him   
away1  jailer1 take him away4 ,so ,i was
 presently hurried away4    ,the jailer 
and people expected that ,i should be   
called for again2 but  ,i was never     
brought to the court any more1 though ,i
 had many other  great errors to assign 
in the indictment4    ,after ,i was     
gone1 the ,judge asked the jury if they 
were agreed4 ,they  said1 ,yes1 and     
found for the ,king against me1 as ,i   
was told4 ,but ,i  was never called to  
hear sentence given1 nor was any given  
against me  that ,i could hear of4    ,i
 understood that when they had looked   
more narrowly into the  indictment they 

saw it was not good2 and the ,judge     
having sworn  the officers of the court 
that the oath was tendered me at the    
assize before1 such a day1 as was set   
forth in the indictment1 and  that being
 the wrong day1 ,i should have proved   
the officers of the  court forsworn men 
again1 had the ,judge suffered me to    
plead to the  indictment1 which was     
thought to be the reason he hurried me  
away so  soon4    ,the ,judge had passed
 sentence of prmunire upon ,margaret    
,fell before  ,i was brought in2 and it 
seems that when ,i was hurried away they
  recorded me as a prmunired person1#ada
 though ,i was never brought  to hear   
the sentence1 or knew of it1 which was  
very illegal4 ,for they  should not only
 have had me present to hear the        
sentence given1 but  should also have   
asked me first what ,i could say why    
sentence should  not be given against   
me4 ,but they knew ,i had so much to say
 that they  could not give sentence if  
they heard it4      #ada ,a prmunired   

person is one who has incurred the      
penalty    of being put out of the      
protection of the crown1 of having      
his lands1 goods1 and chattels forfeited
 to the crown and of    remaining in    
prison during the sovereign's pleasure4 
,while ,i was prisoner in ,lancaster    
,castle there was a great noise and     
talk of the ,turk's overspreading       
,christendom1 and great fears entered   
many4 ,but one day1 as ,i was walking in
 my prison chamber1 ,i saw the  ,lord's 
power turn against him1 and that he was 
turning back again4  ,and ,i declared to
 some what the ,lord had let me see1    
when there were  such fears of his      
overrunning ,christendom2 and within a  
month after1  the news came that they   
had given him a defeat4    ,another     
time1 as ,i was walking in my chamber1  
with my eye to the  ,lord1 ,i saw the   
angel of the ,lord with a glittering    
drawn sword  stretched southward1 as    
though the court had been all on fire4  
,not  long after the wars broke out with

 ,holland1 the sickness broke forth1    
and afterwards the fire of ,london2 so  
the ,lord's sword was drawn  indeed4    
,by reason of my long and close         
imprisonment in so bad a place ,i  was  
become very weak in body2 but the       
,lord's power was over all1  supported  
me through all1 and enabled me to do    
service for ,him1 and  for ,his truth   
and people1 as the place would admit4   
,for1 while ,i  was in ,lancaster       
prison1 ,i answered several books1 as   
the ,mass1 the  ,common-,prayer1 the    
,directory and the ,church-,faith1#adb  
which are the  four chief religions that
 are got up since the apostles' days4   
#adb ,these four chief religions which  
have been got up since    the apostles' 
days are respectively the ,roman        
,catholic1    the ,episcopalian1        
,presbyterian and ,independent1 i4 e41  
,congregational4          ,,chapter     
,,xvi4    ,a ,year in ,scarborough      
,castle4    #affe-afff4      ,after the 
assize1 ,colonel ,kirby and other       

justices were very uneasy  with my being
 at ,lancaster2 for ,i had galled them  
sore at my trials  there1 and they      
laboured much to get me removed thence  
to some remote  place4 ,colonel ,kirby  
sometimes threatened that ,i should be  
sent  beyond sea4    ,about six weeks   
after the assizes they got an order from
 the ,king  and council to remove me    
from ,lancaster2 and with it they       
brought  a letter from the ,earl of     
,anglesey1 wherein it was written that  
if  those things with which ,i was      
charged were found true against me1  ,i 
deserved no clemency nor mercy2 yet the 
greatest matter they had  against me was
 because ,i could not disobey the       
command of ,christ1 and  swear4    ,when
 they had prepared for my removal1 the  
under-sheriff and the  head-sheriff's   
man1 with some bailiffs1 fetched me out 
of the castle1  when ,i was so weak with
 lying in that cold1 wet1 and smoky     
prison1  that ,i could hardly go or     
stand4 ,they led me into the jailer's   

house1  where were ,william ,kirby and  
several others1 and they called for wine
  to give me4 ,i told them ,i would have
 none of their wine4 ,then they  cried1 
,bring out the horses4    ,i desired    
them first to show me their order1 or a 
copy of it1 if  they intended to remove 
me2 but they would show me none but     
their  swords4 ,i told them there was no
 sentence passed upon me1 nor was ,i    
prmunired1 that ,i knew of2 and         
therefore ,i was not made the ,king's   
prisoner1 but was the sheriff's2 for    
they and all the country knew  that ,i  
was not fully heard at the last assize1 
nor suffered to show  the errors in the 
indictment1 which were sufficient to    
quash it1  though they had kept me from 
one assize to another to the end they   
might try me4 ,but they all knew there  
was no sentence of prmunire  passed upon
 me2 therefore ,i1 not being the ,king's
 prisoner1 but the  sheriff's1 did      
desire to see their order4    ,instead  
of showing me their order1 they haled me

 out1 and lifted me  upon one of the    
sheriff's horses4    ,when ,i was on    
horseback in the street the townspeople 
being gathered  to gaze upon me1 ,i told
 the officers ,i had received neither   
,christianity1 civility1 nor humanity   
from them4    ,they hurried me away     
about fourteen miles to ,bentham1 though
 ,i was so  weak that ,i was hardly able
 to sit on horseback1 and my clothes    
smelt  so of smoke they were loathsome  
to myself4 ,the wicked jailer1 one      
,hunter1 a young fellow1 would come     
behind and give the horse a lash  with  
his whip1 and make him skip and leap2 so
 that ,i1 being weak1 had  much ado to  
sit on him2 then he would come and look 
me in the face  and say1 ,how do you1   
,mr4 ,fox8 ,i told him it was not civil 
in him to  do so4 ,the ,lord cut him off
 soon after4    ,when we were come to   
,bentham1 in ,yorkshire1 there met us   
many  troopers and a marshal2 and many  
of the gentry of the country were  come 
in1 and abundance of people to take a   

view of me4 ,i being very  weak and     
weary1 desired them to let me lie down  
on a bed1 which the  soldiers permitted2
 for those that brought me thither gave 
their  order to the marshal1 and he set 
a guard of his soldiers upon me4        
,when they had stayed awhile they       
pressed horses1 raised the  bailiff of  
the hundred1 the constables1 and others1
 and bore me to  ,giggleswick that      
night2 but exceeding weak ,i was4       
,there1 with their  clog shoes1 they    
raised the constables1 who sat drinking 
all the  night in the room by me1 so    
that ,i could not get much rest4    ,the
 next day we came to a market-town1     
where several ,friends came to  see me4 
,robert ,widders and divers ,friends    
came to me upon the road4    ,the next  
night ,i asked the soldiers whither they
 intended to carry  me1 and whither ,i  
was to be sent4 ,some of them said1     
,beyond sea2  others said1 ,to          
,tynemouth ,castle4 ,a great fear there 
was amongst  them lest some one should  

rescue me out of their hands2 but that  
fear  was needless4    ,next night we   
came to ,york1 where the marshal put me 
into a great  chamber1 where most part  
of two troops came to see me4 ,one of   
these  troopers1 an envious man1 hearing
 that ,i was prmunired1 asked me  what  
estate ,i had1 and whether it was       
copyhold or free land4 ,i took  no      
notice of his question1 but was moved to
 declare the ,word of life  to the      
soldiers1 and many of them were very    
loving4    ,at night the ,lord          
,frecheville 7so called71 who commanded 
these horse1  came to me1 and was very  
civil and loving4 ,i gave him an account
 of  my imprisonment1 and declared many 
things to him relating to ,truth4       
,they kept me at ,york two days1 and    
then the marshal and four or five       
soldiers were sent to convey me to      
,scarborough ,castle4 ,these were  very 
civil men1 and they carried themselves  
civilly and lovingly to  me4 ,on the way
 we baited at ,malton1 and they         

permitted ,friends to  come and visit   
me4    ,when we were come to            
,scarborough1 they took me to an inn1   
and gave  notice to the governor1 who   
sent six soldiers to be my guard that   
night4 ,next day they conducted me into 
the castle1 put me into a  room1 and set
 a sentry on me4 ,as ,i was very weak1  
and subject to  fainting1 they sometimes
 let me go out into the air with the    
sentry4    ,they soon removed me out of 
this room1 and put me into an open one1 
where the rain came in1 and which was   
exceedingly thick with smoke1  which was
 very offensive to me4#adc      #adc    
,scarborough ,castle is so nearly       
demolished that it is    now impossible 
to locate the rooms in which ,fox was   
confined4    ,the room in which he was  
finally quartered was on the extreme    
seaside of the castle and has been      
entirely destroyed4 ,this year    of    
fearful imprisonment following the      
severe confinement at    ,lancaster     
nearly broke down his wonderful         

constitution4 ,he never    again had the
 same physical vigor and power4 ,note   
his healthy    humor in the little joke 
with the ,papist4    ,one day the       
,governor1 ,sir ,john ,crossland1 came  
to see me1 and brought  with him ,sir   
,francis ,cobb4 ,i desired the ,governor
 to go into my room1  and see what a    
place ,i had4 ,i had got a little fire  
made in it1 and  it was so filled with  
smoke that when they were in they could 
hardly  find their way out again2 and he
 being a ,papist1 ,i told him that this 
was his ,purgatory which they had put me
 into4 ,i was forced to lay out  about  
fifty shillings to stop out the rain1   
and keep the room from  smoking so much4
    ,when ,i had been at that charge1   
and made it tolerable1 they removed  me 
into a worse room1 where ,i had neither 
chimney nor fire-hearth4  ,this being   
towards the sea-side and lying much     
open1 the wind drove  in the rain       
forcibly so that the water came over my 
bed1 and ran so  about the room that ,i 

was fain to skim it up with a platter4  
,when  my clothes were wet1 ,i had no   
fire to dry them2 so that my body was   
benumbed with cold1 and my fingers      
swelled so that one was grown as  big as
 two4    ,though ,i was at some charge  
in this room also1 ,i could not keep out
  the wind and rain4 ,besides1 they     
would suffer few ,friends to come to    
me1 and many times not any2 no1 not so  
much as to bring me a little  food2 but 
,i was forced for the first quarter to  
hire one of another  society to bring me
 necessaries4 ,sometimes the soldiers   
would take it  from her1 and she would  
scuffle with them for it4    ,afterwards
 ,i hired a soldier to fetch me water   
and bread1 and  something to make a fire
 of1 when ,i was in a room where a fire 
could be made4 ,commonly a threepenny   
loaf served me three weeks1  and        
sometimes longer1 and most of my drink  
was water with wormwood  steeped or     
bruised in it4    ,one time the weather 
was very sharp1 and ,i had taken great  

cold1 ,i  got a little elecampane beer4 
,i heard one of the soldiers say to the 
other that they would play me a trick3  
they would send me up to the            
deputy-governor1 and in the meantime    
drink my strong beer2 and so  they did4 
,when ,i came back one of the soldiers  
came to me in a jeer1  and asked me for 
some strong beer4 ,i told him they had  
played their  pretty trick2 and so ,i   
took no further notice of it4    ,but   
inasmuch as they kept me so very strait1
 not giving liberty for  ,friends to    
come to me1 ,i spoke to the keepers of  
the ,castle to this  effect3 ,i did not 
know till ,i was removed from ,lancaster
 ,castle1 and  brought prisoner to this 
,castle of ,scarborough1 that ,i was    
convicted  of a prmunire2 for the ,judge
 did not give sentence upon me at the   
assizes in open court4 ,but seeing ,i am
 now a prisoner here1 if ,i may  not    
have my liberty1 let my friends and     
acquaintances have their  liberty to    
come and visit me1 as ,paul's friends   

had among the ,romans1  who were not    
,christians1 but heathen4 ,for ,paul's  
friends had their  liberty2 all that    
would1 might come to him1 and he had his
 liberty to  preach to them in his hired
 house4 ,but ,i cannot have liberty to  
go  into the town1 nor for my friends to
 come to me here4 ,so you that go  under
 the name of ,christians1 are worse in  
this respect than those  heathen were4  
,but though they would not let ,friends 
come to me1 they would often  bring     
others1 either to gaze upon me1 or to   
contend with me4 ,one time  a great     
company of ,papists came to discourse   
with me4 ,they affirmed  that the ,pope 
was infallible1 and had stood infallible
 ever since  ,peter's time4 ,but ,i     
showed them the contrary by history2 for
 one  of the bishops of ,rome           
7,marcellinus by name71 denied the faith
 and  sacrificed to idols2 therefore he 
was not infallible4 ,i told them  that  
if they were in the infallible ,spirit  
they need not have jails1  swords1 and  

staves1 racks and tortures1 fires and   
faggots1 whips and  gallows1 to hold up 
their religion1 and to destroy men's    
lives about  it2 for if they were in the
 infallible ,spirit they would preserve 
men's lives1 and use none but spiritual 
weapons about religion4    ,another     
,papist who came to discourse with me   
said1 ,all the  patriarchs were in hell 
from the creation till ,christ came4    
,when  ,christ suffered ,he went into   
hell1 and the devil said to ,him1 ,what 
comest thou hither for8 to break open   
our strongholds8 ,and ,christ  said1 ,to
 fetch them all out4 ,so ,christ was    
three days and three  nights in hell to 
bring them out4    ,i told him that that
 was false2 for ,christ said to the     
thief1 ,this  day thou shalt be with me 
in paradise2 and ,enoch and ,elijah were
  translated into heaven2 and ,abraham  
was in heaven1 for the ,scripture  saith
 that ,lazarus was in his bosom2 and    
,moses and ,elias were with  ,christ    
upon the ,mount1 before ,he suffered4   

,these instances stopped the ,papist's  
mouth1 and put him to a stand4          
,another time came ,dr4 ,witty1 who was 
esteemed a great doctor in  physic1 with
 ,lord ,falconbridge1 the governor of   
,tinmouth ,castle1 and  several knights4
    ,i being called to them1 ,witty     
undertook to discourse with me1 and     
asked me what ,i was in prison for4 ,i  
told him1 ,because ,i would not  disobey
 the command of ,christ1 and swear4 ,he 
said ,i ought to swear  my allegiance to
 the ,king4    ,he being a great        
,presbyterian1 ,i asked him whether he  
had not sworn  against the ,king and    
,house of ,lords1 and taken the ,scotch 
covenant8  ,and had he not since sworn  
to the ,king8 ,what1 then1 was his      
swearing  good for8 ,but my allegiance1 
,i told him1 did not consist in         
swearing1  but in truth and             
faithfulness4    ,after some further    
discourse ,i was taken away to my prison
 again2 and  afterwards ,dr4 ,witty     
boasted in the town amongst his patients

 that  he had conquered me4 ,when ,i    
heard of it1 ,i told the ,governor it   
was  a small boast in him to say he had 
conquered a bondman4 ,i desired to  bid 
him come to me again when he came to the
 ,castle4    ,he came again awhile      
after1 with about sixteen or seventeen  
great  persons1 and then he ran himself 
worse on ground than before4 ,for he    
affirmed before them all that ,christ   
had not enlightened every man  that     
cometh into the world2 and that the     
grace of ,god1 that bringeth  salvation1
 had not appeared unto all men1 and that
 ,christ had not  died for all men4     
,i asked him what sort of men those were
 whom ,christ had not  enlightened8 and 
whom ,his grace had not appeared to8 and
 whom ,he had  not died for8    ,he     
said1 ,christ did not die for           
adulterers1 and idolaters1 and  wicked  
men4    ,i asked him whether adulterers 
and wicked men were not sinners4    ,he 
said1 ,yes4    ,did not ,christ die for 
sinners8 said ,i4 ,did ,he not come to  

call  sinners to repentance8    ,yes1   
said he4    ,then1 said ,i1 thou hast   
stopped thy own mouth4    ,so ,i proved 
that the grace of ,god had appeared unto
 all men1 though  some turned from it   
into wantonness1 and walked despitefully
 against  it2 and that ,christ had      
enlightened all men1 though some hated  
the  light4    ,several of the people   
confessed it was true2 but he went away 
in a  great rage1 and came no more to   
me4    ,another time the ,governor      
brought a priest2 but his mouth was soon
  stopped4    ,not long after he brought
 two or three ,parliament-men1 who asked
 me  whether ,i did own ministers and   
bishops4    ,i told them1 ,yes1 such as 
,christ sent2 such as had freely        
received  and would freely give2 such as
 were qualified1 and were in the  same  
power and ,spirit the apostles were in4 
,but such bishops and  teachers as      
yours1 that will go no farther than a   
great benefice1 ,i  do not own2 for they
 are not like the apostles4 ,christ     

saith to his  ministers1 ',go ye into   
all nations1 and preach the gospel'2 but
 ye  ,parliament-men1 who keep your     
priests and bishops in such great fat   
benefices1 have spoiled them all4 ,for  
do ye think they will go into  all      
nations to preach2 or any farther than a
 great fat benefice8  ,judge yourselves 
whether they will or not4    ,there came
 another time the widow of old ,lord    
,fairfax1 and with her a  great company1
 one of whom was a priest4 ,i was moved 
to declare the  truth to them1 and the  
priest asked me why we said ,thou and   
,thee to  people1 for he counted us but 
fools and idiots for speaking so4    ,i 
asked him whether they that translated  
the ,scriptures and that  made the      
grammar and accidence1 were fools and   
idiots1 seeing they  translated the     
,scriptures so1 and made the grammar so1
 ,thou to  one1 and ,you to more than   
one1 and left it so to us4 ,if they were
  fools and idiots1 why had not he1 and 
such as he1 that looked upon  themselves

 as wise men1 and that could not bear   
,thou and ,thee to a  singular1 altered 
the grammar1 accidence1 and ,bible1 and 
put the  plural instead of the singular4
 ,but if they were wise men that had  so
 translated the ,bible1 and had made the
 grammar and accidence so1  ,i wished   
him to consider whether they were not   
fools and idiots  themselves1 that did  
not speak as their grammars and ,bibles 
taught  them2 but were offended with us1
 and called us fools and idiots for     
speaking so4    ,thus the priest's mouth
 was stopped1 and many of the company   
acknowledged the ,truth1 and were pretty
 loving and tender4 ,some of  them would
 have given me money1 but ,i would not  
receive it4    ,after this came ,dr4    
,cradock1 with three priests more1 and  
the  ,governor and his lady 7so called71
 and another that was called a  lady1   
and a great company with them4    ,dr4  
,cradock asked me what ,i was in prison 
for4 ,i told him1 ,for  obeying the     
command of ,christ and the apostle1 in  

not swearing4  ,but if he1 ,i said1     
being both a doctor and a justice of    
peace1  could convince me that after    
,christ and the ,apostle had forbidden  
swearing1 they commanded ,christians to 
swear1 then ,i would swear4  ,here is   
the ,bible1 ,i told him1 thou mayest1 if
 thou canst1 show me  any such command4 
,he said1 ,it is written1 ',ye shall    
swear in truth and righteousness4'      
,ay1 said ,i1 it was so written in      
,jeremiah's time2 but that was  many    
ages before ,christ commanded not to    
swear at all2 but where is  it written  
so1 since ,christ forbade all swearing8 
,i could bring as  many instances out of
 the ,old ,testament for swearing as    
thou1 and it  may be more2 but of what  
force are they to prove swearing lawful 
in  the ,new ,testament1 since ,christ  
and the ,apostle forbade it8 ,besides1  
said ,i1 in that text where it is       
written1 ,ye shall swear1 what 'ye'  was
 this8 ,was it ',ye ,gentiles1' or ',ye 
,jews'8    ,to this he would not answer4

 ,but one of the priests that were with 
him answered1 ,it was to the ,jews that 
this was spoken4 ,then ,dr4  ,cradock   
confessed it was so4    ,very well1 said
 ,i1 but where did ,god ever give a     
command to the  ,gentiles to swear8 ,for
 thou knowest that we are ,gentiles by  
nature4    ,indeed1 said he1 in the     
gospel times everything was to be       
established out of the mouths of two or 
three witnesses2 but there  was to be no
 swearing then4    ,why1 then1 said ,i1 
dost thou force oaths upon ,christians1 
contrary  to thy own knowledge1 in the  
gospel-times8 ,and why dost thou        
excommunicate my friends8 for he had    
excommunicated abundance both  in       
,yorkshire and ,lancashire4    ,he said1
 ,for not coming to church4 ,why1 said  
,i1 ye left us above  twenty years ago1 
when we were but young lads and lasses1 
to the  ,presbyterians1 ,independents1  
and ,baptists1 many of whom made spoil  
of our goods1 and persecuted us because 
we would not follow them4  ,we1 being   

but young1 knew little then of your     
principles4 ,if ye had  intended to keep
 your principles alive1 that we might   
have known  them1 ye should either not  
have fled from us as ye did1 or ye      
should  have sent us your epistles1     
collects1 homilies1 and evening songs2  
for ,paul wrote epistles to the saints1 
though he was in prison4  ,but they and 
we might have turned ,turks or ,jews for
 any collects1  homilies1 or epistles we
 had from you all this while4 ,and now  
thou  hast excommunicated us1 both young
 and old1 and so have others of you     
done2 that is1 ye have put us out of    
your church before ye have got  us into 
it1 and before ye have brought us to    
know your principles4  ,is not this     
madness in you1 to put us out before we 
were brought in8  ,indeed1 if ye had    
brought us into your church1 and when we
 had been  in1 if we had done some bad  
thing1 that had been something like a   
ground for excommunication or putting   
out again4 ,but1 said ,i1 ,what  dost   

thou call the ,church8    ,why1 said he1
 that which you call the steeple-house4 
,then ,i asked him whether ,christ shed 
,his blood for the steeple-house1  and  
purchased and sanctified the            
steeple-house with ,his blood4 ,and     
seeing the ,church is ,christ's bride   
and wife1 and that ,he is the  ,head of 
the ,church1 dost thou think the        
steeple-house is ,christ's  wife and    
bride1 and that ,he is the head of that 
old house1 or of ,his  people8    ,no1  
said he1 ,christ is the head of ,his    
people1 and they are the  ,church4      
,but1 said ,i1 ,you have given the title
 ,church to an old house1  which belongs
 to the people2 and you have taught them
 to believe so4    ,i asked him also why
 he persecuted ,friends for not paying  
tithes2  whether ,god ever commanded the
 ,gentiles to pay tithes2 whether       
,christ  had not ended tithes when ,he  
ended the ,levitical priesthood that    
took  tithes2 whether ,christ1 when ,he 
sent ,his disciples to preach1 had  not 

commanded them to preach freely as ,he  
had given them freely2 and  whether all 
the ministers of ,christ are not bound  
to observe this  command of ,christ4    
,he said he would not dispute that4     
,neither did ,i find he was willing to  
stay on that subject2 for he  presently 
turned to another matter1 and said1 ,you
 marry1 but ,i know  not how4    ,i     
replied1 ,it may be so2 but why dost    
thou not come and see8    ,then he      
threatened that he would use his power  
against us1 as he  had done4 ,i bade him
 take heed2 for he was an old man4 ,i   
asked him  also where he read1 from     
,genesis to ,revelation1 that ever any  
priest  did marry any4 ,i wished him to 
show me some instance thereof1 if he    
would have us come to them to be        
married2 for1 said ,i1 thou hast        
excommunicated one of my friends two    
years after he was dead1 about  his     
marriage4 ,and why dost thou not        
excommunicate ,isaac1 and ,jacob1  and  
,boaz1 and ,ruth8 for we do not read    

that they were ever married  by the     
priests2 but they took one another in   
the assemblies of the  righteous1 in the
 presence of ,god and ,his people2 and  
so do we4 ,so  that we have all the holy
 men and women that the ,scripture      
speaks of  in this practice1 on our     
side4    ,much discourse we had1 but    
when he found he could get no advantage 
over me1 he went away with his company4 
,with such people ,i was much exercised 
while ,i was there2 for most  that came 
to the ,castle would desire to speak    
with me1 and great  disputes ,i had with
 them4 ,but as to ,friends1 ,i was as a 
man buried  alive2 for though many came 
far to see me1 yet few were suffered to 
come to me2 and when any ,friend came   
into the ,castle about business1  if he 
looked towards me they would rage at    
him4    ,at last the ,governor came     
under some trouble himself2 for he      
having  sent a privateer to sea1 they   
took some ships that were not enemies'  
ships1 but their friends'2 whereupon he 

was brought into trouble2  after which  
he grew somewhat more friendly to me4   
,for before ,i had  a marshal set over  
me1 on purpose to get money out of me2  
but ,i was  not free to give him a      
farthing2 and when they found they could
 get  nothing off me1 he was taken away 
again4    ,the officers often threatened
 that ,i should be hanged over the wall4
  ,nay1 the deputy-governor told me once
 that the ,king1 knowing ,i had  great  
interest in the people1 had sent me     
thither1 that if there  should be any   
stirring in the nation1 they should hang
 me over the  wall to keep the people   
down4    ,there being1 a while after1 a 
marriage at a ,baptist's house1 upon    
which occasion a great many of them were
 met together1 they talked  much then of
 hanging me4 ,but ,i told them that if  
that was what they  desired1 and it was 
permitted them1 ,i was ready1 for ,i    
never feared  death nor sufferings in my
 life2 but ,i was known to be an        
innocent1  peaceable man1 free from all 

stirrings and plottings1 and one that   
sought the good of all men4             
,afterwards1 the ,governor growing      
kinder1 ,i spoke to him when he  was    
going to ,london to the ,parliament1 and
 desired him to speak to  ,esquire      
,marsh1 ,sir ,francis ,cobb1 and some   
others2 and let them know  how long ,i  
had lain in prison1 and for what2 and he
 did so4 ,when  he came down again1 he  
told me that ,esquire ,marsh said he    
would  go a hundred miles barefoot for  
my liberty1 he knew me so well2  and    
several others1 he said1 spoke well of  
me4 ,from which time the  ,governor was 
very loving to me4    ,there were1      
amongst the prisoners1 two very bad men1
 that often sat  drinking with the      
officers and soldiers2 and because ,i   
would not sit  and drink with them too1 
it made them the worse against me4 ,one 
time  when these two prisoners were     
drunk1 one of them 7whose name was      
,william ,wilkinson1 a ,presbyterian1   
who had been a captain71 came to  me and

 challenged me to fight with him4       
,seeing what condition he was in1 ,i got
 out of his way2 and next  morning1 when
 he was more sober1 showed him how      
unmanly it was in  him to challenge a   
man to fight1 whose principles1 he knew1
 it was  not to strike1 but if he was   
stricken on one ear to turn the other4  
,i  told him1 if he had a mind to fight1
 he should have challenged some         
soldiers that could have answered him in
 his own way4    ,but1 however1 seeing  
he had challenged me1 ,i was now come to
 answer  him with my hands in my        
pockets2 and 7reaching my head towards  
him71  ,here1 said ,i1 here is my hair1 
here are my cheeks1 here is my  back4   
,with this he skipped away from me and  
went into another room2 at  which the   
soldiers fell a-laughing2 and one of the
 officers said1  ,you are a happy man   
that can bear such things4 ,thus he was 
conquered without a blow4 ,after awhile 
he took the oath1 gave bond1  got out of
 prison2 and not long after the ,lord   

cut him off4#add      #add ,george ,fox 
had a very keen eye for judgments which 
came    upon persons who abused him or  
hindered his work4 ,it accords          
completely with the ideas of the time1  
and is one of the things    which he had
 not transcended4    ,there were great  
imprisonments in this and the former    
years1 while  ,i was prisoner at        
,lancaster and ,scarborough4 ,at ,london
 many ,friends  were crowded into       
,newgate1 and other prisons1 where the  
sickness  was1#ade and many died in     
prison4 ,many also were banished1 and   
several sent on ship-board by the       
,king's order4      #ade ,this sickness 
was the ,london plague of #affe4        
,some masters of ships would not carry  
them1 but set them on shore  again2 yet 
some were sent to ,barbadoes1 ,jamaica1 
and ,nevis1 and the  ,lord blessed them 
there4 ,one master of a ship was very   
wicked and  cruel to ,friends that were 
put on board his ship2 for he kept them 
down under decks1 though the sickness   

was amongst them2 so that many  died of 
it4 ,but the ,lord visited him for his  
wickedness2 for he lost  most of his    
seamen by the plague1 and lay several   
months crossed with  contrary winds1    
though other ships went on and made     
their voyages4    ,at last he came      
before ,plymouth1 where the ,governor   
and magistrates  would not suffer him   
nor any of his men to come ashore1      
though he  wanted necessaries for his   
voyage2 but ,thomas ,lower1 ,arthur     
,cotton1  ,john ,light1 and other       
,friends1 went to the ship's side1 and  
carried  necessaries for the ,friends   
that were prisoners on board4    ,the   
master1 being thus crossed and vexed1   
cursed them that put him  upon this     
freight1 and said he hoped he should not
 go far before he  was taken4 ,and the  
vessel was but a little while gone out  
of sight of  ,plymouth before she was   
taken by a ,dutch man-of-war1 and       
carried into  ,holland4    ,when they   
came into ,holland1 the ,states sent the

 banished ,friends  back to ,england1   
with a letter of passport1 and a        
certificate that  they had not made an  
escape1 but were sent back by them4     
,in time the ,lord's power wrought over 
this storm1 and many of our  persecutors
 were confounded and put to shame4      
,after ,i had lain prisoner above a year
 in ,scarborough ,castle1 ,i  sent a    
letter to the ,king1 in which ,i gave   
him an account of my  imprisonment1 and 
the bad usage ,i had received in prison2
 and also  that ,i was informed no man  
could deliver me but him4 ,after this1  
,john ,whitehead being at ,london1 and  
having acquaintance also with  ,esquire 
,marsh1 he went to visit him1 and spoke 
to him about me2 and  he undertook1 if  
,john ,whitehead would get the state of 
my case drawn  up1 to deliver it to the 
master of requests1 ,sir ,john          
,birkenhead1 who  would endeavor to get 
a release for me4    ,so ,john          
,whitehead and ,ellis ,hookes drew up a 
relation of my  imprisonment and        

sufferings1 and carried it to ,marsh2   
and he went  with it to the master of   
requests1 who procured an order from the
  ,king for my release4 ,the substance  
of the order was that the ,king1  being 
certainly informed that ,i was a man    
principled against plotting  and        
fighting1 and had been ready at all     
times to discover plots1  rather than to
 make any1 etc41 therefore his royal    
pleasure was that  ,i should be         
discharged from my imprisonment1 etc4   
,as soon as this order was obtained1    
,john ,whitehead came to  ,scarborough  
with it1 and delivered it to the        
,governor2 who1 upon  receipt thereof1  
gathered the officers together1 and1    
without  requiring bond or sureties for 
my peaceable living1 being satisfied    
that ,i was a man of a peaceable life1  
he discharged me freely1 and  gave me   
the following passport3         ,permit 
the bearer hereof1 ,george ,fox1 late a 
prisoner here1 and       now discharged 
by ,his ,majesty's order1 quietly to    

pass about his       lawful occasions1  
without any molestation4 ,given under my
 hand       at ,scarborough ,castle1    
this first day of ,september1 #afff4    
,,jordan ,,croslands1                   
,governor of ,scarborough ,castle4      
,after ,i was released1 ,i would have   
made the ,governor a present for  the   
civility and kindness he had of late    
shown me2 but he would not  receive     
anything2 saying that whatever good he  
could do for me and my  friends he would
 do it1 and never do them any hurt4 ,and
 afterwards1  if at any time the mayor  
of the town sent to him for soldiers to 
break up ,friends' meetings1 if he sent 
any down he would privately  give them a
 charge not to meddle4 ,he continued    
loving to his dying  day4    ,the       
officers also and the soldiers were     
mightily changed1 and became  very      
respectful to me1 and when they had     
occasion to speak of me they  would say1
 ,he is as stiff as a tree1 and as pure 
as a bell2 for we  could never bow him4 

,here is an interesting entry in the    
,journal in the year #affi3       ,i    
then visited friends at ,whitby and     
,scarborough4 ,when ,i was at           
,scarborough1 the governor1 hearing ,i  
was come1 sent to invite       me to his
 house1 saying1 ',surely1 you would not 
be so unkind as       not to come and   
see me and my wife4' ,after the meeting 
,i went to       visit him1 and he      
received me very courteously and        
lovingly4    ,the very next day after my
 release1 the fire broke out in ,london1
 and  the report of it came quickly down
 into the country4 ,then ,i saw the     
,lord ,god was true and just in ,his    
,word1 which he had shown me before  in 
,lancaster jail1 when ,i saw the angel  
of the ,lord with a glittering  sword   
drawn southward1 as before expressed4   
,the people of ,london were forewarned  
of this fire2 yet few laid to  heart1 or
 believed it2 but rather grew more      
wicked1 and higher in  pride4 ,for a    
,friend was moved to come out of        

,huntingdonshire a little  before the   
fire1 to scatter his money1 and turn his
 horse loose on  the streets1 to untie  
the knees of his trousers1 let his      
stockings  fall down1 and to unbutton   
his doublet1 and tell the people that so
  should they run up and down1          
scattering their money and their goods1 
half undressed1 like mad people1 as he  
was sign to them2#adf and so  they did1 
when the city was burning4      #adf    
,this was ,thomas ,ibbett1 of           
,huntingdonshire4 ,he went    distracted
 a little later1 and1 standing in       
,cheapside during the    great fire1 he 
tried to stop its progress with his     
outspread    arms1 so that he nearly    
perished in the flames4 ,for a          
remarkable    prophecy of the great     
plague see ,writings of ,george ,fox the
    ,younger1 #affb1 pages #bai-bba4    
,thus hath the ,lord exercised ,his     
prophets and servants by ,his power1    
shown them signs of ,his judgments1 and 
sent them to forewarn the  people2 but1 

instead of repenting1 they have beaten  
and cruelly  entreated some1 and some   
they have imprisoned1 both in the former
  power's days,,an and since4      ,,an 
,the days of ,oliver ,cromwell4    ,but 
the ,lord is just1 and happy are they   
that obey ,his word4    ,some have been 
moved to go naked in their streets1 in  
the other  power's days and since1 as   
signs of their nakedness2 and have      
declared amongst them that ,god would   
strip them of their hypocritical        
professions1 and make them as bare and  
naked as they were4 ,but  instead of    
considering it1 they have many times    
whipped1 or otherwise  abused them1 and 
sometimes imprisoned them4    ,others   
have been moved to go in sackcloth1 and 
to denounce the woes  and vengeance of  
,god against the pride and haughtiness  
of the people2  but few regarded it4    
,and in the other power's days1 the     
wicked1  envious1 and professing        
priests1 put up several petitions both  
to  ,oliver and ,richard1 called        

,protectors1 and to the ,parliaments1   
judges  and justices1 against us1 full  
of lies1 vilifying words and slanders2  
but we got copies of them1 and1 through 
the ,lord's assistance1  answered them  
all1 and cleared the ,lord's truth and  
ourselves of them4    ,but oh6 the body 
of darkness that rose against the ,truth
 in them that  made lies their refuge6  
,but the ,lord swept them away2 and in  
and  with ,his power1 truth1 light1 and 
life1 hedged his lambs about1 and       
preserved them as on eagles' wings4     
,therefore we all had1 and have1  great 
encouragement to trust the ,lord1 who1  
we saw by ,his power and  ,spirit1      
overturned and brought to naught all the
 confederacies and  counsels that were  
hatched in darkness against ,his ,truth 
and people2  and by the same truth gave 
,his people dominion1 that therein they 
might serve ,him4    ,indeed1 ,i could  
not but take notice how the hand of the 
,lord turned  against the persecutors   
who had been the cause of my            

imprisonment1 or  had been abusive or   
cruel to me in it4 ,the officer that    
fetched me  to ,holker-,hall wasted his 
estate1 and soon after fled into        
,ireland4  ,most of the justices that   
were upon the bench at the sessions when
  ,i was sent to prison1 died in a while
 after2 as old ,thomas ,preston1        
,rawlinson1 ,porter1 and ,matthew ,west1
 of ,borwick4 ,justice ,fleming's  wife 
died1 and left him thirteen or fourteen 
motherless children4  ,colonel ,kirby   
never prospered after4 ,the chief       
constable1 ,richard  ,dodgson1 died soon
 after1 and ,mount1 the petty constable1
 and the  wife of the other petty       
constable1 ,john ,ashburnham1 who railed
 at  me in her house1 died soon after4  
,william ,knipe1 the witness they       
brought against me1 died soon after     
also4 ,hunter1 the jailer of            
,lancaster1 who was very wicked to me   
while ,i was his prisoner1 was  cut off 
in his young days2 and the under-sheriff
 that carried me  from ,lancaster prison

 towards ,scarborough1 lived not long   
after4 ,and  ,joblin1 the jailer of     
,durham1 who was prisoner with me in    
,scarborough  ,castle1 and had often    
incensed the ,governor and soldiers     
against  me1 though he got out of       
prison1 yet the ,lord cut him off in his
  wickedness soon after4    ,when ,i    
came into that country again1 most of   
those that dwelt in  ,lancashire were   
dead1 and others ruined in their        
estates2 so that1  though ,i did not    
seek revenge upon them for their actings
 against me  contrary to the law1 yet   
the ,lord had executed ,his judgments   
upon  many of them4          ,,chapter  
,,xvii4    ,at the ,work of ,organizing4
    #affg-afgj4      ,i then visited    
,friends till ,i came to ,york1 where we
 had a large  meeting4 ,after this ,i   
went to visit ,justice ,robinson1 an    
ancient  justice of the peace1 who had  
been very loving to me and ,friends from
  the beginning4    ,there was a priest 
with him1 who told me that it was said  

of us1 that  we loved none but          
ourselves4 ,i told him that we loved all
 mankind1 as  they were ,god's creation1
 and as they were children of ,adam and 
,eve  by generation2 and that we loved  
the brotherhood in the ,holy ,ghost4    
,this stopped him4 ,after some other    
discourse we parted friendly1 and       
passed away4    ,about this time ,i     
wrote a book1 entitled1 ,fear ,god1 and 
,honour the  ,king2 in which ,i showed  
that none could rightly fear ,god and   
honour  the ,king but they that departed
 from sin and evil4 ,this book greatly  
affected the soldiers1 and most people4 
,then ,i was moved of the ,lord to      
recommend the setting up of five        
monthly meetings of men and women in the
 city of ,london 7besides  the women's  
meetings and the quarterly meetings71 to
 take care of  ,god's glory1 and to     
admonish and exhort such as walked      
disorderly  or carelessly1 and not      
according to ,truth4 ,for whereas       
,friends had  had only quarterly        

meetings1 now ,truth was spread1 and    
,friends  were grown more numerous1 ,i  
was moved to recommend the setting up   
of monthly meetings throughout the      
nation4#adg ,and the ,lord opened  to me
 what ,i must do1 and how the men's and 
women's monthly and  quarterly meetings 
should be ordered and established in    
this and in  other nations2 and that ,i 
should write to those where ,i did not  
come1  to do the same4      #adg ,in    
nothing did ,fox show his originality   
and insight more    clearly than in his 
work of organizing the ,society which   
his    ministry had drawn together4     
,during his long imprisonment many      
internal difficulties had arisen1 which 
showed that the ,society    was too     
loosely organized for a permanent work  
in the world4 ,the    rest of his       
life--twenty-four years--was mainly     
devoted to this    work of perfecting   
the system of meetings and government1  
though    his ministry meantime in no   
way slackened4 ,the first system of     

,discipline1 printed in #affi by his    
opponents1 under the title1    ,canons  
and ,institutions1 was drawn up soon    
after the release    from ,scarborough  
,castle4    ,after things were well     
settled at ,london1 and the ,lord's     
,truth1  power1 seed1 and life reigned  
and shone over all in the city1 ,i went 
into ,essex4         ,throughout the    
counties where he had preached1 he now  
went1 setting up monthly meetings1 i4e41
 local meetings for       transacting   
the business of the ,church1 and for    
ordering and       overseeing the moral 
and spiritual life of the membership4   
,we shall not follow his movements in   
detail1 but it may here       be noted  
that the world's records show few       
instances of more       striking energy1
 and fidelity to a divine mission1 than 
do the       entries of these           
twenty-four years4 ,here is one glimpse 
of him       as he is traveling through 
the frost and snow1 during the          
winter of #affg4    ,i was so exceeding 

weak1 ,i was hardly able to get on or   
off my  horse's back2 but my spirit     
being earnestly engaged in the work the 
,lord had concerned me in and sent me   
forth about1 ,i travelled on  therein1  
notwithstanding the weakness of my body1
 having confidence  in the ,lord1 that  
,he would carry me through1 as ,he did  
by ,his power4    ,we came into         
,cheshire1 where we had several blessed 
meetings1 and  a general men's meeting2 
wherein all the monthly meetings for    
that  county were settled1 according to 
the gospel order1 in and by the  power  
of ,god4    ,after the meeting ,i passed
 away4 ,but when the justices heard of  
it1  they were very much troubled that  
they had not come and broken it up1  and
 taken me2 but the ,lord prevented them4
           99       99       99       99
       99    ,then1 returning towards   
,london by ,waltham1 ,i advised the     
setting up  of a school there for       
teaching boys2 and also a woman's school
 to be  opened at ,shacklewell1 for     

instructing girls and young maidens in  
whatsoever things were civil and useful 
in the creation4#adh      #adh ,on this 
broad principle1 of teaching everything 
useful and    civil in creation1 the    
work of ,friends began in the cause of  
education4 ,the subsequent history of   
their educational work is    notable4   
,thus were the men's monthly meetings   
settled through the nation4  #affh4 ,the
 quarterly meetings were generally      
settled before4    ,i wrote also into   
,ireland by faithful ,friends1 and into 
,scotland1  ,holland1 ,barbadoes1 and   
several parts of ,america1 advising     
,friends to  settle their men's monthly 
meetings in those countries4 ,for they  
had  had their general quarterly        
meetings before2 but now that ,truth was
  increased amongst them1 it was needful
 that they should settle those  men's   
monthly meetings in the power and       
,spirit of ,god1 that first  convinced  
them4    ,since these meetings have been
 settled1 and all the faithful in the   

power of ,god1 who are heirs of the     
gospel1 have met together in  the power 
of ,god1 which is their authority1 to   
perform service to  the ,lord1 many     
mouths have been opened in thanksgiving 
and praise1  and many have blessed the  
,lord ,god1 that ever ,he sent me forth 
in  this service4 ,for now all coming to
 have a concern and care for  ,god's    
honour and glory1 and ,his name1 which  
they profess1 be not  blasphemed2 and to
 see that all who profess the ,truth    
walk in the  ,truth1 in righteousness   
and in holiness1 as becomes the house of
 ,god1  and that all order their        
conversation aright1 that they may see  
the  salvation of ,god2 they may all see
 and know1 possess and partake of1  the 
government of ,christ1 of the increase  
of which there is to be no  end4        
,thus the ,lord's everlasting renown and
 praise are set up in the heart  of     
every one that is faithful2 so that we  
can say the gospel order  established   
amongst us is not of man1 nor by man1   

but of and by ,jesus  ,christ1 in and   
through the ,holy ,ghost4    ,this order
 of the gospel1 which is not of man nor 
by man1 but from  ,christ1 the heavenly 
man1 is above all the orders of men in  
the fall1  whether ,jews1 ,gentiles1 or 
apostate ,christians1 and will remain   
when  they are gone4 ,for the power of  
,god1 which is the everlasting gospel1  
was before the devil was1 and will be   
and remain forever4 ,and as the         
everlasting gospel was preached in the  
apostles' days to all nations1  that all
 nations might1 through the divine power
 which brings life  and immortality to  
light1 come into the order of it1 so now
 the  everlasting gospel is to be1 and  
is1 preached again1 as ,john the  divine
 foresaw it should be1 to all nations1  
kindreds1 tongues1 and  people4         
99       99       99       99       99  
,now,,ao was ,i moved of the ,lord to go
 over into ,ireland1 to visit the  ,seed
 of ,god in that nation4 ,there went    
with me ,robert ,lodge1 ,james          

,lancaster1 ,thomas ,briggs1 and ,john  
,stubbs4      ,,ao #affi4    ,we waited 
near ,liverpool for shipping and wind4  
,after waiting some  days1 we sent      
,james ,lancaster to take passage1 which
 he did1 and  brought word the ship was 
ready1 and would take us in at ,black   
,rock4  ,we went thither on foot2 and it
 being some distance1 and the weather   
very hot1 ,i was much spent with        
walking4    ,when we arrived1 the ship  
was not there2 so we were obliged to go 
to  the town and take shipping4 ,when we
 were on board1 ,i said to the rest  of 
my company1 ,come1 ye will triumph in   
the ,lord1 for we shall have  fair wind 
and weather4    ,many passengers in the 
ship were sick1 but not one of our      
company4  ,the captain and many of the  
passengers were very loving2 and we     
being  at sea on the first day of the   
week1 ,i was moved to declare ,truth    
among them2 whereupon the captain said  
to the passengers1 ,here are  things    
that you never heard in your lives4     

,when we came before ,dublin1 we took   
boat and went ashore2 and the  earth and
 air smelt1 methought1 of the corruption
 of the nation1 so  that it yielded     
another smell to me than ,england did2  
which ,i imputed  to the ,popish        
massacres that had been committed1 and  
the blood that  had been spilt in it1   
from which a foulness ascended4    ,we  
passed through among the officers of the
 custom four times1 yet  they did not   
search us2 for they perceived what we   
were3 some of them  were so envious they
 did not care to look at us4    ,we did 
not soon find ,friends2 but went to an  
inn1 and sent out to  inquire for some4 
,these1 when they came to us1 were      
exceedingly glad  of our coming1 and    
received us with great joy4    ,we      
stayed there the weekly meeting1 which  
was a large one1 and the  power and life
 of ,god appeared greatly in it4        
,afterwards we passed to  a province    
meeting1 which lasted two days1 there   
being one about the  poor1 and another  

meeting more general2 in which a mighty 
power of  the ,lord appeared4 ,truth was
 livingly declared1 and ,friends were   
much  refreshed therein4    ,passing    
thence about four and twenty miles1 we  
came to another place1  where we had a  
very good1 refreshing meeting2 but after
 it some  ,papists that were there were 
angry1 and raged very much4 ,when ,i    
heard  of it1 ,i sent for one of them1  
who was a schoolmaster2 but he would    
not come4    ,thereupon ,i sent a       
challenge to him1 with all the friars   
and monks1  priests and ,jesuits1 to    
come forth1 and try their ,god and their
  ,christ1 which they had made of bread 
and wine1 but no answer could ,i  get   
from them4 ,i told them they were worse 
than the priests of ,baal2  for ,baal's 
priests tried their wooden god1 but     
these durst not try  their god of bread 
and wine2 and ,baal's priests and people
 did not  eat their god as these did1   
and then make another4    ,he that was  
then mayor of ,cork1 being very envious 

against ,truth and  ,friends1 had many  
,friends in prison4 ,knowing ,i was in  
the country1 he  sent four warrants to  
take me2 therefore ,friends were        
desirous that ,i  should not ride       
through ,cork4 ,but1 being at ,bandon1  
there appeared to  me in a vision a very
 ugly-visaged man1 of a black and dark  
look4 ,my  spirit struck at him in the  
power of ,god1 and it seemed to me that 
,i  rode over him with my horse1 and my 
horse set his foot on the side of  his  
face4    ,when ,i came down in the      
morning1 ,i told a friend the command of
 the  ,lord to me was to ride through   
,cork2 but ,i bade him tell no man4 ,so 
we took horse1 many ,friends being with 
me4    ,when we came near the town1     
,friends would have shown me a way      
through  the back side of it2 but ,i    
told them my way was through the        
streets4  ,taking ,paul ,morrice to     
guide me through the town1 ,i rode on4  
,as we rode through the market-place1   
and by the mayor's door1 he1  seeing me1

 said1 ,there goes ,george ,fox2 but he 
had not power to  stop me4 ,when we had 
passed the sentinels1 and were come over
 the  bridge1 we went to a ,friend's    
house and alighted4 ,there the ,friends 
told me what a rage was in the town1 and
 how many warrants were  granted to take
 me4    ,while ,i was sitting there ,i  
felt the evil spirit at work in the     
town1  stirring up mischief against me2 
and ,i felt the power of the ,lord      
strike at that evil spirit4             
,by-and-by some other friends coming in1
 told me it was over the town1  and     
amongst the magistrates that ,i was in  
the town4 ,i said1 ,let the  devil do   
his worst4 ,after we had refreshed      
ourselves1 ,i called for  my horse1 and 
having a ,friend to guide me1 we went on
 our way4    ,great was the rage that   
the mayor and others of ,cork were in   
that  they had missed me1 and great     
pains they afterwards took to catch  me1
 having their scouts abroad upon the    
roads1 as ,i understood1 to  observe    

which way ,i went4 ,scarce a public     
meeting ,i came to1 but  spies came to  
watch if ,i were there4 ,the magistrates
 and priests sent  informations one to  
another concerning me1 describing me by 
my hair1  hat1 clothes and horse2 so    
that when ,i was near an hundred miles  
from  ,cork they had an account         
concerning me and a description of me   
before  ,i came amongst them4    ,one   
very envious magistrate1 who was both a 
priest and a justice1 got  a warrant    
from the judge of assize to apprehend   
me4 ,the warrant was  to go over all his
 circuit1 which reached near an hundred 
miles4 ,yet  the ,lord disappointed all 
their councils1 defeated all their      
designs  against me1 and by ,his good   
hand of ,providence preserved me out of 
all their snares1 and gave us many sweet
 and blessed opportunities to  visit    
,friends1 and spread ,truth through that
 nation4    ,for meetings were very     
large1 ,friends coming to them from far 
and  near2 and other people flocking in4

 ,the powerful presence of the  ,lord   
was preciously felt amongst us4 ,many of
 the world were reached1  convinced1 and
 gathered to the ,truth2 the ,lord's    
flock was increased2  and ,friends were 
greatly refreshed and comforted in      
feeling the love  of ,god4 ,oh the      
brokenness that was amongst them in the 
flowings of  life6 so that1 in the power
 and ,spirit of the ,lord1 many together
  broke out into singing1 even with     
audible voices1 making melody in  their 
hearts4    ,after ,i had travelled over 
,ireland1 and visited ,friends in their 
meetings1 as well for business as for   
worship1 and had answered  several      
papers and writings from monks1 friars1 
and ,protestant  priests 7for they were 
all in a rage against us1 and           
endeavoured to  stop the work of the    
,lord1 and some ,jesuits swore in our   
hearing that  we had come to spread our 
principles in that nation1 but should   
not  do it71 ,i returned to ,dublin1 in 
order to take passage for ,england4  ,i 

stayed to the ,first-day's meeting      
there1 which was very large and         
precious4    ,there being a ship ready1 
and the wind serving1 we took our leave 
of  ,friends2 parting in much tenderness
 and brokenness1 in the sense of  the   
heavenly life and power manifested      
amongst us4 ,having put our  horses and 
necessaries on board in the morning1 we 
went ourselves in  the afternoon1 many  
,friends accompanying us to the ship2   
and divers  ,friends and ,friendly      
people followed us in boats when we were
 near a  league at sea1 their love      
drawing them1 though not without danger4
    ,a good1 weighty1 and true people   
there is in that nation1 sensible of    
the power of the ,lord ,god1 and tender 
of ,his truth4 ,very good order  they   
have in their meetings2 for they stand  
up for righteousness and  holiness1     
which dams up the way of wickedness4 ,a 
precious visitation  they had1 and there
 is an excellent spirit in them1 worthy 
to be  visited4 ,many things more ,i    

could write of that nation1 and of my   
travels in it2 but thus much ,i thought 
good to signify1 that the  righteous may
 rejoice in the prosperity of truth4    
,we travelled till we came to ,bristol1 
where ,i met with ,margaret ,fell1  who 
was come to visit her daughter ,yeomans4
    ,i had seen from the ,lord a        
considerable time before1 that ,i should
  take ,margaret ,fell to be my wife4   
,and when ,i first mentioned it to  her1
 she felt the answer of ,life from ,god 
thereunto4 ,but though the  ,lord had   
opened this thing to me1 yet ,i had not 
received a command  from the ,lord for  
the accomplishing of it then4 ,wherefore
 ,i let  the thing rest1 and went on in 
the work and service of the ,lord  as   
before1 according as he led me2         
travelling up and down in this  nation1 
and through ,ireland4    ,but now being 
at ,bristol1 and finding ,margaret ,fell
 there1 it opened  in me from the ,lord 
that the thing should be accomplished4  
,after  we had discoursed the matter    

together1 ,i told her1 if she also was  
satisfied with the accomplishing of it  
now1 she should first send  for her     
children2 which she did4 ,when the rest 
of her daughters were  come1 ,i asked   
both them and her sons-in-law if they   
had anything  against it1 or for it2 and
 they all severally expressed their     
satisfaction therein4    ,then ,i asked 
,margaret if she had fulfilled and      
performed her  husband's will to her    
children4 ,she replied1 ,the children   
know  that4 ,whereupon ,i asked them    
whether1 if their mother married1 they  
would lose by it4 ,and ,i asked         
,margaret whether she had done anything 
in lieu of it1 which might answer it to 
the children4    ,the children said she 
had answered it to them1 and desired me 
to  speak no more of it4 ,i told them ,i
 was plain1 and would have all  things  
done plainly2 for ,i sought not any     
outward advantage to myself4    ,so1    
after ,i had thus acquainted the        
children with it1 our intention  of     

marriage was laid before ,friends1 both 
privately and publicly1  to their full  
satisfaction4 ,many of them gave        
testimony thereunto  that it was of     
,god4 ,afterwards1 a meeting being      
appointed for  the accomplishing        
thereof1 in the meeting-house at        
,broad-,mead1  in ,bristol1 we took each
 other1 the ,lord joining us together in
  honourable marriage1 in the           
everlasting covenant and immortal ,seed 
of  life4 ,in the sense thereof living  
and weighty testimonies were borne      
thereunto by ,friends1 in the movings of
 the heavenly power which  united       
us4#adi ,then was a certificate1        
relating both the proceedings  and the  
marriage1 openly read1 and signed by the
 relations1 and by  most of the ancient 
,friends of that city1 besides many     
others from  divers parts of the nation4
      #adi ,the ,bristol ,register of   
,friends shows the date of the          
marriage of ,george ,fox to ,margaret   
,fell to have been ,eighth    month     

#bgth1 #affi4    ,we stayed about a week
 in ,bristol1 and then went together to 
,oldstone3 where1 taking leave of each  
other in the ,lord1 we parted1  betaking
 ourselves each to our several service2 
,margaret returning  homewards to the   
north1 and ,i passing on in the work of 
the ,lord  as before4 ,i travelled      
through ,wiltshire1 ,berkshire1         
,oxfordshire1  ,buckinghamshire1 and so 
to ,london1 visiting ,friends3 in all of
 which  counties ,i had many large and  
precious meetings4#aej      #aej ,during
 the next four years ,george ,fox and   
his wife were    almost continually     
separated from each other4 ,about three 
months    after their marriage ,margaret
 ,fox was thrown into ,lancaster        
prison1 where she was kept until a few  
weeks before her husband    sailed on   
his memorable trip to the ,west ,indies 
and the ,american    colonies4          
,in #afgj the so-called ,conventicle    
,act1 originally passed       in #affd1 
was renewed with increased vigor4 ,the  

,act limited       religious gatherings1
 other than those of the ,established   
,church1 to five persons1 and brought   
all who refused to take an       oath   
under the penalties of the ,act4    ,on 
the ,first-day after the ,act came in   
force1 ,i went to the meeting  at       
,gracechurch ,street1 where ,i expected 
the storm was most likely to  begin4    
,when ,i came there1 ,i found the street
 full of people1 and a guard  set to    
keep ,friends out of their              
meeting-house4 ,i went to the other     
passage out of ,lombard street1 where   
also ,i found a guard2 but the  court   
was full of people1 and a ,friend was   
speaking amongst them2 but  he did not  
speak long4    ,when he had done1 ,i    
stood up1 and was moved to say1 ,saul1  
,saul1 why  persecutest thou me8 it is  
hard for thee to kick against that which
  pricks thee4 ,then ,i showed that it  
is ,saul's nature that persecutes       
still1 and that they who persecute      
,christ in ,his members now1 where  ,he 

is made manifest1 kick against that     
which pricks them2 that it was  the     
birth of the flesh that persecuted the  
birth born of the ,spirit1  and that it 
was the nature of dogs to tear and      
devour the sheep2  but that we suffered 
as sheep1 that bite not again1 for we   
were a  peaceable people1 and loved them
 that persecuted us4    ,after ,i had   
spoken a while to this effect1 the      
constable came with an  informer and    
soldiers2 and as they pulled me down1 ,i
 said1 ,blessed  are the peacemakers4   
,the commander put me among the         
soldiers1 and bade them secure me1      
saying to me1 ,you are the man ,i looked
 for4 ,they took also ,john  ,burnyeat  
and another ,friend1 and led us away1   
first to the ,exchange1  and afterwards 
towards ,moorfields4 ,as we went along  
the streets the  people were very       
moderate2 some of them laughed at the   
constable1  and told him we would not   
run away4    ,the informer went with us 
unknown1 till1 falling into discourse   

with  one of the company1 he said it    
would never be a good world till all    
people came to the good old religion    
that was two hundred years ago4         
,whereupon ,i asked him1 ,art thou a    
,papist8 ,what6 a ,papist informer2  for
 two hundred years ago there was no     
other religion but that of the          
,papists4    ,he saw he had ensnared    
himself1 and was vexed at it2 for as he 
went  along the streets ,i spoke often  
to him1 and manifested what he was4     
,when we were come to the mayor's house1
 and were in the courtyard1  several of 
the people that stood about1 asked me   
how and for what ,i  was taken4 ,i      
desired them to ask the informer1 and   
also what his name  was2 but he refused 
to tell his name4 ,whereupon one of the 
mayor's  officers1 looking out at a     
window1 told him he should tell his name
  before he went away2 for the lord     
mayor would know by what authority  he  
intruded himself with soldiers into the 
execution of those laws  which belonged 

to the civil magistrate to execute1 and 
not to the  military4    ,after this1 he
 was eager to be gone2 and went to the  
porter to be let  out4 ,one of the      
officers called to him1 saying1 ,have   
you brought  people here to inform      
against1 and now will you go away before
 my  lord mayor comes8 ,some called to  
the porter not to let him out2          
whereupon he forcibly pulled open the   
door and slipped out4    ,no sooner was 
he come into the street than the people 
gave a shout  that made the street ring 
again1 crying out1 ,a ,papist informer6 
a  ,papist informer6 ,we desired the    
constable and soldiers to go and  rescue
 him out of the people's hands1 fearing 
lest they should do him  a mischief4    
,they went1 and brought him into the    
mayor's entry1 where they stayed  a     
while2 but when he went out again1 the  
people received him with  another shout4
 ,the soldiers were fain to go and      
rescue him once more1  and they led him 
into a house in an alley1 where they    

persuaded him  to change his periwig1   
and so he got away unknown4    ,when the
 mayor came1 we were brought into the   
room where he was1 and  some of his     
officers would have taken off our hats1 
perceiving which  he called to them1 and
 bade them let us alone1 and not meddle 
with  our hats2 for1 said he1 they are  
not yet brought before me in            
judicature4 ,so we stood by while he    
examined some ,presbyterian and         
,baptist teachers2 with whom he was     
somewhat sharp1 and convicted them4     
,after he had done with them1 ,i was    
brought up to the table where he  sat2  
and then the officers took off my hat4  
,the mayor said mildly  to me1 ,mr4     
,fox1 you are an eminent man amongst    
those of your  profession2 pray1 will   
you be instrumental to dissuade them    
from  meeting in such great numbers8    
for1 seeing ,christ hath promised that  
where two or three are met in ,his name1
 ,he will be in the midst of  them1 and 
the ,king and ,parliament are graciously

 pleased to allow  four to meet together
 to worship ,god2 why will not you be   
content to  partake both of ,christ's   
promise to two or three1 and the ,king's
  indulgence to four8#aea      #aea ,in 
a very keen letter ,fox told the        
magistrates that this    act would have 
prevented the twelve apostles and the   
seventy    disciples from meeting6    ,i
 answered to this purpose3 ,christ's    
promise was not to discourage  many from
 meeting together in ,his name1 but to  
encourage the few1  that the fewest     
might not forbear to meet because of    
their fewness4  ,but if ,christ hath    
promised to manifest ,his presence in   
the midst  of so small an assembly1     
where but two or three are gathered in  
,his  name1 how much more would ,his    
presence abound where two or three      
hundred are gathered in ,his name8    ,i
 wished him to consider whether this    
,act1 if it had been in their  time1    
would not have taken hold of ,christ1   
with ,his twelve apostles  and seventy  

disciples1 who used to meet often       
together1 and that with  great numbers8 
,however1 ,i told him this ,act did not 
concern us2 for  it was made against    
seditious meetings1 of such as met under
 colour  and pretence of religion to    
contrive insurrections1 as the ,act     
says late experience had shown4 ,but we 
had been sufficiently tried  and proved1
 and always found peaceable1 and        
therefore he would do  well to put a    
difference between the innocent and the 
guilty4    ,he said the ,act was made   
against meetings1 and a worship not     
according to the liturgy4    ,i told him
 according to was not the very same     
thing2 and asked him  whether the       
liturgy was according to the            
,scriptures1 and whether we  might not  
read ,scriptures and speak ,scriptures4 
,he said1 ,yes4    ,i told him1 ,this   
,act takes hold only of such as meet to 
plot and  contrive insurrections1 as    
late experience hath shown2 but they    
have  never experienced that by us4     

,because thieves are sometimes on the   
road1 must not honest men travel8 ,and  
because plotters and contrivers  have   
met to do mischief1 must not an honest1 
peaceable people meet  to do good8 ,if  
we had been a people that met to plot   
and contrive  insurrections1 etc41 we   
might have drawn ourselves into fours2  
for  four might do more mischief in     
plotting than if there were four        
hundred1 because four might speak out   
their minds more freely to one  another 
than four hundred could4 ,therefore we1 
being innocent1 and  not the people this
 ,act concerns1 keep our meetings as we 
used to do4  ,i believe thou knowest in 
thy conscience that we are innocent4    
,after some more discourse1 he took our 
names1 and the places where we  lodged2 
and at length1 as the informer was gone1
 he set us at liberty4    ,the ,friends 
with me now asked1 ,whither wilt thou   
go8 ,i told them1  ,to ,gracechurch     
street meeting again1 if it is not over4
    ,when we came there1 the people were

 generally gone2 only some few  stood at
 the gate4 ,we went into ,gerrard       
,roberts's4 ,thence ,i sent to  know how
 the other meetings in the city were4 ,i
 found that at some of  the             
meeting-places ,friends had been kept   
out2 at others they had been  taken2 but
 these were set at liberty again a few  
days after4    ,a glorious time it was2 
for the ,lord's power came over all1 and
 ,his  everlasting truth got renown4    
,for in the meetings1 as fast as some   
that were speaking were taken down1     
others were moved of the ,lord to  stand
 up and speak1 to the admiration of the 
people2 and the more  because many      
,baptists and other sectaries left their
 public meetings1  and came to see how  
the ,quakers would stand4    ,as for the
 informer aforesaid1 he was so          
frightened that hardly any  informer    
dared to appear publicly in ,london for 
some time after4 ,but  the mayor1 whose 
name was ,samuel ,starling1 though he   
carried himself  smoothly towards us1   

proved afterwards a very great          
persecutor of  our ,friends1 many of    
whom he cast into prison1 as may be seen
 in the  trials of ,william ,penn1      
,william ,mead1 and others1 at the ,old 
,bailey  this year4#aeb      #aeb ,this 
trial at the ,old ,bailey is reported in
 full in    the ,preface to the ,works  
of ,william ,penn4 ,it is one of the    
most interesting episodes in his life1  
and1 from a legal    point of view1 it  
is one of the most important jury trials
    of that century4 ,william ,penn had 
thrown in his lot with the    ,quakers  
definitely in #afff1 though he had been 
influenced by    the preaching of       
,thomas ,loe while he was a student in  
,oxford    ,university in #afei4        
99       99       99       99       99  
,as ,i was walking down a hill1,,ap a   
great weight and oppression fell  upon  
my spirit4 ,i got on my horse again1 but
 the weight remained so  that ,i was    
hardly able to ride4      ,,ap ,near    
,rochester4    ,at length we came to    

,rochester1 but ,i was much spent1 being
 so  extremely laden and burthened with 
the world's spirits1 that my life  was  
oppressed under them4 ,i got with       
difficulty to ,gravesend1 and lay  at an
 inn there2 but could hardly either eat 
or sleep4    ,the next day ,john ,rous  
and ,alexander ,parker went to ,london2 
and ,john  ,stubbs being come to me1 we 
went over the ferry into ,essex4 ,we    
came  to ,hornchurch1 where there was a 
meeting on ,first-day4 ,after it ,i     
rode with great uneasiness to           
,stratford1 to a ,friend's house1 whose 
name was ,williams1 and who had formerly
 been a captain4 ,here ,i lay1          
exceedingly weak1 and at last lost both 
hearing and sight4 ,several  ,friends   
came to me from ,london3 and ,i told    
them that ,i should be  a sign to such  
as would not see1 and such as would not 
hear the  ,truth4#aec      #aec ,this is
 another of the times in ,fox's life    
when he    underwent serious physical   
changes as a result of psychical        

disturbance4    ,in this condition ,i   
continued some time4 ,several came about
 me2  and though ,i could not see their 
persons1 ,i felt and discerned  their   
spirits1 who were honest-hearted1 and   
who were not4 ,divers  ,friends who     
practised physic came to see me1 and    
would have given me  medicines1 but ,i  
was not to meddle with any2 for ,i was  
sensible ,i  had a travail to go        
through2 and therefore desired none but 
solid1  weighty ,friends might be about 
me4    ,under great sufferings and      
travails1 sorrows and oppressions1 ,i   
lay  for several weeks1 whereby ,i was  
brought so low and weak in body that    
few thought ,i could live4 ,some that   
were with me went away1 saying  they    
would not see me die2 and it was        
reported both in ,london and in  the    
country that ,i was deceased2 but ,i    
felt the ,lord's power inwardly         
supporting me4    ,when they that were  
about me had given me up to die1 ,i     
spoke to them  to get a coach to carry  

me to ,gerrard ,roberts's1 about twelve 
miles  off1 for ,i found it was my place
 to go thither4 ,i had now recovered  a 
little glimmering of sight1 so that ,i  
could discern the people and  fields as 
,i went1 and that was all4    ,when ,i  
came to ,gerrard's1 he was very weak1   
and ,i was moved to speak  to him1 and  
encourage him4 ,after ,i had stayed     
about three weeks  there1 it was with me
 to go to ,enfield4 ,friends were afraid
 of my  removing2 but ,i told them ,i   
might safely go4    ,when ,i had taken  
my leave of ,gerrard1 and was come to   
,enfield1 ,i  went first to visit ,amor 
,stoddart1 who lay very weak and almost 
speechless4 ,i was moved to tell him    
that he had been faithful as a  man1 and
 faithful to ,god1 and that the immortal
 ,seed of life was his  crown4 ,many    
more words ,i was moved to speak to him1
 though ,i was then  so weak ,i was     
hardly able to stand2 and within a few  
days after1 ,amor  died4    ,i went to  
the widow ,dry's1 at ,enfield1 where ,i 

lay all that winter1  warring in spirit 
with the evil spirits of the world1 that
 warred  against ,truth and ,friends4   
,for there were great persecutions at   
this  time2 some meeting-houses were    
pulled down1 and many were broken up  by
 soldiers4 ,sometimes a troop of horse1 
or a company of foot came2  and some    
broke their swords1 carbines1 muskets1  
and pikes1 with  beating ,friends2 and  
many they wounded1 so that their blood  
lay in  the streets4    ,amongst others 
that were active in this cruel          
persecution at ,london1  my old         
adversary1 ,colonel ,kirby1 was one4    
,with a company of foot1 he  went to    
break up several meetings2 and he would 
often inquire for  me at the meetings he
 broke up4 ,one time as he went over the
 water  to ,horsleydown1 there happening
 some scuffle between some of his       
soldiers and some of the watermen1 he   
bade his men fire at them4 ,they  did   
so1 and killed some4    ,i was under    
great sufferings at this time1 beyond   

what ,i have  words to declare4 ,for ,i 
was brought into the deep1 and saw all  
the  religions of the world1 and people 
that lived in them4 ,and ,i saw  the    
priests that held them up2 who were as a
 company of men-eaters1  eating up the  
people like bread1 and gnawing the flesh
 from off their  bones4 ,but as for true
 religion1 and worship1 and ministers of
 ,god1  alack6 ,i saw there was none    
amongst those of the world that         
pretended  to it4    ,though it was a   
cruel1 bloody1 persecuting time1 yet the
 ,lord's power  went over all1 ,his     
everlasting ,seed prevailed2 and        
,friends were made  to stand firm and   
faithful in the ,lord's power4 ,some    
sober people of  other professions would
 say1 ,if ,friends did not stand1 the   
nation  would run into debauchery4      
,though by reason of my weakness ,i     
could not travel amongst ,friends as  ,i
 had been used to do1 yet in the motion 
of life ,i sent the following  lines as 
an encouraging testimony to them3       

,my dear ,friends3         ,the ,seed is
 above all4 ,in it walk2 in which ye all
 have life4         ,be not amazed at   
the weather2 for always the just        
suffered by       the unjust1 but the   
just had the dominion4         ,all     
along ye may see1 by faith the mountains
 were subdued2 and       the rage of the
 wicked1 with his fiery darts1 was      
quenched4       ,though the waves and   
storms be high1 yet your faith will keep
       you1 so as to swim above them2   
for they are but for a time1 and        
the ,truth is without time4 ,therefore  
keep on the mountain of       holiness1 
ye who are led to it by the ,light4     
,do not think that anything will outlast
 the ,truth4 ,for the       ,truth      
standeth sure2 and is over that which is
 out of the ,truth4       ,for the good 
will overcome the evil2 the light1      
darkness2 the       life1 death2 virtue1
 vice2 and righteousness1               
unrighteousness4       ,the false       
prophet cannot overcome the true2 but   

the true       prophet1 ,christ1 will   
overcome all the false4         ,so be  
faithful1 and live in that which doth   
not think the time       long4          
,g4 ,f4    ,after some time it pleased  
the ,lord to allay the heat of this     
violent  persecution2 and ,i felt in    
spirit an overcoming of the spirits of  
those men-eaters that had stirred it up 
and carried it on to that  height of    
cruelty4 ,i was outwardly very weak2 and
 ,i plainly felt1  and those ,friends   
that were with me1 and that came to     
visit me1  took notice1 that as the     
persecution ceased ,i came from under   
the  travails and sufferings that had   
lain with such weight upon me2 so  that 
towards the spring ,i began to recover1 
and to walk up and down1  beyond the    
expectation of many1 who did not think  
,i could ever have  gone abroad again4  
,whilst ,i was under this spiritual     
suffering the state of the ,new         
,jerusalem which comes down out of      
heaven was opened to me2 which  some    

carnal-minded people had looked upon to 
be like an outward  city dropped out of 
the elements4 ,i saw the beauty and     
glory of it1  the length1 the breadth1  
and the height thereof1 all in complete 
proportion4 ,i saw that all who are     
within the ,light of ,christ1 and  in   
,his faith1 of which ,he is the author2 
and in the ,spirit1 the ,holy  ,ghost1  
which ,christ and the holy prophets and 
apostles were in2 and  within the grace1
 and truth1 and power of ,god1 which are
 the walls of  the city2--,i saw that   
such are within the city1 are members of
 it1  and have right to eat of the ,tree
 of ,life1 which yields her fruit  every
 month1 and whose leaves are for the    
healing of the nations4    ,many things 
more did ,i see concerning the heavenly 
city1 the ,new  ,jerusalem1 which are   
hard to be uttered1 and would be hard to
 be  received4 ,but1 in short1 this holy
 city is within the ,light1 and all     
that are within the ,light1 are within  
the city3 the gates whereof  stand open 

all the day 7for there is no night      
there71 that all may  come in4          
,,chapter ,,xviii4    ,two ,years in    
,america4    #afga-afgc4      ,when ,i  
received notice of my wife's being taken
 to prison again1#aed  ,i sent two of   
her daughters to the ,king1 and they    
procured his  order to the sheriff of   
,lancashire for her discharge4 ,but     
though ,i  expected she would have been 
set at liberty1 yet this violent storm  
of persecution coming suddenly on1 the  
persecutors there found means  to hold  
her still in prison4      #aed ,this was
 in #affi1 about three months after     
their marriage4    ,the sentence of     
prmunire was passed against ,margaret   
,fell in    #affc1 so that for about    
seven 7,fox says ten7 years she was the 
,king's prisoner1 and her estate was in 
jeopardy4    ,but now the persecution a 
little ceasing1 ,i was moved to speak to
  ,martha ,fisher1 and another woman    
,friend1 to go to the ,king about her   
liberty4 ,they went in the faith1 and in

 the ,lord's power2 and ,he gave  them  
favour with the ,king1 so that he       
granted a discharge under the  broad    
seal1 to clear both her and her estate1 
after she had been ten  years a         
prisoner1 and prmunired2 the like       
whereof was scarce to be  heard in      
,england4    ,i sent down the discharge 
forthwith by a ,friend2 by whom also ,i 
wrote  to her1 to inform her how to get 
it delivered to the justices1 and  also 
to acquaint her that it was upon me from
 the ,lord to go beyond  sea1 to visit  
the plantations in ,america2 and        
therefore ,i desired  her to hasten to  
,london1 as soon as she could           
conveniently after she  had obtained her
 liberty1 because the ship was then     
fitting for the  voyage4    ,in the     
meantime ,i got to ,kingston1 and stayed
 at ,john ,rous's till my  wife came up1
 and then ,i began to prepare for the   
voyage4 ,but the  yearly meeting#aee    
being near at hand1 ,i tarried till that
 was over4  ,many ,friends came up to it

 from all parts of the nation1 and a    
very  large and precious meeting it was2
 for the ,lord's power was over all1    
and ,his glorious1                      
everlastingly-renowned ,seed of ,life   
was exalted  above all4      #aee ,he   
speaks of the yearly meeting as though  
it were    a well-established           
institution4 ,norman ,penney has sent me
    an interesting extract from         
,barclay's ,letters of the ,early       
,friends1 which traces the development  
of the yearly meeting3      ,there was a
 yearly meeting settled at ,skipton in  
,yorkshire    for all the northern and  
southern countries1 444 and then the    
yearly meeting was removed to ,john     
,crooks1 444 and afterwards the         
yearly meeting was kept at ,bailey1 in  
,yorkshire1 and likewise at    ,skipton1
 in the year #affj4 ,and from thence it 
was moved to ,london    the next year1  
where it hath been kept ever since1 p4  
#cab from a    document said to have    
been by ,george ,fox1 but only since    

#afgb has    it been held in ,london    
without intermission4 ,the series of    
yearly    meeting minutes commences     
#bc;d of ,third month1 #afga4    ,after 
this meeting was over1 and ,i had       
finished my services for the  ,lord in  
,england1 the ship and the ,friends that
 intended to go with  me being ready1 ,i
 went to ,gravesend on the #abth of     
,sixth month1#aef  my wife and several  
,friends accompanying me to the ,downs4 
#aef ,which would be ,august by the     
unreformed calendar4    ,we went from   
,wapping in a barge to the ship1 which  
lay a little below  ,gravesend1 and     
there we found the ,friends that were   
bound for the  voyage with me1 who had  
gone down to the ship the night before4 
,their  names were ,thomas ,briggs1     
,william ,edmundson1 ,john ,rous1 ,john 
,stubbs1  ,solomon ,eccles1 ,james      
,lancaster1 ,john ,cartwright1 ,robert  
,widders1  ,george ,pattison1 ,john     
,hull1 ,elizabeth ,hooton1 and          
,elizabeth ,miers4  ,the vessel was a   

yacht1 called the ,industry2 the        
captain's name  ,thomas ,forster1 and   
the number of passengers about fifty4   
,i lay that night on board1 but most of 
the ,friends at ,gravesend4  ,early next
 morning the passengers1 and those      
,friends that intended to  accompany us 
to the ,downs1 being come on board1 we  
took our leave in  great tenderness of  
those that came with us to ,gravesend   
only1 and  set sail about six in the    
morning for the ,downs4    ,having a    
fair wind1 we out-sailed all the ships  
that were  outward-bound1 and got       
thither by evening4 ,some of us went    
ashore  that night1 and lodged at ,deal1
 where1 we understood1 an officer had   
orders from the governor to take our    
names in writing1 which he did  next    
morning1 though we told him they had    
been taken at ,gravesend4    ,in the    
afternoon1 the wind serving1 ,i took    
leave of my wife and other  ,friends1   
and went on board4 ,before we could     
sail1 there being two of  the ,king's   

frigates riding in the ,downs1 the      
captain of one of them  sent his        
press-master on board us1 who took three
 of our seamen4 ,this  would certainly  
have delayed1 if not wholly prevented1  
our voyage1  had not the captain of the 
other frigate1 being informed of the    
leakiness of our vessel1 and the length 
of our voyage1 in compassion  and much  
civility1 spared us two of his own men4 
,before this was over1 a custom-house   
officer came on board to peruse  packets
 and get fees2 so that we were kept from
 sailing till about  sunset2 during     
which delay a very considerable number  
of merchantmen1  outward-bound1 were    
several leagues before us4    ,being    
clear1 we set sail in the evening1 and  
next morning overtook  part of that     
fleet about the height of ,dover4 ,we   
soon reached the  rest1 and in a little 
time left them all behind2 for our yacht
 was  counted a very swift sailer4 ,but 
she was very leaky1 so that the  seamen 
and some of the passengers did1 for the 

most part1 pump day  and night4 ,one day
 they observed that in two hours' time  
she sucked  in sixteen inches of water  
in the well4    ,when we had been about 
three weeks at sea1 one afternoon we    
spied  a vessel about four leagues      
astern of us4 ,our master said it was  a
 ,sallee#aeg man-of-war1 that seemed to 
give us chase4 ,he said1  ,come1 let us 
go to supper1 and when it grows dark we 
shall lose  him4 ,this he spoke to      
please and pacify the passengers1 some  
of whom  began to be very apprehensive  
of the danger4 ,but ,friends were well  
satisfied in themselves1 having faith in
 ,god1 and no fear upon their  spirits4 
#aeg ,a ,moorish pirate ship1 named from
 ,sallee1 a seaport of    ,morocco4     
,this incident not only indicates ,fox's
 simple faith in    ,god1 but it also is
 a good illustration of the way in which
 he    inspired confidence in others4   
,the captain believes in him4    ,when  
the sun was gone down1 ,i saw out of my 
cabin the ship making  towards us4 ,when

 it grew dark1 we altered our course to 
miss her2 but  she altered also1 and    
gained upon us4    ,at night the master 
and others came into my cabin1 and asked
 me what  they should do4 ,i told them  
,i was no mariner2 and ,i asked them    
what  they thought was best to do4 ,they
 said there were but two ways1  either  
to outrun him1 or to tack about1 and    
hold the same course we  were going     
before4 ,i told them that if he were a  
thief1 they might be  sure he would tack
 about too2 and as for outrunning him1  
it was to  no purpose to talk of that1  
for they saw he sailed faster than we4  
,they asked me again what they should   
do1 for1 they said1 if the  mariners had
 taken ,paul's counsel1 they had not    
come to the damage  they did4 ,i        
answered that it was a trial of faith1  
and therefore the  ,lord was to be      
waited on for counsel4    ,so1 retiring 
in spirit1 the ,lord showed me that ,his
 life and power  were placed between us 
and the ship that pursued us4 ,i told   

this to  the master and the rest1 and   
that the best way was to tack about  and
 steer our right course4 ,i desired them
 also to put out all  their candles but 
the one they steered by1 and to speak to
 all the  passengers to be still and    
quiet4    ,about eleven at night the    
watch called and said they were just    
upon  us4 ,this disquieted some of the  
passengers4 ,i sat up in my cabin1  and1
 looking through the port-hole1 the moon
 being not quite down1 ,i  saw them very
 near us4 ,i was getting up to go out of
 the cabin2 but  remembering the word of
 the ,lord1 that ,his life and power    
were placed  between us and them1 ,i lay
 down again4    ,the master and some of 
the seamen came again1 and asked me if  
they  might not steer such a point4 ,i  
told them they might do as they would4  
,by this time the moon was quite down4  
,a fresh gale arose1 and the  ,lord hid 
us from them2 we sailed briskly on and  
saw them no more4    ,the next day1     
being the first day of the week1 we had 

a public  meeting in the ship1 as we    
usually had on that day throughout the  
voyage1 and the ,lord's presence was    
greatly among us4 ,i desired the  people
 to remember the mercies of the ,lord1  
who had delivered them2  for they might 
have been all in the ,turks' hands by   
that time1 had  not the ,lord's hand    
saved them4    ,about a week after1 the 
master and some of the seamen           
endeavoured to  persuade the passengers 
that it was not a ,turkish pirate that  
had  chased us1 but a merchantman going 
to the ,canaries4 ,when ,i heard  of it 
,i asked them1 ,why then did you speak  
so to me8 ,why did you  trouble the     
passengers8 and why did you tack about  
from him and  alter your course8 ,i told
 them they should take heed of slighting
  the mercies of ,god4    ,afterwards1  
while we were at ,barbadoes1 there came 
in a merchant  from ,sallee1 and told   
the people that one of the ,sallee      
men-of-war  saw a monstrous yacht at    
sea1 the greatest that ever he saw1 and 

had  her in chase1 and was just upon    
her1 but that there was a spirit in  her
 that he could not take4 ,this confirmed
 us in the belief that it  was a        
,sallee-man we saw make after us1 and   
that it was the ,lord that  delivered us
 out of his hands4    ,the third of the 
,eighth month1 early in the morning1 we 
discovered  the island of ,barbadoes2   
but it was between nine and ten at night
 ere  we came to anchor in ,carlisle    
bay4    ,we got on shore as soon as we  
could1 and ,i with some others walked to
  the house of a ,friend1 a merchant1   
whose name was ,richard ,forstall1      
above a quarter of a mile from the      
bridge4 ,but being very ill and  weak1  
,i was so tired1 that ,i was in a manner
 spent by the time ,i got  thither4     
,there ,i abode very ill several days1  
and though they several  times gave me  
things to make me sweat1 they could not 
effect it4  ,what they gave me did      
rather parch and dry up my body1 and    
made me  probably worse than otherwise  

,i might have been4    ,thus ,i         
continued about three weeks after ,i    
landed1 having much pain  in my bones1  
joints1 and whole body1 so that ,i could
 hardly get any  rest2 yet ,i was pretty
 cheery1 and my spirit kept above it    
all4  ,neither did my illness take me   
off from the service of ,truth2 but     
both while ,i was at sea1 and after ,i  
came to ,barbadoes1 before ,i was  able 
to travel about1 ,i gave forth several  
papers 7having a ,friend  to write for  
me71 some of which ,i sent by the first 
conveyance for  ,england to be printed4 
,soon after ,i came into the island1 ,i 
was informed of a remarkable  passage1  
wherein the justice of ,god did         
eminently appear4 ,it was  thus4 ,there 
was a young man of ,barbadoes whose name
 was ,john ,drakes1  a person of some   
note in the world's account1 but a      
common swearer  and a bad man1 who1 when
 he was in ,london1 had a mind to marry 
a  ,friend's daughter1 left by her      
mother very young1 with a considerable  

portion1 to the care and government of  
several ,friends1 whereof ,i was  one4  
,he made application to me that he might
 have my consent to marry  this young   
maid4    ,i told him ,i was one of her  
overseers1 appointed by her mother1 who 
was a widow1 to take care of her2 that  
if her mother had intended her  for a   
match to any man of another profession1 
she would have disposed  her            
accordingly2 but she committed her to   
us1 that she might be  trained up in the
 fear of the ,lord2 and therefore ,i    
should betray the  trust reposed in me  
if ,i should consent that he1 who was   
out of the  fear of ,god1 should marry  
her2 and this ,i would not do4    ,when 
he saw that he could not obtain his     
desire1 he returned to  ,barbadoes with 
great offence of mind against me1 but   
without a just  cause4 ,afterwards1 when
 he heard ,i was coming to ,barbadoes1  
he swore  desperately1 and threatened   
that if he could possibly procure it1 he
  would have me burned to death when ,i 

came there4 ,a ,friend hearing of  this1
 asked him what ,i had done to him that 
he was so violent against  me4 ,he would
 not answer1 but said again1 ,i'll have 
him burned4  ,whereupon the ,friend     
replied1 ,do not march on too furiously1
 lest  thou come too soon to thy        
journey's end4    ,about ten days after 
he was struck with a violent1 burning   
fever1 of  which he died2 by which his  
body was so scorched that the people    
said  it was as black as a coal2 and    
three days before ,i landed his body    
was laid in the dust4 ,this was taken   
notice of as a sad example4    ,while ,i
 continued so weak that ,i could not go 
abroad to meetings1  the other ,friends 
that came over with me bestirred        
themselves in the  ,lord's work4 ,the   
next day but one after we came on shore1
 they had  a great meeting at the       
,bridge1 and after that several meetings
 in  different parts of the island2     
which alarmed the people of all sorts1  
so that many came to our meetings1 and  

some of the chiefest rank4 ,for  they   
had got my name1 understanding ,i was   
come upon the island1 and  expected to  
see me1 not knowing ,i was unable to go 
abroad4    ,and indeed my weakness      
continued the longer on me1 because my  
spirit  was much pressed down at the    
first with the filth and dirt1 and with 
the unrighteousness of the people1 which
 lay as an heavy weight and  load upon  
me4 ,but after ,i had been above a month
 upon the island my  spirit became      
somewhat easier2 ,i began to recover my 
health and  strength1 and to get abroad 
among ,friends4#aeh      #aeh ,as       
,george ,fox was too ill to travel1 the 
meetings for    worship and for business
 were held at the house where he was    
staying4 ,at these meetings he gave much
 valuable counsel4 ,here he    first met
 with slavery and dealt with it4 ,i     
desired them also    that they would    
cause their overseers to deal mildly and
 gently    with their negroes1 and not  
use cruelty towards them1 as the        

manner of some hath been and is2 and    
that after certain years of             
servitude1 they would make them free4   
,after ,i was able to go about1 and had 
been a little amongst ,friends1  ,i went
 to visit the ,governor1 ,lewis ,morice1
 ,thomas ,rous1 and some  other ,friends
 being with me4 ,he received us very    
civilly1 and treated  us very kindly1   
making us dine with him1 and keeping us 
the greater  part of the day before he  
let us go away4    ,the same week ,i    
went to ,bridgetown4 ,there was to be a 
general meeting  of ,friends that week2 
and the visit ,i had made to the        
,governor1 and  the kind reception ,i   
had with him1 being generally known to  
the  officers1 civil and military1 many 
came to this meeting from most  parts of
 the island1 and those not of the       
meanest rank2 several  being judges or  
justices1 colonels or captains2 so that 
a very great  meeting we had1 both of   
,friends and others4    ,the ,lord's    
blessed power was plentifully with us2  

and although ,i  was somewhat straitened
 for time1 three other ,friends having  
spoken  before me1 yet the ,lord opened 
things through me to the general and    
great satisfaction of them that were    
present4 ,colonel ,lewis ,morice  came  
to this meeting1 and with him a         
neighbour of his1 a judge in the        
country1 whose name was ,ralph          
,fretwell1 who was very well satisfied1 
and received the ,truth4    ,paul ,gwin1
 a jangling ,baptist1 came into the     
meeting1 and asked me  how ,i spelt     
,cain1 and whether ,i had the same      
spirit as the apostles  had4 ,i told    
him1 ,yes4 ,and he bade the judge take  
notice of it4    ,i told him1 ,he that  
hath not a measure of the same ,holy    
,ghost as the  apostles had1 is         
possessed with an unclean spirit4 ,and  
then he went  his way4    ,we had many  
great and precious meetings1 both for   
worship and for the  affairs of the     
,church2 to the former of which many of 
other societies  came4 ,at one of these 

meetings ,colonel ,lyne1 a sober person1
 was so  well satisfied with what ,i    
declared that he said1 ,now ,i can      
gainsay  such as ,i have heard speak    
evil of you2 who say1 you do not own    
,christ1 nor that ,he died2 whereas ,i  
perceive you exalt ,christ in all  ,his 
offices beyond what ,i have ever heard  
before4#aei      #aei ,in order that it 
might be positively clear that he       
exalted    ,christ in all ,his offices1 
he wrote an extended ,letter to the     
,governor of ,barbadoes4 ,the ,letter   
takes the form of a declaration    of   
faith and is often referred to as an    
authoritative statement    of the belief
 of ,friends4 ,it was1 however1 not     
written for that    purpose1 and it is  
not by any means a full statement of    
their    belief4 ,it does not even      
mention the principle which held the    
leading place in all ,fox's teaching and
 preaching4 ,the ,letter to    the      
,governor was written to clear ,friends 
from false charges1    and it dwells    

solely on the points on which ,fox is   
rumored to    be unsound1 or charged    
with dangerous teaching4 ,the earliest  
declaration of faith of the ,quakers was
 issued by ,christopher    ,holder1     
,john ,copeland and ,richard ,doudney1  
from ,boston prison    in #afeg4 ,the   
earliest statement issued in ,england   
was ,richard    ,farnsworth's           
,confession and ,profession of ,faith in
 ,god1 ,london1    #afeh4    ,as ,i had 
been to visit the ,governor as soon as  
,i was well able1 after  ,i came        
thither1 so1 when ,i was at ,thomas     
,rous's1 the ,governor came to  see me1 
carrying himself very courteously4      
,having been three months or more in    
,barbadoes1 and having visited          
,friends1 thoroughly settled meetings1  
and despatched the service  for which   
the ,lord brought me thither1 ,i felt my
 spirit clear of  that island1 and found
 drawings to ,jamaica4 ,when ,i had     
communicated  this to ,friends1 ,i      
acquainted the ,governor also1 and      

divers of his  council1 that ,i intended
 shortly to leave the island1 and go to 
,jamaica4 ,this ,i did that1 as my      
coming thither was open and public1  so 
my departure also might be4 ,before ,i  
left the island ,i wrote the  following 
letter to my wife1 that she might       
understand both how it  was with me1 and
 how ,i proceeded in my travels3--      
,,my ,,dear ,,heart1         ,to whom is
 my love1 and to all the children1 in   
the ,seed of       ,life that changeth  
not1 but is over all2 blessed be the    
,lord       forever4 ,i have undergone  
great sufferings in my body and         
spirit1 beyond words2 but the ,god of   
heaven be praised1 ,his       ,truth is 
over all4 ,i am now well2 and1 if the   
,lord permit1       within a few days ,i
 pass from ,barbadoes towards ,jamaica2 
and ,i       think to stay but little   
there4 ,i desire that ye may be all kept
       free in the ,seed of ,life1 out  
of all cumbrances4 ,friends are         
generally well4 ,remember me to ,friends

 that inquire after me4 ,so       no    
more1 but my love in the ,seed and ,life
 that changeth not4                     
,g4 ,f4         ,barbadoes1 #fth of     
#aath ,month1 #afga4    ,i set sail from
 ,barbadoes to ,jamaica on the #hth of  
the ,eleventh  month1 #afga2 ,robert    
,widders1 ,william ,edmundson1 ,solomon 
,eccles  and ,elizabeth ,hooton going   
with me4 ,thomas ,briggs and ,john      
,stubbs  remained in ,barbadoes1 with   
whom were ,john ,rous and ,william      
,bailey4    ,we had a quick and easy    
passage to ,jamaica1 where we met again 
with  our ,friends ,james ,lancaster1   
,john ,cartwright1 and ,george          
,pattison1  who had been labouring there
 in the service of ,truth2 into which   
we forthwith entered with them1         
travelling up and down through the      
island1 which is large2 and a brave     
country it is1 though the people  are1  
many of them1 debauched and wicked4     
,illustration3 ,,settlements ,,in       
,,america ,,visited ,,by ,,george ,,fox 

,we had much service4 ,there was a great
 convincement1 and many  received the   
,truth1 some of whom were people of     
account in the world4  ,we had many     
meetings there1 which were large1 and   
very quiet4 ,the  people were civil to  
us1 so that not a mouth was opened      
against us4 ,i  was twice with the      
,governor1 and some other magistrates1  
who all  carried themselves kindly      
towards me4    ,about a week after we   
landed in ,jamaica1 ,elizabeth ,hooton1 
a woman of  great age1 who had travelled
 much in ,truth's service1 and suffered 
much for it1 departed this life4 ,she   
was well the day before she  died1 and  
departed in peace1 like a lamb1 bearing 
testimony to ,truth  at her departure4  
,when we had been about seven weeks in  
,jamaica1 had brought ,friends  into    
pretty good order1 and settled several  
meetings amongst them1  we left ,solomon
 ,eccles there2 the rest of us embarked 
for ,maryland1  leaving ,friends and    
,truth prosperous in ,jamaica1 the      

,lord's power  being over all1 and ,his 
blessed ,seed reigning4    ,before ,i   
left ,jamaica ,i wrote another letter to
 my wife1 as follows3         ,,my      
,,dear ,,heart1         ,to whom is my  
love1 and to the children1 in that which
 changeth       not1 but is over all2   
and to all ,friends in those parts4 ,i  
have       been in ,jamaica about five  
weeks4 ,friends here are generally      
well1 and there is a convincement3 but  
things would be too       large to write
 of4 ,sufferings in every place attend  
me2 but the       blessed ,seed is over 
all2 the great ,lord be praised1 who is 
,lord       of sea and land1 and of all 
things therein4 ,we intend to pass      
from hence about the beginning of next  
month1 towards ,maryland1       if the  
,lord please4 ,dwell all of you in the  
,seed of ,god2 in ,his       ,truth ,i  
rest in love to you all4                
,g4 ,f4         ,jamaica1 #bc;d of #abth
 ,month1 #afga4    ,we went on board on 
the #hth of ,first month1,,aq #afga-b1  

and1  having contrary winds1 were a full
 week sailing forwards and  backwards   
before we could get out of sight of     
,jamaica4      ,,aq ,march #hth1 #afgb4 
,a difficult voyage this proved1 and    
dangerous1 especially in passing        
through the ,gulf of ,florida1 where we 
met with many trials by winds  and      
storms4    ,but the great ,god1 who is  
,lord of the sea and land1 and who      
rideth  upon the wings of the wind1 did 
by ,his power preserve us through many  
and great dangers1 when by extreme      
stress of weather our vessel was  many  
times likely to be upset1 and much of   
her tackling broken4 ,and  indeed we    
were sensible that the ,lord was a ,god 
at hand1 and that ,his  ear was open to 
the supplications of ,his people4       
,for when the winds were so strong and  
boisterous1 and the storms  and tempests
 so great that the sailors knew not what
 to do1 but let  the ship go which way  
she would1 then did we pray unto the    
,lord1  who graciously heard us1 calmed 

the winds and the seas1 gave us         
seasonable weather1 and made us to      
rejoice in ,his salvation4 ,blessed  and
 praised be the holy name of the ,lord1 
whose power hath dominion  over all1    
whom the winds and the seas obey4    ,we
 were between six and seven weeks in    
this passage from ,jamaica to           
,maryland4 ,some days before we came to 
land1 after we had entered the  bay of  
,patuxent ,river1 a great storm arose1  
which cast a boat upon us  for shelter1 
in which were several people of account 
in the world4 ,we  took them in2 but the
 boat was lost1 with five hundred       
pounds' worth  of goods in it1 as they  
said4 ,they continued on board several  
days1  not having any means to get off2 
and we had a very good meeting with     
them in the ship4    ,but provisions    
grew short1 for they brought none in    
with them2 and  ours1 by reason of the  
length of our voyage1 were well-nigh    
spent  when they came to us2 so that    
with their living with us too1 we had   

now little or none left4 ,whereupon     
,george ,pattison took a boat1 and      
ventured his life to get to shore2 the  
hazard was so great that all  but       
,friends concluded he would be cast     
away4 ,yet it pleased the ,lord  to     
bring him safe to land1 and in a short  
time after the ,friends of  the place   
came to fetch us to land also1 in a     
seasonable time1 for  our provisions    
were quite spent4    ,we partook also of
 another great deliverance in this      
voyage1 through  the good providence of 
the ,lord1 which we came to understand  
afterwards4 ,for when we were determined
 to come from ,jamaica1 we had  our     
choice of two vessels1 that were both   
bound for the same coast4  ,one of these
 was a frigate1 the other a yacht4 ,the 
master of the  frigate1 we thought1     
asked unreasonably for our passage1     
which made  us agree with the master of 
the yacht1 who offered to carry us ten  
shillings a-piece cheaper than the      
other4    ,we went on board the yacht1  

and the frigate came out together with  
us1 intending to be consorts during the 
voyage4 ,for several days we  sailed    
together2 but1 with calms and contrary  
winds1 we were soon  separated4 ,after  
that the frigate1 losing her way1 fell  
among the  ,spaniards1 by whom she was  
taken and plundered1 and the master and 
mate made prisoners4 ,afterwards1 being 
retaken by the ,english1 she  was sent  
home to her owners in ,virginia4 ,when  
we came to understand  this we saw and  
admired the providence of ,god1 who     
preserved us  out of our enemies' hands2
 and he that was covetous fell among the
  covetous4    ,here we found ,john     
,burnyeat1#afj intending shortly to sail
 for  ,england2 but on our arrival he   
altered his purpose1 and joined us in   
the ,lord's service4 ,he had appointed a
 general meeting for all the  ,friends  
in the province of ,maryland1 that he   
might see them together1  and take his  
leave of them before he departed out of 
the country4 ,it  was so ordered by the 

good providence of ,god that we landed  
just in  time to reach that meeting1 by 
which means we had a very seasonable    
opportunity of taking the ,friends of   
the province together4      #afj ,john  
,burnyeat travelled extensively and did 
much valuable    work in ,america4 ,see 
the ,journal of ,john ,burnyeat1        
reprinted in    ,volume ,,ii4 of        
,friends' ,library4    ,a very large    
meeting this was1 and it held four days1
 to which1  besides ,friends1 came many 
other people1 several of whom were of   
considerable quality in the world's     
account4 ,there were five or six        
justices of the peace1 the speaker of   
their assembly1 one of their  council1  
and others of note1 who seemed well     
satisfied with the  meeting4 ,after the 
public meetings were over1 the men's and
 women's  meetings began1 wherein ,i    
opened to ,friends the service thereof1 
to  their great satisfaction4    ,after 
this we went to the ,cliffs1 where      
another general meeting was  appointed4 

,we went some of the way by land1 the   
rest by water1 and1 a  storm arising1   
our boat was run aground1 in danger of  
being beaten to  pieces1 and the water  
came in upon us4 ,i was in a great      
sweat1 having  come very hot out of a   
meeting before1 and now was wet with the
 water  besides2 yet1 having faith in   
the divine power1 ,i was preserved from 
taking hurt1 blessed be the ,lord6      
,to this meeting came many who received 
the ,truth with reverence4  ,we had also
 a men's meeting and a women's meeting4 
,most of the  backsliders came in again2
 and several meetings were established  
for  taking care of the affairs of the  
,church4    ,after these two general    
meetings1 we parted company1 dividing   
ourselves unto several coasts1 for the  
service of ,truth4 ,james  ,lancaster   
and ,john ,cartwright went by sea for   
,new ,england2 ,william  ,edmundson and 
three ,friends more sailed for          
,virginia1 where things  were much out  
of order2 ,john ,burnyeat1 ,robert      

,widders1 ,george  ,pattison1 and ,i1   
with several ,friends of the province1  
went over  by boat to the ,eastern      
,shore1,,ar and had a meeting there on  
the  ,first-day4      ,,ar ,eastern     
shore of ,chesapeake ,bay4    ,there    
many people received the ,truth with    
gladness1 and ,friends were  greatly    
refreshed4 ,a very large and heavenly   
meeting it was4 ,several  persons of    
quality in that country were at it1 two 
of whom were  justices of the peace4 ,it
 was upon me from the ,lord to send to  
the  ,indian emperor and his kings to   
come to that meeting4 ,the emperor  came
 and was at the meeting4 ,his kings1    
lying further off1 could  not reach the 
place in time4 ,yet they came soon      
after1 with their  cockarooses4#afa     
#afa ,local word for ,indian chief or   
headman4    ,i had in the evening two   
good opportunities with them2 they heard
  the ,word of the ,lord willingly1 and 
confessed to it4 ,what ,i spoke  to them
 ,i desired them to speak to their      

people1 and to let them  know that ,god 
was raising up ,his tabernacle of       
witness in their  wilderness-country1   
and was setting up ,his standard and    
glorious  ensign of righteousness4 ,they
 carried themselves very courteously and
  lovingly1 and inquired where the next 
meeting would be1 saying that  they     
would come to it4 ,yet they said they   
had had a great debate with  their      
council about their coming1 before they 
came4    ,the next day we began our     
journey by land to ,new ,england2 a     
tedious  journey through the woods and  
wilderness1 over bogs and great rivers4 
,we took horse at the head of ,tredhaven
 creek1 and travelled through  the woods
 till we came a little above the head of
 ,miles river1 by  which we passed1 and 
rode to the head of ,wye river1 and so  
to the  head of ,chester river1 where1  
making a fire1 we took up our lodging   
in the woods4 ,next morning we travelled
 the woods till we came to  ,sassafras  
river1 which we went over in canoes1    

causing our horses to  swim beside us4  
,then we rode to ,bohemia river1 where1 
in like manner swimming our  horses1 we 
ourselves went over in canoes4 ,we      
rested a little at a  plantation by the 
way1 but not long1 for we had thirty    
miles to  ride that afternoon if we     
would reach a town1 which we were       
willing  to do1 and therefore rode hard 
for it4 ,i1 with some others1 whose     
horses were strong1 got to the town that
 night1 exceedingly tired1  and wet to  
the skin2 but ,george ,pattison and     
,robert ,widders1 being  weaker-horsed1 
were obliged to lie in the woods that   
night also4    ,the town we went to was 
a ,dutch town1 called ,new ,castle1,,as 
whither  ,robert ,widders and ,george   
,pattison came to us next morning4      
,,as ,in ,delaware4    ,we departed     
thence1 and got over the river          
,delaware1 not without  great danger of 
some of our lives4 ,when we were over we
 were troubled  to procure guides1 which
 were hard to get1 and very chargeable4 

,then had we that wilderness country1   
since called ,west ,jersey1 to  pass    
through1 not then inhabited by ,english2
 so that we sometimes  travelled a whole
 day together without seeing man or     
woman1 house  or dwelling-place4        
,sometimes we lay in the woods by a     
fire1 and  sometimes in the ,indians'   
wigwams or houses4    ,we came one night
 to an ,indian town1 and lay at the     
house of the  king1 who was a very      
pretty,,at man4 ,both he and his wife   
received  us very lovingly1 and his     
attendants 7such as they were7 were very
  respectful to us4 ,they gave us mats  
to lie on2 but provision was very  short
 with them1 they having caught but      
little that day4 ,at another  ,indian   
town where we stayed the king came to   
us1 and he could speak  some ,english4  
,i spoke to him much1 and also to his   
people2 and they  were very loving to   
us4      ,,at ,that is1 kindly-spirited4
    ,at length we came to ,middletown1  
an ,english plantation in ,east         

,jersey1 and there we found some        
,friends2 but we could not stay to  have
 a meeting at that time1 being earnestly
 pressed in our spirits  to get to the  
half-year's meeting of ,friends at      
,oyster ,bay1 in ,long  ,island1 which  
was very near at hand4    ,we went with 
a ,friend1 ,richard ,hartshorn1 brother 
of ,hugh ,hartshorn1  the upholsterer1  
in ,london1 who received us gladly at   
his house1  where we refreshed          
ourselves2 and then he carried us and   
our horses  in his own boat over a great
 water1 which occupied most part of the 
day getting over1 and set us upon ,long 
,island4 ,we got that evening to        
,friends at ,gravesend1 with whom we    
tarried that night1 and next day  got to
 ,flushing1 and the day following       
reached ,oyster ,bay2 several  ,friends 
of ,gravesend and ,flushing accompanied 
us4    ,the half-year's meeting began   
next day1 which was the first day of    
the week1 and lasted four days4 ,the    
first and second days we had  public    

meetings for worship1 to which people of
 all sorts came2  on the third day were 
the men's and women's meetings1 wherein 
the  affairs of the ,church were taken  
care of4 ,here we met with some bad     
spirits1 who had run out from ,truth    
into prejudice1 contention1 and         
opposition to the order of ,truth1 and  
to ,friends therein4    ,these had been 
very troublesome to ,friends in their   
meetings there  and thereabouts         
formerly1 and likely would have been so 
now2 but ,i  would not suffer the       
service of our men's and women's        
meetings to  be interrupted and hindered
 by their cavils4 ,i let them know that 
if  they had anything to object against 
the order of ,truth which we were  in1  
we would give them a meeting another day
 on purpose4 ,and indeed ,i  laboured   
the more1 and travelled the harder to   
get to this meeting1  where it was      
expected many of these contentious      
people would be2  because ,i understood 
they had reflected much upon me1 when4  

,i was far  from them4    ,the men's and
 women's meetings being over1 on the    
fourth day we had  a meeting with these 
discontented people1 to which as many of
 them  as chose came1 and as many       
,friends as desired were present also2  
and  the ,lord's power broke forth      
gloriously to the confounding of the    
gainsayers4 ,then some of those that had
 been chief in the mischievous  work of 
contention and opposition against the   
,truth began to fawn  upon me1 and to   
cast the blame upon others2 but the     
deceitful spirit  was judged down and   
condemned1 and the glorious ,truth of   
,god was  exalted and set over all2 and 
they were all brought down and bowed    
under4 ,which was of great service to   
,truth1 and to the satisfaction  and    
comfort of ,friends2 glory to the ,lord 
for ever6    ,after ,friends were gone  
to their several habitations1 we stayed 
some days upon the island2 had meetings 
in several parts thereof1  and good     
service for the ,lord4 ,when we were    

clear of the island1  we returned to    
,oyster ,bay1 waiting for a wind to     
carry us to ,rhode  ,island1 which was  
computed to be about two hundred miles4 
,as soon as  the wind served1 we set    
sail4 ,we arrived there on the thirtieth
 day  of the ,third month1 and were     
gladly received by ,friends4 ,we went to
  the house of ,nicholas ,easton1 who at
 that time was governor of the  island2 
where we rested1 being very weary with  
travelling4    ,on ,first-day following 
we had a large meeting1 to which came   
the  deputy-governor and several        
justices1 who were mightily affected    
with  the ,truth4 ,the week following1  
the ,yearly ,meeting for all the        
,friends  of ,new ,england and the other
 colonies adjacent1 was held in this    
island2#afb to which1 besides very many 
,friends who lived in those  parts1 came
 ,john ,stubbs from ,barbadoes1 and     
,james ,lancaster and ,john  ,cartwright
 from another way4      #afb ,george    
,bishop1 in ,new ,england ,judged1 p4   

#cea1 says that    ,new ,england ,yearly
 ,meeting was set up in #affa4 ,john    
,burnyeat1 who    had attended it in    
#afga1 says in his ,journal1 ,it begins 
in the    ninth of the ,fourth month    
every year2 and continues for much of   
a week1 and is a general meeting once a 
year for all ,friends in    ,new        
,england4 ,the records for several years
 after its origin were    destroyed by  
fire4 ,they are1 however1 complete from 
#afhc to date4    ,this meeting lasted  
six days1 the first four days being     
general  public meetings for worship1 to
 which abundance of other people came4  
,for they having no priest in the       
island1 and so no restriction to any    
particular way of worship2 and both the 
governor and deputy-governor1  with     
several justices of the peace1 daily    
frequenting the meetings2  this so      
encouraged the people that they flocked 
in from all parts of  the island4 ,very 
good service we had amongst them1 and   
,truth had  good reception4    ,i have  

rarely observed a people1 in the state  
wherein they stood1 to  hear with more  
attention1 diligence1 and affection1    
than generally  they did1 during the    
four days2 which was also taken notice  
of by  other ,friends4    ,these public 
meetings over1 the men's meeting began1 
which was large1  precious1 and weighty4
 ,the day following was the women's     
meeting1  which also was large and very 
solemn4    ,these two meetings being for
 ordering the affairs of the ,church1   
many weighty things were opened1 and    
communicated to them1 by way  of advice1
 information1 and instruction in the    
services relating  thereunto2 that all  
might be kept clean1 sweet and savoury  
amongst  them4 ,in these1 several men's 
and women's meetings for other parts    
were agreed and settled1 to take care of
 the poor1 and other affairs  of the    
,church1 and to see that all who profess
 ,truth walk according  to the glorious 
gospel of ,god4    ,when this great     
general meeting was ended1 it was       

somewhat hard for  ,friends to part2 for
 the glorious power of the ,lord1 which 
was over  all1 and ,his blessed ,truth  
and life flowing amongst them1 had so   
knit  and united them together1 that    
they spent two days in taking leave  one
 of another1 and of the ,friends of the 
island2 and then1 being  mightily filled
 with the presence and power of the     
,lord1 they went  away with joyful      
hearts to their several habitations1 in 
the several  colonies where they lived4 
,when ,friends had taken their leave one
 of another1 we1 who travelled  amongst 
them1 dispersed ourselves into our      
several services1 as the  ,lord ordered 
us4 ,john ,burnyeat1 ,john ,cartwright1 
and ,george ,pattison  went into the    
eastern parts of ,new ,england1 in      
company with the  ,friends that came    
from thence1 to visit the particular    
meetings  there2 whom ,john ,stubbs and 
,james ,lancaster intended to follow    
awhile  after1 in the same service2 but 
they were not yet clear of this  island4

 ,robert ,widders and ,i stayed longer  
upon this island2 finding  service still
 here for the ,lord1 through the great  
openness and the  daily coming in of    
fresh people from other colonies1 for   
some time  after the general meeting2 so
 that we had many large and serviceable 
meetings amongst them4    ,during this  
time1 a marriage was celebrated amongst 
,friends in this  island1 and we were   
present4 ,it was at the house of a      
,friend who had  formerly been governor 
of the island3 and there were present   
three  justices of the peace1 with many 
others not in profession with us4       
,friends said they had never seen such a
 solemn assembly on such an  occasion1  
or so weighty a marriage and so comely  
an order4 ,thus ,truth  was set over    
all4 ,this might serve for an example to
 others2 for  there were some present   
from many other places4    ,after this  
,i had a great travail in spirit        
concerning the ,ranters  in those parts1
 who had been rude at a meeting at which

 ,i was not  present4 ,wherefore ,i     
appointed a meeting amongst them1       
believing the  ,lord would give me power
 over them2 which ,he did1 to ,his      
praise and  glory2 blessed be ,his name 
for ever6 ,there were at this meeting   
many  ,friends1 and divers other people2
 some of whom were justices of the      
peace1 and officers1 who were generally 
well affected with the ,truth4  ,one1   
who had been a justice twenty years1 was
 convinced1 spoke highly  of the ,truth1
 and more highly of me than is fit for  
me to mention or  take notice of4       
,then we had a meeting at ,providence1  
which was very large1 consisting  of    
many sorts of people4 ,i had a great    
travail upon my spirit1 that  it might  
be preserved quiet1 and that ,truth     
might be brought over  the people1 might
 gain entrance1 and have a place in     
them2 for they  were generally above the
 priest in high notions2 and some of    
them  came on purpose to dispute4 ,but  
the ,lord1 whom we waited upon1 was     

with us1 and ,his power went over them  
all2 and ,his blessed ,seed was  exalted
 and set above all4 ,the disputers were 
silent1 and the meeting  was quiet and  
ended well2 praised be the ,lord6 ,the  
people went away  mightily satisfied1   
much desiring another meeting4    ,this 
place 7called ,providence7 was about    
thirty miles from ,rhode  ,island2 and  
we went to it by water4 ,the ,governor  
of ,rhode ,island1 and  many others1    
went with me thither2 and we had the    
meeting in a great  barn1 which was     
thronged with people1 so that ,i was    
exceedingly hot1  and in a great sweat2 
but all was well2 the glorious power of 
the  ,lord shone over all2 glory to the 
great ,god for ever6#afc      #afc ,for 
an account of ,fox's relations with     
,roger ,williams see    note in next    
chapter4    ,after this we went to      
,narragansett1 about twenty miles from  
,rhode  ,island2 and the ,governor went 
with us4 ,we had a meeting at a         
justice's house1 where ,friends had     

never had any before4 ,it was very      
large1 for the country generally came   
in2 and people came also from           
,connecticut1 and other parts round     
about1 amongst whom were four  justices 
of the peace4 ,most of these people had 
never heard ,friends  before2 but they  
were mightily affected with the meeting1
 and a great  desire there is after the 
,truth amongst them2 so that our meeting
 was  of very good service1 blessed be  
the ,lord for ever6    ,the justice at  
whose house the meeting was1 and another
 justice of  that country1 invited me to
 come again2 but ,i was then clear of   
those  parts1 and going towards ,shelter
 ,island4 ,but ,john ,burnyeat and ,john
  ,cartwright1 being come out of ,new   
,england into ,rhode ,island1 before  ,i
 was gone1 ,i laid this place before    
them2 and they felt drawings  thither1  
and went to visit them4    ,at another  
place1 ,i heard some of the magistrates 
say among  themselves that if they had  
money enough1 they would hire me to be  

their minister4 ,this was where they did
 not well understand us1 and  our       
principles2 but when ,i heard of it1 ,i 
said1 ,it is time for me  to be gone2   
for if their eye were so much on me1 or 
on any of us1  they would not come to   
their own ,teacher4 ,for this thing     
7hiring  ministers7 had spoiled many1 by
 hindering them from improving their    
own talents2 whereas our labour is to   
bring every one to his own  ,teacher in 
himself4    ,i went thence towards      
,shelter ,island1#afd having with me    
,robert  ,widders1 ,james ,lancaster1   
,george ,pattison1 and ,john ,jay1 a    
planter of  ,barbadoes4      #afd       
,shelter ,island lies at the ,eastern   
end of ,long ,island1    between        
,gardiner's ,bay and ,little ,peconic   
,bay4 ,nathaniel    ,sylvester was the  
sole proprietor of the island1 and he   
made it a    shelter for persecuted     
,friends from ,new ,england4    ,we went
 in a sloop2 and passing by ,point      
,juda,,au and ,block  ,island1 we came  

to ,fisher's ,island1 where at night we 
went on shore2  but were not able to    
stay for the mosquitoes which abound    
there1 and  are very troublesome4       
,wherefore we went into our sloop again1
 put off  for the shore1 and cast       
anchor2 and so lay in our sloop that    
night4      ,,au ,point ,judith4        
,next day we went into the ,sound1 but  
finding our sloop was not able  to live 
in that water1 we returned again1 and   
came to anchor before  ,fisher's        
,island1 where we lay in our sloop that 
night also4 ,there  fell abundance of   
rain1 and our sloop being open1 we were 
exceedingly  wet4    ,next day we passed
 over the waters called the ,two ,horse 
,races1 and  then by ,gardner's ,island2
 after which we passed by the ,gull's   
,island1  and so got at length to       
,shelter ,island4 ,though it was but    
about  twenty-seven leagues from ,rhode 
,island1 yet through the difficulty of  
passage we were three days in reaching  
it4    ,the day after1 being ,first-day1

 we had a meeting there4 ,in the same   
week ,i had another among the ,indians2 
at which were their king1  his council1 
and about a hundred ,indians more4 ,they
 sat down like  ,friends1 and heard very
 attentively while ,i spoke to them by  
an  interpreter1 an ,indian that could  
speak ,english well4 ,after the  meeting
 they appeared very loving1 and         
confessed that what was said  to them   
was ,truth4    ,next ,first-day we had a
 great meeting on the island1 to which  
came  many people who had never heard   
,friends before4 ,they were very well   
satisfied with it1 and when it was over 
would not go away till they  had spoken 
with me4 ,wherefore ,i went amongst     
them1 and found they  were much taken   
with the ,truth2 good desires were      
raised in them1 and  great love4        
,blessed be the ,lord2 ,his name        
spreads1 and will be great  among the   
nations1 and dreadful among the heathen4
    ,while we were in ,shelter ,island1 
,william ,edmundson1 who had been       

labouring in the work of the ,lord in   
,virginia1 came to us4 ,from  thence he 
had travelled through the               
desert-country1 through  difficulties   
and many trials1 till he came to        
,roanoke1 where he met  with a tender   
people4 ,after seven weeks' service in  
those parts1  sailing over to ,maryland1
 and so to ,new ,york1 he came to ,long 
,island1  and so to ,shelter ,island2   
where we met with him1 and were very    
glad  to hear from him the good service 
he had had for the ,lord1 in the        
several places where he had travelled   
since he parted from us4    ,we stayed  
not long in ,shelter ,island1 but       
entering our sloop again  put to sea for
 ,long ,island4 ,we had a very rough    
passage1 for the tide  ran so strong for
 several hours that ,i have not seen the
 like2 and  being against us1 we could  
hardly get forwards1 though we had a    
gale4    ,we were upon the water all    
that day and the night following2 but   
found ourselves next day driven back    

near to ,fisher's ,island4 ,for  there  
was a great fog1 and towards day it was 
very dark1 so that we  could not see    
what way we made4 ,besides1 it rained   
much in the night1  which in our open   
sloop made us very wet4    ,next day a  
great storm arose1 so that we were fain 
to go over the  ,sound1 and got over    
with much difficulty4 ,when we left     
,fisher's  ,island1 we passed by        
,falkner ,island1 and came to the main1 
where we  cast anchor till the storm was
 over4    ,then we crossed the ,sound1  
being all very wet2 and much difficulty 
we  had to get to land1 the wind being  
strong against us4 ,but blessed be  the 
,lord ,god of heaven and earth1 and of  
the seas and waters1 all was  well4     
,we got safe to ,oyster ,bay1 in ,long  
,island1 which1 they say1 is about  two 
hundred miles from ,rhode ,island1 the  
seventh of the ,sixth month1  very early
 in the morning4    ,at ,oyster ,bay we 
had a very large meeting4 ,the same day 
,james  ,lancaster and ,christopher     

,holder went over the bay to ,rye1#afe  
on  the continent1 in ,governor         
,winthrop's government1 and had a       
meeting  there4      #afe ,rye is now in
 ,new ,york ,state4 ,the boundary       
between ,new ,york    and ,connecticut  
was long in dispute4 ,at this time it   
seems ,rye    was in ,governor          
,winthrop's territory4    ,from ,oyster 
,bay1 we passed about thirty miles to   
,flushing1 where  we had a very large   
meeting1 many hundreds of people being  
there2  some of whom came about thirty  
miles to it4 ,a glorious and heavenly   
meeting it was 7praised be the ,lord    
,god671 and the people were much        
satisfied4    ,meanwhile ,christopher   
,holder and some other ,friends went to 
a town in  ,long ,island1 called        
,jamaica1 and had a meeting there4      
,we passed from ,flushing to ,gravesend1
 about twenty miles1 and there  had     
three precious meetings2 to which many  
would have come from ,new  ,york1 but   
that the weather hindered them4         

,being clear of this place1 we hired a  
sloop1 and1 the wind serving1  set out  
for the new country now called ,jersey4 
,passing down the bay  by ,coney        
,island1 ,natton ,island1,,av and       
,staten ,island1 we came to  ,richard   
,hartshorn's at ,middletown harbour1,,aw
 about break of day1  the twenty-seventh
 of the ,sixth month4      ,,av ,now    
,governor's ,island4      ,,aw ,in ,new 
,jersey4    ,next day we rode about     
thirty miles into that country1 through 
the  woods1 and over very bad bogs1 one 
worse than all the rest2 the  descent   
into which was so steep that we were    
fain to slide down with  our horses1 and
 then let them lie and breathe          
themselves before they  could go on4    
,this place the people of the country   
called ,purgatory4    ,we got at length 
to ,shrewsbury1 in ,east ,jersey1 and on
 ,first-day had  a precious meeting     
there1 to which ,friends and other      
people came  from afar1 and the blessed 
presence of the ,lord was with us4 ,the 

same  week we had a men's and women's   
meeting out of most parts of ,new       
,jersey4    ,they are building a meeting
 place in the midst of them and there is
 a  monthly and general meeting set up  
which will be of great service in  those
 parts in keeping up the gospel order   
and government of ,christ  ,jesus1 of   
the increase of which there is no end1  
that they who are  faithful may see that
 all who profess the holy ,truth live in
 the pure  religion1 and walk as        
becometh the gospel4    ,while we were  
at ,shrewsbury1 an accident befel1 which
 for the time  was a great exercise to  
us4 ,john ,jay1 a ,friend of ,barbadoes1
 who had  come with us from ,rhode      
,island1 and intended to accompany us   
through  the woods to ,maryland1 being  
to try a horse1 got upon his back1 and  
the horse fell a-running1 cast him down 
upon his head1 and broke his  neck1 as  
the people said4 ,those that were near  
him took him up as  dead1 carried him a 
good way1 and laid him on a tree4    ,i 

got to him as soon as ,i could2 and1    
feeling him1 concluded he was  dead4 ,as
 ,i stood pitying him and his family1 ,i
 took hold of his hair1  and his head   
turned any way1 his neck was so limber4 
,whereupon ,i took  his head in both my 
hands1 and1 setting my knees against the
 tree1 ,i  raised his head1 and         
perceived there was nothing out or      
broken that  way4    ,then ,i put one   
hand under his chin1 and the other      
behind his head1  and raised his head   
two or three times with all my strength1
 and  brought it in4 ,i soon perceived  
his neck began to grow stiff again1  and
 then he began to rattle in his throat1 
and quickly after to  breathe4    ,the  
people were amazed2 but ,i bade them    
have a good heart1 be of good  faith1   
and carry him into the house4 ,they did 
so1 and set him by the  fire4 ,i bade   
them get him something warm to drink1   
and put him to  bed4 ,after he had been 
in the house a while he began to speak2 
but  did not know where he had been4    

,the next day we passed away 7and he    
with us1 pretty well7 about  sixteen    
miles to a meeting at ,middletown1      
through woods and bogs1 and  over a     
river2 where we swam our horses1 and got
 over ourselves upon a  hollow tree4    
,many hundred miles did he travel with  
us after this4#aff      #aff ,this      
narrative has sometimes been questioned 
and sometimes    been taken to prove    
that ,fox was an instrument in working  
miracles4 ,neither solution is          
satisfactory1 or necessary4 ,recent     
medical annals give similar cases4 ,a   
dislocated neck is not    necessarily   
fatal4 ,the incident shows again ,fox's 
readiness in    dealing coolly and      
skillfully with hard situations4 ,he    
endeavors    to do what can be done4    
,to this meeting came most of the people
 of the town4 ,a glorious  meeting we   
had1 and the ,truth was over all2       
blessed be the great ,lord  ,god for    
ever6 ,after the meeting we went to     
,middletown ,harbor1 about  five miles1 

in order to take our long journey next  
morning1 through  the woods towards     
,maryland2 having hired ,indians for our
 guides4    ,i determined to pass       
through the woods on the other side of  
,delaware  bay1 that we might head the  
creeks and rivers as much as possible4  
,on  the #ith of the ,seventh month we  
set forwards1 and passed through many   
,indian towns1 and over some rivers and 
bogs2 and when we had ridden  about     
forty miles1 we made a fire at night1   
and lay down by it4 ,as we  came among  
the ,indians1 we declared the day of the
 ,lord to them4    ,next day we         
travelled fifty miles1 as we computed2  
and at night1  finding an old house1    
which the ,indians had forced the people
 to  leave1 we made a fire and stayed   
there1 at the head of ,delaware         
,bay4#afg      #afg ,it is not easy to  
follow ,fox's scanty itinerary4 ,there  
are    two ,tinicum islands in the      
,delaware 7it is called ,dinidock in    
the first edition of the ,journal74 ,the

 crossing was probably made    at the   
upper island1 which is just in front of 
what is now the    city of ,burlington1 
though this would be hardly ninety miles
 from    ,middletown ,harbour1 as he    
estimates4 ,he then travels down across 
the very country which ,friends         
afterwards settled under the            
leadership of ,william ,penn4 ,there is 
evidence to show that the    idea of    
forming in ,america a colony of ,friends
 originated with    ,george ,fox4 ,we   
learn from a letter of ,josiah ,coale1 a
 ,friend who    had travelled           
extensively among the ,indians1 that    
,george ,fox had    commissioned him to 
treat with the ,susquehanna ,indians for
 the    purchase of a strip of          
territory4 ,fox's letter is not         
preserved1    but ,josiah ,coale's      
answer is among the ,swarthmore ,,mss41 
and is    as follows3 ,dear             
,george1--,as concerning ,friends buying
 a piece    of land of the ,susquehanna 
,indians1 ,i have spoken of it to them  

and told them what thou said concerning 
it1 but their answer    was that there  
is no land that is habitable or fit for 
situation    beyond ,baltimore's liberty
 i4 e41 beyond the domain of ,lord      
,baltimore1 till they come to or near   
the ,susquehanna fort1 and    besides   
,william ,fuller1 who was the chief man 
amongst ,friends    with the ,indians   
444 is withdrawn at present1 444 so that
 without    him little can be done at   
present with the ,indians2 and besides1 
these ,indians are at war with another  
nation of ,indians1 who are    very     
numerous1 and it is doubted by some that
 in a little space    they will be so   
destroyed that they will not be a       
people4 ,thine    in the truth1         
,,josiah ,,coale4      ,this letter was 
written in #affj1 twelve years before   
this    ,american visit4 ,about the same
 time ,william ,penn's thoughts were    
turning in the same direction4 ,writing 
about ,pennsylvania in    #afha1 he     
says3 ,this ,i can say1 that ,i had an  

opening of joy as    to these parts in  
the year #affa1 at ,oxford twenty years 
since4    ,by a purchase made through   
,john ,fenwick and ,edward ,byllynge1   
,friends obtained possession of a great 
section of ,new ,jersey in    #afgd1 the
 year after ,george ,fox arrived in     
,england4 ,there can be    no doubt that
 his thoughts were on future settlements
 here as he    travelled through what is
 now ,pennsylvania and ,new ,jersey4    
,next day we swam our horses over a     
river about a mile wide1 first  to an   
island called ,upper ,tinicum1 and then 
to the mainland2 having  hired ,indians 
to help us over in their canoes4 ,this  
day we rode but  about thirty miles1 and
 came at night to a ,swede's house1     
where we  got a little straw1 and stayed
 that night4    ,next day1 having hired 
another guide1 we travelled about forty 
miles  through the woods1 and made a    
fire at night1 by which we lay1 and     
dried ourselves2 for we were often wet  
in our travels4    ,the next day we     

passed over a desperate river1#afh which
 had in it  many rocks and broad stones1
 very hazardous to us and our horses4   
,thence we came to ,christiana ,river1  
where we swam over our horses1  and went
 over ourselves in canoes2 but the sides
 of this river were  so bad and miry1   
that some of the horses were almost laid
 up4      #afh ,the desperate river was 
probably the ,brandywine1 and the       
,christiana ,river is ,christiana       
,creek1 formed from a junction    of    
,red ,clay and ,white ,clay ,creeks4 ,it
 finds the ,delaware about    two miles 
below ,wilmington4 ,the ,bohemia and    
,sassafras ,rivers are    two of the    
many arms of ,chesapeake ,bay4 ,the     
,kentish ,shore is    the shore of ,kent
 ,county1 ,maryland4 ,tredhaven 7or     
,thirdhaven7 is    farther down the     
,bay1 where the boats were so thick it  
seemed    like the ,thames6 ,a meeting  
was established here which remains      
until the present time4    ,thence we   
came to ,new ,castle1,,ax heretofore    

called ,new ,amsterdam2  and being very 
weary1 and inquiring in the town where  
we might buy  some corn for our horses1 
the governor came and invited me to his 
house1 and afterwards desired me to     
lodge there2 telling me he had a  bed   
for me1 and ,i should be welcome4 ,so ,i
 stayed1 the other ,friends  being taken
 care of also4      ,,ax ,in ,delaware4 
,this was on a ,seventh-day2 and he     
offering his house for a meeting1  we   
had the next day a pretty large one2 for
 most of the town were at  it4 ,here had
 never been a meeting before1 nor any   
within a great way2  but this was a very
 precious one4 ,many were tender1 and   
confessed to  the ,truth1 and some      
received it2 blessed be the ,lord for   
ever6    ,the #afth of the ,seventh     
month we set forward1 and travelled1 as 
near  as we could compute1 about fifty  
miles1 through the woods and over  the  
bogs1 heading ,bohemia ,river and       
,sassafras ,river4 ,at night we made  a 
fire in the woods1 and lay there all    

night4 ,it being rainy weather1  we got 
under some thick trees for shelter1 and 
afterwards dried  ourselves again by the
 fire4    ,next day we waded through    
,chester ,river1 a very broad water1 and
  afterwards passing through many bad   
bogs1 lay that night also in the  woods 
by a fire1 not having gone above thirty 
miles that day4 ,the day  following we  
travelled hard1 though we had some      
troublesome bogs in  our way2 we rode   
about fifty miles1 and got safe that    
night to ,robert  ,harwood's1 at ,miles 
,river1,,ay in ,maryland4      ,,ay ,now
 ,st4 ,michael's4    ,this was the #ahth
 of the ,seventh month2 and though we   
were very  weary1 and much dirtied with 
the bogs1 yet hearing of a meeting next 
day1 we went to it1 and from it to ,john
 ,edmundson's4 ,thence we went  three or
 four miles by water to a meeting on the
 ,first-day following4    ,at this      
meeting a judge's wife1 who had never   
been at any of our  meetings before1 was
 reached4 ,she said after the meeting   

that she  would rather hear us once than
 the priests a thousand times4 ,many    
others also were well satisfied2 for the
 power of the ,lord was  eminently with 
us4 ,blessed for ever be ,his holy name6
    ,we passed thence about twenty-two  
miles1 and had a good meeting upon  the 
,kentish shore1 to which one of the     
judges came4 ,after another  good       
meeting hard-by1 at ,william ,wilcock's1
 where we had good service  for the     
,lord1 we went by water about twenty    
miles to a very large  meeting1 where   
were some hundreds of people1 four      
justices of peace1  the high sheriff of 
,delaware1 and others4 ,there were also 
an ,indian  emperor or governor1 and two
 others of the chief men among the      
,indians4    ,with these ,indians ,i had
 a good opportunity4 ,i spoke to them by
 an  interpreter3 they heard the ,truth 
attentively1 and were very loving4  ,a  
blessed meeting this was1 of great      
service both for convincing  and for    
establishing in the ,truth those that   

were convinced of it4  ,blessed be the  
,lord1 who causeth ,his blessed ,truth  
to spread6    ,after the meeting there  
came to me a woman whose husband was one
 of  the judges of that country1 and a  
member of the assembly there4 ,she  told
 me that her husband was sick1 not      
likely to live2 and desired  me to go   
home with her to see him4 ,it was three 
miles to her house1  and ,i being just  
come hot out of the meeting1 it was hard
 for me then  to go2 yet considering the
 service1 ,i got a horse1 went with her1
  visited her husband1 and spoke to him 
what the ,lord gave me4 ,the man  was   
much refreshed1 and finely raised up by 
the power of the ,lord2  and afterwards 
came to our meetings4    ,i went back to
 the ,friends that night1 and next day  
we departed  thence about nineteen or   
twenty miles to ,tredhaven creek1 to    
,john  ,edmundson's again2 whence1 the  
#c;d of ,eighth month1 we went to the   
,general ,meeting for all ,maryland     
,friends4#afi      #afi ,what is now    

called ,baltimore ,yearly ,meeting was  
established    in #afgb4    ,this held  
five days4 ,the first three meetings    
were for public  worship1 to which      
people of all sorts came2 the other two 
were men's  and women's meetings4 ,to   
the public meetings came many           
,protestants  of divers sorts1 and some 
,papists4 ,amongst these were several   
magistrates and their wives1 and other  
persons of chief account in  the        
country4 ,there were so many besides    
,friends that it was thought  there were
 sometimes a thousand people at one of  
these meetings2 so  that1 though they   
had not long before enlarged their      
meeting-place1  and made it as large    
again as it was before1 it could not    
contain the  people4    ,i went by boat 
every day four or five miles to it1 and 
there were so  many boats at that time  
passing upon the river that it was      
almost  like the ,thames4 ,the people   
said there were never so many boats seen
  there together before1 and one of the 

justices said he had never  seen so many
 people together in that country before4
 ,it was a very  heavenly meeting1      
wherein the presence of the ,lord was   
gloriously  manifested4 ,friends were   
sweetly refreshed1 the people generally 
satisfied1 and many convinced2 for the  
blessed power of the ,lord was  over    
all2 everlasting praises to ,his holy   
name for ever6    ,after the public     
meetings were over1 the men's and       
women's meetings  began1 and were held  
the other two days2 for ,i had something
 to  impart to them which concerned the 
glory of ,god1 the order of the  gospel1
 and the government of ,christ ,jesus4  
,when these meetings were over1 we took 
our leave of ,friends in those  parts1  
whom we left well established in the    
,truth4    ,on the #ajth of the ,eighth 
month we went thence about thirty miles 
by  water1 passing by ,crane's ,island1 
,swan ,island1 and ,kent ,island1 in    
very foul weather and much rain4 ,our   
boat being open1 we were not  only very 

much wet1 but in great danger of being  
overset2 insomuch  that some thought we 
could not escape being cast away4 ,but1 
blessed  be ,god1 we fared very well1   
and came safely to shore next morning4  
,having got to a little house1 dried our
 clothes by the fire1 and  refreshed    
ourselves a little1 we took to our boat 
again2 and put  off from land1 sometimes
 sailing and sometimes rowing2 but      
having  very foul weather that day too1 
we could not get above twelve miles     
forward4 ,at night we got to land1 and  
made a fire2 some lay by that1  and some
 by a fire at a house a little way off4 
,next morning we passed over the ,great 
,bay1 and sailed about forty  miles that
 day4 ,making to shore at night1 we lay 
there1 some in the  boat1 and some at an
 ale-house4    ,next morning being      
,first-day1 we went six or seven miles  
to the house  of a ,friend who was a    
justice of the peace1 where we had a    
meeting4  ,this was a little above the  
head of the ,great ,bay4 ,we had been   

almost  four days on the water1 and were
 weary with rowing1 yet all was very    
well2 blessed and praised be the ,lord6 
,we went next day to another ,friend's  
house1 near the head of ,hatton's       
,island1 where we had good service      
amongst ,friends and others2 as we  had 
also the day following at the house of  
,george ,wilson1 a ,friend  that lived  
about three miles further1 where we had 
a very precious  meeting1 there being   
great tenderness amongst the people4    
,after this meeting we sailed about ten 
miles to the house of ,james  ,frizby1 a
 justice of the peace1 where1 the #afth 
of the ,eighth month1  we had a very    
large meeting1 at which1 besides        
,friends1 were some  hundreds of people1
 it was supposed4 ,amongst them were    
several  justices1 captains1 and the    
sheriff1 with other persons of note4    
,a blessed heavenly meeting this was2 a 
powerful1 thundering testimony  for     
,truth was borne therein2 a great sense 
there was upon the people1  and much    

brokenness and tenderness amongst them4 
,we stayed till about the eleventh hour 
in the night1 when the tide  turned for 
us2 then1 taking boat1 we passed that   
night and the next  day about fifty     
miles to another ,friend's house4 ,the  
next two days we  made short journeys   
visiting ,friends4    ,the #bjth of the 
month we had a great meeting at a place 
called  ,severn1 where there was a      
meeting-place1 but not large enough to  
hold the people4 ,divers chief          
magistrates were at it1 with many other 
considerable people1 and it gave them   
generally great satisfaction4    ,two   
days after we had a meeting with some   
that walked disorderly1  and had good   
service in it4 ,then1 spending a day or 
two in visiting  ,friends1 we passed to 
the ,western ,shore1 and on the #beth   
had a large  and precious meeting at    
,william ,coale's1 where the speaker of 
their  assembly1 with his wife1 a       
justice of peace1 and several people of 
quality1 were present4    ,next day we  

had a meeting1 six or seven miles       
further1 at ,abraham  ,birkhead's1 where
 were many of the magistrates and upper 
sort2 and  the speaker of the assembly  
for that country was convinced4 ,a      
blessed  meeting it was2 praised be the 
,lord6    ,we travelled the next day2   
and the day following1 the #bhth of  the
 ,eighth month1 had a large and very    
precious meeting at ,peter  ,sharp's1 on
 the ,cliffs1 between thirty and forty  
miles distant from  the former4 ,many of
 the magistrates and upper rank of      
people were  present1 and a heavenly    
meeting it was4 ,the wife of one of the 
,governor's council was convinced2 and  
her husband was very loving to          
,friends4 ,a justice of the peace from  
,virginia was convinced1 and hath  had a
 meeting since at his house4    ,some   
,papists were at this meeting1 one of   
whom1 before he came1  threatened to    
dispute with me2 but he was reached and 
could not  oppose4 ,blessed be the      
,lord1 the ,truth reached into the      

hearts of  people beyond words1 and it  
is of a good savour amongst them6       
,after the meeting we went about        
eighteen miles to the house of ,james   
,preston1 a ,friend that lived on       
,patuxent ,river4 ,thither came to us   
an ,indian king1 with his brother1 to   
whom ,i spoke1 and found they           
understood what ,i spoke of4    ,having 
finished our service in ,maryland1 and  
intending to go to  ,virginia1 we had a 
meeting at ,patuxent on the #dth of the 
,ninth month1  to take our leave of     
,friends4 ,many people of all sorts were
 at it1  and a powerful meeting it was4 
,on the #eth we set sail for ,virginia1 
and in three days came to a  place      
called ,nancemond1 about two hundred    
miles from ,maryland4 ,in  this voyage  
we met with foul weather1 storms1 and   
rain1 and lay in  the woods by a fire in
 the night4    ,at ,nancemond lived a   
,friend called the widow ,wright4 ,next 
day we  had a great meeting there1 of   
,friends and others4 ,there came to it  

,colonel ,dewes1 with several other     
officers and magistrates1 who were  much
 taken with the ,truth declared4        
,after this1 we hastened towards        
,carolina2 yet had several meetings  by 
the way1 wherein we had good service for
 the ,lord2 one about four  miles from  
,nancemond ,water1 which was very       
precious2 and there was a  men's and    
women's meeting settled1 for taking care
 of the affairs of  the ,church4        
,another very good one also we had at   
,william ,yarrow's1 at ,pagan  ,creek1  
which was so large1 that we were fain to
 be abroad1 the house  not being large  
enough to contain the people4 ,a great  
openness there  was2 the sound of ,truth
 spread abroad1 and had a good savour in
 the  hearts of people2 the ,lord have  
the glory for ever6    ,after this our  
way to ,carolina grew worse1 being much 
of it plashy1  and pretty full of great 
bogs and swamps2 so that we were        
commonly  wet to the knees1 and lay     
abroad at nights in the woods by a fire4

    ,one night we got to a poor house at
 ,sommertown1,,az and lay by the  fire4 
,the woman of the house had a sense of  
,god upon her4 ,the report  of our      
travel had reached thither1 and drawn   
some that lived beyond  ,sommertown to  
that house1 in expectation to see and   
hear us 7so  acceptable was the sound of
 ,truth in that wilderness country72 but
  they missed us4      ,,az ,now        
,somerton4    ,the next day1 the #bast  
of the ,ninth month1 having travelled   
hard  through the woods and over many   
bogs and swamps1 we reached ,bonner's   
,creek2 and there we lay that night by  
the fireside1 the woman lending  us a   
mat to lie on4    ,this was the first   
house we came to in ,carolina4 ,here we 
left our  horses1 over-wearied with     
travel4 ,thence we went down the creek  
in  a canoe1 to ,macocomocock           
,river1,,ba and came to ,hugh ,smith's  
house1  where the people of other       
professions came to see us 7for there   
were  no ,friends in that part of the   

country71 and many of them received us  
gladly4      ,,ba ,now ,chowan4         
,amongst others came ,nathaniel ,batts1 
who had been ,governor of  ,roanoke2 he 
went by the name of ,captain ,batts1 and
 had been a rude1  desperate man4 ,he   
asked me about a woman in ,cumberland1  
who1 he said  he had been told1 had been
 healed by our prayers1 and by laying   
on of hands1 after she had been long    
sick1 and given over by the  physicians2
 and he desired to know the certainty of
 it4 ,i told him we  did not glory in   
such things1 but many such things had   
been done by  the power of ,christ4     
,not far from here we had a meeting     
among the people1 and they were  taken  
with the ,truth2 blessed be the ,lord6  
,then passing down the  river           
,maratick,,bb in a canoe1 we went down  
the bay ,coney-,hoe1 and  came to the   
house of a captain1 who was very loving1
 and lent us his  boat1 for we were much
 wet in the canoe1 the water splashing  
in upon  us4 ,with this boat we went to 

the ,governor's house2 but the water  in
 some places was so shallow that the    
boat1 being laden1 could not  swim2 so  
we were fain to put off our shoes and   
stockings1 and wade  through the water  
some distance4      ,,bb ,now ,roanoke4 
,the ,governor1 with his wife1 received 
us lovingly2 but a doctor there  would  
needs dispute with us4 ,and truly his   
opposing us was of good  service1 giving
 occasion for the opening of many things
 to the people  concerning the ,light   
and ,spirit of ,god1 which he denied to 
be in  everyone2 and affirmed that it   
was not in the ,indians4    ,whereupon  
,i called an ,indian to us1 and asked   
him whether when he  lied1 or did wrong 
to any one1 there was not something in  
him that  reproved him for it4 ,he said 
there was such a thing in him1 that did 
so reprove him2 and he was ashamed when 
he had done wrong1 or spoken  wrong4 ,so
 we shamed the doctor before the        
,governor and the people2  insomuch that
 the poor man ran out so far that at    

length he would  not own the            
,scriptures4    ,we tarried at the      
,governor's that night2 and next morning
 he very  courteously walked with us    
himself about two miles through the     
woods1  to a place whither he had sent  
our boat about to meet us4 ,taking      
leave of him1 we entered our boat1 and  
went that day about thirty  miles to the
 house of ,joseph ,scott1 one of the    
representatives of the  country4        
,there we had a sound1 precious meeting2
 the people were tender1 and  much      
desired after meetings4 ,at a house     
about four miles further1 we  had       
another meeting1 to which came the      
,governor's secretary1 who was  chief   
secretary of the province1 and had been 
formerly convinced4    ,having visited  
the north part of ,carolina1 and made a 
little entrance  for ,truth upon the    
people there1 we began to return towards
 ,virginia1  having several meetings in 
our way1 wherein we had very good       
service  for the ,lord1 the people being

 generally tender and open2 blessed be  
the ,lord6    ,we lay one night at the  
house of the secretary1 to get to which 
gave  us much trouble2 for the water    
being shallow1 we could not bring our   
boat to shore2 but the secretary's wife1
 seeing our strait1 came  herself in a  
canoe 7her husband being from home7 and 
brought us to  land4    ,next morning   
our boat was sunk2 but we got her up1   
mended her1 and  went away in her that  
day about twenty-four miles1 the water  
being  rough1 and the winds high2 but   
the great power of ,god was seen1 in    
carrying us safe in that rotten boat4   
,upon our return we had a very precious 
meeting at ,hugh ,smith's2  praised be  
the ,lord for ever6 ,the people were    
very tender1 and very  good service we  
had amongst them4 ,there was at this    
meeting an ,indian  captain1 who was    
very loving2 and acknowledged it to be  
,truth that  was spoken4 ,there was also
 one of the ,indian priests1 whom they  
called a ,pawaw1 who sat soberly among  

the people4    ,the #ith of the ,tenth  
month we got back to ,bonner's ,creek1  
where we  had left our horses1 having   
spent about eighteen days in the north  
of  ,carolina4    ,our horses having    
rested1 we set forward for ,virginia    
again1  travelling through the woods and
 bogs as far as we could well reach     
that day1 and at night lying by a fire  
in the woods4 ,next day we had  a       
tedious journey through bogs and swamps1
 and were exceedingly wet  and dirty all
 the day1 but dried ourselves at night  
by a fire4    ,we got that night to     
,sommertown4 ,as we came near1 the woman
 of the  house1 seeing us1 spoke to her 
son to keep up their dogs2 for both  in 
,virginia and ,carolina 7living lonely  
in the woods7 they generally  keep great
 dogs to guard their houses4 ,but the   
son said1 ,there is  no need2 our dogs  
will not meddle with these people4 ,when
 we were  come into the house1 she told 
us we were like the children of ,israel1
  against whom the dogs did not move    

their tongues4 ,here we lay in our      
clothes by the fire1 as we had done many
 a night before4    ,next day we had a  
meeting2 for the people1 having been    
informed of  us1 had a great desire to  
hear us2 and a very good meeting we had 
among them1 where we never had had one  
before2 praised be the ,lord  for ever6 
,after the meeting we hastened away4    
,when we had ridden about twenty miles1 
calling at a house to inquire  the way1 
the people desired us to tarry all night
 with them2 which we  did4    ,next day 
we came among ,friends1 after we had    
travelled about an  hundred miles from  
,carolina into ,virginia3 in which time 
we observed  great variety of climates1 
having passed in a few days from a very 
cold to a warm and spring-like country4 
,but the power of the ,lord is  the same
 in all1 is over all1 and doth reach the
 good in all2 praised  be the ,lord for 
ever6    ,we spent about three weeks in 
travelling through ,virginia1 mostly    
amongst ,friends1 having large and      

precious meetings in several  parts of  
the country2 as at the widow ,wright's1 
where many of the  magistrates1         
officers1 and other high people came4 ,a
 most heavenly  meeting we had2 wherein 
the power of the ,lord was so great that
 it  struck a dread upon the assembly1  
chained all down1 and brought  reverence
 upon the people's minds4    ,among the 
officers was a major1 kinsman to the    
priest1 who told me  that the priest had
 threatened to come and oppose us4 ,but 
the ,lord's  power was too strong for   
him1 and stopped him2 and we were quiet 
and  peaceable4 ,the people were        
wonderfully affected with the testimony 
of  ,truth2 blessed be the ,lord for    
ever6    ,having finished what service  
lay upon us in ,virginia1 on the #cjth  
we  set sail in an open sloop for       
,maryland4 ,but having a great storm1   
and being much wet1 we were glad to get 
to shore before night2 and1  walking to 
a house at ,willoughby ,point1 we got   
lodging there that  night4 ,the woman of

 the house was a widow1 and a very      
tender person2  she had never received  
,friends before2 but she received us    
very  kindly1 and with tears in her     
eyes4    ,we returned to our boat in the
 morning1 and hoisted our sail1 getting 
forward as fast as we could4 ,but       
towards evening1 a storm rising1  we had
 much ado to get to shore2 and our boat 
being open1 the water  splashed often   
in1 and sometimes over us1 so that we   
were completely  wet4 ,being got to     
land1 we made a fire in the woods to    
warm and dry  us1 and there we lay all  
night1 the wolves howling about us4     
,on the #ast of the ,eleventh month we  
sailed again4 ,the wind being  against  
us1 we made but little headway1 and were
 fain to get to shore  at ,point        
,comfort1 where yet we found but small  
comfort4 ,for the  weather was so cold  
that though we made a good fire in the  
woods to  lie by1 the water that we had 
brought for our use was frozen near the 
fireside4 ,we made to sea again next    

day2 but the wind being strong  and     
against us1 we advanced but little4 ,we 
were glad to get to land  again1 and    
travelled about to find some house where
 we might buy  provisions1 for our store
 was spent4    ,that night1 also1 we lay
 in the woods2 and so extremely cold was
 the  weather1 the wind blowing high1   
and the frost and snow being great1     
that it was hard for some of us to abide
 it4    ,on the #c;d1 the wind setting  
pretty fair1 we fetched it up by sailing
  and rowing1 and got that night to     
,milford ,haven1 where we lay at        
,richard ,long's1 near ,quince's        
,island4    ,next day we passed by      
,rappahannock ,river1 where dwell many  
people2  and ,friends had a meeting     
there at the house of a justice1 who had
  formerly been at a meeting where ,i   
was4    ,we passed over ,potomac ,river 
also1 the winds being high1 the water   
very rough1 our sloop open1 and the     
weather extremely cold2 and had a       
meeting there also1 where some people   

were convinced4 ,when we parted  thence1
 some of our company went amongst them4 
,we next steered our  course for        
,patuxent ,river4 ,i sat at the helm the
 greater part of the  day1 and some of  
the night4 ,about the first hour in the 
morning we  reached ,james ,preston's   
house1 on ,patuxent ,river1 which is    
about two  hundred miles from ,nancemond
 in ,virginia4    ,we were very weary2  
yet the next day being the first of the 
week1 we  went to the meeting not far   
from there4 ,the same week we went to an
  ,indian king's cabin1 where were      
several of the ,indians1 with whom we   
had a good opportunity to discourse2 and
 they carried themselves very  lovingly4
 ,we went also that week to a general   
meeting2 then about  eighteen miles     
further to ,john ,geary's1 where we had 
a very precious  meeting2 praised be the
 ,lord ,god for ever6    ,after this the
 cold grew so exceedingly sharp1 the    
frost and snow so  extreme1 beyond what 
was usual in that country1 that we could

 hardly  endure it4 ,neither was it easy
 or safe to stir out2 yet we got1 with  
some difficulty1 six miles through the  
snow to ,john ,mayor's1 where  we met   
with some ,friends come from ,new       
,england1 whom we had left  there when  
we came away2 and glad we were to see   
each other1 after so  long and tedious  
travels4    ,by these ,friends we       
understood that ,william ,edmundson1    
having been  at ,rhode ,island and ,new 
,england1 was gone thence for ,ireland2 
that  ,solomon ,eccles1 coming from     
,jamaica and landing at ,boston in ,new 
,england1 was taken at a meeting there1 
and banished to ,barbadoes2  that ,john 
,stubbs and another ,friend were gone   
into ,new ,jersey1 and  several other   
,friends to ,barbadoes1 ,jamaica1 and   
the ,leeward ,islands4  ,it was matter  
of joy to us to understand that the work
 of the ,lord  went on and prospered1   
and that ,friends were unwearied and    
diligent  in the service4    ,the #bgth 
of the ,eleventh month we had a very    

precious meeting in a  tobacco-house4   
,the next day we returned to ,james     
,preston's1 about  eighteen miles       
distant4 ,when we came there1 we found  
his house had  been burnt to the ground 
the night before1 through the           
carelessness  of a maid-servant2 so we  
lay three nights on the ground by the   
fire1  the weather being very cold4     
,we made an observation which was       
somewhat strange1 but certainly  true2  
that one day1 in the midst of this cold 
weather1 the wind  turning into the     
south1 it grew so hot that we could     
hardly bear the  heat2 and the next day 
and night1 the wind chopping back into  
the  north1 we could hardly endure the  
cold4    ,having travelled through most 
parts of that country1 and visited  most
 of the plantations1 and having sounded 
the alarm to all people  where we came1 
and proclaimed the day of ,god's        
salvation amongst  them1 we found our   
spirits began to be clear of these parts
 of the  world1 and draw towards ,old   

,england again4 ,yet we were desirous1  
and  felt freedom from the ,lord1 to    
stay over the general meeting for the   
province of ,maryland1 which drew nigh2 
that we might see ,friends  generally   
together before we departed4            
,spending our time in the interim in    
visiting ,friends and ,friendly  people1
 in attending meetings about the ,cliffs
 and ,patuxent1 and  in writing answers 
to cavilling objections which some of   
,truth's  adversaries had raised and    
spread abroad to hinder people from     
receiving the ,truth1 we were not idle1 
but laboured in the work of  the ,lord  
until that general provincial meeting   
came on1 which began  on the #agth of   
the ,third month1 and lasted four days4 
,on the first of  these the men and     
women had their meetings for business1  
wherein the  affairs of the ,church were
 taken care of1 and many things relating
  thereto were opened unto them1 to     
their edification and comfort4    ,the  
other three days were spent in public   

meetings for the worship of  ,god1 at   
which divers of considerable account in 
the government1 and  many others1 were  
present4 ,these were generally          
satisfied1 and many  of them reached2   
for it was a wonderful1 glorious        
meeting1 and the  mighty presence of the
 ,lord was seen and felt over all2      
blessed and  praised for ever be ,his   
holy name1 who over all giveth dominion6
    ,after this meeting we took our     
leave of ,friends1 parting in great     
tenderness1 in the sense of the heavenly
 life and virtuous power of  the ,lord  
that was livingly felt amongst us2 and  
went by water to the  place where we    
were to take shipping1 many ,friends    
accompanying us  thither and tarrying   
with us that night4    ,next day1 the   
#bast of the ,third month1 #afgc1 we set
 sail for ,england2  the same day       
,richard ,covell came on board our ship1
 having had his  own taken from him by  
the ,dutch4    ,we had foul weather and 
contrary winds1 which caused us to cast 

anchor often1 so that we were till the  
#cast ere we could get past the  capes  
of ,virginia and out into the main sea4 
,but after this we made  good speed1 and
 on the #bhth of the ,fourth month cast 
anchor at ,king's  ,road1 which is the  
harbour for ,bristol4    ,we had on our 
passage very high winds and tempestuous 
weather1 which  made the sea exceedingly
 rough1 the waves rising like mountains2
 so  that the masters and sailors       
wondered at it1 and said they had never 
seen the like before4 ,but though the   
wind was strong it set for the  most    
part with us1 so that we sailed before  
it2 and the great ,god  who commands the
 winds1 who is ,lord of heaven1 of      
earth1 and the  seas1 and whose wonders 
are seen in the deep1 steered our course
  and preserved us from many imminent   
dangers4 ,the same good hand of         
,providence that went with us1 and      
carried us safely over1 watched  over us
 in our return1 and brought us safely   
back again2 thanksgiving  and praises be

 to his holy name for ever6    ,many    
sweet and precious meetings we had on   
board the ship during this  voyage      
7commonly two a week71 wherein the      
blessed presence of the  ,lord did      
greatly refresh us1 and often break in  
upon and tender the  company4    ,when  
we came into ,bristol harbour1 there lay
 a man-of-war1 and the  press-master    
came on board to impress our men4 ,we   
had a meeting at  that time in the ship 
with the seamen1 before we went to      
shore2 and  the press-master sat down   
with us1 stayed the meeting1 and was    
well  satisfied with it4 ,after the     
meeting ,i spoke to him to leave in our 
ship two of the men he had impressed1   
for he had impressed four1 one  of whom 
was a lame man4 ,he said1 ,at your      
request ,i will4    ,we went on shore   
that afternoon1 and got to              
,shirehampton4 ,we procured  horses and 
rode to ,bristol that night1 where      
,friends received us with  great joy4   
,in the evening ,i wrote a letter to my 

wife1 to give her  notice of my         
landing4#agj      #agj ,the letter began
 as follows3         ,dear heart1       
,this day we came into ,bristol1 near   
night1 from the sea2 glory       to the 
,lord ,god over all for ever1 who was   
our convoy1 and       steered our       
course6 who is the ,god of the whole    
earth1 of the       seas and winds1 and 
made the clouds ,his chariots1 beyond   
all       words1 blessed be ,his name   
for ever6 ,he is over all in ,his great 
power and wisdom4 ,amen4                
,,chapter ,,xix4    ,the ,last          
,imprisonment4    #afgc-afgh4           
,between this and the fair1 my wife came
 out of the ,north to  ,bristol to me1  
and her son-in-law1 ,thomas ,lower1 with
 two of her  daughters1#aga came with   
her4 ,her other son-in-law1 ,john ,rous1
  ,william ,penn and his wife1 and      
,gerrard ,roberts1 came from ,london1   
and many ,friends from several parts of 
the nation1 to the fair2 and  glorious1 
powerful meetings we had at that time1  

for the ,lord's  infinite power and life
 was over all4      #aga ,when ,george  
,fox married ,margaret ,fell she had one
 son1    ,george1 and seven daughters1  
as follows3 ,margaret1 who married      
,john ,rous2 ,bridget1 who married ,john
 ,draper2 ,isabel1 twice    married1    
first to ,william ,yeomans1 and then to 
,abraham ,morrice2    ,sarah1 who       
married ,william ,mead 7,penn's         
companion in the famous    trial71      
,mary1 who married ,thomas ,lower2      
,susanna1 who married    ,william       
,ingram1 and ,rachel1 who married       
,daniel ,abraham4    ,i passed into     
,wiltshire1 where also we had many      
blessed meetings4 ,at  ,slattenford1 in 
,wiltshire1 we had a very good meeting1 
though we met  there with much          
opposition from some who had set        
themselves against  women's meetings2   
which ,i was moved of the ,lord to      
recommend to  ,friends1 for the benefit 
and advantage of the ,church of         
,christ1#agb  that faithful women1 who  

were called to the belief of the ,truth1
  being made partakers of the same      
precious faith1 and heirs of the  same  
everlasting gospel of life and salvation
 with the men1 might  in like manner    
come into the possession and practice of
 the gospel  order1 and therein be      
helpmeets unto the men in the           
restoration1,,bc  are outwardly in      
civil1 or temporal things2 that so all  
the family  of ,god1 women as well as   
men1 might know1 possess1 perform1 and  
discharge their offices and services in 
the house of ,god1 whereby the  poor    
might be better taken care of1 the      
younger instructed1 informed1  and      
taught in the way of ,god2 the loose and
 disorderly reproved  and admonished in 
the fear of the ,lord2 the clearness of 
persons  proposing marriage more closely
 and strictly inquired into in the      
wisdom of ,god2 and all the members of  
the spiritual body1 the ,church1  might 
watch over and be helpful to each other 
in love4      #agb ,this is the         

beginning of a serious opposition to    
,fox's    system of government1 which   
finally grew to an open schism4 ,it     
was headed by ,john ,wilkinson and ,john
 ,story4 ,it was one of the    most     
trying struggles of ,fox's life4        
,,bc ,that is1 in reclaiming those who  
have gone astray4    ,after a visit at  
,kingston1 ,i went to ,london1 where ,i 
found the  ,baptists and ,socinians1    
with some old apostates1 grown very     
rude1  having printed many books against
 us2 so that ,i had a great travail  in 
the ,lord's power1 before ,i could get  
clear of that city4 ,but  blessed be the
 ,lord1 his power came over them1 and   
all their lying1  wicked1 scandalous    
books were answered4         ,after a   
visit with ,william ,penn at the        
latter's home at       ,rickmansworth1  
he started on his journey north towards 
,swarthmore1 accompanied by his wife1   
two of her daughters and       his      
son-in-law1 ,thomas ,lower1 a journey   
which led to more than a       year's   

imprisonment--his last imprisonment1 as 
it proved4    ,at night1 as ,i was      
sitting at supper1 ,i felt ,i was taken2
 yet ,i  said nothing then to any one of
 it4 ,but getting out next morning1  we 
travelled into ,worcestershire1 and went
 to ,john ,halford's1 at  ,armscott1    
where we had a very large and precious  
meeting in his barn1  the ,lord's       
powerful presence being eminently with  
and amongst us4    ,after the meeting1  
,friends being most of them gone1 as ,i 
was sitting  in the parlour1 discoursing
 with some ,friends1 ,henry ,parker1 a  
justice1 came to the house1 and with him
 one ,rowland ,hains1 a priest  of      
,hunniton1 in ,warwickshire4 ,this      
justice heard of the meeting  by means  
of a woman ,friend1 who1 being nurse to 
a child of his1  asked leave of her     
mistress to go to the meeting to see me2
 and she  speaking of it to her husband1
 he and the priest plotted together to  
come and break it up and apprehend me4  
,but from their sitting long at dinner1 

it being the day on which his  child was
 sprinkled1 they did not come till the  
meeting was over1 and  ,friends mostly  
gone4 ,but though there was no meeting  
when they came1  yet ,i1 who was the    
person they aimed at1 being in the      
house1 ,henry  ,parker took me1 and     
,thomas ,lower for company with me2 and 
though he  had nothing to lay to our    
charge1 sent us both to ,worcester jail1
 by  a strange sort of mittimus4        
,being thus made prisoners1 without any 
probable appearance of being  released  
before the quarter-sessions at soonest1 
we got some ,friends  to accompany my   
wife and her daughter into the north1   
and we were  conveyed to ,worcester4    
,thence1 by the time ,i thought my wife 
would  reach home1 ,i wrote her the     
following letter3         ,,dear        
,,heart3         ,thou seemedst to be a 
little grieved when ,i was speaking of  
prisons1 and when ,i was taken4 ,be     
content with the will of the       ,lord
 ,god4 ,for when ,i was at ,john        

,rous's1 at ,kingston1 ,i had       a   
sight of my being taken prisoner2 and   
when ,i was at ,bray       ,doily's1 in 
,oxfordshire1 as ,i sat at supper1 ,i   
saw ,i was taken1       and ,i saw ,i   
had a suffering to undergo4 ,but the    
,lord's power is       over all2 blessed
 be ,his holy name forever6             
,g4 ,f4#agc      #agc ,margaret ,fox and
 her daughter were sent on under the    
escort    of a ,friend1 a merchant from 
,bristol1 who1 ,fox says1 seemed to     
have met us providentially to assist my 
wife and her daughter    in their       
journey homewards1 when by our          
imprisonment they were    deprived of   
our company and help4 ,fox had just     
received a    message that his mother   
was in her last illness1 and it had been
    his intention to part from his wife 
in ,warwickshire and have a    last     
visit with his aged mother4 ,this       
privilege never came1 for    ,mary ,fox1
 of ,fenny ,drayton1 died while her son 
was in ,worcester    prison4            

,this imprisonment began ,december      
#agth1 #afgc4 ,the case was             
brought before the sessions on the #bast
 of ,january1 #afgd4 ,when       we came
 in1 he writes1 they were stricken with 
paleness in       their faces1 and it   
was some time before anything was       
spoken2       insomuch that a butcher in
 the hall said1 ',what1 are they        
afraid8 ,dare not the justices speak to 
them8' ,there was       manifestly no   
case against them on the mittimus1 but  
the       judge1 at the suggestion of   
the priest1 took the easy way to        
catch them4 ,you1 ,mr4 ,fox1 are a      
famous man1 and all this may       be   
true which you have said2 but1 that we  
may be the better       satisfied1 will 
you take the oaths of allegiance and    
supremacy8       ,the usual refusal was 
given1 followed with the penalty of     
prmunire4 ,during this long imprisonment
 he had the promise of       a pardon   
from the king1 but he refused to get his
 liberty by any       method which      

implied that he had done wrong and      
needed pardon4       ,at the next       
sessions1 in ,april1 he got a temporary 
liberty1       so that he went to       
,london and attended yearly meeting1    
after       which he returned to        
,worcester for a new trial1 which ended 
in       the same old way4 ,meantime the
 strong man's constitution was          
yielding to the incessant strain upon   
it4    ,about this time ,i had a fit of 
sickness1 which brought me very low  and
 weak in my body2 and ,i continued so a 
pretty while1 insomuch that  some       
,friends began to doubt of my recovery4 
,i seemed to myself to  be amongst the  
graves and dead corpses2 yet the        
invisible power did  secretly support   
me1 and conveyed refreshing strength    
into me1 even  when ,i was so weak that 
,i was almost speechless4 ,one night1 as
 ,i was  lying awake upon my bed in the 
glory of the ,lord which was over all1  
it was said unto me that the ,lord had a
 great deal more work for me  to do for 

,him before ,he took me to ,himself4    
,after this about ,october #ast1 #afgd  
my wife went to ,london1 and  spoke to  
the ,king1 laying before him my long and
 unjust imprisonment1  with the manner  
of my being taken1 and the justices'    
proceedings  against me1 in tendering me
 the oath as a snare1 whereby they had  
prmunired me2 so that ,i being now his  
prisoner1 it was in his power1  and at  
his pleasure1 to release me1 which she  
desired4    ,the ,king spoke kindly to  
her1 and referred her to the            
,lord-,keeper2 to  whom she went2 but   
she could not obtain what she desired1  
for he said  the ,king could not release
 me otherwise than by a pardon1 and ,i  
was  not free to receive a pardon1      
knowing ,i had not done evil4 ,if ,i    
would  have been freed by a pardon1 ,i  
need not have lain so long1 for the     
,king was willing to give me pardon long
 before1 and told ,thomas ,moore  that  
,i need not scruple1 being released by a
 pardon1 for many a man  that was as    

innocent as a child had had a pardon    
granted him2 yet ,i  could not consent  
to have one4 ,for ,i would rather have  
lain in prison  all my days1 than have  
come out in any way dishonourable to    
,truth2  therefore ,i chose to have the 
validity of my indictment tried before  
the judges4    ,thereupon1 having first 
had the opinion of a counsellor upon it 
7,thomas ,corbet1 of ,london1 with whom 
,richard ,davis1 of ,welchpool1 was     
well acquainted1 and whom he recommended
 to me71 an habeas corpus was  sent down
 to ,worcester to bring me up once more 
to the ,king's ,bench  bar1 for the     
trial of the errors in my indictment4   
,the under-sheriff  set forward with me 
the #dth of the ,twelfth month4    ,we  
came to ,london on the #hth1 and on the 
#aath ,i was brought before  the four   
judges at the ,king's ,bench1 where     
,counsellor ,corbet pleaded  my cause4  
,he started a new plea2 for he told the 
judges that they  could not imprison any
 man upon a prmunire4    ,chief-,justice

 ,hale said1 ,mr4 ,corbet1 you should   
have come sooner1 at  the beginning of  
the term1 with this plea4    ,he        
answered1 ,we could not get a copy of   
the return and the  indictment4    ,the 
,judge replied1 ,you should have told   
us1 and we would have forced  them to   
make a return sooner4    ,then said     
,judge ,wild1 ,mr4 ,corbet1 you go upon 
general terms2 and if  it be as you say1
 we have committed many errors at the   
,old ,bailey1  and in other courts4     
,corbet was positive that by law they   
could not imprison upon a  prmunire4    
,the ,judge said1 ,there is summons in  
the statute4    ,yes1 said ,corbet1 but 
summons is not imprisonment2 for summons
 is  in order to a trial4    ,well1 said
 the ,judge1 we must have time to look  
in our books and  consult the statutes4 
,so the hearing was put off till the    
next day4    ,the next day they chose   
rather to let this plea fall and begin  
with  the errors of the indictment2 and 
when they came to be opened1 they  were 

so many and gross that the judges were  
all of opinion that the  indictment was 
quashed and void1 and that ,i ought to  
have my liberty4    ,there were that day
 several great men1 lords and others1   
who had the  oaths of allegiance and    
supremacy tendered to them in open      
court1  just before my trial came on2   
and some of my adversaries moved the    
judges that the oaths might be tendered 
again to me1 telling them ,i  was a     
dangerous man to be at liberty4    ,but 
,chief-,justice ,hale#agd said that he  
had indeed heard some such  reports1 but
 he had also heard many more good       
reports of me2 and so  he and the rest  
of the judges ordered me to be freed by 
proclamation4      #agd ,this is ,chief 
,justice ,sir ,matthew ,hale4    ,thus  
after ,i had suffered imprisonment a    
year and almost two months  for nothing1
 ,i was fairly set at liberty upon a    
trial of the errors  in my indictment1  
without receiving any pardon1 or coming 
under any  obligation or engagement at  

all2 and the ,lord's everlasting power  
went over all1 to ,his glory and praise4
    ,counsellor ,corbet1 who pleaded for
 me1 obtained great fame by it1  for    
many of the lawyers came to him and told
 him he had brought that  to light which
 had not been known before1 as to the   
not imprisoning  upon a prmunire2 and   
after the trial a judge said to him1    
,you have  attained a great deal of     
honour by pleading ,george ,fox's cause 
so in  court4#age      #age ,it will be 
noticed that ,fox is set at liberty on  
the errors    in his indictment1 and not
 on a judicial decision that it is      
illegal to imprison on a prmunire4      
,being at liberty1 ,i visited ,friends  
in ,london2 and having been very  weak1 
and not yet well recovered1 ,i went to  
,kingston2 and having  visited ,friends 
there1 returned to ,london1 wrote a     
paper to the  ,parliament1 and sent     
several books to them4    ,a great book 
against swearing had been delivered to  
them a little  before2 the              

reasonableness whereof had so much      
influence1 that it was  thought they    
would have done something towards our   
relief if they  had sat longer4 ,i      
stayed in and near ,london till the     
yearly meeting1  to which ,friends came 
from most parts of the nation1 and some 
from  beyond sea4 ,a glorious meeting we
 had in the everlasting power of ,god4  
,the illness ,i got in my imprisonment  
at ,worcester had so much  weakened me  
that it was long before ,i recovered my 
natural strength  again4 ,for which     
reason1 and as many things lay upon me  
to write1  both for public and private  
service1 ,i did not stir much abroad    
during the time that ,i now stayed in   
the north2 but when ,friends were  not  
with me1 ,i spent much time in writing  
for ,truth's service4 ,while  ,i was at 
,swarthmore1 ,i gave several books to be
 printed4#agf      #agf ,george ,fox was
 now only fifty-one years old1 but he   
was    prematurely broken by the        
sufferings and exposures which only     

such an iron constitution as he         
possessed could have endured for        
thirty years4 ,he still had fourteen    
years to live1 but from now    on a     
decided change appears4 ,there is no    
cessation of activity1    but it is     
activity of a quieter sort4 ,only one   
important mission    journey falls in   
these years--the visit to ,holyland and 
,germany4    ,henceforth he makes his   
pen speak for him4 ,epistles and books  
are    the main results of these        
fourteen years4 ,the ,journal grows dry 
and devoid of dramatic interest1 and our
 gleanings from it will    be few4 ,he  
is much at ,swarthmore or at ,kingston1 
near ,london1    where ,margaret ,rous1 
a daughter of his wife1 lived4          
,this letter to his ,dear ,heart from   
,york during the winter of       #afgg  
shows that he still had some power of   
endurance left4         ,,dear ,,heart3 
,to whom is my love1 and to thy         
daughters1 and to all ,friends          
that inquire after me4 ,my desires are  

that ye all may be       preserved in   
the ,lord's everlasting ,seed1 in whom  
ye will have       life and peace1      
dominion and settlement1 in the         
everlasting home       or dwelling in   
the house built upon the foundation of  
,god4         ,in the power of the ,lord
 ,i am brought to ,york1 having had many
       meetings in the way4 ,the road   
was many times deep and bad with        
snow1 our horses sometimes were down1   
and we were not able to       ride2 and 
sometimes we had great storms and rain2 
but by the       power of the ,lord ,i  
went through all4         ,at ,scarhouse
 there was a very large meeting1 and at 
,burrowby       another1 to which       
,friends came out of ,cleveland and     
,durham2 and       many other meetings  
we have had4 ,at ,york1 yesterday1 we   
had a       very large meeting1         
exceedingly thronged1 ,friends being at 
it       from many parts1 and all quiet1
 and well satisfied4 ,oh the glory      
of the ,lord that shone over all6       

,this day we have had a large men's and 
women's meeting1 many       ,friends1   
both men and women1 being come out of   
the country1 and       all was quiet4   
,this evening we are to have the men's  
and women's       meeting of the        
,friends of the city4         ,john     
,whitehead is here1 with ,robert ,lodge 
and others2 ,friends       are mighty   
glad1 above measure4 ,so ,i am in my    
holy element and       holy work in the 
,lord2 glory to ,his name for ever6     
,to-morrow ,i       intend to go out of 
the city towards ,tadcaster1 though ,i  
cannot       ride as in days past2 yet  
praised be the ,lord that ,i can travel 
as well as ,i do6         ,so with my   
love in the fountain of life1 in which  
as ye all       abide ye will have      
refreshment of life1 that by it we may  
grow       and gather eternal strength  
to serve the ,lord1 and be satisfied1   
to the ,god of all power1 who is        
all-sufficient to preserve you1       ,i
 commit you all4                        

,g4 ,f4         ,york1 the #afth of the 
,second month ,april #afgg4             
,after much service in several counties1
 he returns to ,london4       ,the      
,journal proceeds3    ,it pleased the   
,lord to bring me safe to ,london1      
though much wearied2  for though ,i rode
 not very far in a day1 yet1 through    
weakness  of body1 continual travelling 
was hard to me4 ,besides1 ,i had not    
much rest at night to refresh nature2   
for ,i often sat up late with  ,friends1
 where ,i lodged1 to inform and advise  
them in things wherein  they were       
wanting2 and when in bed ,i was often   
hindered of sleep by  great pains in my 
head and teeth1 occasioned1 as ,i       
thought1 from  cold taken by riding     
often in the rain4 ,but the ,lord's     
power was over  all1 and carried me     
through all1 to ,his praise4    ,to the 
,london ,yearly ,meeting,,bd many       
,friends came from most parts  of the   
nation2 and some out of ,scotland1      
,holland1 etc4 ,very glorious  meetings 

we had1 wherein the ,lord's powerful    
presence was very  largely felt2 and the
 affairs of ,truth were sweetly carried 
on in  the unity of the ,spirit1 to the 
satisfaction and comfort of the         
upright-hearted2 blessed be the ,lord   
for ever6      ,,bd #afgg4    ,after the
 yearly meeting1 having stayed a week or
 two with ,friends  in ,london1 ,i went 
down with ,william ,penn to his house in
 ,sussex1,,be  ,john ,burnyeat and some 
other ,friends being with us4 ,as we    
passed  through ,surrey1 hearing the    
quarterly meeting was that day1 ,william
  ,penn1 ,john ,burnyeat1 and ,i1 went  
from the road to it2 and after the      
meeting returning to our other company1 
went with them to ,william  ,penn's that
 night2 which is forty miles from       
,london4      ,,be ,worminghurst4    ,i 
stayed at ,worminghurst about three     
weeks2 in which time ,john  ,burnyeat   
and ,i answered a very envious and      
wicked book1 which ,roger  ,williams1 a 
priest of ,new ,england 7or some colony 

thereabouts7 had  written against ,truth
 and ,friends4#agg      #agg ,fox did   
not see ,roger ,williams in ,providence1
 though the    latter had a personal    
tilt with ,john ,burnyeat at ,newport in
    #afga4 ,after ,george ,fox had left 
,providence and had gone back    down   
the ,bay with his companion1 ,nicholas  
,easton1 governor of    ,rhode ,island1 
,roger ,williams rowed to ,newport with 
a challenge    to a debate4 ,fox1       
however1 had already left the island1   
and was    well on his way toward ,long 
,island4 ,williams then wrote1 what     
,fox elsewhere calls ,roger ,williams's 
',book of ,lyes1' a book    bearing the 
grimly humorous title1 ,george ,fox     
digged out of his    ,burrows1 ,boston1 
#afgf4 7,see ,publications of the       
,narragansett    ,club1 ,vol4 ,v41 pp4  
xx4-xlv41 ,providence1 #ahgb47 ,fox and 
,burnyeat    reply to this slanderous   
book in a sixty-five-page pamphlet      
entitled1 ,a ,new ,england ,fire ,brand 
,quenched4 ,fox seemed not to    know   

just where the famous apostle of soul   
liberty lived1 as he    says1 a priest  
of ,new ,england 7or some colony        
thereabouts67    ,when we had finished  
that service1 we went with ,stephen     
,smith to his  house at ,warpledon in   
,surrey1 where we had a large meeting4  
,friends  thereaway had been exceedingly
 plundered about two months before on   
the priest's account2 for they took from
 ,stephen ,smith five kine  7being all  
he had7 for about fifty shillings       
tithes4    ,thence we went to ,kingston1
 and so to ,london1 where ,i stayed not 
long2 for it was upon me from the ,lord 
to go into ,holland1 to visit  ,friends 
and to preach the gospel there1 and in  
some parts of ,germany4  ,wherefore1    
setting things in order for my journey  
as fast as ,i could1  ,i took leave of  
,friends at ,london2 and with several   
other ,friends  went down to            
,colchester1 in order to my passage for 
,holland4    ,next day1 being           
,first-day1 ,i was at the public meeting

 of ,friends  there1 which was very     
large and peaceable4 ,in the evening ,i 
had  another large one1 but not so      
public1 at ,john ,furly's house1 where  
,i  lodged4 ,the day following ,i was at
 the women's meeting there1 which  also 
was very large4    ,thence next day we  
passed to ,harwich1 where ,robert       
,duncan1 and  several other ,friends out
 of the country1 came to see us2 and    
some  from ,london came to us there1    
that intended to go over with me4       
,the packet in which we were to go not  
being ready1 we went to the  meeting in 
the town1 and a precious opportunity we 
had together2  for the ,lord1 according 
to ,his wonted goodness1 by ,his        
overcoming1  refreshing power1 opened   
many mouths to declare ,his everlasting 
,truth1 to praise and glorify ,him4     
,after the meeting at ,harwich we       
returned to ,john ,vandewall's1 where ,i
  had lodged2 and when the boat was     
ready1 taking leave of ,friends1 we     
that were bound for ,holland went on    

board about nine in the evening1  on the
 #beth of the ,fifth month1 #afgg4 ,the 
,friends that went over  with me1 were  
,william ,penn1 ,robert ,barclay1       
,george ,keith and his  wife1 ,john     
,furly and his brother1 ,william        
,tallcoat1 ,george ,watts1 and  ,isabel 
,yeomans1 one of my wife's daughters4   
,about one in the morning we weighed    
anchor1 having a fair brisk wind1  which
 by next morning brought us within sight
 of ,holland4 ,but that  day proving    
very clear and calm we got forward      
little1 till about  four in the         
afternoon1 when a fresh gale arose which
 carried us  within a league of land4   
,then being becalmed again1 we cast     
anchor  for that night1 it being between
 the hours of nine and ten in the       
evening4    ,william ,penn and ,robert  
,barclay1 understanding that ,benjamin  
,furly  was come from ,rotterdam to the 
,briel to meet us1 got two of the       
boatmen to let down a small boat that   
belonged to the packet1 and row  them to

 shore2 but before they could reach it  
the gates were shut2  and there being no
 house without the gates1 they lay in a 
fisherman's  boat all night4    ,as soon
 as the gates were opened in the        
morning1 they went in1 and  found       
,benjamin ,furly1 with other ,friends of
 ,rotterdam1 that were come  thither to 
receive us2 and they sent a boat1 with  
three young men  in it1 that lived with 
,benjamin ,furly1 who brought us to the 
,briel1  where the ,friends received us 
with great gladness4    ,we stayed about
 two hours to refresh ourselves1 and    
then took boat1  with the ,holland      
,friends1 for ,rotterdam1 where we      
arrived about  eleven that day1 the     
#bhth of the month4 ,i was very well    
this voyage1  but some of the ,friends  
were sea-sick4 ,a fine passage we had1  
and all  came safe and well to land2    
blessed and praised be the name of the  
,lord for ever6    ,next day1 being     
,first-day1 we had two meetings at      
,benjamin ,furly's1  where many of the  

townspeople and some officers came in1  
and all  were civil4 ,benjamin ,furly1  
or ,john ,claus1 a ,friend of           
,amsterdam1  interpreted1 when any      
,friend declared4 ,i spent the next day 
in  visiting ,friends there4    ,the day
 following1 ,william ,penn and ,i1 with 
other ,friends1 went  towards ,amsterdam
 with some ,friends of that city1 who   
came to  ,rotterdam to conduct us       
thither4 ,we took boat in the afternoon1
 and1  passing by ,overkirk1 came to    
,delft1 through which we walked on foot4
    ,we then took boat again to ,leyden1
 where we lodged that night at  an inn4 
,this is six ,dutch miles from          
,rotterdam1 which are eighteen  ,english
 miles1 and five hours' sail or         
travelling2 for our boat was  drawn by a
 horse that went on the shore4    ,next 
day1 taking boat again1 we went to      
,haarlem1 fourteen miles from  ,leyden1 
where we had appointed a meeting1 which 
proved very large2  for many of the     
townspeople came in1 and two of their   

preachers4 ,the  ,lord gave us a blessed
 opportunity1 not only with respect to  
,friends1  but to other sober people1   
and the meeting ended peaceably and     
well4  ,after it we passed to           
,amsterdam4         ,after a conference1
 the following meetings were established
 or       settled4    ,a monthly1 a     
quarterly1 and a yearly meeting1 to be  
held at ,amsterdam  for ,friends in all 
the ,united ,provinces of ,holland1 and 
in ,embden1  the ,palatinate1 ,hamburg1 
,frederickstadt1 ,dantzic1 and other    
places  in and about ,germany2 which    
,friends were glad of1 and it has been  
of  great service to ,truth4            
,one of the most interesting episodes of
 this journey was the       visit paid  
by ,george ,keith's wife and ,fox's     
step-daughter1       ,isabel ,yeomans1  
to the ,princess ,elizabeth1 to whom    
,fox sent a       personal letter4      
,princess ,elizabeth was the daughter of
 the       unfortunate ,frederick1      
,elector ,palatine1 and granddaughter of

       ,james the first of ,england4    
,she was a woman of great spiritual     
gifts and of considerable intellectual  
power4 ,she was the friend       and    
correspondent of the philosopher ,des   
,cartes4 ,she had1       previous to    
this visit1 made the acquaintance 7which
 developed       into close friendship7 
of ,william ,penn and ,robert ,barclay4 
,she       frequently used her influence
 upon her uncle1 ,king ,charles1 and    
her brother1 ,prince ,rupert1 to secure 
the release of ,friends       from the  
prisons of ,england and ,scotland4 ,her 
answer to ,george       ,fox's letter is
 as follows3         ,,dear ,,friend3   
,i cannot but have a tender love to     
those that love the ,lord       ,jesus  
,christ1 and to whom it is given1 not   
only to believe in       ,him1 but also 
to suffer for ,him2 therefore your      
letter and your       ,friends' visit   
have been both very welcome to me4 ,i   
shall follow       their and your       
counsel as far as ,god will afford me   

light and       unction2 remaining still
 your loving friend1                    
,,elizabeth4         ,hertford          
,westphalia1 the #cjth of ,august1      
#afgg4         ,twice we get glimpses of
 the great world movements which just   
then had these ,low ,countries for their
 stage4 ,in the great       struggle    
with ,louis ,,xiv4 the dykes had been   
cut and much of       the country was   
under water4 ,here is an experience in  
,east       ,friesland3    ,one of the  
magistrates of that city ,groningen came
 with us from  ,leeuwarden1 with whom ,i
 had some discourse on the way1 and he  
was  very loving4 ,we walked nearly two 
miles through the city1 and then  took  
boat for ,delfziel2 and passing in the  
evening through a town  called          
,appingdalem1 where had been a great    
horse-fair that day1  there came many   
officers rushing into the boat1 and     
being somewhat  in drink1 they were very
 rude4 ,i spoke to them1 exhorting them 
to  fear the ,lord1 and beware of       

,solomon's vanities4 ,they were         
boisterous  fellows2 yet somewhat more  
civil afterwards4         ,the other    
circumstance which connects ,fox here   
with history       is his epistle       
written to the ,peace ,ambassadors in   
the city of       ,nimeguen4 ,the entry 
in the ,journal says3 ,i wrote an       
epistle to       the ambassadors who    
were treating for a peace at ,nimeguen4 
,this       is dated ,amsterdam1 the    
#bast of #gth mo4 7,september71 #afgg4  
,it       concludes with these words3   
,from him who is a lover of ,truth1     
righteousness1 and peace1 who  desires  
your temporal and eternal good2 and that
 in the wisdom of ,god  that is from    
above1 pure1 gentle1 and peaceable1 you 
may be ordered1  and order all things1  
that ,god hath committed to you1 to ,his
 glory2  and stop those things among    
,christians1 so far as you have power1  
which dishonour ,god1 ,christ1 and      
,christianity6                          
,g4 ,f4         ,here is an incident of 

travel in ,germany4    ,being clear of  
,hamburg1 we took leave of ,friends     
there1 whom we left  well2 and taking   
,john ,hill with us1 passed by boat to a
 city in the  ,duke of ,luneburg's      
country2 where1 after we were examined  
by the  guards1 we were taken to the    
main-guard1 and there examined more     
strictly2 but after they found we were  
not soldiers1 they were civil1  and let 
us pass4    ,in the afternoon we        
travelled by wagon1 and the waters being
 much  out1 by reason of heavy rains1   
when it drew towards night we hired a   
boy on the way to guide us through a    
great water we had to pass4 ,when  we   
came to it1 the water was so deep1      
before we could come at the  bridge1    
that the wagoner had to wade1 and ,i    
drove the wagon4    ,when we were come  
on the bridge1 the horses broke part of 
it down1  and one of them fell into the 
water1 the wagon standing upon that     
part of the bridge which remained       
unbroken2 and it was the ,lord's  mercy 

to us that the wagon did not run into   
the brook4 ,when they had  got the horse
 out1 he lay a while as if dead2 but at 
length they got  him up1 put him to the 
wagon again1 and laid the planks right2 
and  then1 through the goodness of the  
,lord to us1 we got safe over4    ,after
 this we came to another water4 ,finding
 it to be very deep1 and  it being in   
the night1 we hired two men to help us  
through1 who put  cords to the wagon to 
hold it by1 that the force of the water 
might  not drive it from the way4 ,but  
when we came into it1 the stream  was so
 strong that it took one of the horses  
off his legs1 and was  carrying him down
 the stream4 ,i called to the wagoner to
 pluck him to  him by his reins1 which  
he did1 and the horse recovered his     
legs2 and  with much difficulty we got  
over the bridge1 and went to            
,bremerhaven1  the town where the       
wagoner lived4    ,it was the last day  
of the ,sixth month that we escaped     
these  dangers2 and it being about      

eleven at night when we came in here1   
we got some fresh straw1 and lay upon it
 until about four in the  morning4      
,then1 getting up1 we set forward again 
towards ,bremen1 by  wagon and boat4    
,on the way ,i had good opportunities to
 publish ,truth among the  people1      
especially at a market-town1 where we   
stayed to change our  passage4 ,here ,i 
declared the ,truth to the people1      
warning them of the  day of the ,lord1  
that was coming upon all flesh2 and     
exhorting them  to righteousness1       
telling them that ,god was come to teach
 ,his people  ,himself1 and that they   
should turn to the ,lord1 and hearken to
 the  teachings of ,his ,spirit in their
 own hearts4         ,while the work was
 going forward in these fresh fields1   
trouble       was increasing at home1 as
 this brief letter shows3    ,next day1 
feeling a concern upon my mind with     
relation to those  seducing spirits that
 made division among ,friends1 and being
 sensible  that they endeavoured to     

insinuate themselves into the           
affectionate  part1 ,i was moved to     
write a few lines to ,friends concerning
 them1 as  follows3        ,all these   
that set up themselves in the affections
 of the people1      set up themselves1 
and the affections of the people1 and   
not      ,christ4 ,but ,friends1 your   
peaceable habitation in the ,truth1     
which      is everlasting1 and changes  
not1 will outlast all the habitations   
of those that are out of the ,truth1 be 
they ever so full of words4      ,so    
they that are so keen for ,john ,story  
and ,john ,wilkinson1 let      them take
 them1 and the separation2 and you that 
have given your      testimony against  
that spirit1 stand in your testimony1   
till they      answer by condemnation4  
,do not strive1 nor make bargains with  
that      which is out of the ,truth2   
nor save that alive to be a sacrifice   
for      ,god1 which should be slain1   
lest you lose your kingdom4             
,g4 ,f4        ,amsterdam1 the #adth of 

the ,seventh month1 #afgg4    ,after    
some time ,george ,keith and ,william   
,penn came back from  ,germany,,bf to   
,amsterdam1 and had a dispute with one  
,galenus ,abrahams  7one of the most    
noted ,baptists in ,holland71 at which  
many professors  were present2 but not  
having time to finish the dispute then1 
they  met again1 two days after1 and the
 ,baptist was much confounded1 and      
,truth gained ground4#agh      ,,bf     
,whither they had gone for some         
religious service4      #agh ,this      
,galenus ,abrahams was a ,mennonite and 
a man of    considerable note4 ,sewell1 
the ,quaker historian1 who had himself  
been a disciple of ,abrahams1 tells us  
that in this discussion1    which lasted
 five hours1 the latter maintained the  
position    that nobody nowadays could  
be accepted as a messenger of ,god      
unless he confirmed the same by miracle4
 7,see ,sewell's ,history    of         
,friends1 ,vol4 ,,ii41 page #cfh1       
edition of #ahbc4 ,see1 also1           

,barclay's ,religious ,societies of the 
,commonwealth1 pages    #agd1 #bea47    
,during his second visit to ,holland1   
,fox had another    interview with the  
famous ,mennonite which gives an        
interesting    side light on the        
penetrating power of ,fox's eyes1       
already    noticed4 ,before ,i left ,i  
went to visit one ,galenus ,abrahams1 a 
teacher of chief note among the         
,mennonites1 or ,baptists4 ,i had       
been with him when ,i was in ,holland   
about seven years before    and ,william
 ,penn and ,george ,keith had disputes  
with him4 ,he was    then very high and 
shy1 so that he would not let me touch  
him1    nor look upon him 7by his good  
will71 but bid me ',keep my eyes    off 
him1 for1' he said1 'they pierced him4' 
,but now he was very    loving and      
tender1 and confessed in some measure to
 truth2 his    wife also and daughter   
were tender and kind1 and we parted from
    them very lovingly4    ,finding our 
spirits clear of the service which the  

,lord had given us  to do in ,holland1  
we took leave of ,friends of ,rotterdam1
 and passed  by boat to the ,briel1 in  
order to take passage that day for      
,england4  ,several ,friends of         
,rotterdam accompanied us1 and some of  
,amsterdam1  who were come to see us    
again before we left ,holland4 ,but the 
packet  not coming in till night1 we    
lodged that night at the ,briel2 and    
next  day1 being the #bast of the       
,eighth month1 and the first day of the 
week1 we went on board1 and set sail    
about ten1 viz41 ,william ,penn1        
,george ,keith1 and ,i1 and ,gertrude   
,dirick ,nieson1 with her children4     
,we were in all about sixty passengers1 
and had a long and hazardous  passage2  
for the winds were contrary and the     
weather stormy4 ,the  boat also was very
 leaky1 insomuch that we had to have two
 pumps  continually going1 day and      
night2 so that it was thought there was 
quite as much water pumped out as the   
vessel would have held4 ,but  the ,lord1

 who is able to make the stormy winds to
 cease1 and the  raging waves of the sea
 calm1 yea1 to raise them and stop them 
at  ,his pleasure1 ,he alone did        
preserve us2 praised be ,his name for   
ever6    ,though our passage was hard1  
yet we had a fine time1 and good service
  for ,truth on board among the         
passengers1 some of whom were great     
folks1 and were very kind and loving4   
,we arrived at ,harwich on the  #bc;d1  
at night1 having been two nights and    
almost three days at sea4    ,next      
morning ,william ,penn and ,george      
,keith took horse for ,colchester2  but 
,i stayed1 and had a meeting at         
,harwich4 ,there being no ,colchester   
coach there1 and the postmaster's wife  
being unreasonable in her  demands for a
 coach1 and deceiving us of it also     
after we had hired  it1 we went to a    
,friend's house about a mile and a half 
in the  country1 and hired his wagon1   
which we bedded well with straw1 and    
rode in it to ,colchester4    ,i stayed 

there till ,first-day1 having a desire  
to be at ,friends'  meeting that day2   
and a very large and weighty one it was2
 for  ,friends1 hearing of my return    
from ,holland1 flocked from several     
parts of the country1 and many of the   
townspeople coming in also1 it  was     
thought there were about a thousand     
people at it2 and all was  peaceable4   
,i stayed at ,bristol all the time of   
the fair1 and some time after4  ,many   
sweet and precious meetings we had2 many
 ,friends being there  from several     
parts of the nation1 some on account of 
trade1 and some  in the service of      
,truth4 ,great was the love and unity of
 ,friends that  abode faithful in the   
,truth1 though some who were gone out of
 the  holy unity1 and were run into     
strife1 division1 and enmity1 were  rude
 and abusive1 and behaved themselves in 
a very unchristian manner  towards      
me4#agi      #agi ,he had previously had
 a trying time with opponents who were  
very unruly and troublesome in some     

meetings held at the home    of his     
friend ,thomas ,ellwood1 at ,hunger     
,hill1 near ,london4    ,but the ,lord's
 power was over all2 by which being     
preserved in  heavenly patience1 which  
can bear injuries for ,his name's sake1 
,i  felt dominion therein over the      
rough1 rude1 and unruly spirits2 and    
left them to the ,lord1 who knew my     
innocency1 and would plead my  cause4   
,the more these laboured to reproach and
 vilify me1 the more  did the love of   
,friends that were sincere and          
upright-hearted1 abound  towards me2 and
 some that had been betrayed by the     
adversaries1  seeing their envy and rude
 behaviour1 broke off from them4        
,about two weeks after ,i came to       
,london1 the yearly meeting began1  to  
which ,friends came up out of most parts
 of the nation1 and a  glorious1        
heavenly meeting we had4 ,oh1 the glory1
 majesty1 love1  life1 wisdom1 and      
unity1 that were amongst us6 ,the power 
reigned over  all1 and many testimonies 

were borne therein against that ungodly 
spirit which sought to make rents and   
divisions amongst the ,lord's  people2  
but not one mouth was opened amongst us 
in its defence1 or on  its behalf4      
,good and comfortable accounts also we  
had1 for the most part1 from  ,friends  
in other countries2 of which ,i find a  
brief account in a  letter which soon   
after ,i wrote to my wife1 the copy     
whereof here  follows3         ,,dear   
,,heart3         ,to whom is my love in 
the everlasting ,seed of life that      
reigns       over all4 ,great meetings  
here have been1 and the ,lord's power   
hath been stirring through all4 ,the    
,lord hath in ,his power knit           
,friends wonderfully together1 and ,his 
glorious presence did       appear among
 them4 ,and now the meetings are over1  
blessed be the       ,lord6 in quietness
 and peace4         ,from ,holland ,i   
hear things are well there3 some        
,friends are       gone that way1 to be 
at their ,yearly ,meeting at ,amsterdam4

 ,at       ,embden1 ,friends that were  
banished are got into the city again4   
,at ,dantzic1 ,friends are in prison1   
and the magistrates       threatened    
them with harder imprisonment2 but the  
next day       the ,lutherans rose1 and 
plucked down 7or defaced7 the ,popish   
monastery2 so they have work enough     
among themselves4         ,the ,king of 
,poland received my letter1 and read it 
himself2 and       ,friends have since  
printed it in ,high ,dutch4#ahj ,by     
letters       from the ,half-,yearly    
,meeting in ,ireland1 ,i hear that they 
are       all in love there4         ,at
 ,barbadoes1 ,friends are in quietness1 
and their meetings       settled in     
peace4 ,at ,antigua also1 and ,nevis1   
,truth prospers1       and ,friends have
 their meetings orderly and well4       
,likewise       in ,new ,england and    
other places1 things concerning ,truth  
and       ,friends are well2 and in     
those places the men's and women's      
meetings are settled2 blessed be the    

,lord6         ,so keep in ,god's power 
and ,seed1 that is over all1 in whom ye 
all have life and salvation2 for the    
,lord reigns over all in ,his           
glory1 and in ,his kingdom2 glory to    
,his name forever1 ,amen4         ,in   
haste1 with my love to you all1 and to  
all ,friends4                           
,g4 ,f4        ,london1 the #bfth of the
 ,third month1 #afgh4      #ahj ,this is
 an interesting letter to ,john ,,iii4  
of ,poland1 in    which are given many  
passages from the words of sovereigns1  
both    ancient and modern1 in behalf of
 liberty of conscience4 ,the    letter  
is an able and valuable document1       
written1 as the writer    says1 in love 
to thy immortal soul and for thy eternal
 good4 ,it    closes with this          
postscript3      ,postscript4--',blessed
 be the merciful1 for they shall obtain 
mercy4' ,and remember1 ,o king1 ,justin 
,martyr's two ,apologies to    the      
,roman emperors1 in the defence of the  
persecuted ,christians2    and that     

notable ,apology1 which was written by  
,tertullian1 upon    the same subject2  
which are not only for the ,christian   
religion1    but against all persecution
 for religion4          ,,chapter ,,xx4 
,the ,seed ,reigns over ,death4         
#afgi-afia4           ,the year #afgi   
was spent almost entirely in retirement 
at       ,swarthmore1 but in #afhj the  
activity and travels begin again4       
,this last decade of ,fox's life finds  
him much of the time in or       about  
,london1 for there are new storms to be 
met1 and he could       not lie at ease 
in the ,north4 ,the ,wilkinson-,story   
movement in       opposition to a       
settled system of government and        
discipline made       his presence in   
the ,south necessary4 ,but even more    
than for       this was he concerned    
over the fresh spasm of persecution     
which       during the closing years of 
,charles' reign filled the prisons      
and jails with ,quakers4 ,whenever or   
wherever the ,conventicle       ,act was

 enforced ,friends were sure to have the
 large end of the       suffering to    
bear4    ,after this ,i was moved of the
 ,lord to visit ,friends in some parts  
of  ,surrey and ,sussex4 ,i went to     
,kingston by water1 and tarried certain 
days2 for while ,i was there1 the ,lord 
laid it upon me to write both  to the   
great ,turk1 and the ,dey of ,algiers1  
severally1 to warn them1  and the people
 under them1 to turn from their         
wickedness1 fear the  ,lord1 and do     
justly2 lest the judgments of ,god      
should come upon  them1 and destroy them
 without remedy4 ,to the ,algerines ,i  
wrote more  particularly concerning the 
cruelty they exercised towards ,friends 
and others1 whom they held captives in  
,algiers4    ,at ,hertford ,i met with  
,john ,story1 and some others of his    
party2 but  the testimony of ,truth went
 over them1 and kept them down1 so that 
the meeting was quiet4    ,it was on a  
,first-day2 and the next day being the  
men's and women's  meeting for business1

 ,i visited them also1 and the rather   
because  some in that place had let in a
 disesteem of them4 ,wherefore ,i was   
moved to open the service of those      
meetings1 and the usefulness and        
benefit thereof to the ,church of       
,christ1 as the ,lord opened the thing  
in me2 and it was of good service to    
,friends4    ,i had a meeting also with 
some of those that were gone into strife
  and contention1 to show them wherein  
they were wrong2 and having  cleared    
myself of them1 ,i left them to the     
,lord4    ,i abode at ,london most part 
of this winter1,,bg having much service 
for the ,lord there1 both in and out of 
meetings3 for as it was a time  of great
 suffering among ,friends1 ,i was drawn 
in spirit to visit  ,friends' meetings  
more frequently2 to encourage and       
strengthen them  both by exhortation and
 example4 ,the ,parliament also was     
sitting1 and  ,friends were diligent in 
waiting upon them1 to lay their         
grievances  before them4      ,,bg      

#afhj4    ,we received fresh accounts   
almost every day of the sad sufferings  
,friends underwent in many parts of the 
nation4 ,in seeking relief  for my      
suffering brethren ,i spent much time2  
together with other  ,friends1 who were 
freely given up to that service1        
attending at  the ,parliament-,house for
 many days together1 and watching all   
opportunities to speak with such members
 of either ,house as would  hear our    
just complaints4    ,indeed1 some of    
these were very courteous to us1 and    
appeared willing  to help us if they    
could2 but the ,parliament being then   
earnest in  examining the ,popish plot1 
and contriving ways to discover such as 
were ,popishly affected1 our adversaries
 took advantage against us  7because    
they knew we could not swear nor fight7 
to expose us to  those penalties that   
were made against ,papists2 though they 
knew in  their consciences that we were 
no ,papists1 and had had experience of  
us1 that we were no plotters4           

99       99       99       99       99  
,sufferings continuing severe upon      
,friends at ,london1,,bh ,i found  my   
service lay mostly there2 wherefore ,i  
went but little out of town1  and not   
far2 being frequent at the most public  
meetings1 to encourage  ,friends1 both  
by word and example1 to stand fast in   
the testimony to  which ,god had called 
them4      ,,bh #afhb4    ,at other     
times ,i went about from house to house1
 visiting ,friends  that had their goods
 taken away for their testimony to      
,truth2 because  the wicked informers   
were grown very audacious1 by reason    
that they  had too much countenance and 
encouragement from some justices1 who1  
trusting wholly to their information1   
proceeded against ,friends  without     
hearing them2 whereby many were made to 
suffer1 not only  contrary to right1 but
 even contrary to law also4#aha         
#aha ,here is a beautiful letter to     
those who are suffering3      ,dear1    
suffering lambs1 for the name and       

command of ,jesus2    be valiant for    
,his truth1 and faithful1 and ye will   
feel the    presence of ,christ with    
you4 ,look at ,him who suffered for you1
    who hath bought you1 and will feed  
you2 who saith1 ',be of good    comfort1
 ,i have overcome the world'2 who       
destroys the devil    and his works1 and
 bruises the serpent's head4 ,i say1    
look to    ,christ1 your sanctuary1 in  
whom ye have rest and peace4 ,to you    
it is given not only to believe1 but to 
suffer for ,his name's    sake4 ,they   
that will live godly in ,christ ,jesus1 
shall suffer    persecution by the      
ungodly professors of ,christ ,jesus1   
who live    out of ,him4 ,therefore be  
valiant for ,god's truth upon the earth1
    and look above that spirit that     
makes you suffer1 up to ,christ1    who 
was before it was1 and will be when it  
is gone4    ,now ,i had some inclination
 to go into the country to a meeting1   
but  hearing that there would be a      
bustle at our meetings1 and feeling a   

great disquietness in people's spirits  
in the city about choosing  sheriffs1 it
 was upon me to stay in the city1 and go
 to the meeting  in ,gracechurch street 
upon the first day of the week4 ,william
 ,penn  went with me1 and spoke2 and    
while he was declaring the ,truth to the
  people1 a constable came in with his  
great staff1 and bade him give  over1   
and come down2 but he continued1        
declaring ,truth in the power  of ,god4 
,after a while the constable drew back1 
and when ,william ,penn had  done1 ,i   
stood up1 and declared to the people the
 everlasting gospel1  which was preached
 in the apostles' days1 and to ,abraham2
 and which  the ,church in the apostles'
 days received1 and came to be heirs of4
    ,as ,i was thus speaking1 two       
constables came in with their great     
staves1 and bade me give over speaking1 
and come down2 but1 feeling  the power  
of the ,lord with me1 ,i spoke on       
therein1 both to the  constables and to 
the people4 ,to the constables ,i       

declared that we  were a peaceable      
people1 who meet to wait upon ,god1 and 
worship ,him  in spirit and in truth2   
and therefore they needed not to come   
with  their staves amongst us1 who were 
met in a peaceable manner1 desiring  and
 seeking the good and salvation of all  
people4    ,then turning my speech to   
the people again1 ,i declared what      
further  was upon me to them2 and while 
,i was speaking1 the constables drew    
out towards the door2 and the soldiers  
stood with their muskets in  the yard4  
,when ,i had done speaking1 ,i kneeled  
down and prayed1 desiring the  ,lord to 
open the eyes and hearts of all people1 
both high and low1  that their minds    
might be turned to ,god by ,his ,holy   
,spirit2 that ,he  might be glorified in
 all and over all4 ,after prayer the    
meeting  rose1 and ,friends passed away2
 the constables being come in again1    
but without the soldiers2 and indeed1   
both they and the soldiers  carried     
themselves civilly4    ,william ,penn   

and ,i went into a room hard by1 as we  
used to do1 and  many ,friends went with
 us2 and lest the constables should     
think we  would shun them1 a ,friend    
went down and told them that if they    
would  have anything with us1 they might
 come where we were1 if they pleased4   
,on ,first-day it was upon me to go to  
,devonshire-,house meeting in the       
afternoon2 and because ,i had heard     
,friends were kept out there that       
morning 7as they were that day at most  
meetings about the city71 ,i  went      
sooner1 and got into the yard before the
 soldiers came to guard  the passages4  
,but the constables were there before   
me1 and stood in  the doorway with their
 staves4    ,i asked them to let me go  
in4 ,they said they could not1 durst    
not2  for they were commanded the       
contrary1 and were sorry for it4    ,i  
told them ,i would not press upon them2 
so ,i stood by1 and they were  very     
civil4    ,i stood till ,i was weary1   
and then one gave me a stool to sit down

  on2 and after a while the power of the
 ,lord began to spring up among         
,friends1 and one began to speak4       
,the constables soon forbade him1 and   
said he should not speak2 and  he not   
stopping1 they began to be wroth4 ,but  
,i gently laid my hand  upon one of the 
constables1 and wished him to let the   
,friend alone4  ,the constable did so1  
and was quiet2 and the man did not speak
 long4  ,after he had done1 ,i was moved
 to stand up and speak4    ,i then sat  
down2 and after a while ,i was moved to 
pray4 ,the power of  the ,lord was over 
all2 and the people1 the constables and 
soldiers  put off their hats4    ,when  
the meeting was done1 and ,friends began
 to pass away1 the  constable put off   
his hat1 and desired the ,lord to bless 
us2 for the  power of the ,lord was over
 him and the people1 and kept them      
under4    ,i tarried in and near        
,london1 visiting ,friends' meetings1   
and  labouring in the service of the    
gospel1 till the yearly meeting came    

on1 which began on the #bhth of the     
,third month4 ,it was a time of  great  
sufferings2 and much concerned ,i was   
lest ,friends that came  up out of the  
country on the ,church's service1 should
 be taken and  imprisoned at ,london4   
,but the ,lord was with us2 ,his power  
preserved  us1 and gave us a sweet and  
blessed opportunity to wait upon ,him1  
to  be refreshed together in ,him1 and  
to perform ,his services for ,his  truth
 and people for which we met4    ,as it 
was a time of great persecution1 and we 
understood that in most  counties       
,friends were under great sufferings1   
either by imprisonments  or spoiling of 
goods1 or both1 a concern was weightily 
upon me lest  any ,friends that were    
sufferers1 especially such as were      
traders and  dealers in the world1      
should hazard the losing of other men's 
goods  or estates through their         
sufferings4           99       99       
99       99       99    ,on the         
,first-day following,,bi ,i went to the 

meeting at ,gracechurch  street4 ,when  
,i came there1 ,i found three constables
 in the  meeting-house1 who kept        
,friends out2 so we met in the court4   
,,bi ,in #afhc4    ,after ,i had been   
some time there1 ,i stood up and spoke  
to the people1  and continued speaking  
some time4 ,then one of the constables  
came1  and took hold of my hand1 and    
said1 ,you must come down4 ,i desired   
him to be patient1 and went on speaking 
to the people2 but after a  little time 
he pulled me down1 and took me into the 
meeting-house4    ,i asked them if they 
were not weary of this work4 ,one of    
them said1  ,indeed we are4 ,they let me
 go into the widow ,foster's house1     
which  joined the meeting-house1 where  
,i stayed1 being hot4    ,when the      
meeting was ended1 for one prayed after 
,i was taken away1  the constables asked
 some ,friends which of them would pass 
their  words that ,i should appear1 if  
they should be questioned about me4     
,but the ,friends told them they need   

not require that1 for ,i was a man  well
 known in the city to be one that would 
neither fly nor shrink4  ,so they went  
away1 and ,i heard no further of it4    
,i continued yet at ,london1 labouring  
in the work and service of  the ,lord1  
both in and out of meetings2 sometimes  
visiting ,friends  in prison for the    
testimony of ,jesus1 encouraging them in
 their  sufferings1 and exhorting them  
to stand faithful and steadfast in the  
testimony1 which the ,lord had committed
 to them to bear4 ,sometimes  also ,i   
visited those that were sick and weak in
 body1 or troubled  in mind1 helping to 
bear up their spirits from sinking under
 their  infirmities4 ,sometimes our     
meetings were quiet and peaceable2      
sometimes they were disturbed and broken
 up by the officers4    ,as ,i was      
speaking in the power of the ,lord1,,bj 
and the people were  greatly affected   
therewith1 suddenly the constables1 with
 the rude  people1 came in like a sea4  
,,bj ,on ,first-day at the ,savoy4      

,one of the constables said to me1 ,come
 down2 and he laid hands on  me4    ,i  
asked him1 ,art thou a ,christian8 ,we  
are ,christians4    ,he had hold of my  
hand1 and was very fierce to pluck me   
down2 but ,i  stood still1 and spoke a  
few words to the people2 desiring of the
  ,lord that the blessings of ,god might
 rest upon them all4    ,the constable  
still called upon me to come down1 and  
at length  plucked me down1 and bade    
another man with a staff take me and    
carry  me to prison4 ,that man led me to
 the house of another officer1 who  was 
more civil2 and after a while they      
brought in four ,friends more1  whom    
they had taken4    ,i was very weary1   
and in a great perspiration2 and several
 ,friends1  hearing where ,i was1 came  
to me in the constable's house2 but ,i  
bade  them all go their ways1 lest the  
constables and informers should stop    
them4    ,after a while the constables  
led us almost a mile to a justice1 who  
was a fierce1 passionate man4 ,after he 

had asked me my name1 and his  clerk had
 taken it in writing1 upon the          
constable's informing him  that ,i had  
preached in the meeting1 he said in an  
angry manner1 ,do  not you know that it 
is contrary to the ,king's laws to      
preach in such  conventicles1 contrary  
to the ,liturgy of the ,church of       
,england8    ,there was present one ----
 ,shad 7a wicked informer1 who was said 
to  have broken jail at ,coventry1 and  
to have been burned in the hand at      
,london71 who1 hearing the justice speak
 so to me1 stepped up to him  and told  
him that he had convicted them on the   
,act of the #bb;d of ,king  ,charles the
 ,second4    ,what6 you convict them8   
said the justice4    ,yes1 said ,shad1  
,i have convicted them1 and you must    
convict them  too upon that ,act4       
,with that the justice was angry with   
him1 and said1 ,you teach me6  what are 
you8 ,i'll convict them of a riot4      
,the informer hearing that and seeing   
the justice angry1 went away in  a fret2

 so he was disappointed of his purpose4 
,now had ,i drawings in ,spirit to go   
into ,holland1 to visit the ,seed of    
,god there4,,bk ,and as soon as the     
yearly meeting was over ,i prepared  for
 my journey4 ,there went with me from   
,london ,alexander ,parker1  ,george    
,watts1 and ,nathaniel ,brassey1 who    
also had drawings into that  country4   
,,bk ,spring of #afhd4    ,we took coach
 the #cast of the ,third month1 #afhd1  
and got to  ,colchester that night4     
,next day being ,first-day1 we went to  
the  meeting there2 and though there was
 no notice given of my coming1 yet  our 
being there was presently spread over   
the town1 and in several  places in the 
country at seven and ten miles distance2
 so that  abundance of ,friends came in 
double-horsed1 which made the meeting   
very large4    ,i had a concern and     
travail in my mind1 lest this great     
gathering  should stir up the town1 and 
be more than the magistrates could well 
bear4 ,but it was very quiet and        

peaceable1 and a glorious meeting we    
had1 to the settling and establishing of
 ,friends both in town and  country2 for
 the ,lord's power was over all2 blessed
 be ,his name for  ever6    ,truly the  
,lord's power and presence was beyond   
words2 for ,i was but  weak to go into a
 meeting1 and my face 7by reason of a   
cold ,i had  taken7 was sore2 but ,god  
manifested ,his strength in us and with 
us1  and all was well4 ,the ,lord have  
the glory for evermore1 for ,his        
supporting power6#ahb      #ahb ,the    
journal of the second visit to ,holland 
gives little    matter of fresh         
interest4 ,the visit lasted from the    
#cast of ,may    to the #afth of ,july1 
#afhd4    ,it was the latter end of the 
summer when ,i came to ,london1 where ,i
  stayed the winter following2 saving   
that once or twice1 my wife being  in   
town with me1 ,i went with her to her   
son ,rous's at ,kingston4 ,and  though  
my body was very weak1 yet ,i was in    
continual service1 either  in public    

meetings1 when ,i was able to bear them1
 or in particular  business amongst     
,friends1 and visiting those that were  
sufferers for  ,truth1 either by        
imprisonment or loss of goods4    ,many 
things also in this time ,i wrote1 some 
for the press1 and  some for particular 
service2 as letters to the ,king of     
,denmark and  ,duke of ,holstein on     
behalf of ,friends that were sufferers  
in their  dominions4#ahc      #ahc ,this
 letter to the ,duke of ,holstein ends  
as follows3      ,i entreat the duke to 
consider these things4 ,i entreat him to
    mind ,god's grace and truth in his  
heart that is come by ,jesus2    that by
 his ,spirit of ,grace and truth he may 
come to serve and    worship ,god in his
 ,spirit and truth2 so that he may serve
 the    living eternal ,god that made   
him1 in his generation1 and have his    
peace in ,christ1 that the world cannot 
take away4 ,and ,i do desire    his     
good1 peace1 and prosperity in this     
world1 and his eternal    comfort and   

happiness in the world that is          
everlasting4 ,amen4                     
,g4 ,f4      ,london1 #bfth of the #hth 
,month1 #afhd4    ,the yearly meeting   
coming on1 ,i was much concerned for    
,friends  that came up to it out of the 
country1 lest they should meet with  any
 trouble or disturbance in their passage
 up or down2 and the  rather because    
about that time a great bustle arose in 
the nation  upon the ,duke of           
,monmouth's landing in the ,west4#ahd   
,but the  ,lord1 according to ,his      
wonted goodness1 was graciously pleased 
to  preserve ,friends in safety1 and    
gave us a blessed opportunity to  meet  
together in peace and quietness1 and    
accompanied our meeting  with ,his      
living1 refreshing presence3 blessed for
 ever be ,his  holy name6      #ahd ,the
 ,duke of ,monmouth1 illegitimate son of
 ,charles ,,ii41    landed in ,lyme1 in 
,devonshire1 hoping to secure the       
throne1 but    he was defeated at       
,sedgemoor and captured ,july #fth1     

#afhe4    ,considering the hurries that 
were in the nation1 it came upon me at  
the close of this meeting to write a few
 lines to ,friends1 to caution  all to  
keep out of the spirit of the world1 in 
which trouble is1 and  to dwell in the  
peaceable ,truth4           99       99 
99       99       99    ,i came back to 
,london in the ,first month1 #afhf1 and 
set myself with  all diligence to look  
after ,friends' sufferings1 from which  
we had  now some hopes of getting       
relief4 ,the sessions came on in the    
,second  month at ,hicks's-,hall1 where 
many ,friends had appeals to be tried4  
,i was with these from day to day1 to   
advise them1 and to see that  no        
opportunity was slipped nor advantage   
lost2 and they generally  succeeded     
well4    ,soon after the ,king was      
pleased1 upon our often laying our      
sufferings  before him1 to give order   
for the releasing of all prisoners for  
conscience' sake that were in his power 
to discharge4 ,thereby the  prison-doors

 were opened1 and many hundreds of      
,friends1 some of whom  had been long in
 prison1 were set at liberty4#ahe       
#ahe ,on the #afth of ,may ,james ,,ii4 
issued a warrant commanding    that all 
,quakers who had been convicted on      
charges of    prmunire1 or for not      
swearing1 or for not going to church1   
should be released4 ,by the execution of
 this warrant about    fifteen hundred  
,quakers were set free4 ,naturally the  
yearly    meeting which followed was a  
happy time4 ,this ,order of ,release    
is preserved in the ,archives in        
,devonshire ,house in ,london4 ,it is   
written on eleven skins of vellum1 with 
the king's portrait at    the top4 ,in  
the list is the name of ,john ,bunyan1  
who got included    in this ,royal      
,pardon4    ,some of those who had for  
many years been restrained in bonds1    
came  now up to the yearly meeting1     
which was in the ,third month this      
year4 ,this caused great joy to         
,friends1 to see our ancient1 faithful  

brethren again at liberty in the ,lord's
 work1 after their long  confinement4   
,and indeed a precious meeting we had2  
the refreshing  presence of the ,lord   
appearing plentifully with us and       
amongst us4         ,gradually ,fox was 
growing physically weaker1 and1 though  
his       pen was busy with documents   
and letters1 he records almost          
nothing in his ,journal4    ,in the     
,seventh month,,bl ,i returned to       
,london1 having been near three  months 
in the country for my health's sake1    
which was very much  impaired2 so that  
,i was hardly able to stay in a meeting 
the whole  time2 and often after a      
meeting had to lie down on a bed4 ,yet  
did not  my weakness of body take me off
 from the service of the ,lord1 but ,i  
continued to labour in and out of       
meetings1 in ,his work1 as ,he gave  me 
opportunity and ability4      ,,bl      
,september1 #afhh4    ,i had not been   
long in ,london before a great weight   
came upon me1  and the ,lord gave me a  

sight of the great bustles and troubles1
  revolution and change1 which soon     
after came to pass4 ,in the sense       
thereof1 and in the movings of the      
,spirit of the ,lord1 ,i wrote ,a       
general epistle to ,friends1 to forewarn
 them of the approaching  storm1 that   
they might all retire to the ,lord1 in  
whom is  safety4#ahf      #ahf ,this    
letter was written ,october #agth1      
#afhh4 ,william landed    in ,england   
,november #eth1 #afhh4    ,about this   
time great exercises and weights came   
upon me 7as they had  usually done      
before the great revolutions and changes
 of government71  and my strength       
departed from me2 so that ,i reeled1 and
 was ready to  fall1 as ,i went along   
the streets4 ,at length ,i could not go 
abroad  at all1 ,i was so weak1 for some
 time1 till ,i felt the power of the    
,lord to spring over all1 and had       
received an assurance from ,him1 that   
,he would preserve ,his faithful people 
to ,himself through all4    ,about the  

middle of the ,first month1             
#afhh-i1;,,bm ,i went to ,london1  the  
,parliament then sitting1 and engaged   
about the bill for  indulgence4 ,though 
,i was weak in body1 and not well able  
to stir  about1 yet so great a concern  
was upon my spirit on behalf of ,truth  
and ,friends1 that ,i attended          
continually for many days1 with other   
,friends1 at the ,parliament-,house1    
labouring with the members1 that  the   
thing might be done comprehensively and 
effectually4      ,,bm ,march1 #afhi4   
99       99       99       99       99  
,i remained at ,london till the         
beginning of the ,ninth month1,,bn being
  continually exercised in the work of  
the ,lord1 either in public  meetings1  
opening the way of ,truth to people1 and
 building up and  establishing ,friends 
therein1 or in other services relating  
to the  ,church of ,god4 ,for the       
,parliament now sitting1 and having a   
bill  before them concerning oaths1 and 
another concerning clandestine          

marriages1 several ,friends attended the
 ,house1 to get those bills so  worded  
that they might not be hurtful to       
,friends4 ,in this service  ,i also     
assisted1 attending on the ,parliament1 
and discoursing the  matter with several
 of the members4      ,,bn ,november1   
#afij4         ,here follows 7,january  
#ajth1 #afia7 the last entry in the     
,journal1 with the letter written to the
 ,irish ,friends who were       enduring
 almost indescribable sufferings1       
occasioned by the       civil war in    
,ireland4    ,not long after ,i returned
 to ,london1 and was almost daily with  
,friends at meetings4 ,when ,i had been 
near two weeks in town1 the  sense of   
the great hardships and sore sufferings 
that ,friends had  been and were under  
in ,ireland1 coming with great weight   
upon me1  ,i was moved to write an      
epistle1 as a word of consolation unto  
them4#ahg      #ahg ,this epistle1 the  
last he ever wrote1 closes with a       
triumphant note and an optimistic       

outlook on the world3      ,christ the  
,seed reigns2 and ,his power is over    
all1 who bruises    the serpent's head1 
and destroys the devil and his works1   
and was    before he was4 ,so all of you
 live and walk in ,christ ,jesus2 that  
nothing may be between you and ,god1 but
 ,christ1 in whom ye have    salvation1 
life1 rest and peace with ,god4         
,as for the affairs of truth in this    
land and abroad1 ,i hear       that in  
,holland and ,germany1 and thereaway1   
,friends are in love1       unity1 and  
peace3 and in ,jamaica1 ,barbadoes1     
,nevis1 ,antigua1       ,maryland1 and  
,new-,england1 ,i hear nothing1 but     
,friends are in       unity and peace4  
,the ,lord preserve them all out of the 
world 7in       which there is trouble7 
in ,christ ,jesus1 in whom there is     
peace1       life1 love1 and unity4     
,amen4 ,my love in the ,lord ,jesus     
,christ to       all ,friends everywhere
 in your land1 as though ,i named them4 
,g4 ,f4        ,london1 the #ajth of the

 #aath month1 #afij 7,january #ajth1    
#afia74    ,the next day he went to     
,gracechurch ,street ,meeting1 which was
  large and in which he preached a long 
and powerful sermon1  opening many deep 
and weighty things4 ,he then offered    
prayer1  and the meeting closed4 ,when  
some ,friends came to his room in       
,white-,hart-,court1 later in the day1  
he told them he had felt  the cold      
strike to his heart1 as he came out of  
meeting2 yet1  he added1 ,i am glad ,i  
was here 7i4 e41 in the meeting74 ,now  
,i  am clear1 ,i am fully clear6 ,later1
 when ,friends were visiting  him1 he   
said3 ,all is well2 the ,seed of ,god   
reigns over all and  over death itself4 
,and though ,i am weak in body1 yet the 
power  of ,god is over all1 and the     
,seed reigns over all disorderly        
spirits4 ,lying thus in a heavenly frame
 of mind1 his spirit  wholly exercised  
towards the ,lord1 he fell asleep in    
peace on  the evening of ,january #acth1
 #afia4 ,the funeral was attended  by a 

very large concourse of people1 and the 
body was laid in  the burying-ground    
near ,bunhill ,fields1 where the grave  
is now  marked with a modest stone4 ,few
 men in the dying hour could say  more  
truly1 ,i am clear4          ,,index4   
,abrahams1 ,galenus1 #eef               
,amsterdam1 #eea      ,audland1 ,john1  
#aed        ,baltimore ,yearly ,meeting1
 see ,maryland ,yearly ,meeting4        
,baptists1 #ah-bj      ,barbadoes1      
#dhh-dib      ,barclay1 ,robert1 #edi   
,barnet1 #fi      ,battledore1 ,the1    
#chf1 #djf      ,beavor1 ,vale of1 #id1 
#ih      ,believers1 true1 #gd          
,bennet1 ,justice1 #abe1 #abf           
,beverley1 #acf      ,bishop1 ,george1  
#bbc      ,blood of ,christ1 #ia        
,bradstreet1 ,simon1 #cgh      ,bristol1
 #bgb1 #cca1 #cib1 #dfh1 #ece           
,bunyan1 ,john1 #ai1 #bf      ,burnyeat1
 ,john1 #dih1 #ejh1 #edg      ,burrough1
 ,edward1 #aeg1 #cgd1 #djb              
,cambridge1 #bbh      ,carlisle1        
#ahf-aia      ,carlyle1 his             

characterization of ,fox1 #fgn1 #acin   
,carolina1 #ebe-ebh      ,charles ,,ii41
 ,fox's letter to1 #ced      ,church1   
,the1 what it is1 #ib1 #ade1 #ddg       
,claypole1 ,lady 7,cromwell's daughter71
 #cbj      ,clergy1 #dj      ,coale1    
,josiah1 #eaen      ,colchester1 #bbd   
,commonwealth ,period1 its importance1  
#af      ,conventicle ,act1 #dgj1 #dgd  
,cork1 #dfe      ,cornwall1 #bch        
,craddock1 ,dr4 7of ,coventry71 #gb     
,cradock1 ,dr41 an ,episcopalian1       
#dde;ff      ,cromwell1 #bab-bae1 #bfg1 
#bge1 #bgf1 #cai1 #cbd1 #cbe            
,crook1 ,john1 #bbh1 #cag               
,croslands1 ,jordan1 #ded               
,cumberland1 #aha        ,dales1 ,the1  
#aea      ,dates1 given in old style1   
#fin      ,delaware ,river1 #eja        
,derby1 #aai;ff2      ,fox imprisoned a 
year1 #aban1 #aca1 #ccf                 
,desborough1 ,general1 #bdc             
,doomsdale in ,launceston ,jail1 #bee   
,drayton-in-the-,clay1 #fe1 #bjc        
,dunbar1 #cad        ,edinburgh1        

#cjb-cjf1 #cac      ,edmundson1         
,william1 #bcb1 #did1 #dii1 #eaj1 #ecb  
,education1 views on1 #cg1 #dfa         
,edwards1 ,thomas1 his ,gangrna1 #ai1   
#bj1 #ba      ,elizabeth1 the ,princess1
 #eea      ,endicott1 ,governor ,john1  
#cge      ,eton in ,derbyshire1 #ie     
,exeter1 #bfi1 #bgi        ,falmouth    
7,smethick71 #bdj      ,farnsworth1     
,richard1 #aea1 #afd      ,fell1 ,judge1
 #afb;ff1 #afdn1 #afh1 #agd;ff1 #bie    
,fell1 ,leonard1 #afb      ,fell1       
,margaret 7afterwards ,margaret ,fox71  
#afj1 #afb1          #cea1 #cebn1 #cec1 
#cfh1 #djd1 #dje1 #dji2      a prisoner1
 #dag1 #dba;ff1 #dcc2      marries      
,george ,fox1 #dfh;ff1 #dhb2      her   
children1 #ecfn      ,fenny-,drayton1   
#fen1 #bjc      ,fifth-monarchy men1    
#bc1 #cfd1 #cfg1 #chd      ,flushing1   
#ejb      ,foreign mission work1 early1 
#che      ,fox1 ,christopher1 #fe1 #bjh 
,fox1 ,george1 his creative power1 #bd2 
the prophet of ,english ,reformation1   
#bd2      his despair1 #bf2      turning

 point in his life1 #bg2      views of  
the ,bible1 #bi2      his mysticism1    
#ca2      enthusiasm1 #cb2      ,divine 
,guidance1 #cc2      his view of man1   
#cd2      a reformer1 #ce2      views of
 ,education1 #cg2      on               
,predestination1 #dj2      his cures1   
#da2      his ,society1 #db2      his   
fellow-workers1 #dc2      parentage1    
birth1 early life1 #fe-fg2      leather 
suit1 #fg1 #aci2      leaves home1 #fh2 
despair1 #fi2      his experiences1     
#gb-hb2      his financial means1 #gd2  
conversion1 #hb-he2      his sense of   
conditions1 #hg2      psychical change1 
#hg2      the flaming sword1 #ig2       
new view of creation1 #ig2      his     
central teaching1 #aja2      his        
message1 #aja-aje1 #adj1 #aee1 #afb2    
first imprisonment1 #aaj2      cures an 
hysteric woman1 #aab2      in ,derby    
jail1 #aba;ff2      at ,lichfield1      
#acb-acd2      value of his preaching1  
#ada2      his iron constitution1 #addn2
      beaten and stoned1 #adf2          

,swarthmore1 #aei2      beaten at       
,ulverstone1 #afi;ff2      beaten at    
,walney1 #agb;ff2      how he bore      
persecution1 #agd2      his cures1      
#ahjn2      his discerning1 #ahd2       
sings in prison1 #aia2      visits      
,cromwell1 #bab-bae 7see also           
,cromwell72      in ,launceston jail and
 his trial1 #bdd-bfh2      moved to     
travel over the nation1 #bgg2           
preaches three hours1 #bhd 7see also    
#aee1 #ahd1 #bgd72      long hair1 #bic2
      his brave spirit1 #caa2      use  
of the ,bible1 #cbg2      his eyes1 #cdd
 7see also #ahg1 #eeg72      imprisoned 
at ,lancaster1 #dcj;ff2      in         
,scarborough1 #dci2      set free1 #dec2
      power of organizing1 #dei2        
marries ,margaret ,fell1 #dfh;ff2       
ill at ,stratford 7,essex71 #dgg2       
sails for ,america1 #dhd2      sails for
 ,england1 #eca2      last imprisonment1
 #edj;ff2      death1 #egh      ,fox1   
,mary1 #ff1 #eci      ,friends1         
beginning of the1 #gjn2      name1 #ggn 

,friends set at liberty1 #egd           
,furly1 ,benj41 #eej        ,glasgow1   
#cjf      ,glynne1 ,justice1 #bde       
,goldsmith1 ,ralph1 #cgd      ,gospel1  
what is the1 #djc        ,hacker1       
,colonel1 #bji1 #cfi      ,hale1 ,edward
 ,everett1 on prophets1 #bdn      ,hat  
honor1 #aje;ff1 #aig1 #bde1 #bdh1 #daj  
,holder1 ,christopher1 #eaa1 #eab       
,holiness1 a life of 7see ,perfection1  
,christian71 #he1 #abj;ff      ,holland1
 #edh-eec1 #ega      ,hooton1           
,elizabeth1 #gin1 #did1 #die            
,hotham1 ,justice1 #bb1 #ace-acg1 #ada1 
#adf      ,howgill1 ,francis1 #aed1 #afh
      ,huntingdon1 ,robert1 at          
,carlisle1 #cga        ,imprisonments of
 ,friends1 #bgg      ,independency1 #ag 
,indians1 #dii1 #eja1 #eaj1 #eae1 #eai  
,inward ,light 7see ,light1 the74       
,ireland1 #dfc-dfg        ,jails1       
condition of1 #aib1 #aic1 #bef1 #cgb1   
#dcj      ,jamaica1 #did      ,james1   
,william1 on the ,quaker ,religion1 #ben
      ,jersey1 ,east1 #eab      ,jersey1

 ,west1 #eja      ,john ap-,john1 #aii1 
#bhj1 #bhc1 #bhe1 #bhg;ff1 #bic         
,keith1 ,george1 #edi1 #eef-eeh         
,kendal1 #aef1 #aff      ,king's        
,missive 7mandamus sent to ,boston71    
#cgd-cgg      ,kirby1 ,colonel1 #djc1   
#dji1 #dab        ,lampitt1 a priest1   
#aei-afa1 #afi      ,lancaster1 #afd;ff1
 #cdd-cef1 #daj      ,lancaster1 ,james1
 #agb;ff1 #ahc;ff2      sings1 #cii1    
#dii1 #ejd      ,launceston1 #bdd-bfh   
,leathern breeches1 #aci                
,leicester1 a dispute at1 #ib1 #cif     
,lichfield1 #acb-acd      ,light1 the1  
#bi1 #ajj-ajd1 #afb1 #aif1 #bch1 #bhc1  
#caj1 #cae      ,little ,ease1 #cgbn    
,london1 #gj1 #bge1 #bgg et seq41       
#cai-cbe1 #dga-dgf1 #eei1 #efd1 #efh1   
#ege-egh      ,lower1 ,thomas1 #bfe1    
#ecf1 #ech        ,mancetter1 #gb       
,manchester1 #bic      ,mansfield1 #ie  
,marriage1 ,friends' ceremony upheld by 
the courts1 #chg      ,maryland1        
#dih-eja1 #eca-ecc      ,maryland       
7,baltimore7 ,yearly ,meeting begun1    

#ih1 #dii1 #ebj      ,meeting for       
,sufferings1 #cdj      ,meetings1       
setting up of ,monthly1 #dei1 #dfa      
,ministers 7,friends that speak in      
public71 advice to1 #bjcn               
,ministry1 #ch      ,monk1 ,general1 his
 order1 #cee        ,nancemond1 #ebd    
,narragansett1 #ejh      ,nayler1       
,james1 #adg1 #afd1 #afh1 #agb-agd1     
#bcd1 #bfi-bga      ,new ,castle1 #eja1 
#eag      ,new ,england1 ,quakers in1   
#cgc      ,new ,england ,yearly         
,meeting1 #ejd      ,new ,york          
,half-,year's ,meeting1 #ejb            
,nottingham1 #aji        ,oaths1 ,act in
 regard to refusing to take oaths1 #cie 
,opened1 meaning of the term1 #gdn      
,ordinances1 #ci      ,owen1 ,dr4 ,john1
 #bgf      ,oxford and ,cambridge       
education not enough to qualify men     
to be ministers1 #ge      ,oyster ,bay1 
#eaa        ,packer1 ,colonel1 #baf;ff  
,parker1 ,alexander1 #cji1 #caj;ff1 #ega
      ,parnell1 ,james1 #aia1 #aib1 #bbd
      ,patrington1 #adb-add      ,pendle

 ,hill1 #aej      ,penington1 ,isaac1   
#cagn1 #cbe      ,penn1 ,william1 on    
,fox1 #dd1 #eafn1 #ecf1 #edg1 #edj1     
#eef-eeh1 #efe      ,perfection1        
,christian 7see ,holiness71 #ig1 #aja1  
#abj;ff1 #ccc      ,persecution of      
,friends in ,new ,england1 #cgc1 #cgi   
,poland1 letter to ,king of1 #efj       
,presbyterianism1 #ag      ,priest1     
meaning of the word1 #fgn      ,prison1 
number of ,friends in1 #chi             
,professor1 meaning of the word1 #fhn   
,pronouns1 use of plural1 #aig1 #chj;ff 
,providence1 #ejg        ,quaker1 origin
 of the name1 #abe1 #aben      ,quaker  
honesty1 #aih        ,ranters1 #bb1     
#ghn1 #aaf-aag      ,ranters in ,new    
,england1 #ejf      ,reading1 #bbc;ff   
,reckless1 ,john1 #aaj      ,religious  
states1 various1 #cah      ,rhode       
,island1 #ejd-ji      ,rotterdam1 #eej  
,sale1 ,richard1 #cga      ,sawrey1     
,justice1 #afa1 #afc1 #afi1 #age        
,scarborough1 #dci;ff      ,schools1    
establishing1 #cg1 #dfa      ,scotland1 

#bih-caf      ,scriptures1 the1 #ajc1   
#aji1 #agf      ,sect1 ,quakers not a1  
#cdin      ,seekers1 ,the1 #bj-bb       
,shake the country ten miles round1 who 
could1 #adi      ,shattuck1 ,samuel1    
#cgd      ,shelter ,island1 #eji        
,shrewsbury1 ,n4 ,j41 #eac      ,sixty  
ministers sent out1 #bja      ,smethick 
7,falmouth71 #bdj      ,smith1 ,william1
 #cig      ,sommerton1 #ebe1 #ebh       
,speaking in a house of worship1 #afan1 
#ahbn      ,stephens1 ,nathaniel1 a     
priest1 #ga1 #gf1 #bjc-bjf1 #baa        
,stoddard1 ,amor1 #ij      ,sufferings  
of ,friends1 #cfi2 in ,new ,england1    
#cgc-cgi1 #chi2      petition to the    
king1 #chi      ,swannington1 #cid      
,swarthmore1 #aei1 #aff;ff1 #agi1 #bie1 
#big1 #cdb1 #djc      ,swarthmore       
,meeting ,house1 #afd        ,taylor1   
,thomas1 #afh1 #bjj1 #bhd      ,thou and
 ,thee1 #chj-chb      ,truth1 meaning   
of1 #djgn        ,ulverstone1 #aff1     
#afi;ff        ,vane1 ,sir ,henry1 #cbh 
,virginia1 #ebd1 #ebi        ,wales1    

#aii1 #bhj1 #bhb-bic      ,walney1 #agb 
,war1 ,fox's view of1 #abh1 #acj        
,warwick1 #bcj      ,wensleydale1 #aea  
,west1 ,justice1 #agf;ff1 #bie          
,westmoreland1 #aed      ,widders1      
,robert1 #bih1 #cjg1 #cji1 #caa1 #cac1  
#cda1 #did1 #dii      ,wilkinson and    
,story1 #ecgn1 #eee      ,williams1     
,roger1 #edg      ,women1 their position
 in the church1 #ai1 #ecg      ,women   
preachers1 #ai      ,worcester1 #eci    
,worship1 #ch        ,yearly ,meetings1 
at ,luton 7#afeh71 #cag2      ,balby1   
#ccg2      ,skipton 7#afei71 #cdj1 #dhc 
,york1 #ach             99       99     
99       99       99    ,transcriber's  
note3    ,text enclosed by underscores  
is in italics 7italics74    ,small      
capital text has been replaced with all 
capitals4    ,variations in spelling1   
punctuation and hyphenation have been   
retained except in obvious cases of     
typographical error4    ,page #dbi ,the 
transcriber has supplied the opening    
double quote mark  in the following     

sentence3 ,i do deny them in my heart2  
for ,i am a  ,christian1 and shall show 
forth ,christianity amongst you this    
day4 ,it  is for ,christ's doctrine ,i  
stand4    ,page #ege ,the transcriber   
has supplied the closing double quote   
mark  in the following sentence3 ,a     
general epistle to ,friends1 to forewarn
  them of the approaching storm1 that   
they might all retire to the  ,lord1 in 
whom is safety4