1662. that day; for the Magiftrates (they faid) had threatned to take me, and had raifed the Trained-Bands. Broad- I wish'd them to go their way to the Meeting, not Meeting, telling them what I intended to do but I told Edm.

mead.

Pyot, I intended to go to the Meeting, and he fent his Son with me, to fhew me the Way from his Houfe by the Fields. As I went, I met divers Friends, who were coming to me to prevent my going; and did what they could, to stop me: What, faid one, Wilt thou go into the Mouth of the Beaft? Wilt thou go into the Mouth of the Dragon, faid another? But I put them by, and went on. When I came into the Meeting, Margaret Thomas was fpeaking; and when she had done, I ftood up. Now I faw a Concern and Fear upon Friends for me but the Power of the Lord, in which I declared, foon ftruck the Fear out of them and Life fprang, and an Heavenly, Glorious Meeting we had. After I had Cleared my felf, of what was upon me from the Lord to the Meeting, I was moved to Pray: and after I had prayed, and was ftept down, I was moved to ftand up again, and tell Friends, Now they might fee, there was a God in Ifrael, that could deliver. A very large, full Meeting this was, and very hot: but Truth was over all, and the Life was up, which carried through all; and the Meeting broke up in Peace. For the Officers and Soldiers had been breaking up another Meeting which had taken up their time, fo that our Meeting was ended, before they came. But I understood af terwards, they were in a great Rage, that they had miffed me; for they were heard to fay one to another before, I'll warrant, we shall have him: but the Lord prevented them. I went from the Meeting to Joan Hily's, where many Friends came to fee me; rejoycing and bleffing God for our Deliverance. In the Evening I had a fine fresh Meeting among Friends, at a Friend's House over the Water, where Friends were much refreshed in the Lord. After this I ftay'd most rellol, part of that Week in Bristol, and at Edward Pyot's. Edward was brought fo low and weak with an Ague,

that

that when I came firft thither, he was look'd upon as 1662. á Dying Man: but it pleafed the Lord to raife him up again fo that, before I went away, his Ague left Bristol. him, and he was finely well.t egia.

W aid Now having been two Firft-Days together at the Meeting at Broad-mead, and feeling my Spirit clear of Bristol I went next Firft-Day to a Meeting in the Country not far from Briftot. And after the Meeting was over, fome Friends, that came from Briftol, told me, that the Soldiers that day had befet the Meeting-Houfe round at Bristol; and then went up, faying, They would be fure to have me now: But when they came up, and found me not there, they were in a great Rage, and kept the Friends in the Meeting Houfe moft part of the day, before they would let them go home; and queried of them, which way I was gone, and how they might fend after me? For the Mayor, they faid, would fain have spoken with me But I had a Vifion of a great Maftiff Dog, that would have bitten me: but I put one hand above his Jaws, and the other hand below, and tore his Jaws to pieces! So the Lord by his Power tore their Power to pieces, and made way for me to efcape them Then paffed I through the Countries, vifiting Friends in Wiltshig Wiltsh. and Berkshire, till I came to London and had great Barkh. Meetings amongft Friends, as I went and the Lord's Power was over all; and a bleffed time it was for the Spreading of his glorious Truth. It was indeed the Immediate Hand and Power of the Lord, that did preferve me out of their Hands at Bristol, and over the Heads of all our Perfecutors, and the Lord alone 3. is worthy of all the Glory, who did uphold and preferve for his Name and Truth's fake. AOTA

London

At London I ftaid not long this time, but was drawn in my Spirit to vifit Friends Northward, as far as Leicestershire, Fohn Stubbs being with me. So we travelled down through the Countries, having Lekce Meetings amongst Friends, as we wents and at Skegby Notting we had a great Meeting. Thence palling on, we came ham/h. to a place called Barnet-Hills, where lived then one Barnet

A 3

Cap

Skegby.

hills.

bills.

は

1662. Captain Brown, a Baptift, whofe Wife was Convinced of Truth. This Captain Broton, after the Act for Barnet Breaking up Meetings came forth, being afraid, lest his Wife fhould go to Meetings, and be caft into Prifon, deft his Houfe at Barrow, and took a place on thefe Hills, faying His Wife should not go to Prifon. And this being a free Place, many, both Priefts and others, got thither, as well as he. But he, who would neither ftand to Truth himself, nor uffer his Wife, was in this place, where he thought, to be fafe, found out by the Lord: whofe hand fell heavy upon him for his Unfaithfulness, fo that he was forely plagued, and grievously judged in himself for flying, and drawing his Wife into that private place. We went to fee his Wife, and being come into the Houfe, I asked him, How he did? How do I? faid he, The Plagues and Vengeance of God are upon me, a Run Ragate, a Cain as I am; God may look for a Witnefs for me, and fuch as me, for if all were no faithfuller, than I, God would have no Witnefs left in the Earth In this Condition he lived there on Bread and Water; and thought it was too good for him. At length he got home again with his Wife, to his own Houfe at Burrow, where afterwards he came to be Convinced of God's Eternal Truth, and died in it. A little before his Death he faid Though he had not born a Teftimony for Truth in his Life, he would bear a Teftimony in his Death, and would be buried in his Orchard: and was fo. He was an Example to all the Flying Baptifts in the time of Perfecution, who could not bear Perfecutions themselves, and yet perfecuted us, when they had Power.

Lelce

From Barnet-Hills we came to Swanington in LeiHersh cefterfbire, where Will Smith, and fome other Friends Swaning came to me, but they paffed away towards Night, deaving me at a Friend's Houfe in Swanington. At Night, as I was fitting in the Hall, fpeaking to a Widow Woman and her Daughter; there came one called Lord Beaumont, with a Company of Soldiers, who flapping their Swords on the Door, rufht into

the

ton,

the House with their Swords and Pistols in their hands, 1662crying, Put out the Candles, and make faft the Doors. Then they feized upon the Friends in the Houfe, and Swaning asked; If there were no more about the House? The Friends told them, there was one Man more in the Hall. Now there being fome Friends, that came out of Derbyshire, one of them was named Thomas Fauks; and this Lord Beaumont (fo called) after he had asked all their Names, bid his Man, fet down that Man's Name Thomas Fox: but the Friend faid, Nay; his Name was not Fox, but Fauks. In the mean time fome of the Soldiers came, and fetcht me out of the Hall, and brought me to him; and he asked me my Name: I told him, my Name was George Fox, and that I was well known by that Name. Ay, faid he, you are known all the World over: I faid, I was known for no Hurt, but for Good. Then he put his Hands into my Pockets to fearch them, and pluck'd out my Comb-Cafe and afterwards commanded one of his Officers to fearch further, for Letters; as he pretended. I told him, I was no Letter-Carrier: and ask'd him, Why would he come amongst a Peaceable Peor ple with Swords and Piftols, without a Conftables which was contrary to the King's Proclamation; and to the late A&t? For he could not fay, there was a Meeting; I being only talking with a poor WidowWoman and her Daughter. By reafoning thus with him, he came fomewhat down: yet fending for the Conftables, he gave them Charge of us that Night and to bring us before him next Morning. Accord ingly the Conftables fet a Watch of the Town's People upon us that Night; and had us up next Morning to his Houfe, about a Mile from Swanington. When we came before him, he told us, We Met contrary to the A: Whereupon I defired him to fhew us the Act. Wby, fays he, you bave it in your Pocket. I told him, he did not find us in a Meeting. Then he asked us, Whether we would take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy? I told him, I never took any Oath in all my Life, nos Engagement, nor the Covenant: Yet A 4

ftill

ton.

.

1667. ftill he would force the Oath upon us. Then I defired him to fhew us the Oath, that we might fee whether Swaning we were the Perfons the Oath was to be tendred to; and whether it was not for the Difcovery of Popith Recufants. At length he brought forth a little Book, but we called for the Statute-Book. He would not fhew us that; but caufed a Mittimus to be made, which mentioned,That we were to have had a Meeting: And with this Mittimus he delivered us to the Conftables to Convey us to Leicester-Jail. But when the Conftables had brought us back to Swanington, it' being Harveft-time, it was hard to get any body to go with us; for the People were loth to go with their Neighbours to Prifon, efpecially in fuch a bufie time. They would have given us our Mittimus, to have car ried it our felves to the Fail; for it had been usual for Conftables to give Friends their own Mittimus, (for they durft truft Friends;) and they have gone themfelves with their Mittimus to the Failer. But. we told them, though our Friends had fometimes done fo, yet we would not take this Mittimus; but fome of them fhould go with us to the Jail. At laft they hired a poor labouring Man to go with us; who yet was loth to have gone, though hired. So we rid through the Country to Leicester, being Five of us in number; fome carried their Bibles open in their hands, declaring the Truth to the People, as we rode, in the Fields and through the Towns, and telling them; We were the Prifoners of the Lord Jefus Chrift, going to fuffer Bonds for his Name and Truth-fake : and one Woman Friend carried her Wheel on her Lap, to Spin on in Prifon : and the People were mightily Leicester affected. At Leicester we went to an Inn; and the Mafter of the Houfe feemed to be troubled, that we fhould go to Prifon : and being himself in Commiffion, he fent for Lawyers in the Town to advife with; and would have taken up the Mittimus, and kept us in his own Houfe, and not have let us gone into the Jail. But I told Friends, it would be great Charge to lie at an Inn, and many Friends and People would

be