soners on board. The master, being thus crossed and vexed, cursed them that put him upon this freight; and said, he hoped he should not go far before he was taken.' And the vessel was but a little while gone out of sight of Plymouth, before she was taken by a Dutch man of war, and carried into Holland. When they came into Holland, the states sent the banished Friends back to England, with a letter of passport, and a certificate, that they had not made an escape, but were sent back by them.' But in time the Lord's power wrought over this storm, and many of our persecutors were confounded and put to shame.

After I had lain prisoner above a year in Scarborough castle, I sent a letter to the king, in which I gave him an account of my imprisonment, and the bad usage I had received in prison; and also that I was informed no man could deliver me but he. After this, John Whitehead being at London, and having acquaintance also with him that was called Squire Marsh, he went to visit him, and spoke to him about me; and he undertook, if John Whitehead would get the state of my case drawn up, to deliver it to the master of requests, whom he called Sir John Birkenhead, who would endeavour to get a release for me. So John Whitehead and Ellis Hookes drew up a relation of my imprisonment and sufferings, and carried it to Marsh; and he went with it to the master of requests, who procured an order from the king for my release. The substance of the order was, that the king being certainly informed that I was a man principled against plotting and fighting, and had been ready at all times to discover plots, rather than to make any, &c. therefore his royal pleasure was, that I should be discharged from my imprisonment,' &c. As soon as this order was obtained, John Whitehead came to Scarborough with it, and delivered it to the governor; who, upon receipt thereof, gathered the officers together, and, without requiring bond or sureties for my peaceable living, being satisfied that I was a man of a peaceable life, he discharged me freely, and gave me the following passport:

Permit the bearer hereof, George Fox, late a prisoner here, and now discharged by his majesty's order, quietly to pass about his lawful occasions, without any molestation. Given under my hand at Scarborough castle, this first day of September, 1666.

JORDAN CROSLANDS,

Governor of Scarborough castle.'

After I was released, I would have given the governor something for the civility and kindness he had of late showed me; but he would not receive any thing; saying, whatever good he could do for me and my friends, he would do it, and never do them any hurt.' And afterwards, if at any time the mayor of the town sent to him for soldiers to break

up Friends' meetings, if he sent any down, he would privately give them a charge, not to meddle.' And so he continued loving to his dyingday. The officers also and the soldiers were mightily changed, and become very respectful to me. When they had occasion to speak of me, they would say, 'he is as stiff as a tree, and as pure as a bell; for we could never bow him.'

The very next day after my release, the fire broke out in London; and the report of it came quickly down into the country. Then I saw the Lord God was true and just in his word, which he had showed me before in Lancaster gaol, when I saw the angel of the Lord with a glittering drawn sword southward, as before expressed. And the people of London were forewarned of this fire: yet few laid it to heart, or believed it; but rather grew more wicked, and higher in pride. For a Friend was moved to come out of Huntingdonshire a little before the fire, and to scatter his money up and down the streets, and to turn his horse loose in the streets, and to untie the knees of his breeches, and let his stockings fall down, and to unbutton his doublet, and tell the people, 'so should they run up and down, scattering their money and goods, half undressed, like mad people, as he was a sign to them;' and so they did when the fire broke out, and the city was burning. Thus hath the Lord exercised his prophets and servants by his power, showed them signs of his judgments, and then sent them to forewarn the people; but instead of repenting, they have beaten and cruelly entreated some; and some they have imprisoned, both in the former power's days, and since. But the Lord is just; and happy are they that obey his word. Some have been moved to go naked in their streets, in the other power's days, and since, as signs of their nakedness; and have declared amongst them, 'that God would strip them of their hypocritical professions, and make them as bare and naked as they were.' But, instead of considering it, they have frequently whipped, or otherwise abused them, and sometimes imprisoned them. Others have been moved to go in sackcloth, and to denounce the woes and vengeance of God against the pride and haughtiness of the people; but few regarded it. And in the other power's days, the wicked, envious, professing priests put up several petitions both to Oliver and Richard, called protectors, and to the parliaments, judges, and justices against us, stuffed full of lies, and vilifying words and slanders; but we got copies of them, and through the Lord's assistance answered them all, and cleared the Lord's truth and ourselves of them. But oh! the body of darkness that rose against the truth, in them that made lies their refuge! But the Lord swept them away; and in and with his power, truth, light, and life hedged his lambs about, and preserved them as on eagles' wings. Therefore we all had and have great encouragement to trust the Lord, who, we saw, by his power and spirit,

overturned and brought to nought all the confederacies and counsels that were hatched in darkness against his truth and people; and by the same truth gave his people dominion, that in it they might serve him.

And indeed, I could not but take notice how the hand of the Lord turned against those my persecutors who had been the cause of my imprisonment, or had been abusive or cruel to me under it. For the officer that fetched me to Houlkerhall wasted his estate, and soon after fled into Ireland. And most of the justices that were upon the bench at the sessions when I was sent to prison died in awhile after; as old Thomas Preston, Rawlinson, Porter, and Matthew West, of Borwick. And justice Fleming's wife died, and left him thirteen or fourteen motherless children; who had imprisoned two Friends to death, and thereby made several children fatherless. Colonel Kirby never prospered after. The chief constable, Richard Dodgson, died soon after; and Mount, the petty constable, and the wife of John Ashburnham, the other petty constable, who railed at me in her house, died soon after. William Knipe, the witness they brought against me, died soon after. Hunter, the gaoler of Lancaster, who was very wicked to me while I was his prisoner, was cut off in his young days. The under-sheriff, that carried me from Lancaster prison towards Scarborough, lived not long after. And one Joblin, the gaoler of Durham, who was prisoner with me in Scarborough castle, and had often incensed the governor and soldiers against me, though he got out of prison, the Lord cut him off in his wickedness soon after. When I came into that country again, most of those that dwelt in Lancashire were dead, and others ruined in their estates; so that, though I did not seek revenge upon them, for their actings against me contrary to the law, yet the Lord had executed his judgments upon many of them.

Being now at liberty, I went about three miles to a large general meeting at a Friend's house, who had been a chief constable; and all was quiet and well. On fourth-day after, I returned to Scarborough, and had a meeting in the town at Peter Hodgson's. To this meeting came one called a lady, and several other great persons; also a young man, son to the bailiff of the town, who had been convinced while I was there in prison. That lady (so called,) came to me, and said, 'I spoke against the ministers.' I told her, 'Such as the prophets and Christ declared against formerly, I declared against now.'

From hence I went to Whitby: and, having visited Friends there, passed to Burlington, where I had another meeting. From thence to Oram, where I had another meeting; and thence to Marmaduke Storr's, and had a large meeting at a constable's house, on whom the Lord had wrought a great miracle.

Next day two Friends being to take each other in marriage, there

was a very great meeting, which I attended. I was moved to open the state of our marriages, declaring, How the people of God took one another in the assemblies of the elders; and that it was God who joined man and woman together before the fall. And though men had taken upon them to join in the fall, yet in the restoration it is God's joining that is the right and honourable marriage; but never any priest did marry any, that we read of in the scriptures, from Genesis to the Revelations.' Then I showed them the duty of man and wife, how they should serve God, being heirs of life and grace together.

After the meeting I passed from thence to Grace Barwick's where I had a general meeting, which was very large. I came next to Richard Shipton's, where I had another meeting; and so to a priest's house, whose wife was convinced, and himself grown very loving, and glad to see me. This was that priest, who, in the year 1651, threatened, ‘If ever he met with me again, he would have my life, or I should have his ;' and said, 'He would lose his head if I were not knocked down in a month;' but now he was partly convinced, and become very kind. I went from his house towards the sea, where several Friends came to visit me: amongst others, Philip Scarff, who had formerly been a priest, but having received the truth, was now become a preacher of Christ freely, and continued so. Passing on, I called to see an ancient man, who was convinced of truth, and was above an hundred years old. Then I came to a Friend's house, where I had a great meeting and quiet. I had a great meeting near Malton; and another large one near Hull: from whence I went to Holdendike. As we went into the town, the watchmen questioned me and those that were with me; but they not having any warrant to stay us, we passed by them, and they in a rage threatened they would search us out. I went to the house of one called the lady Montague, where I lodged that night; and several Friends came to visit me. Next morning, being up betimes, I walked into the orchard, and saw a man about sunrising go into the house in a great cloak. He staid not long; but soon came out again, and went away, not seeing me. I felt something strike at my life; and went into the house, where I found the maid-servant affrighted and trembling. She told me, 'That man had a naked rapier under his cloak.' By which I perceived he came with the intent to have done mischief; but the Lord prevented him.

I then visited Friends till I came to York, where we had a large meeting. After which I went to visit justice Robinson, an ancient justice of peace; who had been very loving to me and Friends from the beginning. There was a priest with him; who told me, 'It was said of us, that we loved none but ourselves.' I told him, 'We loved all mankind as they were God's creation, and as they were children of Adam and Eve by generation; and we loved the brotherhood in the holy ghost.'

This stopped him. After some other discourse, we parted friendly, and

passed away.

About this time I wrote a book, entitled, Fear God, and honour the king;' in which I showed, "That none could rightly fear God, and honour the king, but they that departed from sin and evil: this book did much affect the soldiers and most people.

Having visited Friends at York, we passed to a market-town, where we had a meeting at George Watkinson's, who formerly had been a justice. A glorious, blessed meeting it was, and very large, and the seed of life was set over all. But we had been troubled to get into this town, had not providence made way for us; for the watchmen stood ready to stop us, but there being a man riding just before us, the watchmen questioned him first; and perceiving he was a justice, let him pass; and we riding close after him, by that means escaped.

From this place we passed to Thomas Taylor's, who had formerly been a captain, where we had a precious meeting. Hard by Thomas Taylor's lived one called a knight, who was much displeased when he heard I was like to be released out of prison; and threatened, if the king set me at liberty, he would send me to prison again the next day.' But though I had this meeting so near him, the Lord's power stopped him from meddling, and our meeting was quiet. Colonel Kirby also, who had been the chief means of my imprisonment at Lancaster and Scarborough castles, when he heard I was set at liberty, got another order for the taking me up; and said, 'He would ride his horse forty miles to take me, and would give forty pounds to have me taken.' Yet awhile after I came so near him as to have a meeting within two miles of him: and then he was struck with the gout, and kept his bed, so that it was thought he would have died.

From Thomas Taylor's I visited Friends till I came to Synderhillgreen, where I had a large and general meeting. The priest of the place hearing of it, sent the constable to the justices for a warrant; and they rode their horses so hard, they almost spoiled them: but the notice they had being short, and the way long, the meeting was ended before they came. I heard not of them till I was going out of the house, after meeting was over; and then a Friend came and told me, 'They were searching another house for me, which was the house I was then going to.' As I went along the closes towards it, I met the constables, wardens, and the justice's clerk. I passed through them, they looking at me, and went to the house they had been searching. Thus they lost their design; for the Lord's power bound them, and preserved me over them; and Friends parted, and all escaped them. The officers went away as they came; for the Lord God had frustrated their design; praised be his name forever!