A. D. Humphry Smith, a minister among Friends, lays down his life 1663. for his testimony, in a stinking close prison' at Winchester. Being near his end, he prayed to God that he would deliver his people from their cruel oppressors, and be Himself the teacher of those who had been convinced by his ministry. He had a prophetic vision of the fire of London, six years before it happened; a relation of which he gave forth in print:" He foresaw, likewise, his own imprisonment, and that it might cost him his life. 6 George Fox is again imprisoned, and about a month after him Margaret the widow of Judge Fell: both in Lancaster Castle, for refusing the oath of allegiance tendered to them (by previous concert among their enemies) as a snare. Francis Howgill on the same account is committed to Appleby gaol. (h) John Audland dies in a consumption, as his intimate friend and fellow-labourer John Camm had, before him: See vol. i, 308. He was only thirty-four years of age, but had travelled much in the work of the ministry, having been convinced very young, and while an eminent teacher among the Independents; of whom be had a numerous auditory at Firbank chapel, Westmoreland. His disorder seems to have been consequent on his exertions in preaching in the open air at Bristol, where several thousands used to assemble. 'He terminated (says Gough) a virtuous life in great tranquillity at the age of thirtyfour-to him of duration sufficient, being so well spent as we trust insured him the end of his faith, the salvation of his soul.' (i) 1664. The prisoners above-mentioned are brought to trial. George Fox traverses, and for the present quashes the indictment-but is immediately recommitted, by the usual means of a fresh tender of the oath. Margaret Fell's counsel plead in arrest of judgment, upon several errors, which yet the judge overrules, and passes sentence of premunire. Upon hearing which she said: The Lord forgive thee for what thou hast done. This law was made for Popish recusants, but you pass sentence on few of them. Although I am out of the King's protection, yet I am not out of the protection of Almighty God.' She was continued prisoner about four years; and released, and her estate restored, by an order of the King in Council. Francis Howgill refusing to enter into bond to be of good behaviour, and not hold meetings at his house, is remanded, but at the ensuing Assize also premunired. The Judge, who had much opportunity during the trials of observing both the malice of Howgill's enemies and the respect of the neighbourhood towards him, said with a faint and low voice, You are put out of the King's protection and the benefit of the law. Your lands are confiscate to the King during your life, and your goods and chattels for ever, (h) Journ. 351–359. Sewel, ii, 99, 108. Gough, ii, 25—32. OF EVENTS. and you are to be prisoner during your life.' 165 F. H. Hard sentence for obeying the command of Christ; but I am content and in perfect peace with the Lord: and the Lord forgive you all!' Judge. Well, if you will yet be subject to the laws the king will shew you mercy." F. H. The LORD hath shewed mercy unto me, and I have done nothing against the king, nor government, nor any man, blessed be the Lord! And therein stands my peace; and it is for Christ's sake I suffer, and not for evil doing.' So he returned to prison, where he continued to the end of his days. There is extant a volume containing his works, in folio. (k) A. D. Many suffer under the Act against conventicles: See vol. 1, 1664. p. 102, 177. After reciting the provisions of this act, Gough says 'It is not wonderful that a law of such pernicious tendency to the liberty and security of so large a body of the people should become the subject of severe criticism.' An anonymous pamphlet set forth its absurd severity 'Since all religion exercised by six persons not according to the formulary of the Church of England was forbidden, if, a woman being in travail and her life in danger, one of the company said a prayer— or, if any one spoke any thing to comfort the near relations of a person deceased; or prayed for the health or happiness of a new married couple, it might happen that some, by the malice of their enemies might not only incur imprisonment for three months, but by the repetition of such friendly offices be condemned to transportation.' (7) Neale relates that many [nonconformists] were afraid to pray in their families, if above four visitors were present-and some scrupled to ask a blessing on their meat, if five strangers were at table. George Fox relates, that a minister being moved to speak a few words before he sat down to supper at a friend's house at Droitwich, a man hearkening for his words under the window, went and got a warrant to distrain the friends' goods under pretence of a meeting-though none were present with the friend but the man of the house, his wife and servant maid! We may see, by such specimens of jealousy, how dreadful a thing 'the church in their house' becomes to evil rulers in the Church politic, when the heads of a Christian family maintain their Gospel station, and pray to God and praise him for his benefits at home, with their children and servants about them! Such a practice (not in mere form, and statedly, but in the Spirit and in truth) would supersede any service ex officio, which the priest under a Religious Establishment could render them. As to the rest of this head, I must refer the Reader, for accounts of persecutions and transportations under this Act, to my first volume, under No. XII, and to our historians. (e) (k) Gough, ii, 96-109. Piety promoted, pt. 1. (7) Gough, ii, p. 114. Fox, Journ. I A. D. 1665. Samuel Fisher and Joseph Fuce, both ministers of this society, lay down their lives for the testimony of a good conscience, in the White Lion prison, in Southwark. William Caton, whose service had been much in Holland, departs this life at Amsterdam. Of Samuel Fisher and William Caton see some mention in vol. i, p. 306. They were both men of good parts and literary attainments, and much beloved by their friends. Joseph Fuce had travelled through several counties, was much engaged in controversy with Independents, baptists and others: and was once taken up in his travels by order of the Mayor of Arundel, and sent on ship-board to be transported among felons to Jamaica! A sentence, the enormous cruelty and injustice of which seems to have proved its own remedy, by the interposition of some others in authority in his behalf. The plague raging in London. Parliament meets at Oxford. 'But (observes the historian) as if neither war, pestilence nor any other symptom of Divine displeasure, were calamities of equal magnitude with the existence of nonconformity, they proceeded to enact a fresh penal law, commonly known by the name of the Oxford five-mile Act, restraining nonconformists from inhabiting corporate towns: a statute which, though it bore principally upon the Presbyterians and Independents, was also frequently enforced against quakers.' The prevalence of infection, and the great mortality, amounting to near 100,000 in this year, in London, powerfully excited the sympathy of the members of the society towards their suffering friends. The women friends were associated with the men in the care of the sick, and families of the deceased: and not only were the resident members engaged in this service, but several, as George Whitehead, Alexander Parker, Josiah Coale and others, came out of the country to administer bodily and spiritual comfort to the afflicted; and, through ali their service, were mercifully preserved both from infection and imprisonment-the latter to many proving a danger quite as formidable as the neighbourhood of the plague itself. (m) Thomas Ellwood, a young man of a genteel family and of accomplished education, who had joined the Society some years, and Isaac Penington (of whom see some mention in vol. i, p. 105) are illegally imprisoned, in company with other friends assembled at the funeral of a Friend of Amersham, Bucks. As the circumstances of this case, as well as the character of the relator Thomas Ellwood, are peculiar, they will be most fitly given in his own words, as follows: "Although the Storm, raised by the Act for Banishment, fell with the greatest weight and force upon some other parts, as at London, Hertford, &c. yet we were not, in Buckinghamshire, wholly exempted therefrom, for a part of that shower reached us also. "For a Friend of Amersham, whose name was Edward Perot, or Parret, departing this life, and notice being given that his body would be buried there on such a day, which was the First day of the Fifth Month, 1665, the Friends of the 1 (m) Gough, ii, 146–149. adjacent parts of the country resorted pretty generally to the burial; so that there was a fair appearance of Friends and neighbours, the deceased having been wellbeloved by both. "After we had spent some time together in the house, Morgan Watkins, who at that time happened to be at Isaac Penington's, being with us, the body was taken up and borne on Friend's shoulders along the street, in order to be carried to the burying-ground, which was at the town's end, being part of an Orchard belonging to the deceased, which he in his life-time had appointed for that service. "It so happened that one Ambrose Benett, a Barrister at Law and a Justice of the Peace for that County, riding through the town that morning in his way to Aylesbury, was by some ill-disposed person or other, informed that there was a Quaker to be buried there that day, and that most of the Quakers in the Country were come thither to the burial. "Upon this he set up his horses and staid; and when we, not knowing any thing of his design against us, went innocently forward, to perform our Christian duty for the interment of our friend, he rushed out of his Inn upon us, with the constables and a rabble of rude fellows, whom he had gathered together; and having his drawn sword in his hand, struck one of the foremost of the bearers with it, commanding them to set down the coffin. But the friend who was so stricken, whose name was Thomas Dell, being more concerned for the safety of the dead body than his own, lest it should fall from his shoulder, and any indecency thereupon follow, held the coffin fast: which the Justice observing, and being enraged that his word (how unjust soever) was not forthwith obeyed, set his hand to the coffin, and with a forcible thrust threw it off from the bearers' shonlders, so that it fell to the ground in the midst of the street, and there we were forced to leave it. "For immediately thereupon the Justice giving command for the apprehending us, the constables with the rabble fell on us, and drew some and drove others into the Inn; giving thereby an opportunity to the rest to walk away. "Of those that were thus taken, I was one. And being, with many more, put into a room under a guard, we were kept there till another Justice (called Sir Thomas Clayton, whom Justice Benett had sent for to join with him in committing us) was come. And then, being called forth severally before them, they picked out ten of us, and committed us to Aylesbury Jail; for what, neither we nor they knew: for we were not convicted of having either done or said any thing which the law could take hold of: for they took us up in the open street (the king's high-way) not doing any unlawful act, but peaceably carrying and accompanying the corpse of our deceased friend to bury it. Which they would not suffer us to do, but caused the body to lie in the open street, and in the cart-way; so that all the travellers that passed by, whether horse-men, coaches, carts, or waggons, were fain to break out of the way to go by it, that they might not drive over it, until it was almost night. And then having caused a grave to be made in the unconsecrated part (as it is accounted) of that which is called the Church-yard, they forcibly took the body from the widow, whose right and property it was, and buried it there. "When the justices had delivered us prisoners to the constable, it being then late in the day, which was the Seventh day of the week, he not willing to go so far as Aylesbury (nine long miles) with us that night, nor to put the town to the charge of keeping us there that night, and the First day and night following, dismist us upon our Parole to come to him again at a set hour on the Second day morning: whereupon we all went home to our respective habitations; and coming to him punctually according to promise, were by him, without guard, conducted to the prison. "The jailer, whose name was Nathaniel Birch, had not long before behaved himself very wickedly, with great rudeness and cruelty, to some of our Friends of the lower side of the county, whom he, combining with the Clerk of the Peace, whose name was Henry Wells, had contrived to get into his jail; and after they were legally discharged in court, detained them in prison, using great violence, and shutting them up close in the common jail among the felons, because they would not give him his unrighteous demand of fees; which they were the more straitened in, from his treacherous dealing with them. And they having, through suffering, maintained their Freedom, and obtained their liberty, we were the more concerned to keep what they had so hardly gained: and therefore resolved not to make any contract or terms for either Chamber-rent or fees, but to demand a free Prison: which we did. "When we came in, the jailer was ridden out to wait on the judges, who came in, that day, to begin the Assize, and his wife was somewhat at a loss how to deal with us; but being a cunning woman, she treated us with great appearance of courtesy, offering us the choice of all her Rooms; and when we asked upon what terms? she still referred us to her husband; telling us, she did not doubt but that he would be very reasonable and civil to us. Thus she endeavoured to have drawn us to take possession of some of her chambers at a venture, and trust to her husband's kind usage. But we, who at the cost of our friends had a proof of his kindness, were too wary to be drawn in by the fair words of a woman: and therefore told her, we would not settle any where till her husband came home, and then would have a free prison, wheresoever he put us. "Accordingly, walking altogether into the court of the prison, in which was a well of very good water, and having beforehand sent to a friend in the town, a widow woman whose name was Sarah Lambarn, to bring us some bread and cheese, we sat down upon the ground round about the well, and when we had eaten, we drank of the water out of the well. "Our great concern was for our friend Isaac Penington; because of the tenderness of his constitution; but he was so lively in his spirit, and so cheerfully given up to suffer, that he rather encouraged us, than needed any encouragement from us. "In this posture the jailer, when he came home, found us; and having before he came to us consulted his wife, and by her understood on what terms we stood; when he came to us, he hid his teeth, and putting on a show of kindness, seemed much troubled that we should sit there abroad, especially his old friend Mr. Penington; and thereupon invited us to come in, and take what rooms in his house we pleased: we asked, upon what terms? letting him know withal, that we determined to have a free prison. "He, like the Sun and wind in the Fable, that strove which of them should take from the Traveller his cloak; having (like the wind) tried rough, boisterous, violent means to our friends before, but in vain, resolved now to imitate the Sun and shine as pleasantly as he could upon us. Wherefore he told us, We should make the terms ourselves, and be as free as we desired: If we thought fit, when we were released, to give him any thing, he would thank us for it; and if not, he would demand nothing. Upon these terms we went in, and disposed ourselves, some in the dwellinghouse, others in the malt-house, where they chose to be. "During the Assize we were brought before Judge Morton, a sour angry man, who very rudely reviled us, but would not hear either us or the cause; but referred the matter to the two Justices who had committed us. They, when the Assize was ended, sent for us to be brought before them at their Inn, and fined us, as I remember, six shillings and eight-pence a piece; which we not consenting to pay, they committed us to prison again for one month from that time, on the Act of Banishment. "When we had lain there that Month, I with another went to the jailer, to demand our liberty; which he readily granted, telling us, The door should be opened when we pleased to go. "This answer of his I reported to the rest of my friends there, and thereupon we |