A RELATION OF THE INHUMAN and Barbarous suffering of the people called QUAKERS  
In the City of Bristol during the Mayoralty of John Knight, commonly called, Sir John Knight commencing from the 29. of the 7. month 1663. to the ●9. day of the same month; 1664.  
Impartially observed by a private hand, and now communicated for Public information by the said People.  
Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand, Dan. 10.12.  
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the Prophets that were before you, Mat. 5. 10, 11, 12.  
And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry night and day unto him, though he bear long with them, I tell you he will avenge them speedily, nevertheless when the son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? Luke 18. 7, 8.  
Woe unto you when all men speak well of you, Luke 6. 26.  
Printed in the Year 1665.   

A Relation, etc.  
FRiend John Knight (for unto thee it is that we direct this ensuing relation of which we have suffered at thy hands, during thy being Major in this City, for that by thee it was, and through thy influence that we have thus suffered.) It had been well for thee, if thou hadst minded the stable condition of this City, when thou enterd'st into thy Government, both for trade and otherwise, 
Robert Can Kt. And Baronet being thy Predecessor.  than which no time hath paralleled it since the date of the late troubles, when the King returned. A City at peace and unity, within its self; men of all persuasions, as to Religion, well persuaded amongst themselves, and as to the Civil peace united in the hearts, and love of each man to another, and the public benefit; And thus it was whilst moderation sat in the Government of this City, so that every individual might rest assured of the peace and safety of his estate and Person, in the pursuance of the public.  
And by the way, let us tell thee and all, to whom these presents may come, that there was not a City more united in the public, than this of Bristol, before thine entrance, whose shadowy steps therefrom, from this day forwards, not upon our personal influence, or our principle, but thine own, receive their gnomon, or direction from thy declension from it, and will have their let from thee.  
For thou art the man, whom rage and asperity, with a blind zeal to the worships of the times, have set up to counterbuff the stability of this City, and to overturn ex industria, or of set purpose the well poized Government of unity and peace, into disunion and trouble; And to lay the sure grounded Fabric of its prosperity in the dust, whilst thou walkest over it, with arms folded up, and a pitiful countenance, as if not thou, but the contrary (viz.) moderation had there laid it; And so whilst with the one hand thou interest in thy sharp incision knife, thou stroakest with the other, as if so be that which suffers were the cause of its running in, not thou of its suffering.  
To manifest which, and 〈◊〉 give thee to see that thou art not charged amiss, something of thine own actions shall be drawn before thee, which by thee have been perpetrated, during this thy year, to the intent and end, that if thou hast yet any thing remaining of true sensibleness, thou mayest reflect upon what thou hast done, and blush, and so mayst come to the knowledge of the truth, as it is in Jesus, whom now in Us thou hast thus persecuted, and be saved, which is the desire of our hearts, and that it may be well with thee for ever. But if not, that the ground of the miscarriage of this once, and very lately flourishing City may be charged where it ought, and that after ages may have somewhat upon Record, as an account wherefore it was, and how it came to pass, that a place of so much weight and worth, should be laid even with the dust, for though we may be much looked over by thee and thy generation, as a people not of so considerable an interest as among men, though we may claim as considerable a one as your selves, yet a higher interest we have then amongst men, with him who looks ye over, who will render to you according to your deeds; and this you will find, when the measure of your iniquity is fulfilled upon us, which ye will be suffered to fulfil for the trial of our faith and Patience; and what there is of God in us, that he may be glorified, for which purpose he hath suffered ye thus to do; and without whose sufferance ye could not have done thus unto us, and therefore we are content, for he will then fulfil upon you the measure of your iniquity, and then poor Bristol will know (as well as you, the sad effects of persecuting the innocent people of the Lord, who are not its enemy, nor yours, nor the Kings, nor his Government that is just, answering the just principle of God, which we are to follow, and nothing but that which is according unto it. And where we cannot do to suffer as is our principle, and our practice makes it manifest.) We say we are not enemies to the City, to the King, nor you; but do desire the welfare of it, and of you all; God is witness who will render to every man according to his deeds.  
And this we speak before hand, that in the day of your calamity, which you shall see will approach you, and compass you about, ye may remember that of it you were foretold, and that it is come to pass what you were foretold in the day of your prosperity, to the end that you might have heard and considered ere it had been too late, for this is signified to you in the name of the Lord; and let it be as the presage of what shall come to pass, and the presage it is; The persecution of us will be visited by the Lord, with as sharp a hand as ever was drawn forth against it, since the foundation thereof; And ye shall be tumbled into the dust; and your carcases shall fall as the mire of the streets, who have stretched forth your hands without a cause, against an innocent people, that have done you no wrong, and have made them to suffer, and an execration you will be, and an hissing in the day of the Lords vengeance, when he shall render to you according to your deeds; this is spoken to such of you as shall not repent, as that which shall come upon you in the day that the Lords vengeance shall be made manifest.  
Not that we aspire after dignities, or greatness, or to be something in the world, do we thus write, or that the thoughts of such things Buoys us up above what we should be; no, we have learned somewhat else (viz.) In whatsoever condition we be, therein to be content, and to do the will of God, for which purpose we came into the world, however the doing thereof may be attended with the greatest sufferings, which we know we must pass through, viz. great sufferings, even many Tribulations to the Kingdom of God, to our rest, and so we look to the recompense of reward, as did Moses (viz.) the rest in doing the will of God, who forsook Pharaohs Court, and chose rather to suffer afflictions (and so do we) with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season: Who (it is said) endured, as seeing him who is invisible; and so as he, so here we, rest in the doing of his will; and let the Lord do what he will with us, we are content, who say, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven, be it to Prisons, to Banishment, to loss of all, to death; the good will of God be done; as to us, the Lord be glorified by us, in what he will, we leave it to him, who are come not to do our own will, but the Lords, the will of God be done, saith our soul, Amen.  
Not that we are plotting, or conspiring, or do intent any such thing, as is falsely suggested against us, and that under the pretence of religious meetings, or coming together to wait upon the Lord, the Lord is witness that we are clear of any such thing, and that our principle is against it, as is our practice. Not that we have any expectation from man, or of any outward arm for our deliverance; we disclaim any such thing; and do know, that not by man, but the arm of the Lord, our deliverance must arise, though these things are secretly suggested, and that our boldness in our sufferings arises from some such secret assurance; no, no, it only comes from the good hand of the Lord; because of his testimony which we bear, who is near us, and bears us up in and through all our sufferings, and will all those that trust in him.  
Not that these things are pleasant to us as men, that is to say, thus to suffer, for we are men as you are, and are compassed about with the same infirmities as you, that is to say, husband, wife, children, relations, estate, Country, life, liberty, wholesome air, convenient accommodation, health, prosperity in our affairs, going through without distraction, what we have to do, or molestation are near us as men, we know what they are, and what they cost, as well as you; and that to enjoy them is the portion of a man, and all that he can have of them under the Sun, and that it is good in this sense, if it may be with a good conscience, to know good days, and to see no evil, all that we lay them down for; All that for which we suffer the loss of them, which is as little pleasing to our flesh and blood, as to you is, it is the will of God that it should be so to try us, and that the virtue of him in us may be made manifest, and that in this encounter we may not make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience, and so deny the Lord that bought us, for things that perish, and hereby it comes indeed to be made manifest, that we know and have the possession of something that is eternal, viz. that we endure, that we suffer the parting with the temporal; And herein the Lord is glorified that we choose not, or prefer that which perishes before that which endures, who are not our own, but as hath been said, are bought with a price, and therefore are to glorify God in our bodies, and our souls, which are Gods; and by this you all will see (and therefore it is that this day is suffered) that we have something more than what is of this world for the enjoyment of which we leave the world, and choose rather to suffer affliction, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; For all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution.  
We say not for any of those things, or that we would seem to be something in speaking of what shall be hereafter, and so to glory do we thus write. But the Lord would have us thus to speak, that you may know that our sufferings will have an end; and that it will be thus with those who fear the Lord, in whom he rules, and that a day of deliverance there will be, a resurrection, a return; and that the Lord therein will be glorified; and this we are shown, and it is to be shown unto you, that it may be known, if so be that it may be believed; but whether it be believed or no, the thing is so, that God is with us, and that he hath not forsaken us, though he suffers us to be tried, and that he is present with us, and will be through all, and beyond all that ye shall be suffered to do unto us, and that we are not left comfortless, but are shown the end of, as well as our sufferings, even the glory that shall follow, the glory that is to be revealed at the coming of the Lord, the manifestation of his power, who is over all, and reigns for ever; And by his so keeping, and preserving us, through all and over all, shows that he is with us, and that it is Jesus in us whom you now persecute.  
For we pray you what should support us, what think ye can keep us in the midst of all these things, which you have set before us, and prepared against us, and which you are preparing, & have made us, and which you are making us to go through, Imprisonment, Banishing us our Native Country, taking us from our Relations, Trades, Callings, Husbands, Wives, Children, native air and soil, and whatsoever in this world may be dear unto us, casting us into noisome holes and places, thicker in proportion then a discreet man would put dogs into a kennel, or beasts into a pound, or horses into a stable, or pigs into a sty amongst louse and vermin, and Felons and murderers, contagious stinks, and nastiness sufficient enough to infect such as have lived in wholesome cleanliness, good air, and diet; as you know it hath been with many of us, whose living hath been as well as yours in the world, to the infecting of some of us already, who have laid down the body at the foot of your cruelty, whose blood you have to answer for, as for the blood of others of us, whom your unmerciful barbarism by your Officers have sent out of the world, as Lydia Tevy, and her infant, Alice the wife of William Peachy, who was big with child, and hurt by the Officer in the meeting, who went home ill, was delivered the next day, and a few days after, continuing ill, died; And Mary Knight did, the servant of Nathaniel Milner hereafter mentioned; We say, what shall make us to undergo all this cruelty, and that with cheerfulness, which thou John Knight, and some of the rest of thy brethren are preparing, and have prepared for us, have and are ready to execute upon us (of which, as to the things already done, and the readiness of your hearts further to do this ensuing relation gives the particulars) were it not for something that is mortal, that is more than man, that bears us out?  
We think you should come into consideration, and to sensibleness, and that these things should bring you to it; And therefore it is, that we have thus wrote for your welfare; We truly desire in the Lord, though you pursue our ruins, and that without a cause, for which the Lord God will one day plead with you, and let you know, that what we have said is true.  
Is it the world think you that makes us thus, how can that do it, when this leads us out of it, is it our country, wherewithal can that induce us, when by these things we are threatened out of it, is it our relations, wives, husbands, children, neighbours, kinsfolks, friends, acquaintance how can it be so, when you take us from them? doth greatness in the world tempt us? this very thing is that which doth diminish us; Is it honour and applause among men? This makes us a spectacle both to Angels and men: Doth ease and pleasure do it? this takes from us our pleasant things, and doth put us to sojourn (as it may prove) in desolate wildernesses: Is it profit and advantage? this takes us from our profits, and the places of the advantage; also of our estates and callings: Is it health? what more hazardous thereunto, or more reasonably likely to be destructive, than such a change of climate, and alterations of seasons thereby, as by the Law you may cast us into.  
Well, the Lord God eternal will plead with you, who have put us upon these things, and with thee John Knight in particular: And thou and thy judgement must then come to know for what thou hast done from the hand of the Lord: But before we proceed to speak to thee any further in this matter, we must lay before thee in particular, and bring back upon thee thy wickedness thou hast done unto us, and then thou shalt hear thy judgement.  
No sooner was't entered into thine ear, but thy thoughts gave thee what thou wouldst do unto us, and before thou sleptest that night, after thou wast sworn Major, didst not thou express what thou would do unto us? this being the opportunity thou longedst for, wherein to be dealing with us, thou knowest the work thou wast driving on the year before, when (as hath been said) moderation, as to conscience, sat in the seat of the government. Thou knowest what endeavours thou usedst to ill-be-speak that moderation to the Court; and what thou saidst to one of the King's Secretaries at Bath, as to us, and what he answered thee, when thou didst put the question (viz.) We have many Quakers in the City; What shall we do with the Quakers: It is the King's pleasure (thou know'st he said) that they be proceeded withal, with gentleness, and won with with love, or words to that purpose. And yet thou knowest as not satisfied with this, how thou spakest with him again about it; and how the same answer thou receivedst, thou showing thereby what a mind thou hadst to be dealing with us, even when the government was not in thine hands, at least to reflect on those that hold thy hands, some of which were then present, if so be that a word had slipped out of the Secretary's mouth for that purpose.  
And then after thou wast Major, how soon thou didst cause our peaceable meetings, to be visited after thou hadst some interchange with some of those called Baptists, and Independants thou knowest; and what thou hast done since to us, which we are now intending to set in order before thee, and now hear what we have to say to thee in this matter.  
To omit many things that passed the several first days of the the week after thy first entrance into thy Mayoralty, wherein the Officers, sometimes Civil, sometimes Military, sometimes both came to our meetings, and required us to departed, yet meddling with non except Elinor Maud, whom the Marshal with Musqueteers had away to the guard, but from thence she was dismissed again: Thus compassing our City like a dog (as the Psalmish speaks, Psal. 59.6. and in the evening returning, and grudging, and not being satisfied, they return at evening (saith he) they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the City, and at evening let them return, and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the City, ver. 19 and ver. 20. Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied; for he that holds the waters of the sea in his fist, and comprehends the dust of the earth in a measure, and weigheth the mountains in a balance, who declareth to man his thoughts, shown his dominion, and how he could keep thee off, who had preserved us hitherto, and gave us not a prey into thy teeth. So that it was not when thou wouldst, nor as thou wouldst, but when he suffered, and as he pleased to let it be, was it that we were delivered into thy hands, who couldst not, nor canst do any thing to us, but as thou receivedst power from above; as he said to Pilate, who is gone before, in that day, when he said unto him, Speakest thou not unto me, knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee; and have power to release thee (Thou couldst have no power at all (said he) against me, except it was given thee from above, Joh. 19.10, 11. So the time being come wherein we were to be tried, and thereby the virtue that is of him in us to be made manifest, thou hadst pour given thee, and not before to enter in upon us; and so on the 28. day of the ninth month, called November, being within a day of full two months after thou waste sworn Mayor. Thou sentest thy Officer John Jones the Lawyer, who with one of the Town Clerks servants, and some other Officers and Soldiers of the Militia, which thou hadst got into thine assistance, came with swords and arms upon a naked people, who make (and their principle is so) no resistance. And after he had required us to departed, and taken the names of several of us, he sent to the Guard these, whose names follow, viz. Edward Pyott, Jeremy Hignel, John Gibbons, George Bishop, Thomas Morris, Lewis Rogers, Nehemiah Pool, Benjamin Cottle, Joseph Jones, James Sterridge, George Oliver, John Spoore.  
These being brought to the Guard, were continued there in the wind and cold till about evening, and then Thomas Walter, Lieutenant to Captain adam's (whose Company then had the guard) came and acquainted them that thy self, and the Deputy lieutenants, who some of them that very night denied that any such thing was ordered by them, had ordered them to be sent to Bridewell, so to Bridewell they were brought a place of reproach, appointed for Rogues, and no Prison of the Kings) though they were pretended to be the King's prisoners, though some of them were Citizens, and men of quality therein.  
Now it is to be noted, That Sheriff Streamer being Major of the Regiment, and so having command of the Guard, coming to the Guard and understanding who were brought thither, whereof one was his near relation, viz. his Brother-in-law, and his friend, viz. George Bishop, if so be his business was to have him up, and that that was the end of that day's work; came not into the Guard (understanding him to be, if not seeing him there) but went his way to to the meeting- house, and there in person dismissed the rest, without making so much as one a Prisoner.  
Which unnaturalness and high ingratitude he learned, no doubt, of thee, who (as the sequel of this relation signifies) wast well skilled in things of that nature, and his orders (no doubt) he received from thee, who as thy Buffoon or Martin-ape (as men use to say) most artificially followed the dictates of thy mad and hasty spirit, who hadst not (nor had he) learned that moderation which the whole series of transactions in this generation (the most remarkable of any that had been in the world) would have taught thee, as would also the saying of him who lives for ever, who is the Judge of all (viz.) To do to others whatsoever you would should be done unto yourselves; that is to say, when you are in power, so warily to extend it, as that you may live with your Neighbours, and have their love when your power is gone, and gain the good reputation of moderate men. For the wheel turns round, and as the history of former ages have proved on this, Date obulum Belisario, For God's sake give a halfpenny to Belisarius, comes to be the portion of many, which befell that great Captain Belisarius, who in the days of Justinian the Emperor, did so behave himself in Persia, Affirica and Italy, that he had the honour of this Effigies on the other side of the Coin, with this inscription, Gloria & Romanorum decus, The Glory and Grace of the Romans.  
And of this you wanted not warning, if you would have taken heed, nor good Examples before you; but as it was said in another case, in a wrong spirit, by Balack to Balaam, may be said truly of you, The Lord hath kept thee back from honour, Numb. 24.11. Or the infatuation of the Almighty, because of your lust to oppression, hath been so upon you, that in your day you have not known the things that belong unto your peace, that is to say, you have not taken the course that wise men have steered in all generations, upon the guidance of their observation of the revolutions of this World, viz. so to behave your selves whilst ye are in Power (as hath been said) as that you may live in good reputation with your Neighbours when you are out of it (that is to say) that you may be men when you have no power. And this let us say to you all, who are joined together in this persecution of the innocent, if such a hand had been carried toward you and this City in former days, as you have done in this, neither you had been so, nor this City; that is to say, neither had you, nor this City been so as at this day: And some of them whom with so much despite and ignominy you now rule over, have been instrumental that you and the City have not been otherwise; and this is the requital you make of all that which hath sought to, and hath saved you, thus to do.  
But this your work will be your shame; and the day is at hand wherein you shall hear of it with both your ears, that is to say, the Lord will so work as that you shall see both where you are, and what you have been doing, when repentance with some of you we fear may be too late, and the place of repentance you will not find, though you seek it carefully with tears.  
But to proceed, for thou must throughly be dealt with ere this is finished.  
Having lodged the aforesaid Prisoners at Bridewell, the next morning thou hadst them to the Council house, the Keeper of Bridewell being their leader; and having set guards of Musquetiers at the Tolzey door (contrary to Law, which is, that Courts of Justice and Proceed at Law, be open) keeping out whom they pleased; thou saidst to them, what came into thy mind. And though they in moderation told thee, that they had done no new thing, but what they had many years before even ever since they had been a people. And that experience had shown in the greatest revolutions that had been in this Nation, that they, and what they professed and did, was not inconsistent with the public peace, but that they, and the peace of the place and Nation might be. And that what they did was not in obstinacy and contempt, as thou wouldst have rendered it, but in Conscience to the Lord, whose worship was in Spirit; and he sought such to worship him, viz. in Spirit and in truth, Joh. 4. And that their suffering Cheerfully whatsoever might be done to them in reference to this thing, who had Estates, Relations, Families Callings, who knew (as your selves might judge) what it was to get and to lose their Estates, Liberty, Countries, did speak that there was something more in it then of this world, that made them willing thus to offer it up. And though they told thee moreover, that as to Government they were not against, but did own the Second Table, as well as the Frst, Masters, Parents, Magistrates, etc. but all in the Lord; and that where they could, and not sin against the Lord, they were obedient; and where they could not, they did quietly suffer. And that ye had experience of them in such things as they could do, that they rather went before you then otherwise. And though they asked thee what thou would have them to do, seeing their Conscience was not satisfied? Suppose (said they to thee) that we are mistaken, which (said they) we are not, but are certain of what we do, wouldst thou have us to do that which our conscience is against, because of what may be done to our bodies, before we are convinced of the contrary? Said not the Apostle, Happy is he that condemneth not himself in the thing that he allows? Yet thou wouldst not hear; and though thou pretendedst to a great deal of fairness at first, and that thou hadst received a Letter from the King's Council, giving thee direction to take up the Heads of us, and secure them till the Assizes, unless they should give Security for their appearance: And told that there was the 
‖ Not this latter, but the former.  New Act for Banishment, and didst bid Edward Pyott choose which he would have thee to proceed with him against, either the Councils Letter, or the said Act; yet thou puttest him to the Oath of Allegiance; though when thou puttedst the question, he said, there is the mercy of the Law, and the Rigour of the Law before thee, if we must choose, let us have the mercy of the Law; thou saidst we should have the mercy of the Law, he told thee, That thy fruits would make it manifest, being sensible of thy deceit. And this was the mercy of the Law, or that which thou mightest think too much mercy, viz. the severity of the Law, or rather the severity which the Law doth not require; for that Law was made for Papists, and so we are not the people which that Law intends (as Edward Pyott told thee) which is thy mercy; and these thy fruits made thee manifest: And so thou didst commit him (though a freeman of the City, whom thou wouldst make a stranger because he lived within a mile without it) and George Oliver, John Gibbins, James Sturridge, Thomas Morris, John Spoore, Benjamin Cottle, and Nehemiah Poole, because strangers, for being at an Unlawful meeting, and for not taking the Oath of Allegiance, and for refusing to find Sureties to be of the good behaviour, for which thou signedst the Warrant, (and with thee John Lock, Nathaniel Cale, and John Lawford,) who were sent to Newgate, and the other five that were of the City (viz.) George Bishop, Jeremiah Hignell, John Summer, Joseph Jones, and Lewis Rogers, thou dismissed upon their promise of appearance at Sessions; so the first eight were detained in Newgate until the fifth of the tenth month following, who were then set at liberty by thee, upon the promise of two of their friends that were of the City, because they dwelled without the limit thereof, that at Sessions they should appear.  
Thus far matters proceeded at that time: Yet thou wast not satisfied, but as a man restless to accomplish the end, thou hadst determined, viz. the rooting of us, and the generation of us, out of this City, we, our families and Relations, who (as hath been said) are no inconsiderable company of men therein, as is well known to the City, thou didst work with the Deputies Lieutenants, what with Arguments, what with Threatnigs to represent them to the King as persons not well affected to his affairs, if they would not assist thee; and with them didst prevail to come down the next first day of the week, viz. the 6th of the 10th month, with the Sheriff to the meeting, which was then before the door of their own hired house, being kept out of their own hired house by Armed men. But the Deputy lieutenants being men of more moderation, seeing no matter for their arms to work on, after they had sent some few to Bridewell, and some others to the Court of Guard, to see thereby how they might affect the rest, came away, making no farther manner of proceeding in the case, then to set those on the Guard and at Bridewell at liberty.  
And indeed it was a thing preposterous and contrary to reason, as it was against Law, that armed men in times of peace, should take upon them, or suffer themselves by thee to be overruled, to execute the parts of Civil officers, in the execution of the Law (suppose there had been the breach of any law which yet is not granted, except of what was old and obsolete) when the Civil themselves might well accomplish it, especially on a people who one of the Officers might as well lead, as a Regiment (that is to say) would make no resistance. For the times of peace differ, things in cases of that nature, according to the old maxim, Cedant Arma toge, Let Arms give place to the Gown, that is, to the Civil administration of the Law; for Arms are not things natural to Law, but where the execution of Law, by the hand of the ordinary Officer is weak, and cannot be by reason of Armed insurrections or designs of War, there arms are levied and made use of as things extraordinary, as poison in Physic, to cut off that exuberance, that so the body be not hazarded, that the whole part be not endangered, according to that saying of the Poet, Cuncta prius tentanda, sed imedicabile vulnus, ense recidendum est, ne pars sincera trahatur; (that is,) All things are first to be tried, but an incurable wound must be cut off with the sword, lest the sound part be infected. Thus according to your Law.  
But this thou didst not do, for (as hath been said) there was no need of Arms against them who had none, whom one Officer might order as well as a thousand, as thine own practice mentioned in the ensuing relation hath made good, and which is a reproof, viz. what thou hast done in the case to thyself. And was it not a thing abominable, that thou shouldst set the Citizens in Arms, to pull their peaceable fellow Citizens from their peaceable meetings, waiting on the Lord, into Prisons, and so to ruin (as it might fall out) by the tender of the Oath of Allegiance; and the prosecution of the penalty on them that could not swear, which Oath was not made for such. For when it was made, there was none that could not swear at all: But for the Papists it was made, that could swear, but would not swear Allegiance to the King, holding the Pope Supreme, as the preamble of the Act, and the whole reason of it leads and shows.  
Now if thou stumblest at this word peaceable, and peaceable meeting, so it is, and will stand for ever, and the Lord knows it, who will one day plead for us, and render unto thee according to thy deeds; and this their Neighbours were well satisfied in, who when occasion presented, cleared them of any thing to the contrary more than once or twice, when thou hadst them Jurors, that is to say, of meeting with force and arms, or of being a terror to the people, notwithstanding thou industriously sought to, and wouldst have had it otherwise: And for this purpose bespakest some of the men concerned thy self, not like a righteous Judge or Magistrate, and contrary to the Law of the Land, which is, That no man be a prosecutour and a Judge. But of this more hereafter.  
Moreover, was it not a thing most unreasonable, that Arms should be required for a people to find, and they to be imprisoned for not so doing; and to be fined, and distresses to be taken for that purpose, whose principle is not to fight, who cannot do it in defence of themselves, cannot resist evil because of him that hath said, I say unto you, resist not evil, but if the enemy smite thee on the one cheek, turn the other. Those arms also being made use of to keep them out of their own hired house, and to break their meetings waiting upon the Lord; and to keep them in prison, as well as to bring them thither, for their Consciences in Worshipping the Lord, and discharging a good conscience towards him. And here boys and others, whom one would scorn to put with the Dogs of one's flock, were set over them and our Meetings.  
Lastly, Was it not a shame, as well as a very heavy burden, that such a weekly charge as the Militia should be held on the City, for no other end, as hath yet appeared, but the disturbing of us (and other people) as to the Woship of God.  
Well, thus far thou didst proceed, and thus it was, but to little purpose; for thou madest the City as weary as thy self, who began to think what would be the end of these things, and to what pass the City in a short time would come, being thus set, the one part of it against the other, pulling and endeavouring to root one the other out of it, even that part who were peaceable and a good example in it. And that this should be by those who were in the seat of Government; for said not he who is Lord of all, A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. And then how could it possibly be well with Bristol when one part was turned against the other, as aforesaid? It may be told thee, that it put the greatest thoughts of heart into the sober part thereof that hath been in the City, a City turning upside down, and those in the seat of Government bearing against that part thereof which was to be cherished, which was to be upheld. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.  
But thou missedst in that thine attempt that day, yet thou wouldst not give over, but fury risen up in thee, like one who having some notable enterprise in design, with which to bespeak, or to raise up himself, missing in his first attempt, is led forth with more vigour to accomplish in the next, so thou surcharged with wrath and anger, didst breathe forth at the Tolzey, and threaten what thou wouldst do the next day to such and such, if they were at the meeting; and that thou wouldst have them up, and gavest order for that purpose; and much passed thee there, what thou wouldst: do unto us.  
So the next day coming, being the thirteenth of the tenth month, and the first day of the week, thou didst cause the meeting house door to be kept fast with armed men, some of John Hicks his company. And so the meeting came to be in the street, and there about the second hour in the afternoon, Captain Hicks (a man as industrious as thy self in these things, and as full of mischief against his quiet neighbours) came down with a fresh guard, relieves them that were there before. And finding the men thou hadst threatened so, and took order about, viz. George Bishop and Edward Pyot, for they were not ashamed to be found there, in their testimony to the Lord, though they knew of thy order, notwithstanding all was still, and not a word spoken, he led them away to the guard, and tw●lve more, the names of all are as followeth, Edward Pyot, John Withers, Lewis Rogers, George Bishop, Nathanael Day, George Gough, Thomas Goldney, John Summer, John Pickering, John Saunders, John Spoore, Thomas North, Nathanael Milner, Henry Sutton.  
Henry Sutton was discharged, being an ancient man; but the rest were had to Bridewell, with a guard, as if so be they had been some notable offenders. And the worst of men, and of most debauched reputation, to which place (after they had been sometime before on the guard) Captain Hicks committed them, so they were brought to Bridewell; and there lodged some of them the second time; as if otherwise you knew not how to murder their reputation, who were men of good reputation, who willingly went out of the Camp, bearing his reproach, who suffered without the gate; And so good report and evil report was alike to them in their testimony to the Lord, which they had learned to go through, as did the Apostles, and followers of Jesus, who were counted as deceivers, and yet true, who had here (as is our case) not continuing City, but looked for one to come, as he did who went before, who that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate; Wherefore Jesus also (said the Apostle, Heb. 3.12, 13.) that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate; let us therefore go forth unto him without the Camp, bearing his reproach, for we have here no continuing City, concerning whom when he suffered some then said, he was a just man, some a deceiver; And the Apostle speaking to the Hebrews of the Patriarches, and those that went before them in that day said, they confessed that they were strangers, Heb. 11.13, 14, 15, 16. and Pilgrims on the earth, for said he of them, and we may say it now of ourselves in this day, They that say such things declare plainly (and so do we) that they seek a country, and truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had (and so have we) opportunity to have returned, but now they desire (and we do the same) a better Country, we speak of that which is spiritual, which is heavenly, wherefore God (saith he) is not ashamed to be called their God, and he will not be ashamed to be called ours, for he hath prepared for them a City, and as Paul said to the Corinthians, so may we, I think (saith he) that God hath set us (and we may say the same) the Apostles last as a spectacle (so are we) to God, Angels, and men, and as Jesus himself said, John 16.1, 2, 3. so we find fulfilled these things have I spoken unto you (and what he spoke unto his Disciples then, he spoke unto all that should believe in his name, that ye should not be offended, they shall put you out of the Synagogues. Yea the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you (a true word of thee) shall think that he doth God good service. And these things will they do unto you (saith he) because they have not known the father nor me. Blessed are ye (saith he) when men shall revile you (our case) and persecute you (as you do us) for my sake, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, (as they do of us for my sake) rejoice (our condition) and be exceeding glad (and it is so to us) for great is your reward (we shall have the same) in heaven, for so persecuted they (as you do us) the Prophets that were before you, Mat. 5.11, 12.  
And this is manifest, for if you pleased you could have committed them as well to Newgate, as to Bridewell; or you could have lodged them at some place, near your guard; or you could have dismissed them till the morrow, who would have appeared but you thought to hurt them, which you could not do, for they had learned another thing, (viz. to be content in all conditions;) and this is their Crown, and will be their Honour, that they suffer for the truth, as it is in Jesus, and this we tell thee John Knight, that their memorial will be blessed, and of a good savour in England, when thou and thy name shall rot, whose name is rotten already, who art the stench of the City; and of those who are near it, who truly understand thee, who shalt have thy portion according to thy deeds.  
Thus having pute them in Bridewell, one night thou fattest in council about them the next day, and at the time of full Tolzey, thou must have them before thee. And John Waldron the Keeper must lead them as in triumph, and before ye they must be brought in a close Chamber, and all people must be kept out, except such as you please; And what were of your own Spirit, that so what passed, as to the making out of their innocency might not be heard; and to the prison they must be sent as Offenders in the face of the City, and be reckoned as transgressors, and some horrible ones too, that that which passed concerning them, was kept so secret, as in a Chamber, and that those who ought to have been suffered to come in to be satisfied in the cause of their commitment were kept out; Now Courts of Justice should be open, which yours was not, which is secret murder, which is abominable to the Law, which provides that proceed be public, which you seek to subvert. And therein that which is the fundamental Law of this Nation, for which you may have a day to answer, wherein you will know, what you have done, though now you will not hear (supposing its like) that you will never be brought to an account, but we would not have you to be deceived, as you have sown, so ye shall reap.  
Well, this day thou beganest with Edward Pyot, and spakest many smooth words, telling of the duty of thy place, and the Counsels Letter to thee, and the execution of the Law, and what was required of thee in all without, having regard to what concerned the duty of thy place, as from the Lord; but as if there had been a necessity for thee to persecute and force us to suffer, so thou wentest on, to which Edward Pyot answered thee on this wise. As I well understand the place of them that were to obey, so I have an understanding also of the place of Magistrates, as they are the ordinance of God; you that are in the places of Magistrates, aught to mind the Lord as your supreme Lord, and over all in the government of the world, unto whom Rulers themselves, as well as the ruled, must give an account; and therefore in the execution of the laws, and administration of Justice, you are to have a due regard to the Lord, and to his laws, and to do the Justice that is of him, for Magistrates by the appointment of God are to execute in their several places of Judicatory, as God's ministers, and not as their own Lords, nor as Lords of their own rule; but in the fear of the Lord, they, as God's Ministers, are to rule for God, and not for themselves, nor after their own wills and pleasures, but according to the righteous law of God, in the just and equal principle that is of God in their Consciences, that the Justice that is of God, and righteous Judgement by Magistrates, as God's Ministers, may be impartially administered, for the punishment of evil doers only, and for the praise of them that do well, that God over all may reign, and by all be known to rule in the kingdoms of men; and after some interruption, as he could have liberty, he spoke to this purpose: We being found in our innocent and peaceable meetings, only in the worship of our God, and of the number of well-doers, whatever laws may be made against us by men, yet according to the law and Justice of God, we ought not for our well doing to be punished as evil doers: take heed therefore what you do, that you be not a terror to good works. Now when thou wast not able to resist what in truth and soberness was spoken to thee, though thou hadst before told him, that thou wouldst make use of the mercy of the law, yet that thou mightest make him a transgressor by law, who had told thee before that he could not swear, thou, without mercy, didst again tender to him and John Spoore the oath of allegiance, saying, thou wouldst dispatch him first, otherwise thou shouldest not quietly proceed with the rest, so thy fruits shown what thy mercy was, as he then told thee: and to Newgate thou sentest him and John Spoor, for being at an unlawful meeting, and for refusing to take the oath of allegiance, and for not finding sureties for the good behaviour, as is contained in their mittimus, for to the oath of allegiance thou didst put them again, though they could not swear at all, in conscience to the command of Christ, who saith, I say unto you, swear not at all, not as to the matter of the oath, which was for Papists and not them; and this was thy mercy (as hath been said) to seek out ways how to make them to suffer, though thou pretendedst to the contrary. And this warrant was signed John Knight Mayor, John Lock, Nathaniel Cale, John Lawford, and it was dated 14th Dec. 1663.  
Now as Edward Pyot was passing to Newgate through the Tolzey, and seeing there many people, and some that were wise and sober men, and finding something arising in him towards them to speak in reference to the matter, upon which he was committed, said, I have something reasonably to speak to you, as to men of understanding; We that are called Quakers, do own our selves to be subject to Magistracy in all those matters and things which concern our outward man, but as for our inward man, we own that to be the Lords only, and not at all to be the servant of men; and as for that Scripture which saith, let every soul be subject to the higher power, we own its auth rity, but that it doth not require the subjection of the inward man, in the matters of conscience, which relates to the worship of God, I offer, this is as a reasonable demonstration, which is, that if this Scripture enjoined the subjection and obedience of the inward man in the matters of Conscience, relating to the worship of God, if the then Emperor of Rome, (who was a Heathen, and a worshipper of false gods) had made an Edict to enforce the primitive Christians from their Christian worship (which was in spirit, according to the Doctrine of Christ, Joh. 4.) and for them to worship as he and the Heathen Romans worshipped, they must then of necessity have been subject (which is ridiculous to affirm) for the Christians to whom this Epistle was written, were Romans. And as to their outward man, they were under the power and government of the Emperor of Rome: and therefore it must needs follow that the subjection and obedience required in this Scripture, is only in things relating to the outward man, and not at all of the subjection of the inward man in the things relating to the worship of God.  
So said Edward Pyot, but as he had spoken these last words, Captain Ollive being then at the Tolzey, came and rudely took him by the shoulder, and would not suffer him to speak any more, but caused him to be had to Newgate, to the offence of several sober men present, and men of quality, who (some of them) after Edward Pyot was gone, spoke to him about it, as disliking the thing, that men for their consciences should not be suffered to speak, or that men should suffer for their Consciences, which he and every man would willingly for himself enjoy; but herein he shown himself rather a man made up of formality and the authority of the times, than of true wisdom and moderation, so to deal with one that he knew was a man, and his ancient acquaintance, and that had been a Captain in the City.  
Then George Bishop, and Lewis Rogers, were committed for being at an unlawful meeting, under pretence of divine worship, and for refusing to dissolve being thereunto lawfully required, and for not finding sureties for the good behaviour; Dated the same day, and signed by thyself, and the rest that signed the warrant aforesaid, though they were all taken up in the street, near to, and at the door of our meeting house, where all were still, and not one word spoken, nor action done, only they, with some others of their friends, were there standing, and then Captain Hicks spoke to them to departed; they refused not, but presently went with the Officers, in a manner as soon as Captain Hicks had faintly made the Proclamation for that purpose.  
As for Thomas Goldney and the rest, except Nathaniel Milner, who being not in the List of the Prisoners kept at Bridewell, was not there kept, you required them to appear on the fourth day of that week, upon the account of Burgesses of the City, who appearing, you bad to go home about their occasions, so there was an end. And why not Edward Pyot and George Bishop, as well as they, seeing they were Citizens? and why not Lewis Rogers, seeing he was the apprentice of a freeman, and that his Master's family depended upon his labour in part, for maintenance, against whom thou hadst nothing to say, whose name is Joseph Owen? Was it not hard measure in thee to make the master suffer for the servant, yea, the master and not the servant, for the servant was thereby kept from work, and so would not suffer, but they would suffer whose maintenance in part came in by his work, as thou wast told? And because thou wast so told in moderation and meekness by one of the Prisoners, thou tookest the Statute book, and demanded of him, who so spoke to thee, whether he would take the Oath of Allegiance (the usual manner of thy Predecessors in the days of Queen Mary) who when they knew not what to say against a man, or what was spoken presently, it was demanded, What say you to the Sacrament of the Altar? as the book of Martyr's mentions. He who spoke to thee was George Bishop, who demanded thereupon of thee, whether what he had said was so offensive, as that it deserved the tendering of him the Oath? but thou wouldst not give over tendering it notwithstanding, till he told you that you knew he could not swear, who before he spoke in this matter of tenderness and equity had not the Oath put to him.  
And now let all that are sober judge, whether what he spoke was not reasonable, and that which should have been taken well at your hands, to wit, to inform how the matter stood with the young man, that so you might not do any wrong through mistakes or ignorance, which (though he did as aforesaid) with all meekness and moderation, yet with you it bore no other weight then to be so returned. So you have the Oath of Allegiance upon all essays as a weapon in your hand at this day, to use to them that you know in Conscience cannot swear, as they had in the Marian, which you exercise at pleasure upon the innocent, when you have nothing else to say, or when what is said doth not like you, as they did then, who thus carried it against the innocent, as it is by you at this day.  
So ye be witnesses unto your selves, that ye are the children of them that put to death the Martyrs, fill ye up then the measure of your fathers, that all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, who you slew between the Temple and the Altar, and that hath been shed since may come upon you, and verily it shall fall on this generation.  
And why could not John Spoore have been sent home also, he being a poor man, and living in the Country near, and having a family depending upon his liberty, for his maintenance. One would think thou mightest have left the strangers to their own Neighbour Justices to deal with them, who knew them, seeing the Law is general?  
And why not all of them sent home as well as some, for as much as all were at the same place, and stayed as long or longer than they, and did no other thing but what the others had done, whom thou hadst sent to Newgate, as aforesaid?  
If thou sayest Edward Pyott lived not in the City, though he was a Burgess, it is answered, his living is very near, as aforesaid. And 'tis strange that a miles distance should set him altogether from being considered as a Burgess in this particular, who removed there only for the air, when as in other things you will deal with him as a Burgess; and with George Bishop you dealt the same as to imprisonment, who was a Burgess, and lived in the City, and was born in it, who had done more for you and the City, then is here intended to be related, though in recompense, and as a token of your love you made him the only inhabiting Citizen prisoner, as Alderman Cale then observed to you.  
If thou sayest they were taken up a week or two before, and set at liberty; and now were had in Custody again: It is answered, the rest were in the same places, and at the same time present, and yet neither imprisoned nor so dealt with.  
If thou repliest, it was to make them Examples, being accounted as leading men, and as heads (as you call them) Alas, how are ye befooled, when as daily experience proves, that those people have a head and leader in them, whom none of these things thou hast devized and used (take in this to the number) hath deterred from, but rather brought to meetings. And herein you have honoured them though against your wills, in accounting them, by your proceed, Leaders and Heads of such a people, who stand to, and testify the dominion that is Eternal over the Consciences of men in matters of Worship, which the usurpation of man would stand over, and this is their honour. And this record shall bear it for them to all generations, when you are gone and laid in your dust, who have persecuted them for bearing testimony to his dominion in the Conscience, who is Lord of all, against the usurpation of you and all men, which as hath been said, shall stand by them for ever and ever.  
And these things are spoken to the intent that it may appear that your proceed are partial, and not out of Conscience, though thou John Knight dost so loudly boast, that what thou dost is out of Conscience (of which more anon) and therefore it is that thou thus proceedest.  
We know thou wilt pretend that thou hadst directions from the King's Council so to proceed, which thou didst produce, when they were first before thee, as hath been before mentioned, which gave thee orders (as thou read it) to keep them in prison till the next Goal delivery, if they would not find sureties to appear, or to that purpose; and thereupon thou biddest them choose whether they would be so proceeded against, or on the late Act, whose end was Banishment; and then didst show some of them thy mercy in tendering them the Oath of Allegiance, and committing them for that they could not swear, as hath been said.  
But this Fig-leaf will not cover thee, for who was he that Wrote up to Whitehall, and gave the Council to understand otherwise of the City and us then it was? And insinuated dangers that were not, and drew over them and the City such an understanding as neither they nor the City did discern, and then produced the Councils Letter upon such suggestions; thou shouldst have shown that, and have ingeniously confessed that thou wrotest such a Letter (for thou mightst well conclude that we might come to know it) and that because thou thy self wouldst not seem to bring the ruin upon them, and so the destruction on the City, which thou hadst in thy heart, therefore thou hast done this, and hast laid it upon the Council, and so hast abused the Council, as thou hast wronged us. This had been something, bare faced, and like a plain man, at least like one that was so satisfied, and in love with his own actions, that he dares to avow them before the world; and not as one that doth mischief, and then slinks into a corner. Indeed the Council (as hath been said) could not be expected otherwise to direct (being sworn to attend the safety of the Kingdom) upon such suggestions, that such a City as Bristol, and so to England as Bristol is, was in such danger, and that by such a people as we, and our meetings, which in no more danger was, nor is, nor will be, as to us, and our meetings, then of children in their beds asleep (as thou wast told) nor deserving such suggestions. How could the Council answer the not sending such directions upon such informations as these? But as for the King, thou knewest his mind at Bath by his Secretary, as aforesaid, and his good aspect of this place when Himself was lately in it; and no hand of His was to the Letter.  
So that it appears, that through thine own mischievous suggestions it was, that Bristol came to be had in disrepute, and that such an innocent people therein came to suffer, which thou wouldst need cover with a necessity from the Council, and their order, which thy suggestions procured.  
It could here be reckoned up what heaps of Informations thou mountedst up against divers eminent men in the City, that had been, and were Magistrates, because they had before thy day held moderation in the Government, as to conscience (as hath been said) and others, whose crime (as thou didst endeavour to make it) was because they came to visit those whom thou hadst made Prisoners, of whom they were near relations, as Brother in-law, Uncle, etc. Partners in Merchandizing, as to which they had business, and how enraged thou wast at the general applause of the sober part of the City with the Prisoners and City's detestation of thee, and what thou didst to us, which (their visits) thou laidst as the ground of thine Informations; and so, because they were thy Prisoners, thou wouldst not have them (though the Law allowed it) to be visited, and this upon the foot of what hath been mentioned; but because this was somewhat after in order of time produced, though now in design and preparation, it shall be in this place omitted, and a return made to our state, as it was when thou madest them Prisoners.  
Much was the Love of the City manifested to the Prisoners, even beyond the precedent of former days, and continual visits were to them, and as Doves flock to the windows, so came they to see them, manifesting their great disgust of thee for doing as thou hadst to us; and not a day passed without some manifestation of their love. And whereas thou didst seek by what thou hadst done, to cool the esteem of the City to us, and to bring us under, it arose the more abundantly, and so the more thou didst persecute us, the more we grew, so that thou lost on every hand the love of the people, because thou persecutedst the innocent, and thy design to decrease them, which was the intent of thy persecution. Therefore lest thou shouldst altogether miscarry, and so on no hand be saved, one of the Prisoners being moved of the Lord, thus wrote and sent unto thee:  
Friend,  
WE are innocent, as to God, to Men, to Thee, we live in all good Conscience, giving no just occasion of offence to any; the King, thy Self, the Government are safe in Us; we desire your welfare, God is witness, our meetings are in obedience to the Lord, and not in any oppsition unto you, the Law or Government, the searcher of the heart knows it is truth, who will render unto every man according to his deeds, our refusing to swear, is in obedience to the Lord, because the Law of him we cannot transgress; our behaviour hath been in the fear of the Lord, and no other thing have you had from us; our conversation hath been blameless, as amongst men, and we are clear, as in the sight of the Lord; we have not been an oppression to this City, nor the Nation, nor to any particular therein, but what in us lies we have had peace with all men, and we desire the destruction of none, but the salvation of all, even our enemies, whom we pray for, whom we bless, whom we love; we cannot resist evil, because of him that hath said, Resist not evil. We are in Peace, and we would be in peace; times have tried us, revolutions, great revolutions, the greatest revolutions this Nation hath had, have proned us a people not dangerous to Government, nor to the peace and safety of this place. You have had no hurt from us, we have done you no hurt, God is witness, and that of him in your Consciences, which shall one day witness for us in you, that it is so whether you will or no; we are ready to be offered up as to all we have or are, in the testimony of the Lord, and the dominion of him in our Consciences, which we cannot give nor bow to man that must die, nor to the son of man that must perish and come to nought, whose breath is in his nostrils; and wherein is he to be accounted of? In other things (as we can in conscience to God) we are subject, of which you yourselves are witnesses, doing more than you have expected at our hands, in some things, as you know we are a considerable body of people in this City, we, our families, our relations, our estates; we are of the City, and in the City, and inhabitants thereof, and enterwoven are we therein, and with the people thereof, as a man's flesh is in his body, and his spirit in his flesh, the separation if us from the City will proves as of a man's flesh from his body, and his spirit from his flesh, when you have liberty to do it from above (for you can do nothing at all to us, but as you have power from above) you will see it, the day of God's vengeance is at hand, wherein he will render to every man according to his deeds; the Lords controversy is with all those who oppugn his dominion in the consciences of men; and he will pluck them up root and branch, and they shall know that he is the Lord: It is the word of the Lord, and shall be fulfilled in its season, and the time is near: So my friend, take heed, there is no dallying in things of this nature, thou wilt find it so in the end. I desire it may be, before it be too late; for this know assuredly, that the Lord will avenge the quarrel of his people, and he will plead the cause of those that suffer for his Name, and ye shall be rooted up, that rise up against them, it is the Word of the Lord; not with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood, but by burning and fuel of fire, by the spirit of the Lord; therefore take heed. I warn thee once more, in the Name of the Lord, who am thy Friend,  
George Bishop. The Newgate Prison Bristol, the 15th of the 10th Month.  
The Original of this was delivered thee the day of the date, and thou didst receive and read it, though it held thee not long, for the 27th day of the same month, the meeting was molested again, and the door was made fast, whereby some were kept up in the Meetinghouse, and some in the street, being not suffered to go in, and from being in the street before the door; thy men in arms had Thomas Speed, who there sat in stillness and peace, and from out of the meeting house was brought Charles Jones, and William Taylor (thy neighbour) and in the high street, far distant from the meeting house, Miles Dixon was met, and warned to appear before thee the next day, who with the rest, were dismissed upon their promise of appearance upon Summons, and so Brideatel was not made their Banqueting house, nor place of entertainment, as it was the others; but they returned to their houses. Indeed Sheriff Streamer, the Major of the Regiment, to whom was attributed that day's disturbance, and who, out of the naughtiness of his heart, was too much pleased with such actions, told Thomas Speed, as something in excuse of what had been done (for T. Speed was his uncle) That he was sworn to execute the Law. To whom T. Speed replied, They that did put them to death, whom you call Martyrs, and I too, said they had a Law.  
So the next day, having notice, they appeared at the Tolzey, but thou having something to do at thy Worship, put them off after it was ended, to the next day, T. Speed then speaking with thee.  
The next day they appearing, thou sattest in the lower Tolzey, with thy brethren, for they demanded an open place, where all that would might come in and hear, and there thou didst show thy self as thou art, a man full of rage and violence, and that sought the blood of the innocent, most unlike a righleous Judge or Magistrate; and then hadst thy Sheriff Streamer there, who, though unconcerned as a Magistrate, for none he was, that is to say, a Justice, yet he took upon him very much, which some of eminent quality in the City, who being present, took part with the innocent, being grieved to the heart (the place being full) to see such heat, partiality and prejudice with thee, that didst sit as Judge, and how contrary to Law thou didst carry matters; for when thou didst demand sureties for their appearance, which they could not give, because it was m matters of conscience, and their testimony to the Lord, which they could not bring under by submitting to sureties, or yielding that others should be bound for them, for if their own reputation stood good, what need is there of another being surety for them? and they were conscious of nothing they had done that might veil it, or bring it under, and therefore could not submit the truth in them, which was yea, and not yea and nay to be brought under; we say, when thou demandedst sureties for their appearance, 
* Captain John Knight and R●bert Yates (late Aldermen in the City, whose uncle Thomas Speed was) with others, who were ready to do the same, and tendered themselves, but were not accepted, because the design was to make their conscience, or per●o●s to suffer.  divers friendly men of quality voluntarily present, offered themselves sureties for them, which thou wouldst not accept, except the persons concerned would assent thereunto, which they could not do, for that was equivalent with finding sureties themselves, and so they should bring under their reputation, and the Testimony of the truth of God in them, which was yea, that is to say, that which it said was so; but this they did, they tendered their promise, or word of appearance, which they are known to be men to perform, especially in matters of conscience, wherein the name of the Lord is concerned. Nay, Thomas Speed told thee, that if thou couldst say in thy conscience that thou didst believe they would not appear, when they had given their word they would find sureties, but what thy conscience was therein, thou wouldst not declare, which shown, that thou didst believe in thy Conscience that they would, for if thou hadst believed otherwise, thou wouldst have said so, for it then did concern thee so to have done, and to have taken him, but this thou wouldst not do, nor accept of those that proffered themselves, which is against law, and so did show that thou determinedst in thy self to make them to suffer. We say, 
* Captain John Knight.  some of these that so proffered themselves, thy Sheriff reflected upon very much, and high words grew from the one to to the other, which afterwards made matter of trouble at Court, the said Sheriff finding himself aggrieved, who offered the injury, and when it came to it would not appear at hearing, and so shown how little weight their was at the bottom, the great matter of complaint being, that he was called the King's Gaoler, and no Justice which was offered the Sheriff upon his interposing in the business of these men, who was not concerned; so thou sentest them away prisoners for not taking the oath of allegiance, which thou tendredst to them, (the old snare to entrap such as cannot swear, when no other ways they can well be reached) and for refusing to find sureties for their appearance at Sessions; and though thou couldst not but see how much it was against the hearts of the multitude present, (who were grieved to behold thee ripping up the City (as it were) and putting to trouble the honest substantial men thereof, and placing them in order to ruin, and so were thinking to what these things would come) yet thou wouldst needs go on, and having made before some steps in persecution, thou wouldst proceed, though it cost thee the ruin of thy self and them.  
And so blind waste thou, and mad in thy pursuit, that when thou sawest, and it was proved before thy face in the view and hearing of the people, that the five witnesses produced against them were all false sworn in the particular of Miles Dixon, who first swore that they saw him at the meeting, and so his name was inserted in the mittimus, to go to prison, and then one after another, when he demanded it of them, whether they saw him at the meeting? denied, and said, they did not see him at the meeting, whereupon thou waste constrained to cause his name to be struck out of the mittimus, and one of them, viz. Sergeant Sloper, said, I told your worship so before, that I met him in the high-street, yet your worship would have it in, that is in the Deposition a thing most abominable, and to be noted! yet nothing was done to these men, who appeared out of their own mouths thus false sworn in the view of the Court, but they were suffered to be as good evidence against the other three (and other than these thou hadst no evidence) and didst upon what they swore, send them to prison. And this is recorded as a perpetual mark of thy wickedness and folly for which thou shalt receive thy reward.  
And so imperious waist thou and foolishly lording it (who art known well enough in this City, what thou art, and from whence thou camest, and how thou hast lived) that as if these men had been thy vassals, or such as did not deserve the Civil appellations of men (whose reputation, as men, stands (saving thy being Mayor) as good as thine, thou didst Sirrah them, and Tom thou hadst up; Alas John Knight! whither wilt thou drive? and how unhandsomely dost thou climb into the seat of Honour? (and yet of honour it is not, for an honourable person would abhor so to do) out of which this cast thee, and makes thee to be the scorn of the City, in which thou hast been bred, and hast lived; but this is the reward of all those who turn against the truth, the Lord suffers them to draw contempt and obloquy upon thmselves, and shame comes to be the promotion of fools, as the spirit of the Lord testified by his servant Solomon, Prov. 3.35.  
So this day ended not to the prejudice of them (as the hand of the Lord ordered it contrary to thy will) or the cause for which they suffered. But the advantage, for these things being open, and in the face of the City, it turned the heart of it the more against thee, and caused their love to flow to them whom thou wouldst despise and trample under; and in their visits they manifested this; nevertheless they were not thy enemies whom thou thus didst use, and clap up from their occasions and business, which was somewhat great; and by what thou hadst done to them, hadst threatened the end of them (as to liberty) and what they had in the world, but in love they sought thee, and thy welfare, who never had done thee any wrong, if by any means thine eyes might be opened, and so mightest come to see what thou hadst been doing, and turn unto the Lord; which was manifested partly in a Letter which one of them thus wrote unto thee;  
From Newgate Prison 31th of 10th. month. 1663. Friend,  
THe God of Heaven is not well pleased with thee, because thy ways are not found right in his sight, the innocent (who are to him as the apple of his eye) are by thee oppressed and afflicted. The same Jesus against whom Saul zealously fought in the time of his ignoranee, dost thou now persecute in his suffering members, of which, what can be the consequence (without saul's repentance) but a fearful expectation of wrath and Judgement from the hand of the righteous God, the sovereignty of the great God over the Consciences of men, dost thou violenly attempt to invade, and to usurp to thyself who art a man that must die, and the son of man whose breath is in thy nostrils, and dost thou judge thy self stronger than the Almighty? or canst thou strive with thy maker, and prosper? Consider, O man, what thou art now doing, ere it be too late, and there be no place left for repentance. They that live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution, as say the holy Scriptures, but woe unto him or them by whom they suffer, better for them, unless they repent, that they had never been born, and that the womb that bore them had been their grave, that they might never have seen the light; think seriously with thyself, how thou wilt be able to stand in Judgement with him who is a consuming fire, in the day when he shall come to plead with thee the cause of the innocent, will it then suffice for thine acquitment, to say that thou hadst a law, and by that law they ought to suffer? was not holy Daniel hurried into the Lion's den, and the three faithful children into the furnace, by a law? and will the Judge of all the earth accept of that plea from the executioners of that law, so as to acquit them? Did not the murderers of Jesus Christ (in whose mouth never was guile found) say, we have a law, and by our law he ought to die, but did that save them from the wrath of God his Father, so as that he hath not since sorely visited his innocent blood upon them and their children, in the view of all Nations? Will not Bonner and his Complices be found not guilty before the Tribunal of the Almighty, if this plea prove valid, who ruined the estates, and consumed into Ashes in the Flames, the bodies of many holy Martyrs, during the time of the Marian persecution? by him who made heaven and earth, must both the law, and thou, and we be judged, and then nothing but that which is righteous in his sight will stand and abide his trial, and then will not that very law which he hath engraven in thine heart judge thee, which saith, whatever thou wouldst that men shall do unto thee, do thou even the same unto them, which, whether thou dost now practice, we leave to the Lord, and to his witness in thee, and in the Consciences of all sober minded persons within this City, to judge and to determine. Let me yet further reason with thee, and be not offended, for in tender love to thine immortal soul, (the Lord is my witness) do I write these things. Hast thou the spirit of Christ? if not, sad is thy condition, for he that hath not the Spirit, (as saith the Scripture) is none of his; If thou hast it, O then where are the fruits? the fruits of that holy spirit are love, gentleness, meekness, long-suffering, mercifulness, forgiveness, etc. this spirit never prompted or prevailed with any man to persecute others for conscience sake, they in whom this spirit dwelled in all ages were persecuted, but never found persecutors, envied, but not envying, hated, but not haters of others, suffering for the matters of their God, but not causing others to suffer. Paul who had this spirit, speaking of things appertaining to Conscience, saith, Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind, (for mark) every one of us shall give an account of himself to God, Rom. 14.5, 12. And, as you have received Christ Jesus, walk in him. Col. 2.6. By this spirit the Apostle Peter said, Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake. And the same Peter, by the same spirit, (being commanded by the Rulers not to speak at all, or teach in the name of Jesus) did (choosing rather to obey God than men) speak openly, and boldly in his name. Weigh these things in a cool, unprejudiced spirit, and hearken to, (and that thou mightest also know) the things that do belong to the peace of thy precious soul in this thy day whilst thou art on this side the grave. Remember, O remember in whose hands is the breath of thy nostrils, who can soon turn thee into dust. Thou knowest not how soon the King of Terrors may knock at thy doors, with a Commission from the Lord, to remove thee from the land of the living, and then peace with thy maker (against whom thou art now contending) will be more worth than the whole world, but not then to be purchased with all the Treasures thereof. I say therefore again, Despise not the friendly advice of him (whilst thou hast yet a season) who in heart desireth thine eternal welfare, lest when thou come to lay thine head upon thy Death pillow, and the Terrors of the Almighty seize on thee, thou shouldest then cry unto the Lord for mercy; and he should say unto thee, my love often called unto thee, and thou wouldst not hear, in the day of thy outward prosperity, I would have won thee with kindness, but thou wouldst not hearken; Now therefore I will stop mine ears at thy cry, reap the fruits of thine own works, and let misery be thy portion, until Eternity shall have an end. Hear and fear the Lord, and despise not the Counsel of him who is truly breathing in his heart to the Lord, for the salvation of thy precious soul, (and in the Lord) wisheth well to thee and thine.  
Tho. Speed.  
This (as hath been said) was wrote, and also delivered to thee, and with how much tenderness, and an earnest desire of thy welfare, and how suitable it was to thy state, and how weighty let the sober judge; one would have thought that thou wouldst have taken such a man in thine arms, and hugged him in thy bosom (considering his love and zealous care of thy welfare) and never have let him go from out of thy heart, whilst thou hadst a being or breathedst on the earth, put case there had been a mistake in some particulars (as to which there was none, and thou shalt one day know it, the intent of his heart in such a thing of weight as thine eternal welfare, that it might be well with thee, for ever would have sunk into an ingenious breast, and never would have suffered that man to die there, who would have thee live for ever; and though the expostulations were quick and piercing, yet an ingenious man would have considered with himself, why he minds my welfare, he judges me to be out of the way, (and perhaps I am, 'tis good for me to consider) the things as they stand are stated truly, granting them as they are stated, only he hath missed (and let me see whether indeed he hath done so; for I may be in a mistake) the application; It's good for me to heed whether it be so or no, a wrong zeal may carry me forth as it did Saul; Who breathed forth threaten and slaughter, and haled men and women out of houses (as I have caused to be done) and though (as I have done) he ought to do all things against that name of Jesus, and was mad, as himself said (and am not I as he was then) and persecuted them even to strange Cities (as I have in the Parliament, and in London and Westminster) and sought to bespeak them the worst I could, and to cut them off from the face of the earth, that so neither name nor remnant might be left of them from generation to generation; and yet Saul came to see it otherwise, and to be knocked down in the way. As he was posting to Damascus with Letters from the high Priests and Rulers to persecute them there, and he was told, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest; It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks, and he became a Preacher of the same Jesus. (And O that it might be so with me, if I am as he was, and do persecute Jesus) he was also an eminent Apostle, and converted multitudes to the faith of Jesus, and suffered for his name, who for his name made others to suffer; And when thy holy martyr Stephen was stoned (said he) I stood by and held the garments of them that did it, and consented to his death (as I have made them to suffer, if so be it be Jesus in them that I persecute.) And it was his great grief (and I must look to it, that it prove not to be mine) that he persecuted the Church of God. And therefore said, who am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecute the Church of of God. Well I will ponder these things, wiser men than I and more zealous, and of better reputation and profession (I see have been mistaken, and why may not I? well, I love the man, no harm shall come unto him.  
Such would have been the reasonings of (as hath been said) an ingenious spirit to one who prayed and entreated when he was defamed by thee, abused and persecuted; but alas there came no such moisture from thy flinty heart, but as one Canon proof (as is used to be said) against all Exhortations and love in this kind, the most pathetical and convincing argumentations have no place with thee, but as a man hath hardened his heart against love and reproof, and so must fall without remedy, he and his letter were unworthily rendered in the City; and it was (as was that aforesaid of George Bishops) put into the hand of another, who had been their very great enemy, and much was spoken of the Letters, which caused great inquiries after the letters by some of their friends to see what was in them, because they were so rendered, which therefore are now made public; that all that please may see their contents (as it also concerns the relation to take notice of them, and let the sober in heart who have heard thereof, and do now read, judge (as hath been said) whether they were worthy of such report as was made of them; And whether the spirit of soberness and truth did not write them, and whether they deserved that which they received at thy hands. But to proceed.  
Having lodged the persons above named in the place of suffering, and took them from their callings and occasions which thou knewest was not a little in the outward (as hath been said) and placed them among, and as transgressors for their consciences (for otherwise then as to the law of their God thou hadst nothing against them) and so put them into a capacity of thy farther mischief, who thus hadst reached them (as thou thoughtst) who never did thee wrong, nor suffered'st thou by them at any time, thou didst mind in thy self how thou mightest do them farther harm; and accomplish thine own design upon them, which thou hadst thus began in their mine.  
To this purpose, because the Sessions was now drawing on, lest thou shouldest be left in the lurch, and thine own hands fail thee, who hadst put thy self (upon what necessity or ground, if any let sober men judge) on their fall or thine, and so be laughed at, the necessity of which (as hath been said) thou puttest thy self upon, or madest it a necessity to thy self, when no other thing did, for the new Act said, it should be lawful, but did not so much as require thee to put it in execution, and the Oath of Allegiance was made for Papists, and that for Conventicles was old, and a doubt amongst the learned in the Law, whether in force or not, and the common Law took no notice of religious meetings, or religion, but the breach of the peace by some overt or manifest act, or deed by force and arms, or words spoken to that purpose, so thou madest it (as hath been said again and again) of necessity, which was not so in it self, and for this purpose thou didst consider with thy self how thou should have been fit to answer thy end to pass upon them; and because the City was large, and the prisoners had relations and deal therein, and were well known in the City, lest such a grand Jury should be chosen, as might cast out the Bill, and so blast thine enterprise in the bud, thou art said to get the book of the Burgesses into thy custody, and to pick out a grand Jury thyself, which was not thine, but the office of the Sheriff; and it ill becomed a Judge to be a prosecutor; and the Jury should be indifferently taken, as they lay in the neighbourhood, and not picked out on purpose against the prisoner; moreover it being matter of conscience; It should be of men that are able to judge of conscience, for how can men be Judges of actions done from that which they do not understand; so a Jury (it seems) thou did get, and the men out of those that were summoned to appear, for the grand Jury pitched upon by thee, were Daniel Adam's foreman (a new made Captain of the Militia, and a man concerned with thee, as a party whose soldiers brought the first prisoners from our peaceable meetings, kept them on the guard (without a warrant) and brought them to Bridewell aforesaid; George Gibbs (an inveterate man against them, and sometimes a Lieutenant of the Militia, that had been to force our meetings formerly, from which his soldiers brought away then divers, and some of them then, that were now to be tried; and so he was of the same spirit, and might well be reckoned as a party, or a man that ought not to have been chosen to pass upon them) William Jaine, Christopher Brunsden, Nathaniel King, Simon Bowyer, Thomas Prestwood, Samuel Wedlack, Thomas Smalt (Captain Lieutenant to the Colonel of the Militia Regiment, another of the same, of whose drodigious Barbarism, exercised a little before to some of us on the guard, will be mentioned by and by) William Haman, John Thruston, Thomas Wells, Thomas Stratton, Thomas Edwards, Matthew Stephens, Abraham Barnes, Richard Clifford, Samuel Dobbins, and Matthew Rogers.  
These on the day of the Sessions, viz. the 12th of 11th month, 1663. were called and sworn, and a charge was given them, and the Bills against the prisoners, which they quickly found; and now thou didst set thyself as one determined to try for the Mastery over a people that did neither wrong nor resist thee; and thy weapons were thus prepared ready for thy hands, and so thou didst cause the Court to be adjourned, and gavest order for the prisoners to be brought in the afternoon, and then thou didst arise to Eat and to Drink.  
Multitudes were the people that in the afternoon were gathered to the Hall, and the street in the which it was, to see the issue of this great, and (before) never known day in Bristol, wherein men for their Conscience only to God, knowing men, understanding men, substantial men, able men, men peaceable, of good repute, of good desert, of good conversation, of good example, were thus ordered to be brought before the Judgement seat of thee John Knight, to the rending of the City, and the hearts of the sober therein, to see Citizens set against Citizens, to destroy their fellow Citizens, and to seek their ruin, and for no other cause, but their Conscience to God, and that in relation to his Worship, when as wickedness passed without control, and met with no reproof in the gate, this was indeed a day of sadness to such, a day of darkness, and blackness, and of gross darkness; especially to see thee in the head of it, working it, contriving it, soliciting it, prosecuting it, making it thy business to effect it, putting thy fall or rise (as it were) upon the accomplishing or not, of what thou wast about, who wast Major of the City then, and shouldst have done otherwise, and men's Expectations were on tiptoe to see the issue.  
So between the second and third hours in the afternoon, the Prisoners were brought as thy Triumphs, and at thy Chariot's wheels (as we may say) were dragged, who (unless thus bound, when they did not resist) thou didst never overcome; the streets were filled, and so thronged at the door of the Hall, that the Prisoners could not get in, but in the street, and about the door were forced to stay in the wet and cold (who were somewhat in an ill capacity to bear it, having been before some of them so long in Prison) till thou camest (which was about the fourth hour) from thy feast, where thou hadst the Bishop and the Dean, and other of the Clergy to replenish thee; and so being fully fraughted with mischief and envy, and prepared (as thou thoughtst) for thy work, and in some kind of certainty in thy self, that thou shouldst accomplish, thou mountedst thy Throne, and thy brethren sat by thee, and the Candles being lighted in affectation of the Grand Assizes when Witches are to be tried, thereby to draw the more the wonderment of the people, thou didst cause an O Yes to be made, and required silence to be kept (which thou mightest have forborn, for the people in the Hall being willing to hear, did of themselves) and some of the Prisoners being set to the Bar, viz. Thomas Speed, Charles Jones, and William Tailor, who were in one Bill put together, an Indictment was read unto them at the Common Law, Charging them with being at an Unlawful Assembly, under the pretence and colour of Religion, on such a day, with force and Arms and to the Terror of the people, etc.  
To which they pleaded Not guilty before the Jury, which were Thomas Walter, Foreman, (who was Lieutenant to Capt. Adam's aforesaid, who had the command of the Guard, when some of the Prisoners were had from meeting thither, and in person with a guard without a Warrant, conducted them to Bridewell, as hath been said) Thomas Ballard, Richard Lucket, Samuel Lloyd, John Towgood (waterbayliff one of thy officers Prebend Towgoods' Son) a bitter enemy of theirs, and a man so invenomed and prepared beforehand to make them suffer, that when G. Bishop was committed, being in the lower Tolzey, as he came down out of the Council house, he said behind his back, after he was pass him, in the audience of the people, which were many, That he hoped to see him hanged (who never did him wrong) for which the people reproved him, and when the Sessions drew near, he was so replenished (having been, as he said, with thee, and coming then from thee) that he could not contain himself, but aloud in the Kitchen of the new prison, and in the presence of some, and hearing of other the prisoners in their Chamber overhead, vented himself after this manner, viz. That he had been with the Major, and that he came from him then, and that the Major had spoken to him to be one of their Godfathers, (viz. the Prisoners) and that he would warrant he would do their work for them on Tuesday next, which was the day, or words to that purpose; and now (it seems) was made one of them. But William Willett, a moderate man, was refused by thee, though called and present; all which shown what thou intendedst to do, and how thou wast a party in this matter, for which thou wilt receive thy reward from the hand of the lord James Millard, William Hartford, John Clarke the younger, William Holmes, Thomas Lewis, John Tizon, and Thomas Standfast, whose father was then a Prebend.  
Having pleaded Not Guilty, as aforesaid, and sworn, the Witnesses were produced, which were some of the false sworn men aforesaid, in the case of Miles Dixon at the time of their commitment, and there was no other, viz. Lodowick Poole, and _____ Sloper both Sergeants to the Militia, and parties who without a warrant, with force and arms took them from their peaceable meeting, and Tho. Speed from the door of the meeting house, at which in the street he was quietly sitting, which men passed with thee as good evidence; some of these being sworn anew, spoke what they pleased. The Council pleaded against the commitment, because it was without a warrant (which the witnesses confessed they had not) and so not according to due course of Law, which was to have been by Civil officers, and not by military, in time of peace, without a warrant, and this the Council made out, whereby all their work in troubling meetings that were quiet, was overthrown, which is something for thee and them to remember.  
The Prisoners confessed two of them, that they were in the meeting house, and the other that he was at the door of the Meeting house, in the street, sitting quietly, having not been in the Meeting house, for out of it he and others were kept as aforesaid, and they witnessed a good Confession, as he did then before Pontius Pilate that is gone before, and acknowledged the matter, and spoke of the ground upon which they did it. And one of them, viz. Tho. Speed, delivered it to the Jury in these, or words to this purpose, To you that are our Neighbours and fellow Citizens of the Jury, I have a few words to offer; we might justly except against some of you, as men unfit to pass upon our liberties or estates, and particularly against thee John Towgood, who didst lately speak things touching us, not fit to be named in this Court; but we freely forgive thee, and desire the Lord to forgive thee also, to whom we commit our selves and our cause: That we were at a meeting in Broad-mead, the place expressed in our Indictment, we may not deny, but do confess, being there in the fear of the Lord (and in good will towards all men; in good will to the King (against whom we are accused to be trespassers) to whom from our hearts we wish this happiness, That he may so reign and rule in the fear of God, that he may live in his favour, and die in his peace, and may have a habitation with him when time shall be no more. You have families, relations, and estates, we have families, relations, and estates, weigh well (out of all prejudice) and consider what you are now about to do as touching us. Suppose with yourselves that the verdict you are now going about to consult of, may be the last that ever you may give in, in this would, and that when you have brought in your Verdict on us, you your selves should immediately appear before the high Tribunal of the God of Heaven; go therefore and do that wherein you may have peace with your maker, when you shall go hence and be seen no more. And so said it on the Consciences of the Jury, whether that were any breach of the peace; nor indeed was there any proof that the peace was broken on their part (nor was it) or that their being there was with force and arms, or to the terror of the people; but the force and arms was on the other part, who by force and arms, contrary to law, had (to the Terror of many that were not of us) thus taken them away. Hereupon the Jury, after some time, brought in their verdict, not guilty of force and arms, and to the terror of the people, but guilty of an unlawful assembly, with which thou being not satisfied, they withdrew again, and thus delivered themselves, Not guilty according to the Indictment.  
This gave so great a satisfaction to the Hall, and the generality of the people that were therein, (which was very many) that some manifestation thereof was given, the people then present being glad in their hearts, that innocent men, and such as these were, and those unto whom they appertained, were not found guilty; and that the City thereby so far was unconcerned in a verdict against them, it being to their great grief and consternation of spirit, that such men for their Consciences should be thus put upon the wrack, and sought to be destroyed; but this their joy and gladness of spirit vexed thee to the very heart, that thou wast so baffled, which thou couldst not forbear to manifest, and so to prove undeniably thy self what hath been here asserted, viz. that thou designedly soughtst their suffering, for upon the general show that past the Hall upon the publication of the verdict, as aforesaid, thou, as a man sensible of thy disappointment, in that which thou hadst so designed, and laboured to accomplish, couldst not contain thyself, such was the overruling hand of the Almighty, for his truth and his people, that in vehement passion, as a man concerned in the contrary, and so didst appear as an unjust Judge, which sought the suffering of the Prisoners, and was not indifferent, which a righteous Judge ought to be, and rather inclining (which the law doth) to the acquitment, than to the suffering of the Prisoners, saidst tthou couldst not endure to sit there and see thy Sovereign's Laws trampled under soot, or words to that purpose, who didst trample thy Sovereign's laws under foot, in seeking to make them to suffer, who by thy Sovereign's laws were acquitted, and so didst demand of them, whether they would take the oath of allegiance? which thou before toldest them thou wouldst do, if the Jury did acquit them: but in this thou wast disappointed also, for the rest of the Justices would not yield to it, as judging it a thing unreasonable, then to put the Oath to them, when they were cleared of what they stood indicted by their Country.  
This dissatisfied the Hall exceedingly, to see thee sitting on the Bench as Judge, to act so contrary to Justice, for thou shouldst rather have shown thy self as glad of their liberty, the law acquitting them, (hadst thou been unconcerned) than to have manifested thy desire to have had them to suffer: and hadst thou been a wise man in thy generation, thou wouldst have so done, But oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out! he knew thy heart, and therefore would not suffer thy fig-leaves to cover thee, but brought thee forth stark naked to the world's view in thy Wolf's dress, and then stopped thee in thy course, so that thou couldst not neither prevail in this of the oath; yet their liberty thou didst detain, who should have been acquitted, and to the next day adjournedst them, yet neither then, nor to this day, suffered he thee to have what thou wouldst upon them, who bore Testimony to his name, for which we glorify his name for ever.  
Thus passed the proceed of the first day, the next day being the 13th of the 11th month, George Bishop, Edward Pyot, John Gibbons, Nehemiah Pool, George Oliver, Thomas Morris, James Sterridge, Benjamin Cottle, and John Spoor, were set to the Bar, and an Indictment of the same nature exhibited against them before the Jury, who were Richard Codrington (foreman) Francis Little, John Clark the elder, William Loop, Hump. Barecroft, Walter pain, Thomas Wright, Peter Rosewell, John Collins, (Dep. Marshal) John Bradford, Roger Willoughby, and Rich. Legg; and they were demanded to answer guilty or not guilty? to which they pleaded not guilty of the Indictment, in manner and form as was therein expressed, which their plea being entered, the Town Clerk asked them, whether they would proceed to Trial now, or traverse it? they answered, presently, if they pleased; so the witnesses were called, to prove them at the meeting, and thou called'st for the Depositions that were taken at their commitment, as if thou wouldst have had them read, the Prisoners said, that there must be nothing produced in Court but viva voce, by word of mouth; the Town Clark said to thee, it was so; whereupon the reading of them was forborn: the witnesses then being called upon to be sworn, the prisoners desired that it might be a little laid aside, because they had somewhat to say which happily might save them some labour, and so they began and said, and confessed that they were at the meeting in Broad mead, and upon the day mentioned in the Indictment, and that they were there to wait upon the Lord, and in obedience to him, and to testify to his sovereignty over the Consciences of men, as to worship, who was Lord of all, and sovereign in the conscience, who was a spirit, and would be worshipped in spirit and in truth; not at Jerusalem, nor in this mountain, as Christ said to the woman of Samaria, and that such the Father sought to worship him, whose fear towards him is not to be taught by the precepts of men; and so began to show, and would have done, from the three children's time, and so throughout all Histories to this day, how that there were a people that bowed not to the worships of the times, but gave testimony unto, and sealed with their blood, the dominion that is everlasting in the Conscience, and the sovereignty of him there who is Lord of all, against the laws of men, that sought to infringe, and did usurp upon his dominion in the conscience, who lives for ever, and would have given reason and undeniable demonstration for this, and have made it out, but thou interruptedst them, and wouldst not suffer them to speak, but with much vehemency didst cry out, that thou couldst not endure to sit there and hear a Religion instilled into the Court, a Religion contrary to the laws of the Kingdom; and that the laws of England were the supreme Conscience of England, and suffered them not to speak further as to this ground or reason of their so being there, though the attention of the Hall was very great and in deep silence, though very full, being willing to hear that great point opened, viz. the sovereignty of God in the conscience, as to worship, which was so near to them all, for conscience is in every man, and every man would worship God according to his Conscience, and would not have it dealt withal, nor thou thy self (to the witness of God in thee we speak) as thou didst to them. This being the matter so much in controversy only, they had so much liberty further to speak, and to show that their meeting was not in contempt of the laws, or with force and arms, to the Terror of the people, it being a thing contrary to their principle and practice.  
So the witnesses were sworn and examined, who testified, that they were at the meeting at such a place, and at such a time, but as to force and arms, etc. proved nothing, for though thy Sergeant Jones would needs have argued the matter (being put upon it by thee in the Court, and no doubt had before received from thee his instruction) and thus would have brought it about, viz. that it was a Terror to him to see the King's laws broken, and he thought, it being so with him, that it could not but be so to every good subject, or words to this purpose, which signified nothing, for it was pleading, and so he was told that he pleaded, and so his testimony in that particular signified not, for thereby he shown himself a party and not a witness, who ought to be a person in his Testimony leaning to neither side, but declaring the certain truth in certain words, and not by argumentation, and so to leave it to the Court.  
And though thou endeavouredst to make something of the Testimony that was against one Samuel James, who coming up the stairs at the time when thy Sergeant Jones aforesaid, and and the Musqueteers were at the meeting aforesaid, and being presently commanded down, and he not in the very minute observing it, but looking about him, being somewhat aghast at that unusual company, was endeavoured to be knocked down, the stairs, so muskets being about his ears, and many men upon him, and he not knowing what they meant to do with him, it seems, as the witness swore, he laid hands on one of the soldier's sword in the scabbard, and endeavoured to draw it, which thou wouldst have converted as an act of theirs, and so wouldst have had it to bear the interpretation of a Riot, which, no doubt, was the reason why thou causedst them to be indicted on that day's meeting, and not on that in the street, at which they were taken when last committed. But this proved not to thy purpose, (for unawares its like in thee, but otherwise in the ordering of the Lord) thou droppedst this word when the matter was in Examination, speaking of James, and what he was, a Ranter, saidst thou, which was observed afterwards by the Prisoners to the Jury, besides, it could not bear such an interpretation in Reason or Equity, that a man's action (and what the action was hath been said) in a public meeting, where none are kept out who was none of the people which usually there met, should be attributed to be the Action of that people, whose principle and practice is contrary to to that action, and who owned it not, nor abetted it, and it being transient, not between those people and him, or he and those people with the officers, but between the officers and him, and that chief down the stairs, and in a lower room, where (they say) the sword was endeavoured to be drawn by him, not in the place where those people were met.  
But this strained interpretation would serve for little else than to show how eager thou wast, and industrious to find something that indeed might have a reflection upon them, so the matters being turned up and down, and many things being spoken, the Jury came at length to be addressed unto, to whom the prisoners summed up the Evidence, and repeated how that nothing of force and arms was proved against them, (for there was indeed none) and how that that of James had no other reflection, nor could have, but as between himself and the officers, the Mayor himself (as was said to them) telling them that he was a Ranter, and so none of those people, and how that their having been at the meeting, they had confessed, and upon what ground, viz. that it was in obedience to the Lord, and not in contempt to them, or to the Law, moreover, that they had considered of the matter, and if any thing on this side their peace with the Lord would have done it, they had not been at that which was the occasion of their being thus brought thither, that the son of God was the sovereign of the Conscience, and the worship of the Father was in spirit and truth, and his fear was not to be taught by the precepts of men, but here thou interruptedst him that spoke, which was G. B. of that any further, but he, turning to the Juay, said to them, Neighbours and Friends, we have nothing now to do with these, and so turned his hand to the Court, and to you I shall speak; you have Consciences of your own, according unto which you would worship God, and you would not take it well if some such thing as hath been done, and is now doing to us, should be done to you, for worshipping God according to your Conscience. Now what saith the Judge of all, whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do even the same unto them, for this is the law and the Prophets. And so I shall leave you. Edward Pyot also spoke to the Jury, and said, you by the Court are made our Judges, and the matter of fact, for which we are called in question this day is nothing criminal, nor any matter of dishonesty, but only for our meeting together in the worship and service of God, and nothing more than barely meeting together is proved against us, to which our selves have confessed before proof was made, and as our meeting together in such manner, and to such ends as is declared in the Indictment, hath been by us denied, so it is altogether without proof to you that which you are chief to consider of in order to your verdict, is, whether or not we were met together in manner and form according as is declared in the Indictment. As to the manner of our meeting, it was not with force and arms, as you your selves in your own consciences know, but we meet together in the fear of the Lord, and to no other end than only in God's Worship and Service; and therefore take heed what you do; lest you be found striving against the Lord, for God will be worshipped and served as himself pleaseth, and by his own direction and prescription, in spirit and in truth, and not as man pleaseth, nor by men's prescriptions and directions; for things may be highly esteemed amongst men, which are abomination in the sight of God, and it is not in the power of any Creature to prescribe to his maker how his maker shall be served and worshipped.  
It is enough for the greatest of men to prescribe their own Homage, and to direct their own service, and to leave that which concerns the worship and service of God, unto God himself, and to his own prescription and direction, who alone is Lawgiver to all, and the Judge over all, in all the matters and things which concerns his own worship and service, and whom we choose to obey rather than men. Here thou rosest from thy seat in great rage, and gavest an interruption, but when the Court was quiet and cool, again he spoke on, and said, And forasmuch as it is ofttimes proposed in Courts of Judicature, to the prisoners at Bar, to be tried by God and the Country, in which words it is acknowledged that God is the supreme Judge, and that the Verdict and Sentence ought to be of the Lord; mind the Lord therefore, and his presence with you, and Council to guide you, that the Lord may judge among you, that so your verdict concerning us, may be of the Lord; to which some of the Jury answered, That they would do us right: and there was a sense in many of them, which thou couldst not take off, though thou endeavouredst it, and madest a long narration of the penal Laws against what was called Conventicles, and the not coming to Church; and what fine it was to have Mass said in a man's house (which related to Papists, and not to them) and what was in thy head came forth, but not a word to the purpose. The Steward also, viz. John Robbins, kept a great ado, and turned over the Statute book, which to consider (it seems) he had been up (as is said) till about three in the morning, that he might be ready to assist thee according to what is said, he said to thee the night before, that he would, but it signified nothing. It was not to the point in hand, for they were indicted at the Common Law; and thou and thy Council kept ado about the Statute; and what's this to the purpose, said one of the Prisoners? And neither thou nor he so much as shown the Jury what was an unlawful meeting at Common Law. See how you were blinded, and what hand was upon you. And the Steward most unworthy of his Master the King, as whose Council he appeared, made a great Oration, how that we and our meetings were that which did shake his Crown, and that the King was afraid of us, and that he had been in the west, and what he had heard there, he told on purpose to incense the Jury, but all would not do, the Jury had another thing in their Consciences and matter of Law, not stories, was that which they were to Harken, to especially such large Expressions, which rendered the King and his Crown so weak, and his Government so tottering, that the meetings of a few people (in Comparison to England) to wait upon the Lord, who used not Arms, nor resisted, and who were in good will to him, did shake it, and make him afraid, but this is not all the unworthiness he then used to the prisoners also of which he was was well told, but now is pretermitted.  
The Jury being to withdraw, the prisoners moved for a special verdict in these words, viz. That the matter of fact might be found specially, according to what the Witnesses had spoken, and that might be left upon the whole matter to the determination of Law, whether it amount to the making good of the Indictment, which thou opposedst, for thou fearedst the sequel, which was, that thou shouldest not then have whereupon to pass Sentence upon them.  
So the Jury withdrew, and after some time, delivered their verdict; and the foreman said a special verdict, and it was this, Guilty of being at an unlawful Assembly, according to the law of the Land, but not of force and Arms, or to the terror of the people. The prisoners demanded the record of this to be read; the record being read, it appeared that but the first half was set down, which thou hadst caused (no doubt) so to be, for that served thy mind, viz. Guilty of an unlawful assembly, according to the Law of the Land. But the other half was omitted, as not being to thy purpose, but against it, viz. But not of force and Arms, etc. The prisoners called to have the whole verdict recorded, thou wouldst not grant it, and saidst, they brought it in as it was recorded. But that the prisoner that spoke, viz. G. B. had drawn the latter out by questions, G. B. denied it, and affirmed that the Jury delivered their verdict as aforesaid, and called to the foreman, to answer whether it was not so; the foreman said it was, and so did one or two more of the Jury testify. The Steward, to palliate the matter, would make the latter by consequence, the former being found, that is to say, that it being an unlawful assembly, it was by force and arms; but herein he was mistaken; for first, it was a special verdict which stated the matter on the one hand and the other for to be pleaded at Law, whether the evidence made good the Indictment, than the Indictment was at Common Law, and there is no unlawful assembly at Common Law, but what is by force and arms. Thirdly, they said it was not by force and arms, viz. Not guilty of force and arms. Now if they had said, Guilty of an unlawful assembly according to the Law of the Land, and no more, there had been some colour of the latter, of force and arms, which the Steward would have made by Consequence, but they cutting off force and arms in the latter, without which it could not be an unlawful assembly in the former, they made the former of no force, and by consequence adjudged, viz. that it was not an unlawful assembly, seeing that which only could have made it so, they brought them in not Guilty of, and so the verdict was a Contradiction to itself.  
Yet a great ado thou and the Steward made about it, but G. B. told ye both, that they must have no wrenching the Juries verdict, but must have it in their own words. And for the consequences he said, it mattered not, and therefore demanded that the Juries verdict might be recorded as they brought it in, or that they might have pen, and ink, and paper given them, to write their verdict themselves, or if none of these, that they might go in again.  
So the Jury withdrew again, and stayed somewhat long, yet at length came and brought in the same verdict as before.  
Now whilst they were in the second time; thou (its like) fearing lest they should bring in a through not guilty, as the Jury the night before did in the case of Thomas Speed, etc. who in a manner delivered a verdict the first time; much like to this, thou tenderest to Edward Pyot the Oath of Allegiance, that is to say, thou having used reflecting words to him of what he had been heretofore, viz. in arms in the City, as a Captain, and so looking upon him as an enemy, who was a friend to the King and thee; Demanded of him whether he would take the Oath of Allegiance? He replied as to the clearing of himself, and how he was in principle and otherwise in goodwill to the King and them all, and how his practice had been answerable, and that you should be as Fathers to Children, that should not seek the hurt of them who were under the Law, but their preservation rather. And that as to the thing demanded of him, he was upon another issue, and till he understood what that was, and was cleared from that, he should not answer: Well saidst thou, (showing what lay rancoring in thy breast) as sure as I sit here, if the Jury bring ye in not Guilty, I will put it to you.  
And not let all that are sober judge in this matter, and whether as a man most resolvedly concerned in the ruin of us, right or wrong, thou hast not proceeded in this whole transaction hitherto, and whether ever in the Guild-Hall of Bristol, in this generation, such partiality hath been used, and downright persecution in a Judge: And whether we are not (as to men) hard bestead, when as for our Conscience we are that hurried up and down from one Law to another, from one penalty to another, if the first will not serve the turn, or cannot be accomplished, who stand before the Judgement seat of such a Judge, as hath showed himself as thou, as aforesaid.  
But to close up this part of this relation, and therein this present sitting of the Sessions, the next day they were had to the Hall again, but not called, but the day after, viz. the 15th of the 11th month they were brought to the Bar, and then thou gavest sentence upon them as followeth, viz. George Bishop, Edward Pyott, 50 l. John Gibbons, and Nicholas Pool, 5 li. each. John Spoor, George Oliver, James Sterridge, Thomas Morris, Benj. Cottle 40 s. apiece, and to continue in Prison till payment, Thomas Speed, also Charles Jones, and W. Taylor, thou committedst to Newgate, though cleared by their Country, where thou keptst them till the 27th of the 12th mon. and hast so much of wrong imprisonment upon thy back, as to them, for thee to answer.  
Now how couldst thou in law proceeded to fine George Bishop Edward Pyott, etc. when as the verdict was special, before the Evidence was stated, and had Council debated whether the Evidence amounted to making good the Indictment, which it could never do. Therefore thou thus carriedst it, who carries all things according to thy will and humour, and yet thou criest up the Law, and thy Sovereigns Laws, when as under the cry and pretence of thy Sovereigns Laws, thou ushers in thine own, and servest thy pleasure upon people that are innocent. But this covering will not hold thee long, for the Judges at Westminster may come in time to see farther through thee, who shortly hereupon saw cause to say (one of the Judges of the King's Bench expressing it) to this purpose, What? will they have the King to be King of England, and not of Bristol? And so an Attachment was ordered against thee (though thy Council Robbins said thou wast a Member of Parliament) and Alderman Creswick, as to the Affidavits then read against you, and presented by the King's Solicitor General, who in his speech set forth, that such things, as by those papers were charged against you, did not only invade the Law, but seek to justle the King out of his Courts at Westminster (of which that was the Chief and Superintendent over other Courts of Judicature, in case of their going without the bounds of Law, as it had cognizance of what applications was made to them) and so consequently (as is said) out of England. So that (it seems) for thee and Alderman Chreswicke, an Attachment was ordered, though thou wast a Member of Parliament; and so whilst here thou criest out thy Sovereign's Laws, to cover thy do against the Laws of thy Sovereign, there they find cause to proceed against thee, as one that doth that which tendeth to the unkinging of thy Sovereign, and justling of the King out of his Courts at Westminster, and so out of England. The truth is, thou wouldst be Sovereign thy self; that is to say, thou wouldst fain have thine own brittle, peevish, hot, and malicious will, to rule, which when thou hast no other shift to excuse, thou seekest to place it under the skirt of thy Sovereign, but the Lord hath and will find thee out, and render unto thee according to thy deeds.  
Thus far proceeded the business of the Sessions, in reference to our friends; in the relation of which, many things are omitted which might appear of consequence to be set down, lest this little manuel should appear a volume. Now we shall proceed to speak of something that was pretermitted in point of time, but not unfit here to be brought in, which concerns Thomas Smart, one of the grand Jury aforesaid, of whom some hint hath been already a little given.  
This man being on the Guard, as Captain Lieutenant to a Colonel of the Militia Regiment, on the 25th of the tenth Month, 1663. commonly called Christmas day (unknown to his Colonel) caused three of our friends servants to be unmercifully tied neck and heels together, with half hundred weights and muskets hanging about their necks, in the bitter extremity of the cold wether, till the eyes of some of them were observed to be drawing out, and their faces were growing black, and the natural spirits of one of them ready to fail, which some who were not of the Guard coming in and seeing, took upon them to out the cords and set them at liberty.  
The Executioners of this inhuman butchery, were George Whitherley a Litter or Barge man, and one John Boone. These having been abroad that morning, with other musquetiers, saw the Shops of some of our friends open (who in conscience to their Testimony, against such Popish observations, could not cause them to be kept fast) which caused their rage to arise, and to the Guard to bring Samuel Hollister, servant and kinsman to Dennis Hollister, William Saucer, servant to Robert Nokes, and Richard Mercer, servant to the Widow Loverell.  
Samuel Hollister was in his uncle's shop when Witherley came, who required him to shut down the door of the shop, (for the windows were down before, and the door, they used to go in at and out at) Samuel answering that he did not use to put it up, and now should not put it down; away Witherley had him to the Guard, where Thomas Smart, and Henry Joiner Marshal were, who ordered him to be tied neck and heels together, and a half hundred weight (Smart ordered two, but it seems but one was hung on) Witherley did it presently, and set him so tied upon the stone bench, walking between him and Smart, and watching lest he or any should ease the weight on his breast or the bench which hung about his neck; and if it happened so to be, either through the friendliness of any, or his own endeavours, to bear it a little on his knees, Witherley with a swinge would turn it off again, to the endangering of his neck and back, and then tauntingly would come and look in his face, and mock him saying, What, you look very cheerfully yet. The space of time of this his cruel Execution was near the length of an hour.  
William Saucer likewise, the said Witherley brought out of his Master's shop to the Guard, after the windows were thrown down, and there he and Boone tied him neck and heels by the order of Smart, and the Marshal, with a half hundred weight, so long, and after such a manner, that his face grew black, and his natural spirits began to fail, so that the match being cut by one that was not of the Guard, they were constrained to give him something to fetch his spirits again. The time of his suffering thus was about three quarters of an hour.  
Richard Mercer being in Sarah Bennets shop when they came to shut her Windows down, or to require her to cause them to be shut, and for saying, It was a reasonable thing to show their Warrant, was had away likewise to the Guard, and by order of the aforesaid persons tied neck and heels, and two Muskets hanged at his neck for the space of half an hour, which was performed by Boone aforesaid, being the Servant of another, as aforesaid, who was none of those people.  
This Tiranical Act, without any Warrant of thine, as was produced, so reflecting on thy Government, and so startling the sober people of the City, tending also to the dissolution of Government, had no other reproof from thee in public, that ever we heard of, except that thou thoughtest him a qualified and fit person to be of the Grand Jury, to pass upon our friends as aforesaid.  
Before we leave the Militia, we shall give one taste of Captain Hicks his spirit to his near and peaceable Neighbours; it seems the Deputy Lieutenant, and Commissioners of the Militia thought fit to fine some of our friends, for not finding arms to the Guard (whose principle was against arms, and which arms also were converted to the disturbing of our meetings, contrary to Law, and the imprisoning of our friends) amongst the rest, Thomas Callowhill was one, who dwelling a little below, on the other side of the high street, where Captain Hicks kept shop, and being somewhat of the same occupation, Captain Hicks with a Constable came, and though the Warrant was not directed to the said Captain Hicks, yet with his own hands, he took down ten pieces of Manchester tape worth 15 s. for 10 s. fine, and gave it to the Constable, who carried it to the said John Hicks his house, not returning the overplus.  
Sometime after the said Thomas Callowhill having some business to do in Captain Hicks his shop, and receiving 26 s. of him for Buttons, he demanded an Acquittance in full of all accounts; T. Callowhill desired him to accept of it in full of the buttons, and said, that he hoped he would return him his ten pieces of tape again, at least the overplus, but John Hicks would not accept of that, than T. Collowhill desired him to call in any Neighbour, and he would acknowledge it in full of all accounts, only the tape excepted, the overplus of which being not returned, he thought it not fit to give a discharge, Captain Hicks replied, he had nothing to do with that, he might go to the Constable. T. Callowhill answered, it is in thy Chest; and why should I go to the Constable, seeing that he took it not from me, but several saw thee take it thy self; Whereupon Captain Hicks broke forth into a great rage, and called him Rogue, and Knave, and laid violent hands on him, and hurled him into a dark entry at the further end of his shop, out of the hearing of the people in the street, and there did strike him, and pull him by the hair of the head, demanding the money out of his pocket, and thrust his fingers so against his throat, as if he intended to choke him, and tore his coat; and so by beating, and haling, and tearing, and desperate words, forced his money from him, which the said Cap. Hicks detains to this day.  
This is Capt. Hicks, a man that never drew sword in the field, that dare not meet a man there, that dares handle a sword, one of thy chieftains to do thy drudgery; A member of the Council. and that hath been Sheriff of the City in this day, wherein as hath been said, shame is become the promotion of fools.  
And this is some account of the Militia, and the work of some of their Officers and Soldiers, which put the City to so great a charge, as the supplying of their arms for so long a season; of which the City began to grow so weary, and the stomaches of the Housekeepers, and under officers (who had formerly been in the field) were so clogged to be at such work, and to hale their peaceable neighbours up and down, who did not resist them. And so to be in order to the ruin of them and their families for their conscience, that the Deputy Lieutenants (who in many things shown much moderation) laid it down, whom thou hadst instigated unto much of what they had done to us, who hadst not power to command them, but yet wouldst not let them be at rest till they had promised thee their assistance of whom thou hadst no need, one of thy officers being as sufficient for thy purpose (as hath been said) as a Regiment, for they would not resist, though thou lovedst to appear a man in power; and having thoughts that thou couldst never do too much against us, didst think thou never had too much power to effect it upon us, which cost the City so much, and may do thee much more, if thou dost not repent.  
Thus ended the Militia, but here was not an end of thy rage and cruelty, for perceiving how the City was bend in favour of the innocent, and how their love was raised so much the more to them as thy cruelty exceeded and manifested in their friendly visits (for that which was sober could not withhold it self from its own which suffered.) Thou having missed that at which thou aimedst in thy prosecutons aforesaid, and having little whereof to glory except that thou hadst failed in thy enterprise as a man enraged because of the love of others to those, whom without cause thou didst hate, as if so be it had been crime enough that thou hadst cast them in prison, and therefore none ought to visit them. And having not the law on thy side to make them close prisons whose misdemeanours brought not them into thine hands, but their conscience thou tookest another course, and as if the King and his Council had nothing else to do, thou troubledst their ears with thy Solicitors, and their hands with thy papers, heaps upon heaps, with informations against several persons of note and eminency in that City, whom otherwise thine envy could not reach. And the great crime with which thou chargedst them, was that they visited the Quakers in prison, which neither law made sooner true humanity, nor commerce amongst men, for the visitors were concerned in the prisoners upon point of relation, commerce, neighbourhood, and Country, as aforesaid, and here thou keptst ado, not worthy the rehearseing, saving that thus far by hinting it, on record it may remain that what mischief in thy day thou didst work against the innocent, & how implacably malicious thou waste without cause against them, that thou wouldst not allow them a visit, whom thou thoughtest fit not to be at liberty. And this will remain an everlasting brand upon thee, and thy perpetual condemnation, who wast so far from visiting the prisoners, that thou cast them into a prison, and sought to ruin those who came to visit them.  
The next that comes to be related in order of time, is the imprisonment of Joan, the Wife of Peter Hiley, who having been at the burial of Nicholas Tilleys Wife, an ancient acquaintance and Neighbour of hers about three weeks before, and at the said burial having spoken a few words, thou didst send for the Priest, and causedst him to inform against her, and Committedst her to Newgate the 10 of the 1● month, for disturbing Mr. Godwyn the Minister of St. Phillip's, and depraving the Book of Common Prayer, and for refusing to find Sureties for her appearing the next Sessions, as the Warrant of Commitment hath it signed, John Knight, Maior.  
Whereas some of the words she spoke were contained in the Book of Common prayer, viz. in the burial of the dead; I am the Resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live (said she, saith Christ) and against the Book of Common prayer she spoke no word; besides, the Act of Uniformity, upon which thou didst commit her, commits not to Prison till after Judgement in Court, upon Trial by a Jury, and then 'tis matter of fine and imprisonment for such a time in default of payment, yet thou didst send her to prison, as skilful as thou pretendedst thyself in the laws, and deniedst her husband's bail for her appearance the first time, though afterwards (upon better consideration its like) thou tookest his security for her appearance, from whose family thou hadst detained her (which was pretty great) and her children, for the space of two days.  
This troubled the City very much, to see that thou couldst not forbear thy hands, but must fall upon a woman, and that in revenge (as they did judge) to her brother called Robert Yeamans, whom thou hadst a few days before caused to be beset in John Bowers his house (one that had been Sheriff of the City, as had the other but the year before) by thy officers in the cold wet weather, for the space of the best part of a day, in order to his apprehension, the keeper of Newgate being there also, and attending to take him, and all this because he did not sit where thou wouldst have him in the Council house, who, notwithstanding at daylight passed out of John Bowers house, (the officers appearing sensible of no such enemy) who going to his home, though the officers warded the house aforesaid, till 10 at night, and then the watch till the morning, and after a few days, taking his journey to London upon his occasions, etc. so being out of the reach of thy malice, the City judged that thou fellest upon her, it being the day after he was gone, that thou committedst her in revenge of him, and so had thee in great abomination: and thus every action thou didst, laid thee more low, and brought thee into contempt with the City, who by this time was full enough of thy barbarous and over rude proceed.  
Next to her was Roger Oldstone, who living in the Castle, and answering those that came to look for Inmates, that he had none in his house, and that if they would not believe him, they might go in themselves and see; he was taken up as he was going by the Tolzey, and brought before thee, and because none of these matters would bear weight to commit him, there being an itch in thee against the whole race of the Jews, (the Jews in spirit, as Haman had against the Jews in the flesh) thou couldst not tell how to let him go, without some print of thy cruelty; and therefore, to ensnare him, didst demand of him whether he was not at the meeting the Sunday before? and because he said, it may be he was, thou sentest him to Newgate, though there was no proof against him, and his own words were but it may be, and there didst cause him to be detained from the 22d of 12th month, to the 26th of the same, from his Wife and Children, who for maintenance depended upon his liberty.  
Hitherto, from the time of the commitment of Thomas Speed and those with him, as aforesaid, the meetings received continual interruptions by the visits of thy officers, who continually attended them, warning them to departed & taking names, carrying themselves with that insolence & ill behaviour many of them, espcecially thy servant Jones, and Yeoman Baal as was hard heretofore to think it could be so in this City, having thee to back them, or rather thy spirit acting in them, beyond the bounds of law or reason, but these things prevailing not, fo● we were at a point, it being the Testimony of God in us against the usurpation of man over his dominion in the Conscience, thou thoughtest thou wouldst: try thyself what thou couldst do in thy own person, and so in an unwonted guise such as before thy day Bristol never see, thou camest down to the meeting with Alderman Creswick, Alderman Cale, and thy officers, and there layedst about thee more like a fool than a wise man, and to the Boys didst: then address thy impertinent discourses, and to the women, s making thy self a laughing stock, and if any one spoke to thee in such a place, (as there were many that in the power of the Lord, spoke to thee) thither thou wouldst get thee, and here take him away; and then another speaking, thither thou wouldst press, and what? who is that? have her away; and what Sirrah? are you a Quaker? whose boy are you? put down his name, with a deal of such ridiculous and foolish behaviour, more like a boy than a man, a novice than a Justice, a Stage-player than a Mayor, and so after thou hadst thus acted it for a while, and sent to prison Thomas Atkins, Benjamin Maynard, and John Brooks, John john's, Andrew Vivers, Susan Gotby, Joseph Kippin, Solomon Huntingdon, Elinor Maud, and Elizabeth Wilkinson, as some show of thy Triumph, 21st 12th month, 1663. re infecta, thy work being unfinished, leaving many of us behind in the meeting, upon whom thou commandedst the officers to nail the doors, and to keep them there till the morrow, which thy Sergeant Jones performed, haling the ancient widow yeoman's by the arm, and calling her old whore, because she was going down the stairs, being hard of hearing, and so not knowing what order thou hadst given, and her Grandchild Mary the Wife of Daniel Wastfield, who went to attend her aged Grandmother, he called young whore, and Joyce Warren widow, thy sister in law, whose husband had been Sheriff of the City, and his Father Mayor, daughter to the said Widow yeoman's, he threw down stairs, to the bruising of her head and arms, the hurt of which she hath not yet recovered. And so having shut up men, women, and children, together, women with child, and nurses, he went his way. Then the Constables came, who had more sense of humanity, and let out the women with child, and children: then when it was even dark, came Sheriff Bradway, and set at liberty the rest, taking their verbal engagement for their appearance the next day.  
And this is the noble and worthy Exploit (as men use to call things by the contrary) which thou performedst in the siege of a Company of innocent men and women, who did not resist thee, and these are the things memorable therein. Thou saidst when thou came up the stairs, see that none go down, and when thou camest into the room, thou commandedst all to depart, and when thou goest away, thou orderedst the doors to be nailed up, so that they that remained could not departed, so contradictory were thy orders the one to the other; and as they were contradictory, so they were not observed, nor hadst thou Dominion over those people, but the good hand of the Lord was over them, and their Meetings, so that neither the Officers civil nor military asunder, nor the Officers Military and Civil together, nor the Deputy Lieutetenants and their Guards, nor thou in person, nor thy Brethren, were able so to work, as to discontinue our meeting, from the beginning of thy year to the end thereof; the Lord hereby showing his dominion to be over all, and that his Throne was set up in the midst of his enemies.  
Now to these aforementioned, may be added William Wells, who for speaking a few words to thy officers in the Meeting, (who take and leave whom they please, and whom to speak to, be the matter or the occasion what it will, is enough to be sent to Prison, themselves being Judges) was had to Newgate, and there continued the space of eight days; at which time (Sheriff Stremer having heard that he was a poor man, and that his family depended for their livelihood on his liberty) upon promise of appearance at Sessions, if called, was set at Liberty.  
And Philip Dimer, of Cork in Ireland, and a dealer there, being taken up at a Meeting about the time of the fa●re, and sent to Bridewell by some of thy Officers, was at the Instance of thy brother Francis Knight of London, and other Londoners, with whom he used to have deal, set free (it being a great obstruction to the fair, that men of substantialness and dealing, as were many of our friends, should be by thee thus proceeded with, who shouldst have been the great encourager of the Fair, in confidence of which (as of right it ought to be) men do frequent the Fair. Yet thy fellow Citizens therein (cry some) could not have that friendshid from thee as strangers, though substantial men, and great dealers. But all thou couldst thou didst bear upon them, and by the Fair especially, keeping them up then from their business, if so by any means thou couldst bow them unto thee. And that which was of Argument why thou shouldst dismiss them, to follow their business, that thou turnedst as an Argument to hold them to it, supposing that by those pressures they might fall under thee. But the everlasting arms were underneath them, which did keep them, and will all those that abide with him.  
Now the Sessions drew on, to attend on which thou wast come down from Westminster, where thou hadst been for some time, having lest it in charge with thy Officers, to visit our Meetings, in the mean time, on the first days of the week, which they did, requiring us to departed, and takeing names, which were said to be sent up to thee; for thou couldst not be satisfied, for the persecuting spirit in thee could not be at rest, but as by some way or another that was done which was in order thereunto; and what use of those papers thou madest above, thou knowest, and what endeavours thou didst use to bring through the Act, which was then in hand against us, and how thou didst work to have the Convictions in order to Banishment, to be without Juries, expressly contrary (as we Judge) to Magna Charta; for than thou thoughtest (it's like) thou shouldst have Matters in thine own hand, and so wouldst do with us as thou pleasest, seeing that the Juries failed thee, and thou didst that thou knowest. Thy brother Locke, a man of that impetuous franticness, and silliness of understanding, that he serves for little else (save except to set the Court a laughing) if no more would stand by thee, so thou wast satisfied. And thy Sergeant Jones when he came down from waiting on thee to Westminster, boasted in the Meeting, that there was a Bill past the House such a day against us, for that purpose, and Baal vapoured that there were ships coming about that would carry us away, and he would lose his ear (yet he hath not been as good as his word) if we were there four Meetings more; and so Imperious was thy Sergeant Jones grown (who from a Beggar of a piece of bread from door to door, to a Sawyer, and from thence to a Sergeant, was advanced) that he took upon it to Lord and insult it over his other fellow servants as well as us; and because that Paul Williams (one of his fellow Sergeants) would not take names in the Meeting at his command, he sirrahed him (in imitation of thee) and laid violent hands on him in the Meeting, and tore his Coat, and dragged him down by violence, saying, He would send him to Newgate, and then brought up an other to do as he commanded.  
And this was the hostility with which our peaceable meetings to wait upon the Lord were exercised, by men whom (as hath been said) one would have scorned to have put with the Dogs of one's flock; whom they please must go to Prison, whom they please must be set in their list; what they please they speak, and what they please they do, and is well whatsoever they do.  
This liketh thee, to be exercised upon a people of such Estates (many of them) and quality in the City, as thou knowest, whose Liberty, Civil treatment, Estates, Families, Country, Lives (as it may happen) and all they have, must stand at the courtesy of such (and if we term them so, it is but what they are) base fellows. But the Lord was with his people, and gave them dominion over all, and enabled them to bear with Patience this great exercise, through the power and strength of him who was in the midst of them, whom your eyes cannot see; Who persecute him in his truth and people, who will Reign over you all for ever and ever, whom none of the Princes of this world knew, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.  
So the Sestions being come, which was held the 18th of the 12th Month, 1664. and thou being come down (as aforesaid, to attend it) two Bills of Indictment were drawn and presented the Grand Jury; the one against those seven whom thou sentest to Bridewell, and then committed them to Newgate, when thou wast thy self at Meeting; and the other against Joan Hiley.  
That against the seven, the Grand Jury cast out, and the other against Joan Hiley had like to have been too, had not Heyward the Tailor (one of the Grand jury) in the breach of his Oath, given information to one of the Sheriffs, and so to thee, that it would be so if more Evidence were not brought in; hereupon thou bestirs thy self, and caused the Priest to be sent for, in prosecution of thy old design, which was to make us to suffer; and thy expectations was so on tiptoe, that thou couldst not forbear to ask the Foreman, Whether the Bill was found, before he came to deliver it in, who gave thee an answer as became a man in his place (whose name is john Tyler) though thou wentest out of thy place, though yet not out of the persecuting spirit that was in thee, unbecoming a Magistrate to ask the question. So the Court won adjourned, this being the forepart of the day, to the afternoon.  
Then she was had to the Court and set to the Bar, and thou feign wouldst have had the Trial put off, and spakest to her Husband so to do, and to enter into a new Recognizance for that purpose, but she could not consent to that, so thou goest on to Trial, and the jury was sworn, and the Priest set by her, and the Indictment was read, and she pleaded to it Not Guilty, and the Evidence was produced, of which the Priest was one, who said, He heard some body speak, but could not say it was her. And the jury went aside, and much expectation was on the issue, for ye thought your Jury would serve your turner; and the names of the Jury being looked over, they were judged to be all right; and Sheriff Streamer (as was said) was very confident of the matter, and was over heard (as is said) to lay a Wager with Capt. Hicks, that it would be so, which John Hicks distrusting, the other is said to say, He would lay his life they would find her guilty, and that there were four of them that would die but they would do it: Which appeared to have something in it, for the Bailie Errand when he spoke to the Court, said, That the Jury were all agreed save four (what Working here is to make the innocent to suffer) yet the jury brought her in Not Guilty, the Indictment being not laid in the words of the Statute, as the Council made appear; and as for the Words of the Statute, there was not sufficient Evidence to prove that what she said was according to those words.  
So the Lord wrought for his innocent servants which waited upon him, and so two petty Juries the Sessions before having failed thee, and now the grand and petty Jury made thee miss of thy end, and so that thy hands hitherto could not bring to pass the thoughts of thine heart, for the Lords arm was against thee, and indeed the Citizens began to nawseat this unusual trade of thine, in putting them upon the tumbling their fellow Citizens into holes and corners, and so thereby thou mightst serve thy will and pleasure upon them; and now thou thoughtst it time to high thee to London again, to get some new strength, and to recruit thee, who hitherto hadst miss, and to work thou went'st above to get the matters finished out of the old way of England, which was by Juries to the conviction of two Justices, as aforesaid, and the Bill was past, and now thou wast glad, and (as is reported) wept for joy; for now thy work thou thoughtest was not likely (Sisyphus his stone of which Histories speak) to return still upon thee, and thou to be laughed at, which was the thing thou fearedst, and therefore (its like) bespeakest the City to be in an ill condition, and as if it were ready to be in a tumult (which was as still as the stones in the street) and thou art said to have suggested that thou couldst not undertake the safety of the place, without some such additional power, and wouldst feign have made it the same through England, and now thou waste paramount, and down, thou cam'st, and here thou thoughtst to make short work. And as to other offices whereto some of us were called to serve, thou turn'st them by as a people whom thou intendedst to make clear work with ask why they did choose us for such offices, giving the people so to understand, and intimating that a shorter course would be taken with us, which might put us out of the Capacity of bearing Office, and so thou wouldst have us reserved to the greater blow, hoping at once to make riddance of us, and to quit us the Nation. But we shall have a place and name therein, when thou art forgotten, except it be to shame and obloquy.  
Thus thy heart was lifted up, and thou preparedst thy self for the season, wherein the Act should take place, viz. the first day of the 5th month called July, following, hoping then and afterwards at once to do thy work upon us, and so high were thy spirits boyed to this attempt, that thou hadst not patience to stay until the day; but before the day, thou went'st to work, (and yet we think thee not very wise in so doing, but the Lord suffered thy haste to befool thee) and on the 12th of 4th month down thou sentest thy officers, who to the meeting came, and there played the mad men (some of them, Jones, etc.) haling and pulling, striking and dragging, and thy said Sergeant Jones, put off his Gown, and to work he went (for he must do something one way, as thou hadst done another, and why not, seeing he was executioner as thou wast Magistrate? and about he swings his Mace, and had bruised one our Friends hands therewith, in pieces, in all likelihood, at which he struck, if it had not been taken away, and here the peace came to be broke on a peaceable people; and those of the officers that could not be as mad as he, but had some reluctancy against such usages to people of quality, and their loving Neighbours, he used as he pleased; in particular William White, an old Royalist, whom he much in words abused: and because we could not bow to his commands, he caused some of us to be dragged and had away, and carried to Prison, as if he were Mayor, and Justice, and King, and Parliament, and all, and above them all, in breaking the Peace, which the Law is against, whose Names are as follows, William Ford, Nath. Milner, John Love, Sam. Taylor, Will. James, Jos. Moor, John john's, Israel Bird, Robert Claxton, Tho. Jaques, alias Jackson, Will. Emblin, Jos. Canings, Hen. Prichard, And. Sole, and Tho. Atkins, and these the next day thou committedst to Newgate, for being at an unlawful assewbly, under pretence of Religious worship, on Sunday the 12th of June in the time of divine service, and for resisting the Officers who were to disperse them, and refusing to give sureties for their appearance the next Sessions, and in the mean time to be of the good behaviour. Signed John Knight Mayor, Hen. Creswick, Nath. Cale, dated 13th June 1664.  
And this was the Sabbath days work of thy officers whom thou sentest on this errand (breaking the peace) and confirmedst after they had done it, who yet pretendedst to the keeping of the Sabbath, and criest out upon us for breaking the Sabbath, in meeting on that day to wait upon the Lord, the work (as your selves accounted it) of the Sabbath, and for coming to town on which day to save a woman's life, who was in travel, thou causest a horse of a man-midwife to be detained till he had paid a fine for riding on that day, for that purpose being sent for in haste, Richard Blackborrow Brewer, thy neighbour, and yet thou couldst send a Capias on that day newly taken out of the Court (for the wax was wet) to detain Robert Steward that was brought to Newgate late the night before in a debt of thy brother in law Ducats of 200 l. who criest out of the breach of the Sabbath, thou Hypocrite, who makest Sabbath, and Law, and all what thou pleasest, who showest of what Religion thou art towards God by these things, as of Loyalty to the Law and thy Prince by the other, but of this more hereafter.  
And yet thou wast mistaken in thy warrant, and shown thyself thereby how wrong thou didst run, even as a man, headlong into any thing that seemed to serve thy end, talking of resisting, and not dispersing, when as the new law which enabled to such things, was not then in force, and there was no other (as we know of) that so enabled, yet this is the usage that we and our peaceable meetings receive from, the hands of thy officers, and this is the Justice we receive at thy hands, to have thy confirmation of what thy officers have done, and all the remedy we have; but we leave it to the Lord, who will render unto you according to your deeds.  
Now drew on the 1. of the 5. month called July, famous for the date of the new Act, on which it took place, and became in force, which thou hadst so much longed for; and for the accomplishing of which thou hadst so much trudged, for which thou shalt have thy reward from the hand of the Lord, and now the day being come, having before hand caused the Constables to be warned, and the meeting being on the first day of the week, and the third of that month, thou sentest thy Officers first to bid them to departed, & to take nams', who took away John Moon to Bridewell, as he was then declaring in the words of soberness and truth, and between the first and second hour in the afternoon, thou camest thy self attended with Alder. Lock, and Alder. Lawford, (the other Aldermen it seems being out of the way, or not caring to be about such work as this) and at the door of our meeting house in the street, being set down with them, and the Sheriffs, thou didst cause an O Yes to be made in the form of a Court, one which day no Courts are used to be kept in England, who talkest so much of the Sabbath, and chargest us with profaning the day, because we meet thereon to wait upon the Lord, the work of the day (as you use to say) upon the day; and madest the manmidwife pay the fine for coming that day to town, as aforesaid; the effect of a murderous spirit shown under the pretence of Religion and conscience, to the observation of the Law, as did the Pharisees, who put him to death, who was the end of the Law, who healed on that day; whom he convinced of the contrary in the example of David, in the shewbread, and their own in taking an ox or an ass out of a pit) and sentest the Capias in thy brother Ducket's behalf on that day, as hath been said, and (to add no more) didst constrain Christopher Woodward to bring upon the foot of a Mortgage payable on that day of the week his money to the Tolzey, whether he was on that day necessitated to bring it, lest thou shouldst take advantage of the forfeiture of the Mortgage, who otherwise wouldst not give him encouragement to accept it, when he spoke with thee thereabouts; and is not this Hypocrisy, and that which is like thee, in all thy actions pretend conscience, and do the contrary, In which we shall farther trace thee ere this relation be over.  
Well, the Court being set, as aforesaid, in the nature of a Piepowder one, thou sentest the Constables and Officers up into the Meeting, who brought down the men first, whom thou didst Maunder at as thou pleasedst, and then demanding of some of them money (for of several thou didst not, and yet sentest them to prison contrary to Law) 10 s. 2 s. 6 d. and of some 6 d. ye 2 d. which they not answering, thou sentest some to Newgate, some to Bridewell. Then the Women were brought down, whom thou servedst after the same manner, many of them not being fined then, nor so much as asked, Whether they would pay any Money, though the Law places Imprisonment in default of payment of the fine, and not otherwise; which practice thou didst use many times after: but have them away, have them away was thy cry; and to Bridewell and to Newgate were many of them also carried, though it is contrary to Law also, to make a man suffer twice for one offence, which thou madest them to do, in committing them for being at a Meeting one day, and the next day fining them (as by and by shall be related) for doing of the same; so making the Law a nose of wax, bowing and bending it as thou pleasest, and yet pretending, as to what thou didst to us, Conscience to the Law.  
About four hours' time thou tookest up in this thy New found way of Justice, sending Men and Women in heaps to both prisons on this account; some Husbands one where, their Wives another; some Servants where their Masters and Mistresses were not, some old, some young, some underage by the Law; some Women with Child, and so big that they knew not of an hour to go, and this to Bridewell; and yet others, who were of age, thou wouldst not account so, but placest them under, having a mind to excuse them, and yet thou pretendest Conscience, and thou sayest. Thou must not be partial, and thou must execute the Law, and thou must keep thy Oath; and though others fail of their duty, yet thou must not. Thus, like the Pharisees, making thy Philacteries broad, but the Exposition of the Law narrow, or none at all, as thou pleasest; yet thou couldst not accomplish thine end, viz. the sending of all away, notwithstanding all this bustle, and the violence of some of thy Officers, particularly John Jones thy Sergeant, who because Thomas Winfield answered not presently his Command to come down, he violently threw him down the stairs, from top to bottom, with such a fall as had like to have spoiled him (the fear whereof seized on many) thus breaking of the peace, above, whilst thou wast below, as seeming to sit and keep it; yet we say thou didst not accomplish thine end to put up all, and so to make clear work; for though thou sentest away of Men & Women to Newgate 24. and to Bridewell about one hundred forty and six, and sattest at it so long, yet thou wast forced to arise and departed as a man quite tired, saying, Thou couldst do no more, and so there was many of whom thou tookest no notice.  
So thou hadst thy Belly full of Prey this day, and as great an opportunity, in this kind, against the Innocent, as thine heart could wish, and with thine hands thou didst the desire of thine heart, till thou couldst do no more, for which the Lord will give thee thy reward, even blood to drink, for thou art worthy; and in the Cup wherein thou hast filled, shalt thou be filled double, as John saw in his Revelations, who prophesied of thy day in the fall of Babylon, who had made he self drunk with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of jesus, Rev. 18.6. In the cup which she hath filled to you, fill to her double, saith he, which shall be thy portion from the hand of the Lord, except thou repent.  
And now the City was full of sorrow, and much trouble affected the sober people therein, who before never saw such a day, nor heard of in Bristol, wherein their quiet, peaceable, sober, innocent, and substantial fellow-Citizens, were thrust in heaps into holes after such a manner for their Conscience. Bridewell being full of them, like the place of a great Fair, five and fifty Women in Bridewell, not having above four or five beds to lie on; about the Bed of which in one Chamber lay about 30 on the form and floor, which by reason of the uncleanness of that house in many places of it (being cast in there in such numbers on a sudden, so that the house could not be cleansed before) was so filled with vermin, that through the going up and down of such multitudes, in every place, who in a manner filled every place was contracted, so that sleep could not rest in the eyes of many who had not been exercised with such hard lodging and troublesome guests; Who were people of Quality (many of them) and Credit, and lived otherwise in the world. And in Newgate, several such, viz. some Merchants, some Shopkeepers, were constrained to lie on straw that night, above Twenty lying in the Circumference of one narrow place (for such a number) called the Traitor's ward, and indeed that prison was so full, what with our friends before and now committed, and what with old and new debtors, and felons, the time of the Asizes and Gaol delivery drawing on, that they were cast thicker in proportion than a man that had regard to his creatures, would put his dogs and swine, as if so be thou intendedst by infection to have dispatched them in that noisome hole which is scarce fit for dogs much lest for men, such men as they were and had been bred and lived, though thou thereby shouldst hazard thy self & the City, it being the hot season of the year, and in that respect the more dangerous, much like to Nero, whom Histories report to have caused Rome to be set on fire in several places whilst he standing on a Tower, with his Musicians made sport thereat.  
Yet this effected not what thou thoughtst to bring to pass, viz. by these things to withdraw the love of the City from us, or to deter them from their visiting of us, for it increased their love; and people by heaps came to visit those of us whom thou hadst cast into prison; some by the sixth hour in the next morning were there to visit them viz. at Bridewell, and by continual intercourse both there and at Newgate, and expressions of their love shown how much their hearts were touched with their sufferings, and let us tell thee, it reached further than any thing of this nature had reached before, and many were pained at the heart, and knew not what to do, such large furrows had these thy cruelties made upon their souls; which shown thee an unwise man in thy Generation thus to Act, raising the fire so much the more, which thou soughtest hereby to quench, and making those the more considerable, and to have a deeper root in the City then ever, whom thou wouldst and endeavourdest to have rooted out; for as was wrote thee aforesaid; they being interwoven in the City as a man's spirit is in his flesh, and his flesh in his body the suffering of them proved as a man's flesh in his body, and his spirit in his flesh; and thou camest to be abhorred hereby, and thy name to be as stink in the City, which as it never before saw such heaps of violence: So it never hated a man more that thus did exercise it, and so whilst ages and generations lasts, this thy work will be thy shame and in the perpetual Monuments of time will brand thy name with ignominy for ever: Thou shalt not avoid it except thou repent.  
Nor was it only in Bristol, that these things thus ran, but in the Country about, and in London, yea throughout England, which whilst it generally stood in a modest sensibility and loathness to such Acts as these, had the leisure to hear the sound of these cruelties and to abhor thee, so that thou becamest the general talk in City and Country, especially at London, and not without the like at Court, which thought thee hadst gone beyond the limit of the discretion of their affairs, and mad man like hadst set all on fire, when as two or three sticks (some of the principle of them) as the Law directs, might have tried how that smoke would have proved, and ' its like thou hadst no thanks from thence for so doing.  
Yet the Lord was with his people who kept them in prison amidst all these sufferings; praising, and glorifying his name as he was with them at the meetings, and in the sense of his presence gave them the seal of his Apobation, that, that their testimony to him was accepable in his sight, and that they bore testimony to him, Whose Names are.  
Newgate Men. Thomas Gouldney, Charles Jones, Miles Dixin, Charles Harvord, Will. Taylor, Rich. Marsh, Will. Tailor of the Castle, George Gough, Rich. Snead, Rich. Belshar, Hen. Dedicote, Jos. Owen, John Cole, Andrew Sole, Erasin Dole, John Hunt, (16.)  
Women. Marry Gouldney, Eliz. Pyet, Magd. Love, Ann Sole, Joyce Dole, Eliz. Moor, Eliz. Gibbons, Joan Hiley. (8) 24 in all.  
Bridewell Men. John Moon, John Batho. Thomas Lewis, Nath. Day, Edw. Bifield, John Neeves, Will. Davis, John Ivear, John Dole, Ben. Maynard, Rich. Gotly, Phil. Cook, Hen. Moor, Rich. Nelson, Hugh Hobhouse, Tob. Dole, Thomas Hilman, John Bedford, Charles Sanders, Jer. Hignell, Rog. Oldstone, Liming Dickason, Will. Noble, Will. Hill, Art. Hyat, john Summer, Rob. Summer, Rowl. Dole; Nath. Allin, Sam. Gibbons, Charles Bowen, Dan. Gibbons, Edw. pain, jam. Slaughter, Rich. Horsman, john Styant, john Saunders, john Cox, Ed. Daniel, Rob. Weale, john Neve, Thomas Whitturne, Will. Wells, Will. Tippet, Will. Peachy, Sim. Cadle, Isa. Partridge, Cananuel Britten, john Price, Lew. Rogers, john Herne, Griff. Bowine, john Martin, Sam. Rogers, Tho. Lofty, Will. Cawson, jarvis Wallis, john Crump, Robert Gerish, james Toghill, Morris Williams, Bern. Lidman, Anistop. Bennet, Rich. Griffen, William Lane, Sim. Potter, john Morgan, john Hart, Will. Maynard, Will. Blackway, john Bennet, Tho. Bowes, Tim. Hardiman, Tho. Bayly, Will. Atkins, Rich. Moor, Tho. Winfield, Bartho. Crocker, Richard Willis, Tho. Stockman, Will. Collins, john Warwick, Tho. Window, Calib Hill, Step. Cormell, Will. Gotby, William Williams, Will. Saweer, john Love, Abra. Cole, Tho. Watkins, (91)  
Women. Marry Prince, Han. jordan, Mary North, Susan Pearson, Mary Nokes, Eliz. Sturridge, Eliz. jaques alias jackson, Gartrude Boyte, Elen Cole, joan Tucker, Ann Chaffin, Ruth Davis, Marg. Thomas, Mary Naylor, Ann Brinckworth, Sara Cattle, Fran. Styant, jone Holister, Dor. Lord, Ann Phillips, jone Lippiat, Eliz. Child, Alice Norden, Bridget Francis, Mary Cole, Elen Maud, Eliz. Maynard, Brightward Geffries, Hest. Reinolds, Bridget Wory, Marry Turner, Mary Hampton, jone Willy, Kath. Davis, Eliz Morgan, jone Williams, Fran. Hobhouse, Han. Pitt, Ann Bateman, Sara Maynard, Mary Neve, Mary Rice, jone jones, Kath. Hughes, Susan Gotby, Mary Willis, joan Weale, Barb. Blackdown, (48)  
More were committed of the women, which made the number 55. whose names the Mittimus had not: who before the mittimus or warrent came, might be at liberty, for it came not till the 18th of the same month; and than it was to keep them Prisoners till the 3d of the 6th month called August following; at which time they were set at liberty, the Warrant being not to suffer any during that time to join with them under the pretence of the exercise of their Religion, under the penalty of the Act. Signed, John Knight, Mayor, John Lock, John Lawford.  
The next day being the 4th of 5th month, thy Sergeant Jones and the Town Clerks man came both to Newgate and to Bridewell, and demanded of them to pay 2 s. 6 d. a piece, who the day before were fined (many of them) 6 d. each, and committed for nonpayment (as many were who were not fined at all, nor asked to pay, as aforesaid) and so were fined twice for one offence, and committed twice, and some committed, and then fined and committed; and this is the manner of thy wild proceed; which said fine, each refusing to pay, were committed, as aforesaid, the Tenor of the Warrant, or rather Mittimus, for this was not like a warrant, though it should have been a warrant, according to the Act, being the same in both places, and coming, as aforesaid, which hath been a usual thing with thee, though without it there is no legal commitment, and an Action lies against the Sheriff for so detaining them; yea some (hereafter to be mentioned) were committed, and confined many day's Prisoners, and no Warrant of Commitment to this day, being contrary to Law; yea, after thou wast out of thy year several days, came a Warrant to Newgate for the last 22 committed thither before the expiration of thy Government; and what if it were signed John Knight Mayor, after thy date was out?  
And this is the trade, and this is the work thou drivest at Bristol, than which, what more arbitrary? and this is thy conscience to the Law, to the execution of the Law, unto which thou pretendest. When thou art spoken to about this cruel persecution; O the Law, sayest thou, my oath, I must execute the Law, I cannot help it, I am sorry for it, for God's sake consider of it, and do not ruin yourselves; which, if it were a truth, it would as well extend to Prisoners under the restraint of the law, or rather thine own, under the pretence of the Law; for Conscience rightly informed, and working as it should, works uprightly to the one as to the other; but these are but shifts of thine, by which thou wouldst make people to believe (such as are so weak so to do, and there are but few of them in this City) as if Conscience sat at the Helm, and steered these proceed, and that nothing but Conscience was the cause of what thou dost unto us, who suffer for our Conscience: Now Conscience is not against Conscience, where indeed it is so; but what Conscience thou hast, is in part already manifest, and shall further be demonstrated ere we have done with this Relation; for which purpose, viz. to make manifest to thee thine own work, and to bring it back again upon thee, it was in part undertaken.  
To give one instance before we go any further, in the Case of Mary Gouldney, whose mother and thine were own sisters, as thou knowest, and how her mother was as a Nurse unto thee; for her Conscience thou committedst her and her husband T. Gouldney, both on the day aforesaid, who have (as thou also knowest) a Shop, and great Trade, as to Grocery, and several children. It so fell out, that a relation of hers, unknown to her, laid down half a crown, which thou hadst fined her, whereupon she was ordered to be set at liberty, with which she not being satisfied, but fearing some underhand work, took the underkeeper with her, and went down to thy house, and understanding there by thee how the fine was paid, and that it stood as her first Conviction; being without her knowledge and consent, for to consent was all one as to pay it, and thereby she should have made her self a Transgressor, and by her own action have spoiled her Testimony; she declared it to thee, and demanded the money to be delivered back again, which being done, thou wast so unconscionable to her, who did what she did in tenderness of Conscience, lest sheshould sin against the Lord, rather than do which, she willingly offered up what she had in this World; that thou deniedst her the liberty to walk sometimes in her own Garden, which was near the Prison, (& there being no outlet to the Prison, which ought to be for the health of the Prisioners) for her Milk sake, who was a Nurse to her little Boy, it being hot Wether when she asked it of Thee; No not for 500 l. thou wouldst not do it, saidst thou to the Keeper's Wife, and to John Saunders his Wife who spoke to thee about it, not for 300 l. when she was with Thee about her husband John Saunders his liberty (who was a Grocer also, and a man of much business, and had many children, though her Father, Alderman Deyes, was thy Mothers own Brother, and bred thee up) nor wouldst thou do any thing for John Saunders, but in the hurt of his Conscience, though being committed by thee, he lay upon straw in Traitor's Ward for his Conscience.  
And this is thy Conscience, and the tenderness of thy heart to thy friends and near Relations for their Conscience, yet a great deal of love thou wouldst needs pretend to thy Cousin Gouldney, as thou hast to many more of Us, but wherein it appears, is yet to appear. Sure We are that she continued a Prisoner till the expiration of the time aforesaid, and her husband also, and John Saunders, as thou dost to us what thou pleasest, whom without a cause thou pursuest: but the day of the Lord is upon Thee, and thy Deceit is made manifest.  
The next first day of the Week being the 10th of 5th Mon. thou didst cause the doors of the Meetinghouse to be kept fast, having had thy belly full of toil the day before; and being willing (its like) to hear how thy other day's action was resented at Court; the Prisons moreover being full, and the City discontented, and the Sessions drawing nigh, so the Meeting was in the street, which received the Taunts of thy Sergeant Jones, (who had newly bought his office, and as the Proverb is, speaking by contraries, would needs be good in it) and Baal aforesaid, who seeing two strangers there that came out of Ireland, took them away to Bridewell, and having taken the Names of whom they pleased, went their Way.  
The Sessious being come, viz. the 12th of the 5th mon. a Bill of Indictment at Common Law was drawn, and exhibited against William Ford, and those 14 with him, that were had from Meeting the 12th of the Month before (as hath been related) and laid in Prison, which the Grand jury finding, they were brought to the Hall in the Afternoon, and there put into the Cub where Murderers and Felons are used to be placed (though W. Ford, and Nath. Milner were thy near Neighbours, and men of dealing, in whom the Poor were much concerned, and of good Reputation) and the Indictment being read to them there, For being at an unlawful Meeting, by force and Arms, etc. They pleaded (except Thomas Atkins, and john john's) Not Guilty. The Witnesses, viz. thy Officers, were examined, who swore. That in the King's Name they made Proclamation for them to departed; When as a Month before, when thou committedst them, they swore that it was in thy Name, for which thou then reprovedst them, saying, It should have been in the Kings; which in a Month's time (it seems) was become so. This the Prisoners observed, and pleaded against the Validity of their testimony, who swore one thing one month, and another thing, as to the same matter, another month, as they did against the falsehood of the matter of their Testimony. This thou undertook'st to justify, and wouldst needs (to show how thou was't still concerned in the Prosecution of our suffering) prove by Consequence; thus, Thou wert the King's Officer, they made Proclamation in thy name, who wast an officer of the Kings; therefore it was in the Name of the King. Fine Logic in Law: But a Bill of Indictment, as to Perjury, before a Righteous Jury (thou not being the Judge, for thou art concerned, and no righteous Judgement can be expected at thy hands) would clip the ears of thy Officeers, and give them other sufferings of fine and Imprisonment; and then how could thy Logic serve them? For, Words of Evidence ought to be plain, and the same; not one day one thing, and another day another thing; and thy Name is not the Kings, and the King's Name is not thine in point of Proclamation, especially unless thou wilt needs be King in Bristol, which, it seems, one of the Judges of the King's Bench saw cause to place upon thee, as aforesaid.  
Take heed John Knight of these things; Ego & Rex meas, I and my King cost Cardinal Poole something; thou must not come too near here; though thy mind aspires too much. Remember the saying of old, viz. Kings and Concubines admit no competitors. Take heed, john Knight, of Tower-hill, the Axe there hath an edge for all save Kings; and once know, that Proclamations as to Law, must be in the Name of the King, not thine john Knight; unless in the Name of the King, so thou mayst stay thy haste, lest thou repent at leisure. These things rendered thy Witnesses in view of the Hall, not fit to testify, having appeared forsworn: But thou didst not think so, that was not to the business thou hadst in hand, viz. Right or Wrong (as it seems) to make them suffer; so false Witnesses may serve, any thing that is like that's called a Witness, that hath a syllable or two like the matter, may serve the turn; the matter is judged already, viz. They shall suffer. The same was in the case of Thomas Speed, etc. as aforesaid.  
So Robert Edward's, Sergeant, swore Positively, that W. Ford was in the meeting, when as he met William Ford in the street, and there took him up; and when W. Ford asked him, In what place he saw him in the Meeting? he hung down his head, and said nothing. The same he also swore as to john Love, whom he saw coming down the stairs of the meeting Room; But all men that are in their wits do know, that the stairs to a place is not the place; and Evidence in point of Testimony, aught to be Positive, both as to Place and Time.  
Yet this was the Entertainment that they met with at thine and the hands of thy Officers. But this is not all; after these thy Witnesses had said what they pleased, thou spakest a few words to the Jury, and then they withdrew forthwith, not having heard the Prisoners, who though they called upon them to stay, and to hear what they had to say for themselves; for, Qui Judicat aliquid, altera parte in audita, haud equum facit Judicium: That is. He that judgeth any thing, the other part being unheard, can hardly give right judgement, as the Maxim is; Yet away they went, as if having heard thee, it was enough; and that the knowledge of thy mind were sufficient, so giving to understand, as if there were a Confederacy between You, to make them to suffer, which one of them intimated to thee in a Letter, hereafter to be mentioned. Whereupon the Prisoners called aloud to thee and the Town-Clerk to cause them to stay; in which, being importunate (as indeed it did concern them) thou and the Town-Clerk called to them to stay, yet they would not return to their place to hear them, but went in; and after they were withdrawn, Gunter (the Foreman of the jury, an Officer formerly in the Militia, and a known inveterate enemy to us, came forth with the Book of Statutes under his Arm, desiring to know of the Town-Clerk, against what Statute it was, when the Indictment was at Common Law. So well prepared was this Foreman and the jury (as men use to say by the contraries) and instructed in the case of the Prisoners, that they departed before they had heard, and would not return to hear what they had to say in their own behalves (as aforesaid, though they did not understand) to which the Town-Clerk replied to this purpose, That it was not against any Statute, but the Common Law.  
Nevertheless, the Lord overruled him and them, having a regard to his Name and People, who were Innocent of any such thing as force and arms, etc. both in heart and hand, in principle and practice, which thou endeavouredst still notwithstanding to fix upon them. We say, the Lord overruled them so, as that they brought in a verdict in Writing (as the Prisoners heard, for they saw not the Jury, nor heard what they delivered, which ought to have been otherwise) to this purpose, Guilty of an unlawful meeting, but not of force and arms, and to the terror of the people. The same, in effect, as had been by all the Juries in their Verdicts, as aforesaid. The Prisoners understanding that a Verdict was delivered, demanded, What it was? The Clerk answered, Guilty of an unlawful assembly. They said, They understood it was also, but not of force and Arms, etc. He answered, It was force and arms by consequence, being found an Unlawful assembly; the same which thou hadst answered in the like case before: for the Clerk is but the servant of the Court. But you are mistaken in the Point, as before in the case of Geo. Bishop, Edw. Pyott, etc. is declared at large. Then thou didst fine them 10 s. a piece, and committedst them to Prison till payment.  
Now the Letter wherein their hard usage was rehearsed to thee, of which something hath been hinted, was as followeth:  
Friend,  
I Am constrained for the clearing of my Conscience towards God and towards Man, to write these few lines unto thee, in regard that on the 12th of this instant, I, with many more of my friends, were called before thee at the Quarter-Sessions, being a full month and more in Prison, for no other cause, but for being at a Meeting to Worship the Lord, who will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth, out of which all the World's Worships are. We being then willing to come to our Trial, expecting that we should have been fairly dealt withal, and we have referred our cause to that of God in our Juries consciences, which we knew right well would have given Virdict according to the righteous Law which ought to be a Perfect guide to all men, but they being incensed by thy many false accusations, and the false evidence given by thy servants, carried them (I mean the Jury) probably to manifest themselves so wickedly, and so unreasonable towards us, For was it ever known that a Jury should refuse to hear the Prisonners, or that a Magistrate should suffer a Jury to deal so wickedly, and unreasonably contrary to Law, since that it was so much desired by myself and others, which had very much to say to them? Was it not like that thou, and they were agreed to ensnare the innocent? Thinkest thou that the Lord will not visit for these things, and that the wicked shall go unpunished? Is this for the Honour of the King, or shall it be laid to his charge? Remember how thy servants when they gave evidence against us, how on their Oaths that they said that they made Proclamation twice in thy Name, and thou reprovest them, and said, they should have done it in the King's Name; Yet when we were brought to our Trial, they on their Oath's said, It was in the King's Name, I declared their deceit to thee, thou end eadeavourest to blind it over by thy consequences declaredst that they being thy Officers, and thou being a Subordinate Magistrate under him, they declaring in thy Name, it was in the King's Name, but these things will not hid thee, neither do I believe that the King will own the evil actions of evil Magistrates; which by such evil consequence might be turned upon him, but the Lord will in his time find you out, and make you, manifest, and plead the cause of the innocent in righteousness, and avenge himself of of his enemies.  
Friend, It is well known that we are a people which are of a good life and conversation in this City, and thou in thy conscience knows that we have not as to the Common Law deserved either bonds or imprisonments, but if for conscience sake we must suffer, it is not more than we can expect from the unrighteous, and the disobedient, for they always did so; and by that character are they known; for saith Christ, They shall hall ye out of the Synagogues, and persecute, and despitefully use you, and speak all manner of evil against you, for my Names sake; and he that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution: Did ever the righteous persecute, search the Scriptures, and be not deceived; Was it not he that was born after the flesh, that persecuted him that was born after the spirit? And was not he that was born after the flesh an envier and a murderer, a scoffer, and a scorner, and a persecutor? And is it not so now, and was not he that was born after the spirit Meek and Gentle, and of a Lowly heart, being persecuted, suffered it, resisting not evil, but doing good for evil; Search thyself and try which of these states are thine, for assuredly the day will come when thou shalt not hid thyself in pretenching only that thou art sworn to keep the King's Laws, and to put them in executions; But what Laws is it that thou puttest in execution? How doth wickedness abound in this City, even almost all manner of profaneness? How doth Oaths sound in the streets? How do Drunkards reile from Alehouse to Tavern, and Alehouses, and Taverns, and Kettle Allies swarm with profane Persons; Take heed that thou art not found to turn the edge of the sword, which is for the wicked, and for the transgressor against the righteous, and so bring innocent blood on thine own head, for thou mayst remember that when thou wast speaking of the Law, thou saidst it was grounded upon the Scripture; then consider our indictment was not proved against us, for it was false, we having no force of Arms, neither was we a terror to any people, and as for our meetings we know rightwel it is according to the will of God, and agreeable to the Scriptures, & it was the practice of the S 'tis. of old, who met often together in private houses, and in the fields, and on the mountains in season, and out of season for the edifying of the body, not having any regard to the worshipping in Temples and Synagogues, which Christ prophesied against: But one thing more concerning our Trial, Is it not according to the Law, that the jury should have given their Verdict in open Court in our hearing, and so have been Recorded, but it we never heard, neither did they all appear in open Court when the Virdict was given, which was done so privately, I call it privately, because we Prisoners heard it not, but when we demanded what Virdict was brought in, one of your Clerks said, We were brout in guilty without any limit, but we are informed otherwise, and that it was written in a piece of paper, so thou mayst see how unrighteously thou hast dealt with us, in casting us into prison: and so I shall leave these things to the rightoous judge of all the earth, which will Judge righteously between us, and thee, Thus have I cleared my conscience, who am a lover of thine immortal Soul, and desireth the salvation of it.  
William Ford,  
Thus ended the Sessions so far as it related to the Prisoners afairs aforesaid, now the Fair drew on, as to which both those in prison, & those out were much concerned, what as to themselves, & what as to those who were dealers with them, besides many accounts fell then to be made up, whilst those strangers were here who had dealing with them, especially being upon the foot of a Law, for Banishment, and many thought who were not of us, that these things would have had some influence on thee, to have pretermitted the edge of thy Prosecutions on us, at least till the Fair was over, it being a matter of great cruelty that We should be thus put upon it, in one juncture to hazard so much of our business, or our conscience.  
And although thou hadst no reflection of tenderness, as to us, thy Neighbours in this particular, to do as thou wouldst be done unto, yet some thought both of thy Relations, and others concerned in the Fair, that were not called by our Name, that thou wouldst have had some regard to them, and the City, seeing we were concerned with so many people that were not of as well as with those who were of us, it being thy Place to indulge the Fair by all means thou couldst, but thou turnest the deaf ear to all, and wouldst not here, no not so much as to intermit one days furious onset upon us, but as if the Prisons were not full enough already, or that the weather was not hot, or that there was no danger of infection, thou drovest on without consideration like the Ostrich in the wilderness that layeth her egg in the sand, and considereth not that the horse heel may crush it, and when she lifts herself up regardeth not the cry of the driver, and on the 17th of 5th Month, being the first day of the week without any of the Aldermen with thee at first, (Alderman Sandy for whom thou didst send, coming after) thou camest down to the meeting with the Sheriffs, and an Oyes being made in the meeting Room, thou there behavedest thy self as heretofore, and didst commit to Newgate.  
Men. Dennis Hollister, John speed, Daniel Wastfield, Edw. Martingdale, William Yeamans, John Withers, William Rogers, Gobert Sykes, John Sanders, Nine in all, whereof four were Merchants, two Grocers, two Soap-boilers, one Salter, most of them considerable men, both as for estate and dealing: Will. Yeamans son and heir of Robert Yeamans, who had been Sheriff of the City, and was executed at his wife's Father's door in the beginning of the late war for the King, john Speed and Dan. Wastfield sons in Law to the said Robert Yeamans, who married two of his daughters, but none of these things could prevail with thee, though thou wast not ignorant of them, and yet thou pretendest to be a friend of the Kings, who then the sea Monsters waste worse, of which jeremy complains, for they draws out the breast, and give suck to their young ones, but thou becamest cruel like the Ostrich in the wilderness. Lam. 43. And to Bridewell thou didst commit.  
Men. Tho. North, (a Master of a ship, and on a Voyage to Sea) Tho. Baker, Thomas Terret, Dan. Neal, John Mills, John Barns, Samuel Comb, W. Price, Rob. Gibbons, James Barker, W. Wilcox, George White, Andrew Vivers, John Hardiman, John Rogers, W. Tovy, John Naylor, John Smith, John Hale, John Clark, W. Shatford, Theophilus Newton, Sam. Cottrel, Richard Lindey, Simon Cox; Morgan Lamb. (26)  
Women. Jane Batho, and Alexandra Harcourt. twenty eight in all, making up the number with those at Newgate 37. and the number of those before committed, two hundred thirty and four, that is to say, at Newgate 60. and at Bridewell 174.  
On that day also Sarah Wilkinson was brought to Bridewell, for being with Priest Horn at James Steeple house, and John Simons, the day before for words, pretended to be against your Worship, though hardly so to be strained, making up the number, as aforesaid.  
The Sessions being upon the morrow, viz. the 18th of 5th Month 1664. (for thou heldst them in Adjournment the greatest part of the Quarter to serve thy Pleasure) thou didst send for D. Hollister, John Speed, Dan. Wastfield, and Edw. Martingdale, and there didst sentence D. Hollister in 4 l. fine, the rest in 2 s. 6. d. a piece, which they not answering, thou condemnedst Hollister to ten week's Imprisonment, (a day beyond the Date of thy Government) and the rest at a Month, and then remaundedst them to Newgate; the rest at Newgate and Bridewell, committed the day before, were sentenced in 2 s. 6 d. apiece, and a Month's imprisonment, in default of payment; which they not answering, viz. the Fines, were continued till the expiration of the date aforesaid. Sighed John Knight Mayor, John Lock, Walter Sandy.  
Indeed Dennis Hollister had something to do with Thee at the Sessions, for thou rambledst about there much according to thine old wont, talking what thou pleasedst thy self, a … charging up and down at what rate thou wouldst, and 〈◊〉 wouldst not let him speak in his own justification, wit … much interruption; calling him Rebel, and the Meeting a company of Rebels, with a deal of other stuff not worth the Relation. So that he was constrained to tell thee, That thou wast an Unrighteous Judge, who wouldst not hear as well as speak, who wouldst charge a Man, and not give him leave to answer for himself; and he alleged that he was not satisfied with his commitment, seeing that thou hadst neither then nor before, made it to appear that the Meeting was under pretence of Religion, or that he met so, which, that it was, thou hadst caused to be set down in the Record, though the Witness did not so swear, and yet wouldst not hear, but didst cause thy Record to be read, where it was set down as aforesaid, viz. that he was there under the pretence of Religion, with which he charged thee, and with the falseness of thy Record; whereupon William Kemp the Sergeant which was the witness, was called again, and he affirmed, upon thy demand, that he could only say, that he saw D. H. at the meeting, and that he saw him there, but knew not under what pretence it was; and that he heard him to speak to thee, viz. that he was there in the fear of God, and not in contempt. Whereupon D. H. told thee of thy unrighteousness, in sobriety, and in moderation, and how thou sawest that the Witness could not swear that he was there under colour and pretence of Religion, and yet thou hadst recorded it as sworn, and how he did absolutely deny that he was there under any pretence, and colour whatsoever, but in the fear of the Lord; and he demanded of thee to make it to appear that he had so broken the Law, which thou hadst inserted in the Record without proof, and so was but thy saying so, who saidst what thou wouldst, and didst what thou pleasedst; yet thou wouldst not hear, but told him that he was fined 4 l. as aforesaid, or he must lie in Prison 10 weeks, as aforesaid; which he refusing to pay, for he told thee, he would not pay Thee four farthings, thou sentest him with the rest to Prison. And this is another Demonstration of thy Unrighteous, and Unjust Proceed, in seeking right or wrong, to make us to suffer, and is a proof of the falsehood of that thy Record, which (it seems) though false; and thus Wrong must stand in force against them, but these thy do make thee manifest, and thou shalt have rendered unto thee from the Righteous God according to thy deeds.  
Indeed, thou wouldst needs have forced what he said to thee the day before, to have been spoken by him in Contempt. viz. That he, hearing that thou hadst made a strict enquiry after him in particular the last time thou wast there, he had hasted to order his business in the Country, and to get home his wife and family, and that he was come there freely to give up himself into thy hands, and to manifest that he neither feared thy Prisons, nor thy Banishment, for he said, he was not ashamed to suffer affliction with the people of God: which he spoke upon thy saying to him, that thou didst wonder that he was so unwise a man as to be found in so unlawful an Assembly, whenas thou soughtst him there, and understanding that he was there by thy officer, camest down to the Meeting, and behind his back upbraidedst his being absent. So it seems with thee he was one thing absent, and another present, as to the same thing; but it appeared that thou thirstedst to have him, and being absent, thou reproachedst him, and being present, thou termedst him a man unwise, who was there in obedience to the Lord, to bear testimony to his Name: So what will please thee? But no man right in his wits can construe this matter of Contempt, but rather as a Determined Resolution to abide what thou couldst do unto him for his testimony to the Truth.  
So this Sessions passed over also, receiving another Adjournment, for so thou keptst the Sessions still on foot; loving to domineer it there, and thither to drag after thee thy fellow Citizens, to talk, and do to them as thou didst please, where thou wast sure to keep them from answering thee, but as thou pleasedst.  
By this time the Prisoners were become very straight, what through Debtors, the fair drawing on, what through Felons and Trespassers, the Oyer and Terminer and Goal delivery being near, what through the multitude of Us Prisoners, and the heat of the Season; whereupon lest any infection should be, or other inconvenience to the health, or life of the Prisoners, and so to the Sheriffs, and the City, some then being not well, who had long lain on straw, though of tender education, a Letter was wrote to Sheriff Streamer, by one of the Prisoners, for him to communicate to his brother Sheriff Bradway also, signifying these things, and warning them of the inconveniencies, and desiring an Enlargement of the Prison, as of Right it ought to be, and according to Law, the Power of the Goal being in them, which they could enlarge and remove as they would; which had the same resentment from them, who declared themselves content, and orders they gave to the Gaoler to enlarge the Prison, and Sheriff Bradway ordered D. Hollister (who was an insirm man of Body) to have a lodging near the Prison, which thou wast so offended at, though thou wast not Sheriff, (and so thou meddlest in other men's matters) that for quietness sake, and that the Sheriff might not be too much taunted at by thee, (for thou threatnedst much, though without Power) D. H. thought it convenient to return, and so went to old Newgate again. Thou hopedst indeed to have taken the Gaoler upon the Hip, for letting him at large, because he was seen standing at the door of his Prison; and without Court, Evidence, or Jury, didst demand 10 l. of him presently, as a fine upon the New Act; but thou wast mistaken, as aforesaid, for it was his Prison; as thou wast also in thy manner of Proceeding, who didst use the Jailor at thy pleasure, though (as hath been said) thou wast not Sheriff, and hadst nothing to do with the Prison, further than Commitment according to Law, and the Jailor was to observe the Orders of his Masters. So a great stir there was, which was most unreasonable in thee, not only for the Reason's aforesaid, but because thou hadst before by thy Sergeant John Jones, upon the first great commitment on this Act, sent Orders to the Jailor of Newgate, and the Keeper of Bridewell also, to enlarge the Prisons, into places near, which thou didst upon his informing thee upon his own View, and at the desire of some of the Prisoners, how they were thronged together, and yet now didst find salt with what was done in pursuance of thine Own, as well as the Sheriff's order.  
But all these things do manifest thy insatiable rage against us, who wouldst not willingly have us breath in the Earth; and though Humanity sometimes did touch thee, through the unreasonableness of their sufferings, and the outcry of the City, and so wouldst order something, as aforesaid, yet by and by, when that insatiable, persecuting spirit was up in thee again, thou wouldst do the contrary, even contrary to Humanity, not considering that thou also wast a Man, and subject to the same infirmities as they, and wouldst not have the things thou didst to them done unto thee; yea, so inhuman thou wast, that a ruffling fellow (in appearance) being a stranger, and passing by the Prison, with his horse, seeing Company at the door of the Prison, and enquiring the matter concerning the thing, and understanding of Our imprisonment, said, in a great detestation of thee, to wit, Was this Man born of a Woman? Which question he might very well ask, having understood how contrary to a Man thou hadst acted.  
The same stir thou keptst, lest any of the Prisoners at the time of the fair, should have any connivance to be a little at home to order their business, (being very great with divers of them) and to make up their Accounts with those with whom they dealt; and thou wouldst not yield that thy Cousin T. Gouldney (who had great occasions) should with a Keeper be a day or two at his house, and J. Speed could not be permitted one hour to be at home, to finish an Account with an Exeter Merchant, who, it seems, for that purpose made the desire; and thou didst hope by all this to have bowed them unto thy will, through the necessity of their affairs; for many friends were hard put to it, having, several of them, themselves and servants in prison, and the fair being the time of their harvest, as it were, for most of the year following; but the Lord was with them, though thou waste so cruel and unmerciful, and kept them in this great Trial, wherein they were proved; and seeing they had done what appertained, and what in a good Conscience they could do to their families, submitted to the Will of the Lord, and were content, that he, through their sufferings, might be glorified; for which the Lord will be their Reward, they having chosen rather to suffer their Estates and Liberties to be forced, than to force their Conscience.  
Now on the 24th of 5th Month, the day before the Fair, and the first day of the Week, thou waste otherwise employed than to be at the Meeting; for thy going to James Steeplehouse, which was in the Fair, with thy train, hindered thy coming thither, lest thy Pomp should be lessened by thy attending upon us; so the Meeting had some rest from the trouble of thee and thy Officers that day, though the strangers were not altogether free at thy Worship, whom to put in those that followed thee, thou thyself (as was said) with thy own hands, coming out of thy Pew, most unlike a Mayor, but some such work thou must needs be at, as with us, pulledst out, forgetting (it seems) where thou waste.  
The first day of the week following, viz. the 31 of the 5th month, was much like this, the Officers came and took some Names, but went their ways without making any other disturbance, at least such as they were wont to make in that place. For indeed, till the third day of the next month was over, the expiration of the date of thy first Commitments, thou knewest not well where to put them, the Prisons there being full, would then have some ease, who on that day were set at liberty; those in Bridewell being a Considerable number, going in a Body to the Tolzey together, and then to their several habitations as they were free.  
So the Prisons being somewhat eased, the next first day thou camest unto thine old work again, being the 7th of the 6th month, and with such a greedy appetite as a Wolf long witheld from his wont prey, thou fellest upon the Meeting, and there having set up thy wont Court, and caused an O Yes to be made, Ald. Creswick being with thee, thou didst send to the Prisons these that follow:  
Newgate Men. Nath. Day, William Davis, W. Taylor, W. Lane, Rich. Snead, W. Pope, Christ. Bennet, John Brook, Jos. Kippin, Joh. dowel, Robert Nokes, Benjamin Maynard, George Gough. (13.)  
Women. Marry Gouldney, Han. Jordan, Joan Hiley, Isabel Yeamans, Eliz. Rogers, Mary Smith, Martha Smith, Mary Corbet, Bathsheba Speed, Grace Withers, Ann Day, Sarah Bennet, Lydia Tovy, Joan Dixin, Mary Belshar, Eliz. Maynard, Eliz. Moor, Ann Sole, (18.)  
Bridewell Men. Dan. Gibbons, Charles Marshal, W. Davis, Jam. Neves, Phil. Cook, Sam. Godfrey, Charles Bowen, Jam. Dimond, Joh. Martin, Edw. Bifield, Rog. Oldstone, Griffith Lascomb, W. canning's, Rob. Weale, John Styant, John Herne, Ralph Cock, Sam. Gibbons, Nat. Allin, Barth. Crocker, Thomas Bayly, Rich. Willis, Edw. Daniel, John Seward, Griffith Browne, Thomas Saunders, Will. Sawser, Jam. Toghill, Leming Dickason, Phil. Peak, Joh. Warwick, John Crump, Will. Hill. Will. Tovy, Caleb Hill, Wil Atkins, Jam. Wallis, Joh. Price, Ambrose Scot, Peter Hadeing, Char. Saunders, Will. Wells, John Neves, Will. Britton, Edw. Pain, Tho. Wickdow, Lewis Rogers, John Martin, Sim. Cadle, John Packer, Will. Cawson, John Jennet, Nich. Horseman, W. Peachy, Rob. Gerish, Tho. Hilman, W. Pludwell, Tim. Harding, Tho. Bourne, Joh. Wear, Joh. Bennet, Joh. Dale, Cananuel Britton, Bern. Lidman, Sam. Plumnely, Tho. Lofty, Joh. Knut, Joh. Cox, Edw. Bennet, Jam. Slaughter, Thomas Stockman, John Summer, Will. Gotby, Hugh Hobhouse, Richard Gotlies'. (75.)  
Women. Sarah Peak, Sar. Snead, Joan Day, Eliz. Driver, Sar. Maynard, Mary Lindey, Sus. Pearson, Blanch Bough, Elinor Lewis, Ann Long, Sus. York, Elin. Cole, Ann Hawkes, Martha Chock, Joan Crew, Bridg. Wory, Joan Tomlinson, Rebecca Howell, Han. Balle, Merlin Jones, Eliz. Stevens, Joan Britton, Joan Farmer, Mary Jones, Dorcas Gibbons, Joan Hill, Ann Davis, Ann Phillips, Edith Byfield, Sus. Styant, Frances Styant, Ann Watkins, Ann Britton, Eliz. Price, Kath. Wakeliffe, Elizab. Matthews, Emme Simons, Joyce Warren, Joan Younger, Jane Weale, Sarah Davis, Ann Hill, Eliz. Eagles. Marry Evans, Mary Neves, Ann King, Margery lovel, Mary Naylor, Eliz. Turford; Marry Leveret; Rebecca Jennings; Grace Eton; An. Samson Elin. Maud; Sus. Gotby; Kath. Hughes; Ann Price; Marry Harvord; Eliz. ariel; Sarah Morris; Marry Rice; Alice Kill; Marry Cole; Marry Cockman; Marry Lovel; Marry Knight; Ann Mayes; Marry Brock; Margr. Thomas junior; Marry Chambers; Marry Toghill; Joan Williams Mary Hampton; Elizab. Wilkinson; Gartrude Boiste Ann Bateman; Eliz. Martin; Eliz. Walker; Elinor Traverse Eliz. Holder; Alice Slaughter; Marg. Thomas signior; Ann Chaffin; Marry Perry; Joan West. (88)  
The whole number of this day's commitment to Bridewell, of Men and Women being One hundred sixty and three, and to Newgate Thirty and one. One Hundred, Ninety and four in all.  
And many of these were Wives, and Servants, and Masters, and Husbands, and Children; the husbands of some in one place, and the wives in another; for thou willingly wouldst not suffer any to pass, so greedy waist thou; and amongst the rest were three Women whose Husbands were distracted, and had been so for a long season; and several of these were poor, whose Families depended upon their liberty for their maintenance; yet one and the other, old and young, master and servant, children and parents, husband and wife, in poverty or abundance, all must go; to no sort, or sex, or age, or condition hadst thou regard; but of thy devouring spirit of rage and envy all must partake, and be lodged in these prisons, however they come out, dead or alive, all was one to thee. Nay if so be they, yea all the generation of us who fear the Lord, might have been so disposed of, as that they never more might have seen the Sun, or been heard of, it had pleased thee well, unto whom the Innocent are a burden, and thou wouldst be rid of it; but upon thee must their sufferings rest, till time is no more; and Eternity be the everlasting portion of thy torment, if thou dost not Repent: For certainly they are the people of the Lord, and he brought them thither, and it is Jesus in them that thou persecutest; who kept them in their meetings, as he brought them thither, though thou saw'st him not; who is with them in the Prisons, and in all their afflictions is afflicted with them; who will raise them up over all your heads, to reign for ever and ever.  
Now at this meeting thou carriedst thy self after thy wont manner of Rage and Envy; and thou broughtest thither with thee Alderman Lock, and Alderman Creswick, who made up thy Court; the Sheriffs were present also; and even to the Widow yeoman's (that Ancient, Grave Matron aforesaid) whose age rather bespoke a Coffin then a Banishment) thou took'st as thou couldst meet, and wouldst have sent her to Newgate also with this crowd of Prisoners, had it not been for Alderman Creswick (who its like had little rest that night for that day's service) who caused it to be otherwise. Yet thou didst commit her, though thou released her presently; and made that her being with the people of the Lord at meeting, to wait upon him, a step to her banishment; her Grey hairs being thus honoured of the Lord, to live to that day to bear a Testimony for him in the face of thy fury, and of Banishment, who is scarce able in body to reach to the place of Meeting.  
And here we must bring in the sad Reckoning of Lidiah Tovy, Wife of Rich. Tovy, Brewer, Alice the Wife of W. Peachy, and Mary Knight servant to Nath. Milner, Prisoners aforesaid, whose lives (and the Infant of one of them) this day's work of thine took away from the Earth; whose blood cries cries for vengeance against thee, and will lie upon thy head for ever, except thou Repent.  
Lydia Tovy was very big with child, a little Woman and Young; the only daughter living of her Mother, who was a Widow; and except one son all the children she had alive. Thou saw'st in what condition she was, when in the meeting, as to her being with child; thou knewest her to be thy Neighbour, thou didst nevertheless commit her; yet thou wouldst scene somewhat tender, and said should be but till the morrow; though that was a step in order to Banishment, which she was the nearer to, by how much her imprisonment was short.  
So to prison she was brought, and the very noisome sent of the old Goal at the door as she was brought to come in, struck in upon her. In the Prison she abode till the 7th day of that week, notwithstanding that thou saidst before a multitude of witnesses, that it should be but till the morrow: There she aylded, wanting breathing and room; which she usually in that condition needed much. Her illness grew on, and Symptoms of a Miscarriage, though so big and near her time was on her. Her Husband's Brother (Thomas Tovy, who lives on the Bridge, and is one of the Council) went to thee on the 5th day of the week, and her tender mother on the 7th day, giving thee to understand how it was with her; for by this time her danger was so manifest, that she bled upwards; thou wouldst not hear, but bade her come to thee on Monday. That 7th day at night the Keeper of Newgate being with thee, about the liberty of some of the Prisoners, of whose having been at Bridewell thou hadst heard, and therefore sentest for him thereabouts, he informing thee of her condition and danger, thou began'st to be sensible, not for her sake (as we may judge) but thy own, and the outcry that would be made against thee if she died. So thou didst hast him to set her at liberty, saying, Turn her out, turn her out; so she came, and that night sent her home. Well, Monday, of which thou spakest to her sorrowful mother, came, but she was laid in her bed a most sad spectacle, continuing very ill, and neither hearing nor seeing; her infant came dead from her that night, and the next morning, being the third day of the week, she yielded up the Ghost, laying down her life at the foot of thy cruelty, who with her tender babe were laid in the earth together, never to return thence more for thee to Banish, though after her death thy Warrant came to detain her in prison till the 6th of the 7th month following the date of her commitment, with the rest of them that thou than committedst with her; whose blood shall never departed from Thee and thy house for ever, if thou dost not Repent.  
Alice the Wife of W. Peachy was a Young Woman also, very big with child, which was her first; she was at the meeting when thou and thy Officers were there. One of thy Officers hall'd her rudely towards thee, bidding her come along, another was behind putting her forwards, which being beyond what she was able to do, being very big as aforesaid, it hurt her, and in her face it was discovered presently; and was so in the observation of some friends present, who were about to call on thy Officers for haling her after that manner. So she went home ill, and was delivered the next day, and never was well afterwards, but continued ill till the 14th day of the 6th Month, on which day she died, her Husband being then prisoner in Bridewell, committed with the rest the day aforesaid.  
Marry Knight was also committed on the same day to Bridewell, and the next day being very ill, was had to her master's house by thy sufferance, where she died about twelve days after of a violent , her body being brought to Bridewell from thence to be buried, because she was a prisoner, there bled afresh at the Nose for about an hour together (the certain observation of the invisible judgement that that place was the cave of her death.) Yet thou wast not satisfied that thou hadst her life, but her body being brought to Bridewell to be buried there, as aforesaid; and the woman of the house desiring thee to give leave to some of the prisoners to carry her to burial, thou wast very much offended at its being brought thither, and with the woman for that purpo e, pose, and despite said, that if they wanted Bearers, the Beadles should do it.  
Thus was the Blood of the innocent shed, and of three, and an infant as the issue of one of thy day's work; yet wast not thou glutted therewith; but although that thou hadst committed these as aforesaid, and laid up in the prison's heaps upon heaps, though the prison was so unwholesome, so unsavoury, though there was such danger of infection; yet thou thoughtst the Prisoners were not straitened enough, but ever and anon thou hadst the Jailor by the ears, rating him as thou pleasedst, and threatening him what should be done with him at the Sessions, and that all that he had was forfeit to the King, if he were worth thousands, so that the man was in a great strait, how to walk between the pleasing of thee, who thirsted after their destruction; and the health of the Prison and the prisoners, unto whom the Sheriffs had such regard, as to order additional lodgings, as aforesaid, and were willing upon a sober letter of one of the prisoners, that they should have, a little breath, which was all they asked whilst they were amongst you, which is the thing you would have yourselves, and to have granted them the garden of T Gouldney aforesaid, to walk in, being so near the prison, and the prison of Newgate having no outlet, though the King's Bench, the Fleet, and other considerable Jails in England have, that so heaps upon heaps, men might not be smothered to death, and prisons be made places of execution, and holes of murder, but thou wouldst not consent thereunto, but as if by all that thou couldst do, thou soughtest their ruin; or to bow their conscience to thee, which was worse; thou didst as aforesaid, Haman like, but Mordecai. (the true Jew in the Spirit) cannot bow to thee, though thou seekest therefore to cut of the whole Race of the Jews, as aforesaid, which as it did to Haman, will prove thine own portion (if thou dost not repent) in the day of the Lord, who will render to thee according to thy deeds.  
Indeed Mary Gouldney told thee in the meeting, that thou shouldst have provided wholson prisons for them, before thou hadst committed them, seeing thou knewest it was in thy mind to commit them, and not to throw them up in heaps into Prisons, so full as were these; which was good counsel, if thou couldst have harkened thereto, and then the Blood of the innocent might not so have come upon thee, but as the swine thou wast when she spoke these things, and said to thee moreover, that the bread thou brakest, would be broken to thee again; and as thou hadst shown no mercy, so mercy would not be shown to thee, to which purpose Joan Hiley also spoke then unto thee; We say like to the swine thou wast, thou turnedst, and rend them, and on joan Hiley laidst violent hands thyself, for which she reproved thee there; and Baal (that bloody 
* He boasted how many of us he could dispatch in a day. He said, if he we e is the Major, he would make our guts hang about our beds as our hats about o●r he●ds. That those that feared the Lord would burn us alive, hanging was too good for us (when one spoke to him to fear the Lord) that the hoped to see us burnt at a st●ke with fire and faggot, that if we were in France and Spain, we should see what they would do to us; that he could b●yle our limbs, and scum them; who professes himself to be a Roman Catholic, and hath acknowledged that he worship's Images. This is our executioner, and this bloody villain is made our Judge.  Hangman of thine) did the same on Mary Gouldney, whom he had like to have thrown down the stairs; whom for so doing, though in thy view, thou didst not reprove.  
Well, these heaps upon heaps thus thrown together (as hath been yet satisfied thee not; but more thou must have, as Hell, and the grave, which are never satified, and therefore the next first day of the week, viz. 14th. of 6th. month to work thou goest again, making it another day of muster, for so were those days made from time, to time, till thy date was out, and so company after companies thou sentest on those days, to thy Jails to fill up thy measure, and having brought Alderman Sandy with thee (poor man, sorely against his heart, for he loved not these things, though he knew not how to avoid thy impetuous commands, who makes representations of all that please thee not) thou erectedst thy Court in the Meeting room there again, and sentest to Newgate.  
Men. Thomas Speed, Thomas Gouldney, Tho. Callowhill, John Heart, Hen. Comely, and Rowland Dole. (6)  
Women. Eliz. Pyol, Magdalen Love, Mary Dedicot, Joice Dole, Jane Tucker, Deborah Watkins. (6) 12. in all. And to Bridewell.  
Men. Charles Harvo●d, Abraham Cole, John Batho, Sam. Rogers, Christ. Newman, Charles Horsington, Jeremy H●gnel, Morris Williams, W. Collins, W. Blackway, john Northal. (11)  
Women. Dorcas Lloyd, Alexandra Perkins, Mary Willis, Dorcas Hewlet, Mary Browchil, Alice Moor, Brightweed jeffries, Mary Leech, Mary Hunt, Eliz. Hogford, Anne Brinkworth, Eliz. Chamberlein, Anne Mogs, (14)  
25, in all; this muster Roll of this day being thirty and seven, who were committed by thee till the 6th of the 7th month following, though those imprisoned by thee, the day before were to the 19th.  
Now at this thy high Court, thou wast up with thy old trade again, and to sirrahing of T. Speed thou goest again; forgetting thyself what thou wast, & what thou must be, and Tom was up again, so that sober people judged thee little better than a Man distracted; and why all this? Because he coolly spoke to thee to convince him first that he had transgressed the Law, before thou sent'st him to prison, as a transgressor of the Law. So then a Rebel he must be, and thou called'st him so, but he told thee, That thou wast a rebel against the God of heaven, and shouldst have thy reward. At which words of soberness and truth, thou wast so incensed, that had not a Sergeant (perceiving what thou wouldst likely have done) put him down the stairs, thou seemest as if thou wouldst have thrown him down thyself; and with thy cousin Gouldney thou keptst great ado, much after thy old wont.  
So the Prisons became full, but thy belly was not. Too much liberty yet thou thoughtst some of these prisoners to have, thy millstones ground not close enough together, Edw. Pyot, Geo. Bishop (who were now bringing about the year of their imprisonment) Thomas Speed, and T. Gouldney bore up yet; these to the old prison must go, though crammed as aforesaid, and no nay there must be for it; and Sheriff Str●a … must give orders, though George Bishop was his brother in Law, Thomas Speed his uncle, and Th. Gouldney one with whom he dealt, and thy cousin as aforesaid: Away they must go to the old execution house, and there that must try what that could do to them, and Roach must have orders so to do, and his orders he signifies. The prisoners thought it convenient so far to be unconcerned in their own suffering, whatsoever might happen, to signify to Sheriff Streamer in what condition the prison was; and how there was no place fitting for them into which he had ordered them to be cast, and therefore Geor Bishop wrote a Letter to him, and desired him to come down himself, and to let his own eyes satisfy him, as to the view of the prison, who the day following towards the evening (this being the second day of the week, and the 15. of the 6. month) coming down, and viewing it himself, with the Sword-bearer, saw such an inhabitation of stench and company, that he continued things as they were, and moreover granted liberty to all women with child to make their houses their prisons, and all that were sick; Lidiah Lovy being that morning passed to her long home upon the foot of what thou hadst formerly done as aforesaid, with which order of his thou declarest thyself content; and so ended this great contest with some addition of Liberty to the prisoners, as aforesaid, through the Blood of their friend.  
Thus Blood touched Blood, yet thou couldst not give over, but on the 21st of 6th month, sentest thy Officers to the Meetine, who warned them to departed, and took names, and two to Prison, viz. Bartholomew Crocker, and Cananuel Britton, who gave not their Names, knowing themselves to be on the Third Conviction, if so be thou wouldst so take it, which the next day thou didst, and committedst them to Newgate, and on the 28th camest on with a fresh career, and having sent thy Officer before to make fast the door on them that were in the Meeting-room, somewhat early; thou camest thy self down, with Ald. Lock, and the Sheriffs, about the second hour in the afternoon, and seeing some friends in meeting at the door of the house, in the street, (for coming after the door was fast, they could not get in) the form of thy Visage was changed, and thou grew'st very wroth, and hastedst to them in thy fury, so that thou wast observed to outgo some of thy Officers; and coming near the Place, and seeing Mary Prince there, thou saidst, Where is Mrs. Prince? What do you do here? Unto which she answering, That they were there to wait upon the Lord, Thou criedst, have her away to Newgate (not suffering her to go to Bridewell, though she desired it, her Son in Law being there, and her daughter likely to be sent thither, being above in the meeting-room, and she desiring to be with her children) and this thou didst without ask her to pay any thing, or fining her, which is contrary to Law, as aforesaid; and having sent some more thither also, whose Names are hereafter mentioned, thou wentest up in the meeting-room, and there didst commit whom thou pleasedst, and hadst an especial eye upon; and then orderedst the rest to be suffered to departed; but Hannah Marshal (Daughter to Mary Prince, as aforesaid) continuing till last, for she could not go away at thy command, as she came not there at thy Order, thou causedst her to be brought before thee (who hadst set up thy Court in the Meeting-room, as aforetime) and demandedst of her, whether she would pay 2 s. 6 d. to which she answering, that she had something to speak to thee first, before she should give thee any reply to that; Thou didst bid her say on, and she thereupon speaking to this effect;— John Knight, The day will come wherein thou wilt have cause to wish that a millstone were tied about thy neck, and thou cast into the midst of the sea, for persecuting the people of the Lord— Thou saidst, Here is a bold Huswife indeed, have her away; and Alderman Lock with his own hands, was like to have thrown her down the stairs; so thou orderedst her to Newgate, without taking her answer, whether she would pay her sine, which thou gavest her time to do, after she had spoken, as aforesaid; but she ask thee, Whether thou wouldst be worse than an Infidel, to part man and wife? her Husband being at Bridewell, thou sentest her thither. So the Widow and the Fatherless were the first and the last of this day's execution, the Mother and the Daughter, whom the Lord thus honoured to suffer for his Name, with the rest of his servants at that time, whose Names are,  
Newgate Men. John Withers, Charles Jones, Andrew Vivers, William Peacher, Richard Willis, Thomas Window, Tho. Lofty. (7)  
Women. Marry Prince, Alice Tovy.  
Bridewell Men. John Hardiman, W. Shalford, Tho. Baker, Geo. White, David Simons, W. Maynard, John Mills, Sam. Cottrel, Ralph Cock, Richard Lindey. (10)  
Women. Hannah Marshal, Hest. Rennolds, Joan Dapwel, Susanna Pearson the younger,, Eliz. Turford. (5) 15 in all.  
Those at Bridewell thou committedst to the 28th of 7th month, but those at Newgate had no Warrant of Commitment, nor have to this day, yet were there detained till the day after the Recorders departure; wherein they, and several that were there on the third Conviction, with John Simons and Sarah Wilkinson, (hereafter to be mentioned) were ordered to be set at Liberty. And as for those at Bridewell, they had gone without one also, had they not refused to departed from the Tolzey the next day when thou hadst them before Thee.  
The Prisons now being very full, and the Goal delivery near, thy Sergeant Jones, and some other Officers came, and took the Names of whom they pleased, and then halled the Men out of the Meeting room, but the Women they let alone. This was on the 4th of 7th month, being the first day of the Week.  
But the Prisons being somewhat eased again, by the Liberty of those that were committed till the 6th of 7th month, thou camest on afresh, and it being the first day of the Week before the Goal delivery, thou madest ready for it, to have as many as thou couldst on the third Conviction, in order to Banishment; Thou having boasted not long before, that as near as thy Year was at an end, thou hopedst to send one 400 of us out of the Kingdom. So on the 11th of 7th month thou settest to thy work, and sent'st from the Meeting to Newgate and Bridewell, these that follow;  
Newgate Men. Miles Dixin, W. Taylor, John Packer, John Brooks, Griffith Loscomb, Rowland Dole, Roger Oldstone, James Wallis Robert Gerish, John Styant, Lewis Rogers, (11)  
Women. Martha Lane, Sarah Cann, Eliz. Dowel, Mary Harboured, Marry Burg ss, Elinor Maud, Margaret Thomas the elder, Susanna Pearson the elder. (8) the number 19 None of these had any Warrant of Commitment; and to Bridewell thou didst commit of men and women about the number of seventy.  
So the Goal delivery came on, at which One Bill of Indictment was exhibited to the Grand Jury against Barth. Crocker, Lewis Rogers, Cananuel Britton, as upon the foot of Banishment, being the third Conviction; and another against Margaret Thomas the elder, Elinor Maud, and Susan Pearson the elder, for the same, both which the Grand Jury found, as they did one against John Simons, for words said to reflect upon your Worship; and another against Sarah Wilkinson, for speaking to the Priest of James Steeple house aforesaid. These two later were found Guilty by the Petty Juries that passed upon them, and were fined in 100 marks each by the Recorder, and in default of payment, to lie six months each in Prison. The other six were also found Guilty by the Petty Juries that went on each Indictment, and they were sentenced the three men to Banishment in the Island of Barbados, the three Women, because Wives, into six months' imprisonment in Bridewell each, unless redeemed by their respective Husbands, according to the Act. So the general Sessions, or Goal Delivery had an end.  
Yet thou hadst not thine; but as a man restless to bring to pass the thoughts of thy heart against the Innocent, whilst thou hadst any breath, that is to say, any time unexpired of thy Government, thou failedst not to improve it against them; and for that purpose didst send thine Officers to the Meeting the next first day after the General Sessions, viz. the 19th of 7th month, who took the Names of whom they pleased, at the Meeting; and on the 25th (the last first day of the Week before the end of thy date, which was the 29th) thou visitedst the Meeting again in Person; where did look thee and thy Banishment in the face, thy Cousins, Thomas and Mary Gouldney, as to whose Conviction this was the third time, Hannah Jordan, Charles Harvord, George Gough, W. Tailor of the Castle, and several others whom thou didst send to Newgate, whose names are,  
Men. Daniel Wastfield, Tho. Gouldney, Charles Harvord, Geo. Gough, John Wear, Rob. Gerish, Jos. Kipping, John Simons, Rich. Jones, John Saunders, W. Taylor, of the Castle, John Hunt, Tho. Lofty, Rich. Wiles, Rog. Oldstone, John dowel, Theop. Newton, Tho. Window, W. Peachee. (19)  
Women. Marry Gouldney, Hannah Jordan, Mary North, Sarah Wilkinson. (4.) the whole 23.  
And to Bridewell thou didst commit,  
Men. Leming Dickason, Tob. Dole, W. Sawser, Maur. Williams, Christop. Newman, Tho. Lambert, Rowland Dole, Simon Cox, Jam. Neves, Griff. Browne, W. Noble, Tho. Holder, John Herring, John Crump, John Morgan, W. Tovy. (16.)  
Women. Marry Cole, Dorcas Knight, (2.) The whole to Bridewell and Newgate, 41. who were expected (those of them that were on the third Account) to be severed to Banishment. But after the expiration of thy year came a Warrant signed by thee as Mayor, though (its like) done afterwards, to continue them prisoners, both the one and the other, for the space of a month from the day of their Imprisonment; and Dennis Hollister, though to a day after thy time set, a Prisoner by thy Warrant; yet thou didst cause him to be released a day or two before thy time was expired: And Edw. Martingdale (with whom thou hadst kept a great ado about a Letter of his which was intercepted; giving Account of thy proceed here against us. And another Letter wherein were Characters to his Correspondent about his own business, because in Longhand his Letter would not otherwise contain it, being sent by the Post; and after his Month's imprisonment (being commiteed when D. Hollister was) tendredst him the Oath of Allegiance, and sentest him to Newgate for not swearing) thou released'st also somewhat before the end of thy time, upon the application of some to thee, on whose Vessel he was Embarked, that he was to go to Sea, and who went to s; ea on the said vessel, being a stranger here, and coming hither to merchandise, and so departed to Virginia in the ship on which he had taken Freight before his imprisonment, as aforesaid. But as for Geo. Bishop, Edw. Pyot, and those 7 with them, whom thou hadst Committed the 14th of the 10th month 1663. before, and fined at Sessions the 15th of the 11 month following; and William Ford, and those 15 with him (except two that were set at Liberty till the Sessions) who were sent to Prison the 12th of the 4th after, and fined at the Sessions 12th of the 5th Month with Tho. Gouldney and those at that time committed with him to Newgate and Bridewell, and those for Banishment (to carry whom no ship couldst thou nor the Sheriffs get) and the Women tried upon the same, in all to the number of about forty and nine, left by thee prisoners in Newgate and in Bridewell (with those committed the 11th of the 7th month, to the number of 95. In all One hundred Forty and Five, John Moon being before set at liberty, near the expiration of his three months' Imprisonment, as aforesaid.  
Thus ended thy Year, and thus wentest thou out as a snuff (as Hannah Jordan told thee in the Meeting-room at her last Commitment) and hast not accomplished. The despised people of the Lord have stood over thy head, though armed (as aforesaid) with all thy power, and upon them hast thou not brought to pass the desires of thy heart, though thou hadst opportunity in thy hand. The plant of the Lord in and amongst us hath thriven and prospered, Maugre all that thou couldst do, in despite of all thy blusters. Not an Inch of ground hath it lost, but unto it hath been drawn (through what thou hast been doing to us and it) the hearts of multitudes. The Just Lord is in the midst of us, he will not do iniquity; every morning do he bring his Judgements to light, he faileth not; but the unjust, knoweth no shame, as the Prophet said, Hab. 3.5.  
And this is thy state, who though thou hast found a disappointment in all thy attempts, so that thy hands have not effected the thoughts of thine heart, for the Virgin Daughter of Zion shook her head at thee; she laughed thee to scorn; as the Prophet Isaiah in the Word of the Lord said to Rabsheka, when he had besieged Jerusalem and insulted over it, and boasted what he would do unto it, and blasphemed the Lord, Isa. 37. Though the hand of the Lord hath often been on thee, and made thy Chariot Wheels (like Pharaohs) to drive heavily; though he hath made thee to pass (as it were) over Axes, and Harrows of Iron, and through the Brick-kilne, putting stops in thy way, and blocks in thy proceed; though trouble hath possessed thee so that thou hast not s●ept, in consideration of what thou hast been doing to us; for the Witness of … d hath been reached in thee, which hath drawn thee somet … into tenderness; yet thou hast gone over all again, and 〈◊〉 ●isen up afresh, after all thy Pauses, and to it thou hast ha' … … w, as if there never had been any such thing; and the enemy hath driven thee along to do all these things against the Name of Jesus, and hath made thee as a man mad to accomplish them; yet thou hast not seen it, but hast suffered the Enemy to hurry thee over that which would have shown it to thee, which hath checked thee, and made thee sometimes tender, as aforesaid; so that thou hast, as the Deaf Adder, refused to hear the voice of the Charmer, charm he never so wisely; Instruction and Advice thou wouldst not suffer to come at thee; thou filledst thy self with the enemy so, & didst let him so in, as a flood, that thou wouldst endure to hear nothing but what he pleased; and when thou hadst taken thy liberty, and said all that thou wouldst, for thou lovedst to hear thy self speak, thou wouldst not hear any thing willingly to the contrary. The day of the Lord is upon thee, and he is making of thee manifest; and there is but a very small moment, and thy day will be over. If to all that hath been said unto thee, and hath come over thee, thou wilt not yet hear, thy condition will be sad, thy day will have an end, and then what wilt thou do? He hath moved this to be written to thee, being the Relation of much of what we have suffered at thy hands, during the time of thy Mayoralty, and to draw before thee back again as in a Glass, what thou hast done, that thou mayst see it, and seeing return to him from whom thou hast gone, against whom thou hast gone; for which purpose hath he caused this to be Argued with thee, and by this way of Demonstration to be placed before thee, as in a lump together, what thou hast done by piece-meals, that so seeing this spirit, and the ugly face of it, and how ugly it makes thee to look, which would hurry thee to destruction, thou mayst be recovered from the evil of thy way, and thy soul may be saved in the Day of the Lord. If this will not do, but if thou still shalt go on, to finish that which is to be done on us for our Trial, and so run over all, know this for a certain, Thou shalt be cut off, the Lord hath spoken it: And then all the blood that thou hast been the occasion of spilling, and the sufferings of the Innocent will fall hard upon thee, and all the despite wherewithal thou hast used us, and him who suffers in us, and whom in us thou hast persecuted, who is Lord and King, will fall upon thee, and grind thee to powder, and then how sad will be thy case? Whether wilt thou fly for shelter, when he that is thy Judge, who fills Heaven and Earth with his presence, and in Hell is also, wh●m thou hast persecuted, shall pursue thee, from whose presence none can be hid? The Rocks and the Mountains cannot do it, though thou shouldst call upon them so to do. As John saw in his Revelations would be the Case of Kings, and chief Captains, and, great men, and mighty men, and rich men, and every bondman, and every freeman, Rev. 6.15, 16. For the thing is in thee, that will rise up a worm that will never die, and a fire that will never go out, go thou whither thou wilt, which is that which thou now resisteth, which thou callest a Natural Conscience, which is not Conscience, but that which sits in Conscience, and speaks for God in the Conscience, and there witnesses for God, which whatsoever it hears the Father speak, speaks there, which is the Son of God, the Saviour of the World, the Light of the World, that lighteth every one that comes into the World, which is come into the World not to condemn the World, but to save the World, even all them that believe in him, in that which witnesses, in that which shows thee the secrets and the intents of thy heart, and all that thou hast done, Is not this the Christ? And so We leave Thee, being thy friends, that desire thy welfare, whether thou dost believe it or no. Known to the World and Thee, and persecuted by the Name of Quakers.  
Bristol, 13th 10th Month. 16 4.   

THe … ve Witnesses names that Swore falsely against Miles Dixon, mentioned in page 39, and should have been then inc … d, but that their names came too late to the Printers hand: yet must they remain up … 〈…〉 to future gnerations, even to their shame and loathing, who●e names are, john Scoper▪ ●er●eant to the Militia, Edw. Lowis, who died in a short time after, L●d … Pool, William Stratford, Philip Driggs.   

Errata.  
IN page 9 line 21 for mortal, read immortal, p. 10 l. 17 blot out and, l. 21 for no sooner waste entered into thine ear, read, No sooner waste thou entered into thine year p. 11. l. 22. blot out the. p. 12 l. 22. for lawyer r. Sawyer, p. 18. l. 21 for the r. thy, p. 20 l. 22 for woship, r. worship, p. 23 l. 21 for my r. his, p. 24 l 8 for pute r. put, p. 30 l. ●… for you slew, r. was slain▪ p. 32 l. 6 for discern r. deserve, p. 44 l. 24 for though 1. thought, p. 45 l. 15 for persecute r. persecuted, p 48 l. 3 for smalt r. smar●, p. 50 l. 17 for pass r. past, p. 51 l. 4 for john Tison r. Thomas Tison, p 64 l. 18 the blank after Bishop should be 10 l. p. 70 l. 29 for p●isons r. prisoners, p. 71 l. 5 for sooner r. see, nor p. 80 l. 4 for and s. r. that so, p. 82 for Richard Blackborrow, r. by Richard Blackborrow, p. 98 l. 11 for have r. having, p. 106 l. 6 for prisoners r. prisons p. 114 l. 2 for she r. he.  
THE END.