A True and Impartial NARATION Of the REMARKABLE Providences Of the Living God of Heaven and Earth, appearing for Us his oppressed Servants called, QUAKERS.  
Nicholas Lucas, Henry Martial, Jermiah Hearn, John Blendall, Francis Pryor, Samuel Trahern, and Henry Feast, Who most unrighteously were at Hertford sentenced to be Transported beyond the Seas from our dear Wives, Children, Parents, and Relations, for inoffensively meeting to wait upon the Lord our Maker.  
And also may serve for an utter refutation of a Lying Paper published under the hand of one Edward Maning.  
Is he not God of the Seas? and do not the Winds obey him? behold ye despispers and perish, for a work is wrought in your day, of, or, concerning which, your whole Magicians, or Soothsayers cannot inform you.  
Printed in the Year. 1664.   

HAving seen a scurrilous Pamphlet subscribed by one Edward Maning (entitled the masked Devil, or Quaker, neither fearing God, nor reverencing man, etc.) the which being so full of nonsense, lies and contradictions doth in a great measure confound itself, and refute its malicious Author, but lest it should have aught of influence upon any reasonable creature, or that Maning should by his impudent and often affirming untruths against the innocent, at last have a will form in him to believe his own lies: We shall in the fear of the Lord, simply, nakedly, and impartially declare the Providences of the living God as in mercy through his outstretched arm they appeared to and for us, and so leave it to the righteous witness of God in every conscience to judge who is the masked [lying] Devil, neither fearing God, nor reverencing man, the Author of the Paper subscribed by Edward Maning, or the oppresseh people of God called Quakers.  
We N. Lucas, H. Martial, Jer. Hearn, John Blendall, Francis Pryor, Sam. Trahern, and Hen. Feast were sentenced for transportation the 13. of the sixth month 1664. And in order to the execution of that sentence the Sheriff gave William edmond's Gaoler of Hartford (as he the said Goaler affirmed) power to treat with some Shipmaster for that our transportation, which he accordingly did with one Thomas May, Master of the Ship called the Anne of London, and agreed with him for five pound a head to the Barbadoss, and six pound to J●maica (which were the two places, to which the sentence appointed us to be banished) withal telling him that we were free men, and six of us would carry goods with us, etc.  
In order hereunto, the first day of the seventh month, the said Gaoler brought us up to London, and put us into the Bull Inn in Bishopsgate street, and in less than half an hours space the said Thomas May came into us (the Gaoler being with him) and asked us whether we were willing to go to sea for the Barbadoss and Jamaica? We answered him with one consent we were not willing, but were forced for conscience sake, by virtue of the late Act; Then said he, I will carry no man against his will, withal telling the Gaoler (than present) that he had told him that we were all free men, and would also carry Goods with us, etc. Well, well, said the Gaoler, I know my bargain, and so presently both departed from us, leaving an under Gaoler to keep us fast locked up in a room.  
The next day in the morning, being the second day of the month aforesaid, we were brought out of the Inn, and put into two Coaches by the order of the Gaoler, and were carried down to Billingsgate, and hurried into Boats, and rowed to the Ship side, when we were come thither, the Gaoler asked for the Master Thomas May, his Mate answered, he was not a Board, than he asked for the Boatswain who was not aboard neither, said he then to the Mate, have you not order to take in seven passengers? the Mate answered he had order not to take them in. The Gaoler asked from whom he had that Order? the Mate said, from the Master, who said the Gaoler had you order not to take in? the Mate answered, the Quakers.  
Then the Gaoler was in a great rage, and brought us back again, and wished that he were rid of us, but one of us told him, he would not be clear of us in this world, nor in that to come, except he repent; then he carried us to the dark house near Billingsgate, and locked us up in a room there that day, setting his two men to be our Keepers, telling us he must go to his Lord Chief Justice, to know what he should do with us: He also went to the King's Secretary, and swore that he contracted with the said Thomas May for us as convicted persons, by the late Act, and had acquainted the Master fully what we were, whereupon Thomas May was sent for by the King's Order, Who went, taking two witnesses with him to prove that he contracted with William edmond's (not knowing he was a Gaoler, but thinking he had been a Merchant) to carry seven men that were free, and willing to go. But the Secretary told him, Oath was given in for the King, and that his witnesses would do him no good. At night the Gaoler returned to us, and putting us into two Coaches, carried us back to the Bull Inn in Bishopsgate street again, and locked us up in a room, saying, he had order that none should come at us.  
There we were kept close Prisoners, many of our Friends being denied so much as to see or speak to us, one of our friends also was much abused by the Gaoler, because he earnestly desired to see us; here we continued till the fourteenth day, on which day William edmond's, the Gaoler came to us, and told us we must go aboard. One of us asked him if he had an Order? he answered he had order from the Sheriff, but being asked to see it, he said it was a private order, and that the Sheriff would come himself also, but the Sheriff came not, than he brought us out, and put us into two Coaches, carrying us in great haste down to Ratcliff, but driving the privatest and farthest way about, that people might not meet, nor follow us to take notice that we were banished for conscience sake; (as they did when we were carried from the Bull Inn to Billingsgate) Yet some of our friends hearing of our being carried away, hired Coaches and followed to see what would become of us. At which the Gaolers were angry, and threatened to Pistol and cut the Coachmen if they followed so close; and as soon as we were brought to Ratcliff, men (which he had provided) stood ready to drag us into a house (much like to one called a spirits house) and brought us into a private room, and kept us there about half an hour, not suffering our wives, children or friends to come at us. Afterwards they caused us to go down into a dark Cellar, from whence they forced us down a Ladder into Boats, which the Gaoler had also provided, and from thence rowing us away to the Ship and compelled us aboard.  
The Master, Thomas May being not aboard, Edward Maning (whose horrid lies and wickedness we shall make manifest in this true, short, and faithful Relation) probably by the appointment of the Gaoler then aboard received us, and discharged the Gaoler of us, though he had nothing to do to undertake the charge of us, or so to concern himself with us. The said Maning would also at the same time have given us leave to have gone a shore again, but we being informed by the Seamen, that Maning had no command in, nor nothing to do with the Ship that they knew of, we did not, nor would not accept of his offered deceitful kindness: but soon after the Master coming aboard, seemed much discontented that we were brought into his ship, and said, that if this edmond's had not perfidiously sworn falsely, he had not been thus troubled. And commanding us out of his Ship again, he bid us go home, giving us also a Certificate under his hand to secure us from any trouble a shore, in this following form.  
Septemb. 14. 1664.  
These are to give notice to whom it may concern, That whereas seven men were delivered aboard my Ship called the Anne of London, to be transported, viz. Nicholas Lucas, Henry Feast, Henry Mashall, Francis Pryor, Jeremy Herne, John Blendall, and Samuel Traherne; That by my permission and leave they have liberty to go on shore, and to come aboard again when I shall require them.  
Given under my hand. Thomas May. Witness, 

John Clements,  
William Wilson,  
William Looker.    
But we were so far from flying from our holy cause, or being at all weary, afraid or unable to endure tribulation, pass through the fire, or sing in the stocks, as that wretched Author would insinuate in page 15. that several of us did not find freedom in our Spirits to go at Thomas May's command though real Master, whereupon he forced us out, and tumbled our Goods out of the Ship into the Boat, himself helping to row the Boat a shore, where we were at liberty as we judged, according to the Certificate▪ in which time we went to visit our wives, children, friends and relations, (being not secured in houses on Tower hill, as is falsely said in the sixth page of that lying Pamphlet) neither did Samuel Traherne make any slip or escape as is falsely suggested, but went to see his aged Father and Mother once more with intentions to return again, according to the contents of the said Certificate, and whereas that lying author saith, that in opposition to the Magistrates and Officers of the Town, he road about like another Nayler, giving God thanks that he was delivered out of their hands, and that now they had done their worst, and that when Francis Butler, called Justice, sent for him by his man to come to him, he replied, if Francis Batler had any thing to say to him, he should come himself, all which is exceeding false, and a very forged lie; for he came all the way from London on foot, and so went through the Town to his parent's house, being three miles from Hertford, and came not upon a horses back till Francis Butler came into his Father's house and laid violent hands on him, carrying him to his own house, and from thence committed him as a fugitive and Felon to the County Goal, causing him to be set on horseback, and his legs to be tied under the horse's belly, and with a guard of four men brought him in that manner, and delivered him to the Gaoler; where he remained Prisoner 17 days, through or by reason of some blood thirsty men in power, who exercise gteater cruelty than the greatest severity the late Act requires.  
But as in this case, so in all the proceeds against us since the late Act came in force, we have been unjustly dealt withal, matter of Fact according to the express reason and Letter of the late Act, being never proved against us, as hath been already published.  
Samuel Trahern was after seventeen day's imprisonment released by information and request from Thomas May, Master of the Ship showing to the Magistrates of Hertford that he gave him leave, etc. although we do not deny that Edward Maning officiously went down to Hertford, even intruding himself upon us, we being passive in that matter otherwise then bearing his charges.  
〈…〉, on the first day of the eighth month we were by the Master, Thomas May, commanded aboard, and when we were in the Ship they weighed Anchor, and set sail, and sailed near to the red house at Deptford; but mark and behold the hand of the Lord, the wind on a sudden brought the Ship back again to Limehouse, where casting Anchor they lost Cable and Anchor both for the present, the Master being struck down with the end of the Cable, and his shirt torn off his arm, but was not much hurt: The Ship also was very like to run a shore, but by casting out another Anchor, it was prevented, than Thomas May ordered us to go a shore again.  
Upon the sixth day of the same month we were again commanded aboard, and they having a fair wind and tide (which carried many Ships by us) weighed Anchor, and spread the Sails, but they could not get the Ship far from the place; for although they laid forth all the endeavours that men could, yet could they not get the Ship to sail, at which the Seamen were troubled, and said they should not go out of England as long as these men (meaning us) were aboard.  
Also one of them not regarding nor perceiving the hand of the Lord, said they were bewitched, so they cast Anchor again, being not able to move scarce a stones cast from the place they had weighed Anchor, Although many other ships with the same Wind, tide, and Time sailed by us quite away down the River. This sign surely is to be minded by all that acknowledge and know the true and living God, whom the Winds and the Seas obey, and we cannot but confess that his immediate hand was in this matter, notwithstanding the ignorant and unbelieving are blind, and attribute these and such like things to accidents, common chance, etc. then were we again set a shore.  
And on the vl day we were sent for aboard the fourth time when they again weighed Anchor and hoist up their sails. And when they had sailed from Limehouse to Greenwich which is about two miles, a sudden storm arose, they being forced to cast Anchor to secure their Ship, and so we were put to shore again.  
Upon the tenth day of the same month we were commanded aboard the fifth time; and they once more weighed Anchor, and set their sails to the wind, than was the Ship very like to run a ground. It's Boltsplit one time reaching over the bank. Then were we about Blackwall set a 〈…〉 The Ship went well down the same Tide to Gravesend.  
On the twelfth day we were ordered by a Messenger in the name of the Master, Thomas May, to come down with our things after the Ship, so we immediately according to this verbal Order, pretended to be from Thomas May, took boats, and went down to the Ship, and put our things aboard, telling the Mate and Seamen (who were unwilling to receive us or our goods) that we were ordered in the name of the Master, Thomas May, to come and bring our things aboard, they then told us that their Master was at the sign of the Hen and Chickens at Gravesend, upon which we went a shore and found him out; When he saw us, he asked what we did there? We answered We were come according to his Order, to which he replied, He gave no such Order; This, said he, is manning's do. Then he charged us not to come nor stir at any time, except he sent a Note under his own hand (which he said we knew) or came himself. And he being then coming to London, bid us go back again that evening to London also, and stay there till he sent for us, saying; He would give order to have our things brought a shore again, and safely secured the which he did: so some of us came back to London, and some stayed at Gravesend till the twenty eighth day of the same Month, and on which day, about the first hour, we were commanded aboard by Thomas May Master, and Sailed that night to Lee Road, there they cast Anchor by reason of the night, and before morning the Wind turned full against them, and blew violent and strong which caused them to lie there two days and three nights.  
Upon the 31 day they set Sail thence, and Sailed to a place called the North-foreland, where they cast Anchor again, and remained till the next day; at night we were again set a shore by Thomas May's order at a place called Peter's: and on the next day; being the second of the eighth Month, we traveled to Deal according to the Master's order, where we all seven remained till the tenth day of the same Month, where we all being in a room together, Thomas May, Master of the Ship came in, and declared before several witnesses, That though we had followed and attended his Ship so long, yet he was resolved not to carry us: and then and there gave us a Certificate of Discharge, and read it over himself to us in the presence of the Witnesses whose names are thereunto subscribed. The copy whereof verbatim followeth:  
Whereas there was seven men, called Quakers; brought on board my Ship called the Ann of London, by William edmond's Gaoler of Hertford (to wit) Nicholas Lucas, Henry Feast, Henry Martial, Francis Pryor, John Blendall, Jeremiah Herne, and Samuel Traherne, all which have continued waiting upon my Ship from London to Deal from the 14th day of September last, till this day: And I seeing Providence hath much crossed me hitherto, whereby I perceive that the hand of the Lord is against me, that I dare not proceed in my Voyage to carry them, they being Innocent persons, and no Crime signified against them worthy of Banishment; and that there is a Law in force, that no English man shall be carried out of his Native Country against his will, and also my men refuse to go the Voyage if I carry them, which will be much to my hindrance, men being very scarce by reason of the long continued Press. For these Reasons therefore, and many more, I will not carry them. These are therefore to Certify any person or persons that shall Question them, or any of them, That they did not make an escape, but I put them on shore again to go whether they please.  
All this is Certified under my own hand this Tenth day of November, 1664. Thomas May.  
Witness hereunto,  


John Banckes.  
Humphrey Biglestone  
John Clements.  
Thomas holyman.    
If these are the words of a Drunken man (as that unclean Author ignorantly affirms in his bundle of Lies, page 12▪) let all that are sober judge.  
After we were thus discharged and left by the Master of the Ship, some of us went from Deal, and some of us stayed there till the 27th of the ninth Month on which day Edward Manning commanded us to go aboard, we told him, He had nothing to do with us, we having the Master's order not to regard him, nor to mind his Command, as some persons in Deal and elsewhere can witness: Moreover, that we had a Discharge from the Master, and therefore refused to obey him. Then he hasted away to the Deputy of the Town (for so the Chief Magistrate is called) and declared to him that we were Felons, who came to us with his assistants to know what the matter was; and after he understood fully and plainly our case, and saw the Masters Discharge, the Deputy said he would have nothing to do with us, but said if the Master owned tha● Certificate it was sufficient, and if we desired he would set his own hand to it. Yet afterwards, in the later part of the same day, by the means of the said Manning, the Deputy came again with Manning, and Thomas May being with him wept, and then in the presence of the Deputy we said to the Master, If he would deny, or were not free to stand to, or avow his Discharge which he had given us, and command us aboard, we were ready there to go with him, The Deputy said that was as much as could be desired, and it was very honest, and so he departed from us again. Then the Master, Thomas May appointed us to meet him on the morrow morning at the at the sea side, the which we did accordingly, but Manning came, his brother also, and another wicked man came with him. And he seeing then again that the Master would not command us aboard, nor consent to carry us, and that he could not by any means gain Assistance from the Deputy and Officers of the Town, to execute his wretched will and wicken design upon us, who according to several probable circumstances, thought to have the sale of us beyond the seas for slaves, threw off his cloak, and laid violent hands upon us, commanding the other two to do the like, which accordingly they did, and helped him to force us into an empty boat, then lying on the beach; and because we would not willingly be subject to his command, who we knew had nothing at all to do with us, nor no interest at all in the Ship (as we were informed by those who had good reason to know, to wit the Master, the Master's Mate, and the Mariners thereof) no, not so much as a bed for himself to lie upon, although he hath the confidence to say, among the rest of his lies, that he furnished us with beds; some of us they draged by the legs, head and shoulders, trailing upon the stones; and some of us they carried to the boat, and so heaved us all in, at which cruelty all the people that were spectators, both men, women, and children (which were very many) were much displeased, and cried it was a great shame men should be used so. We sat in the boat about half an hour at the least, even till the tide increased the waves, and tossed the boat up at one end; (the boat before being lose upon the beach.) And all the while we fate there no one man would lay a hand to an Oar to row us aboard, the people that were beholders wi●●ing the hands of such as should do it might rot off; so when the boat was like to be a float, and consequently run a drift, we came out of it, and walked again by the sea side, than we met with Thomas May the Master, and asked of him, whether he had any thing to say to us? he answered, if he had he would come again to us. Thus he departed from us and we saw him no more, for he went aboard that night, and in the morning, we coming again to the sea side, espied the Ship under Sail, and there we stood some time, the Deputy of the Town happening to be there at the same time also, who saw the Ship sail from us, and said he could witness the Ship went from us, and not we from it. As appeareth also by the testimonial of many witnesses in this form following.  
We whose names are under written do and shall witness and testify, if we are thereunto called, That there were four men called Quakers, That is to say, Nicholas Lucas, Francis Pryor, Jeremiah Herne, and Samuel Traherne, All which were put into a boat, by the Order of one who is called Edward Manning, upon the twenty fourth day of the last month called November, all which stayed in the boat until the sea came up to the boat, whereby the boat had like to gone a drift, there being no body in the boat but them four above named, who came out of the boat again and walked up and down near by the boat, and the man that owned the boat (to wit) Richard Davis, haled up his boat upon the full to secure her from the sea, the said Edward Manning being present acted no farther towards them. That the next morning early the ship called the Anne of London, Thomas May, Master, sailed and left the four persons above named on shore. To the truth hereof we have subscribed our Names the vl day of the tenth month, called December, in the year 1664.  

Richard Jordan.  
Henry S●ripling.  
Jeffery Safferie  
Francis Robinson.  
John Greene.  
John Banks.  
Anne calo.  
Humphrey Biggleston.  
Jane Biggleston.  
John Lawrance.  
William Lawrance.   
Then said we to the Deputy, now if thou as a Magistrate▪ hast any thing to say or do to us now the Ship is gone, and left us, thou mayest, he answered he had not, but said, he wished us well, and so we departed that day from the Town towards London, whither we came the third day of the tenth month; And being well acquainted, and having had large experience of the enmity and cruelty of some of the Magistrates of the Town and County of Hertford, lest they should under the pretence of our being fugitives, seize us as Felons, as they had causelessly done our companion Samuel Trahern, as is before related; we thought it expedient to inform the King of our case and present condition, the which accordingly we did in this manner following, annexing thereunto the Copy of our forementioned discharge from the Master Thomas May.  
Be it known unto the King, or whom else it may concern, that whereas we whose names are hereafter mentioned, were sentenced at Hertford, for transportation to the King's foreign Plantatious, in order unto which we were brought by the Gaoler of Hertford unto London, and here embarked in the Ship called the Anne of London, Thomas May Commander, who brought us down into the Downs, and there set us on shore, giving us a certificate signifying the cause and reasons why he would not carry us, and the ship being sailed and gone, and left us behind, we came back in order to go home to our wives and families: And thus we thought expedient to inform the King hereof, and herewith also to insert a Copy of the Certificate, which is as followeth.  
Then followed a Copy of Thomas May's Certificate as is before recited.  
 
We also added this Postscript.  
And if it be the King's pleasure to be further informed in this matter by us or any of us, we may be found or heard on at our respective dwellings at or about Hertford.  
London the 4. of the 10. month 1664. 

Nicholas Ducas,  
Henry Feast,  
Henry Martial,  
Francis Pryor.  
Jeremiah Herne,  
John Blendall,  
Samuel Trahern,    
The which being delivered and read in Council, an Order was passed thereupon, which is as followeth.  
At the Court at Whitehall the 7th. of Decem. 1664.  

Present,  
The Kings most excellent Majesty.  
His Royal Highness the Duke of York.  
Lord Arch Bishop of Canter.  
Lord Treasurer.  
Lord-Privy Seal.  
Duke of Albemarle.  
Marquess of Dorchester.  
Lord Chamberlin.  
Earl of Berkshire.  
Earl of St. Alban.  
Earl of Anglesey.  
Earl of Bath.  
Earl of Lawderdaile.  
Lord Barkley.  
Mr. Treasurer.  
Mr. Vice Chamberlin.  
Mr. Secretary Morrice.  
Mr. Secretary Bennet.  
Mr. Chancel. of the Duchy.  
Sir Edward Nicholas.   
WHereas Nicholas Lucas, Henry Feast, Henry Marshal, Francis Pryor, John Blendall, Jeremiah Herne, and Samuel Trahern, Persons convicted at the last Assizes held at Hertford in the County of Hertford, and sentenced to be Transported to some of his Majesty's Plantations in the West Indies, and who accordingly were put on Board the Ship called the Anne of London, whereof one Thomas May was Master, and who undertook and engaged himself for their transportation, yet set them on shore in or about the Downs, leaving them at liberty to go whether they pleased, and it appearing to be a matter of contrivance and design between the said Master and persons before mentioned.  
It was this day Ordered (his Majesty present in Council) That the High Sheriff of the County of Hertford (now being) do cause the said Nicholas Lucas, Henry Feast, Henry Marshal, Francis Pryor, John Blendall, Jeremiah Herne, and Samuel Traherne to be apprehended and secured until means of Transporting them can be made by some shipping bound unto those parts.  
And if it were a contrivanee on our parts, Judge thou O Lord our God, for thy Judgements are Holy, Just and True, and even miraculous in our eyes.  
Having thus in Gods fear truly and plainly given relation of the whole matter, We leave it to the just measure of God in every man's conscience to judge whether our carriage in this thing from first to last, hath not been wholly innocent, inoffensive, and absolutely free and clear before the Lord from those imputations, lies and railing accusations heaped up against us in that pernicious Pamphlet subscribed by Edward Maning. Touching whose going down to Hertford, bearing his own charges thither, paying Fees for Samuel Trahern &c. (as by way of interrogation is alleged in the said Pamphlet) As for Fees there was not one penny paid, and his charges was borne both horse and man's meat, and also his horse hire was by us paid for; and his going down was from an earnest request of his own to Thomas May, who would have went himself to have justified that Samuel Trahern had liberty from him to go down to Hertford. But Maning being officious importuned Thomas May that he might go (its like for some bad ends of his own) so May wrote to the Magistrates, & Maning rod down, and being May did send, or permit him to go, we boar his charges horse and man, as aforesaid, the Lord knoweth.  
And whereas this interrogative liar also says : Why did you give me thanks for my kindness to you all, and especially for my kindness to you at Hertford? Why did you promise to attend me, to be my true and faithful prisoners, and to go on board with me whensoever I should require you? etc. This is utterly false, and he himself knows it to be a mere forged lie, for promise we never made any to him, and any manner of obligation we never received from him; indeed ofttimes, like one of them called a shirk, he thrust himself upon us, and eat of our Victuals, and drank of our wine, which we had provided to have served us at sea, other intimacy there never was between us; And again we say, God knoweth that promise to attend him to be his prisoners, or go on board with him, whensoever he should require us, or the like, we never made to him, and an obligation of any sort we never received from him, and this the righteous God knoweth to be true. And what the false man meaneth in charging us in being traitors to him, it's with himself, for none of us ever received any trust from him, and how therefore we could be traitors to him▪ let the reasonable judge. As for those texts of Scripture he profanely quoteth throughout his discourse, his several other vain and vile interrogations with those fragments of Latin he also interweaveth therewith, with the rest of his confused and nonsensical stuff, we judge it not worth a replication, it being chief in our hearts to declare the truth of God's deal with and for us in this matter, and not to meet or answer a fool in his folly.  
THE END.