A DESCRIPTION of the Sect called the Family of Love: With their common place of residence.  
Being discovered by one Mrs Susanna Snow of Pirford near Chersey in the County of Surrey, who was vainly led away for a time through their base allurements, and at length fell mad, till by a great miracle shown from God, she was delivered.  
O Israel trust in the Lord, for in the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous Redemption,  Psal. 130. 
London printed. 1641.   

A Description of the Sect called the Family of Love, with their common place of Residence.  
IT was in the County of Surrey, at a Village called Pirford, three miles from Chersey, there dwelled a Gentleman by name Snow, who had to his daughter a very beautiful and religious Gentlewoman, who was not only a joy to the father, but also an exceeding joy to the mother; she had not long gladded the hearts of her Parents with a virtuous and dut full behaviour, when the devil, arch enemy to mankind, sought to subvert and eradicate this well planted virtue, and thus it happened:  
This Gentlewoman (Mistress Susan Snow) for so was she called, holding prattle with one of her father's men, one day began to question with him about the new Sects of Religion which now were so much talked of, enquiring what news he heard of any of them.  
He answered that it was his chance to be at a little Village called Bagshot, not six miles from thence, where he heard of a Company that got residence there, and every day had a meeting in a private place, which was mistrusted to be about the sign of the Buck, and they called themselves The Family of Love, and most have a great suspicion that they came from London, and their number is about an hundred; but he told her it was the talk of the whole Country. This Mistress Susan heard with patience, and marked with diligence every particular, she gave the servant but little answer, but she vowed in her heart to see the fashions of this Sect, well, night grew on, and to bed they went, but she prevented the early Sun in being up before him, so great a desire she had poor Gentlewoman to thrust herself into danger. After she had broke her fast, and caused her man to set a side-saddle on a Gelding, alone she took her journey, vowing not to return till she had seen some of their behaviours which were of the Family of Love.  
Thus she road along undisturbed by meeting any Passengers till she came with in half a mile of the Village of Bagshot, but then she saw at the least an hundred persons men and women crossing over the Heath, bending their course towards a Wood called Birch wood, to them-wards she rides, and overtaking a sister which laggred behind the rest, she cried, well overtaken sister; the sister of the Family bid her welcome, Sister (quoth Mistress Susan) is your habitation here about Bagshot? the sister answered, that she sojourned in Banwage, than quoth she, sure you can resolve me one question, which is this, Do you know of any that came from London lately, there were about the number of an hundred, I was of the Company, but they came away unknown unto me: and I hear that they sojourn here about this Coast. The silly sister was not ware of the guile which she spoke, but answered her, that this was the Company she meant sure. Ms Susan asked again, Are these of the Family? she answered, Yes. Then Mistress Susan road after and overtook them, where this woman revealed the conference she had with Mistress Susan, and how that she thought her to be very zealously affected to the Family: on these words, although she were unknown, yet she was entertained into their Society, and went along with them.  
Now you must understand that they have certain days which are dedicated unto Saints as they call them, as to Ovid, who wrote the Art of Loving, to Priapus, the first bawdy Butcher that ever did stick pricks in flesh, and make it swell, and to many others which they used to spend in poetising in the woods: thither they come, and after many pastimes there enacted, the Poet desired them to sit down on the Green, and then he began to speak most strong language, as this or the like, let not us persuade ourselves although that many would have us to believe it, that our great god Cupid is obcaecated, for he penetrateth the entrails of the most magnanimous; after these or the like words, he recited part of a verse from forth Virgil's Epigrams, 
— Non stat bene mentula crassa.  Which to English I forbear, because it is obscene; on this he built his whole discourse, venting very strange obscene passages, after this was done, they go to dinner, where they had exceeding delicates, and after this repast they provided to return. Now here you must note that the Poet viewing this new sister of the Family, was mightily inflamed with her, that either he must enjoy her or perish, when they were walking home therefore, he singled her out from the rest of the Company, and spoke to her as followeth.  
Fair sister, hard is that task, where I must either die in silence, or else present unto you an unseemly suit, but so irksome is death, and so pleasant the enjoyments of my wishes, that I rather desire to be counted unmannerly than not amorous to your beauteous self. With these and such like words he courted her, till at length time and opportunity both favoured him so much that she played a man's part indeed, she said nay, and yet took it. This novice having had his desire, conducted her to the Company, and there left her among the rest of the sisters, where she stayed for the space of a whole week, viewing their fashions, as the manner of their prayers, of their preaching, of their Christening and Burying, with many more things which will be too long for this little Pamphlet to bear.  
Now when she had seen as she thought enough, she stole away from them not ceasing to think of the wrong she had sustained by her consenting to the lust of the poetical brother; well, discontentedly she passed the way till she came in the presence of her father, he asked her with very mild and loving terms where she had been, she answered him, at her aunts at Okingham, with which answer her father was satisfied, but her mother was not, because she had sent thither before to see if she had been there, yet her mother could get no other answer from her than that she had been there; but seeing that she was come home again, they questioned the matter no more where she had been; but she had not been at home long when she began to delight to be by herself, and to make much of melancholy, taking delight in nothing wherein she did heretofore; this her loving parents took notice of, but would not speak of it, and thus she continued for the space of ten or fourteen days, at last she began to be very untowardly, and they could not rule her, for she would break glasses and earthen ware, and throw any thing at the heads of the servants, and incontinent she fell stark mad; I cannot express her father's grief, when he saw his only beloved daughter in this plight, but I will leave you to judge of it who have children of your own, how it would grieve you to see your children in such a plight. Her father although he were almost distracted with grief to see his child thus lie on the wrack of misfortune, summons p his senses together, and at length he thought upon one Master Ybder a very honest man, and a most reverend Divine, living in Oxford, to him he sent, requesting him of all loves that he would come, and visit him in this his great distress, he presently dispatched horse and man, for Oxford they were bound, the man coming to Master Ybders chamber, which is in Magdalon Hall, he found him within, to whom he delivered his message: Master Ybder came along with him, he was no sooner arrived at Master Snows house, but the poor Gentleman almost frantic for his daughter's distemperature, with tears in his eyes, began and related (what you have here before read) to Master Ybder, who presently desired that he might but see her, this good old man with all diligence being still in hope of her recovery, conducted him into the chamber where his daughter was, she had no sooner fixed her eyes upon them entering, but she shrieked out, and cried, The devil, the devil, I am damned, I am damned, I am damned, with many such like horrid horrible exclamations: then stepped forwards Master Ybder, and told her that she was deceived, God surely would not leave her soul so, if she would but endeavour as she had done heretofore, for said he, Christ came not into the world to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, and again, Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto thee, and although thou hast played the harlot with many lovers, yet return again unto me saith the Lord, at the third Chapter of jeremy, and the first Verse.  
She harkened unto Master Ybder very patiently, for the space of half an hour but then she began to be very troublesome, and sometimes outrageous, at last she called for some wine, for she was very thirsty, she said: wine was brought unto her in a Venice-glass, her father (good old man) spoke to her to drink to Master Ybder, for he had taken great pains with her, she looked very wildly on him, and threw the glass to the ground, with these words, That it was 〈◊〉 impossible for her to be saved, as for that glass to rebound into her hand unbroken, which contrary to the expectation of all, this glass did; Well, said this Gentlewoman, I will yet trust in the Lord my Redeemer, for he is merciful and long-suffering, with these words she praised God and began (as from the beginning) to relate the cause of her distemperature, desiring Master Ybder that he would pray with her, and for her; and thus by the mercy of God was this Gentlewoman delivered.  
FINIS.