1660. Troop, and was a Perfon of good Repute in the Place; his Name was Galloway.

Whether I was committed to him out of Regard to my Father, that I might not be thruft into a common Goal; or out of a politick Defign, to keep me from the Converfation of my Friends, in hopes that I might be drawn to abandon this Profeffion, which I had but lately taken up; I do not know. I do not know. But this I know, that though I wanted no civil Treatment, nor kind Accommodations where I was, yet after once I understood, that many Friends were Prisoners in the Caftle, and amongst the reft, Thomas Loe, I had much rather have been among them there, with all the Inconveniencies they underwent, than where I was with the best Entertainment. But this was my prefent Lot; and therefore with this I endeavoured to be content. .

It was quickly known in the City, that a Quaker was brought in Prifoner and committed to the Marshall. Whereupon, the Men Friends being generally Prifoners already in the Caftle, fome of the Women Friends came to enquire after me and to vifit me ; as Silas Norton's Wife, and Thomas Loe's Wife, who were Sifters, and another Woman Friend who lived in the fame Street where I was, whofe Husband was not a Quaker, but kindly affected towards them a Baker by Trade, and his Name, as I remember, Ryland.

By fome of these an Account was foon given to the Friends, who were Prifoners in the

Caftle,

Caftle, of my being taken up and brought 1660. Prifoner to the Marshall's. Whereupon it w pleafed the Lord to move on the Heart of my dear Friend Thomas Loe, to falute me with a very tender and affectionate Letter in the following Terms:

My beloved FRIEND,

IN

N the Truth and Love of the Lord Jefus, by which Life and Salvation is revealed in the Saints, is my dear Love unto thee, and in much Tenderness do I falute thee. And dear Heart, a Time of Trial God hath permitted to come upon us, to try our Faith and Love to Him; and this will work for the Good of them, that through Patience endure to the End. And I believe GOD' will be glorified through our Sufferings, and His Name will be exalted in the Patience and Long-fuffering of His Chofen. When I heard that thou waft called into this Trial, with the Servants of the Moft High, to give thy Teftimony to the Truth of what we have believed, it came into my Heart to write unto thee, and to greet thee with the Embraces of the Power of an endless Life; where our Faith ftands, and Unity is felt with the Saints for ever. Well, my dear Friend, let us live in the pure Counsel of the Lord, and dwell in His Strength, which gives us Power and Sufficiency to endure all Things, for His Name's-fake; and then our Crown and Reward ill be with the Lord for ever, and the Bleffings of His heavenly Kingdom will be our Portion.

Ob

1660. Oh, dear Heart, let us give up all freely into the Will of God, that God may be glorified by us, and we comforted together in the Lord Jefus ; which is the Defire of my Soul, who am

Thy dear and loving Friend in the eternal Truth,

THOMAS LOE.

We are more than Forty here, who fuffer in-
nocently for the Teftimony of a good Con-
fcience; becaufe we cannot Swear, and break
Cbrift's Commands: And we are all well ;
and the Bleffing, and Prefence of God is with
us. Friends here falute thee. Farewel.
The Power and the Wisdom of the Lord God
be with thee, Amen.

Greatly was my Spirit refreshed, and my Heart gladded, at the reading of this confolating Letter from my Friend; and my Soul bleffed the Lord for His Love and tender Goodnefs to me, in moving His Servant to write thus

unto me.

But I had Caufe foon after to double, and redouble my thankful Acknowledgment to the Lord my God, who God, who put it into the Heart of my dear Friend Ifaac Penington alfo, to visit me with fome encouraging Lines from Aylesbury Goal, where he was then a Prifoner; and from whence (having heard that I was carried Prifoner to Oxford) he thus faluted me:

Dear

Dear THOMAS,

G

Reat bath been the Lord's Goodness to thee,

in calling thee out of that Path of Vanity and Death, wherein thou waft running towards Deftruction; to give thee a living Name, and an Inheritance of Life among His People; which certainly will be the End of thy Faith in Him, and Obedience to Him. And let it not be a light Thing in thine Eyes, that He now accounteth thee worthy to fuffer among His choice Lambs, that He might make thy Crown weightier, and thy Inhe ritance the fuller. O that that Eye and Heart may be kept open in thee, which knoweth the Value of thefe Things! And that thou mayst be kept clafe to the Feeling of the Life, that thou mayft be fresh in thy Spirit in the midst of thy Sufferings, and mayst reap the Benefit of them; finding that pared off thereby, which hindereth the Bubblings of the everlasting Springs, and maketh unfit for the breaking forth and Enjoyment of the pure Power! This is the brief Salutation of my dear Love to thee, which defireth thy Strength and Settlement in the Power, and the utter weakning of thee as to Self. My dear Love is to thee, with dear Thomas Goodyare, and the rest of imprifoned Friends. I remain

Thine in the Truth, to which, the Lord
my God preferve thee fingle and faithful.

From Aylesbury Goal, the

14th of the twelfth Month, 1660.

I. PENINGTON.

1660.

Though

1661.

Though thefe epiftolary Vifits in the Love of God, were very comfortable and confirming to me, and my Heart was thankful to the Lord for them; yet I honed after perfonal Converfation with Friends, and it was hard, I thought, that there fhould be fo many faithful

萨

Servants of God fo near me, yet I should not be permitted to come at them, to enjoy their Company, and reap both the Pleasure and Benefit of their sweet Society.

For although my Marshall-keeper was very kind to me, and allowed me the Liberty of his Houfe, yet he was not willing I fhould be feen abroad; the rather perhaps, because he understood I had been pretty well known in that City. Yet once the friendly Baker got him to let me step over to his Houfe; and once (and but once) I prevailed with him, to let me vifit my Friends in the Caftle; but it was with these Conditions, That I fhould not go forth till it was dark; That I would muffle myself up in my Cloak; and that I would not stay out late. All which I punctually observed.

When I came thither, though there were many Friends Prifoners, I fcarce knew one of them by Face, except Thomas Loe, whom I had once feen at Ifaac Penington's: Nor did any of them know me, though they had generally heard, that fuch a young Man as I, was convinced of the Truth and come among Friends.

Our Salutation to each other was very grave and folemn; nor did we entertain one another with much Talk, or with common Difcourfes;

but