Wherefore I said to the warden,' Before thou sendest me to an inn, I think it needful to acquaint thee that I have no money.'

"At that the warden startled again; and turning quick upon me, said, 'How! no money! How can that be? You don't look like a man that has no money.' However I look,' said I, 'I tell thee the truth, that I have no money; and I tell it to forewarn thee, that thou mayest not bring any charge upon the town.' I wonder,' said he, < what art you have got, that you can travel without money; you can do more, I assure you, than I can.'

6

"I making no answer, he went on, and said, 'Well, well! but if you have no money, you have a good horse under you; and we can distrain him for the charge.' But,' said I, 'the horse is not mine.' "No!' said he; but you have a good coat to your back; and that, I hope, is your own:'No,' said I, but it is not; for I borrowed both the horse and the coat.'

"With that the warden, holding up his hand, and smiling, said < Bless me! I never met with such a man as you are before! what! were you set out by the parish?' Then, turning to the constable, he said, Have him to the Greyhound, and bid the people be civil to him.' Accordingly, to the Greyhound I was led ; my horse set up, and I put into a large room; and some account, I suppose, given of me to the people of the house.

"This was new work to me; and what the issue of it would be I could not foresee; but being left there alone, I sate down, and retired in spirit to the Lord (in whom, alone, my strength and safety was,) and begged support of him; even that he would be pleased to give me wisdom and words to answer the warden, when I should come to be examined again before him.

"After some time, having pen, ink, and paper about me, I set myself to write what I thought might be proper, if the occasion served, to give the warden. And while I was writing, the master of the house being come home from his worship, sent the tapster to me, to invite me to dine with him. I bid him tell his master, that I had not any money to pay for my dinner. He sent the man again to tell me, I should be welcome to dine with him, though I had no money. I desired him to tell his master, that I was very sensible of his civility and kindness, in so courteously inviting me to his table, but that I had not freedom to eat of his meat, unless I could have paid for it. So he went on with his dinner, and I with my writing.

"But before I had finished what was on my mind to write, the constable came again, bringing with him his fellow constable. This was a brisk, genteel, young man, a shopkeeper in the town, whose name was Cherry. They saluted me civilly, and told me they were come to have me before the warden. This put an end to my writing; which I put into my pocket, and went along with them.

"Being come to the warden's, he asked me again the same questions he had asked me before; to which I gave him the like answers. Then he told me the penalty I had incurred; which he said, was either to pay so much money, or lye so many hours in the stocks; and asked me which I would choose. I replied I shall not choose either:' and, said I, 'I have told thee, already, that I have no money; though,

if I had, I could not so far acknowledge myself an offender as to pay any. But as to lying in the stocks, I am in thy power, to do unto me what it shall please the Lord to suffer thee.'

"When he heard that, he paused awhile; and then told me, he considered that I was but a young man, and might not perhaps understand the danger I had brought myself into; and, therefore, he would not use the severity of the law upon me; but, in hopes that I would be wiser hereafter, he would pass by this offence, and discharge me.

Then, putting on a countenance of the greatest gravity, he said to me; But, young man, I would have you know, that you have not only broken the law of the land, but the law of God also: and therefore you ought to ask him forgiveness; for you have highly offended him. That,' said I, 'I would most willingly do if I were sensible that, in this case, I had offended him by breaking any law of his. Why,' said he, ' do you question that?' Yes, truly,' said I; 'for I do not know, that any law of God doth forbid me to ride on this day.'

"No!' said he, that is strange! Where, I wonder, were you bred? You can read, can't you?'' Yes,' said I, 'that I can.' 'Don't you read, then, the commandment, Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work.' 'Yes,' replied I, 'I have both read it often, and remember it well. But that command was given to Jews, not to Christians; and this is not that day; for that was the seventh day, but this is the first.' 'How!' said he, do you know the days of the week no better? You had need then be better taught.'

6

"Here, the younger constable (whose name was Cherry) interposing, said Mr. Warden, the gentleman is right as to that: for this is the first day of the week, and not the seventh.'

"This the old warden took in dudgeon; and, looking severely on the constable, said, What! do you take upon you to teach me? I'll have you know, I will not be taught by you.' 'As you please for that, sir,' said the constable, but I am sure you are mistaken in this point; for Saturday, I know, is the seventh day, and you know yesterday was Saturday.'

"This made the warden hot and testy, and put him almost out of all patience; so that I feared it would have come to a downright quarrel betwixt them; for both were confident, and neither would yield. And so earnestly were they engaged in the contest, that there was no room for me to put in a word between them.

"At length, the old man, having talked himself out of wind, stood awhile, as it were, to take breath; and then bethinking himself of me, he turned to me, and said, 'you are discharged, and may take your liberty to go about your occasions.' But,' said I, 'I desire my horse may be discharged too, else I know not how to go." Ay, ay,' said he, you shall have your horse:' and, turning to the other constable, (who had not offended him,) he said, 'Go, see that his horse be delivered to him.'

6

"Away thereupon went I, with that constable, leaving the old warden and the young constable to compose their difference as they could. Being come to the inn, the constable called for my horse to be brought out; which done, I immediately mounted, and began to set forward. But the hostler, not knowing the condition of my pocket, said modestly to me, Sir, don't you forget to pay for your horse's standing?' No truly,' said I, 'I don't forget it; but I have no money to pay it with; and so I told the warden before.' 'Well, hold your tongue,' said the constable to the hostler; I'll see you paid.' Then, opening the gate, they let me out, the constable wishing me a good journey; and through the town I rode, without further molestation; though it was as much Sabbath (I thought) when I went out, as when I came in.

"A secret joy arose in me, as I rode on the way; for that I had been preserved from doing or saying any thing, which might give the adversaries of truth advantage against it or the friends of it: and praises sprang in my thankful heart to the Lord, my preserver."

After Ellwood's return to his father's house from his visit to the Penningtons, feeling the want of spiritual communion nearer home, he wrote a letter to a "friend" of the name of Low, who had an excellent ministerial gift,' and invited him to join a meeting' in his neighbourhood. This letter happened to be sent at the time that the infatuated Fifthmonarchy-men had just broken out under Venner, in a tumultuous manner, in London, and in consequence, since all dissenters were confounded by the sagacious government of the king (Charles, who was now restored,) the prisons were full of Quakers. Ellwood's letter fell into hands of the magistrates, and as his invitation to a meeting' appeared suspicious in their eyes, he was apprehended by a troop of horse, in his father's house. Here his first public trial commenced, and passed off without any very heavy suffering.

The magistrates shook their heads and said, it was dangerous to appoint meetings in such troublesome times.' They tendered the oath of allegiance to Ellwood, who, however, in common with his sect, would take no oath whatever. This placed the magistrates in a dilemma; for out of consideration to his father, who had been likewise on the bench, in the former times, they were inclined to deal leniently with the son. After a great deal of persuasion on their parts, and perseverance on his, they determined upon a middle measure between liberation and gaol. They put him under custody, in the house of a linendraper at Oxford, where he was detained some time, and afterwards restored to his home.

He was, soon after, apprehended, at a meeting, at the house of his friend Pennington; but the magistrate, before whom the troopers took him and his friends, being a good

natured person, and likewise very much puzzled about the form of the mittimus, let them off very easily.

Ellwood, finding that he had lost the little learning he had acquired at school, and feeling the want of it, began to apply himself, with great diligence, to study. He found that, solitary and unassisted, he did not make the progress he desired, and communicated his complaints, on this head, to his friend Pennington. This circumstance led to Ellwood's connection with Milton, the account of which forms the most interesting episode in his very instructive life. It occurred to Pennington, that the situation of John Milton's reader would afford his young friend, Ellwood, the means of instruction that he was in want of, and he set about to procure it for him.

"He had an intimate acquaintance with Dr. Paget, a physician of note, in London; and he with John Milton, a gentleman of great note for learning, throughout the learned world, for the accurate pieces he had written on various subjects and occasions,

"This person, having filled a public station in the former times, lived now a private and retired life, in London; and having wholly lost his sight, kept, always, a man to read to him; which, usually, was the son of some gentleman of his acquaintance, whom, in kindness, he took to improve his learning.

"Thus, by the mediation of my friend Isaac Pennington with Dr. Paget, and of Dr. Paget with John Milton, was I admitted to come to him; not as a servant to him, (which, at that time, he needed not,) nor to be in the house with him; but only to have the liberty of coming to his house, at certain hours, when I would, and to read to him what books he should appoint me; which was all the favour I desired.

"But this being a matter which would require some time to bring it about, I, in the mean while, returned to my father's house in Oxfordshire.

"I had, before, received direction, by letters, from my eldest sister, (written by my father's command,) to put off what cattle he had left about his house, and to discharge his servants, which I had done, at the time called Michaelmas, before; so that, all that winter, when I was at home, I lived like a hermit, all alone, having a pretty large house, and nobody in it but myself, at nights especially; but an elderly woman (whose father had been an old servant to the family,) came every morning, and made my bed, and did whatever else I had occasion for her to do, till I fell ill of the small-pox, and then I had her with me and the nurse. But now, understanding, by letter from my sister, that my father did not intend to return to settle there, I made off those provisions which were in the house, (that they might not be spoiled when I was gone, and because they were what I should have spent if I had tarried there.) I took the money made of them to myself, for my support at London, if the project succeeded for my going thither.

"This done, I committed the care of the house to a tenant of my father's, who lived in the town, and, taking leave of Crowell, went up to my sure friend, Isaac Pennington, again; where, understanding

that the mediation, used for my admittance to John Milton, had succeeded so well that I might come when I would, I hastened to London; and, in the first place, went to wait upon him.

"He received me courteously, as well for the sake of Dr. Paget, who introduced me, as of Isaac Pennington, who recommended me, to both of whom he bore a good respect; and, having inquired divers things of me, with respect to my former progressions in learning, he dismissed me, to provide myself of such accommodations as might be most suitable to my future studies.

I went, therefore, and took myself a lodging as near to his house (which was then in Jewin-street,) as conveniently I could; and, from thenceforward, went every day, in the afternoon, (except on the first days of the week,) and sitting by him, in his dining room, read to him such books, in the Latin tongue, as he pleased to hear me read.

"At my first sitting to read to him, observing that I used the English pronunciation, he told me, if I would have the benefit of the Latin tongue, (not only to read and understand Latin authors, but to converse with foreigners, either abroad or at home,) I must learn the foreign pronunciation. To this I consenting, he instructed me how to sound the vowels, so different from the common pronunciation used by the English, (who speak Anglice their Latin,) that (with some few other variations in sounding some consonants, in particular cases, as C, before E or I, like Ch; Sc, before I, like Sh; &c.) the Latin, thus spoken, seemed as different from that which was delivered as the English generally speak it, as if it was another language.

I had, before, during my retired life at my father's, by unwearied diligence and industry, so far recovered the rules of grammar, (in which I had once been very ready,) that I could both read a Latin author, and, after a sort, hammer out his meaning. But this change of pronunciation proved a new difficulty to me. It was, now, harder to me to read, than it was, before, to understand when read. But

"Labor omnia vincit

Improbus."

Incessant pains

The end obtains.

"And so did I; which made my reading the more acceptable to my master. He, on the other hand, perceiving with what earnest desire I pursued learning, gave me not only all the encouragement, but all the help, he could; for, having a curious ear, he understood, by my tone, when I understood what I read, and when I did not; and, accordingly, would stop me, examine me, and open the most difficult passages to me.

Thus went I on, for about six weels' time, reading to him in the afternoons, and exercising myself, with my own books, in my chamber, in the forenoons. I was sensible of an improvement.

"But, alas, I had fixed my studies in a wrong place. London and I could never agree, for health. My lungs (as I suppose,) were too tender to bear the sulphureous air of that city; so that I soon began to droop, and, in less than two months' time, I was fain to leave both