walked about with me, till we had pretty well warmed ourselves; and then we all lay down again, and rested till morning.

Next day all they who had families, or belonged to families, had bedding brought in, of one sort or other, which they disposed at the ends and sides of the room, leaving the middle void to walk in.

But I, who had no body to look after me, kept to my rushy-pallet under the table, for four nights together, in which time I did not put off my clothes; yet, through the merciful goodness of God unto me, I rested and slept well, and enjoyed health, without taking

cold.

In this time divers of our company, through the solicitations of some of their relations, or acquaintance, to Sir Richard Brown (who was at that time a great master of misrule in the city, and over Bridewell more especially) were released; and among these, one William Mucklow, who lay in an hammock. He, having observed that I only was unprovided of lodging, came very courteously to me, and kindly offered me the use of his hammock, while I should continue a prisoner.

This was a providential accommodation to me, which I received thankfully, both from the Lord, and from him; and from thenceforth I thought I lay as well as ever I had done in my life.

Amongst those that remained, there were several young men, who cast themselves into

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a club, and laying down every one an equal proportion of money, put it into the hand of our friend Anne Travers, desiring her to lay it out for them in provisions, and send them in every day a mess of hot meat; and they kindly invited me to come into their club with them. These saw my person, and judged of me by that; but they saw not my purse, nor understood the lightness of my pocket. But I, who alone understood my own condition, knew I must sit down with lower commons. Wherefore, not giving them the true reason, I, as fairly as I could, excused myself from entering at present into their mess, and went on as before, to eat by myself, and that very sparingly, as my stock would bear. And before my ten-pence was quite spent, Providence, on whom I relied, sent me in a fresh supply.

For William Penington, a brother of Isaac Penington's, a friend and merchant in London, at whose house, before I came to live in the city, I was wont to lodge, having been at his brother's that day upon a visit, escaped this storm, and so was at liberty; and understanding when he came back what had been done, bethought himself of me; and upon enquiry, hearing where I was, came in love to

see me.

He, in discourse amongst other things, asked me how it was with me as to money? and how well I was furnished? I told him, I could not boast of much, and yet I could not say I

had none, though what I then had was indeed next to none. Whereupon he put twenty shillings into my hand, and desired me to accept of that for the present. I saw a Divine hand in thus opening his heart and hand in this And though I would willingly have been excused from taking so much, and would have returned one half of it, yet he pressing it all upon me, I received it with a thankful acknowledgment, as a token of love from the Lord, and from him.

manner to me.

On the seventh-day he went down again (as he usually did) to his brother's house at Chalfont, and in discourse gave them an account of my imprisonment. Whereupon, at his return, on the second-day of the week following, my affectionate friend Mary Penington, sent me by him forty shillings; which he soon after brought me; out of which I would have repaid him the twenty shillings he had so kindly furnished me with; but he would not admit it, telling me, I might have occasion for that, and more, before I got my liberty.

Not many days after this I received twenty shillings from my father, who being then at his house in Oxfordshire, and by letter from my sister, understanding that I was a prisoner in Bridewell, sent this money to me, for my support there; and withal a letter to my sister, for her to deliver to one called Mr. Wray, who lived near Bridewell, and was a servant to Sir Richard Brown, in some wharf of his, requesting him to intercede with his master,

who was one of the governors of Bridewell, for my deliverance. But that letter coming to my hands, I suppressed it; and have it yet by me.

Now was my pocket from the lowest ebb risen to a full tide. I was at the brink of want, next door to nothing; yet my confidence did not fail, nor my faith stagger: and now on a sudden I had plentiful supplies, shower upon shower, so that I abounded, yet was not lifted up, but in humility could say, This is the Lord's doing. And, without defrauding any of the instruments of the acknow. ledgments due unto them, mine eye looked over and beyond them to the Lord, who I saw was the author thereof, and prime agent therein; and with a thankful heart I returned thanksgivings and praises to him. And this great goodness of the Lord to me, I thus record, to the end that all, into whose hands this may come, may be encouraged to trust in the Lord, whose mercy is over all his works, and who is indeed a God near at hand, to help in the needful time.

Now I durst venture myself into the club, to which I had been invited; and accordingly, having by this time gained an acquaintance with them, took an opportunity to cast myself among them; and thenceforward, so long as we continued prisoners there together, I was one of their mess.

And now the chief thing I wanted, was employment, which scarce any wanted but my

self; for the rest of my company were gene rally tradesmen, of such trades as could set themselves on work. Of these divers were tailors, some masters, some journeymen; and with those I most inclined to settle. But because I was too much a novice in their art to be trusted with their work, lest I should spoil the garment, I got work from an hosier in Cheapside, which was to make night-waistcoats, of red and yellow flannel, for women and children. And with this I entered myself among the tailors, sitting cross-legged as they did; and so spent those leisure hours, with innocency and pleasure, which want of business would have made tedious. And indeed that was in a manner, the only advantage I had by it; for my master, though a very wealthy man, and one who professed not only friendship, but particular kindness to me, dealt, I thought, but hardly with me. For though he knew not what I had to subsist by, he never offered me a penny for my work, till I had done working for him; and went after I was releas ed to give him a visit; and then he would not reckon with me neither; because, as he smilingly said, he would not let me so far into his trade, as to acquaint me with the prices of the work; but would be sure to give me enough. And thereupon he gave me one crown piece, and no more; though I had wrought long for him, and made him many dozens of waistcoats, and bought the thread myself; which I thought was very poor pay, But as Provi