elining towards her; yet was I not hasty in proposing, but waited to feel a satisfactory set. tlement of mind therein, before I made any step thereto.

After some time, I took an opportunity to open my mind therein, unto my much honoured friends, Isaac and Mary Penington, who then stood parentum loco, in the place or stead of parents to me. They having solemnly weighed the matter, expressed their unity therewith: and indeed their approbation thereof was no small confirmation to me therein. Yet took I further deliberation, often retiring in spirit to the Lord, and crying to him for direction, before I addressed myself to her. At length, as I was sitting all alone, waiting upon the Lord for counsel and guidance in this, in itself, and to me so important affair, I felt a word sweetly rise in me, as if I had heard a voice, which said, Go and prevail. And faith springing in my heart with the word, I immediately arose and went, nothing doubting.

When I was come to her lodgings, (which were about a mile from me) her maid told me she was in her chamber, for having been under some indisposition of body, which had obliged her to keep her chamber, she had not yet left it. Wherefore I desired the maid to acquaint her mistress, that I was come to give her a visit; whereupon I was invited to go up to her. And after some little time spent conversation, feeling my spirit

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weightily concerned, I solemnly opened my mind unto her, with respect to the particular business I came about; which I soon perceived was a great surprisal to her, for she had taken in an apprehension (as others also had that mine eye had been fixed elsew nearer home.

I used not many words to he a divine power went along w. and fixed the matter expres fast in her breast, that acknowledged to me) sh

out.

I made at that timet having told her I from her now; but

wards shut it

not ct an answer shen he would, in the the proposal made,

most solemn manner, w and in due time give me such an answer there. unto, as the Lord should give her I took my leave of her, and departed; leaving the issue to the Lord.

I had a journey then at hand, which I foresaw would take me up about two weeks time. Wherefore, the day before I was to set out, I went to visit her again; to acquaint her with my journey, and excuse my absence: not yet pressing her for an answer; but assuring her, that I felt in myself an increase of affection to her, and hoped to receive a suitable return from her in the Lord's time; to whom, in the mean time, I committed both her, myself, and the concern between us. And indeed, I found at my return, that I could not have

left it in a better hand; for the Lord had been my advocate in my absence, and had so far answered all her objections, that when I came to her again, she rather acquainted me with them, than urged them.

From that time forwards we entertained each other with affectionate kindness in order to marriage; which yet we did not hasten to, but went on deliberately. Neither did I use those vulgar ways of courtship, by making frequent and rich presents: not only for that my outward condition would not comport with the expense, but because I liked not to obtain by such means, but preferred an unbribed affection.

While this affair stood thus with me, I had occasion to take another journey into Kent and Sussex; which yet I would not mention here, but for a particular accident which befel me on the way.

The occasion of this journey was this. Mary Penington's daughter Guli intending to go to her uncle Springett's in Sussex, and from thence amongst her tenants, her mother desired me to accompany her, and assist her in her business with her tenants.

- We tarried at London the first night, and set out next morning on the Tunbridge-road; and Seven-Oak lying in our way, we put in. there to bait; but truly, we had much ado to get either provisions or room for ourselves or our horses; the house was so filled with guests, and those not of the better sort. For

the duke of York being, as we were told, on the road that day for the Wells, divers of his guards, and the meaner sort of his retinue, had near filled all the inns there.

I left John Gigger, who waited on Guli in this journey, and was afterwards her menial servant, to take care for the horses, while I did the like, as well as I could for her. I got a little room to put her into, and having shut her into it, went to see what relief the kitchen would afford us, and with much ado, by pray ing hard, and paying dear, I got a small joint of meat from the spit; which served rather to stay, than satisfy our stomachs, for we were all pretty sharp set.

After this short repast, being weary of our quarters, we quickly mounted, and took the road again; willing to hasten from a place where we found nothing but rudeness; for the Roysters, who at that time swarmed there, besides the damning oaths they belched out at one another, looked very sourly on us, as if they grudged us both the horses we rode, and the clothes we wore.

A knot of these soon followed us, designing (as we afterwards found) to put an abuse upon us, and make themselves sport with us. We had a spot of fine, smooth, sandy way, whereon the horses trod so softly, that we heard them not till one of them was upon us. I was then riding abreast with Guli, and dis coursing with her; when on a sudden, hearing a little noise, and turning mine eye that way, I saw an horseman coming up on the further

;

side of her horse, having his left arm stretched out, just ready to take her about the waist, and pluck her off backwards from her own horse, to lay her before him upon his. I had but just time to thrust forth my stick between him and her, and bid him stand off, and at the same time reining my horse to let hers go before me, thrust in between her and him and being better mounted than he, my horse run him off. But his horse being, though weaker than mine, yet nimble, he slipt by me and got up to her on the near side, endeavour. ing to offer abuse to her; to prevent which, I thrust in upon him again, and in our jostling, we drove her horse quite out of the way, and almost into the next hedge.

While we were thus contending, I heard a noise of loud laughter behind us; and turning my head that way, I saw three or four horse-men more, who could scarce sit their horses for laughing, to see the sport their companion made with us. From thence I saw it was a plot laid; and that this rude fellow was not to be dallied with; wherefore I bestirred myself the more to keep him off, admonishing him to take warning in time, and give over his abusiveness, lest he repented too late. He had in his hand a short thick truncheon, which he held up at me; on which laying hold with a strong gripe, I suddenly wrenched it out of his hand, and threw it at as far a distance behind as I could..

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