1665. &

For, if your fickle Minds should alter, we
Should be to feek a New Conformity,
Thus who to Day Conform to Prelacy,
To Morrow may Conform to Pop ́ry.
But take this for an Answer, Bifhop, we
Cannot Conform either to Them, or Thee.
For while to Truth your Forms are oppofite,
Whoe'er Conforms thereto doth not aright.
B. We'll make fuch Knaves as you Conform, or lie
Confin'd in Prifons till ye Rot, and Die.
2. Well, gentle Bishop, I may live to fee,
For all thy Threats, a Check to Cruelty;
And thee, Rewarded, with thy envious
Crew,

According as unto your Works is due:
But, in the mean time, I, for my Defence,
Betake me to my Fortress, PATIENCE:

No fooner was this Cruel Law made, but it was put in Execution with great Severity. The fenfe whereof, working ftrongly on my Spirit, made me Cry earnestly to the Lord; that he would Arife, and fet up his Righteous Judgment in the Earth, for the Deliverance of his People from all their Enemies, both Inward and Outward: And in these Terms I uttered it.

Awake,

A Wake, awake, O Arm o'th' Lord awake;

Thy Sword up take:

Caft what would thine forgetful of thee make,
Into the Lake.

Awake, I Pray, O mighty Jah, awake;
Make all the World before thy Presence quake:
Not only Earth, but Heaven alfo shake.
Arife, arife, O Jacob's God, arife;
And hear the Cries

Of ev'ry Soul, which in Distress now lies,
And to thee Flies.

Arife, I Pray, O Ifrael's Hope arise;
Set free thy Seed, Oppreft by Enemies.
Why should they over it still Tyrannize!

Make Speed, make Speed, O Ifrael's Help, make

In time of Need:

For Evil Men have Wickedly decreed

Against thy Seed.

(Speed;

Make Speed,I Pray,O mighty God,make Speed;
Let all thy Lambs from Savage Wolves be freed,
That fearless on thy Mountain they may Feed.
Ride on, Ride on, thou Valiant Man of Might,
And put to Flight

Those

1665.

1665. Thofe Sons of Belial, who do Defpight
To the Upright.

Ride on, I fay, Thou Champion; and Smite
Thine and thy Peoples En'mies with fuch

Might,

That none may dare 'gainst thee, or thine, to
Fight.

I

Although the Storm, raised by the Act for Banishment, fell with the greatest Weight and Force upon fome other Parts (as at London, Hertford, &c.) Yet we were not, in Buckinghamshire, wholly exempted therefrom, for a part of that Shower reached us alfo.

For a Friend of Amersham (whofe Name was Edward Perot, or Parret) departing this Life, and Notice being given, that his Body would be Buried there on fuch a Day (which was the First Day of the Fifth Month, 1665.) the Friends of the adjacent parts of the Country reforted pretty generally to the Burial: So that there was a fair Appearance of Friends and Neighbours, the Deceafed having been well beloved by both.

After we had spent fome time together in the Houfe (Morgan Watkins, who at that time happen'd to be at Ifaac Penington's, being with us) the Body was taken up, and born on Friends Shoulders along the Street, in order to be Carried to the Burying Ground, which was at the

Towns

Towns End: being part of an Orchard belong-1665. ing to the Deceafed; which he in his Life time, had appointed for that Service.

It fo happened, that one Ambrofe Benett, a Barifter at Law, and a Juftice of the Peace for that County, Riding through the Town that Morning in his way to Alesbury, was by fome ill-difpofed Perfon or other, Informed, that there was a Quaker to be Buried there that Day; and that most of the Quakers in the Country were come thither to the Burial.

Upon this he fet up his Horfes, and ftaid; and when we (not knowing any thing of his Design against us) went Innocently forward, to perform our Chriftian Duty, for the Inter:ment of our Friend, He rufhed out of his Inn upon us, with the Conftables, and a Rabble of Rude Fellows, whom he had gathered together; and having his drawn Sword in his Hand, Struck one of the Foremost of the Bearers with it, Commanding them to fet down the Coffin. But the Friend who was fo ftricken (whose Name was Thomas Dell) being more concerned for the fafety of the Dead Body, than his own, left it should fall from his Shoulder, and any Indecency thereupon follow; held the Coffin faft: Which the Justice obferving, and being enraged that his Word (how unjust foever) was not forthwith Obeyed, fet his Hand to the Coffin, and with a forcible Thruft threw it off from the Bearers Shoulders, so that it fell to the Ground in the midst of the Street, and there we were forced to leave it.

For

1665.

For immediately thereupon, the Justice giving Command for the Apprehending us, the Constables with the Rabble fell on us, and drew fome, and drove others into the Inn; giving thereby ar Opportunity to the reft to walk away.

Of those that were thus taken, I was one. And being, with many more, put into a Room, under a Guard; we were kept there till another Juftice (called Sir Thomas Clayton, whom Juftice Benett had fent for to joyn with him in Committing us) was come. And then, being called forth feverally before them, they picked out Ten of us, and Committed us to Alesbury Goal, for what neither we nor they knew: For we were not Convicted of having either done, or fad any thing, which the Law could take hold of: For they took us up in the open Street (the King's High-way) not doing any Unlawful Act; but peaceably Carrying and Accomparying the Corps of our Deceafed Friend, to Bury it. Which they would not fuffer us to do; but caused the Body to lie in the open Street, and in the Cart-way; fo that all the Travellers that paffed by (whether Horfe-Men, Coaches, Carts, or Waggons) were fain to break out of the Way, to go by it, that they might not drive over it, until it was almoft Night. And then, having caufed a Grave to be made in the Unconfecrated part (as it is accounted) of that which is called the Church-Yard, they forcibly took the Body from the Widow (whofe Right and Property it was) and Buried it there. When