the Act for Banishment, which limited a certain 1665. time for Imprisonment: yet he, in his Mittimus, limitted no time, but ordered us to be kept till we should be delivered by due Course of Law; fo little regardful was he, though a Lawyer, of keeping to the Letter of the LAW. We were committed on the Thirteenth Day of the Month called March, 1665. and were kept close Prisoners there till the Seventh Day of the Month called June, 1666; which was 1666. some Days above Twelve Weeks: and much above what the Act required. Then were we fent for to the Juftices House, and the reft being Releafed, Morgan Watkins and I were required to find Sureties, for our Appearance at the next Affize; which we refufing to do, were committed a-new to our old Prison (the Heufe of Correction at Wiccomb) there to lie until the next Affizes: Morgan being, in this fecond Mittimus, reprefented as a Notorious Offender in Preaching; and I, as being upon the second Conviction, in order to Banishment. There we lay, till the Five and Twentieth Day of the fame Month; and then, by the Favour of the Earl of Ancram, being brought before him at his House, we were discharged from the Prison, upon our Promise to appear (if at Liberty and in Health) at the Affizes. Which we did, and were there discharged by Proclamation. During my Imprisonment in this Prifon, I betook my felf, for an Imployment, to making of Nets for Kitchin-Service, to boil Herbs, &c. in; which Trade I learned of Morgan Watkins, and 1666. and Selling fome, and Giving others, I pretty well stocked the Friends of that Country with them. Though in that Confinement I was not very well fuited with Company for Converfation; Morgan's natural Temper not being very agreeable to mine: yet we kept a fair and Brotherly Correfpondence, as became Friends, Prifon-fellows and Bed-fellows; which we were. And indeed, it was a good Time, I think to us all; for I found it fo to me; the Lord being gracioufly pleased to vifit my Soul with the refreshing Dews of his divine Life, whereby my Spirit was more and more quickned to him, and Truth gained ground in me over the Temptations and Snares of the Enemy, Which frequently raised in my Heart Thanksgivings and Praises unto the LORD. And at one time more especially, the Sense I had of the Profperity of Truth, and the fpreading thereof, filling my Heart with abundant Joy, made my Cup overflow, and the following Lines drop out. For Truth I fuffer Bonds, in Truth I live; And And underneath thus, Tho' Death and Hell should against Truth combine, It's Glory fball through all their Darkness shine. This I saw with an Eye of Faith, beyond the reach of Humane Senfe. As ftrong Defire Draws Objects nigher For. In Apprehenfion, than indeed they are 1, with an Eye That pierced high, Did thus of Truth's Profperity declare. After we had been discharged at the Affizes, I returned to Ifaac Penington's Family at Bottrel's in Chalfont; and (as I remember) Morgan Watkins with me: leaving Ifaac Penington a Prifoner in Alesbury Goal. The Lodgings we had in this Farm-House (Bottrel's) proving too ftrait and inconvenient for the Family, I took larger and better Lodgings for them in Berrie-Houfe at Amersham; whither we went at the time called Michaelmas, having spent the Summer at the other Place. Some time after, was that memorable Meeting appointed to be holden at London, through a a divine Opening, in the Motion of Life, in that eminent Servant and Prophet of God, George 1666. 1667. 1667. George Fox; for the Reftoring, and bringing in again those, who had gone out. from Truth, and the Holy Unity of Friends therein, by the Means and Miniftry of John Perrot. This Man came pretty early amongst Friends, and too early took upon him the Ministerial Office: and being, though little in Perfon, yet great in Opinion of himself, nothing less would ferve him than to go and Convert the POPE: In order whereunto, he (having a better Man than himself, John Luff, to accompany him) travelled to Rome, where they had not been long, e're they were taken up, and clap't into Prilon; Luff (as I remember) was put in the Inquifition, and Perrot in their Bedlam, or Hofpital for Madmen. Luff died in Prifon (not without well-grounded Sufpicion of being Murthered there) but Perrot lay there fome time, and now and then fent over an Epistle to be Printed here, written in fuch an affected and phantaftick Stile, as might have induced an indifferent Reader to believe, they had fuited the place of his Confinement to his Condition. After fome time, through the Mediation of Friends (who hoped better of him, than he proved) with fome Perfon of Note and Interest there, he was released, and came back for England. And the Report of his great Sufferings there (far greater in Report, than in Reality). joined with a fingular Shew of Sanctity, so far opened the Hearts of many tender and compaffionate Friends towards him, that it gave him him the Advantage of infinuating himself in- 1667. to their Affections and Efteem, and made way for the more ready Propagation of that peculiar Error of his, of Keeping on the Hat in time of Prayer, as well publick as private, unleß they had an immediate Motion at that time to put it off. Now although I had not the leaft Acquaintance with this Man, not having ever exchanged a Word with him (though I knew him by Sight;) nor had I any Efteem of him for either his Natural Parts, or Minifterial Gift, but rather a Dislike of his Afpect, Preaching and way of Writing; yet this Error of his being broached in the Time of my Infancy, and Weakness of Judgment as to Truth (while I lived privately in London, and had little Converfe with Friends.) I, amongst the many who were catch't in that Snare, was taken with the Notion, as what then feemed, to my weak Understanding, fuitable to the Doctrine of a Spiritual Difpenfation. And the Matter coming to warm Debates, both in Words and Writing, I, in a mifguided Zeal, was ready to have entred the Lifts of Contention about it: not then seeing what Spirit it proceeded from, and was managed by; nor forfeeing the Dif order and Confufion in Worship, which must naturally attend it. But as I had no evil Intention, or finister End in engaging in it; but was fimply betrayed by the fpecious Pretence and Shew of greater Spirituality: the Lord, in tender Compaffion to my Soul, was graciously pleased to open my Under |