settlement or place of habitation appeared unto him;" this he contradicts in his own mittimus, mentioning therein the places of our abode and habitation; the account of which we satisfactorily and fully gave him. And one of us (Thomas Lower,) told him, that he was going down with his mother-in-law, (who is George Fox's wife,) and with his sister, to fetch up his own wife and child out of the north into his own country. And the other of us (George Fox,) told him that he was bringing forward his wife on her journey towards the north, who had been in London, to visit one of her daughters, who had lately lain in. And having received a message from his mother, an ancient woman in Liecestershire, that she earnestly desired to see him before she died, he intended, as soon as he had brought his wife on her journey as far as Causal, in Warwickshire, to turn into Leicestershire, to visit his mother and relations there, and then to have returned to London. But by his interrupting us in our journey, taking the husband from his wife, the son from his mother and sister, and stopping him from visiting his wife and child so remote, we were forced to get strangers or whom we could, to help them on their journey, to our great damage and hinderance. We asked the priest, "whether this was his gospel, and their way of entertaining strangers?" And we desired the justice to consider, whether this was doing "as he would be done by?" But he said, " he had said it, and he would do it." And whereas he says, "we refused to give sureties." He asked only George Fox for sureties; who replied, "he was an innocent man, and knew no law he had broken;" but he did not ask Thomas Lower for any, as if it had been crime and cause enough for his commitment that he came out of Cornwall. If we were at a meeting, as he says in his mittimus, he might have proceeded otherwise, than by sending us to gaol, to answer the breach of the common laws; though he showed us no breach of any, as may be seen in the mittimus. We thought fit to lay before you the substance of his proceedings against us, hoping there will more moderation and justice appear in you towards us, that we may prosecute our intended journey.

'GEORGE FOX. THOMAS LOWER.'

But no enlargement did we receive by our application to the lord Windsor, (so called.) And although Thomas Lower received several letters from his brother Dr. Lower, who was one of the king's physicians, concerning his liberty, and one by his procurement, from Henry Savil, who was one of the king's bed-chamber, to his brother called the lord Windsor to the same effect; yet seeing it related only to his enlargement, not mine, so great was his love and regard to me, that he would not seek his own liberty singly, but kept the letter by him unsent; so we

were continued prisoners till the next general quarter sessions of the peace. At which time divers Friends from several places being in town, did speak to the justices concerning us; who spoke fair and said we should be discharged. For many of the justices seemed to dislike the severity of Parker's proceedings against us, and declared an averseness to ensnare us by the tender of the oaths. Some Friends also had spoken with lord Windsor, who likewise spoke them fair; so that it was the general discourse we should be discharged. We heard also, that Dr. Lower had procured a letter from colonel Sands at London, to some of the justices in our favour. Some of the justices also spoke to some Friends to acquaint us, that they would have us speak but little in the court, lest we should provoke any of the bench, and they would warrant we should be discharged.

We were not called till the last day of the sessions, which was the twenty-first day of the eleventh month, 1673. When we came in, they were struck with paleness in their faces, and it was some time before any thing was spoken; insomuch that a butcher in the hall said, 'what! are they afraid? dare not the justices speak to them? At length, before they spoke to us, justice Parker made a long speech on the bench, much to the same effect as was contained in the mittimus, often mentioning the common laws, but not instancing any we had broken. Adding, 'that he thought it a milder course to send us two to gaol, than to put his neighbours to the loss of two hundred pounds, which they must have suffered if he had put the law in execution against conventicles.' But in this he was either very ignorant, or very deceitful; for there being no meeting when he came, nor any to inform, he had no evidence to convict us, or his neighbours by.

When Parker had ended his speech the justices began with Thomas Lower, whom they examined of the cause of his coming into that country; of which he gave them a full and plain account. Sometimes I put in a word while they were examining him, and then they told me, they were upon his examination, when it came to my turn, I should have free liberty to speak, for they would not hinder me; but I should have full time, and they would not insnare us.' When they had done with him, they asked me an account of my travel, which I gave them, as is mentioned before, but more largely. And whereas, justice Parker, to aggravate the case, had made a great noise of there being some from London, some from the north, some from Cornwall, and some from Bristol, at the house when I was taken.' I told him, 'This was in a manner all but one family. For there was none from London, but myself; none from the north, but my wife and her daughter; none from Cornwall, but my son-in-law Thomas Lower; nor any from Bristol, but one Friend, a merchant there, who met us, as it were, providentially, to assist my wife

and her daughter in their journey homewards, when by our imprisonment they were deprived of our company and help.' When I had spoken, the chairman, whose name was Simpson, an old Presbyterian, said, "Your relation or account is very innocent.' Then he and Parker whispered awhile together, and after that the chairman stood up and said: 'You, Mr. Fox, are a famous man, and all this may be true which you have said; but that we may be the better satisfied, will you take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy? I told them, 'They had said, "They would not insnare us ;" but this was a plain snare: for they knew we could not take any oath.' However, they caused the oath to be read; and when they had done, I told them I never took an oath in my life, but I had always been true to the government: that I was cast into prison at Derby, and kept a prisoner six months there, because I would not take up arms against king Charles.at Worcester-fight; and for going to meetings, was carried up out of Leicestershire, and brought before Oliver Cromwell, as a plotter to bring in king Charles. And ye know,' said I, in your own consciences, that we, the people called Quakers, cannot take an oath, nor swear in any case, because Christ hath forbidden it. But as to the matter or substance contained in the oaths, this I can and do say, that I do own and acknowledge the king of England to be lawful heir and successor to the realm of England, and do abhor all plots and plotters, and contrivances against him; and I have nothing in my heart, but love and good-will to him and all men, and desire his and their prosperity; the Lord knows it, before whom I stand an innocent man. And as to the oath of supremacy, I deny the pope, his power and his religion, and abhor it with my heart. While I was speaking, they cried,Give him the book.' I said, the book saith, "Swear not at all." Then they cried, take him away, gaoler;' and I still speaking on, they were urgent upon the gaoler, crying; Take him away, we shall have a meeting here. Why do you not take him away? that fellow (meaning the gaoler,) loves to hear him preach.' Then the gaoler drew me away; and as I was turning from them, I stretched out my arm, and said, 'The Lord forgive you, who cast me into prison for obeying the doctrine of Christ.' Thus they apparently broke their promise in the face of the country; for they promised I should have free liberty to speak, but now they would not give it me; and they promised they would not insnare us, yet now they tendered me the oaths on purpose to insnare me.

After I was had away, Thomas Lower was staid behind in the court; and they told him, ' He was at liberty.' Then he would have reasoned with them, asking them, Why I might not be set at liberty as well as he, seeing we were both taken together, and our case was alike?' but they told him, 'They would not hear him;' saying, 'You may be gone

about your business, for we have nothing more to say to you, seeing you are discharged.' This was all he could get from them. Wherefore, after the court was risen, he went to speak with them at their chamber, desiring to know, What cause they had to detain his father, seeing they had discharged him?' and wishing them to consider, whether this was not partiality, and would be a blemish to them. Whereupon Simpson threatened him, saying, 'If you be not content we will tender you the oaths also, and send you to your father.' To which he replied, They might do that, if they thought fit; but whether they sent him or no, he intended to go and wait upon his father in prison; for that was now his business in that country.' Then said justice Parker to him, 'Do you think, Mr. Lower, that I had not cause to send your father and you to prison, when you had such a great meeting that the parson of the parish complained to me, that he hath lost the greatest part of his parishioners; so that when he comes amongst them he has scarce any auditors left?' 'I have heard,' replied Thomas Lower, that the priest of that parish comes so seldom to visit his flock (but once, it may be, or twice in a year, to gather up his tithes,) that it was but charity in my father to visit such a forlorn and forsaken flock; therefore thou hadst no cause to send my father to prison for visiting them, or for teaching, instructing, and directing them to Christ, their true teacher, who had so little comfort or benefit from their pretended pastor, who comes amongst them only to seek for his "gain from his quarter." Upon this the justices fell a laughing; for it seems Dr. Crowder, the priest they spoke of, was then sitting among them, though Thomas Lower did not know him; and he had the wit to hold his tongue, and not undertake to vindicate him. self in a matter so notoriously known to be true. But when Thomas Lower was come from them, the justices did so play upon Dr. Crowder, that he was pitifully ashamed, and so nettled with it, that he threatened to sue Thomas Lower in the bishop's court, upon an action of defamation. Which when Thomas Lower heard of, he sent him word, he would answer his suit, let him begin it when he would; and would bring his whole parish in evidence against him. This cooled the doctor. Yet some time after he came to the prison, pretending he had a mind to dispute with me, and to talk with Thomas Lower about that business; and he brought another with him, he himself being then a prebendary at Worcester.

When he came in, he asked me, What I was in prison for? Dost not thou know that?' said I. Wast not thou upon the bench, when justice Simpson and Parker tendered the oath to me? and hadst not thou a hand in it?' Then he said, It is lawful to swear; and Christ did not forbid swearing before a magistrate; but swearing by the sun and the like.' I bid him prove that by the scriptures, but he could not. Then

he brought that saying of Paul's, All things are lawful unto me.' 1 Cor. vi. 12. And if,' said he,' all things were lawful unto him, then swearing was lawful unto him.' By this argument,' said I, ' thou mayest also affirm, that drunkenness, adultery, and all manner of sin and wickedness are lawful also, as well as swearing.' 'Why,' said Dr. Crowder, do you hold that adultery is unlawful? Yes,' said I, 'that I do.' 'Why then,' said he, this contradicts the saying of St. Paul.' Thereupon I called to the prisoners and the gaoler, to hear what doctrine Dr. Crow-der had laid down for orthodox, viz. that drunkenness, swearing, adul tery, and such like things were lawful.' Then he said, 'He would give it under his hand;' and took a pen, but wrote another thing than what he had spoken. Then turning to Thomas Lower, he asked him, whether he would answer what he had there written?' who undertook it. Whereupon, when he had threatened Thomas Lower to sue him in the bishop's court for speaking so abusively (as he called it,) of him, before the jus tices, and Thomas had bid him begin when he pleased, for he would answer him, and bring his parishioners in evidence against him, he went away in a great fret, grumbling to himself as he went. A few days after Thomas Lower sent him an answer to the paper he had wrote and left with him; which answer a Friend of Worcester carried to him, and he read it, and said, 'He would reply to it; but he never did, though he often sent him word he would do it.

Soon after the sessions, the term coming on, an habeas corpus was sent to Worcester for the sheriff to bring me up to the king's bench bar. Whereupon the under-sheriff having made Thomas Lower his deputy to convey me to London, we set out the twenty-ninth of the eleventh month, 1673, and came to London the second of the twelth month; the ways being very deep, and the waters out. Next day, notice being given that I was brought up, the sheriff was ordered to bring me into court. I went accordingly, and did appear in court before judge Wild; and both he and the lawers were pretty fair, so that I had time to speak, to clear my innocency, and show my wrong imprisonment. After the return of the writ was entered, I was ordered to be brought into court again next day; the order of court being as followeth :

• Worcester,

The King ' against

'George Fox.

Thursday, next after the morrow of the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the 26th year of King Charles the Second.

THE defendant being brought here into court, upon a writ of habeas corpus ad subjiciend. &c. under the custody of the sheriff of the county aforesaid; it is ordered. That the Return unto the habeas corpus be