Not many days after this, I received twen-ship, but particular kindness to me, dealt I ty shillings from my father, who being then thought but hardly with me. For, though he at his house in Oxfordshire, and by letter from knew not what I had to subsist by, he never my sister, understanding that I was a prisoner offered me a penny for my work, till I had in Bridewell, sent this money to me for my done working for him, and went, after I was support there; and withal a letter to my sis- released, to give him a visit; and then he ter, for her to deliver to one called Mr. Wray, would not reckon with me neither, because, as who lived near Bridewell, and was a servant he smilingly said, he would not let me so far into to sir Richard Brown in some wharf of his, his trade, as to acquaint me with the prices of requesting him to intercede with his master, the work; but would be sure to give me enough. who was one of the governors of Bridewell, And thereupon he gave me one crown-piece for my deliverance. But that letter coming and no more; though I had wrought long to my hands, I suppressed it, and have it yet for him, and made him many dozens of by me. waistcoats, and bought the thread myself; which I thought was very poor pay. But, as Providence had ordered it, I wanted the work more than the wages, and therefore took what he gave me without complaining. 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 acknowledgment due to 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. About this time, while we were prisoners in our fair chamber, a Friend was brought and put in among us, who had been sent thither by Richard Brown to beat hemp; whose case was thus: He was a very poor man, who lived by mending shoes; and late on a seventh-day night a car-man, or some other such labouring man, brought him a pair of shoes to mend, desiring him to mend them that night, that he might have them in the morning, for he had no other to wear. The poor man sat up at work upon them till after midnight, and then finding he could not finish them, he went to bed, intending to do the rest in the morning. Accordingly he got up betimes, and though I durst now venture myself into the club, he wrought as privately as he could in his to which I had been invited, and accordingly, chamber, that he might avoid giving offence having by this time gained an acquaintance to any, yet could he not do it so privately, but with them, took an opportunity to cast myself that an ill-natured neighbour perceived it, who among them; and thenceforward, so long as went and informed against him for "working we continued prisoners together, I was one of on the Sunday." Whereupon he was had betheir mess. fore Richard Brown, who committed him to Bridewell for a certain time, to be kept to hard labour in beating hemp, which is labour hard enough. It so fell out, that at the same time were committed thither, for what cause I do not now remember, two lusty young men who were called Baptists, to be kept also at the same labour. And now the chief thing I wanted was employment, which scarcely any wanted but my self; for the rest of my company were generally tradesmen, of such trades as could set themselves at work. Of these, divers were tailors, some masters, some journeymen, and with these 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 Friend was a poor little man, of a low the garment, I got work from a hosier in condition and mean appearance; whereas Cheapside, which was to make night-waist- these two Baptists were topping blades, that coats of red and yellow flannel, for women looked high and spake big. They scorned to and children. And with this I entered myself beat hemp, and made a pish at the whippingamong 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 a principle, as knowing he had done no evil man, and one who professed not only friend- for which he should undergo that punishment, VOL. VII.-No. 10. post; but when they had once felt the smart of it, they soon cried peccavi, and submitting to the punishment, set their tender hands to the beetles. The Friend, on the other hand acting upon 49 refused to work, and for refusing was cruelly whipped; which he bore with wonderful constancy and resolution of mind. The manner of whipping there, is to strip the party to the skin from the waist upwards, and having fastened him to the whipping-post, so that he can neither resist nor shun the strokes, to lash the naked body with long, but slender twigs of holly, which will bend almost like thongs and lap round the body; and these having little knots upon them, tear the skin and flesh, and give extreme pain. With these rods they tormented the Friend most barbarously; and the more, for that having mastered the two braving Baptists, they disdained to be mastered by this poor Quaker. Yet were they fain at last to yield, when they saw their utmost severity could not make him yield. And then not willing to be troubled longer with him, they turned him up among us. When we had inquired of him how it was with him; and he had given us a brief account of both his cause and usage, it came in my mind, that I had in my box, which I had sent for from my lodging, to keep some few books and other necessaries in, a little gally pot with Lucatelli's balsam in it. but it proved otherwise, so that I was one of the last that was called; which gave me the advantage of hearing the pleas of the other prisoners, and discovering the temper of the court. The prisoners complained of the illegality of their imprisonment, and desired to know what they had lain so long in prison for? The court regarded nothing of that, and did not stick to tell them so. For,' said the recorder to them, if you think you have been wrong. fully imprisoned, you have your remedy at law, and may take it, if you think it worth your while. The court,' said he, may send for any man out of the street, and tender him the oath: so we take no notice how you came hither, but finding you here, we tender you the oath of allegiance; which if you refuse to take, we shall commit you, and at length premunire you.' Accordingly, as every one refused it, he was set aside and another called. By this I saw, it was in vain for me to insist upon false imprisonment, or ask the cause of my commitment; though I had before furnished myself with some authorities and max. ims of law on that subject, to have pleaded if room had been given; and I had the book, out of which I took them, in my bosom; for the weather being cold, I wore a gown girt about the middle, and had put the book within it. But I now resolved to wave all that, and insist upon another plea, which just then came into my mind. Wherefore causing a good fire to be made, and setting the Friend within a blanket before the fire, we stripped him to the waist, as if he had been to be whipped again, and found his skin so cut and torn with the knotty holly rods, both back, side, arm and breast, that it As soon therefore as I was called, I stepped was a dismal sight to look upon. Then melting nimbly to the bar, and stood up upon the stepsome of the balsam, I with a feather anoint-ping, that I might the better both hear and be ed all the sores, and putting a softer cloth be heard; and laying my hands upon the bar, tween his skin and his shirt, helped him on stood ready, expecting what they would say with his clothes again. This dressing gave to me. him much ease, and I continued it till he was well. And because he was a very poor man, we took him into our mess, contriving that there should always be enough for him as well as for ourselves. Thus he lived with us until the time he was committed for was expired, and then he was released. But we were still continued prisoners by an arbitrary power, not being committed by the civil authority, nor having seen the face of any civil magistrate, from the day we were thrust in here by soldiers, which was the 26th day of the eighth month, to the 19th of the tenth month following. I suppose they took me for a confident young man, for they looked very earnestly upon me; and we faced each other, without words, for a while. At length the recorder, who was called sir John Howell, asked me if I would take the oath of allegiance? To which I answered, I conceive this court hath not power to tender that oath to me, in the condition wherein I stand. This unexpected plea seemed to startle them, so that they looked one upon another, and said somewhat low one to another, 'What! doth he demur to the jurisdiction of the court? And thereupon the recorder asked me, 'Do On that day we were had to the sessions at you then demur to the jurisdiction of the the Old-bailey. But not being called there, court? Not absolutely, answered I, but conwe were brought back to Bridewell, and conditionally, with respect to my present condi tinued there to the 29th of the same month, tion, and the circumstances I am now under. and then we were carried to the sessions again. I expected I should have been called the first, because my name was first taken down; 'Why, what is your present condition?' said the recorder. A prisoner, replied I. And what is that,' said he, to your taking, or not taking the oath?' Enough, said I, as I con ceive, to exempt me from the tender thereof, while I am under this condition. Pray, what is your reason for that?' said he. This, said I; that if I rightly understand the words of the statute, I am required to say, that I do take this oath freely and without constraint; which I cannot say, because I am not a free man, but in bonds, and under constraint. Wherefore I conceive, that if you would tender that oath to me, you ought first to set me free from my present imprisonment. But,' said the recorder, 'will you take the oath if you be set free?' Thou shalt see that, said I, when I am set free. Therefore set me free first, and then ask the question. 'But,' said he again, 'you know your own mind sure, and can tell now what you would do, if you were at liberty.' Yes, replied I, that I can; but I don't hold myself obliged to tell it until I am at liberty. Therefore set me at liberty, and you shall soon hear it. Thus we fenced a good while, till I was both weary of such trifling, and doubted also, lest some of the standers by should suspect I would take it, if I was at liberty. Wherefore when the recorder put it upon me again, I told him plainly, no; though I thought they ought not to tender it me till I had been set at liberty; yet if I was set at liberty, I could not take that or any other oath, because my Lord and Master Christ Jesus, had expressly commanded his disciples not to swear at all. As his command was enough to me, so this confession of mine was enough to them. 'Take him away,' said they: and away I was taken and thrust into the bail-dock to my other friends, who had been called before me. And as soon as the rest of our company were call. ed, and had refused to swear, we were all committed to Newgate, and thrust into the common side. When we came there, we found that side of the prison very full of Friends, who were prisoners there before, as indeed were, at that time, all the other parts of that prison, and most of the other prisons about the town, and our addition caused a great throng on that side. Notwithstanding which, we were kindly welcomed by our friends, whom we found there, and entertained by them, as well as their condition would admit, until we could get in our own accommodations, and provide for ourselves. round, having in the middle of it a great pillar of oaken timber, which bore up the chapel that is over it. To this pillar we fastened our hammocks at the one end, and to the opposite wall on the other end, quite round the room, and in three degrees, or three stories high, one over the other; so that they who lay in the upper and middle row of hammocks, were obliged to go to bed first, because they were to climb up to the higher, by getting into the lower. And under the lower rank of hammocks, by the wall-sides were laid beds upon the floor, in which the sick, and such weak persons as could not get into the hammocks, lay. And indeed, though the room was large and pretty airy, yet the breath and steam that came from so many bodies of different ages, conditions and constitutions, packed up so close together, was enough to cause sickness amongst us, and I believe did so. For there were many sick and some very weak; though we were not long there, yet in that time one of our fellowprisoners, who lay in one of those pallet-beds, died. This caused some bustle in the house. For the body of the deceased being laid out, and put into a coffin, was carried down and set in the room called the Lodge, that the coroner might inquire into the cause and manner of his death. And the manner of their doing it is thus: as soon as the coroner is come, the turnkeys run out into the street under the gate, and seize upon every man that passes by, till they have got enough to make up the coroner's inquest. And so resolute these rude fellows are, that if any man resist, or dispute it with them, they drag him in by main force, not regarding what condition he is of. I have been told, they will not stick to stop a coach, and pluck the men out of it. Nay, It so happened, that at this time they lighted on an ancient man, a grave citizen, who was trudging through the gate in great haste, and him they laid hold on, telling him he must come in and serve upon the coroner's inquest. He pleaded hard, begged and besought them to let him go, assuring them he was going on very urgent business, and that the stopping him would be greatly to his prejudice. But they were deaf to all entreaties, and hurried him in, the poor man chafing without remedy. When they had got their complement and We had the liberty of the hall, which is on were shut in together, the rest of them said the first story over the gate, and which, in the to this ancient man, Come, father, you are day-time, is common to all the prisoners on the oldest among us, you shall be our forethat side, felons as well as others, to walk in man.' And when the coroner had sworn them and to beg out of, and we had also the liberty on the jury, the coffin was uncovered, that of some other rooms over that hall, to walk they might look upon the body. But the old or work in by day. But in the night we all man, disturbed in his mind at the interruption lodged in one room, which was large and they had given him, was grown somewhat fretful upon it-said to them, 'To what pur-porter of Bridewell to attend him there, sent This much displeased the keepers, and they began to banter the old man, thinking to have beaten him off it. But he stood up tightly to them; Come, come,' said he, though you have made a fool of me in bringing me in hither, ye shall not find a child of me now I am here. Mistake not yourselves; I understand my place and your duty; and I require you to conduct me and my brethren, to the place where this man died: refuse it at your peril. They now wished they had let the old man go about his business, rather than by troubling him, have brought this trouble on themselves. But when they saw he persisted in his resolution, and was peremptory, the coroner told them they must show him the place. It was in the evening when they began this work; and by this time it was grown bed-time with us, so that we had taken down our hammocks, which in the day were hung up by the walls, and had made them ready to go into, and were undressing ourselves in readiness to go into them. When on a sudden we heard a great noise of tongues and of trampling of feet coming up towards us. And by and by one of the turnkeys opening our door, said, 'Hold, hold, don't undress yourselves, here's the coroner's inquest coming to see you.' As soon as they were come to the door, for within the door there was scarcely room for them to come, the foreman who led them, lifting up his hand, said, 'Lord bless me, what a sight is here! I did not think there had been so much cruelty in the hearts of Englishmen, to use Englishmen in this manner! We need not now question,' said he to the rest of the jury, how this man came by his death; we may rather wonder that they are not all dead, for this place is enough to breed an infection among them. Well,' added he, if it please God to lengthen my life till to-morrow, I will find means to let the king know how his subjects are dealt with.' Whether he did so or no, I cannot tell; but I am apt to think that he applied himself to the mayor, or the sheriffs of London. For the next day one of the sheriffs, called sir William Turner, a woollen draper in Paul's yard, came to the press yard, and having ordered the We duly acknowledged the favour of the sheriff to us and our friends above, in this removal of us, which would give them more room, and us better air. But before we parted from him, I spake particularly to him on another occasion, which was this: When we came into Newgate, we found a shabby fellow there among the Friends, who upon inquiry, we understood had thrust him. self among our Friends, when they were taken at a meeting, on purpose to be sent to prison with them, in hopes to be maintained by them. They knew nothing of him, till they found him shut in with them in the prison, and then took no notice of him, as not knowing how or why he came thither. But he soon gave them cause to take notice of him; for wherever he saw any victuals brought forth for them to eat, he would be sure to thrust in with knife in hand, and make himself his own carver; and so impudent was he, that if he saw the provision was short, whoever wanted, he would be sure to take enough. Thus lived this lazy drone upon the labours of the industrious bees, to his high content and their no small trouble, to whom his company was as offensive, as his ravening was oppres sive; nor could they get any relief by their complaining of him to the keepers. This fellow hearing the notice which was given for the Bridewell men to go down, in order to be removed to Bridewell again, and hoping no doubt, that fresh quarters would produce fresh commons, and that he should fare better with us than where he was, thrust himself amongst us, and went down into the press yard with us. Which I knew not of, till I saw him standing there with his hat on, and looking as demurely as he could, that the sheriff might take him for a Quaker: at sight of which my spirit was much stirred. Wherefore, as soon as the sheriff had done speaking to us, and we had made our acknow- over the gate, is a good place to walk in, when ledgment of his kindness, I stepped a little the prisoners are out of it, saving the danger nearer to him, and pointing to that fellow, of catching some cattle which they may have said, That man is not only none of our com-left in it; and there I used to walk in a mornpany, for he is no Quaker; but is an idle disso-ing before they were let up, and sometimes in lute fellow, who hath thrust himself in among the day-time when they have been there. our friends, to be sent to prison with them, that he might live upon them; therefore I desire we may not be troubled with him at Bridewell. They all carried themselves respectfully towards me; which I imputed chiefly to this, That when any of our women Friends came there to visit the prisoners, if they had not At this the sheriff smiled; and calling the relations of their own there to take care of fellow forth, said to him, How came you to them, I, as being a young man, and more at be in prison?' I was taken at a meeting,' leisure than most others, for I could not play said he. But what business had you there?' the tailor there, was forward to go down with said the sheriff. I went to hear,' said he. them to the grate, and see them safely out. And Aye, you went upon a worse design, it seems,' sometimes they have left money in my hands replied the sheriff, but I'll disappoint you,' for the felons, who at such times were very said he; for I'll change your company, and importunate beggars, which I forthwith dissend you to them that are like yourself.' tributed among them in bread, which was Then calling for the turnkey, he said, 'Take to be had in the place. But so troublesome this fellow, and put him among the felons; an office it was, that I thought one had as and be sure let him not trouble the Quakers any more.' Hitherto this fellow had stood with his hat on, as willing to have passed, if he could, for a Quaker; but as soon as he heard this doom passed on him, off went his hat, and to bowing and scraping he fell, with 'good your worship have pity upon me, and set me at liberty.' 'No, no, said the sheriff, I will not so far disappoint you; since you had a mind to be in prison, in prison you shall be for me.' Then bidding the turnkey take him away, he had him up, and put him among the felons; and so Friends had a good deliverance from him. The sheriff then bidding us farewell, the porter of Bridewell came to us, and told us, we knew our way to Bridewell without him, and he could trust us; therefore he would not stay or go with us, but left us to take our own time, so we were in before bed-time. Then went we up again to our friends in Newgate, and gave them an account of what had passed; and having taken a solemn leave of them, we made up our packs to be gone. But before I pass from Newgate, I think it not amiss to give the reader some little account of what I observed while I was there. The common side of Newgate is generally accounted, as it really is, the worst part of that prison; not so much from the place, as the people, it being usually stocked with the veriest rogues, and meanest sort of felons and pick-pockets, who not being able to pay chamber-rent on the master's side, are thrust in there. And if they come in bad, to be sure they do not go out better; for here they have an opportunity to instruct one another in their art, and impart each to the other what improvements they have made therein. The common hall, which is the first room good have had a pack of hungry hounds about one, as these, when they knew there was a dole to be given. Yet this I think, made them a little the more observant to me; for they would dispose themselves to one side of the room, that they might make way for me to walk on the other. And when I walked there, I had usually a book in my hand, on which I had mine eye; which made them think I did not heed what they said. By this means my ear being attentive to them, I heard them relate one to another many of their roguish pranks. One day, as I was thus walking to and fro beside them, I heard them recounting one to another what feats they had done at pocketpicking and shop-lifting. Whereupon, turning short upon them, I asked them, Which of you all will undertake to pick my pocket? They were not very forward to answer, but viewed me round. I wore a long gown, which was lapped over before and tied about the middle, and had no pocket holes in it. When they had a while considered it, and I having taken another turn, was come up again to them, one of them said, 'Why master, if you will promise not to prosecute us, we will show you a piece of our skill.' Nay, hold there, said I, I won't so far encourage you in evil, as to promise not to prosecute; and away I turned again, having mine eye on my book, but my ears to them. And in a while I heard them contriving how they would have done it. I,' said one of them, 'would give him the budge, and before he can recover himself, you,' said he to another of them, 'having your penknife ready, should slit his gown; and then,' said he, let Honeypot alone for the diving part.' This Honeypot was a little boy, then in prison with them for picking a pocket, who by his stature did not seem to be above ten, or a do |