1662. He was no fooner gone out of my Sight, but Iefpied his Mafter croffing the Court. Wherefore stepping to him, I asked him, If he was willing to let me go out for a little while, to fee fome Friends of mine that Evening. Yes, faid he, very willing; and thereupon away walked I to Newgate; where having spent the Evening among Friends, I returned in good time.

Under this eafie Restraint we lay, till the Court fate at the Old-Baily again: And then, whether it was that the Heat of the Storm was fomewhat abated, or by what other means Providence wrought it, I know not; we were called to the Bar, and without further Question, discharged.

Whereupon we returned to Bridewell again, and having raised fome Monies among us, and therewith gratified both the Mafter and his Porter, for their Kindness to us; we spent fometime in a folemn Meeting, to return our thankful Acknowledgement to the LORD, both for His Prefervation of us in Prifon, and Deliverance of us out of it: and then taking a folemn Farewel of each other, we departed with Bag and Baggage. And I took care to return my Hammack to the Owner; with due Acknowledgement of his great Kindness, in lending

it me.

Being now at Liberty, I vifited more generally my Friends that were ftill in Prifon; and more particularly my Friend and Benefactor, William Penington, at his House: and then went to wait upon my Mafter Milton. With whom

yet

yet I could not propofe to enter upon my inter- 1662 mitted Studies, until I had been in Buckingham- . fbire, to vifit my worthy Friends Ifaac Penington, and his Virtuous Wife; with other Friends in that Country.

Thither therefore I betook my felf, and the Weather being Frofty, and the Ways, by that means, clean and good; I walked it thorow in a Day and was received by my Friends there, with fuch Demonftration of hearty Kindness, as made my Journey very eafie to me.

I had fpent in my Imprisonment that Twen ty Shillings, which I had received of William Penington; and Twenty of the Fourty, which had been sent me from Mary Penington, and had the Remainder then about me. That therefore I now returned to her, with due Acknowledgement of her Husband's and her great Care of me, and Liberality to me, in the time of my Need. She would have had me kept it. But I beg'd her to accept it from me again; fince it was the Redundancy of their Kindness, and the other Part had answered the Occafion, for which it was fent: and my Importunity prevailed.

I intended only a Vifit hither, not a Continuance: and therefore purposed, after I had ftaid a few Days, to return to my Lodging, and former Courfe in London: but Providence ordered it otherwise.

Ifaac Penington had at that time two Sons and one Daughter (all then very young) of whom the Eldest Son (John Penington) and the

Daugh

1662. Daughter (Mary, the Wife of Daniel Wharley) 3 are yet living at the writing of this. And being himself both Skilful and Curious in Pronounciation; he was very defirous to have them well grounded in the Rudiments of the English Tongue: to which End he had fent for a Man out of Lancafbire (whom, upon enquiry, he had heard of) who was undoubtedly the most accurate English Teacher, that ever I met with, or have heard of. His Name was Richard Bradley. But as he pretended no higher than the English Tongue; and had led them, by Grammar Rules, to the highest Improvement they were capable of in that he had then taken his Leave of them, and was gone up to London, to Teach an English School of Friends Children there.

This put my Friend to a fresh Straight. He had fought for a New Teacher, to instruct his Children in the Latin Tongue, as the Old had done in the English: but had not yet found one. Wherefore one Evening as we fate together by the Fire in his Bed-Chamber (which, for want of Health, he kept) He asked me (his Wife being by) If I would be fo kind to him, as to stay a while with him, till he could hear of fuch a Man as he aimed at; and in the mean time enter his Children in the Rudiments of the Latin Tongue.

This Question was not more unexpected, than furprizing to me; and the more, because it feemed directly to thwart my former Purpofe, and Undertaking, of endeavouring to improve my self by following my Studies with my Master Milton: which this would give at

leaft

least a present Divertion from; and for how 1662. long I could not foresee. w

But the Sense I had of the manifold Obligations I lay under to thefe worthy Friends of mine, fhut out all Reafonings; and difpofed my Mind to an abfolute Refignation to their Defire; that I might teftifie my Gratitude, by a Willingness to do them any friendly Service, that I could be capable of.

And though I queftioned my Ability to carry on that Work, to its due Height and Proportion; yet as that was not propofed, but an Initiation only, by Accidence into Grammar: I confented to the Propofal, as a prefent Expedient (till a more qualified Perfon fhould be found;) without further Treaty, or mention of Terms between us, than that of mutual Friendship. And to render this Digreffion from my own Studies the lefs uneafie to my Mind, I recollected (and often thought of) that Rule in Lilly,

Qui docet indoctos, licet indoctiffimus effet,
Ipfe brevi reliquis doctior effe queat.

He that th' Unlearn'd doth teach, may
quickly be

More Learn'd than they, though most
Unlearned He.

With this Confideration I undertook this Province; and left it not until I Married: which was not till the Year 1669, near Seven

.

Years

1662. Years from the time I came thither. In which time, having the Ufe of my Friends Books, as well as of mine own, I spent my leasure Hours much in Reading; not without fome improvement to my self in my private Studies; which (with the good Succefs of my Labours bestowed on the Children, and the Agreeableness of Converfation, which I found in the Family ;) rendered my Undertaking more Satisfactory, and my Stay there more easie to me.

But, alas! not many Days (not to fay Weeks) had I been there; e're we were almost overwhelmed with Sorrow, for the unexpected Lofs of Edward Burrough, who was justly very dear to us all.

This not only Good, but Great-good Man, by a long and close Confinement in Newgate, through the Cruel Malice, and Malicious Cruelty of Richard Brown, was taken away by hafty Death, to the unutterable Grief of very many, and unfpeakable Lofs to the CHURCH of CHRIST in general.

The particular Obligation I had to him as the immediate Inftrument of my Convincement; and high Affection for him, refulting therefrom, did fo deeply affect my Mind; that it was fome pretty time, before my Paffion could prevail, to express it self in Words: fo true I found that of the Tragadian,

Cura leves loquantur,
Ingentes Stupent.