(except by some jangling Baptists,) till we came into Hampshire; where, after a good meeting at Southampton, we went to Pulner, in the parish of Ringwood, where was to be a monthly meeting next day, to which many Friends resorted from Southampton, Pool, and other places; and the weather being very hot, some came pretty early in the morning. I took a Friend, and walked out with him into the orchard, enquiring of him how the affairs of truth stood amongst them? (for many of them had been convinced by me before I was prisoner in Cornwall.) While we were discoursing, a young man came and told us the trained bands were raising, and he heard they would come and break up the meeting. It was not yet meeting-time by about three hours, and there being other Friends walking in the orchard, the Friend I was discoursing with before desired me to walk into a corn-field adjoining to it, which we did. After awhile the young man that spoke of the trained bands left us, and when he was gone a pretty way, he stood and waved his hat. Whereupon, I spoke to the other young man that was with me, to go see what he meant. He went, but came not to me again, for the soldiers were come into the orchard. As I kept walking, I could see the soldiers, and some of them, as I heard afterwards, did see me, but had no mind to meddle. So the soldiers coming so long before meeting-time, did not tarry; but took what Friends they found at the house, and some they met in the lane, and had them away. After they were gone, it drew towards the eleventh hour, Friends began to come in apace, and a large and glorious meeting we had; for the everlasting seed of God was set over all, and the people were settled in the new covenant of life, upon the foundation Christ Jesus. Towards the latter end of the meeting there came a man in gay apparel, and looked in while I was declaring, and went away again presently. This man came with an evil intent; for he went forthwith to Ringwood, and told the magistrates, that they had taken two or three men at Pulner, and had left George Fox there preaching to two or three hundred.' Upon this the magistrates sent the officers and soldiers again; but the meeting being near ended when the man looked in, and he having about a mile and a half to go with his information to fetch the soldiers, and they as far to come after they had received their orders, before they came our meeting was over; ending about the third hour, peaceably and orderly. After the meeting, I spoke to the Friends of the house where this meeting was held, (the woman of the house then lying dead in the house,) and then some Friends led me to another Friend's at a little distance; where, after we had refreshed ourselves, I took horse, having about twenty miles to ride that afternoon to one Frye's, in Wiltshire, where a meeting was appointed to be held the next day.

After we were gone, the officers and soldiers came in a great heat,

who finding they had missed their prey, were much enraged; and the officers were offended with the soldiers, because they had not seized my horse in the stable the first time they came. But the Lord, by his good providence, delivered me, and prevented their mischievous design. For the officers were envious men, and had an evil mind against Friends; but the Lord brought his judgments upon them, so that it was taken notice of by their neighbours. For, whereas before they were wealthy men, after this their estates wasted away; and John Line, the constable, who was not only very forward in putting on the soldiers to take Friends, but also carried those that were taken to prison, and took a false oath against them at the assize, upon which they were fined and continued prisoners, was a sad spectacle to behold. For his flesh rotting away while he lived, he died in a very miserable condition, wishing he had never meddled with the Quakers, and confessing he never prospered since he had a hand in persecuting them; and that he thought the hand of the Lord was against him for it.'

At Frye's, in Wiltshire, we had a very blessed meeting, and quiet, though the officers purposed to have broken it up, and were on their way in order thereunto. But before they were got to the meeting, word was brought them, 'there was a house newly broken up by thieves, and they were required to go back again with speed to search after and pursue them; by which means our meeting escaped disturbance, and we were preserved out of their hands.

We passed through Wiltshire into Dorsetshire, having large and good meetings. The Lord's everlasting power was with us, and carried us over all; in which we sounded forth his saving truth and word of life, which many gladly received. Thus we visited Friends till we came to Topsham, in Devonshire, travelling some weeks eight or nine score miles a week, and had meetings every day. At Topsham we met with Margaret Fell and two of her daughters, Sarah and Mary, and with Leonard Fell and Thomas Salthouse. From thence we passed to Totness, where we visited some Friends, and then to Kingsbridge, and to Henry Pollexfen's, who had been an ancient justice of peace. There we had a large meeting. This old justice accompanied us to Plymouth, and into Cornwall, to justice Porter's, and from thence to Thomas Mount's, where we had a large meeting. After which we went to Humphrey Lower's where also we had a large meeting; and from thence to Loveday Hambley's, where we had a general meeting for the whole country: and all was quiet.

A little before this, Joseph Hellen, and G. Bewley had been at Loo, to visit one Blanch Pope, a ranting woman, under pretence to convince and convert her; but before they left her, she had so darkened them with her principles, that they seemed to be like her disciples, especially

Joseph Hellen. For she had asked them, who made the devil? did not God?' This idle question so puzzled them, they could not answer her. They afterwards asked me the question. I told them, no; for all that God made was good and was blest, so was not the devil. He was called a serpent before he was called a devil and an adversary, and then he had the title of devil given to him. And afterwards he was called a dragon, because he was a destroyer. The devil abode not in the truth: by departing from the truth he became a devil. So the Jews, when they went out of the truth, were said to be of the devil, and were called serpents. There is no promise of God to the devil, that ever he shall return into truth again; but to man and woman, who have been deceived by him, the promise of God is, that the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head;' shall break his power and strength to pieces. When these things were opened more at large to the satisfaction of Friends, those two, who had let up the spirit of that ranting woman, were judged by the truth; and one of them, viz. Joseph Hellen, ran quite out from the truth, and was denied by Friends; but George Bewley was recovered, and afterwards became serviceable to truth.

We passed from Loveday Hambley's to Francis Hodges', near Falmouth and Penryn, where we had a large meeting. From thence we went to Helstone that night, where some Friends came to visit us, and next day passed to Thomas Teage's, where we had a large meeting, at which many were convinced. I was led to open the state of the church in the primitive times, the state of the church in the wilderness, the state of the false church that was got up since; and to show, that now the everlasting gospel was preached again over the head of the whore, beast, false prophets, and antichrists, which had rose up since the apostles' days; and now the everlasting gospel was received and receiving, which brought life and immortality to light, that they might see over the devil who had darkened them.' The people received the gospel and the word of life gladly, and a glorious blessed meeting we had for the exalting the Lord's everlasting truth and his name. After it was done I walked out, and coming in again, I heard a noise in the court. Approaching nearer, I found the man of the house speaking to the tinners and others, and telling them, it was the 'everlasting truth that had been declared there that day; and the people generally confessed to it.

From thence we passed to the Land's-end to John Ellis', where we had a precious meeting. Here was a fisherman, one Nicholas Jose, that was convinced. He spoke in meetings, and declared the truth amongst the people; and the Lord's power was over all. I was glad the Lord raised up his standard in those dark parts of the nation, where since there is a fine meeting of honest-hearted Friends; and many there are VOL. II.

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come to sit under Christ's teaching, and a great people the Lord will have in that country.

From thence we returned to Redruth, and the next day to Truro, where we had a meeting. Next morning, some of the chief of the town desired to speak with me, amongst whom was colonel Rouse. I went, and had a great deal of discourse with them concerning the things of God. In their reasoning they said, the gospel was the four books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John;' and they called it natural. But I told them, the gospel was the power of God, which was preached before Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John were written; and it was preached to every creature, (of which a great part might never see nor hear of those four books,) so that every creature was to obey the power of God; for Christ the spiritual man, would judge the world according to the gospel, that is, according to his invisible power. When they heard this, they could not gainsay; for the truth came over them. So I directed them to their teacher, the grace of God, and showed them the sufficiency of it, which would teach them how to live, and what to deny; and being obeyed would bring them salvation. So to that grace I recommended them, and left them.

Then we returned through the country, visiting Friends, and had meetings at Humphrey Lower's again, and at Thomas Mount's. Afterwards at George Hawkins' at Stoke we had a large meeting, to which Friends came from Lanceston and several other places. A living, precious meeting it was, in which the Lord's presence and power were richly manifested amongst us, and I left Friends there under the Lord Jesus Christ's teaching.

In Cornwall I was informed there was one colonel Robinson, a very wicked man, who after the king came in was made a justice of peace, and became a cruel persecutor of Friends; of whom he sent many to prison. Hearing they had some little liberty, through the favour of the gaoler, to go home sometimes to visit their wives and children, he made great complaint thereof to the judge at the assize against the gaoler; whereupon the gaoler was fined a hundred marks, and Friends were kept very strictly up for awhile. After he was come home from the assize, he sent to a neighbouring justice to desire him to go a fanatichunting with him. So on the day that he intended and was prepared to go a fanatic-hunting, he sent his man about with his horses, and walked himself on foot from his dwelling-house to a tenement where his cows and dairy were kept, and where his servants were then milking. When he came there, he asked for his bull. The servant-maids said, they had shut him into the field because he was unruly and hindered their milking. Then went he into the field to the bull; and having formerly accustomed himself to play with him, he began to fence at him with his

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staff as he used to do. But the bull snuffed at him, and passed a little back; then turning upon him again, ran fiercely at him, and struck his horn into his thigh, and heaving him upon his horn, threw him over his back, and tore up his thigh to his belly. When he came to the ground again he gored him with his horns, run them into the ground in his rage and violence, and roared, and licked up his master's blood. The maidservant, hearing her master cry out, ran into the field, and took the bull by the horns to pull him off from her master. The bull, without hurting her, put her gently by with his horns, but still fell to goring of him, and licking up his blood. Then she ran, and got some men that were at work not far off, to come and rescue her master; but they could not at all beat off the bull, till they brought mastiff-dogs to set on him; and then he fled in great rage and fury. Upon notice of it his sister came and said to him, “Alack! brother, what a heavy judgment is this that is befallen you!" He answered, "Ah! sister, it is an heavy judgment indeed. Pray let the bull be killed, and the flesh given to the poor," said he. They carried him home; but he died soon after. The bull was grown so fierce, they were forced to shoot him with guns; for no man durst come near to kill him. Thus does the Lord sometimes make examples of his just judgment upon the persecutors of his people, that others may fear, and learn to beware.'

After I had cleared myself of Cornwall, and Thomas Lower, who had rode with us from meeting to meeting, through that country, had brought us over Horse-bridge into Devonshire again, we took our leave of him, and Thomas Briggs, Robert Widders, and I came to Tiverton. It being their fair-time, and many Friends there, we had a meeting amongst them; and the magistrates gathered in the street, but the Lord's power stopped them. I saw them over against the door; but they had not power to come in to meddle with us, though they had will enough to have done it.

After the meeting we passed to Collumpton and Wellington; for we had appointed a meeting five miles off, where we had a large one at a butcher's house, and a blessed meeting it was. The people were directed to their teacher, the grace of God, which would bring them salvation, and many were settled under its teaching. The Lord's presence was amongst us, and we were refreshed in him, in whom we laboured and travailed; and the meeting was quiet. There had been very great persecution in that country, and in that town a little before, insomuch that some Friends questioned the peaceableness of our meeting; but the Lord's power chained all, and his glory shined over all. Friends told us, how they had broken up their meetings by warrants from the justices, and how by their warrants they were required to carry Friends before the justices. The Friends bid them, carry them then. The officers