J. R. Send a corporal, with a file of mufqueteers along with him.

W.P. No, no, fend thy lacquey; I know the way to Newgate.

Being committed to this prifon for fix months, he filled up the time of his confinement by continual employs; and here he wrote "The Great Cafe of Liberty "of confcience, once more briefly debated and de"fended," together with feveral other pieces of occafional controversy.

In the time of his imprisonment, the parliament being about to take measures for enforcing with greater severity the aforefaid conventicle act, he, whofe freedom of spirit a prison could not confine from advocating the cause of liberty, wrote the following paper, directed

F

To the High Court of Parliament.'

intituled, as Ana at

Orafmuch as it hath pleafed you to make an act, "An act for fupprefling feditious "conventicles, the dangerous practices of feditious "fectaries," &c. And that, under pretence of authority from it, many have taken the ungodly liberty of plundering, pillaging, and breaking into houfes, to the ruin and detriment of whole families, not regarding the poor, the widow, and the fatherless, beyond all precedent or excufe; and that we are in⚫ formed it is your purpose, instead of relaxing your hand, to fupply the defects of that act by fuch explanatory claufes as will inevitably expofe us to the fury and interest of our several adverfaries, that un⚫ der pretence of answering the intents of the said act, will only gratify their private humours, and doubtlefs extend it beyond its original purpofe, to the • utter destruction of us and our fuffering friends;

• We therefore esteem ourselves obliged in Chriftian • duty, once more to remonstrate,

с

Firft, That we own civil government, or magiftracy, as God's ordinance for the punishment of evil

• doers,

doers, and the praise of them that do well; and though we cannot comply with those laws, that pro'hibit us to worship God according to our confcien'ces, as believing it to be his alone prerogative to prefide in matters of faith and worship, yet we both own, and are ready to yield obedience to, every ' ordinance of man relating to human affairs, and that for confcience fake.

Secondly, That we deny and renounce, as an horrible impiety, all plots and confpiracies, or to pro'mote our intereft, or religion, by the blood and def'truction of fuch as diffent from us, or yet those that 'perfecute us.

Thirdly, That in all revolutions we have demean'ed ourselves with much peace and patience, (difowning all contrary actings) notwithstanding the numer'ous provocations of cruel and ungodly men; which is a demonftration of our harmlefs behaviour, that ' ought not to be of little moment with you.

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Fourthly, That as we have ever lived most peaceably under all the various governments that have been fince our firft appearance (notwithstanding we ' have been as their anvil to fmite upon) fo we do hereby fignify, that it is our fixed refolution to continue the fame, that where we cannot ACTUALLY OBEY, WE PATIENTLY SHALL SUFFER, (leaving our ' innocent cause with God, not daring to love our lives ' unto the death, for our bleffed teftimony's fake,) 'thereby manifefting to the whole world, that we love God above all, and our neighbours as our⚫ felves.

If this prevails not with you to fufpend your thoughts of reinforcing your former act, we do defire that we, or fome our friends, may receive a free 'hearing from

firft act fo weighty rea ceedings,

of our P

being b

feveral of us had upon the having many great and rainft all fuch fevere prong measures of us and rectified, and that you, both, may remove our heavy

heavy burdens, and let the oppreffed go free, for fuch moderation will be well-pleafing both to GoD and good men.

• From us who are now prifoners at Newgate (for ⚫ confcience-fake) on the behalf of ourselves, and all our fuffering friends in England, &c.'

Newgate, Second

• Month, 1671.'

W. PENN, and several others."

The keepers of Newgate being at this time very abufive to the Quakers there imprisoned (for honest men bringing lefs grift to the jailor's mill than riotous debauchees, are hardly welcome guests) he wrote a letter, by way of complaint to the Sheriffs, who, that year, were men of good temper and moderation, being as follows.

To the SHERIFFS of LONDON.

FRIENDS,

TH

THOUGH we are a people, the plainnefs of whofe principles will not admit of vain compliments, yet are we by them required to exprefs our gratitude; and we must confefs, that fince your being in office, we have received many inftances of your kindness, for which you never will be condemned of God or virtuous men, as well as that we fend you by the bearer our acknowledgments.

This done, we think fit to let you know, that though we are in a distinct house, yet not in a distinct capacity, with mere felons; unlefs it be, that they have a free prison, and we have none: for the keeper is fo far from fhewing us that common refpect, or we enjoy that which differenced us from malefactors, that we are not lefs reftrained, if not so much < abused; for one of us defiring liberty to fetch fome beer, the turnkey thrust him back, calling him log'gerhead, puppy, rogue, &c. and that to feveral others.

In fhort, we are not willing to be bondfmen at our own cost; not for the value of our house-rent, with other additional expences, but for our testimony against the infulting menaces and extortions of fome of the jailors, who would caft us into the common ftinking jail! and therefore are refolved to undergo that severity: which is all at prefent from those who have wronged no man, but fear God, and have peace ' with him.'

Newgate, Third • Month, 1671.'

< Your true Friends, W. P. &c.'

His fix months imprisonment in Newgate being expired, he was fet at liberty, and shortly after went over into Holland and Germany: of his ministry and fervices at this time in thofe countries, fome account is given by himself in the beginning of his fubfequent travels into those parts, herein-after inferted.

In the beginning of the year 1672, and the 28th of his age, our author took to wife Gulielma Maria Springett, daughter of Sir William Springett, formerly of Darling in Suffex, who was killed in the time of the civil wars, at the fiege of Bamber: his widow was afterward married to Ifaac Pennington, of Peters-Chalfont in Buckinghamshire, in whose family her faid daughter was brought up; a young woman whom a virtuous difpofition, joined to a comely perfon, rendered well accomplished.

Soon after his marriage, pitching upon a convenient habitation at Rickmerfworth in Hertfordshire, he refided there with his family, often vifiting the meetings of friends, and returning home again.

In the feventh month this year, he took a journey to vifit his friends in Kent, Suffex, and Surrey; of which his own memorandums furnish us with an obfervation of that fingular industry which the free ministers of the gospel exercife in the difcharge of their office; for in the fpace of twenty-one days, he, with his companion under the like concern, were prefent at, VOL, 1.

C

and

and preached to as many affemblies of people at diftant places, viz. Rochester, Canterbury, Dover, Deal, Folkftone, Afhford, and other places in Kent; at Lewes, Horfham, Stenning, &c. in Suffex; and at Charlewood and Rygate in Surrey. Great was their service in these counties: their teftimonies, effectual to the ftrengthening of their friends, filencing of gainfayers, and to a general edification, were received by the people with joy and openness of heart; and themselves, in the performance of their duty, filled with fpiritual confolation. Our author gives this account of their laft meeting in that journey, being at Rygate: The Lord fealed up our labours and travels, according to the defire of my foul and fpirit, with his heavenly • refreshments and fweet living power and word of life, unto the reaching of all, and confolating our ' own hearts abundantly.' And concludes his narrative with thefe words: And thus hath the Lord been with us in all our travels for his truth, and with his bleffings of peace are we returned, which is a reward beyond all worldly treasure.'

In the ninth month this year, being at home again, he wrote the following letter to one Dr. Hafbert, a physician at Embden in Germany.

< To Dr. HASBERT, Physician at the City of EMBDEN.'

I

DEAR FRIEND,

Have very often remembered thee in the deep fense of that weighty love of God, which his heavenly truth raised in my heart to vifit thee in; earneftly praying in fpirit, that thou mightest receive a clear underftanding of that bleffed way of life and falvation, which he hath counted a remnant worthy both to know and to fuffer for in this day: glory and everlasting honour to his most holy name! O my friend, it is my heart's defire to the Lord, that he would preferve thee fimple, upright, and conftant in the obedience to that measure of the heavenly

• light