Thus, the coward fought, against his judgment; the soldier was surprised without his arms; and the man of peace, who had placed his safety in staying at home, found it in being abroad!

Remarks. This fable may serve to show the general fallacy of what we call our Resolutions. A wise man will be sparing of such vows respecting his conduct; and when he makes them, will annex to them such conditions as the uncertainty of things, and our ignorance of futurity, require.

The Apostle James, in his sententious manner, has well treated this subject: 'Go to now, ye that say, To day, or to-morrow, we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. There is more presumption set forth in this short example, than at first appears. They will go into such a city, at such a time, when they know not certainly that they shall go at all. They will continue there a year-a matter of still greater uncertainty. They will buy; which they cannot, if there be no sellers: and sell, which again implies the consent of buyers: lastly, they will get gain; which is less in their own power than either. The force of this example is, therefore, not inferior to the elegance of that which follows; where the life of man is compared to a vapour, which appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away; and his determinations are referred to the disposing power and providence of the Almighty :—a reference which, seasonably and feelingly made, must ever be grateful to the ears of the Christian; but which some, again, practise too lightly, and as a mere matter of course, to qualify their needless resolutions.

A Fox and a Goat seeking where they might quench their thirst, leaped together into a pit which had water in the bottom. When each had drunk his fill, the Goat was at a loss how to get out. Reynard, who knew better than his companion what he was about when he went in, said, presently, he had thought of a mode of effecting this for them both. He then desired the Goat to set himself upright, with his fore feet against the side of the pit, and his horns forward. The Goat complied; the Fox mounted upon his shoulders, and thence upon his horns, and scrambled out. Having effected his own escape, he began to frisk about the margin, regardless of the condition of his friend; and, when upbraided with his ingratitude, observed, that with half as much sense, as he showed of beard, a Goat would not have gone down into a well without first knowing how he should get up again.

The Application. A prudent man, it is said, will look before he leaps, and consider well the probable event of any business, ere he consents to have a share in it. We may find in the commercial world at all times a set of projectors, with as much of craft and selfishness about them, and as little of honesty, as the Fox. One of these shall propose a scheme, in the execution of which, to the inexperienced, there appears no more difficulty than to drink when they are dry. But what is the result? After a series of delays, evasions, and disappointments, the original projector sells out, or makes off with the means entrusted to him, leaving his bubbled and plundered associates to get out of their embarassments as they can.

Communications may be addressed, POST-PAID, "For the Editor of the Yorkshireman, " at the Printer's, Pontefract; at Longman and Co.'s, London; John Baines and Co.'s, Leeds; and W. Simpson's, York.

CHARLES ELCOCK, PRINTER, PONTEFRACT.

THE

YORKSHIREMAN,

A

RELIGIOUS AND LITERARY JOURNAL

BY A FRIEND.

PRO PATRIA.

No. XII. SEVENTH DAY, 29th TWELFTH Mo, 1832. PRICE 4d.

ART. I.-Proceedings against the Quakers under the Act, 22nd Chas. II. c. 2. ' to prevent and suppress seditious conventicles.'

In concluding the series of the Yorkshireman for the Half-year now drawing to its end, I shall proceed as we are wont to do in matters of trade and business-look into past accounts, and bring up arrears for settlement.

I have cited among others, an Act under which the Quakers were made to suffer, so atrocious in its character, by the wanton invasion of the liberties and torture of the feelings of British subjects, that I shall not be doing justice to my publication, if I do not shew the facts which prove that this sanguinary statute was not made merely in terrorem, but was intended to be, and was to the uttermost of the power of our persecutors, put in execution. For the information on this point of those less acquainted with our history, I shall cite at once, from the pages of Gough, a series of passages relating to the subject.

"The Statute which Judge Turner in the aforesaid trial [of Francis Howgill: Gough vol. ii. p. 110] seemed to exult in, as one he was confident would reduce the numbers of this people, was entitled, An Act to prevent and suppress seditious conventicles."—For an abstract of the penalties of this Act, see my Seventh number, p. 102.

"It is observable, that the former act, passed in 1661, enacted the same penalties, though not so largely or particularly expressed, as this: nor doth it appear that it was rigorously enforced, as this was. The penalties of that act affected the Quakers only; but this, extending them to all who meet in any other manner than is allowed by the liturgy or practice of the church of England, reached all the nonconformists of every class. But although it appears levelled at every

body of dissenters, still the greatest weight of sufferings fell upon the people called Quakers. I have met with no account of any others condemned to transportation upon this act, but with numbers of these who were.

"At the assizes at Hertford in the very next month (August) the following eight persons of this profession, viz. Francis Prior, Nich. Lucas, Henry Feast, Henry Marshall, Jeremy Hern, Thomas Wood, John Blendale and Samuel Trahern were brought to their trial before Judge Orlando Bridgeman, and indicted for the third offence against the conventicle act. This is a remarkable instance of the precipitant eagerness of the persecutors; for this act was not in force 'till the first of the month called July, and these persons were arraigned for the third offence on the 12th and 13th of the succeeding month. Now as the penalty for the first offence was imprisonment for a term not ex ceeding three months, and for the second not exceeding six, at the arbitrary discretion of two justices; it was usual with these justices to commit them for a few days for the first and second offence, not out of tenderness, but in order to subject them more speedily to the penalty of transportation for the third offence. For, from their long approved constancy, they promised themselves an assurance of finding them again at their religious assemblies, as soon as at liberty.

"An indictment was drawn up against the aforesaid eight persons, expressing, That they had been at an unlawful meeting three sundry times, at such times and places; and [this] being delivered to the grand jury, they could not agree in their verdict; for there were some among them whose consciences would not so easily allow them to be accessary to the condemnation of the innocent, and therefore they returned the bill Ignoramus. Now although this was a legal verdict, and the court by law had no right to reject it, yet the privileges of the subject were held by so precarious a tenure at this time, and the judges were so inured to go over every barrier of the constitution to gratify the partial views of themselves or others, that instead of accepting this return of the grand jury, Bridgman addressed the jury with this angry speech, My masters, what do you mean to do? Will you make a nose of wax of the law, and suffer the law to be baffled? Those that think to deceive the law, the law will deceive them. Why don't you find the bill?' With this menace, and fresh instructions, he sent them out again: they then found the bill, with which the court seemed well pleased. Four of the prisoners were then brought to the bar, who pleaded not guilty, and added, we have transgressed no just law; but replied the judge, you have transgressed this law (holding the con. venticle act in his hand) and you have been twice convicted already. If you be now found guilty, I must pass sentence of transportation against you: but if you will promise to have no more such meetings, I will acquit you of what is past. This favour you may receive before the jury is charged with you, but not afterward. What say you, will you meet no more? They answered with one accord, We can make no such promise. Upon which the jury was sworn, and witnesses examined, who deposed that they found those persons assembled above

!

five together at certain times and places, but that they neither heard any of them speak, nor saw them do any thing.

"The judge then summed up the evidence, and gave his charge to the jury, in which he told them, 'You are not to expect plain punctual evidence of any thing said or done; a bare proof of their being met for worship in their manner, not being according to the liturgy and practice of the church of England, is sufficient for their conviction. 'Tis not your business to enter into the meaning of the law, but singly determine the fact. The jury, with these instructions, went out, and soon brought them in guilty, and the judge forthwith passed sentence upon them, viz. You shall be transported beyond the seas to the island of Barbadoes, there to remain for seven years. Then the other four were set to the bar, and tried in like manner, and condemned to be transported to Jamaica: and a fifth, John Reynolds, was tried along with them; but the witnesses deposing they had not seen him iu the meeting, but within a yard of the door, with his face from it, he was brought in not guilty, and accordingly acquitted. The eight persons convicted were informed by the judge of that clause in the act, which provides that upon paying £100 each, before the rising of the court, they might be discharged. The court adjourned, and when they met again, sent to the prisoners to know whether they would pay the £100, to which they unanimously answering no, the court broke up.

"Pursuant to the sentence, the jailor, by the sheriff's order, as he said, applied to one Thomas May, master of a ship, called the Anne, and contracted with him to carry them to Barbadoes at £5 a head, and those to Jamaica at £6; telling him they were freemen, and that six of them would carry goods. When they were brought to the master, and he found they were under compulsion, he refused to receive them, as his contract was to carry freemen and no others. The jailor, vexed at the disappointment, betook himself to the secre tary of state, and made oath that he had contracted with Thomas May for the prisoners' passage, as persons convicted by the act. May being sent for, took with him witnesses of his contract; but the secretary told him, oath having been already made for the King, his witnesses could be of no use, he must carry the prisoners. During this time they were closely confined, and but few of their friends admitted to see them. "The master being thus compelled to transport them against his will, they were put aboard; but put on shore by the master, and taken in again sundry times between London and Gravesend; it being very remarkable, that although many other vessels passed them down the river, this ship could make no way, nor with the utmost application of the seamen make sail to any purpose. Having by the master's orders followed him from place to place, at last he met them all together at Deal, and before several witnesses declared, that though they had followed the ship so long, yet he was resolved not to carry them. Here he finally dismissed them, with a certificate, to shew that they did not make their escape, but were freely put ashore by him, assigning for his reasons, that seeing the adversities and various disappointments

he had hitherto met with, he concluded the hand of the Lord was against him. That therefore he durst not proceed on his voyage with these prisoners, they being innocent persons, and charged with no crime worthy of banishment. That there is a law in force, that no Englishman shall be carried out of his native country against his will. That his men refused to proceed on the voyage, if he carried them. "There was on board one Manning, a man of a different disposition from the rest, who had been very officious in getting them aboard, and desirous of detaining them there, with design as was thought, of making a market of them beyond sea. This Manning, disappointed in his views, carried a complaint to the deputy or principal officer at Deal, that the prisoners had made their escape from the ship; but they producing the master's certificate he refused to concern himself in the matter. Then Manning with two others forced four of them into a boat which he found on the beach, to put them again on ship-board; but as nobody would assist him to row it, he was forced to let them go. The master sailed that night, and so left them behind. The relation of the manner in which the ship left them was attested by eleven persons, who were eye witnesses thereof.

"Being thus set at liberty they returned home, and by letter acquainted the king and council thereof; which letter being read at the council board, under pretence that their liberation was effected by a collusion concerted between the master and them, by order of council they were again committed to prison, until means of transporting them by some ship to those parts could be found, and were continued in prison until released by the king's letters patent more than seven years after.

"On their return to prison they found twenty-one more of their friends lying there under the like sentence, who, at the quarter sessons held at Hertford the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of October this year, were condemned to banishment; under which sentence most of them lay there till released by the same letters patent in 1672.

"In London, this conventicle act was no sooner in force than mul titudes were imprisoned for the first and second offence, which (as hath been noticed) was usually for a few days. On the 14th of the month called August the sheriffs, with many officers and others armed, entered the meeting-house at Bull and Mouth, and ordered the person who was preaching to come down; after which two of the officers stepped on a form near him, drew their swords, and struck him and another friend with such force that one of their swords was broken; then they laid hold both on men and women, and haling out near two hundred drove them to Guildhall, where they were kept prisoners till near midnight, and then, by the mayor's orders, conducted with lighted torches by a guard of halberdiers to Newgate, where they were thrust up among felons. On the 15th about twenty were fined and committed, as were twelve more on the 17th, and about sixty others on the 19th, some for fourteen and others for nine days.

"On the 21st the mayor with the sheriffs and alderman Brown came again to the meeting at Bull and Mouth-Brown, with his usual rude