of people gathered together to see the burning of the bowels of some of them that had been the old king's judges, and had been hanged, drawn and quartered.

We went next morning to judge Mallett's chamber, who was putting on his red gown, to go sit upon some more of the king's judges: he was then very peevish and froward, and said I might come another time. We went another time to his chamber, and then there was with him judge Foster, who was called the lord chief justice of England; with me was one called esquire Marsh, who was one of the bedchamber to the king. When we had delivered to the judges the charge that was against me, and they had read to those words that I and my friends were embroiling the nation in blood, &c. they struck their hands on the table: whereupon I told them I was the man whom that charge was against, but I was as innocent of any such thing as a new born child, and had brought it up myself, and some of my friends came up with me, without any guard. As yet they had not minded my hat, but now seeing my hat on, they said, what, did I stand with my hat on? I told them I did not stand so in any contempt to them. Then they commanded one to take it off; and when they had called for the marshal of the king's bench, they said to him, You must take this man, and secure him, but you must let him have a chamber, and not put him amongst the prisoners. My lord, said the marshal, I have no chamber to put him into, my house is so full that I cannot tell where to provide a room for him but amongst the prisoners. Nay, said the judge, you must not put him amongst the prisoners. But when he still answered he had no other place to put me in, judge Foster said to me, Will you appear to-morrow about ten of the clock at the king's bench bar in Westminser? I said, Yes, if the Lord give me strength. Then said judge Foster to the other judge, If he says yes, and promises it, you may take his word: so I was dismissed for that time. And next day I appeared at the king's bench bar at the hour appointed, Robert Withers, Richard Huberthorn, and that esquire Marsh before named going with me. I was brought into the middle of the court; and as soon as I was come in, I was moved to look about, and turning to the people, said, Peace be among you: and the power of the Lord sprang over the court. The charge against me was read openly: the people were moderate, and the judges cool and loving, and the Lord's mercy was to them. But when they came to that part which said that I and my friends were embroiling the nation in blood, and raising a new war, and that I was an enemy to the king, &c. they lifted up their hands.

Then, stretching out my arms, I said, I am the man whom that charge is against; but I am as innocent as a child concerning the charge, and have never learned any war postures. And, said I, do ye think that if I and my friends had been such men as the charge declares, that I would have brought it up myself against myself? or that I should have been suffered to come up with only one or two of my friends with me? for had I been such a man as this charge sets forth, I had need have been guarded up with a troop or two of horse: but the sheriff and magistrate of Lancashire had thought fit to let me and my friends come up with it ourselves, almost two hundred miles, without any guard at all, which ye may be sure they would not have done, if they had looked upon me to be such a man. Then the judge asked me whether it should be filed, or what I would do with it, I answered, Ye are judges, and able, (I hope) to judge in this matter, therefore do with it what ye will, for I am the man these charges are against, and here ye see I have brought them up myself; do ye what ye will with them, I leave it to you. Then judge Twisden beginning to speak some angry words, I appealed to judge Foster and judge Mallet, who had heard me over-night. Whereupon they said they did not accuse me, for they had nothing against me. Then stood up he that was called esquire Marsh, who was of the king's bed-chamber, and told the judges it was the king's pleasure that I should be set at liberty, seeing no accuser came up against me. Then they asked me whether I would put it to the king and council; I said yes, with a good will: thereupon they sent the sheriff's return which he made to the writ of habeas corpus, containing the matter charged against me in the mittimus, to the king, that he might see for what I was committed. Now the return of the sheriff of Lancaster was thus:

By virtue of his majesty's writ, to me directed, and hereunto annexed, I certify, that before the receipt of the said writ, George Fox, in the said writ mentioned, was committed to his majesty's jail at the castle of Lancaster, in my custody, by a warrant from Henry Porter, esq. one of his majesty's justices of peace within the county palatine aforesaid, bearing date the fifth of June now last past; for that he, the said George Fox, was generally suspected to be a common disturber of the peace of this nation, an enemy to our sovereign lord the king, and a chief upholder of the Quakers' sect; and that he, together with others of his fanatick opinion, have of late endeavoured to make insurrections in these parts of the country, and to embroil the

whole kingdom in blood: and this is the cause of his taking and detaining. Nevertheless, the body of the said George Fox I have ready before Thomas Mallet, knight, one of his majesty's justices assigned to hold pleas before his said majesty, at his chamber in Serjeant's Inn, in Fleet-street, to do and receive those things which his majesty's said justice shall determine concerning him in this behalf, as by the aforesaid writ is required.

'GEORGE CHETHAM, Esq. Sheriff.'

Upon perusal of this, and consideration of the whole matter, the king, being satisfied of my innocency, commanded his secretary to send an order to judge Mallet for my release; which the secretary did, thus:

It is his majesty's pleasure, that you give order for the releasing, and setting at full liberty, the person of George Fox, late a prisoner in Lancaster jail, and commanded hither by an habeas corpus. And this signification of his majesty's pleasure shall be your sufficient warrant. Dated at Whitehall, the 24th of October, 1660.

For Sir Thomas Mallet, Knight, one of the Justices of the King's Bench.

EDWARD NICHOLAS.'

When this order was delivered to judge Mallet, he forthwith sent his warrant to the marshal of the king's bench for my release, which warrant was thus worded:

By virtue of a warrant, which this morning I received from the right honourable Sir Edward Nicholas, knight, one of his majesty's principal secretaries, for the releasing and setting at liberty of George Fox, late a prisoner in Lancaster jail, and from thence brought hither by habeas corpus, and yesterday committed unto your custody; I do hereby require you accordingly to release and set the said prisoner, George Fox, at liberty; for which this shall be your warrant and discharge. Given under my hand, the 25th day of October, in the year of our Lord God 1660. THOMAS MALLET.'

To Sir John Lenthal, Knight, Marshal of the King's Bench, or his deputy.

Thus, after I had been a prisoner somewhat more than twenty weeks, I was freely set at liberty by the king's command, the Lord's power having wonderfully wrought for the clearing of my innocency; and Porter, who committed me, not daring to appear to make good the charge he had falsly suggested against me. But after it was known I was

discharged, there was a company of envious wicked spirits, that were troubled I was set at liberty, and terror took hold of justice Porter; for he was afraid I would take the advantage of the law against him for my wrong imprisonment, and thereby undo him, his wife and children. And indeed I was put on by some in authority, to have made him and the rest examples; but I said I should leave them to the Lord; if the Lord did forgive them, I should not trouble myself with them.

Now did I see the end of the travel which I had had in my sore exercise at Reading; for the everlasting power of the Lord was over all, and his blessed truth, life and light shined over the nation, and great and glorious meetings we had, and very quiet, and many flocked in unto the truth. For Richard Hubberthorn had been with the king, and the king said none should molest us, so long as we lived peaceably, and promised this to us upon the word of a king, telling him we might make use of his promise. Some friends also were admitted to go into the House of Lords, before them and the bishops, and had liberty given them to declare their reasons, why they could not pay tithes, nor swear, nor go to the steeple-house worship, or join with others in worship, and they heard them moderately. And there being about seven hundred friends in prison in the nation, who had been committed under Oliver's and Richard's government, upon contempt (as they call them) when the king came in, he set them all at liberty. For there seemed at that time an inclination and intention in the government to have granted friends liberty, because they were sensible that we had suffered as well as they in the former power's days. But still, when any thing was going forward in order thereunto, some dirty spirits or other, that would seem to be for us, threw something in the way to stop it. It was said, there was an instrument drawn up for confirming our liberty, and that it only wanted signing; when on a sudden that wicked attempt of the fifth-monarchy people brake forth, and put the city and nation in an uproar. This was on a first-day night, and very glorious meetings we had had that day, wherein the Lord's truth shined over all, and his power was exalted above all; but about midnight, or soon after, the drums beat, and the cry was, 'Arm, Arm!' I got up out of bed, and in the morning took boat, and landing at Whitehall Stairs walked through Whitehall. They looked strangely on me there, but I passed through them, and went to the Pall Mall, whither divers friends came to me, though it was now grown dangerous passing the streets; VOL. I.

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for by this time both the city and suburbs were up in arms, and exceeding rude the people and soldiers were; insomuch that a friend, Henry Fell, going to a friend's house, the soldiers knocked him down, and he had been killed, if the duke of York had not come by. Great mischief was done in the city this week; and when the next first-day came, that friends went to their meetings as they used to do, many were taken prisoners. I staid at the Pall Mall, intending to be at the meeting there; but on the seventhday at night, a company of troopers came and knocked at the door; the maid letting them in, they rushed into the house, and strait laid hold upon me; and there being amongst them one that had served under the parliament, he clapped his hand to my pocket, and asked whether Í had any pistols: I told him he knew I did not use to carry pistols, why therefore did he ask such a question of me, whom he knew to be a peaceable man: others of the soldiers run into the chambers, and there found in bed that squire Marsh before mentioned, who, though he was one of the king's bed-chamber, out of his love to me, came and lodged where I did. When they came down again, they said, why should we take this man away with us: we will let him alone. Oh, said the parliament soldier, he is one of the heads and a chief ringleader. Upon this the soldiers were taking me away, but Marsh hearing of it, he sent for him that commanded the party, and desired him to let me alone, for he would see me forth-coming in the morning. In the morning before they could fetch me, and before the meeting was gathered, there came a company of foot to the house, and one of them drawing out his sword, held it over my head. I asked him, wherefore he drew his sword at a naked man: at which his fellows being ashamed, bid him put up his sword. These foot soldiers took me away to Whitehall, before the troopers came for me. As I was going out several friends were coming into the meeting, whose boldness and chearfulness I commended, and encouraged them to persevere therein. When I was brought to Whitehall, the soldiers and people were exceeding rude, yet I declared truth to them; but some great persons coming by, who were very full of envy, what, said they, do ye let him preach? put him into such a place, where he may not stir. So into that place they put me, and the soldiers watched over me; I told them, though they could confine my body and shut that up, yet they could not stop up the Word of Life. Some thereupon came, and asked me what I was: I told them, I was a preacher of righteousness. After I had been kept there