A JOURNAL, OR Hiftorical Account OF THE LIFE, TRAVELS, SUFFERINGS, UC. of GEORGE FOX. N OW after I had made fome ftay in London, 1662. and had cleared my felf of thofe Services, mead that at that time lay upon me there, I went London. into the Country; having with me Alexander Parker and John Stubbs (who was lately come back from Alexandria in Egypt, as was mentioned before.) We travelled down through the Countries, vifiting Friends Meetings, till we came to Bristol. When we were Bristol; come thither, we understood, that the Officers were likely to come, and break up the Meeting. Yet on the First-Day we went to the Meeting at Broad-mead: BroadAnd Alexander Parker ftanding up firft to Declare, Meeting while he was speaking, the Officers came up, and .took him away. After he was gone, I ftood up in the Eternal Power of God, and declared the Everlasting Truth of the Lord God; and the Heavenly Power came over all, and the Meeting was quiet the reft of the time, and brake up peaceably. I tarried till the Firft-Day following, vifiting Friends, and being vifited by Friends. On the Firft-Day in the Morning feveral Friends came to me to Edward Pyot's Houfe, where I lay the Night before) and ufed great Endeavours to perfwade me, not to go to the Meeting 1662. that day; for the Magiftrates (they faid) had threatned to take me, and had raifed the Trained-Bands. Broad. I wifh'd them to go their way to the Meeting, not Meeting. telling them what I intended to do: but I told Edw. mead Pyot, I intended to go to the Meeting; and he fent his Son with me, to fhew me the Way from his House by the Fields. As I went, I met divers Friends, who were coming to me to prevent my going; and did what they could, to ftop me: What, faid one, Wilt thou go into the Mouth of the Beaft? Wilt thou go into the Mouth of the Dragon, faid another? But I put them by, and went on. When I came into the Meeting, Margaret Thomas was fpeaking; and when she had done, I ftood up. Now I faw a Concern and Fear upon Friends for me; but the Power of the Lord, in which I declared, foon ftruck the Fear out of them and Life fprang, and an Heavenly, Glori ous Meeting we had. After I had Cleared my felf, of what was upon me from the Lord to the Meeting, I was moved to Pray: and after I had prayed, and was ftept down; I was moved to ftand up again, and tell Friends, Now they might fee, there was a God in Ifrael, that could deliver. A very large, full Meeting this was, and very hot: but Truth was over all, and the Life was up, which carried through all; and the Meeting broke up in Peace. For the Officers and Soldiers had been breaking up another Meeting, which had taken up their time; fo that our Meeting was ended, before they came. But I understood afterwards, they were in a great Rage, that they had miffed me; for they were heard to fay one to another before, I'll warrant, we shall have him but the Lord prevented them. I went from the Meeting to Joan Hily's, where many Friends came to fee me; rejoycing and bleffing God for our Deliverance. In the Evening I had a fine fresh Meeting among Friends, at a Friend's House over the Water, where Friends were much refreshed in the Lord. After this I ftay'd moft Erol, part of that Week in Bristol, and at Edward Pyot's. Edward was brought fo low and weak with an Ague, that that when I came firft thither, he was look'd upon as 1662. a Dying Man: but it pleafed the Lord to raife him up again; fo that, before I went away, his Ague left Bristol. him, and he was finely well. Now having been two Firft-Days together at the Meeting at Broad-mead, and feeling my Spirit clear of Briftol; I went next Firft-Day to a Meeting in the Country not far from Briftol. And after the Meeting was over, fome Friends, that came from Bristol, told me, that the Soldiers that day had befet the Meeting-Houfe round at Bristol; and then went up, faying, They would be fure to have me now: But when they came up, and found me not there, they were in a great Rage; and kept the Friends in the MeetingHoufe moft part of the day, before they would let them go home; and queried of them, Which way I was gone, and how they might fend after me? For the Mayor, they faid, would fain have spoken with me. But I had a Vifion of a great Maftiff Dog, that would have bitten me but I put one hand above his Jaws, and the other hand below, and tore his Jaws to pieces. So the Lord by his Power tore their Power to pieces, and made way for me to escape them. Then paffed I through the Countries, vifiting Friends in Wiltfire Wilh. and Berkshire, till I came to London; and had great Barkh. Meetings amongft Friends, as I went: and the Lord's Power was over all, and a bleffed time it was for the fpreading of his glorious Truth. It was indeed the Immediate Hand and Power of the Lord, that did preferve me out of their Hands at Bristol, and over the Heads of all our Perfecutors; and the Lord alone is worthy of all the Glory, who did uphold and preferve for his Name and Truth's fake. Londone At London I ftaid not long this time, but was drawn in my Spirit to vifit Friends Northward, as far as Leicestershire, John Stubbs being with me. So we travelled down through the Countries, having Leice Meetings amongft Friends, as we went; and at Skegby Notting we had a great Meeting. Thence paffing on, we came bamb to a place called Barnet-Hills, where lived then one Barnet A 3 Skegby Cap-hills hills. 1662. Captain Brown, a Baptift, whofe Wife was Convinced of Truth. This Captain Brown, after the Act for Baruet Breaking up Meetings came forth, being afraid, left his Wife fhould go to Meetings, and be caft into Prifon, left his Houfe at Barrow, and took a place on thefe Hills, faying; His Wife fhould not go to Prifon. And this being a free Place, many, both Priefts and others, got thither, as well as he. But he, who would neither ftand to Truth himself, nor fuffer his Wife, was in this place, where he thought to be fafe, found out by the Lord: whofe hand fell heavy upon him for his Unfaithfulness, fo that he was forely plagued, and grievously judged in himfelf for flying, and drawing his Wife into that private place. We went to fee his Wife, and being come into the Houfe, I asked him, How he did? How do I? faid he, The Plagues and Vengeance of God are upon me, a Runnagate, a Cain as I am: God may look for a Witness for me, and fuch as me; for if all were no faithfuller, than I, God would have no Witnefs left in the Earth. In this Condition he lived there on Bread and Water and thought it was too good for him. At length he got home again with his Wife, to his own Houfe at Barrow, where afterwards he came to be Convinced of God's Eternal Truth, and died in it. A little before his Death he faid; Though he had not born a Teftimony for Truth in his Life, he would bear a Teftimony in his Death, and would be buried in his Orchard; and was fo. He was an Example to all the Flying Baptifts in the time of Perfecution; who could not bear Perfecutions themfelves, and yet perfecuted us, when they had Power. Leice From Barnet-Hills we came to Swanington in Lei Her ceftershire, where Wil. Smith, and fome other Friends Swaningcame to me; but they pafled away towards Night, leaving me at a Friend's Houfe in Swanington. At Night, as I was fitting in the Hall, fpeaking to a Widow-Woman and her Daughter, there came one called Lord Beaumont, with a Company of Soldiers, who flapping their Swords on the Door, ruht into the |