as well as to bring them thither for their Consciences in Worshipping the Lord and discharging a good conscience towards him And here boyes and others whom one would scorne to put vvith the Dogs of ones flock were set over them and our Meetings Lastly Was it not a shame as vvell as a very heavy burden that such a weekly charge as the Militia should be held on the City for no other end as hath yet appeared but the disturbing of us and other people as to the Woship of God Well thus far thou didst proceed and thus it was but to little purpose for thou madest the City as weary as thy self vvho began to think vvhat vvould be the end of these things and to what pass the City in a short time would come being thus set the one part of it against the other pulling and endeavouring to root one the other out of it even that part who were peaceable and a good example in it And that this should be by those who were in the seat of Government for said not he who is Lord of all A kingdom divided against it self cannot stand And then how could it possibly be well with Bristoll when one part was turned against the other as aforesaid It may be told thee that it put the greatest thoughts of heart into the sober part thereof that hath been in the City a City turning upside down and those in the seat of Government bearing against that part thereof which was to be cherished which was to be upheld This is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation But thou missedst in that thine attempt that day yet thou wouldest not give over but fury rose up in thee like one who having some notable enterprize in design with which to bespeak or to raise up himself missing in his first attempt is led forth with more vigor to accomplish in the next so thou surcharged with wrath and anger didst breath forth at the Tolzey and threaten what thou wouldest do the next day to such and such if they were at the meeting and that thou wouldst have them up and gavest order for that purpose and much passed thee there what thou wouldest do unto us So the next day coming being the thirteenth of the tenth month and the first day of the week thou didst cause the meeting house door to be kept fast with armed men some of John Hicks his company And so the meeting came to be in the street and there about the second houre in the afternoon Captain Hicks a man as industrious as thy self in these things and as full of mischief against his quiet neighbours came down with a fresh guard relieves them that were there before And finding the men thou hadst threatned so and took order about viz. George Bishop and Edward Pyot for they were not ashamed to be found there in their testimony to the Lord though they knew of thy order notwithstanding all was still and not a word spoken he led them away to the guard and twâ—lve more the names of all are as followeth Edward Pyot John Withers Lewis Rogers George Bishop Nathanael Day George Gough Thomas Goldney John Summers John Pickering John Saunders John Spoore Thomas North Nathanael Milner Henry Sutton Henry Sutton was discharged being an ancient man but the rest were had to Bridewel with a guard as if so be they had been some notable offendors And the worst of men and of most debauched reputation to which place after they had been sometime before on the guard Captain Hicks committed them so they were brought to Bridewel and there lodged some of them the second time as if otherwise you knew not how to murder their reputation who were men of good reputation who willingly went out of the Camp bearing his reproach who suffered without the gate And so good report and evil report was alike to them in their testimony to the Lord which they had learnt to go through as did the Apostles and followers of Jesus who were counted as deceivers and yet true who had here as is our case no continuing City but looked for one to come as he did who went before who that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the gate Wherefore Jesus also said the Apostle Heb. 3.12 13. that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the gate let us therefore go forth unto him without the Camp bearing his reproach for we have here no continuing City concerning whom when he suffered some then said he was a just man some a deceiver And the Apostle speaking to the Hebrews of the Patriarchs and those that went before them in that day said they confessed that they were strangers Heb. 11.13 14 15 16. and Pilgrims on the earth for said he of them and we may say it now of our selves in this day They that say such things declare plainly and so do we that they seek a country and truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out they might have had and so have we opportunity to have returned but now they desire and we do the same a better Country we speak of that which is spiritual which is heavenly wherefore God saith he is not ashamed to be called their God and he will not be ashamed to be called ours for he hath prepared for them a City and as Paul said to the Corinthians so may we I think saith he that God hath set us and we may say the same the Apostles last as a spectacle so are we to God Angels and men and as Jesus himself said John 16.1 2 3. so we finde fulfilled these things have I spoken unto you and what he spake unto his Disciples then he spake unto all that should believe in his name that ye should not be offended they shall put you out of the Synagogues Yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you a true word of thee shall think that he doth God good service And these things will they do unto you saith he because they have not known the father nor me Blessed are ye saith he when men shall revile you our case and persecute you as you do us for my sake and shall say all manner of evil against you fasly as they do of us for my sake rejoyce our condition and be exceeding glad and it is so to us for great is your reward we shall have the same in heaven for so persecuted they as you do us the Prophets that were before you Mat. 5.11 12. And this is manifest for if you pleased you could have committed them as well to Newgate as to Bridewel or you could have lodged them at some place near your guard or you could have dismissed them till the morrow who would have appeared but you thought to hurt them which you could not do for they had learned another thing viz. to be content in all conditions and this is their
died And Mary Knight did the servant of Nathaniel Milner hereafter mentioned We say what shall make us to undergo all this cruelty and that with cheerfulnesse which thou John Knight and some of the rest of thy brethren are preparing and have prepared for us have and are ready to execute upon us of which as to the things already done and the readinesse of your hearts further to do this ensuing relation gives the particulars were it not for something that is mortal that is more then man that bears us out We think you should come into consideration and to sensibleness and that these things should bring you to it And therefore it is that we have thus wrote for your welfare We truly desire in the Lord though you pursue our ruines and that without a cause for which the Lord God will one day plead with you and let you know that what we have said is true Is it the world think you that makes us thus how can that do it when this leads us out of it is it our country wherewithal can that induce us when by these things we are threatned out of it is it our relations wives husbands children neighbours kinsfolks friends acquaintance how can it be so when you take us from them doth greatness in the world tempt us this very thing is that which doth diminish us Is it honour and applause among men This makes us a spectacle both to Angels and men Doth ease and pleasure do it this takes from us our pleasant things and doth put us to sojourn as it may prove in desolate wildernesses Is it profit and advantage this takes us from our profits and the places of the advantage also of our estates and callings Is it health what more hazardous thereunto or more reasonably likely to be destructive then such a change of climate and alterations of seasons thereby as by the Law you may cast us into Well the Lord God eternal will plead with you who have put us upon these things and with thee John Knight in particular And thou and thy judgment must then come to know for what thou hast done from the hand of the Lord But before we proceed to speak to thee any further in this matter we must lay before thee in particular and bring back upon thee thy wickednesse thou hast done unto us and then thou shalt hear thy judgment No sooner was 't entred into thine ear but thy thoughts gave thee what thou wouldst do unto us and before thou sleptest that night after thou wast sworne Major didst not thou expresse what thou would do unto us this being the opportunity thou longedst for wherein to be dealing with us thou knowest the work thou wast driving on the year before when as hath been said moderation as to conscience sat in the seat of the government Thou knowest what endeavours thou usedst to ill-be-speak that moderation to the Court and what thou saidst to one of the Kings Secretaries at Bath as to us and what he answered thee when thou didst put the question viz. We have many Quakers in the City What shall we do with the Quakers It is the Kings pleasure thou knowst he said that they be proceeded withal with gentlenesse and won with with love or words to that purpose And yet thou knowest as not satisfied with this how thou spakest with him again about it and how the same answer thou receivedst thou shewing thereby what a mind thou haddest to be dealing with us even when the government was not in thine hands at least to reflect on those that hold thy hands some of which were then present if so be that a word had slipped out of the Secretaries mouth for that purpose And then after thou wast Major how soon thou didst cause our peaceable meetings to be visited after thou hadst some enterchange with some of those called Baptists and Independants thou knowest and what thou hast done since to us which we are now intending to set in order before thee and now heare what we have to say to thee in this matter To omit many things that passed the several first daies of the the week after thy first entrance into thy Mayoralty wherein the Officers sometimes Civil sometimes Military sometimes both came to our meetings and required us to depart yet meddling with non except Elinor Maud whom the Marshal with Musqueteers had away to the guard but from thence she was dismissed again Thus compassing our City like a dog as the Psalmish speaks Psal 59.6 and in the evening returning and grudging and not being satisfied they return at evening saith he they make a noise like a dog and go round about the City and at evening let them return and let them make a noise like a dog and go round about the City ver 19. and ver 20. Let them wander up and down for meat and grudge if they be not satisfied for he that holds the waters of the sea in his fist and comprehends the dust of the earth in a measure and weigheth the mountains in a ballance who declareth to man his thoughts shewed his dominion and how he could keep thee off who had preserved us hitherto and gave us not a prey into thy teeth So that it was not when thou wouldest nor as thou wouldest but when he suffered and as he pleased to let it be was it that we were delivered into thy hands who couldst not nor canst do any thing to us but as thou receivedst power from above as he said to Pilate who is gone before in that day when he said unto him Speakest thou not unto me knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee and have power to release thee Thou couldest have no power at all said he against me except it was given thee from above Joh. 19.10 11. So the time being come wherein we vvere to be tried and thereby the vertue that is of him in us to be made manifest thou hadst power given thee and not before to enter in upon us and so on the 28. day of the ninth month called November being vvithin a day of full two months after thou vvast sworn Mayor Thou sentest thy Officer John Jones the Lawyer vvho vvith one of the Town Clerks servants and some other Officers and Souldiers of the Militia vvhich thou haddest got into thine assistance came vvith swords and armes upon a naked people vvho make and their principle is so no resistance And after he had required us to depart and taken the names of several of us he sent to the Guard these vvhose names follow viz. Edward Pyott Jeremy Hignel John Gibbons George Bishopp Thomas Morris Lewis Rogers Nehemiah Pool Benjamin Cottle Joseph Jones James Sterridge George Oliver John Spoore These being brought to the Guard were continued there in the wind and cold till about evening and then Thomas Walter Lievtenant to Captain Adams whose Company then had the guard came and acquainted them that thy
dominion that is Eternal over the Consciences of men in matters of Worship vvich the usurpation of man would stand over and this is their honour And this record shall bear it for them to all generations vvhen you are gone and laid in your dust who have persecuted them for bearing testimony to his dominion in the Conscience who is Lord of all against the usurpation of you and all men which as hath been said shall stand by them for ever and ever And these things are spoken to the intent that it may appear that your proceedings are partial and not out of Conscience though thou John Knight dost so loudly boast that what thou dost is out of Conscience of which more anon and therefore it is that thou thus proceedest We know thou wilt pretend that thou hadst directions from the Kings Council so to proceed which thou didst produce when they vvere first before thee as hath been before mentioned which gave thee orders as thou read it to keep them in prison till the next Goale delivery if they would not find sureties to appear or to that purpose and thereupon thou biddest them chuse whether they would be so proceeded against or on the late Act whose end was Banishment and then didst shew some of them thy mercy in tendring them the Oath of Alegiance and committing them for that they could not swear as hath been said But this Fig-leaf will not cover thee for who was he that Wrote up to Whitehall and gave the Councel to understand otherwise of the City and us then it was And insinuated dangers that were not and drew over them and the City such an understanding as neither they nor the City did discern and then produced the Councils Letter upon such suggestions thou shouldst have shewn that and have ingeniously confessed that thou wrotest such a Letter for thou mightst well conclude that we might come to know it and that because thou thy self wouldest not seem to bring the ruine upon them and so the destruction on the City which thou hadest in thy heart therefore thou hast done this and hast laid it upon the Council and so hast abused the Council as thou hast wronged us This had been something bare fac'd and like a plain man at least like one that was so satisfied and in love with his own actions that he dares to avow them before the world and not as one that doth mischief and then slinks into a corner Indeed the Council as hath been said could not be expected otherwise to direct being sworn to attend the safty of the Kingdome upon such suggestions that such a City as Bristol and so to England as Bristol is was in such danger and that by such a people as we and our meetings which in no more danger was nor is nor will be as to us and our meetings then of children in their beds asleep as thou wast told nor deserving such suggestions How could the Council answer the not sending such directions upon such informations as these But as for the King thou knevvest his mind at Bath by his Secretary as aforesaid and his good aspect of this place vvhen Himself vvas lately in it and no hand of His vvas to the Letter So that it appears that through thine own mischievous suggestions it was that Bristol came to be had in disrepute and that such an innocent people therein came to suffer which thou vvouldst need cover with a necessity from the Council and their order which thy suggestions procured It could here be reckoned up vvhat heaps of Informations thou mountedst up against diverse eminent men in the City that had been and vvere Magistrates because they had before thy day held moderation in the Government as to conscience as hath been said and others whose crime as thou didst endeavour to make it was because they came to visit those whom thou hadst made Prisoners of vvhom they were near relations as Brother in-law Vncle c. Partners in Merchandizing as to which they had business and how enraged thou wast at the general applause of the sober part of the City with the Prisoners and Cities detestation of thee and what thou didst to us which their visits thou laidst as the ground of thine Informations and so because they were thy Prisoners thou vvouldst not have them though the Law allowed it to be visited and this upon the foot of vvhat hath been mentioned but because this was somewhat after in order of time produced though now in design and preparation it shall be in this place omitted and a return made to our state as it was vvhen thou madest them Prisoners Much was the Love of the City manifested to the Prisoners even beyond the president of former dayes and continual visits were to them and as Doves flock to the windows so came they to see them manifesting their great disgust of thee for doing as thou hadst to us and not a day passed without some manifestation of their love And vvhereas thou didst seek by what thou hadst done to cool the esteeme of the City to us and to bring us under it arose the more abundantly and so the more thou didst persecute us the more we grew so that thou lost on every hand the love of the people because thou persecutedst the innocent and thy design to decrease them which vvas the intent of thy persecution Therefore least thou shouldst altogether miscarry and so on no hand be saved one of the Prisoners being moved of the Lord thus wrote and sent unto thee Friend VVE are innocent as to God to Men to Thee we live in all good Conscience giving no just occasion of offence to any the King thy Self the Government are safe in Us we desire your welfare God is witness our meetings are in obedience to the Lord and not in any oppsition unto you the Law or Government the searcher of the heart knows it is truth who will render unto every man according to his deeds our refusing to swear is in obedience to the Lord because the Law of him we cannot transgress our behaviour hath been in the fear of the Lord and no other thing have you had from us our conversation hath been blameless as amongst men and we are clear as in the sight of the Lord we have not been an oppression to this City nor the Nation nor to any particular therein but what in us lies we have had peace with all men and we desire the destruction of none but the salvation of all even our enemies whom we pray for whom we bless whom we love we cannot resist evil because of him that hath said Resist not evil We are in Peace and we would be in peace times have tried us revolutions great revolutions the greatest revolutions this Nation hath had have proned us a people not dangerous to Government nor to the peace and safety of this place You have had no hurt from us we have done you no hurt God
thronged at the door of the Hall that the Prisoners could not get in but in the street and about the door were forced to stay in the wet and cold vvho were somewhat in an ill capacity to bear it having been before some of them so long in Prison till thou camest which was about the fourth hour from thy feast where thou hadst the Bishop and the Dean and other of the Clergy to replenish thee and so being fully frought with mischief and envie and prepared as thou thoughtst for thy work and in some kind of certainty in thy self that thou shouldst accomplish thou mountedst thy Throne and thy brethren sate by thee and the Candles being lighted in affectation of the Grand Assizes when Witches are to be tryed thereby to draw the more the wonderment of the people thou didst cause an O Yes to be made and required silence to be kept which thou mightest have forborn for the people in the Hall being willing to hear did of themselves and some of the Prisoners being set to the Bar viz. Thomas Speed Charles Jones and William Taylor who were in one Bill put together an Indictment was read unto them at the Common Law Charging them with being at an Vnlawful Assembly under the pretence and colour of Religion on such a day with force and Arms and to the Terror of the people c. To which they pleaded Not guilty before the Jury which were Thomas Walter Foreman who was Lieutenant to Capt. Adams aforesaid who had the command of the Guard when some of the Prisoners were had from meeting thither and in person with a guard without a Warrant conducted them to Bridewel as hath been said Thomas Ballard Richard Lucket Samuel Lloyd John Towgood waterbayliff one of thy officers Prebend Towgoods Son a bitter enemy of theirs and a man so invenomed and prepared before-hand to make them suffer that when G. Bishop was committed being in the lower Tolzey as he came down out of the Council house he said behind his back after he was passe him in the audience of the people which were many That he hoped to see him hanged who never did him wrong for which the people reproved him and when the Sessions drew near he was so replenished having been as he said with thee and coming then from thee that he could not contain himself but alowd in the Kitching of the new prison and in the presence of some and hearing of other the prisoners in their Chamber over-head vented himself after this manner viz. That he had been with the Major and that he came from him then and that the Major had spoken to him to be one of their Godfathers viz. the Prisoners and that he would warrant he would do their work for them on Tuesday next which was the day or words to that purpose and now it seems was made one of them But William Willett a moderate man was refused by thee though called and present all which shewed what thou intendedst to do and how thou wast a party in this matter for which thou wilt receive thy reward from the hand of the Lord. James Millard William Hartford John Clarke the younger William Holmes Thomas Lewis John Tizon and Thomas Standfast whose father was then a Prebend Having pleaded Not Guilty as aforesaid and sworn the Witnesses were produced which were some of the false sworn men aforesaid in the case of Miles Dixon at the time of their commitment and there was no other viz. Lodowick Poole and _____ Sloper both Serjeants to the Militia and parties who without a warrant with force and arms took them from their peaceable meeting and Tho. Speed from the door of the meeting house at which in the street he was quietly sitting which men passed with thee as good evidence some of these being sworn anew spake what they pleased The Council pleaded against the commitment because it was without a warrant which the witnesses confessed they had not and so not according to due course of Law which was to have been by Civil officers and not by military in time of peace without a warrant and this the Council made out whereby all their work in troubling meetings that were quiet was overthrown which is something for thee and them to remember The Prisoners confessed two of them that they were in the meeting house and the other that he was at the door of the Meeting house in the street sitting quietly having not been in the Meeting house for out of it he and others were kept as aforesaid and they witnessed a good Confession as he did then before Pontius Pilate that is gone before and acknowledged the matter and spake of the ground upon which they did it And one of them viz. Tho. Speed delivered it to the Jury in these or words to this purpose To you that are our Neighbours and fellow Citizens of the Jury I have a few words to offer we might justly except against some of you as men unfit to pass upon our liberties or estates and particularly against thee John Towgood vvho didst lately speak things touching us not fit to be named in this Court but we freely forgive thee and desire the Lord to forgive thee also to whom we commit our selves and our cause That we were at a meeting in Broad-mead the place expressed in our Indictment we may not deny but do confesse being there in the fear of the Lord and in good will towards all men in good will to the King against whom we are accused to be trespassers to vvhom from our hearts we vvish this happiness That he may so reign and rule in the fear of God that he may live in his favour and die in his peace and may have a habitation with him when time shall be no more You have families relations and estates we have families relations and estates vveigh well out of all prejudice and consider what you are now about to do as touching us Suppose with your selves that the verdict you are now going about to consult of may be the last that ever you may give in in this would and that when you have brought in your Verdict on us you your selves should immediately appear before the high Tribunal of the God of Heaven go therefore and do that wherein you may have peace with your maker when you shall go hence and be seen no more And so said it on the Consciences of the Jury whether that were any breach of the peace nor indeed was there any proof that the peace was broken on their part nor was it or that their being there was vvith force and arms or to the terror of the people but the force and arms was on the other part who by force and arms contrary to law had to the Terror of many that were not of us thus taken them away Hereupon the Jury after some time brought in their verdict not guilty of force and arms and to the terrour of the
the next day thou committedst to Newgate for being at an unlawful assewbly under pretence of Religious worship on Sunday the 12th of June in the time of divine service and for resisting the Officers who were to disperse them and refusing to give sureties for their appearance the next Sessions and in the mean time to be of the good behaviour Signed John Knight Mayor Hen. Creswick Nath. Cale dated 13th June 1664. And this was the Sabboth dayes work of thy officers whom thou sentest on this errand breaking the peace and confirmedst after they had done it who yet pretendedst to the keeping of the Sabbath and criest out upon us for breaking the Sabbath in meeting on that day to wait upon the Lord the work as your selves accounted it of the Sabbath and for coming to town on which day to save a womans life who was in travel thou causest a horse of a man-midwife to be detained till he had paid a fine for riding on that day for that purpose being sent for in hast Richard Blackborrow Brewer thy neighbour and yet thou couldst send a Capias on that day newly taken out of the Court for the wax was wet to detain Robert Steward that was brought to Newgate late the night before in a debt of thy brother in law Duckets of 200 l. who cryest out of the breach of the Sabbath thou Hypocrite who makest Sabbath and Law and all what thou pleasest who shewest of what Religion thou art towards God by these things as of Loyalty to the Law and thy Prince by the other but of this more hereafter And yet thou wast mistaken in thy warrant and shewed thy self thereby how wrong thou didst run even as a man headlong into any thing that seem'd to serve thy end talking of resisting and not dispersing when as the new law which enabled to such things was not then in force and there was no other as we know of that so enabled yet this is the usage that we and our peaceable meetings receive from the hands of thy officers and this is the Justice we receive at thy hands to have thy confirmation of what thy officers have done and all the remedy we have but we leave it to the Lord who will render unto you according to your deeds Now drew on the 1. of the 5. month called July famous for the date of the new Act on which it took place and became in force which thou hadst so much longed for and for the accomplishing of which thou hadst so much trudged for which thou shalt have thy reward from the hand of the Lord and now the day being come having before hand caused the Constables to be warned and the meeting being on the first day of the week and the third of that month thou sentest thy Officers first to bid them to depart to take nams who took away John Moon to Bridewel as he was then declaring in the words of soberness and truth and between the first and second houre in the afternoon thou camest thy self attended with Alder. Lock and Alder. Lawford the other Aldermen it seems being out of the way or not caring to be about such work as this and at the door of our meeting house in the street being set down with them and the Sheriffs thou didst cause an O Yes to be made in the form of a Court one which day no Courts are used to be kept in England who talkest so much of the Sabbath and chargest us with profaning the day because we meet thereon to wait upon the Lord the work of the day as you use to say upon the day and madest the manmidwife pay the fine for coming that day to town as aforesaid the effect of a murderous spirit shewn under the pretence of Religion and conscience to the observation of the Law as did the Pharisees who put him to death who was the end of the Law who healed on that day whom he convinced of the contrary in the example of David in the shew-bread and their own in taking an oxe or an asse out of a pit and sent'st the Capias in thy brother Ducket's behalf on that day as hath been said and to adde no more didst constrain Christopher Woodward to bring upon the foot of a Mortgage payable on that day of the week his mony to the Tolzey whether he was on that day necessitated to bring it least thou shouldst take advantage of the forfeiture of the Mortgage who otherwise wouldst not give him encouragement to accept it when he spake with thee thereabouts and is not this Hypocrisie and that which is like thee in all thy actions pretend conscience and do the contrary In which we shall farther trace thee ere this relation be over Well the Court being set as aforesaid in the nature of a Piepowder one thou sent'st the Constables and Officers up into the Meeting who brought down the men first whom thou didst Maunder at as thou pleasedst and then demanding of some of them mony for of several thou didst not and yet sentest them to prison contrary to Law 10 s. 2 s. 6 d. and of some 6 d. ye 2 d. which they not answering thou sentest some to Newgate some to Bridewel Then the Women were brought down whom thou servedst after the same manner many of them not being fined then nor so much as asked Whether they would pay any Mony though the Law places Imprisonment in default of payment of the fine and not otherwise vvhich practice thou didst use many times after but have them away have them away vvas thy cry and to Bridewel and to Newgate vvere many of them also carried though it is contrary to Law also to make a man suffer twice for one offence vvhich thou madest them to do in committing them for being at a Meeting one day and the next day fining them as by and by shall be related for doing of the same so making the Law a nose of wax bowing and bending it as thou pleasest and yet pretending as to vvhat thou didst to us Conscience to the Law About four hours time thou tookest up in this thy New found vvay of Justice sending Men and Women in heaps to both prisons on this account some Husbands one vvhere their Wives another some Servants vvhere their Masters and Mistrisses vvere not some old some young some under-age by the Law some Women with Child and so big that they knew not of an hour to go and this to Bridewel and yet others vvho were of age thou vvouldst not account so but placest them under having a mind to excuse them and yet thou pretendest Conscience and thou say'st Thou must not be partial and thou must execute the Law and thou must keep thy Oath and though others fail of their duty yet thou must not Thus like the Pharisees making thy Philacteries broad but the Exposition of the Law narrow or none at all as thou pleasest yet thou could'st not accomplish thine end
viz. the sending of all away notwithstanding all this bussle and the violence of some of thy Officers particularly John Jones thy Sergeant vvho because Thomas Winfield answered not presently his Command to come down he violently threw him down the stairs from top to bottome with such a fall as had like to have spoiled him the fear whereof seized on many thus breaking of the peace above whilest thou wast below as seeming to sit and keep it yet we say thou didst not accomplish thine end to put up all and so to make clear work for though thou sentest away of Men Women to Newgate 24. and to Bridewel about one hundred forty and six and satest at it so long yet thou wast forced to arise and depart as a man quite tired saying Thou couldest do no more and so there was many of whom thou tookest no notice So thou hadst thy Belly full of Prey this day and as great an opportunity in this kind against the Innocent as thine heart could wish and with thine hands thou didst the desire of thine heart till thou couldst do no more for which the Lord vvill give thee thy reward even blood to drink for thou art worthy and in the Cup wherein thou hast filled shalt thou be filled double as John saw in his Revelations who prophecied of thy day in the fall of Babilon who had made he self drunk with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Iesus Rev. 18.6 In the cup which she hath filled to you fill to her double saith he vvhich shall be thy portion from the hand of the Lord except thou repent And now the City was full of sorrow and much trouble affected the sober people therein vvho before never saw such a day nor heard of in Bristol vvherein their quiet peaceable sober innocent and substantial fellow-Citizens were thrust in heaps into holes after such a manner for their Conscience Bridewel being full of them like the place of a great Fair five and fifty Women in Bridewel not having above four or five beds to lie on about the Bed of vvhich in one Chamber lay about 30 on the form and floor which by reason of the uncleanness of that house in many places of it being cast in there in such numbers on a suddain so that the house could not be cleansed before vvas so filled with vermine that through the going up and down of such multitudes in every place vvho in a manner filled every place was contracted so that sleep could not rest in the eyes of many who had not been exercised vvith such hard lodging and troublesome guests Who were people of Quality many of them and Credit and lived otherwise in the world And in Newgate several such viz. some Merchants some Shop-keepers were constrained to lie on straw that night above Twenty lying in the Circumference of one narrow place for such a number called the Traytors ward and indeed that prison was so full what with our friends before and now committed and what with old and new debtors and felons the time of the Asizes and Gaol delivery drawing on that they were cast thicker in proportion than a man that had regard to his creatures would put his dogs and swine as if so be thou intendedst by infection to have dispatcht them in that noysome hole which is scarce fit for dogs much lest for men such men as they were and had been bred and lived though thou thereby shouldst hazzard thy self the City it being the hot season of the year and in that respect the more dangerous much like to Nero whom Histories report to have caused Rome to be set on fire in several places whilest he standing on a Tower with his Musitians made sport thereat Yet this effected not what thou thoughtst to bring to pass viz. by these things to withdraw the love of the City from us or to deter them from their visiting of us for it increased their love and people by heaps came to visit those of us whom thou hadst cast into prison some by the sixth hour in the next morning were there to visit them viz. at Bridewell and by continual entercourse both there and at Newgate and expressions of their love shewed how much their hearts were touched with their sufferings and let us tell thee it reached further than any thing of this nature had reached before and many were pained at the heart and knew not vvhat to doe such large furrows had these thy cruelties made upon their souls vvhich shevved thee an unwise man in thy Generation thus to Act raising the fire so much the more vvhich thou soughtest hereby to quench and making those the more considerable and to have a deeper root in the City then ever whom thou wouldest and endeavourdest to have rooted out for as was wrote thee aforesaid they being interwoven in the City as a mans spirit is in his flesh and his flesh in his body the suffering of them proved as a mans flesh in his body and his spirit in his flesh and thou camest to be abhorred hereby and thy name to be as stink in the City which as it never before saw such heaps of violence So it never hated a man more that thus did exercise it and so whilest ages and generations lasts this thy work will be thy shame and in the perpetual Monuments of time will brand thy name with ignominy for ever Thou shalt not avoid it except thou repent Nor was it onely in Bristol that these things thus ran but in the Countrey about and in London yea throughout England which whilest it generally stood in a modest sensibility and loathness to such Acts as these had the leisure to hear the sound of these cruelties and to abhor thee so that thou becamest the general talk in City and Country especially at London and not without the like at Court which thought thee hadst gon beyond the limit of the discresion of their affaires and mad man like hadst set all on fire when as two or three sticks some of the principle of them as the Law directs might have tried how that smoak would have proved and ' its like thou hadst no thanks from thence for so doing Yet the Lord was with his people who kept them in prison amidst all these sufferings praising and glorifying his name as he was with them at the meetings and in the sence of his presence gave them the seale of his Apobation that that their testimony to him was accepable in his sight and that they bore testimony to him Whose Names are Newgate Men. Thomas Gouldney Charls Jones Miles Dixin Charls Harvord Will. Taylor Rich. Marsh Will. Taylor of the Castle George Gough Rich. Snead Rich. Belshar Hen. Dedicote Jos Owen John Cole Andrew Sole Erasin Dole John Hunt 16. Women Mary Gouldney Eliz. Pyet Magd. Love Ann Sole Joyce Dole Eliz. Moore Eliz. Gibbons Joan Hiley 8 24 in all Bridewell Men. John Moon John Batho Thomas Lewis Nath.
the Meetine who warn'd them to depart and took names and two to Prison viz. Bartholomew Crocker and Cananuel Britton who gave not their Names knowing themselves to be on the Third Conviction if so be thou wouldst so take it which the next day thou didst and committedst them to Newgate and on the 28th camest on with a fresh career and having sent thy Officer before to make fast the door on them that were in the Meeting-room somewhat early thou camest thy self down with Ald. Lock and the Sheriffs about the second hour in the afternoon and seeing some friends in meeting at the door of the house in the street for coming after the door was fast they could not get in the form of thy Visage was changed and thou grew'st very wroth and hastedst to them in thy fury so that thou wast observed to out-goe some of thy Officers and coming near the Place and seeing Mary Prince there thou saidst Where is Mrs. Prince What do you do here Unto which she answering That they were there to wait upon the Lord Thou criedst have her away to Newgate not suffering her to go to Bridewel though she desired it her Son in Law being there and her daughter likely to be sent thither being above in the meeting-room and she desiring to be with her children and this thou didst without asking her to pay any thing or fining her which is contrary to Law as aforesaid and having sent some more thither also whose Names are hereafter mentioned thou went'st up in the meeting-room and there didst commit whom thou pleasedst and hadst an especial eye upon and then orderedst the rest to be suffered to depart but Hannah Marshal Daughter to Mary Prince as aforesaid continuing till last for she could not go away at thy command as she came not there at thy Order thou causedst her to be brought before thee vvho hadst set up thy Court in the Meeting-room as aforetime and demandedst of her whether she would pay 2 s. 6 d. to which she answering that she had something to speak to thee first before she should give thee any reply to that Thou didst bid her say on and she thereupon speaking to this effect John Knight The day will come wherein thou wilt have cause to wish that a milstone were tied about thy neck and thou cast into the midst of the sea for persecuting the people of the Lord Thou saidst Here is a bold Huswife indeed have her away and Alderman Lock with his own hands was like to have thrown her down the stairs so thou orderedst her to Newgate without taking her answer whether she would pay her sine which thou gavest her time to do after she had spoken as aforesaid but she asking thee Whether thou wouldst be worse than an Infidel to part man and wife her Husband being at Bridewel thou sent'st her thither So the Widow and the Fatherlesse were the first and the last of this dayes execution the Mother and the Daughter whom the Lord thus honoured to suffer for his Name with the rest of his servants at that time vvhose Names are Newgate Men. John Withers Charles Jones Andrew Vivers William Peacher Richard Willis Thomas Window Tho. Lofty 7 Women Mary Prince Alice Tovy Bridewell Men. John Hardiman W. Shalford Tho. Baker Geo. White David Simons W. Maynard John Mills Sam. Cottrel Ralph Cock Richard Lindey 10 Women Hannah Marshal Hest Rennolds Jone Dapwel Susanna Pearson the younger Eliz. Turford 5 15 in all Those at Bridewel thou committedst to the 28th of 7th month but those at Newgate had no Warrant of Commitment nor have to this day yet were there detained till the day after the Recorders departure wherein they and several that were there on the third Conviction with John Simons and Sarah Wilkinson hereafter to be mentioned were ordered to be set at Liberty And as for those at Bridewel they had gone without one also had they not refused to depart from the Tolzey the next day when thou hadst them before Thee The Prisons now being very full and the Goal delivery near thy Sergeant Jones and some other Officers came and took the Names of whom they pleased and then halled the Men out of the Meeting room but the Women they let alone This was on the 4th of 7th month being the first day of the Week But the Prisons being somewhat eased again by the Liberty of those that were committed till the 6th of 7th month thou camest on afresh and it being the first day of the Week before the Goal delivery thou madest ready for it to have as many as thou couldst on the third Conviction in order to Banishment Thou having boasted not long before that as near as thy Year was at an end thou hopedst to send one 400 of us out of the Kingdome So on the 11th of 7th month thou settest to thy work and sentst from the Meeting to Newgate and Bridewel these that follow Newgate Men. Miles Dixin W. Taylor John Packer John Brooks Griffith Loscomb Rowland Dole Roger Oldstone James Wallis Robert Gerish John Styant Lewis Rogers 11 Women Martha Lane Sarah Cann Eliz. Dowel Mary Harbord Mary Burg ss Elinor Maud Margaret Thomas the elder Susanna Pearson the elder 8 the number 19. None of these had any Warrant of Commitment and to Bridewel thou didst commit of men and women about the number of seventy So the Goal delivery came on at vvhich One Bill of Indictment was exhibited to the Grand Jury against Barth Crocker Lewis Rogers Cananuel Britton as upon the foot of Banishment being the third Conviction and another against Margaret Thomas the elder Elinor Maud and Susan Pearson the elder for the same both which the Grand Jury found as they did one against John Simons for words said to reflect upon your Worship and another against Sarah Wilkinson for speaking to the Priest of James Steeple house aforesaid These two later vvere found Guiltie by the Petty Juries that passed upon them and vvere fined in 100 marks each by the Recorder and in default of payment to lye six months each in Prison The other six vvere also found Guiltie by the Petty Juries that went on each Indictment and they were sentenc'd the three men to Banishment in the Island of Barbados the three Women because Wives into six months imprisonment in Bridewell each unless redeemed by their respective Husbands according to the Act. So the general Sessions or Goal Delivery had an end Yet thou hadst not thine but as a man restless to bring to pass the thoughts of thy heart against the Innocent whilst thou hadst any breath that is to say any time unexpired of thy Government thou failedst not to improve it against them and for that purpose didst send thine Officers to the Meeting the next first day after the General Sessions viz. the 19th of 7th month vvho took the Names of whom they pleased at the Meeting and on the 25th the last first day of the