gathered so together, that at last we had a large meeting; for they sat in the court but only for a colour, to hinder us from having the hall to meet in. When the people were come away, the magistrates followed them, and some walked by, but some staid and heard; and the Lord's power came over all and kept all quiet. And the people were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for them and had enlightened them, that with his light they might all see their evil deeds, and be saved from their sins by him, and might come to know him to be their teacher. But if they would not receive Christ and own him, it was told them, that this light, which came from him, would be their condemnation.

Several of them were made loving to us, especially of the English people, and some came afterwards to be convinced. But there was a soldier that was very envious against us, and hated both us and the truth, and spake evil of the truth, and very despitefully against the light of Christ Jesus, which we bore testimony to, and mighty zealous he was for the priests and their hearers. As this man was hearing the priest, holding his hat before his face while the priest prayed, one of the priest's hearers stabbed him to death; so he who had rejected the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and cried down the servants of the Lord, was murdered amongst them whom he had so cried up, and by one of them.

We travelled from this town through the country to Leith, warning and exhorting people as we went to turn to the Lord. At Leith the innkeeper told me, that the council had granted forth warrants to apprehend me, because I was not gone out of the nation, after the seven days were expired, that they had ordered me to depart the nation in; several friendly people also came and told me the same; to whom I said, What do ye tell me of their warrants against me? if there were a cart load of them I do not heed them, for the Lord's power is over them all.'

So I went from Leith up to Edinburgh again, where they said the warrants from the council were out against me, and I went to the inn where I had lodged before, and no man offered to meddle with me, After I had visited the friends in the city, I desired those friends that travelled with me, to get ready their horses in the morning, and we rode out of town together: there were with me at that time Thomas Rawlinson, Alexander Parker, and Robert Widders. When we were come out of town, they asked me, whither I would go? I told them, it was upon me from the Lord to go back again to Johnston, (the town

out of which we had been lately thrust,) and to set the power of God and his truth over them also. Alex. Parker said he would go along with me; and I wished the other two to stay at a town, about three miles from Edinburgh, till we returned. Then Alexander Parker and I got over the water, which was about three miles over, and I rid on through the country; but in the afternoon, his horse being weak and not able to hold up with mine, I put on, and got into Johnston's just as they were drawing up the bridges; the officers and soldiers never questioning me, so I rid up the street to captain Davenport's house, from which house we had been banished before. There were many officers with him; and when I came amongst them, they lifted up their hands, admiring that I should come again; but I told them, the Lord God had sent me amongst them again; so they went their way. And the baptists sent me a letter, by way of challenge, that they would discourse with me the next day; I sent them word, I would meet them at such an house, about half a mile out of the town, at such an hour: for I considered, if I should stay in town to discourse with them, they might, under pretence of discoursing with me, have raised men to put me out of the town again, as they had done before. At the time appointed I went to the place appointed, captain Davenport and his son accompanying me, and there I staid some hours, but never a one of them came. But while I staid there waiting for them, I spied Alexander Parker coming; who not being able to reach the town, had lain out the night before; and when I saw him, I was exceeding glad that we were met again.

This captain Davenport was then loving to friends; but afterwards coming more into the obedience to truth, he was turned out of his place for not putting off his hat, and for saying thou and thee to them.

Now when we had waited beyond reasonable ground to expect any of their coming, we departed; and Alexander Parker being moved to go again to the town, where we had the meeting at the market - cross; I passed alone through the country to lieutenant Foster's quarters, where there were several officers that were convinced. thence I went up to the town, where I had left the other two friends, and they and I went back to Edinburgh together.

From

When we were come to the city, I bid Robert Widders follow me; and in the dread and power of the Lord we came up to the two first sentries; and the Lord's power came so over them, that we passed by them without any examination. Then we rode up the street to the market

place, and by the main-guard out at the gate by the third sentry, and so clear out at the suburbs, and there came to an inn and set up our horses, it being the seventh day of the week. Now I saw and felt that we had rid, as it were, against the cannon's mouth, or the sword's point; but the Lord's power and immediate hand carried us over the heads of them all. Next day I went up to the meeting in the city, friends having notice that I would be at it; there came many officers and soldiers to it, and a glorious meeting it was; and the everlasting power of God was set over the nation, and his Son reigned in his glorious power; and all was quiet, and no man offered to meddle with me. When the meeting was ended, and I had visited friends, I came out of the city to my inn again; and the next day, being the second day of the week, we set forward through the country, towards the borders of England.

As we travelled along the country I spied a steeplehouse, and it struck at my life. I asked what steeple-house it was, and was answered that it was Dunbar. When I came thither, and had set up at an inn, I walked up to the steeple-house, having a friend or two with me. When we came into the steeple-house-yard, one of the chief men of the town was walking there; so I spake to one of the friends that was with me, to go to him and tell him, that about the ninth hour next morning there would be a meeting there of the people of God called Quakers; of which we desired, he would give notice to the people of the town. He sent me word, that they were to have a lecture there by the ninth hour, but that we might have our meeting there by the eighth hour if we would. We concluded so, and desired him to give notice of it. Accordingly in the morning both poor and rich came; and there being a captain of horse quartered in the town, he and his troopers came also, so that we had a large meeting: and a glorious meeting it was, the Lord's power being set over all. After some time the priest came, and went into the steeplehouse; but we being in the steeple-house-yard most of the people staid with us and friends were so full, and their voices so high in the power of God, that the priest could do little in the steeple-house, but came quickly out again, and stood a while, and then went his way. For after I had opened to the people, where they might find Christ Jesus, having turned them to the light, which he had enlightened them withal, that in the light they might see Christ, that died for them, and turn to him, and know him to be their Saviour and free teacher; and had let them see, that all the teachers they had hitherto followed were hirelings, who

made the gospel chargeable, and had shewed them the wrong ways they had walked in, in the night of apostacy, and had directed them to Christ, the new and living way to God; and had manifested unto them, how they had lost the religion and worship which Christ set up in spirit and truth, and had hitherto been in the religions and worships of men's making and setting up; and after I had turned the people to the Spirit of God, which led the holy men of God to give forth the scriptures; and shewed them, that they must also come to receive and be led by the same Spirit in themselves (a measure of which was given unto every one of them) if ever they came to know God and Christ, and the scriptures aright: perceiving the other friends that were with me, to be full of the power and word of the Lord, I stepped down, giving way for them to declare what they had from the Lord to say unto the people. Towards the latter end of the meeting some professors began to jangle; whereupon I stood up again, and answered their questions, so that they seemed to be satisfied, and our meeting ended in the Lord's power, quiet and peaceable. This was the last meeting I had in Scotland; and the truth and the power of God was set over that nation, and many, by the power and spirit of God were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, their Saviour and teacher, whose blood was shed for them; and since there is a great increase, and great there will be in Scotland. For when first I set my horse's feet upon the Scottish ground, I felt the seed of God to sparkle about me, like innumerable sparks of fire. Not but that there is abundance of thick cloddy earth of hypocrisy and falseness that is a top, and a briary, brambly nature, which is to be burnt up with God's word, and ploughed up with his spiritual plough, before God's seed brings forth heavenly and spiritual fruit to his glory. But the husbandman is to wait in patience.

From Dunbar we came to Berwick, where we were questioned a little by the officers, but the governor was loving towards us; and in the evening we had a little meeting, in which the power of the Lord was manifested over all.

Leaving Berwick, we came to Morpeth, and so through the country, visiting friends, to Newcastle, where I had been once before: for the Newcastle priests had written many books against us; and one Ledger, an alderman of the town, was very envious against truth and friends. He and the priests had said, the Quakers would not come into any great towns, but lived in the Fells, like butterflies. So I took Anthony Pearson with me, and went to

this Ledger, and several others of the aldermen, desiring to have a meeting amongst them, seeing they had written so many books against us, for we were now come, I told them, into their great town. But they would not yield we should have a meeting, neither would they be spoken withal, save only this Ledger and one other. I told them, had they not called friends' butterflies, and said we would not come into any great towns? and now we were come into their town, they would not come at us, though they had printed books against us. Who are the butterflies, now?' said I. Then Ledger began to plead for the sabbath-day; but I told him they kept markets and fairs on that which was the sabbath-day, for that was the seventh day of the week; whereas that day, which the professed Christians now met on, and call their sabbath, is the first day of the week. So when we could not have a public meeting among them, we got a little meeting among friends and friendly people, at the gate-side, where a meeting is continued to this day, in the name of Jesus. As I was passing away by the market-place, the power of the Lord rose in me, to warn them of the day of the Lord, that was coming upon them. And not long after all those priests of Newcastle and their profession, were turned out, when the king came in.

From Newcastle we travelled through the countries, having meetings and visiting friends as we went, in Northumberland and Bishoprick; and a very good meeting we had at lieutenant Dove's, where many were turned to the Lord and his teaching. After the meeting I went to visit a justice of peace, a very sober loving man; and he confessed to the truth.

From thence we came to Durham, where was a man come down from London, to set up a college there, to make ministers of Christ, as they said: I went, with some others, to reason with the man, and to let him see, that to teach men Hebrew, Greek and Latin, and the seven arts, which was all but the teachings of the natural man, was not the way to make them ministers of Christ. For the languages began at Babel; and to the Greeks, that spake Greek, as their mother-tongue, the preaching of the cross of Christ was foolishness; and to the Jews, that spake Hebrew as their mother-tongue, Christ was a stumbling-block. And as for the Romans, who had the Latin and Italian, they persecuted the Christians; and Pilate, one of the Roman governors, set Hebrew, Greek and Latin a top of Christ, when he crucified him. So he might see the many languages began at Babel, and they set them a top of Christ, VOL. I.

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