6

Her Af

Indictment alfo, and the Day of the Month was put 1664. in wrong, and feveral Material Words of the Oath were left out: Yet they went on confidently againft Lanca me, thinking all was fafe and well. And when I was fizes fet to the Bar, and the Jury called over to be Sworn, the Clerk asked me, Firft; Whether I had any Objedion to make against any of the Fury? I told him, 'I knew none of them. Then having Sworn the Jury, they fwore three of the Officers of the Court, to prove, That the Oath was tendred to me at the laft Affizes, according to the Indictment. Come, come, faid the Judge, It was not done in a Corner. Then he asked me, What I had faid to it? or, Whether I had taken the Oath at the laft Affize? I told him, what I had faid, viz. That the Book they gave me to Swear on,faith, Swear not at all: And I repeated more, of what I had formerly faid to them, as it now came to my Remembrance. Whereupon the Judge faid; I will not difpute with you but in point of Law. Then faid I, I have fomething to fpeak to the Jury concerning the * Indictment. He told me, I must not speak to the Fury: but if I had any thing to fay, I must speak to him. Then I asked him, Whether the Oath was to be ten'dred to the King's Subjects only, or to the Subjects of Foreign Princes? He replied, To the Subjects of this Realm: for I will speak nothing to you, faid he, but in point of Law. Then faid I, Look the Indictment, and thou may'ft fee, that the word, Subject, ' is left out of this Indictment alfo. And therefore, feeing the Oath is not to be tendred to any but the Subjects of this Realm, and ye have not put me in as a Subject; the Court is to take no notice of this Indictment. I had no fooner fpoke thus, but the Judge cried, Take him away, Failer, take him away: So I was prefently hurried away. And the Jailer and People looked, when I fhould be called for again; but I was never brought forth to the Court any more, though I had many other great Errors to affign in the Indictment. But after I was gone, the Judge asked the Jury, if they were agreed? And they said, Tess

E 3

and

LancaAer Af

fizes.

1664. and found for the King against me: as I was told. But I was never called to hear Sentence given; nor was any Sentence given againft me, that I could hear of. For I heard, that when they had looked more narrowly into the Indictment, they saw, and were fenfible themselves, that the Indictment was not good: and the Judge having Sworn the Officers of the Court, that the Oath was tendred me at the Affize before, fuch a day, according as was fet in the Indictment, and that proving to be the wrong day, I fhould have proved the Officers of the Court forfworn Men again, if the Judge would have fuffered me to go on to plead to the Indictment: which was thought to be the Reafon, why he hurried me away fo foon. The Judge had paffed Sentence of Premunire upon Margaret Fell, before I was brought before him: and it feems, when I was hurried away fo, they recorded me, as a Premunired Perfon; though I was never brought to hear the Sentence, nor knew of it: which was very Illegal. For they ought to have not only had me prefent, to hear the Sentence given; but also to have asked me firft, What I could fay, why Sentence should not be given against me? But they knew, I had fo much to say, that they could not give Sentence, if they heard it.

Lancaffer

While I was a Prifoner in Lancaster-Caftle, there Prijon. was a great Noife and Talk of the Turk's over-fpreading Chriftendom; and great Fears entred many. But one day, as I was walking in my Prifon-Chamber, I faw the Lord's Power turn against him; and that he was turning back again. And I declared to fome, what the Lord had let me fee, when there were fuch Fears of his over-running Chriftendom; and within a Month after the News-Books came down, wherein it was mentioned, that They had given him a Defeci.

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Another time, as I was walking in my Chamber, with my Eye to the Lord, I faw the Angel of the Lord, with a glittering drawn Sword ftretched Southward, as though the Court had been all on a Fire. Not long after, the Wars brake out with Hol land,

6

land, and the Sickness brake forth; and afterwards 1664. the Fire of London: So the Lord's Sword was drawn indeed.

Now by reafon of my long and close Imprisonment in fo bad a place, I was grown very weak of Body: but the Lord's Power was over all, and fupported me through all, and enabled me to do Service for him, and for his Truth and People, as the place would admit. For while I was in Lancaster-Prifon, I Answered several Books, as the Mafs, and the Common-Prayer, and the Directory, and the Church-Faith; which are the Four Chief Religions, that are got up fince the Apoftles days. And there being feveral Friends in Prifon at Lancaster, and other Prifons, for not paying Tithes, I was moved to give forth the following Lines to the World concerning Tithes.

IN

Lancaster
Prifon.

N the time of the Law, they that did not bring 1665. their Tithes into the Store-houfe, they robbed God; and then there was not Meat in their House: 'Therefore the Lord commanded them To bring them into bis Houfe, that there might be Meat in the Storeboufe; which was to fill the Fatherless, Stranger and 'Widow. But thefe Priests, who are Counterfeits, who take Peoples Tithes now by a Law, are from the Beaft; and if any will not pay them, they Prifon them, or make them pay Treble. So thefe Rob the 'Poor People, and Rob the Fatherlefs; and the Stranger, and the Widow is not filled: So their Cry is gone up to Heaven against thefe. And many are made almoft Beggars by thefe Oppreffing Priefts; 'their Cattle and their Corn being taken away from them, and they caft into Prifon. Others are Sued at the Law by thefe Priefts, and have Treble Damage taken from them; and yet fuch Priefts are cried up to be Ministers of the Gofpel. Though when the Unchangeable Prieft was come, the Priefthood, that was Changeable, was denied, as we now deny thefe. 'But if any be moved now to Cry against them, they are Stocked, or Beat, or Imprifon'd, as there are

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⚫ many

3

Lancafter Prifon.

1665. many now in Prifon at Lancafter, and in other places, by a National Law: the like whereof was never done by the Law of God, which was delivered to Mofes. For we do not read, that under Mofes his Law any fuffered Imprisonment, or fpoiling of their Goods for not paying Tithes; or was to pay Treble Damage. Surely, furely, the Cry for Vengeance will be heard, which arifes from the Oppreffed Souls, that lie under the Altar. And there are many, which be Prisoners at Kendal, because they cannot pay Tithes; as Capt. Ward, and Thomas Robertfon, and the Widow Garland, who hath many finall Children; and thefe Suffer, because they cannot pay Tithes. Others there be in KendalPrifon, who were moved of the Lord to fpeak to the Priefts; whereof one was moved to go in Sackcloth, and of late with Ashes upon her Head. And others have been moved to go in Sack-cloth, as a Lamentation for the miferable Eftate of this Nation; feeing fo much Crying up of the Preaching of the Gospel, and yet fo much Strife, Debate, and Oaths, and Diffenfion among People: But where the Gospel is received indeed, Strife and Contention is ended, and Oppreffion is taken off. But Oh! The Land mourns, because of the Oppreffion of them called Minifters! And though the Cry of the Oppreffed hath not entred into the Ears of the Magiftrates: Yet is the Cry of the poor, oppreffed People of God entred into the Ears of the Lord of Sabaoth; who now will be avenged of all his Adverfaries. And all you Unjuft Law-givers, and Unjuft Judges, to that in all your Confciences I fpeak, to be Clear'd, when ye are Judged by the juft Judge of Heaven and Earth; whofe Terror is gone out, and is gone forth againft all the Ungodly, and all the Oppreffors of God's People whatfoever, whether ye will hear or forbear.

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6

G. F.

After

Prifon

After the Affize at Lancaster was over, Col. Kirby, 1665and fome others of the Juftices were very uneafie with my being at Lancaster, (for I had gauled them fore Lancafter at my Trials there) and they laboured much to get me removed from thence to fome remote Place. Col. Kirby threatned that I fhould be fent far enough; and fometimes he faid, I fhould be fent beyond the Seas. So about Six Weeks after the Affizes, they got an Order from the King and Council, to remove me from Lancafter; and with it they brought a Letter from the Earl of Anglefey, wherein was written; That if thofe things were found true against me, which I was charged withal, I deferved no Clemency nor Mercy: And yet the greatest Matter they had againft me was, becaufe I could not difobey the Command of Chrift, ! and Swear.

When they had prepared for my Removal, the Under-Sheriff, and the Head-Sheriff's Man, with fome Bailiffs came, and fetched me out of the Caftle; when I was fo weak with lying in that cold, wet, and fmoky Prison, that I could hardly go or ftand. They had me down into the Jailer's Houfe, where was William Kirby, a Juftice, and feveral others; and they called for Wine to give me. I told them, I would ⚫ have none of their Wine. Then they cried; Bring out the Horfes. I defired them firft to fhew me their Order, or a Copy of it, if they intended to Remove me: But they would fhew me none, but their Swords. Then I told them; There was no Sentence paffed upon me, nor was I Premunired, that I knew of; and therefore I was not made the King's Prifoner, but was the Sheriffs: For they and all the Country knew, that I was not fully heard at the laft Affize, nor fuffered to fhew forth the Errors, that were in the Indictment; which were fufficient to quafh it, though they had kept me from one Affize to another, to the end they might Try me. But they all knew there was no Sentence of Premunire paffed upon me: And therefore I not being the King's Prifoner, but the Sheriff's, did defire to fee their Order. Inftead of

fhewing