by my attorney, and if I do overthrow them in both courts as I hope I shall, it will be upon record, so that none will meddle with me more about those books for ever. I have advised with the council that they have done that which the law will not justify them in what they have done, for it is contrary to law and to several acts of parliament; however it goeth, on my side or not, it will be good for the age to come, not to suffer any envious devil to do as they have done; if I lose my books they shall not have them for nought, and make others afraid to do the like.

Therefore if you please to propound this to as many of this faith as you know, whose minds are free to contribute what they please towards this business, I shall be very willing to accept of it. Thus I have given you as short an accountt as I can of those matters and troubles I have passed through one whole year, and how long my troubles will last yet I know not.

So I shall say no more at present, only my love and my wife's remembered unto yourself and wife; I take leave and rest your friend in the true faith,

14th Nov. 1676.

LODOWICKE MUGGLETON.

A Copy of a Letter written by the Prophet Lodowicke Muggleton, to Mr. Thomas Tompkinson, bearing date April 23d, 1677.

Loving Friend in the true faith, Thomas Tompkinson,

THIS is to certify you, that I received of Mr. Delamain ten shillings at one time, and thirteen shillings and sixpence at a another time, which you and the rest of friends did send to him for me according as their particular names were set down; but I gave Mr. Delamain orders to give you an account that he had received the money both times, and had given it to me according to your order, but not that he should mention every person's name nor every particular shilling that every person gave. It was both troublesome and need

less, and very inconvenient if the world should have seen it; therefore a receipt in general was enough, for if we received all that was sent, we must needs understand the names of them that sent it and all particulars.

I hope you nor the rest of friends do not doubt of Mr. Delamain's faithfulness to deliver to me whatsoever is sent to me by any friend of ours in any parts of the world, both by sea and land; whatsoever hath been directed to him to be given to me, either letters or any thing else, he hath faithfully delivered unto me, and I have desired him to give a receipt for me in general, when I have not been capable to write myself, and it hath satisfied all friends else; so that it was partly my fault more than his, that he did not write any larger at that time, for I and he and all our friends else here in London were in great trouble, and had not leisure to write at that time, for the shepherd being smitten, the sheep were all scattered.

Upon the 17th of January last past, judgment was given upon me to stand upon the pillory in three places of the City of London; and the books they took away from me were divided into three parts, and were so burnt before my face the three days I stood on the pillory; so they offered up the books as three burnt offerings unto the unknown God, and they offered me up as a sacrifice to be slain by the rude multitude; and it was a wonderful providence I was not slain outright; I was exposed to the utmost rigour of the law, more than any man that suffered in that kind. However they have shed the blood of the last Prophet, though not unto death; oh! what shall be done unto this bloody city for shedding of innocent blood? the God of heaven shall say unto this bloody city, "You shall be punished with poverty and beggary; but those who have had a hand in the persecution and blood of my servant the Prophet, shall be cast into the bottomless pit in utter darkness, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth for evermore, where they shall never see bright day to

eternity." This I am sure will be the effect upon those that have had a hand in this suffering of mine.

I cannot enlarge in particulars of those great sufferings hath happened to me of late, it would be too large a volume to relate the particulars of it; but you understand by a little what a great deal meaneth.

So being in haste, I shall take leave and rest, only my love to yourself, and my wife's love to yourself and wife, and all friends else there with you.

I rest your loving friend in the the true faith,

1

LODOWICKE MUGGLETON.

From the Press Yard, Newgate,

April 23rd, 1677.

A Copy of a Letter written by the Prophet Lodowicke Muggleton to Mr. George Gamble of Cork in Ireland, bearing date, August 20th, 1677.

Loving friend in the true faith,

THESE lines are to inform you of the truth concerning my sufferings; I shall only touch upon the chief heads of the whole matter, for particulars and circumstances would make a volume, which shall be left upon record, with many other acts and sufferings done by John Reeve and myself, which will be published after my death.

But as to this present suffering of mine, upon the 17th day of January, 1677, I was tried and condemned.

And in the trial I would note to you this, the judges were divided in themselves, the judges did not give consent to that sentence; therefore not to repeat circumstances nor particulars, I shall note this passage unto you that one of the judges said.

"Gentlemen of the Jury,

"I cannot see by the laws of England how you can bring this man in guilty," with many words to that purpose, "therefore," said he to the jury, "look to it."

Then stood up another judge, chief of England, and said, "that if it were not law we will make it law," and many other words to that purpose, to provoke the jury to bring me in guilty, else they would be partakers with me in that horrible blasphemy; so the jury did hearken to him, and brought me in guilty.

Upon which the sentence was given in thus, THAT the court had no love to my person, and were sorry that the laws of England were so unprovided to punish such crimes of this nature. Therefore saith he, we shall give you but an easy punishment, that is, you shall stand upon the pillory three days in three of the most eminent places in the City of London, two hours at a time, from 11 o'clock in the forenoon till one of the clock in the afternoon, and a writing shall be tied upon your breast, to show the cause why you suffer, and that my books should be divided into three parts, and burnt by the common hangman before my face every day I stood upon the pillory, and that I should be fined five hundred pounds, and after the fine was satisfied, I should put in bail for my good behaviour during my life, and that none should be bail but such as were not of my principles.

This is the very substance and almost verbatim, the words and truth of this sentence.

This sentence have I suffered in every tittle in the greatest rigour that could possibly be inflicted upon man; they made me ride in a cart as a thief, or a murderer, bare-headed, without hat or cap, which never was done in England before: I stood bare-headed, which no cheat nor bawd ever did; I was set as a mark for every one to throw a stone at me, my books were offered up in three burnt offerings, at three sacrifices unto the unknown God before my face, and I myself was

offered up as a sacrifice to the rude multitude, I was bruised and battered with dirt, mud, rotten eggs and stones; and my innocent blood was shed, though not unto death; it was the wonderful providence of God I was not slain outright. That my life was preserved being exposed to the rude multitude, even to unreasonable men, such as Paul in the like case desired to be delivered from; so that the blood of the last true Prophet that God will ever send hath been shed by this bloody city of London; which innocent blood doth cry to heaven for vengeance on them that have had a hand in it, because it was shed for God's cause only therefore the sin is the greater; I was willing to have been stoned to death by the rude multitude, and would have gone off the pillory to be stoned to death, but the officers would not let me come down.

When this was over, and my wounds washed, and the blood stanched, I was was put into the cold cellar again the same day at night; I went three pair of stairs to my lodging, and the next day I would willingly have kept my bed all day, being not well of my wounds, but the keeper said, if I would not come down into the cellar in the afternoon, they would put me into the common side, so I was forced to come down into the cellar, which had more need to have kept my bed; but there is no mercy in prison for in hell there is no mercy but justice only; neither is there any mercy in prison keepers at all without profit; and I was very well satisfied that God's hell which he hath prepared for all persecuting devils will be worse, neither will there be any mercy at all there, but justice only, and in the assurance of this I rest satisfied. And when I was in the celler, William Penn and William Mead came to talk with me, which I was unwilling at that time to talk with any man in prison, yet Penn asked me "if I had peace in this my suffering?" I said I had, and that now I had finished my testimony and sealed it with my