for one Mr. Hickes, gentleman. He replied, "I am John Hickes, minister of the gospel." The apparitor trembled, and seemed glad to get from him; and Mr. Hickes never heard any thing more of him. In the year 1671, he published a pamphlet, entitled, sad Narrative of the Oppression of many honest People in Devon, &c. in which he named the informers, justices, and others, who were guilty of illegal proceedings, and particularly judge Rainsford. Though his name was not to the book, he was soon discovered to be the author; and two messengers were sent down to apprehend him, and bring him up to court. It happened that upon the road Mr. Hickes fell into the company of these very messengers, not having at first the least suspicion of them. He travelled the greater part of a morning, and at last dined with them, when they talked with great freedom against one Mr. Hickes as a bad man, and a great enemy to the government. He bore with all their scurrilous language till dinner was over, and then going to the stable to his horse, (of which he was always very careful) he there gave them to understand, that he was the person whom they had so much vilified. And, to teach them better how to govern their tongues, he took his cane and corrected them till they begged his pardon; upon which he immediately took his horse and rode to London. By means of an acquaintance, (who was then at court) he got to be introduced to the king's presence. The king told him, He had abused his ministers, and the justices of the peace. He replied, “Oppression (may it please your majesty) makes a wise man mad. The justices, beyond all law, have very much wronged your majesty's loyal subjects, the Noncon formists in the West." He instanced in several particulars, and spoke with such presence of mind and ingenuity, that the king heard him with patience, seemed to be affected, and promised that they should have no such cause of complaint for the future. Soon after this, the Dissenters had some favour shewn them; and Mr. Hickes thereupon came up with an address, from a considerable number of gentlemen and others in the West, which he presented. The king received it very graciously, and asked him, If he had not been as good as his word. An Indulgence was granted, with liberty to build meeting-houses; and by his majesty's favour Mr. Hickes back a third part of what the Dissenters in those parts had paid, on the Conventicle-act. He had also offers of preferment if he would have conformed; but said, No temptation VOL. I. NO. 8. B b got should should bring him to that. He had a congregation afterwards at Portsmouth, and continued there till he was driven away by a fresh persecution. The king and duke of York came thither while he was there. The governor, the principal officers, and many of the inhabitants of the town, went to Portsdown to meet him, and Mr. Hickes was one of the company. As soon as the king saw him he took particular notice of him. He was a very good scholar, and a noted preacher. He appears also to have been a man of true piety, but of strong passions, and wanting in discretion. This accounts for his being unhappily drawn in to join the Duke of Monmouth's army, in 1685, which brought him to a tragical end. He drew up a narrative of his whole conduct respecting this affair, which proved so fatal, with a defence of himself against several unjust charges; which was published after his death, with an account of his dying sentiments and behaviour. At the time of his execution he delivered a speech, which was in all respects suitable to his awful situation. Though he. most solemnly denied many things, which had been alleged against him, he expressed the most entire resignation to the will of God, in suffering the death to which he was condemned, and a triumphant hope of a better life. This may be seen at length in Turner's Hist. of Prov. Ch. 143p. 136. It is well drawn up, and gives a favourable idea both of his character and abilities. But it is too long to be here inserted, consisting of four large folio pages. WORKS. Besides the above narrative and speech-A Discourse of the excellency of the heavenly Substance, 12mo, 1673. [This was published without his name, and dedicated, "To all both in England and Wales, that have been spoiled of their goods before or since March 25 last; or that may thus suffer for that religion which hath its foundations only laid in divine institutions." The Editor, who is possessed of it, can pronounce it an excellent book.] SITHNEY, [V. 481.] Mr. ROGER FLAMANK. Elder brother to Mr. Henry Flamank mentioned before, p. 353. He continued a considerable time at the university, and was a good scholar, and a methodical, judicious, useful preacher. He lived many years after his ejectment, with a wife and children, in strait circumstances, but was always contented, and for the most part very chearful. He continued his ministerial work with good acceptance to the very last. When he was above eighty years of age, he could manage a dispute with great acuteness, and cite his authors with a remarkable readiness, readiness, on the controversies which had been most debated in his younger days. He died pastor of a small congregation at Gunrounson in St. Enodor, in this county, aged 87. ST. STEPHEN's [V. S.] Mr. WILLIAM TOMBS. Dr. Walker mentions the sequestred minister as being restored, and as a very learned man; but says nothing against Mr. Tombs, from whence it may be presumed his character was unexceptionable. STOKE CLIMSLAND [R. 2001.] JOHN FATHERS, M. A. He appears to have been a person of great worth. He takes notice in the preface to one of his books, that had not the unhappy plunder of those times snatched from him the fruit of twenty years labour, he might have left something to posterity. WORKS. Two Sermons: viz. The strife of Brethren; or Abram and Lot parting: A Treaty for peace, or Abram's parly with Lot.-Two Sermons on Jer, ix. 2. viz. The content of a Wayfaring man; or Jeremy's Cottage in the Wilderness: The account of a minister's remove; or Jeremy's departing from Jerusalem. TINTAGELL [V.] Mr. THOMAS HEARNE. TRURO. Mr. JOHN TINCOMB. ST. TUDY. NICHOLAS LEVERTON, B. A. of Exeter Col. Oxf. Born at St. Wall, about the year 1600, of parents in the middle rank, who gave him a liberal education. While he was at Oxford he was more addicted to youthful diversions than to his studies, though he performed the usual, exercise for his degree. His relations, no longer able to bear the expence, recalling him from Oxford, he first kept a little school near Padstow for his subsistence. But being ordained, he went to Barbadoes, and there met with good acceptance. Though he had yet little seriousness, he soon grew weary of the profligate morals of the people, and went as chaplain to a ship's crew, who designed to begin a plantation in the island of Tobago. By this means he met with a variety of remarkable providences which God blessed to awaken him to a serious sense of religion. The company safely reached the island, parted land, and made a booth for their accommodation, of poles, boughs, and palmeto leaves. Finding the place agreeable, and discovering no Indians, they resolved to settle there. The captain for this end, with half his landcompany, determined to walk round the island by the sea B b 2 shore shore to discover the most convenient place for beginning their settlement, and Mr. Leverton was with them. The captain and two more went one way, and directed the rest to march another; but meeting with difficulties, the latter returned to their booth, hoping their captain would meet with them there but he and his companions never returned. In the interim a double calamity befel those on shore. The long-boat by carelessness was lost upon a rock, and thereby their communication with the ship was cut off; and a great rain falling, spoiled all the powder they had landed. Very early the next morning, after their return, some Indians attacked their booth, killed most of them with their arrows, and wounded others; among the rest Mr. Leverton was wounded in the head. But he, with some others, made a shift to escape into the woods. Having, in his flight, lost one of his shoes, he was left behind his companions. In this condition, wearying himself without success, for many hours, in endeavouring to recover sight of the ship, his strength failed him; and being without food or clothes, (for he had stripped himself to swim over a bay) he laid himself down on the grass, expecting to die there. He spent the night without sleep, in reviewing with sorrow his past life, and particularly his ends in undertaking this voyage; and that scripture often occurred to his mind,What doest thou here," Elijah ?” The coldness of the night benumbed his body, and the next day the heat was more intolerable, so that he began to faint away. In these circumstances he unexpectedly discerned a man making towards him, who, to his great joy, proved to be one of his companions, separated from the company, and in quest of the ship. Revived with his friend's arrival, and furnished with some of his clothes, Mr. Leverton and he marched back. A third straggler soon joined them, and they marched together all day. Towards evening, perceiving a smoke, they proceeded towards it, and found the remains of a fire which the Indians had made, before they fell upon their booth. This fire, by which they staid all night, was thought to save their lives. Marching next morning towards the sea, they found a fourth person of their company; but he being wounded in the knee, and unable to go with them, they were forced to leave him behind. At length, through divine goodness, they spied the ship, which revived their spirits; and their fear of the Indians increasing with their hope of deliverance, quickened their pace, so that though they had been near three days without rest or sleep, or proper food, and therefore had marched very faintly, they now all ran swiftly toward the sea. Mr. Leverton and one more swam to the ship. The other, unable to swim, ran as far as he could into the sea, keeping only his head above water for fear of the Indians, till those in the ship sent and took him up in a pitiful boat which they had made. The wound and fatigue cost Mr. Leverton a dangerous fit of sickness, wherein his life was despaired of for many days. The ship fired sig nals to any alive on the shore to make to them, by which six or eight more of the company were recovered. This adventure ended with the loss of near half their company. Not being able to return to Barbadoes or any of our EngJish plantations on that side, because of contrary winds, they resolved to make to the island of Providence, which was 500 leagues off, near the line. Notwithstanding many fears and difficulties, they had a prosperous voyage, and a welcome reception from their countrymen there. Most of the inhabitants were such as had left their native country, upon a dissatisfaction with the English hierarchy, and settled there as others did in New England. They had but one minister among them, viz. Mr. Sherwood, who was also dissatisfied with conformity. Yet some of the inhabitants were for the English ceremonies, and upon Mr. Leverton's arrival, would have had him minister to them in their own way. Hitherto he had never considered the controversy; but his impressions of religion were such as the general custom of his country and education had made. But now, being made very serious by the remarkable providences he had met with, and finding Mr. Sherwood a pious person, he was disposed to hear his reasons for Nonconformity; which induced him heartily to fall in with him in the same way. During his stay at Providence, the Spaniards made an assault upon the island, but were repulsed with considerable loss; Mr. Leverton with great courage continuing all the while on the shore to animate the people. At length the governor, leaving the island, a difference arose in the colony. He named his successor, but the people pleading a right by charter to chuse their own governor, fixed a person of their own nomination in that station, one captain Lane. But the other privately arming some of the ruder sort, seized Lane and both the ministers, and sent them prisoners to England, with an information against them to Abp. Laud, that they were disaffected to the liturgy and ceremo nies of England. When they arrived here, the state of things was changed, and Laud was in custody of the black-rod, B b 3 They |