were so reached, that they came to be obedient to the inward teachings of the Lord they had been recommended to. And so a way was made for meetings there, whereby the number of those of that society began to increase. And because they could no longer comply with superstitious burials, they bought a piece of ground to bury their dead in, but met with great opposition at their burials; and once, when several came along to bury a corpse, it was by force taken from them, and set by the sea side, where having lain above ground part of two days and one night, it was privately covered by some with small stones.

In the month called May, G. Fox the younger came to Harwich, to preach the truth there. The mayor of the town, whose name was Miles Hubbard, having heard of this, stopped several that were going to the meeting. The rude multitude seeing it, grew insolent, and made a hideous noise before the house where the meeting was kept, and some were for pulling it down. G. Fox hearing the noise, whilst he was preaching, grew very zealous, and with a mighty power was made to say, " Woe, woe unto the rulers and teachers of this nation, who suffer such ungodliness as this, and do not seek to suppress it." Some that heard him thus speaking, went and told the magistrates of it, perhaps not in the self-same words as

The officers then com

were uttered by him. ing, the mayor commanded the constables to take the said G. Fox into custody; who hearing this, said, "If I have done any thing worthy of death, or bonds, I shall not refuse either; but I desire thee to shew me what law I have transgressed; which thou oughtest to do, before thou sendest me to prison, that I may know for what I am sent hither." But the mayor

told him, he should know that afterward; and so he was carried to prison. Robert Grassingham, who was shipwright of the admiralty in that port, being at the meeting, out of which G. Fox was haled, in love went freely along with him to prison. This seemed to please the mayor, who some days before had been heard to say concerning Grassingham, "If I could but get him out of the town, I should know what course to take with the other Quakers. Some time after G. Fox was imprisoned, a mittimus was sent to the jailor, in which the prisoner was charged with causing a tumult in that borough, and disturbing the peace thereof. This mittimus was signed by Miles Hubbard mayor, Anthony Woolward, and Daniel Smith; and these magistrates sent notice of what they had done to the parliament, under a specious pretence, that so they might not fall into disgrace. The parliament receiving this information, issued forth the following order.

"Monday, May 21, 1660.

"The house being informed, that two Quakers, that is to say, George Fox and Robert Grassingham, have lately made a disturbance at Harwich, and that the said George Fox, who pretends to be a preacher, did lately in his preaching there, speak words reflecting on the government and ministry, to the near causing of a mutiny, and is now committed by the mayor and the magistrates there:

"Ordered, that the said George Fox and Robert Grassingham be forthwith brought up in custody; and that the sheriff of the county of Essex do receive them, and give them his assistance for the conveying them up accordingly, and delivering them into the charge of the serjeant at arms tending this house.

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Ordered, that the thanks of this house be given to the mayor and magistrates of Harwich for their care in this business,

"William Jessop.

"Clerk of the Commons House of Parliament."

By this it appeared that the magistrates of Harwich had special friends in the parliament. R. Grassingham being at liberty, was gone to London; and when this order came to Harwich, G. Fox was delivered to the sheriff of Essex and his men: these went with him to London

and upon the road they met Grassingham, who was coming from London to Harwich, in pursuance of an order which he had received from the commissioner of the admiralty and navy, for refitting one of the king's frigates. But notwithstanding Grassingham shewed his order to the sheriff, yet he brought him back to London with Fox and delivered them into the custody of the serjeant at arms attending the house, who committed them to Lambeth-house. They having been there about three weeks, wrote a letter to the House of Commons, wherein they gave some account of the manner of their imprisonment, and desired, that they with their accusers might be brought face to face before the parliament, saying, that if any thing could be proved against them, worthy of punishment, they should not refuse it. But they thought it to be unjust and unreasonable, that a man should be haled out of a peaceable meeting, and sent to prison, without being examined, only for declaring against the cursing and the wickedness of the rude people, and against such as suffered such ungodliness, and did not seek to suppress it.

This was the chief contents of their paper, which they enclosed in a letter to the speaker of the house of Commons in these words.

For the speaker of the house of Commons,

"Friend,

"We desire thee to communicate this enclosed to the House of Commons, it being a few innocent, just, and reasonable words to them, though not in the eloquent language of man's wisdom, yet it is in the truth which is honourable.

"We are friends to righteousness and truth, and to all that are found therein,

"Robert Grassingham, "George Fox."

But the speaker did not deliver the paper, under pretence that it was not directed with the ordinary title, "To the right honourable the House of Commons." Therefore by the help of their friends they got it printed, that so each member of parliament might have a copy of it. Now after they had lain about fourteen weeks in Lambeth gate-house without being examined, one of the members of parliament moved this business in the house: whereupon the following order was made.

Thursday, October 30 1660.

"Ordered that George Fox and Robert Grassingham, who by virtue of a former order