me. Afterwards I went near to Burton-upon-Trent, where some were convinced, and so to Bushel House, where I had a meeting; and I went up into the country, where there were friendly people, but there was an outrageous wicked professor, who had an intent to have done me a mischief, but the Lord prevented him. Blessed be the Lord.

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And as I was walking along with several friends, I lifted up my head, and I saw three steeple-house spires, and they struck at my life; and I asked friends what place that was, and they said Litchfield; immediately the word of the Lord came to me, that I must go thither. So being come to the house we were going to, I wished friends that were with me to walk into the house, saying nothing to them whither I was to go; and as soon as they were gone, I stepped away, and went by my eye over hedge and ditch, till came within a mile of Litchfield, where, in a great field, there were shepherds keeping their sheep. Then I was commanded by the Lord to pull off my shoes; and I stood still (for it was winter); and the word of the Lord was like a fire in me. So I put off my shoes, and left them with the shepherds, and the poor shepherds trembled and were astonished. Then I walked on about a mile till I came into the city, and as soon as I was got within the city, the word of the Lord came to me again, saying, Cry, Woe unto the bloody city of Litchfield.' So I went and down the streets, crying with a loud voice, Woe to the bloody city of Litchfield!' And it being market day, I went into the market place, and to and fro in the several parts of it, and made stands, crying as before, "Woe to the bloody city of Litchfield!' And no one laid hands on me; but as I went thus crying through the streets, there seemed to me to be a channel of blood running down the streets, and the market place appeared like a pool of blood. Now when I had declared what was upon me, and felt myself clear, I went out of the town in peace, and returning to the shepherds, gave them some money, and took my shoes of them again. But the fire of the Lord was so in my feet, and all over me, that I did not matter to put on my shoes any more, and was at a stand whether I should or no, till I felt freedom from the Lord so to do; and then, after I had washed my feet, I put on my shoes again. After this a deep consideration came upon me, why, or for what reason, I should be sent to cry against that city, and call it the bloody city. For though the parliament had the minster one while and the king another while, and much blood had been shed in the town during the wars

between them, yet that was no more than had befallen many other places. But afterwards I came to understand that in the emperor Diocletian's time, a thousand Christians were martyred in Litchfield. So I was to go, without my shoes, through the channel of their blood, and into the pool of their blood in the market place, that I might raise up the memorial of the blood of those martrys which had been shed above a thousand years before, and lay cold in their streets. So the sense of this blood was upon me, and I obeyed the word of the Lord. Ancient records testify how many of the Christian Britons suffered there; and much I could write of the sense I had of the blood of the martyrs that hath been shed in this nation, for the name of Christ, both under the ten persecutions and since; but I leave it to the Lord, and to his book, out of which all shall be judged: for his book is a most certain, true record, and his spirit a true recorder.

Then passed I up and down through the countries, having meetings amongst friendly people in many places: but my relations were offended at me. So after some time I came into Nottinghamshire again, and to Mansfield, and went into Derbyshire, visiting friends. Then passing into Yorkshire, I preached repentance through Doncaster and several other places, and after came to Balby, where Richard Farnsworth and several others were convinced. So travelling through the countries to several places, preaching repentance and the word of life to the people, I came into the parts about Wakefield, where James Naylor lived, and he and Thomas Goodyear came to me, and were both convinced, and received the truth. William Dewsbury also and his wife, with many more, came to me, who were convinced, and received the truth. From thence I passed through the country towards Captain Pursloe's house in Selby, and visited one John Leek, who had been to visit me in Derby prison, and was convinced. I had an horse, but was fain to leave him, not knowing what to do with him: for I was moved to go to many great houses, to admonish and exhort the people to turn to the Lord. Thus passing on, I was moved of the Lord to go to Beverly steeple-house, which was then a place of high profession; and being very wet with rain, I went first to an inn, and as soon as I came to the door, a young woman of the house came to the door, and said, 'What, is it you; come in,' said she, as if she had known me before, for the Lord's power bowed their hearts. So I refreshed myself and went to bed, and in the morning (my clothes being still wet) I got ready, and having paid for what I

had had in the inn, I went up to the steeple-house, where was a man preaching; and when he had done I was moved to speak to him, and to the people, in the mighty power of God, and turned them to their teacher Christ Jesus : and the power of the Lord was so strong that it struck a mighty dread amongst the people. And the mayor came down to me, and spake a few words to me, but none of them had any power to meddle with me; so I passed away out of the town, and in the afternoon went to another steeple-house about two miles off, and when the priest had done I was moved to speak with him, and to the people very largely, shewing them the way of life and truth, and the ground of election and reprobation. The priest said he was but a child, and could not dispute with me; I told him I did not come to dispute, but to hold forth the word of life and truth unto them, that they might all know the one Seed, which the promise of God was to, both in the male and in the female. Here the people were very loving, and would have had me come again on a week-day and preach among them; but I directed them to their teacher Christ Jesus, and so passed away; and the next day went to Crantsick, to captain Pursloe's, who accompanied me to justice Hotham's. This justice Hotham was a pretty tender man, one that had had some experience of God's workings in his heart. After I had had some discourse with him of the things of God, he took me into his closet, where, sitting together, he told me he had known that principle these ten years, and was glad that the Lord did now publish it abroad to the people. After awhile there came a priest to visit him, with whom also I had some discourse concerning truth. But his mouth was quickly stopped, for he was nothing but a notionist, and not in possession of what he talked of.

While I was here, there came a great woman of Beverly, to speak to justice Hotham about some business; and in discourse she told him, that the last sabbath day (as she called it) there was an angel or spirit came into the church at Beverly, and spake the wonderful things of God, to the astonishment of all that were there; and when it had done it passed away, and they did not know whence it came nor whither it went; but it astonished all, both priest, professors and magistrates of the town. This relation justice Hotham gave me afterwards, and then I gave him an account how I had been that day at Beverly steeple-house, and had declared truth to the priest and people there.

There were in the county thereabouts some noted priests

and doctors, that justice Hotham had acquaintance with, and he would fain have them speak with me, and offered to send for them, under pretence of some business he had with them, but I wished him not to do so.

Now when the first-day of the week was come, justice Hotham walked out with me into the fields, and then captain Pursloe coming up after us, justice Hotham left us and returned home, but captain Pursloe went with me into the steeple-house; and when the priest had done, I spake both to priest and people, and declared to them the word of life and truth, and directed them where they might find their teacher the Lord Jesus Christ. Some of the people were convinced there that day, and received the truth, and stand fast in it, and have a fine meeting thereaways to this day.

In the afternoon I went to another steeple-house about three miles off, where preached a great high-priest called a doctor (being one of them whom justice Hotham would have sent for to have spoken with me). So I went into the steeple-house, and staid till the priest had done (now the words which he took for his text were these, 66 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat, yea come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.") Then was I moved of the Lord God to say unto him, 'Come down, thou deceiver; dost thou bid people come freely, and take of the water of life freely, and yet thou takest three hundred pounds a year of them, for preaching the Scriptures to them. Mayest thou not blush for shame ? Did the prophet Isaiah, and Christ do so, who spake the words, and gave them forth freely? Did not Christ say to his ministers, whom he sent to preach, Freely ye have received, freely give?' So the priest, like a man amazed, hastened away. And after he was gone, and had left his flock, I had as much time as I could desire to speak to the people; and I directed them from the darkness to the light, and to the grace of God, that would teach them, and bring them salvation, and to the Spirit of God in their inward parts, which would be a free teacher unto them.

Then, having cleared myself amongst the people, I returned to justice Hotham's house that night, who when I came in, took me in his arms, and said his house was my house, for he was exceeding glad at the work of the Lord, and that his power was revealed. Then he told me why he went not with me to the steeple-house in the morning, and what reasonings he had in himself about it; for he thought if he had gone with me to the steeple-house, the

officers would have put me to him, and then he should have been so put to it, that he should not have known what to have done. But he was glad, he said, when captain Pursloe came up to go with me; yet neither of them was dressed, nor had their bands about their necks, and it was a strange thing then to see a man come into a steeplehouse without a band; yet captain Pursloe went in with me without his band, the Lord's power and truth had so affected him that he minded it not.

From hence I passed on through the country, and came at night to an inn where was a company of rude people, and I bid the woman of the house, if she had any meat, to bring me some; but because I said thee and thou to her, she looked strangely on me. Then I asked her if she had any milk; and she said no. I was sensible she spake falsely, and seeing a churn standing in the room, and being willing to try her further, I asked her if she had any cream; she denied that she had any. Now there stood a churn in the room and a little boy playing about it, put his hands into it and pulled it down, and threw all the cream on the floor before my eyes. Thus was the woman manifested to be a liar. The woman was amazed, and blessed herself, and took up the child and whipped it sorely; but I reproved her for her lying and deceit. After the Lord had thus discovered her deceit and perverseness, I walked out of the house and went away till I came to a stack of hay, and lay in the hay-stack that night in rain and snow, it being but three days before the time called

Christmas.

The next day I came into York, where were several people that were very tender; and upon the first day of the week following, I was commanded of the Lord to go to the great minster, and speak to priest Bowles and his hearers in their great cathedral. Accordingly I went: and when the priest had done I told them I had something from the Lord God to speak to the priest and people. Then say on quickly, said a professor that was among them, for it was frost and snow, and very cold weather. Then I told them, this was the word of the Lord God unto them, that they lived in words; but God Almighty looked for fruits amongst them. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, they hurried me out, and threw me down the steps; but I got up again without hurt, and went to my lodging again, and several were convinced there for the very groans that arose from the weight and oppression that was upon the spirit of God in me, would open people, and strike them, and make them confess that the groans which