Leaving Dorchester, he came to Weymouth, where, inquiring after the sober people, about fourscore of them gathered together at the priest’s house, and most of them were turned to Christ Jesus, who had enlightened them with his divine light, by which they were reproved of their sins. There was at that time a captain of horse in the town, who rode about seven miles out of town with G. Fox. This captain was of such a merry temper, and so exceedingly given to laughter, that G. Fox several times spoke very seriously to him about it; but it was become so customary to him that he would laugh almost at any thing he saw. But G. Fox still admonished him to gravity, and the fear of the Lord; and of this he spoke to him again when they parted. The next time G. Fox saw him, the captain told him, that when he spoke to him at parting, the power of the Lord so struck him, that before he got home he was serious enough, and had left his laughing. He indeed became a serious and good man; and being convinced of the Truth, died in the real profession thereof.
For brevity’s sake I do not intend to mention all the places G. Fox passed through, much less all his occurrences. At Kingsbridge he had good service; and returning in the evening to his inn, and there being many people drinking, he was moved to go amongst them, and to direct them to the light which Christ, the heavenly man, had enlightened them withal; by which light they might see all their evil ways, words, and deeds; and by the same light they might also see Christ Jesus their Saviour. But this discourse did not please the innkeeper, seeing it hindered his guests from drinking: and hearing G. Fox speak so much of the light, he snatched away the candle, and said, ‘Come, here is light for you to go into your chamber.’
The next day, G. Fox went to Plymouth, and from thence to Cornwall; and travelling through the country, he came to Market-Jew. Being there at an inn, he met with some trouble from the magistrates: and he writ a paper to show, that the Lord was come to teach his people himself, by Jesus Christ, &c. This paper came accidentally to the hands of Peter Ceely, a major in the army, and also a justice of peace at Ives, whither G. Fox came. Here Edward Pyot and William Salt, who were G. Fox’s fellow-travellers, were hauled before the said major, whilst G. Fox was walking down to the sea-side; but he hearing this, followed them, and came also into the justice’s house, where the aforesaid paper being produced, it was asked him, whether he would own it: and he said, ‘Yes.’ Then the major tendered them the oath of abjuration, G. Fox thereupon putting his hand in his pocket, drew forth the answer to it, which had been given to the protector. A priest being present there, found fault with his hair, which then was pretty long, and asked to have cut it; but G. Fox told him, he had no pride in it. It happened also at other times, that because of his long hair he was spoken to, as I have seen myself; but of this I am fully persuaded, that he had not the least pride in it; but it seems to me not improbable, that he, seeing how some would make it a kind of holiness to wear short hair, did the contrary to show that, in some things, there was a Christian liberty, for which we ought not to judge one another. But to proceed, G. Fox and his companions were taken into custody, and with a guard of horse sent to prison with this mittimus.
‘Peter Ceely, one of the justices of the peace of this county, to the keeper of his highness’s jail at Launceston, or his lawful deputy in that behalf, greeting.
‘I send you herewithal by the bearers hereof, the bodies of Edward Pyot, of Bristol, and George Fox, of Drayton and Clay, in Leicestershire, and William Salt, of London, which they pretend to be the places of their habitations, who go under the notion of Quakers, and acknowledge themselves to be such; who have spread several papers, tending to the disturbance of the public peace, and cannot render any lawful cause of coming into these parts, being persons altogether unknown, and having no pass for their travelling up and down the country, and refusing to give sureties of their good behaviour, according to the law in that behalf provided, and refuse to take the oath of abjuration, &c. These are therefore, in the name of his highness, the lord protector, to will and command you, that when the bodies of the said Edward Pyot, George Fox, and William Salt, shall be unto you brought, you them receive, and in his highness’s prison aforesaid you safely keep them, until by due course of law they shall be delivered. Hereof fail ye not, as you will answer the contrary at your peril. Given under my hand, and seal, at St. Ives, the 18th day of January, 1656.
P. CEELY.’
By this mittimus it appears under what odd pretences the Quakers, so called, were committed to prison; for such reasons as are mentioned therein, might be found and picked up at any time. Thus G. Fox and his companions were carried through Redruth, Falmouth, and Bodmin, to Launceston. By the way they suffered great insolences, both from the soldiers that conducted them, and from others, by the connivance of captain Keat; but I will not detain my reader with all those particulars. Being come to Launceston, Keat delivered the prisoners to the jailer. And though many were greatly enraged against them, and expected that these prisoners, who thou’d and thee’d all, and did not put off their hats to any man, should at the assizes be condemned to be hanged if they did not pay that respect to the bench; yet there were many friendly people, out of several parts of the country, that came to visit them; for it was about nine weeks from the time of their commitment to the assizes: by reason of which several got opportunity to speak with them, which had that good effect, that many were convinced of the truth of the doctrine held forth by them.
At the time of the assizes, abundance of people came from far and near, to hear the trial of the Quakers; who being guarded by the soldiers, and the sheriff’s men to the court, had much ado to get through the multitude that filled the streets: besides the doors and windows were filled with people looking out upon them. Being brought into the court, G. Fox after all was quiet, said, ‘Peace be amongst you.’ The judge, (Glyn,) who was then chief justice of England, said to the jailer, ‘What be these you have brought here into the court?’ ‘Prisoners, my lord,’ said he. ‘Why do you not put off your hats?’ said the judge to them. They saying nothing; ‘Put off your hats,’ said the judge again; and they still continuing silent, the judge said, ‘The court commands you to put off your hats.’ Then G. Fox began to speak, and said, ‘Where did ever any magistrate, king, or judge, from Moses to Daniel, command any to put off their hats, when they came before them in their courts, either amongst the Jews, (the people of God,) or amongst the heathen? And if the law of England doth command any such thing, show me that law either written or printed.’ The judge, then growing angry, said, ‘I do not carry my law books on my back.’ ‘But,’ said G. Fox, ‘where is it printed in any statute-book, that I may read it?’ At this the judge said, ‘Take him away, prevaricator! I’ll ferk him.’ Then the prisoners were taken away, and put among the thieves. But presently after the judge called to the jailer, ‘Bring them up again.’ This being done, ‘Come,’ said he, ‘where had they hats from Moses to Daniel? Come, answer me; I have you fast now.’ To this G. Fox replied, ‘Thou mayest read in the third of Daniel, that the three children were cast into the fiery furnace, by Nebuchadnezzar’s command, with their coats, their hose, and their hats on.’ This plain instance stopped him: so that not having any thing else to say, he cried again, ‘Take them away jailer.’ Accordingly they were taken away, and being thrust among the thieves, they were kept there a great while, and at length carried again to prison; but in the afternoon they were brought up again into the court.
G. Fox seeing the jurymen there, gave them a paper, which he had written against swearing. This paper passing from the jury to the justices, they presented it to the judge; and he bid the clerk give G. Fox that paper, and then asked him whether that seditious paper was his: to which he said if they would read it in open court, that he might hear it, if it was his, he would own it, and stand by it. The judge would have G. Fox to have taken it, and looked upon it in his own hand. But he desired again that it might be read, that all in the court might hear it, and judge whether there was any sedition in it, or no; for if there were, he was willing to suffer for it. At length the clerk of the assizes read it with an audible voice; and when he had done, G. Fox said it was his paper, and he would own it; and so might they too, except they would deny the Scripture; for was it not Scripture language, and the words and commands of Christ and the apostles, which all true Christians ought to obey? Then they let fall that subject, and the judge speaking again about the hats of the prisoners, bid the jailer take them off. Then they asked what they had lain in prison for these nine weeks, seeing now nothing was objected against them, but what concerned their hats: ‘And,’ said G. Fox, ‘as for putting off our hats, that was the honour which God would lay in the dust, though they made so much ado about it: the honour which is of men, and which men seek one of another, is the mark of unbelievers: for, “How can ye believe,” saith Christ, “who receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” And Christ saith also, “I receive not honour from men.” And all true Christians should be of his mind,’ Then the judge made a speech, how he represented the lord protector’s person; and how he made him lord chief justice of England, and sent him to come that circuit, &c. Thereupon the prisoners desired him, that he would do them justice for their false imprisonment, which they had suffered nine weeks.
But instead thereof, an indictment was read against them, but so full of untruths, that G. Fox thought it had been against some of the thieves: for it contained, that they came by force of arms, and in a hostile manner, into the court; whereas they were brought there as prisoners; which made him say it was all false. And still they cried for justice for their false imprisonment, being taken up in their journey without cause, by major Ceely. Then this Peter Ceely, who, as a justice of peace, sat also on the bench, said to the judge, ‘May it please you, my lord, this man, (pointing to G. Fox,) went aside with me, and told me how serviceable I might be for his design; that he could raise forty thousand men at an hour’s warning, and involve the nation in blood, and so bring in king Charles; and I would have aided him out of the country, but he would not go. And if it please you, my lord, I have a witness to swear it.’ And so he called upon his witness, who, without question, was one that was bribed. But the judge, perceiving this palpable lie, was not forward to examine the witness: then G. Fox desired the judge that he would be pleased to let his mittimus be read, in which the pretended crime was signified, for which he was committed to prison. But the judge said it should not be read: G. Fox still insisting to have it read, said, ‘It ought to be; for if I have done any thing worthy of death, or of bonds, let all the country know it.’ Seeing then they would not read it, he said to one of his fellow-prisoners, ‘Thou hast a copy of it; read it up.’ ‘It shall not be read,’ said the judge; ‘jailer, take him away; I will see whether he or I shall be master.’