Chapter LVIII: Appendix (1)

The following narrative we have thought proper to insert in the very words of the sufferer, as taken from his own mouth. The candid reader will easily excuse the simplicity of its style, and the plainness of its expressions. It is the more like the man, and carries the greater evidence of the honesty and integrity of the relater, viz.

‘_An account of the sufferings of Richard Seller, of Keinsey, a
fisherman, who was prest in Scarborough-Piers, in the time of
the two last engagements between the Dutch and English, in the
year 1665._

‘I was pressed in Scarborough-Piers, and refusing to go on board
the ketch, they beat me very sore on the sand, and I refusing
to go on board, they hoised me in with a tackle, on board of
the ketch that pressed for the ship called the Royal Prince,
and they bunched me with their feet, that I fell into a tub,
and was so maimed, that they were forced to swaddle me up with
clothes: from thence we sailed into Bridlington bay, where Thomas
Swales and Mary Stranger hearing of me, sent me victuals on
board of the ketch; then we sailed to the Buoy and Nore, where
they hauled me in at a gunport, on board of the ship called the
Royal Prince. The 1st day of the third month they commanded me to
go to work at the capstane; I refused, and told them, that ‘As
I was not free to do the king’s work, I would not live at his
charge for victuals;’ then the boatswain’s mate beat me sore, and
thrusting me about with the capstane till he was weary. Then the
captain sent for me upon the quarter deck, and asked me, ‘Why
I refused to fight for the king, and why I refused to eat of
his victuals?’ I told him, ‘I was afraid to offend God, for my
warfare was spiritual, therefore I durst not fight with carnal
weapons.’ Then he fell upon me and beat me with his small cane,
then called for his great cane and beat me sore, and felled me
down to the deck three or four times, and beat me as long as
his strength continued. Then came one Thomas Horner, (who was
brought up at Easington) and said, ‘I pray you, noble captain, be
merciful, for I know him to be an honest man, and a good man.’
Then said the captain ‘He is a Quaker, I will beat his brains
out;’ then falling on me again, he beat me till he was weary;
then called some to help him; ‘for,’ said he, ‘I am not able to
beat him enough to make him willing to do the king’s service.’
Then came out the commander’s jester, and told the captain, ‘He
would lay a guinea with him that he would make me work, and
haul the king’s ropes,’ and told the captain, ‘he was a fool;’
so two guineas were thrown down upon the deck: then the jester
called for two seamen, and made them make two ropes fast to the
wrists of my arms, and reeved the ropes through two blocks in the
mizen-shrouds, on the starboard side, and hoised me up aloft,
and made the ropes fast to the gunnel of the ship, and I hung
some time. Then the jester called the ship’s company to ‘behold
and bear him witness, that he made the Quaker haul the king’s
ropes;’ so veering the ropes, they lowered me half way down, then
made me fast again: ‘Now,’ said the jester, ‘Noble captain, you
and the company see that the Quaker hauleth the king’s ropes,’
and with that he commanded them to ‘let fly the ropes loose,’
where I fell upon the deck. ‘Now,’ said the jester, ‘Noble
captain, the wager is won, he hauled the ropes to the deck, and
you can haul them no farther, nor any man else.’ Then the captain
called the boatswain’s mate, and bid him take the Quakerly dog
away, and put him to the capstane, and make him work, and beat
him, and spare him not. So the boatswain’s mate had me down
to the geer-capstane, and thrust me about with the men at the
capstane, and beat me withal, when he could get time; then he
went and sat him down upon a chest-lid, and I went and sat down
upon another chest-lid beside him, then he fell on me and beat
me again, then called his boy to bring his two seizings, and he
seized my arms to the capstan’s bars, caused the men to heave the
capstane about, and in three or four times passing about, the
seizings were loosed, no man knew how, nor when, nor could they
ever be found, although they sought them with lighted candles:
then the boatswain’s mate, seeing what was done, caused all the
men to come from the capstane, and took a bible, and commanded
them all to swear, that they neither loosed me, nor knew how I
came loose, (they all being willing to swear,) he then searched
their pockets for the seizings, but could find none, so he let
them go; then he called them all again to him, and said, ‘Hear
what I shall say to you; you see this is a wonderful thing, which
is done by an invisible hand, which loosed him, for none of you
could see his hands loosed, that were so near him: I suppose
this man,’ said he, ‘is called a Quaker, and for conscience sake
refuseth to act, therefore I am afflicted, and do promise before
God and man, that I will never beat, nor cause to be beaten,
either Quaker, or any other man that doth refuse for conscience
sake to act for the king; if I do, I wish I may lose my right
hand.’

‘Then on the third-day came the admiral, sir Edward Spragg, on
board of his own ship, called the Royal Prince, and hearing
of a man that was pressed on board, that was called a Quaker;
also hearing that the boatswain’s mate had beaten me much, and
had given me over, and had denied to beat me any more, he was
therefore called to come before the admiral, to answer for
himself, why he would not beat the Quaker? He said, ‘I have beat
him very sore, and I seized his arms to the capstane’s bars,
and forced them to heave him about, and beat him, and then sat
down, and in three or four times of the capstane’s going about,
the seizings were loosed, and he came and sat down by me; then I
called the men from the capstane, and took them sworn, whether
they had loosed him or no, but they all denied that they either
loosed him, or knew by what means he was loosed, neither could
the seizings ever be found; therefore I did, and do believe that
it was an invisible power that set him at liberty, and I did
promise before God and the company, that I would never beat a
Quaker again, nor any man else for conscience-sake.’ The admiral
told him, ‘He must lose his cane:’ he willingly yielded it. And
told him, ‘He must also lose his place:’ he was willing. He also
told him, ‘He must lose his right hand:’ he held it out and
said, ‘take it from me if you please.’ So they took his cane from
him, and displaced him. So the commander gave order to the seven
yeomen, to beat me wherever they met with me, for seven days and
nights, and make me work. They being called to an account, what
they had made me do? told the commander, that ‘They were weary,
and could not make me work, so they desired to be excused.’ Then
the eighth yeoman was called, who promised ‘he would beat me, and
make me work;’ and he did beat me for a day and a night, when
he met with me, and being weary, he desired to be excused. Then
the commander sent for me upon the quarter-deck before him, and
caused my clothes to be stript off, shirt and all, from my waist
downward, then he took a view of my body to see what wounds and
bruises I had, but he could find none, no not so much as a blue
spot in my skin. Then the commander was angry with them for not
beating me enough: then captain Fowler answered him, and said,
‘I have beat him myself, as much as would have killed an ox.’
The jester said, ‘He had me hung a great while by the arms up
aloft in the shrouds.’ The men said, ‘They also had beat me very
sore, and they might as well beat the main-mast,’ Then said the
commander, ‘I will cause irons to be laid upon him, during the
king’s pleasure and mine.’ Then the boatswain was called, and
commanded to call the ship’s company together, and make ready the
irons: the commander, sir Edward Spragg, said, ‘You gentlemen
sailors and soldiers, whosoever serves here under me for the
king, on board of his majesty’s ship called the Royal Prince,
the admiral of the blue, you are to take notice, that there is a
man on board called a Quaker, he is to be laid in irons during
the king’s pleasure and mine, for refusing to fight, and eat the
king’s victuals, therefore I charge you all and every man, that
none of you give or sell him any victuals, meat, drink, or water,
for if you do, you shall have the same punishment that he hath.’
So this being called three times over, he commanded the boatswain
to take me away, and put me in irons. So I being kept in irons
six days and nights, and falling sick of a fever, I grew very
weak, insomuch that when I was set out to ease myself, (which
was but once in twenty-four hours) I could neither stand nor go:
so the officers that let me out, called some of my countrymen to
carry me into the ship’s-head to ease myself, and bring me back
again to the irons. Then the officer took pity of me, and bid me
lay down upon the bilboes that night, and he would hap me with a
coverlid, so I lay there that night, and next day till evening;
then the officer desired me to go by the way a little, seeing all
was quiet, and see if I could get a little rest: so I being lame
of a leg with the irons, was creeping over the larboard-side of
the ship, the lieutenant coming down, said, ‘Thou damned rogue,
(and many other wicked words) hast thou broken the irons?’ and
with that drew his rapier, and swore he would stab me, and so
drove me back again to the irons, and called the yeoman, and
would have known who let me out, and said he should be punished,
and I would not tell him; but the same yeoman came in the crowd,
and I put my hand out to him, and he locked it, and none knew
how: I then being the king’s prisoner, I bid them ‘begone, they
had nothing to do with me.’ So I remained in irons six days more,
and recovered very well of my weakness: then on the seventh
day at night, several, all seamen, fell to drinking of brandy,
and playing at cards, and became very loud, the boatswain’s
mate hearing of them, came down, and desired them to leave;
they being full of drink would not, so a quarrel arose, and the
boatswain’s mate cried out ‘murder,’ and immediately there came
assistance to him, but the men ran away and hid themselves, only
two were taken, and put in irons with me.

‘Now I shall speak a little of the carpenter’s mate’s kindness to
me: when I had been in irons some days, and my food being taken
from me, which was three day’s victuals, that I had left of that
which Thomas Swales and Mary Stringer sent me in Bridlington
bay, he came in the crowd, and joined himself so near me, that
he put about a pint of brandy into my pocket, and no man knew;
likewise some meat, and none knew; and told me he would supply
me daily, ‘for,’ said he, ‘I have meat of my own, which is not
at the king’s charge;’ and said farther, ‘that he had a strict
charge given him by his wife and his mother, before he came on
board, that if any Quaker came on board with him, he should be
kind to him;’ and that he had lately received a letter from them,
wherein they charged him to ‘remember his promise, and be kind
to Quakers, if any were on board.’ But there being some occasion
more than ordinary, he was taken off on board, and I had nothing
for three days and three nights; and the two men before spoken
of, that were in irons with me, while the commander was with us,
the men would lie no where but upon me, and as soon as he was
gone, they laid off me, and gave me brandy to drink, and promised
me they would not hurt me. Then the lieutenant came at the middle
of the night, and found them lying upon me, he asked ‘Why they
did lie upon me?’ they said, ‘You would have him killed, so now
we will kill him for you;’ then he came down the third time in
the morning, and found them lying upon me, for they sat one to
watch his coming, and found them lying very close upon me, so
that he could see nothing but my feet, I being so pressed and
weak, that he could scarce hear my voice.

‘Then the lieutenant went to Sir Edward’s cabin door, and
knocked; the boy answered, ‘Who was there?’ He told him, ‘It
was the lieutenant that would speak with Sir Edward, for there
had been a mutiny in the ship by some men playing at cards, and
they had beat the boatswain’s mate.’ He told him, ‘He should
have laid them in irons, and not called on him.’ He said, ‘They
are already in the bilboes.’ He also said, ‘If it please your
highness, Sir Edward, to remember that there is a poor Quaker in
yet, that was laid in two weeks since, and they will lie no where
but upon him, and they will kill him for us.’ He bid him ‘go to
the yeomen that had the keys, and take him out of the bilboes,
and put up a flag at the mizen-mast’s head, and call a council of
war;’ which was done. Then the captains of the other ships all
came on board, to answer the council of war, before eight o’clock
in the morning, (it being the first day of the week.) So I being
brought before the council of war, the commander asked me, ‘If I
would go on board of a hoy that was a tender, and had six guns?’
I refused, and desired to stay on board, and bear the punishment
that I had to abide. Then he bid the council of war go on with
their business; so they did proceed, and I being set on a bulk
head, being so lame with the irons that I could not stand, and
hearing them pass sentence of condemnation upon me. The judge
was a Papist, being governor of Dover castle, and went to sea on
pleasure. So they could not tell at present, what death to put
me to. The judge said, ‘I should be put into a barrel or cask
driven full of nails, with their points inwards, and so rolled
to death.’ But the council of war taking it into consideration,
thought it too terrible a death, and too much unchristian-like,
so they agreed to hang me. And I hearing them speak several
things against me, which I was clear of, had a desire to arise
from my knees, where I was set to answer for myself, but I had
not any power to arise or open my mouth, but was condemned
within myself, insomuch that I had not power to breath unto God.
Proffering to rise again the second time, there came a motion
within me, and bid me ‘Be still, be still, be still,’ three
times; which I obeyed, and was comforted; then I believed God
would arise: and when they had done speaking, then God did arise,
and I was filled with the power of God, and my spirit lifted up
above all earthly things, and wonderful strength was given me to
my limbs, and my heart full of the power and wisdom of God, and
with glad tidings my mouth was opened to declare to the people
the things that God had made manifest to me. With sweat running
down, and tears trickling from my eyes, I told them, ‘The hearts
of kings were in the hand of the Lord, and so are both yours
and mine, and I do not value what you can do to this body, for
I am at peace with God and all men, and you my adversaries; for
if I might have an hundred and thirty years longer, I can never
die in a better condition, for the Lord hath satisfied me, that
he hath forgiven me all things in this world, and I am glad
through his mercy, that he hath made me willing to suffer for
his name’s sake; and not only so, but I am heartily glad, and do
really rejoice, and with a seal in my heart to the same.’ Then
there came a man and laid his hand upon my shoulder, and said,
‘Where are all thy accusers?’ Then my eyes were opened, and I
looked about me, and they were all gone; and one said, ‘There
goeth thy chief friend, the judge.’ Then it arose in my heart,
that I had news for him from the power of God, and I said, ‘Man,
come back, I have news for thee better than ever thou heardst in
any coffee house, or elsewhere; and answer for what thou hast
done.’ Then came a lieutenant, and said, ‘Sir Edward, this is
an hypocrite Quaker.’ I said, ‘Commander I intreat thee to look
upon me a little.’ So I loosed my kneestrings and put down my
stockings and let him see how the blood and rotten stuff ran
down my leg round about. He said, ‘Put up thy stocking, there is
enough.’ Then presently came an ancient soldier, and loosed down
his knee-strings, and put down his stockings, and put his cap
under his knees, and begged his pardon three times. Then said
he, ‘Arise up soldier, and speak;’ and he intreated him, and
said, ‘Noble Sir Edward, you know that I have served his majesty
under you many years, both in this nation, and other nations, by
sea, and you were always a merciful man; therefore I do intreat
you in all kindness, to be merciful to this poor man, who is
condemned to die to-morrow, and only for denying your order, for
fear of offending God, and for conscience-sake; and we have but
one man on board, out of nine hundred and fifty, but one which
doth refuse for conscience-sake, and shall we take his life
away? Nay, God forbid; for he hath already declared, that if we
take his life away, there shall a judgment appear upon some on
board within eight and forty hours, and to me it hath appeared;
therefore I am forced to come upon quarter-deck before you, and
my spirit is one with his; and therefore I desire you in all
kindness, when you take his life away to give me the liberty to
go off on board, for I shall not be willing to serve his majesty
any longer on board of ship: so I do intreat you once more, to be
merciful to this poor man: so God bless you, Sir Edward, I have
no more to say to you.’

‘Then came the chief gunner, that had been a captain, and loosed
down his knee-strings, and did beg his pardon three times, being
upon his bare knees before Sir Edward. Then he said, ‘Arise up,
gunner, and speak.’ So he said, ‘If it please your worship, Sir
Edward, we know you are a merciful man, and therefore I intreat
you in all kindness, to be merciful to this poor man, in whom
there remains something more than flesh and blood, therefore I
intreat you, let us not destroy that which is alive, neither
endeavour to do it; and so God bless you, Sir Edward, I have
no more to say to you.’ Then he went away. Then the commander
desired me to go down, and take leave of my friends (this day)
that were on board; so he gave order, that any that had a mind
to give me victuals might, and that I might eat and drink with
whom I pleased, and that none should molest me that day. Then
came the lieutenant, and sat by me while they were at their
worship, and he would have given me brandy, but I refused. Then
the dinner came up to be served, and several gave me victuals
to eat, and I did eat freely, and was kindly entertained that
day; and night being come, a man kindly proffered me his hammock
to lie in that night, because I had laid long in irons, and I
accepted of his kindness, and laid me down and slept well that
night. The next morning being come, it being the second-day of
the week, on which I was to be executed, about eight of the clock
in the morning, the rope being veered upon the mizen-yard’s
arm, and the boy ready to turn me off, and boats having come on
board with captains of other ships that were of the council of
war, who came on purpose to see me executed. I was thereupon
called to come to be executed, then I coming to the execution
place, the commander asked the council, ‘How their judgment
did stand?’ So most of them did consent, and some of them were
silent. Then he desired me freely to speak my mind, if I had any
thing to say before I was executed. I told him I had little at
present to speak. So then came a man, and bid me go forward to be
executed, so I stepped upon the gunnel to go towards the rope;
the commander bid me stop there, if I had any thing to say. Then
spake the judge, and said, ‘Sir Edward is a merciful man, that
puts that heretic to no worse death than hanging.’ Sir Edward
turned him about to the judge, and said, ‘What saidst thou?’ ‘I
say,’ replied he, ‘you are a merciful man, that puts him to no
worse death than hanging,’ ‘But’ said he, ‘what is the other word
that thou saidst, that heretic:’ I say, said the commander, ‘he
is more a christian than thyself; for I do believe thou wouldst
hang me, if it were in thy power.’ Then said the commander unto
me, ‘Come down again, I will not hurt a hair of thine head, for I
cannot make one hair grow.’ Then he cried, ‘Silence all men,’ and
proclaimed it three times over, that if any man or men on board
of the ship, would come and give evidence, that I had done any
thing that I deserved death for, I should have it, provided they
were credible persons. But nobody came, neither opened a mouth
against me then. So he cried again, ‘Silence all men, and hear me
speak:’ then he proclaimed that the Quaker was as free a man as
any on board the ship was. So the men heaved up their hats, and
with a loud voice cried, ‘God bless Sir Edward, he is a merciful
man.’ The shrouds, tops, and decks being full of men, several of
their hats flew overboard, and were lost.

‘Then I had great kindness showed me by all men on board, but
the great kindness of the Lord exceeded all; for the day I was
condemned to die on, was the most joyful day that ever I had in
my life-time, and so remained exceeding joyful, until the very
time that I was proclaimed a free man. But soon after troubles
came upon me again; for I being laid upon the deck one night, as
it was my usual lodging-place, there was something appeared to
me, and struck me as it were dead; and I being in great dread and
fear, believed our ship was to engage such a day of the month,
with the wind at south-east; then appeared also a small cloud to
me, about as big as a hat. After being engaged, the same cloud
spread, and became a great one, insomuch that it darkened part
of the ship; then I stepped over on the starboard side of the
ship, into the shrouds, and looked aft, and I saw a thick water
arising in the wake of the rudder, then I feared the ship was
near ground. This appeared to me three times that night, and I
would gladly have put it from me, but I could not. Then I did
believe, and was satisfied of the truth of it, then I was at
peace and quiet in my mind, but then I was to make it known to
the pilot, and I did believe it was death by law to discourage
them; so I thought, then I should give them an occasion that
they should take away my life; but I could not rest, eat, drink,
or sleep, until I had declared it. So I breathed unto God, and
desired that he would find me a way to reveal it. So it remaining
with me two days and two nights, and being walking upon the deck,
and taking notice of the chief gunner of the ship, I was ordered
to go to him, and walk with him. Very solitary were both of us,
and he perceived I had something to say to him of some weighty
matter, so he desired me to speak my mind to him, and I told
him, I had such a weighty matter to declare, that it was death
by the law to declare it, I desired that he would stand true to
me in that respect, and he promised me fidelity in the presence
of God, before whom we were, that he would be true to me in
all respects, and if one suffered, both should suffer. Then we
espied the mate of the ship walking, he being a sober man, we
drew near to him, and he perceived we were both afflicted, and
desired to know what was the matter? So we told him, we had a
weighty matter, and if he would be as faithful to us as we were
one to another, we would declare it to him; so he promised to be
faithful to us, for he did believe it did concern him. Then we
told him the matter; and he was fully satisfied of the truth of
it. ’But,’ said he, ‘it doth belong most of all to the pilot;’ so
we must speak to him, and he being such a brickle, high-spirited
man, we scarce knew how to speak to him, but calling him to us,
and walking with him, he took notice of our heaviness, and asked
our business with him; we told him, ‘We had a matter to declare
to him of great concern, therefore we desired him to be faithful
to us, and we would declare the matter to him,’ and he promised
to be as faithful to us, as he supposed we were one to another.
So they told him the matter; then he asked, ‘Who saw it?’ I told
him, ‘I see it.’ Then he fell into a rage, and seemed to fly from
his promise, and said, ‘He would go and tell the commander.’ So
away he went, and said, ‘He would have me executed speedily.’ I
said, ‘Let him do; better I die, than the whole company perish.’
But they said, ‘If thou die, we will all die.’ Then he came to
us again near weeping, and told us, that when he came before the
commander, his mouth was stopt, that he could not speak a word
good or bad. He was very tender, and praised God that he had
such a messenger. Then he took me by the hand, and desired me
to tell him the name of the sand. I told him I did not know, I
never came there; but at that time I looked up with my eyes, and
told him whereabouts the sand laid: so he desired me to go to
the compass, and he asked me, if I knew the compass? I told him,
very well; so I showed him upon what point of the compass the
said land laid, and he took a book out of his pocket, and found
the sand, and the name of it. Some days after we were engaged
on that very point with the Hollanders, and as soon as we were
engaged, the cloud appeared to me, and came and darkened the
ship. Then I stepped into the main shrouds, and I saw the thick
water, which I showed to the pilot, and he called two of the best
men to the lead. They called, ‘Five fathom and a quarter.’ Then
the pilot cried, ‘Starboard your helm.’ On which the commander
cried ‘Larboard your helm, and bring her too.’ The pilot said,
‘He would bring the king’s ship no nearer, he would give over his
charge.’ The commander cried, ‘Bring her too.’ The pilot cried to
the lead-men, ‘Sing aloud, that Sir Edward may hear;’ (for the
outcry was very great amongst the officers and seamen, because
the ship was so near aground, and the enemies upon them) so they
cried, ‘A quarter less five.’ The commander cried, ‘We shall
have our Royal Prince on ground, take up your charge, pilot.’
Then he cried hard, ‘Starboard your helm, and see how our ship
will veer;’ so she did bear round up. The men at the lead cried,
‘Five fathom, and a better depth.’ Then the commander cried, ‘God
preserve the Royal Prince.’ Then the pilot cried, ‘Be of good
cheer, commander.’ They cried, six fathom, then nine fathom,
then fifteen fathom, then sixteen fathom. The Hollanders, then
shouted, and cried, ‘Sir Edward runs.’ Then he cried, ‘Bring her
too again;’ and the fight continued till the middle of the day
was over, and it fell calm. The ships being engaged ahead of us,
we could see nothing but fire and smoke; so out of that smoke I
espied a fire ship designed to lay us on board of the larboard
bow. Then I cried to the chief gunner to come to me quickly, and
I showed him the fire ship coming to board us on the larboard
bow. Then he fired a chace-gun with a ball in her; and as soon as
the smoke was gone from the gun, we espied the fire-ship all on
a fire, blown up, and what remained of her sallied on board of
the Cambridge, and only burned her ancient. The fight continued,
and my employ was to carry down the wounded men, and look out
for fire-ships, and the commander was mightily pleased with my
service, and said ‘It would have been a great pity that my life
should have been taken away before the engagement;’ and the chief
gunner said, ‘I was instrumental, through mercy, not only for
giving notice of the ship coming on ground upon the sand, but
also for preventing of the fire-ship that was near to board us,
who gave me the first notice, whereof I am witness.’ And the
lieutenant said to the commander, that ‘There was not a more
undaunted man on board, except his highness.’

‘Eight days after, we were engaged again with the Hollanders,
and the officers sent for me upon the quarter deck, and asked
me, What I would do that day? I told them, I was willing to do
as I had done before; they desired I would do that service, and
take that care upon me, only to look out for fire-ships coming on
board. I told them I was free to do it, likewise to carry down
the wounded men, if there was occasion; so presently we engaged,
but not one fire-ship troubled us that day, but we lost about
two hundred men. The lieutenant meeting me, he asked me, If I had
received any wounds? I told him, I had received none, but was
well. He asked me, How came I to be so bloody? Then I told him,
It was with carrying down wounded men. So he took me in his arms,
and kissed me; and that was the same lieutenant that persecuted
me so with irons at the first. Then we came to the Buoy and Nore
again, and then went up near Chatham, and the king coming on
board, the lieutenant desired me to go and walk upon the deck
with him, in sight of the king, that haply some might give him
notice of me, hoping I might be brought to a trial, and have my
liberty: but I did not understand that he had any intelligence of
me. The next day the same lieutenant came to me, and desired me
to walk along with him upon the quarter deck. I being somewhat
unwilling, told him, I did not use to go upon the quarter-deck,
unless I was called by the officers. He said, ‘My uncle hath much
business, and doth forget you; so walk along with me, I desire
you.’ And I did as he desired me, and he being with me, walked
away and left me alone. The commander being there, and several
captains with him, he came from his company to me, and laid his
hand upon my head, and said ‘Thou hast done well, and very well
too:’ so he walked by me, and I blushed. Then he asked me, Why I
blushed? I told him I desired to know wherein I had done so well.
He said, ‘By encouraging them which should have encouraged both
thee and me.’ Then said he, ‘Thou shalt have thy liberty to go on
shore.’ I asked him, If I might go on shore to recruit, or go to
my own being? He said, ‘I should choose whether I would.’ I told
him, I had rather go to my own being. He said, ‘I should do so.’
Then I told him, there was one thing that I requested of him yet,
that he would be pleased to give me a certificate under his hand,
to certify that I was not run away. He said, ‘Thou shalt have
one to keep thee clear at home, and also in thy fishing;’ for he
knew I was a fisherman. So he called the captain, and ordered
him to write me a certificate, and bring it to him; which he did
with speed, but he did not like it, but flung it him again, and
ordered him to make me one more legible. Then he brought another,
and he signed it, and gave it me, and wished me well, and said,
‘He desired to hear from me if I got well home;’ and I told him,
I would send him a letter, and so I did. But soon after I got
into London, two press-crews came to me, and said. ‘This is Sir
Edward’s Quaker; you are welcome to shore, will you please to go
to the tavern with us?’ I told them I would not go, nor drink any
thing. Then they wished me well home.

‘Also they proffered me my pay, before I came off on board, and
said, ‘I deserved it as well as any man on board.’ But I refused,
and told them, I had of my own, that I hoped would serve me home.
And the lieutenant was troubled because I would take nothing; he
would have given me twenty shillings, but I would not take it.’

Thus ends the remarkable narrative of the sufferings of this faithful sailor, who rather than violate his conscience by being instrumental to destroy other men’s lives, endured with much patience many and sore trials, persevering faithful in his testimony against war and fighting, even to death; to which he was wholly resigned, and from which he was preserved by a singular providence attending him, in those moments of time which he thought would have been his last. But the virulence of the popish judge against him as an heretic, gave the commander, Sir Edward Spragg, who professed himself a protestant, such disgust, that scorning to be made a tool to execute the vengeance of a papist in this case, he delivered the innocent man from the death he was condemned to: being thus preserved alive, he was made instrumental to the saving of the ship, and the lives of many therein: and by the exercise of an undaunted Christian courage and constancy, triumphed over the malice of his adversaries, who conscious of his innocence, at length became his friends and favourers.

* * * * *

_A narrative of the Sufferings of John Philly and William Moore,
in the Inquisition of Hungary, from the first month 1662, to
the seventh month 1663. Taken from a letter written by William
Moore to William Caton, dated Amsterdam, 11th month, 1663._

‘On the 29th of the first month, 1662, John Philly and William
Moore, being refreshed with the overflowings of the love of God
through thee, we took our leave of thee and the rest of our
dear friends in Germany; and what a cross it was to my flesh
and blood to leave thee and them, and to take such an unknown
journey, is best known to him that seeth the secrets of all
hearts, and what a capacity I was in, is pretty well known to
thyself, yet we passed according to the information thou hadst
procured for us of the way, together with what we got elsewhere,
and we prospered in our journey, and arrived the 16th of the
second month at Cutshort, by the Hottersche[113] brethren, about
a day’s journey from Presburgh in Hungaria, where we were pretty
kindly entertained by some of them, and there I dealt some books
among them, which I had carried with me, and the next day I went
alone to another family of them: and in my going thither the Lord
preserved me out of the hands of a wicked man which I met withal,
who seeing me a stranger, would, it’s like, have laid violent
hands on me, or have knocked me on the head for my money, had not
the Lord restrained him, and the brethren (so called) wondered
I was preserved, for they could not go so far as to the next
village, but were in danger. After we had some pretty good[114]
service among them, we got the names of some more of their
families, and one of them was three hundred miles farther, at a
city called Pattock, in Upper Hungaria, but some of them would
have dissuaded us from going any farther, but rather only to have
visited the families thereabouts, which I could have been free
unto, but John was pressed to go forward, and I had not freedom
to leave him, he not having their language, which I had.

[113] These Hottersche brethren were a kind of Baptists, who
lived in a community, having, like the primitive Christians,
their goods and possessions in common. They also refused to
swear or fight, and dwelt by hundreds of them together in one
family.

[114] Their service was that of preaching to those
communities, and endeavouring to promote and advance their
growth in the doctrines of christianity.

‘After that we returned to Presburgh, where the Danube divideth
itself, and it meets at Comora, where we were taken, which
happened as followeth: we finding a boat going with meal to the
garrison at New-Hausell, which lies in the way to Pattock, we
went to her, and when we came near unto the place, the boatmen
asked me, ‘Whether I had acquaintance there?’ I said, ‘No.’
‘Whether we had a pass?’ I said, ‘No.’ Then said they, ‘It is
dangerous going thither,’ because they would be suspicious of
us, and to travel farther in that land, they being tributaries
to the Turk, we should be in danger of being killed either by
the countrymen, or by some of the Turks, and at that garrison
they did use to put men to cruel deaths, which have been found,
without leave, on the tributary ground. Yet John was desirous to
be at that village which was near there, but said the boatmen,
‘He will not take counsel before ye shall remember our words, and
repent it when ye cannot help it;’ and their words had the more
impression on me, because I had seen a night or two before in my
sleep, that which afterwards came to pass at Comora, where we
arrived, and were brought to an Hungarian’s lodging, but we could
not understand one another; but the next night they sent for a
student from the college, who asked me in Latin, ‘Whence we were,
and whither we were intended?’ I told him, ‘We came from Great
Britain, and desired to be at Pattock.’ Afterwards we entered
into a discourse about religion, and when we parted, he said,
‘He wished us well, though there was a vast difference in our
judgment,’ &c.

‘The next day we endeavoured to get over the river, and made
signs to a countryman with some money, who began to make his boat
ready to help us, but an old Dutchwoman came forth, and said,
‘What do ye?’ And told me, ‘The governor would presently cause
him to be hanged, if he set us over;’ so we let it rest, and we
returned to our former lodging, and the next day I went over the
water on the south-side of the town, where I heard there were
many Dutch people and soldiers, hoping to find some countrymen
to speak with, and some books I took with me, which I would
willingly have sent to Pattock; and coming to the soldiers, asked
for countrymen, but finding none, I asked leave of the guard,
and walked out into the field, where a trooper sat sentinel,
discoursed a little with him, and passed on farther, where some
were ploughing. And as I returned back, there did meet me a
soldier of captain Fusch’s company, with two other, and having
a book in my hand, called, ‘A paper sent forth into the world,
to show the grounds and reasons why we denied the priests of
the world.’ He looked on the title, and began voluntarily to
tell me, that ‘Such a place was in Turkey, and if a man went
thither, he might have good days there,’ &c. But I said, ‘I will
go from whence I came,’ and intending to return to John on the
other side the water, the aforesaid soldier came to me again at
the water-side, and told me, ‘I must come to the captain,’ and
when I came before him he asked for the book, and looking on
it, asked, ‘If I was a Quaker?’ I said, ‘Yea.’ And he being in
a rage, said, ‘These rogues show no respect;’ and said, ‘I was
a young Hus come forth to seduce the people, and make uproars,
&c.’ And he caused the soldiers to pull off my clothes, and to
search me for letters, and took my money from me: and I spake
something to them, to give them to understand they would not be
so done by. But he said, ‘When you get clear, you shall have your
money again.’ But he did not think that should be, so he sent
me to the guard a while, and sent for me again, and searched me
more narrowly, and found the books which were inclosed between
the linings of my breeches: then I was sent to the guard again,
and the marshal was to put iron shackles with a chain upon my
foot and hand; and there was a talk as if I should be stuck upon
a wooden spit, as some had been who had but gone to the next
village without their order; but I turned my mind inward, and was
pretty well resigned up to the lord. So they having sent over to
the chief officer to inform him, there were two soldiers sent
with their burning matches to fetch me, and I little expecting
less than present death, had told some soldiers, ‘I had a
companion in the inn on the other side, and he would marvel what
was become of me if he did not hear.’ Afterwards I was carried
to the officer aforesaid, who asked me, ‘If Mary had continued
always a virgin?’ To which, when I had answered, ‘Thou rogue,’
said he, ‘if I had but power over thee, I would presently drown
thee in this water.’ Afterwards they went to our lodging, and
apprehended John also, howbeit free of that crime they imputed to
me, which was for going over, and into the garrison. I was put
in the Dutch prison, called the Stock-house, and John into the
Hungarian’s vault, which was twenty foot long, where they rack
people, and there was a private gallows, a pair of stocks, and
a filthy tub of excrements; and the aforesaid officer took our
portmantle, but afterwards it was given to the marshal, who took
what pleased him out of it, with the Bible and papers, and left
the rest to another officer, who feignedly, after our commitment,
seemed to be troubled that we had no bread, and asked me, Whether
John had no money, which I could not deny, and then he went to
the other prison, and threatened him to give it him. So John gave
him a ducat, which he got changed, and brought us the money, and
desired we would give him some of it, and he would be worth it at
our hands. John afterwards expecting they would search him for
gold, did afterward hide some, and kept some by him.

‘The day following, we were first examined by the inquisitor,
Whence we were? Whither we intended? How old we were? Who was the
author of our coming forth? What money we had taken up? And John
was searched, and the gold found which he had left by him: and
I was examined concerning the books, and told, It was a capital
crime, and would cost me my life. But I said, ‘What I had done
therein, I had done in simplicity,’ &c. And he asked, ‘Who had
spoke with us in our lodging?’ I told him, ‘A student,’ with many
more words.

‘And after the first examination, one colonel Fusch desired
to have me brought forth before him, and he asked me several
questions concerning the books; and ‘Who was the first bringer
up of this doctrine?’ I told him, ‘George Fox was one of the
first preachers of it in this generation,’ and because I owned
the books aforesaid to be wrote by the motion of the Spirit
of God, he was very bitter against me, and several cunning
questions did he ask me, as thereby to ensnare me, but it did
not avail. Something he read in one of the books concerning
their steeple-houses, as advice to people that they should go
no more to them, &c. which seemed to be very odious to him; and
he told me, that ‘He would cause all those books and writings
to be copied and sent to his prince at Mentz, and when he could
spare them the inquisitor should have them.’ Afterwards I was
taken to the deputy governor, (a cruel old fox) who asked me
several questions, and said, ‘He would send me with a message to
the devil;’ and he said, ‘I had done more than if I had killed
an hundred men;’ and because I would not take off my hat, he
judged that to be a Turkish principle, and I not being free at
that time to drink wine, he asked me, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘because
I would bring my body into subjection.’ ‘How long,’ said he,
‘will you abstain?’ I said, ‘till night at least.’ ‘That,’ said
he ‘is another Turkish point, to fast till night.’ He had also
sent for the Hungarian student, and commanded him to tell him
in Latin, all what had passed between us in our lodging, which
the inquisitor afterwards took to read when we were examined,
but he would not read it openly, lest the sitters by should have
heard and owned the truth thereof. Afterwards they brought our
attempt to go over the water, as a mighty crime against us, and
the aforesaid soldier was called to testify against me, whose
testimony being false, I withstood him, and told the inquisitor,
who did much seek occasion against me, that ‘He should beware
what he did, for if he should cause my blood to be shed under
such a pretence, it would cry to the Lord for vengeance, and
thereby he might draw the wrath of God upon him and others.’ And
I desired the other soldiers might be examined, who also had
heard what I said; which after some time was granted, and I was
put forth, and my adversary and accuser he was kept within, and
one of the other was called; and then I thought, ‘Now if the
Lord doth not assist me, they may persuade him to speak the same
thing.’ But when he came forth, he told me, ‘He did not speak as
the other, for that which the other had affirmed, was not true;’
then I thanked the Lord that this pretence failed them. But
afterwards the inquisitor told me, ‘The books were enough, though
there were nothing else;’ and asked me, ‘Whether I knew not that
the catholics had laws to burn and torment heretics, and such as
carried such books?’ I said, ‘I should not have expected such
dealing among good Christians,’ and so did not tell him. Howbeit,
I knew well, that they were cruel and bloody enough.

‘Then he opened a book of the corrupt popish laws, and read
therein, how that such persons as carry such books and papers
are to be racked, &c. And about this time was John searched yet
farther for gold, by the command of the inquisitor, and having
taken so far off as one of his shoes and stockings, he was slow
in taking off that where the gold was, and the marshal thinking
it tedious, and thinking there had been no more, bid him put
them on again. And upon a certain time he gave it me in half
a little white loaf, when we stood with the soldiers waiting
to be called. And they seeing the book called ‘The way to the
kingdom,’ that it was printed at Amsterdam, asked me, ‘What books
I brought from thence to Paltz, and how many?’ And one morning
having sent for one of the priests. He got that written book
of George Fox’s of the Apostacy of Christendom, who looking on
it, began to be hot and wrathful, saying, ‘How are we (meaning
the papists) apostatized, and how can that be proved?’ I said,
‘Friend, it becometh not a spiritual man to be so furious, but
gentle, meek, peaceable,’ &c. Then was his countenance dashed,
and he had little more to say. The inquisitor asked me farther
concerning the sacrament, &c. And I told him how Christ said,
‘The flesh profiteth little, it was the spirit that quickened,’
&c. which seemed strange to him, and he asked the priest, ‘Sir,
father, how is that?’ who bethought himself, and said, ‘He
did remember there was such a saying;’ and more words passed
between us, which would now be too long to relate. Farther, the
inquisitor asked me, ‘If I would be a catholic?’ I said, ‘If I
should be so for fear or favour of them, the Lord not requiring
it of me, I should not have peace in my conscience, and the
displeasure of the Lord would be more intolerable than theirs;
and as for compelling people, that did but make them hypocrites,
and doth not truly change the heart.’ Which the priest could not
deny but that it was true. And notwithstanding our innocence, the
governor would have us racked, which seemed to me, according to
relation, a cruel torment; and in those days I often poured forth
my supplication to the Lord with tears. And being almost every
day examined until the eighth day, they made ready benches to sit
on, lighted the candle, and put John out of his room, and sent
for me. The inquisitor sitting there with two more officers, and
the marshal and the hangman by them.