On the First-day following, he went into the steeple-house, and after the priest had done he began to preach. Now the priest going away, and the magistrate desiring G. Fox to depart, he still went on, and told them he came to speak the word of life and salvation from the Lord amongst them. And he spoke so powerfully that the people trembled and shook, and they thought the steeple-house shook also: nay, some of them feared it would have fallen down on their heads. Some women in the meanwhile making a great bustle, at length the rude people of the city rose, and came with staves and stones into the steeple-house: whereupon the governor sent some musqueteers to appease the tumult; and these taking G. Fox by the hand in a friendly manner, led him out. Then he came to the house of a lieutenant, where he had a very quiet meeting. The next day the justices and magistrates sent for him to come before them in the town-hall. So he went thither, and had a long discourse with them concerning religion, and showed them that though they were great professors, (viz. Presbyterians and Independents,) yet they were without the possession of what they professed. But after a long examination they committed him to prison as a blasphemer, an heretic, and a seducer. There he lay till the assizes came on, and then all the talk was, that he was to be hanged: and the high sheriff Wilfrey Lawson, was so eager to have his life taken away, that he said, he himself would guard G. Fox to execution. This made such a noise that even great ladies came to see him, as one that was to die. But though both judge and magistrates were contriving how they might put him to death, yet the judge’s clerk started a question, which puzzled them and confounded their counsels, so that he was not brought to a trial as was expected; which however was contrary to law. But such was their envy against him, that the jailer was ordered to put him amongst thieves and murderers, and some naughty women; which wicked crew were so lousy, that one woman was almost eaten to death with lice: but what made the prison the worse, there was no house of office to it, and in this nasty place men and women were put together against all decency. Yet these prisoners, how naught soever, were very loving to G. Fox, and so hearkened to his wholesome counsel, that some of them became converts. But the under jailer did him all the mischief he could. Once when he had been at the grate, to take in the meat his friends brought him, the jailer fell a beating of him with a great cudgel, crying, ‘Come out of the window,’ though he was then far enough from it. But whilst the jailer was thus beating him, he was so filled with joy, that he began to sing, which made the other rage the more, so that he went and fetched a fiddler, thinking thereby to vex him. But when this fellow played, he sang a hymn so loud, that with his voice he drowned the sound of the fiddle, and thereby so confounded the player, that he was