one of them had also his audience in the Parliament to intercede with them for the King’s life; yet all proved in vain: for on the 30th of the aforesaid month, the King was brought on a scaffold erected before the banqueting house, and his head severed from his body. The same day the Parliament ordered a declaration to be published, whereby it was declared treason to endeavour to promote the Prince of Wales, Charles Stuart, to be King of England, or any other single person to be the chief governor thereof. And then, after having abolished the House of Peers, they assumed to themselves the chief government of the nation, with the title of, The Parliament of the Commonwealth of England. The news of the King’s death was no sooner come into Scotland, but Charles, Prince of Wales, was proclaimed, at Edinburgh, King of Great Britain, provided he should, before assuming the royal authority, give satisfaction about some matters concerning religion. And though this displeased the English, yet the Scots asserted that they might as well do so, as the English, who had done the same at the death of the late King’s father, in the year 1625. 1649. Leaving state affairs, let us return to G. Fox, who in the year 1649, was much exercised to declare openly against all sorts of sins: and therefore he went not only to the courts, crying for justice, and exhorting the judges and justices to do justice, but he warned also those that kept public houses for entertainment, not to let people have more drink than what would do them good. He also testified against wakes, may-games, plays, and shows, by which people were led into vanity, and drawn off from the fear of God; the days that were set forth for holidays, being usually the times wherein God was most dishonoured. When he came into markets, he also declared against deceitful merchandising, and warned all to deal justly, and to speak the truth; and he testified against the mountebanks playing tricks on their stages: and when occasion offered, he warned schoolmasters and schoolmistresses to teach their children to mind the fear of the Lord; saying, that they themselves ought to be examples and patterns of virtue to them. But very burdensome it was to him, when he heard the bell ring to call people together to the steeple-house; for it seemed to him just like a market bell, to gather the people, that the priest might set forth his ware to sale.