The History of Thomas Ellwood Written By HimselfEllwood, Thomas
History
The History of Thomas Ellwood Written By Himself
Ellwood, Thomas
Ellwood, Thomas, 1639-1713; Quakers -- Biography
When night came on, the constable himself came in again, and told me some
of the chief of the town were met together to consider what was fit to do
with me, and that I must go with him to them. I went, and he brought me
to a little nasty hut, which they called a town-house (adjoining to their
market-house), in which dwelt a poor old woman whom they called Mother
Grime, where also the watch used by turns to come in and warm themselves
in the night.
When I came in among them they looked, some of them, somewhat sourly on
me, and asked me some impertinent questions, to which I gave them
suitable answers.
Then they consulted one with another how they should dispose of me that
night, till they could have me before some justice of peace to be
examined. Some proposed that I should be had to some inn, or other
public-house, and a guard set on me there. He that started this was
probably an innkeeper, and consulted his own interest. Others objected
against this, that it would bring a charge on the town, to avoid which
they were for having the watch take charge of me, and keep me walking
about the streets with them till morning. Most voices seemed to go this
way, till a third wished them to consider whether they could answer the
doing of that, and the law would bear them out in it: and this put them
to a stand. I heard all their debates, but let them alone, and kept my
mind to the Lord.
While they thus bandied the matter to and fro, one of the company asked
the rest if any of them knew who this young man was, and whither he was
going; whereupon the constable to whom I had given both my name and the
name of the town where I dwelt, told them my name was Ellwood, and that I
lived at a town called Crowell, in Oxfordshire.
Old Mother Grime, sitting by and hearing this, clapped her hand on her
knee, and cried out: “I know Mr. Ellwood of Crowell very well; for when I
was a maid I lived with his grandfather there when he was a young man.”
And thereupon she gave them such an account of my father as made them
look more regardfully on me; and so Mother Grime’s testimony turned the
scale, and took me off from walking the rounds with the watch that night.
The constable hereupon bade them take no further care, I should lie at
his house that night; and accordingly took me home with him, where I had
as good accommodation as the house did afford. Before I went to bed he
told me that there was to be a visitation, or Spiritual Court, as he
called it, holden next day at Amersham, about four miles from
Beaconsfield, and that I was to be carried thither.
This was a new thing to me, and it brought a fresh exercise upon my mind.
But being given up in the will of God to suffer what he should permit to
be laid on me, I endeavoured to keep my mind quiet and still.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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