Next day, being First-day, we had two meetings at Benjamin Furly’s, where many of the town’s-people and some officers came in, and all were civil. Benjamin Furly or John Claus, a Friend of Amsterdam, interpreted, when any Friend declared. I spent the next day in visiting Friends there. The day following, William Penn and I, with other Friends, went towards Amsterdam with some Friends of that city, who came to Rotterdam to conduct us thither. We took boat in the afternoon, and, passing by OVERKIRK, came to DELFT, through which we walked on foot; and then took boat again to LEYDEN, where we lodged that night at an inn. This is six Dutch miles from Rotterdam, which are eighteen English miles, and five hours’ sailing or travelling; for our boat was drawn by a horse that went on the shore. Next day taking boat again, we went to HAARLEM, fourteen miles from Leyden, where we had appointed a meeting, which proved very large; for many of the townspeople came in, and two of their preachers. The Lord gave us a blessed opportunity, not only with respect to Friends, but to other sober people, and the meeting ended peaceably and well. After it we passed to AMSTERDAM, accompanied by several Friends of that city and of Alkmaar. Next day was the quarterly meeting at Amsterdam, to which came Friends from Haarlem and Rotterdam, and with them those of our company, whom we had left at Rotterdam, viz.: Robert Barclay, George Keith and his wife, &c. The meeting was at Gertrude Dirick Nieson’s house. A very large and serviceable one it was; for both William Penn and I were drawn to open many things concerning the order of the gospel, and to show the benefit and service of yearly, quarterly, and monthly meetings of men and women. We had another meeting at Gertrude’s the next day, more public, and very large, at which were professors of several sorts, unto whom the way of life and salvation was largely and livingly opened; which they hearkened very attentively to, none making any objection to what was declared. In the afternoon we had another meeting in the same place, but less, and more private. The day following we had a meeting of Friends only, wherein by joint agreement were settled several meetings; to wit, monthly, quarterly, and a yearly meeting, to be held at Amsterdam for Friends in all the United Provinces of Holland, and in Embden, the Palatinate, Hamburg, Frederickstadt, Dantzic, and other places in and about Germany; which Friends were glad of, and it has been of great service to truth. Next day an exercise came upon me concerning that deceitful spirit, which wrought in some to make divisions in the church; and the care of the churches being upon me, I was moved to write a few lines to warn Friends of it, as follows:—