require us to violate the Divine law, we submit to suffer all that man may be permitted to inflict, rather than wound our consciences.-The Memorial was signed in and on behalf of a Meeting in Philadelphia representing the Society in New Jersey, the 8th of the 2nd Month, 1833. Were it chargeable upon Friends, that they give education to the children of those not members on a plan of proselyting them to Quakerism, it might be alleged that this public boon, not being a disinterested one, is not to be pleaded as a set off with the country against any exemption from military service. But the fact is, that no other society does the work of education on principles nearly as liberal: and where the subjects of such education take up the principle, for instance, of peace and forbearance, and forgiveness of enemies, renouncing even self-defence by war, it must be attributed, I believe, not to the persuasions of quaker teachers, but to the spirit of Christ's doctrine in the New Testament which they learn. It is very dangerous for those who advocate and practise war to let their youth become familiar with this book!—And after trying every imaginable expedient to bring this people over to his practice, we believe Cæsar must be content to do his own office in the world, while arms continue in use (receiving his tribute) and leave the devoted followers of a meek and crucified Redeemer to theirs, in bearing testimony by example and precept to Christ's doctrine. Ed.

ART. IX.-On a Snowy morning in Spring.

Inscribed to the Friends of Ackworth School.

Now, surly Winter! what's to do?
I thowt we'd seen the last o' thee,
When buds are brast on every boo,

And blossoms perk on monny a tree.
Go get thee gone! Dost see how spring
Waits but till thou art clean away,
Blue skies and berry pies to bring,
And make our crofts and gardens gay?

Whough! What a childish din is here:
I did but empt' a peck o' snow,
To make up t'measure for the year:
Then, to yon other pole I go.-
But sin' ye dare dispute my reign,

And scold, and call me 'surly' too,

Happ you well up-I'll peep again

Skies may be black and berries few! L.

Ackworth, Fourth Month, 26th, 1823.

Communications may be addressed, rost PAID, “For the Editor of the Yorkshireman," at the Printer's, Pontefract; at Longman and Co's, London; John Baines and Co's. Leeds; and W. Alexander's, York

CHARLES ELCOCK, PRINTER, PONTEFRACT.

ART. I.-A Chronological Summary of events and circumstances connected with the origin and progress of the doctrines and practices of the Quakers.

A. D.

1670

(Continued from p. 229.)

TRIAL OF PENN AND MEAD AT THE OLD BAILEY. Further general and grievous persecution of the Quakers, under the [second] Act against seditious conventicles, passed in this year. Before I proceed to the celebrated cause above mentioned, the firmness of the accused and their jury on which has been justly deemed a service done to Civil and Religious liberty in Britain, I must notice some other matters connected with the subject; and the reader must be referred for an account of both these Acts, and of violent proceedings under them, to our historians and to some former parts of this work: See Vol. I, p. 102, 176-189, and Vol. II, p. 165–169. Also Sewel, Vol. II, p. 125 (1664), and p. 246 (1670), and Besse, Anno 1670 passim.

6

The next First-day after the Act came in force, George Fox, with his usual readiness to meet danger, went to the Meeting at Gracechurch Street, where he expected the storm was most likely to begin.' He found the Friends kept out by a guard of soldiers, and the street full of people; among whom, in Whitehart Court, a friend was already speaking. When the friend had done, he stood up, and protested against persecution. After a while came an informer, with the constable and soldiers, and as they plucked George down he said 'Blessed are the peace-makers,' leaving them to infer the contrary sentence against themselves. The commander put him among the soldiers,

bidding them secure him and saying, 'You are the man I looked for.' They took however with him John Burnyate and another, the people laughing at their precautions, and telling the constable the Quakers would not run away. As they were guarding them away the informer discovered what he was, by remarking that it would never be a good world till all people came to the good old religion that was two hundred years ago. George took advantage of this, and charged him before the people with being a papist, reminding him of it often as they went along the streets, and referring the people at the Mayor's house to this man, for his business and his name; both which he refused to tell. The consequence was that the informer got a reprimand from the peace-officer, for having intruded himself with the Military into what belonged to the Civil Magistrate, alone, to execute; and, going into the street to depart, was received by the people in so rough a manner, that the Friends were obliged to become his protectors, and desired the constable and soldiers to go and rescue him out of the hands of the mob: after which being persuaded to change his perriwig' he got away unknown.

6

The Friends had for company in this trouble some Presbyterian and Baptist teachers with whom the Mayor was somewhat sharp and convicted them. But he endeavoured by fair words to prevail on 'Mr. Fox,' to dissuade his people from meeting in such great numberswishing them rather to avail themselves of Christ's promise to the 'two or three,' and the king's 'indulgence' to four. George reminded him of the numerous meetings held by our Saviour, with his twelve apostles and seventy disciples, and wished him to consider, if there was to be a blessing where but two or three gathered in Christ's naine, how much more when two or three hundred! He urged other matter however, to the points of law and fact, in his defence; as that the Act was made against seditious proceedings and plotters of insurrection—which men might more freely do in fours, than in a company of four hundred. The Mayor, having no information against them to go upon, set the three friends at liberty; who went directly back to Grace-church Street. Here, they learned by sending out, that at their other Meetings Friends had been either forcibly kept out, or imprisoned.

6

moved

The prisoners on this occasion were after a few days released, and George adds in conclusion that it was a glorious time.”—“ For as fast as some, that were speaking, were taken down, others were of the Lord to stand up and speak, to the admiration of the people.' So that the Lord's power came over all, and his everlasting truth got renown.' And he went, as soon as the heat of persecution in the city began to abate' to see how it fared with his friends in the country. At Reading, most of them were in prison; George went in and preached to the prisoners and others, and after he had eaten with them, coming to the door to depart found the gaoler in the way, whom before he had not seen. I put my hand in my pocket (says George) which he had such an eye to that he asked me no questions. So I gave him something, and bade him be kind and civil to my friends in prison,

whom I came to visit; and he let me pass out without interruption. But soon after, Isaac Penington coming to visit them, he stopped him, and caused him to be made prisoner [a richer man, and probably in the jailor's estimation worth a larger ransom!] (a)

In the course of this journey, George Fox was seized with a kind of nervous fever, which deprived him for a time of sight and hearing; and in which he had also to suffer indescribably in spirit, under a sense of the cruel persecuting disposition then prevalent among professors of the true religion and worship. These stirred up persecution and set the wicked informers on work: so that a Friend could hardly speak a few words in a private family, before they sat down to eat, but some were ready to inform against them.'

And it was during this [pretty long] illness, that upon consideration of inconveniences attending the society, from persons under the profession of the truth marrying at a distance from home (where their circumstances were not sufficiently known) he sent forth a recommendation on the subject, in substance as follows:

"All Friends that marry, whether men or women, if they come out of another nation, island, plantation or county, let them bring a Certificate from the Men's Meeting of that county, nation, &c. to the Men's Meeting where they propose their intention of marriage. For the Men's Meeting being made up of the faithful, this will stop all bad and raw spirits from roving up and down [on such enterprises]. When any come with a Certificate or letter of recommendation from one Men's Meeting to another, one is refreshed by another, and can set their hands and seals [their full approbation] to the thing. This will prevent a great deal of trouble.—And let them know the duty of marriage, and what it is; that there may be unity and concord in the spirit and power, light and wisdom of God, throughout all the Men's Meetings:-Let copies of this be sent to every county, nation and island where Friends are."-Dated the 14th of 1st Mo. 1670-1. (b)

The practice of requiring a Certificate, from the Man's Monthly Meeting to that in which the woman might reside, was adopted accordingly, and hath continued among us to this day.

The persecution under the second Act against Conventicles proceeded chiefly by fines of £20 on the preacher at a meeting, and the same on the person at whose house it was held (with fines of more moderate amount on the hearers) one third of which went to the king, one third to the poor of the parish, and one third to the informer and his assistants.

The informers were generally themselves poor, and some of the justices the same; so that the king and the poor often got but little of the plunder. And an honest justice would now and then be found, willing to take advantage of flaws in the evidence, and clear the parties accused. "At London there once appeared before the Lord Mayor sitting at a Court of Aldermen, an impudent informer having such a

(a) Journal, p. 416-420. (b) Id. 424.

quantity of informations for fines as would have wronged the parties to the value of £1500; but the Mayor, abominating such a practice, adjourned the court and went away. But this hardy informer was not content to let the matter fall thus, but appeared before the Court from time to time, to make a booty of honest people's goods; but they still put him off, until at last he was himself arrested for debt and carried to prison, where he ended his days." (c)

But with all the disposition which it was manifest the people at large had at this time to favour the sufferers, very many were reduced by these iniquitous distraints, and by equally dishonest sales of their goods, to extreme poverty. One man's accounts of his services' in prosecuting the Act in the counties of York and Durham, from May 1670 to June 1671, preserved in Besse, exhibit an amount in fines alone of £1999; and the total of distresses upon Friends in Yorkshire, in the year 1670 (in which the Act passed) for meeting contrary to the Act, is £2266 14s. 4d. (d) The beds were, not seldom, taken from under the parties, even the sick, and the last utensil from the house. In Leicestershire, John Wilford was fined £20 for preaching. When the officers came to seize what he had, for he was very poor, they heard his children crying, Father, will they take the loaf? This moved them to compassion, insomuch that they trembled and wept, and departed for that time: but shortly after returned and took away his cow, the only one he had--In short, all the goods he had being insufficient to satisfy the fine, the officers made return of the Warrant, declaring upon oath that they had not left him worth any thing.' (e) No one need wonder that, with spectacles like these continually exhibited in their sight, the people should at last have been awakened, in some sort and measure, to a feeling of the danger their Civil liberties were incurring from the arbitrary rule of the Court and Clergy, and disposed to act in their capacity of Jurors accordingly.

The trial of Penn and Mead, as published soon after its occurrence, is inserted in Penn's Select works, under the title of The people's ancient and just liberties asserted, in the trial of William Penn and William Mead, at the sessions held at the Old Bailey in London, the first, third, fourth and fifth of September, 1670, against the most arbitrary procedure of that Court."

The Bench consisted of the following Justices, Samuel Starling, Mayor, John Howell, Recorder, Thomas Bludworth, William Peak, Richard Ford, John Robinson, Joseph Shelden, Aldermen: Richard Brown, John Smith, James Edwards, Sheriffs.

And the following were THE JURY, being Citizens of London, viz. Thomas Veer, Edward Bushel, John Hammond, Charles Milson, Gregory Walklet, John Brightman, William Plumstead, Henry Henley, James Damask, Henry Michel, William Lever, John Baily.

The Indictment charged William Penn, Gent. and William Mead, late of London, Linen Draper, with meeting with divers other persons to the number of three hundred, on the 15th day of August in the (e) Besse, i, 336.

(c) Sewel, ii, 254. (d) Besse, ii, 120-129.