instance, was the instruction of young people in the Society of which he is a member, but as the work grew under his hand, he could not but anticipate for it a less confined circulation. He doubts not all due allowance will be made by the critical eye, for the style of those writers, who lived in an age of less refinement than the present, most of whom had received at farthest a plain, useful education, and whose utmost desire in communications for the benefit of their fellow creatures, was to address themselves in simplicity to the heart and conscience. "Excellency of speech," or "the enticing words of man's wisdom,"* was not their ambition: indeed precision and correctness are sometimes nearly wanting; so that on this and other grounds some very slight liberties have been occasionally taken with the text of the authors.

The compiler may also add, that for some observa tions he has ventured to intersperse, he of course considers himself alone responsible.

London,

Sth of Fifth month.

* Cor. ii. 1, & 4.

Wm. A. Mercein, Printer, corner of Pearl street and Burling Slip.

SELECT ANECDOTES,

&c.

GEORGE FOX AND THE GAOLER.

IN the year 1650, G. Fox was imprisoned at Derby, where he continued in confinement about a year. The keeper of the prison, a high professor of religion, was greatly enraged against him, speaking very wickedly of him, and often endeavouring to draw some unguard ed language from him, wherewith to accuse him. But George was kept in such innocence and circumspection of conduct, that though his words and actions were watched, no fault could be laid to his charge. "It pleased the Lord," as George Fox expresses it, "one day to strike the gaoler, so that lie was in great trouble, and under much terror of mind. As I was walking in my chamber, I heard a doleful noise, and standing still, I heard him say to his wife, Wife, I have seen the day 'of judgment; and I saw George there, and I was 'afraid of him, because I had done him so much wrong, and spoken so much against him to the ministers and 'professors, and to the justices, and in taverns and ale houses.' After this, towards the evening, he came into my chamber and said to me, 'I have been as a lorr 'against you; but now I come like a lamb, and like the gaoler that came to Paul and Silas trembling" He acknowledged also, that he had been plagued and

his house too for my sake. Afterwards he told me all his heart, and said, he believed what I had said of the true faith and hope was true, and confessed, that at those times when I had asked him to let me go forth and speak the word of the Lord to the people, and he had refused, and I had laid the weight of it upon him, he used to be under great trouble, amazed, and almost distracted for some time after, and in such a condition that he had little strength left him. When the morning came, he rose and went to the justices, and told them that he and his house had been plagued for my sake. One of the justices replied (as he reported to me), that the plagues were upon them too for keeping me. This was Justice Bennet of Derby, who was the first that called us Quakers, because I bade them tremble at the word of the Lord."

G. Fox's Journal.

It is worthy the notice of the reader, that this penitent gaoler afterwards joined in society with Friends, and instead of keeping a prison, had every thing taken from him, and there is little doubt suffered imprisonment also. He wrote a lively feeling letter to George Fox at that time, which plainly bespeaks a mind given up. "in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but to suffer for his sake." Phil. i. 29.

Thus we see that the judgments and terrors of the Lord plague the hearts of the disobedient, and that He is not wanting to plead the cause of the upright, even in the very consciences of those that persecute and hate them. Herein was the ancient proverb fulfilled,

which declares, "Judgments are prepared for scorners.” Prov. xix. 29.

WILLIAM CALLOW, of the Isle of Man, was detained eight weeks in prison there, in the year 1657, for reproving a priest, whom he had heard abusing the people called Quakers, in his sermon to the people.

"Several persons were taken out of a meeting on the 1st day of the week, and set in the stocks four hours in the market place; others were fined, and William Callow among them, ten bushels of oats being taken from him by distress, and laid in another person's barn. On the next 1st day, after sermon, the priest gave public notice for the poor of the parish to go to the barn and take some corn, which the governor had ordered to be distributed amongst them; to this some of the poor people, his own hearers, answered, that it had been more charity to have given his own goods to the poor than other men's, and that they would receive none of it. However, some of the poor went to the place with the priest and the soldiers, and William Callow went also. The priest called several times to the poor to hold their bags, but none of them would; at this the priest grew angry, and looking sternly at William Callow, called to the people, Why don't you take the corn? Is there any one here that hath aught to do with this

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corn, or saith it may not be given to the poor? This lie said to provoke from William some expression, but he held his peace. The poor stood a while, and then withdrew one by one, leaving the corn with the priest and soldiers. On the following 1st day, the parson again publishing the distribution of the corn as before

signified how much the governor was displeased that they had not taken it. For fear of the governor and the priest, some poor people went again to the place, but only one of them would take any, and he vauntingly said to the rest, 'You are so proud you will not take it I have got this, and there will be more of his ' goods taken before this be eaten, and then I'll get 'more' but it so happened, that before he had eaten what he had took, he was taken away by death. His sudden exit was interpreted by the other poor as a judg ment upon him, and they were glad that they had kept themselves clear. The rest of the corn lay till it was spoiled, for nobody would take it.

"William Callow, and several others, for two-pence each demanded by the priest for bread and wine, of which they had received none, were imprisoned by warrant from the governor; from whom also, in the 7th mo. 1659, the priest procured another warrant for the imprisonment of William Callow and another friend, for refusing to pay tithes. One morning early, as soon as they came on shore, after being all night in the wet and cold at sea (for they were fishermen), they were hurried to prison in their wet clothes, and detained several days in the midst of their herring fishery, the most advantageous season for their business. This, however designed by their adversary, was not productive of the prejudice which might be naturally expected; for the next night after their release they caught as many fish as they were able to bring to shore, so that they had' reason gratefully to acknowledge a peculiar providence attending them."

Gough's History of Friends