1699. "Water a great while (our Wine and Cyder being all spent, having had a long Paffage) and he drank a "hearty Draught, which he faid, made him merry; "fo went up the Street reeling to and fro, when a grim Fellow coming behind him, clapp'd him on "the Shoulder, and told him, That be arrested him in

the Name of the Governor of the Place. He ask"ed him for what, and faid, What have I done? He "answered, for stealing the Woman's Can; the Can "he had indeed, and fo he was had before the Gover

nor, which was a mighty Black Dog, the biggeft "and grimeft that ever he faw in his Life; and Wic"nefs was brought in against him by an old Companion "of his, and he was found guilty, and his Sentence was to go to Prison, and there to lay for ever."

60

29

He told me this Dream fo punctually, and with fuch an Emphasis, that it affected me with ferious Sadness, and caufed my Heart to move within me (for to me the Dream feemed true, and the Interpretation fure) I then told him he was an ingenious Man, and might clearly fee the Interpretation of that Dream, which exactly answered to his State and Condition, which I thus interpreted to him: "This great and fpacious Place, "wherein the Buildings were high, and the Streets broad, is thy great and high Profeffion: The Sign, on which was wrote Shame, which thou faweft, and the Woman at the Door, with the Can in her Hand, truly reprefents that great, crying and fhameful Sin of Drunkennefs, which thou knows to be thy great Weakness, which the Wo "man with the Can did truly reprefent to thee: Th grim Fellow which arrefted thee in the Devil

Territories is Death, who will affuredly arreft al "Mortals: The Governor which thou faweft, re "prefenting a great black Dog, is certainly the De

vil, who after his Servants have ferved him to th "full, will torment them eternally in Hell." So b got up, as it were in hafte, and faid, God forbid! It

nothing but a Dream. But I told him it was a very 1699. fignificant One, and a Warning to him from the Almighty, who fometimes fpeaks to Men in Dreams.

Channel,

In leven Weeks after we left Sight of the Land of English America, we saw the Scilly Islands, and next Day we faw the Land of England, which was a comfortable Sight to us; in that God Almighty had preferved us hitherto, and that we were fo far got on our Way: We drove about the Channel's Mouth for feveral Days for want of Wind; after which, for two Days the Wind came up, and we got as far up the Channel as Lime-bay, and then an Eafterly Wind blew fresh for feveral Days, and we turned to Windward, but rather loft than got on our Way, which was tirefome and tedious to fome of us.

Now about this Time (being fome Days after the Doctor's Dream) a grievous Accident happened to us. We meeting with a Dutch Veffel in Lime-bay a little above the Start, hailed her, and fhe us. They faid they came from Lisbon, and were bound for Holland. She was loaded with Wine, Brandy, Fruit, and fuch like Commodities; and we having little but Water to drink (by reafon our Paffage was longer than we expected) therefore we fent our Boat on board, in order to buy us a little Wine to drink with our Water. Our Doctor, and a Merchant that was a Paffenger, and one Sailor, went on board, where they ftaid fo long until some of them were overcome with Wine, altho' they were defired to beware thereof; fo that when they came back, a Rope being handed to them, they (being filled with Wine unto Excefs) were not capable of ufing it dexterously, infomuch that they overlet the Boat, and fhe turned Bottom upwards, having the Doctor under her, The Merchant caught hold of a Rope called the Main Sheet, whereby his Life was faved. The Sailor not getting fo much Drink, as the other two, got nimbly on the Bottom of the Boat, and floated on the Water till fuch Time as our other

1699. Boat was hoifted out, which was done with great Speed, and we took him in ; but the Doctor was drowned before the Boat came. The Seaman that fat upon the Boat faw him fink, but could not help him. This was the greatest Exercise that we met with in all our Voyage; and much the more fo, as the Doctor was of an evil Life and Converfation, and much given to Excess of Drinking. When he got on board the aforefaid Ship, the Mafter fent for a Can of Wine, and faid, Doctor, will you drink? He replied, Yes, with all my Heart, for I've drank no Wine a great while. Upon which he drank a hearty Draught, that made him merry (as he faid in his Dream; *) and notwithftanding the Admonition which was fo clearly manifested to him but three Days before, and the many Promises he had made to Almighty God, fome of which I was a Witness of, when ftrong Convictions were upon him, yet now he was unhappily overcome, and in Drink when he was drowned. This is, I think, a lively Representation of the tender Mercy, and juft Judgment of the Almighty to poor Mortals; and I thought it was worthy to be recorded to Pofterity, as a Warning to all great Lovers of Wine and strong Liquors. This Exercise was fo great to me, that I could not for feveral Days get over it; and one Day while I was mufing in my Mind on thofe Things relating to the Doctor, it was opened to me, that God and his Servants were clear, and his Blood was on his own Head; for he had been faithfully warned of his evil Ways.

We were obliged by contrary Winds to put into Plymouth Harbour, and from Plymouth I went by Coach to London, where I was gladly received by my Relations

N. B. This Relation about the Doctor's Dream, when I was at Barbadoes, I had Occafion to write about it to a Friend in Ireland, which he got printed, and is the fame with this in Subfance, only that is fomewhat fuller and larger And may be had of the Printer hereof.

Relations and Friends. In this Journey I travelled 1699. about 2000 Miles by Land, and 6000 by Water. I got to the Yearly Meeting of Friends in London, in London. the Year 1699 (which was large) and was at divers publick Meetings for the Worship of Almighty God. I may truly fay, the holy Ghoft was amongst us, bleffed be God our Saviour for evermore.

In this Year I thought it my Place to enter into a married State, and I acquainted my Father of my Defign, and that I inclin'd to make Choice of Martha Betterton, a religious young Woman, whom I entirely loved for that Piety, Virtue, and Modefty, which I beheld in her; (I was in the twenty-fourth Year of my Age, and he in her twenty-first.) I likewife acquainted her Father and Mother with my Intentions, to which both our Parents confented; her Father faying (when I fpoke to him) Go together, and the Lord blefs you together. And my Father faid, If I was worth my Weight in Gold, she deferved me. The Heartiness of both our Fathers in this Matter, was more to me than a Portion of Silver or Gold, of which we had but very little; but our Love to each other was very great, and being well and honourably grounded, it was not easily fhaken. So after Confent of Parents, we proposed our Intentions of Marriage to the Monthly Meetings unto which we belonged; and because I had been travelling in America, I had Certificates from my Brethren there (not only) of my Industry and Labour in the Miniftry, with the good Effects thereof, but also of my Clearness in Relation to Marriage; and after having twice published our Intentions, we had Liberty of the faid Meeting to proceed to the Solemnization of our Marriage, which was accomplished at Devonshire-boufe, in London (at a Meeting appointed for that End) on the 28th Day of the feventh Month, in the aforefaid Year, in the Prefence of many hundreds of People, and many worthy Brethren and Elders. A Day of Days it was to my Soul!

C 4

wherein

1699. wherein I was made fenfible of the Love and Goodnefs of God in a particular Manner, which to me was an Earneft of our future well-doing. My dear Wife was one who truly loved and feared God, and had an excellent Gift of the Miniftry given unto her, and was serviceable therein.. [A Paper coming to my Hands of her own Hand-writing and compofing, I tranfcribe it here. She calls it An Account of the Exercife of Martha Betterton, viz. As I was walking in the City of "London, with a Concern on my Mind, in beholding "the abominable Pride of the People; it opened upon

my Mind in this wife: Wo, Wo! to the Crown of "Pride! And then I was deeply bowed in my Spirit before the Lord, and it was faid to me, I will yet Spare a little longer; I have Sheep which I will ga"ther Home to me, and there fhall be one Shepherd

and one Sheepfold. Then I faid in my Heart, Ob "Lord! Shall I be one of thy Sheep belonging to thy Sheepfold of eternal Reft. And again it was anfwer"ed me, My Sheep hear my Voice, and they follow

me. Then a Cry was railed in me, Caufe me to "bear thy Voice; and not only fo, but enable me to obey the fame. And then this Charge was returned "to me, Be thou faithful."]

Soon after I was married, I had a Concern to vifit Friends in the Counties of Surry, Suffex, and Kent, which I performed in about two Weeks Time, and came Home and followed my Calling, and was induftrious therein; and when I had gotten fomething to bear my Expences, and fettle my Wife in fome little Bufinefs, I found an Exercife on my Spirit to go over to Ireland, to vifit our Friends and Brethren on that Ifland, in which William Townshend accompanied me, and Friends in that Nation were generally fatisfied with our Service among them. When we had been from Home about ten Weeks, and had vifited most Parts of that Nation, having had many Meetings among Friends, and others, we found Freedom in

Our