excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons in this present parliament assembled, and by authority of the same, that if any person of the age of sixteen years or upwards, being a subject of this realm, at any time after the tenth day of May next, shall be present at any assembly, conventicle or meeting, under colour or pretence of any exercise of religion, in other manner than according to the liturgy and practice of the church of England, in any place within the kingdom of England, dominion of Wales, or town of Berwick upon Tweed, at which conventicle, meeting or assembly, there shall be five persons or more assembled together, over and besides those of the same household, if it be in a house where there is a family inhabiting; or if it be in a house, field, or place where there is no family inhabiting; then where any five persons or more, are so assembled, as aforesaid, it shall and may be lawful to and for any one or more justices of the peace of the country, limit, division, corporation or liberty wherein the offence aforesaid shall be committed, or for the chief magistrate of the place where the offence aforesaid shall be committed; and he and they are hereby required and enjoined upon proof to him or them respectively made of such offence, either by confession of the party, or oath of two witnesses; (3) (which oath the

the jury were commanded up, to agree upon their verdict; and after an hour and half's time, eight came down agreed, but four remained above the court then sent an officer for them, and they accordingly came down; but the court used many indecent threats to the four that dissented, and after much menacing language, and a very imperious behaviour against the jury, the prisoners being brought to the bar, the foreman was asked, "How say you? Is. William Penn guilty of the matter whereof he stands indicted in manner and form, or not guilty." Foreman: "Guilty of speaking in Gracechurch street." The next question was, "Is that all?" Foreman, "That is all I have in commission." This answer so displeased the recorder, that he said, “You had as good say nothing." And the lord mayor, Starling, said, "Was it not an unlawful assembly? You mean he was speaking to a tumult of people there?" To which the foreman returned, "My lord, this was all I had in commission." Some of the jury seemed now to buckle to the questions of the court; but others opposed themselves, and said, "They allowed of no such word as an unlawful assembly in their verdict:" at which some on the bench took occasion to vilify them with oppro brious language. And because the court would not dismiss the jury before they gave a more satisfactory verdict, they called for pen, ink, and

an

paper, and so went up again: and after half hour returning, delivered the following verdict in writing.

"We the jurors hereafter named, do find William Penn to be guilty of speaking or preaching to an assembly, met together in Gracechurch street, the 14th of August last, 1670, and that William Mead is not guilty of the said indictment.

Foreman. Thomas Veer, Charles Milson, Edward Bushel, Gregory Walklet,

John Hammond, John Baily,

Henry Henly,

William Lever,

Henry Michel

James Damask,

John Brightman William Plumsted.

This verdict the mayor and recorder resented at so high a rate, that they exceeded the bounds of all moderation and civility; and the recorder said, "Gentlemen, you shall not be dismissed till we have a verdict, that the court will accept; and you shall be locked up, without meat, drink, fire, and tobacco; you shall not think thus to abuse the court; we will have a verdict by the help of God, or you shall starve for it.

Now though the jury had given in their ver dict, and signified that they could give no other

shall be certified into the exchequer together, and not one without the other: and no justice shall or may be questioned or accountable for the same in the exchequer or elsewhere, than in quarter-sessions; another third part thereof to and for the use of the poor of the parish where such offence shall be committed; and the other third part thereof to the informer and informers, and to such person and persons as the said justice, justices or chief magistrate respectively shall appoint, having regard to their diligence and industry in the discovery, dispersing and punishing of the said conventicles.

III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that every person who shall take upon him to preach or teach in any such meeting, assembly or conventicle, and shall thereof be convicted, as aforesaid, shall forfeit for every such first offence the sum of twenty pounds, to be levied in manner aforesaid upon his goods and chattels; (2) and if the said preacher or teacher so convicted, be a stranger, and his name and habitation not known, or is fled, and cannot be found, or in the judgment of the justice, justices or chief magistrate respectively, are hereby empowered and required to levy the same by warrant, as aforesaid, upon the goods and chattels of any such persons who shall be present at that same conventicle; any thing in this or any other act, law or statute to the con

was such a witty turn upon the bishop, as no doubt made him so sensible as not to think fit to enter upon the debate in a doubtful dispute, for it is observable, this lord's turn upon the bishop was chiefly to stop him from promoting persecution.

This spring G. Fox travelling to York, went through several other places in the north of England; and although he came near to his old enemy, Col. Kirby, who had a fit of the gout, and had threatened him, yet he passed on unmolested. So he went to Liverpool, whence he, with some of his friends, passed over for Ireland: among others, were Thomas Briggs and John Stubs; and being arrived in Dublin, he was kindly received by his friends; and journeying into the country, he met with no small opposition from the Papists, (of whom there are many there.) Being come to a certain place, he challenged the jesuits, priests, and monks, to try whether their god, which they make of a wafer, be an immortal God, but they could not be brought to it; wherefore he said, they were worse than Baal's priests, for Baal's priests tried their God. Then he went to Cork, where they had knowledge of his coming, and intended to take him prisoner; for the Quakers in Ireland were many years sharply persecuted, as their brethren were in England, of which to mention all circumstances,