Shire. to difturb us, and hinder us in our Service, but were 1708. at laft afham'd and difappointed. At this Place my dear Friend and Fellow-traveller, Richard Gove, and I parted: I was for going by the Eaft Sea-Coaft up for London, and he inclin'd towards Cumberland, after we had travelled about a Year in the Work of the Ministry, in great Love and true Friendship, in which Work we were true Helpers one of another; and as we had laboured together in the Work of Chrift, fo we parted in his Love. Now from Berwick I travelled along to Newcaftle; had one Meeting by the Way, and feveral good Meetings at Newcastle, Sunderland, Shoten, and Neweattle Durbam, and feveral other Places in the Bishoprick of Sunderland. Durbam. The Winter coming on apace, it began to be bad travelling; and I being already much spent by it, defigned to go fpeedily up to London; and taking fome Meetings in my Way, as at Stockton, Whitby, Scarborough, Burlington, Hull, and Brigg, and fo on through Lincolnshire, where I went to vifit a Lincoln Friend that was Prifoner in the Caftle of Lincoln, because for Confcience Sake he could not pay an ungodly Prieft the Tythe of his Labour. From Lincoln I proceeded to Huntington, about which Place we had feveral large Meetings, fo on to Baldock, where I met with my Father and John Gopfil, who came from London to meet me, which was a joyful Meeting, for I had not feen my Father for about nine Years. The Love and Tenderness between us, and the Gladness in feeing each other again, cannot well be expreffed (but I believe it was fomewhat like Jacob and Jofeph's meeting in Egypt;) it was affecting and melting: Bleffed be the Almighty that gave me once more to see my tender and aged Parent! So from Baldock we went to Hitching, and had a Meeting there, as alfo at Hertford, from whence, with feveral Friends, I went to Enfield, where I met with my dear and only Brother George, and there were with us feveral of my Relations, and divers others of our Friends: 1708. Friends: We were heartily glad to fee one another. From Enfield we went forward for London, and by the Way we met with several Friends (of the Meeting of Horflydown, to which I did belong from my Childhood) who came to meet me, and accompanied us to London. London. I ftay'd in and about the City most of the Winter, vifiting Meetings when I was well and in Health; for thro' often changing the Climates, I got a fevere Cold, and was ill for feveral Weeks, fo that I was not at any Meeting, which Time was very tedious to me; not fo much because of my Illness, as that I was deprived of divers Opportunities and Meetings (which are in that City every Day of the Week except the laft.) When I was a little got over this Illness, I Hertford went into Hertfordshire, and fome Parts adjacent, Uxbridge, and had Meetings at Staines, Longford, Uxbridge, Walford, Hempstead, Bendif, Albans, Market-Street, Hitching, Hertford, Hoddefdon, and then return'd again to London. hire. About Londen. * After I had been at London a while, I vifited feveral other Country Meetings, as Winchmore-Hill, Totten bam, Wandsworth, Plaistow, Deptford, and Epping, and then ftaid about London fome Weeks waiting for a Paffage for Holland, which I intended to vifit before I left my own Habitation. And on the 14th of the First Month, 1708-9, I, with my Companion John Bell, after having acquainted our Friends and Relations (having their Confent) and taking our folemn Leave of them, we went down to Gravefend, and ftaid there two or three Days for a fair Wind. We went on board the Ship Anne, John Duck, Mafter, bound for Rotterdam, in Company with a Fleet of Veffels waiting for Wind, &c. When the Wind was fair we failed for the Coast of Holland, and when we arrived on that Coaft the Wind was contrary, and blew very hard, fo that fome of the Ships in Company loft their Anchars; but on the Arrives Amfterdam the 27th of the fame Month we arrived fafe at Rotter- 1709. dam in Holland. On the First Day Morning we went to Meeting at Rotterdam, where Friends have a Meeting-house; and we ftaid at this City feven or eight fafe at Ro Days, and had fix or feven Meetings, and were com- terdan. forted with our Brethren and Sifters, and greatly refreshed in the Lord Almighty. At this City we fpoke without an Interpreter, because moft in the Meeting understood English. From Rotterdam we travelled by the Trackfcoot, (or Boat, being drawn by Horfés, which is a pleasant eafy Way of travelling) to a large Town called Harlem, where we had a Meeting, Harle. and spoke by an Interpreter; to which Meeting came divers of thofe People called Menonifts: They were very fober and attentive, and ftay'd all the Time of the Meeting, and fpoke well of it. From Harlem we went to Amfterdam, the Metropolis of Holland, where Friends have a Meeting-house. Here we had several Meetings and ftay'd about a Week. On the firft Day we had a large Meeting, to which came many People of divers Perfuafions and Religions, as Jews, Papifts, and others; and we had a good Opportunity among them, and feveral were tender. A few came next Day to speak with us, and did acknowledge, "That Chrift was the Minister of that Sanctuary and "Tabernacle that God had pitched, and not Man " and that he was fenfible of the Ministry of Chrift in "his Soul; and, faid he, my Heart was broken while "that Subject was spoken of in the Meeting." I was glad to fee the Man tender and reached; but too generally fpeaking, the poor Jews (the Seed of good Jacob) are very dark and unbelieving. I have met with but very few of them in my Travels that have been tender; but I do love them for Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob's Sake. At this Meeting William Sewel (the Author of the Hiftory of the Rife and Progrefs of the People called Quakers) a tender-fpirited upright Man, interpreted for me. From Amfterdam we went to North North- 1709. North-Holland, and John Claus and Peter Reyard went with us to interpret for us; fo by Boat, or Scoot, we travelled to a Town called Twisk, where we had two Meetings, Friends having a Meeting-house there; from Twik we went back again to Amfterdam, and had two large Meetings there on the First Day, and Second Day in the Evening we went on Ship-board, Herlingen. in order to cross the South Sea to Herlingen, at which Embden. Place we had two Meetings, and we and Friends were glad to fee one another: And indeed, we being as one Family all the World over, are generally glad to fee each other. From this Place we travelled Eastward through Eaft-Friefland, and went through feveral great Towns and Cities until we came to Embden, the the chief City in Eaft-Frießland, where we had a comfortable Meeting by the Bed-fide of one of our Friends that lay fick; and feveral of her Neighbours came in and stay'd till the Meeting ended; fome of them were very tender and loving, and wished us well, and were well fatisfied. After Meeting we fet forward for Hamburgh, it being four Days Journey by Waggon, and paffed along through divers Towns and Cities: We alfo travelled through the City of Oldenburgh, Oldenburgh and a Place of great Commerce called Bremen. A and Bre- Magiftrate of this City took Notice of us, joined him men. felf to us, and went with us to the Inn, and then very lovingly took leave of us, and defired God to blefs us. The People at our Inns were generally very loving and kind to us, and fome would admire at my coming fo far only to vifit my Friends, without any Views of Advantage or Profit outwardly. When we Hamburgh, got to Hamburgh we had a Meeting at Jacob Hagen's, and those that were there, were well fatisfied with the Doctrine of Truth, bleffed be God, who, I may fay, was with us at that Time and Place! At Hamburgh there was at Meeting one who had preached before the King of Denmark; who, as I understood by our Interpreter, was turned out of his Place, for preaching Frederick preaching the fame Truths that we had preached 1709. there that Day; at which Meeting were Papifts, Lutherans, Calvinists, Menonifts, Jews, &c. All of them were fober, and generally expreffed their Satisfaction. I had fo much Comfort in that Meeting, that I thought it was worth my Labour in coming from my Habitation, the Answer of Peace was fuch to my Soul, that I greatly rejoiced in my Labour in the Work of Chrift. From hence I travelled to Frederickstadt, it being two Days Journey (where Friends fadt. have a Meeting-houfe.) We ftay'd about ten Days, and had nine Meetings in this City. Some of the Meetings were very large, and the longer we ftay'd, the larger they were. This Frederickstadt is a City in the Dominions of the Duke of Holstein, and was the fartheft Place we travelled to Eaftward; and from hence I wrote a small Piece, called, A loving Invita tion unto Young and Old in Holland and elsewhere; which was tranflated into the German and Low-Dutch Languages; and divers Impreffions of them were also printed in England. We travelled in this Journey thro' fome Parts of the Emperor of Germany's Dominions, as alfo of the Kings of Denmark and Swedefland, and of the Duke of Oldenburgh's and Prince of Eaft-Friefland's Territories, befides fome Parts of the Seven Frovinces of the united States. We parted with our Friends of this City of Frederickstadt, in much Love and Tenderness, and with our Hearts full of good Will one towards another, and fo went back to the City of Embden a nearer Embde. Way, by two Days Journey, than to go by Hamburgh. We cross'd the Rivers Eyder, Elfe, and Weifer; over which laft we were rowed by three Women. The Women in thofe Parts of the World are Strong and robust, and used to bard Labour. I have feen them do not only the Work of Men, but of Horfes; it being common with them to do the most laborious, and the Men the lightest and easiest Work. I remember that. I |