brother, sister, and all my loving cousins; the memory thereof is cordial to me in penning these lines it may be truly said, we were very joyful in meeting one another, and our sorrow in parting not easy to be expressed..

In London I sold my vessel the BarbadoesPacket, and settled all my affairs to general satisfaction, so far as I know, on which account I had laboured for several years, and was joyful that Providence had favoured me so far as to see it accomplished; so that I now wholly intended to leave trading by sea, the which I never inclined to, only on a principle of justice; for I was fully resolved in my mind, that my creditors should be paid their just debts, though I might lose my life in the pursuit of it, about which I had no anxious guilt, because I never was extravagant nor indolent, but met with divers casualties by fire and water by the latter I lost many hundreds of pounds for several years together. And I would persuade all in their undertaking for a livelihood in this world, to be sure to have an eye to Divine Providence, who will not suffer us (if we do well) nor so much as a sparrow to fall to the ground, without he think it best for us, he knowing what is for our good better than we know ourselves. Thus when I had paid my debts, and in a good degree settled my affairs, I visited several of my relations, as at Kingsworth, Staines, Guildford, &c. had a meeting at Market-street, and one at Guildford, another at Staines, and one at Long

ford; in all which I had some service, and my relations were joyful to see me once more, having never expected to see me again; and when I had visited meetings in and about London, I went towards the north, in order to visit some places where I had never been, and some that I had been at. The number of meetings, and the names of the places where I had meetings, while I was this time in England, are as follow. While I was in and about London, I was at eighteen meetings in that great city, at two of which, I was with May Drummond, a virtuous young woman, who had a good gift in the ministry, and had a gracious opportunity of declaring her convincement to our noble queen Caroline, our great king George's royal consort. The kind treatment, and good reception, she had with the queen, spread so in the city and country, that many thousands flocked to hear her, and more of the gentry and nobility, than ever was known before, to our meetings. I had some private conversation with her, which put me in mind of the apostle's exhortation, where he adviseth the primitive Christians, that their words be few and savoury, and that they should be seasoned with grace, for this great reason, that they might administer grace to the hearers; and truly I thought there was the influence of grace in her conduct and conversation, whom I pray God to preserve in Christ to the end.

I had a meeting at the house of my brother, with his scholars at Edmonton, and also with his family

and divers of our relations, which some of us may have occasion to remember. We had seven meetings at Tottenham, at sundry times, and four at Hertford; I travelled to Hitchin, from thence to Baldock, and then to Stadtfold, and Ashwell. The 7th of the Eighth month, being the third-day of the week, to Royston, fourth to Ives, fifth to Huntingdon, sixth to Ramsey. First-day, being the 12th of the month, we had a meeting at a small town named Finedon, and the same day, in the evening, had a large meeting at Wellingborough, in Northamptonshire. The 14th, being the thirdday of the week, we had a meeting at Northampton, fourth-day at Braybrook, fifth-day at Oakham, the county town of Rutland, sixth-day at Long-Clackson; and First-day, being the 19th of the month, I was at a large and open meeting at Nottingham, where were many people, not of our society, who were very sober; third-day had a meeting at Farnesfield, fourth-day at Mansfield, fifth at Chesterfield, in Derbyshire; from whence we went over the moors and mountains, Benjamin Bangs, the younger, accompanying me, who came on purpose from Stockport, to be my companion and guide thither: his company was both pleasant and profitable to me in that hill country, through which we travelled to Stockport, where we had three meetings, and where I met with my dear worthy old friend, Benjamin Bangs. When we met, we embraced each other in arms of Christian love, having not seen one another for many years,

with whom I staid four days. This worthy Friend, though upwards of fourscore years of age, went with me to Manchester, where we had two meetings, and then I went back with him to his house. He was a man of extraordinary character, and well beloved, be being a pillar in the church of Christ.

When at Manchester, I went to visit a Friend newly cut for the stone, who had a stone taken out of him, the measure of which I saw, and had the stone in my hand; it was nine inches about, and three inches over. Before I went out of those parts, he was well enough to ride home, which was near an hundred miles; he was cheerful as well as thankful.

From Stockport I went to Macclesfield, to Joseph Hobson's, where I met with Joshua Toft, and his brother, two choice ministers of Jesus Christ, of whose company I was glad, though at that time I was very low and poor in my spirit. We had two meetings here; on the 2d of the Ninth month, being First-day, I was at a large meeting at Morley, and, in the evening, at the meeting at John Leigh's; at both which meetings there were many people, not of our Society, who were very still, and some were broken into tenderness. From Morley I went to Penketh, where we had a large, solid meeting, and had an evening-meeting at Warrington, where I met with many brethren and sisters, who sincerely love our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom I was refreshed,

particularly at Gilbert Thompson's, and Lawrence Calen's. From Warrington I went to Langtree, Preston, and Clifton, where I had meetings, and so went on to Lancaster. I went to Wray, in order to visit my old shipmate, Elizabeth Rawlinson, whose son, Hutton Rawlinson, went with me. When I came to Wray, they desired me to have a meeting with them; and though there was little notice, yet we had a large meeting, divers neighbours coming in, and Christ was preached to them freely; this was the 10th, in the evening, and second-day of the week. Third-day I went to Kendal, and, in the evening, with very little notice, we met with several hundreds of people, Friends and others; it was a surprise to me, I expected but a few, because of the shortness of time; but I acknowledge it was a pleasant surprise, to see the willingness and readiness of the people to hear the gospel preached, Friends here are a great people, and well beloved and esteemed by their neighbours, and live in much love and unity. The fourth-day many Friends came to see me from divers parts, I giving them some notice that I designed no further northward, and hastening to get ready to go to America betimes in the spring, having been from home near two years; wherefore divers of my friends, some of whom had been at sea with me, met me here. We rejoiced to see one another, and, after a large and good meeting, we took a