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who was but weakly. One night our sailors thought that an enemy or pirate was near us, who fired two guns, and so passed by us; but it being night, we could not certainly know what she was. I rather judged it might be some ship in distress, for we saw one of the ships that evening that came out with us, and the next morning we could see none at all, and there was hardly any wind that night, so I feared that our companion had sprung a leak and foundered; and when I told our master my opinion, he said, he feared the same likewise. Now, for two weeks time, or thereabouts, we beat about the sea, and made little progress. Howbeit, we had several good meetings, wherein we gave glory to God, our Saviour; and for ever let it ascend, saith my soul, to him over all! After contrary winds, about two weeks, the wind sprung up westerly, and was fair for several days; in which time we got finely on our way again, and left the Western Islands about two day's sail behind us; and then the wind was contrary again. Contrary winds are commonly tedious at sea, but especially to those that know not where to stay their minds; but we being several friends of us on board, that were passengers, had oftentimes good meetings several times a week; and if any of our ship's company came to meeting, they always were sober, and sometimes tender; and truly God's love was extended towards them. And when it was not our meeting days, we spent not our time idly, but for the most part in reading the holy scriptures, and writing, &c. in which we were at sundry seasons greatly refreshed, strengthened, and comforted, Oh! my soul! glorify God thy Maker, and Christ thy Saviour for ever, in the sense of his goodness and mercy, both by sea and land, by night and by day! After we had been almost seven weeks at sea, we thought that we were near the land, but we sounded several days, and found no bottom, although we let out abundance of line, I think above three hundred yards.

loved by all who were acquainted with her. When she died she was the wife of Daniel Zachary, a merchant of Boston, New-England, well known, and much beloved there, for her piety and virtue.

About this time our doctor dreamed a dream, which was to this effect; himself related it to me; he said, "He dreamed that he went on shore at a great and spacious town, the buildings whereof were high, and the streets broad; and as he went up the street he saw a large sign, on which was written, in great golden letters, SHAME. At the door of the house to which the sign belonged, stood a woman with a can in her hand, who said unto him, Doctor, will you drink? he replied, with all my heart, for I have not drank any thing but water a great while, (our wine and cider being all spent, having had a long passage) and he drank a hearty draught, which he said, made him merry; so he went up the street reel. ing to and fro, when a grim fellow coming behind him, clapped him on the shoulder, and told him, that he arrested him in the name of the governor of the place. He asked him for what; and said, What have I done? He answered, for stealing the woman's can; the can he had indeed, and so he was had before the governor, which was a mighty black dog, the biggest and grimmest that ever he saw in his life; and witness 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 lay for ever."

He told me this dream so punctually, and with such an emphasis, that it affected me with serious sadness, and caused my heart to move within me; for to me the dream seemed true, and the interpretation sure: I then told him he was an ingenious man, and might clearly see the interpretation of that dream, which exactly answered to his state and condition, which I thus interpreted to him: "This great and spacious place, wherein the buildings were high and the streets broad, is thy great and high profession: the sign, on which was written shame, which thou sawest, and the woman at the door, with the can in her hand, truly represents that great, crying, and shameful sin of drunkenness, which thou knowest to be thy great weakness, which the woman with the can did truly represent to thee; the grim fellow who ar rested thee in the devil's territories, is death, who will

assuredly arrest all mortals: the governor whom thou sawest, representing a great black dog, is certainly the devil, who after his servants have served him to the full, will torment them eternally in hell." So he got up, as it were in haste, and said, God forbid! it is nothing but a dream. But I told him it was a very significant one, and a warning to him from the Almighty, who sometimes speaks to men by dreams.

In seven weeks after we left sight of the land of America, we saw the Scilly islands, and next day saw the land of England, which was a comfortable sight to us; in that God Almighty had preserved us hitherto, and that we were so far got on our way. We drove about the channel's mouth for several days for want of wind; after which, for two days the wind came up, and we got as far up the channel as Limebay, and then an easterly wind blew fresh for several days, and we turned to windward, but rather lost than got on our way, which was tiresome and tedious to some of us.

Now about this time, being some days after the doctor's dream, a grievous accident happened to us. We meeting with a Dutch vessel, in Limebay, a little above the Start, hailed her, and she us. They said they came from Lisbon, and were bound for Holland. She was loaded with wine, brandy, fruit, and such like commodities and we having little but water to drink, by reason our passage was longer than we expected, therefore we sent 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 passenger, and one sailor, went on board, where they staid until some of them were overcome with wine, although they were desired to beware thereof; so that when they came back, a rope being handed to them, (they being filled with wine unto excess) were not capable of using it dexterously, insomuch that they overset the boat, and she turned bottom upwards, having the doctor under her. The merchant caught hold of a rope called the main-sheet, whereby his life was saved. The sailor not getting so much drink as the other two, got nimbly on the bottom of the boat, and floated on the

water till such time as our other boat was hoisted out, which was done with great speed, and we took him in; but the doctor was drowned before the boat came. The seaman that sat upon the boat saw him sink, but could not help him. This was the greatest exercise that we met with in all our voyage; and much the more so, as the doctor was of an evil life and conversation, and much given to excess in drinking. When he got on board the aforesaid ship; the master sent for a can of wine, and said, doctor, will you drink? He replied, yes, with all my heart, for I have drank no wine a great while. Upon which he drank a hearty draught, that made him merry (as he said in his dream)*; and notwithstanding the admonition which was so clearly manifested to him but three days before, and the many pro mises he had made to Almighty God, some of which I was a witness of, when strong 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 just judgment of the Almighty to poor mortals; and I thought it worthy to be recorded to posterity, as a warning to all great lovers of wine and strong liquors. This exercise was so great to me, that I could not for several days get over it; and one day while I was musing in my mind on those 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 and friends. In this journey I travelled about 2000 miles by land, and 6000 by water. I got to the yearly meeting of friends in London, in the year 1699 (which was large)

• This relation of the doctor's dream, when I was at Barbadoes, I had oc casion to write about to a friend in Ireland, which he got printed there, which is the same with this in substance, only this is somewhat fuller and larger.

and was at divers public meetings for the worship of Almighty God. I may truly say, the Holy Ghost was amongst us, blessed be God our Saviour for evermore.

In this year I thought it my place to enter into a mar. ried state, and I acquainted my father of my design, and that I inclined to make choice of Martha Betterton, a religious young woman, whom I entirely loved for that piety, virtue, and modesty, which I beheld in her : I was in the twenty-fourth year of my age, and she in her twenty-first. I likewise acquainted her father and mother with my intentions, to which both our parents consented; her father saying (when I spoke to him) go together, and the Lord bless you together. And my father said, if I was worth my weight in gold, she deserved 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 shaken. So after consent 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 breth. ren there, not only of my industry and labour in the ministry, 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 said meeting to proceed to the solemnization of our marriage, which was accomplished at Devonshire-house, in London, at a meeting appointed for that end, on the 28th day of the seventh month, in the aforesaid year, in the presence of many hundreds of people, and many worthy brethren and elders. A day of days it was to my soul! wherein I was made sensible of the love and goodness of God in a particular manner, which to me was an earnest of our future well-doing. My dear wife was one who truly loved and feared God, and had an excellent gift of the ministry given unto her, and was serviceable therein. [A paper coming to my hands of her own hand-writing and composing, I transcribe it here. She calls it, an account of the exercise of Martha Betterton, viz.

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