came in, they smiled on me; and Colonel West said, What! are you
come into the Dragon’s Mouth? I stayed in Town, till the Judge went
out of the Town; and I walked up and down the Town, but no one
meddled with me, nor questioned me. Thus the Lord’s blessed Power,
which is over all, carried me through and over this Exercise; and
gave Dominion over his Enemies, and enabled me to go on in his glo-
rious Work and Service for his great Name’s-sake. For though the
Beast maketh War against the Saints; yet the Lamb hath got, and will
get the Victory.

From Lancaster I returned to Robert Wither’s, and from thence I
went to Thomas Leper’s to a Meeting in the Evening; and a very
blessed Meeting we had there. After the Meeting was done, I walk-
ed in the Evening to Robert Withers’s again. And no sooner was I
gone, but there came a Company of disguised Men to Thomas Leper’s
with Swords and Pistols; who suddenly entring the House, put out
the Candles, and swung their Swords about amongst the People of the
House; so that the People were fain to hold up the Chairs before
them, so save themselves from being cut and wounded. At length
they drove all the People of the House out of the House, and then
searched the House for me; who, it seems, was the only Person they
looked for: for they had laid wait before in the High-way, by which
I should have gone, if I had ridden to Robert Withers’s. And not
meeting with me on the VVay, they thought to have found me in the
House; but the Lord prevented them. Soon after I was come in at Robert
Withers, some Friends came from the Town, where Thomas Leper lived,
and gave us a Relation of this wicked Attempt: And the Friends were
afraid, lest they should come, and search Robert Withers’s House also for
me, and do me a Mischief: But the Lord restrained them, that they came
not. Though these Men were in disguise; yet the Friends perceived some
of them to be French-men, and supposed them to be Servants belong-
ing to one called Sir Robert Bindlas: For some of them had said, that
in their Nation they used to Tye the Protestants to Trees, and whip
them, and destroy them. And his Servants used often to abuse Friends,
both in their Meetings, and going to and from their Meetings. They
once took Richard Hubberthorn and several others out of the Meeting,
and carried them a good way off into the Fields; and there bound
them, and keft them bound in the Winter-Season. And at another
Time one of his Servants came to Francis Flemming’s House.<,?> and
thrust his naked Rapier in at the Door and Windows: But there being
at the House a Kinsman of Francis Flemming’s, one who was not a
Friend, he came with a Cudgel in his Hand, and bid the Serving-
man put up his Rapier: which when the other would not, but va-
poured at him with it, and was Rude; he knock’d him down with
his Cudgel, and took his Rapier from him: And had it not been for
Friends, he would have Run him through with it. So the Friends
preserved his Life, that would have destroyed theirs.

From Robert Wither’s I went to visit Justice West, Richard Hub-
berthorn accompanying me. And not knowing the Way, nor the
Danger of the Sands, we Rid, where (as we were afterwards told)
no Man ever rid before; swimming our Horses over a very dangerous
Place. When we were come in, Justice West asked us if we did

not