I so stupid, nor so divested of all humanity, as not to be sensible of the real and innate worth and virtue which adorned that excellent dame, and attracted the eyes and hearts of so many with the greatest importunity to seek and solicit her. But the force of truth, and sense of honour, suppressed whatever would have risen beyond the bounds of fair and virtuous friendship. For I easily foresaw, that if I should attempt anything in a dishonourable way, by force or fraud upon her, I should thereby bring a wound upon mine own soul, a foul scandal upon my religious profession, and an infamous stain upon mine honour; either of which was far more dear unto me than my life. Wherefore, having observed how some others had befooled themselves, by misconstruing her common kindness, expressed in an innocent, open, free, and familiar conversation, springing from the abundant affability, courtesy, and sweetness of her natural temper, to be the effect of a singular regard and peculiar affection to them; I resolved to shun the rock on which I had seen so many run and split; and remembering that saying of the poet,

Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum

Happy's he,

Whom others' dangers wary make to be—

I governed myself in a free yet respectful carriage towards her, that I thereby preserved a fair reputation with my friends, and enjoyed as much of her favour and kindness, in a virtuous and firm friendship, as was fit for her to shew, or for me to seek.

Thus leading a quiet and contented life, I had leisure sometimes to write a copy of verses, on one occasion or another, as the poetic vein naturally opened, without taking pains to polish them. Such was this which follows, occasioned by the sudden death of some lusty people in their full strength.

EST VITA CADUCA.

As is the fragrant flower in the field,
Which in the spring a pleasant smell doth yield,
And lovely sight, but soon is withered,
So's MAN; to-day alive, to-morrow dead:
And as the silver-dew-bespangled grass,
Which in the morn bedecks its mother's face,
But ere the scorching summer's past looks brown,
Or by the scythe is suddenly cut down,
Just such is man, who vaunts himself to-day,
Decking himself in all his best array;

But in the midst of all his bravery

Death rounds him in the ear, "Friend, thou must die !"

Or like a shadow in a sunny day, Which in a moment vanisheth away;

Or like a smile or spark; such is the span

Of life allow'd this microcosm MAN.

Cease then, vain man, to boast; for this is true,
Thy brightest glory's as the morning dew,
Which disappears when first the rising sun
Displays his beams above the horison."

As the consideration of the uncertainty of human life drew the foregoing lines from me, so the sense I had of the folly of mankind, in misspending the little time allowed them in evil ways and vain sports, led me more particularly to trace the several courses wherein the generality of men run, unprofitably at best, if not to their hurt and ruin: which I introduced with that axiom of the preacher, (Eccles. i. 2,)—

ALL IS VANITY.

See here the state of MAN as in a glass,
And how the fashion of this world doth pass.

SCME in a tavern spend the longest day,
While others hawk and hunt the time away.
Here one his mistress courts; another dances;
A third incites to lust by wanton glances.

This wastes the day in dressing; th' other seeks
To set fresh colours on her withered cheeks,
That when the sun declines, some dapper spark
May take her to Spring-garden or the Park.
Plays some frequent, and balls; others their prime
Consume at dice; some bowl away their time.
With cards some wholly captivated are;
From tables others scarce an hour can spare.
One to soft music mancipates his ear;
At shovel-board another spends the year.
The pall-mall this accounts the only sport;
That keeps a racket in the tennis court.

Some strain their very eyes and throats with singing,
While others strip their hands and backs at ringing.
Another sort with greedy eyes are waiting
Either at cock-pit, or some great bull-baiting.
This dotes on running horses; t' other fool
Is never well but in the fencing-school.
Wrestling and football, nine pins, prison-base,
Among the rural clowns find each a place.
Nay, Joan unwash'd will leave her milking-pail,
To dance at May-pole, or a Whitsun-ale.
Thus wallow most in sensual delight,
As if their day should never have a night;
Till nature's pale-faced serjeant them surprise,

And as the tree then falls, just so it lies.

Now look at home, thou who these lines dost read, See which of all these paths thyself doth tread;

And ere it be too late that path forsake,

Which, follow'd, will thee miserable make.

.. After I had thus enumerated some of the many vanities in which the generality of men misspent their time, I sang the following

ODE IN PRAISE OF VIRTUE.
WEALTH, beauty, pleasures, honours, all adieu;
I value virtue far, far more than you.
You're all but toys

She lives for ever; ye are transitory:
Her honour is unstained; but your glory
Is mere deceit,

A painted bait,

Hung out for such as sit at Folly's gate.

True peace, content, and joy, on her attend;
You, on the contrary, your forces bend
To blear men's eyes

With fopperies,

Which fools embrace, but wiser men despise.

About this time, my father, resolving to sell his estate, and having reserved for his own use such parts of his household goods as he thought fit, not willing to take upon himself the trouble of selling the rest, gave them unto me: whereupon I went down to Crowell, and, having before given notice there and thereabouts that I intended a public sale of them, I sold them, and thereby put some money into my pocket. Yet I sold such things only as I judged useful; leaving the pictures and armour, of which there was some store there, unsold.

Not long after this my father sent for me to come to him at London about some business; which, when I came there, I understood was to join with him in the sale of his estate, which the purchaser required for his own satisfaction and safety, I being then the next heir to it in law. And although I might probably have made some advantageous terms for myself by standing off, yet when I was satisfied by counsel, that there was no entail upon it, or right of reversion to me, but that he might lawfully dispose of it as he pleased, I readily joined with him in the sale, without asking or having the least gratuity or compensation; no, not so much as the fee I had given to counsel, to secure me from any danger in doing it.

There having been some time before this a very severe law made against the Quakers by name, and

more particularly prohibiting our meetings, under the sharpest penalties, of five pounds for the first offence, so called, ten pounds for the second, and banishment for the third, under pain of felony for escaping or returning without license; which law was looked upon to have been procured by the bishops, in order to bring us to a conformity to their way of worship; I wrote a few lines in way of dialogue between a Bishop and a Quaker, which I called

CONFORMITY PRESSED AND REPRESSED.

B. What! You are one of them that do deny
To yield obedience by conformity.

Q. Nay: we desire conformable to be.

B. But unto what?-Q. "The image of the Son."
B. What's that to us! we'll have conformity

Unto our form.-Q. Then we shall ne'er have done;
For, if your fickle minds should alter, we
Should be to seek a new conformity.
Thus who to-day conform to prelacy,
To-morrow may conform to popery.
But take this for an answer, bishop, we
Cannot conform either to them or thee.
For while to truth your forms are opposite,
Whoe'er conforms thereto doth not aright.
B. We'll make such knaves as you conform, or lie
Confined in prison till ye rot and die.

Q. Well, gentle bishop, I may live to see,
For all thy threats, a check to cruelty;
But, in the meantime, I, for my defence,
Betake me to my fortress, patience.

No sooner was this cruel law made than it was put in execution with great severity; the sense whereof working strongly on my spirit, made my cry earnestly to the Lord, that he would arise and set up his righteous judgment in the earth, for the deliverance of his people from all their enemies, both inward and outward and in these terms I uttered it :

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