THis day in our accustomed manner, in our own hired House we were peaceable Assem­bled together in the fear of the Lord, to wait upon, and to Worship him in the Spirit & Truth, to speak of the things of God one to another, as frequently it is our manner: As those who at the present are intrusted with the Supream Authority are not unac­quainted with. A little before the middle of this day some rude people came into our Meeting, and one John Dover amongst them in a great rage, and swore (by God) that he would have us out, and offered to draw his Sword; and by him the hands of the rude multitude were ex­ceedingly strengthened, and their spirits highly exasperated against us; and he the said Dover did very much abuse and beat the man of the House where the Meeting was, knockt him down, and Swore he would run him through, and pulled him (with other Friends) out of his dwelling House amongst the rude multitude.

And afterwards those of us that staid in the House, were assaulted by one Serjeant Warn of Capt. Youngs Company in Coll. Reeds Reg. with a party of Musketteers, who knockt us down, drew our blood, and exceedingly abused us in a savage-like manner, crying to us, turn out, turn out; the Souldiers presenting their Muskets, threatning to fire at us without respect ei­ther to Old Age or Young, or Women with Child, but struck most violently with the great end of their Muskets; some of our Friends being much bruised, maimed, and their blood drawn in this Tumult, which was first occasioned by John Dover, and afterwards persued and more fully acted by the Serjeant and Souldiers he brought with him, who by violence thrust as out of our House into the Street among the rude multitude: We say and are ready to [...]rove that this Tumult was not at all occasioned on our parts, we being peaceably Assembled (the Lord knowes) for no other end then as before mentioned; and when we desired of the Tumulters to know their Order for pulling us violently forth, and dissolving our Meeting in that cruel bloody manner, both Dover and the Serjeant Answered, they had an Order, Do­ver saying, his Sword was his Order; and when they had within doors exercised their cruel­ty upon us, they drove us forth of our House, the rude multitude watched for us as for a Prey, who did in the Pallace Yard forthwith exercise their violence upon us with unusual cruelty, insomuch that very few or none of us that were in the Meeting, escaped their hands without much harm done to our Persons.

And after they (to wit) Dover, the Serjeant and their Accomplices had wholly pulled us out, and exposed us to the cruelty of the rude multitude, which we can truly say is far beyond present expression or utterance, the Souldiers and multitude came again into the mans House, (who hath lived in the same Parish 25 years) and broke open the inner doors, beating the man of the House, his wife and his servants who had much ado to save their lives.

The same Serjeant (who led this party of Souldiers) the last week in the Pallace Yard hear­ing the people cry a Quaker, a Quaker, did beat a Friend in a most violent manner, for no other cause but because the people called him a Quaker.

Likewise this day several Women big with Child being in the Meeting, were by these Soul­diers, and the rest of the Tumulters abused in such a manner, not convenient to be named.

These things being by proof made known unto you, let Justice and Equity be manifested from you upon the evil-doers according to the many Promises made for the Liberty of the Subjects, by this Present Parliament; And also having the word of a King, that no man shall be Disquieted or called in Que­stion for difference of Opinion in matters of Religion, which do not disturb the Peace of the Nation, With your own Declaration, that you will take due care of render Consciences.

Witnesses hereof,

• Thomas Salthouse
• Rich. Hubberthorn
• Edw. Billinge
• Ellis Hookes
• Tho. Fox.
• Manasses Kesketer
• Tho. Rawson
• Sam. Fisher
• Rich. Hill
• John Dixon
• Stephen Hart
• Henry Bedford.