UPon the 18th. day of the 6. month called August, came a friend unto the Town, and upon the next day we had a meeting with some friends, and likewise in the Evening; and being many of us together in the fear, of the Lord, until a Constable came and took away some of our friends, Humphrey Smith, and Thomas Cartwright, he being the man of the House, and brought them before Samuel Garner, and Robert Martine, that are set to do justice, and one Theophilus Androws, a Deputy, Recorder (so called) who takes to himself the place of a Justice, whose hand was at the Mittimus: These men (called Justices) tendred the oath of Abjuration unto these (our two Friends) Humphrey Smith, and Thomas Cartwright, who said they were commanded by Christ not to sweare at all, for that saying of old was, Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe, but shalt perform unto the Lord thy oath: But faith Christ: Sweare not at all, Mat. 5. 33, 34. James 5. 12. George Hopkins Priest of the town being there, asked our friend, Humphrey Smith, if he did believe that any might be without sin in this life, he answered, yea I do believe; then he said to them called Justices, that it was a popish Tenent so to hold, yet he did believe our Friends did refuse to sweare out of tenderness of Conscience; then they let our Friends, Humphrey Smith, and Thomas Cartwright depart that night and bid them come again on the morrow by nine of the Clock; one of our Friends answered, if he must go to prison, he had as good go then as in the morning; the next morning they came again, according to their appointed hour, they being not then together, put our Friends off until the fifth hour in the Afternnon, and commanded them to come again, then so they did, at which time they told the Justices of an Image that was set up in the room, set upon a side Cubberd, being like a Childs head, face and shoulders, and to them our Friends delivered a Printed book against Popery, the which they burnt before their faces; this was in the house where Samuel Garner bideth, that is one of the two Justices who then sent our two friends to Prison, because they would not sweare, also they tendred the Oath unto John Alldington, who refused, and said he owned the same things with them, yet they let him go, we hearing our friends charged them with parti­ality, but they sent the said Humphrey Smith, and Thomas Cartwright away with the Goaler, and commanded him not to suffer any to come near them: Upon the third day of the week, being the next day after our friends came to the Prison, came them two, called Iustices, with Constables and having no­thing then to vent their malice on them, at last they departed; on the 4. day at night they came again, and then Robert Martine ask't the Goaler why he did not beat our friends with his staff, then our friend (in Prison) Humphrey Smith, spoke something to them, and they departed, and presently came up again into the Room where our friends were, and gave evil language to the Prisoners and others, as Rogues, Raskals, and the like; so with their often comming, and their words and actions, there were many people gathered together in the Street, some Civil, and some Rude, unto whom our Friend, Humphrey, spake forth at the Prison VVindows, saying, Rep [...]nt and serve the Living God, and to that effect: Then the Iustices (so called) went forth, and the said Robert Martine when he came forth amongst the multitude, who was giving heed to what was spoken to them, then he began to whoop himself, and bid the the people whoop, and so began an Uproare; then some of them threw Stones and Dirt up at the VVindow, and broke the window, and the said Martine bid pul our friend, Humphrey out of the VVindow, and came in again to have fetcht him forth to the rude Multi­tude; at which time, two more of our friends of the Town being then in the Prison for witnessing against their deceit, Robert Martine bid them, he brought with him, and they should hale the Prisoners out of Bed naked, and bring the other Raskal along with them; but Captain Pitway being there and saw the rage of the people, and the outragiousness of Robert Martine, to go to hail forth the Prisoners out of their Beds, and out of the Prison in the night, and to bring them forth among so many rude ones, which he by his uproare had gathered together, for ought we know to murther the Priisoners if they had gone forth at that time of the night, therfore said Captain Pitway to Robert Martine, the Prisoners shall not go forth this night, if thou hast any thing to do with them, thou maist do it in the morning, and because of that a man swore the peace against Captain Pitway, the man offered to sweare it was on the Tuesday, and it was on the Wednesday night, so Capt. Pitway would not suffer him to forsweare himself in that thing; but afterwards he swore that Captain Pitway broke the Peace on the 5^th. day of the week our two friends Humphrey Smith, and Thomas Cartwright, were brought besore them called Iustices, who askt them if they would find sureties, they answered if they had transgressed they were willing to suffer; so then Humphrey Smith was committed to the main Goal, and Thomus Cartwright sent back to the other Prison, then our friends told Robert Martin he was partial: he answered I am partial; then Tho. Cartwright told Rebert Martine of another uproare he caused by blowing a horn, and caused stones to be thrown at our friends, and wished they would drown themselves; besides our friend in the common Goale had stones thrown at him, spit at him, threw mans Dung in at him, some more filthy abuses he had which is a shame to name; one idle Drunken man came with a Pike in his hand swearing and railing with so much violence, as though he would presently have murdered him, mentioning knocking him on the head in the night, & the Iustice were acquainted with him, and no Officer would meddle with him; neither did they at all, for he said the best in the Town sent him. On the sixth day we had a meetieg in the Street, where our friend spake forth of the Prison hole, at which time many threw dirt and stones at them, one friend told a Constable he was abused, the Constable told him he should be more abused; on the first day following we appointed a meeting, where friends came to the Meeting, them called Justices, with other Officers, came, thrust and forced away with VVeapons those that harmed not any, as many of the Townes people as were at the meeting as they could get together they put in the Town Hal, VVitness Iohn Prickt, Iacob Vnderhill. four countrey men that came a foot to the Meeting they set in the Stocks, in which uproare Robert Martine did whoop again, to raise another uproar, & swore wounds, & send for a lader presently to put our friend in a dungeon, & said, there let him ly and be hang'd until lice eat him. And the same day one Baarat, that hath been in actual Arms against the present power all thse wars, and was also at Worcester fight last, that day did marry contrary to the Act, and hath ever contemned that Act, and married contrary to it, professing to be a Minister; he is known by most to be a common drunkard and swearer, and a notorious vile person; yet he now sits upon the Bench sometimes with these called Justices, which is a great encouragement for evil doers. On the second day there was a Proclamation by the Protector, against Swearers, Drunkards, and the like prophaneness, they onely read it, and denied the posting it up, and took it away; a friend having got one of them they denied him the posting of it up that day, the next day he posted it up, but it was soon took down again; that proclamation they observe not at all; Iohn Reed. for though they see them drunk, and hear them swear, they reprove them not, though told them often; so Justice falls in the street, and oppression is set up, and outragious persecution; one of the Priests chief hearers said, Christ had failings, and Iohn Ballis said, So far as the De­vil spoke Scripture, he spoke Christs voice. Our friend Humphrey Smith, and three more of the Town, are kept in the lower prison in the maine Goal, a filthy dark close hole, and neither wife, nor any friend els now suffered to come aneer them, yet they show not any Law they have trans­gressed: Our friend Tho. Cartwright did ask Rob. Martin, if he thought he did own Popery; the Priest said, No, he did believe he did not, and yet he keeps them all in prison, because they will not swear;

Witness,