(93) And then hee putt mee into a nother roome where I gott a
thinge to lye one after a while:

And ye Assises came on: & all ye news was & crye in ye country

                                                                                      S^r Winfred

was y^t I was to bee hanged & ye high sheriffe saide one ʌ Lawson
y^t hee woulde guarde mee to my execution & stirred y^m much vppe
to take away my life: & they was all in a blacke darke rage
& they sett 3 musketeers guards vpon mee: on att my chamber doore &
another att ye stayres foote and another att ye streete doores &
woulde lett none come att mee except one to bring mee some
necessary thinges:

And att nights they would lett vpp preists about í0 a clocke att
night they woulde bringe in droues off y^m: & exceedinge rude
& diuellish they were but ye Lorde in his power gaue mee
dominion ouer y^m all: & I lett ym see both there fruites &
there spiritts: &

And great Ladys & countesses came to see a man y^t they
saide was to dye: & ye preists woulde temptingely aske what
must I die for there sinns: w^ch: manifested y^t they was in
ye nature of y^m y^t crucifyed him y^t dyed for ye sins of
ye worlde: & there was a company of bitter Scotch preists
& presbyterians made vppe of envy: & malice whoe were not fitt to speake of ye
                                                          thinges of God: they were soe fowle mouthed

And soe when they was contriueinge both Judge Sheriffe &
Justices of puttinge mee to death: ye Judges Clarke started
a question ʌto y^m y^t confounded y^m all: after w^ch they had not power
to call mee out before ye Judges: butt they continnued in there
rage & gaue order y^t I shoulde bee put in ye dungeon amongst
ye moss troopers: & soe they did: where men & women was putt
togeather & neuer a house of office: in a nasty & very vnciuill
manner w^ch: was a shame to Xtianity: but ye prisoners was
made all of y^.m very loueinge to mee & some of ym
were convinced of as ye publicans & harlotts: ʌof olde were soe y^t they
were able to confounde a preist y^t might come to ye grates
to dispute :

And Justice Bensons wiffe was moued of ye Ld to come to visitt

and so I satt up all night; and continued there a litle time;

                  and so y:^e Assie?zesAssizes came and when the Assizes was there came abundance of contenders &
priests to mee; and most of y:^e gentry of the Countrey to dispute; &

there came one about y:^e tenth houre of y:^e night; and plucked mee upp
and down the roome; the very priests when they could gett no hold of my
words for the truth did Convince them, and was like a fire upon their heads
and in their hearts, the word of truth; and they all looked that

[page 53]
I should have been put to death that Assize; for it was their generall talke
both amongst the Gentry and y:^e priests; and they had gotten a Jury of
purposse; and mighty looking there was for mee to have been brought
forth; and much waiteings there was by the Countrey people; and so w:ⁿ
the time, they were so confounded amongst themselves; they had
not power to bring mee forth before them the lord had confounded
them ______________________    

                 Then they cast mee into y:^e dun=
geon amongst the theeues and Mosse Trooppers; where y:^e men &
women was all put together; where they had never a house of
office where they could go to ease themselves; and there was one
woman almost eaten to death w^th lice; and there I was kept a good while
and many friends came to visite mee; and they abused them pittifully



and one Collonell Benson wife was moved to come,