IT was towards the end of March in the year 1672. that John Watſon, William Stubbs, Nathaniel Golden, and Rowland Jenkins, all of Yorkſhire, and eminently known in that County to be Leading-men among the Quakers: It was I ſay, about that time that theſe men ſaid they had the ſpirit of Burning and the Holy Anointing in them, and were called and ſent by God to preach the everlaſting Goſpel to the Nations and Heathens. And they ſaid that the child Jeſus within them had aſſured them of great ſucceſs, and that the Lord would be wonderfully with them in this Diſpenſation, that they ſhould break the Bread of Life to the Nations, and that the Springs of Life ſhould break forth out of their Bellies. It is a wonder to fee what ſtrange effects and boldneſs theſe Enthuſiaſtical perſwaſions and Phanatical Dreams cauſed in theſe poor Men. They were now ſwelled with hopes and expectation of Wonders. They now reſolved to leave England and embark for France, and begin this great work of converting Nations and Heathens.

Reader, I do intend to give you a true and impartial account of theſe mens actions in Forreign parts, as I have received it from their own mouths, and alſo been fully and faithfully informed by ſeveral other Perſons of known worth and integrity, who were eye witneſſes to the ſame.

John Watſon was a Gentleman of a pretty conſiderable Eſtate, and had been well educated, he had ſpent ſome years at Ʋniverſity and had alſo formerly been a Traveller into France, Spain and Italy, all which Languages he throughly underſtood, and ſpake very fluently. The other three were plain Country-men, and knew no other language but their own, but fully perſwaded themſelves they ſhould have the Gift of Tongues, and be indued with power from above.

It is not my intent to write a Journal of theſe mens actions, for that would ſwell this little Pamphlet into a huge book. I intend only to relate ſome of the moſt ſignal and moſt remarkable of their affairs and tranſactions, which I heard from their own mouths when I was in Italy, and which have been alſo related and atteſted by other Perſons of known integrity.

In Eaſter-week they took Shipping at Dover, and were ſoon wafted over to Calis. I find not that they had any Impulſe of Spirit to ſay or attempt any thing, but that they travelled on very peaceably and quietly, paying for what they had, and ſo came to the great City Paris, where they ſpent 2 days only and then advanced towards Lyons, where they continued about a Fortnight. Here it was that the tumultuous ſpirit began firſt to exert and ſhew it ſelf to the French Nation. On April 27 William Stubbs ſaid he had received a command from God to ſpeak; and he ſignified as much to John Watſon and the reſt On the next day which was Sunday, about 10 of the Clock in the Forenoon they went all 4 to the great Cathedral, or St. Johns Church, where they were celebrating high Maſs (as they call it) about the middle of the Maſs William Stubbs on a ſudden climes over the ralls and goes up to the high Altar, where as he was beginning his Diſcourſe in Engliſh (for as yet he had not received his Gift of Tongues) the Church Officers preſently lay hands on him and carry him out, and commit him to Priſon until the next day. On Monday the Officers have him before the Magiſtrate, who refuſes to meddle in this caſe, but cauſes him forthwith to be ſent to the Arch-Biſhop. The Arch-Biſhop is highly offended with him for his bold attempt, and reſolves to puniſh him with all ſeverity imaginable, he remits him to Priſon, and orders that the next day at 10 of the Clock in the Morning, he be brought before him again. On Tueſday he is ſtrictly examined what his intentions were, & how he durſt be ſo bold to commit ſo great a crime in ſo publick and confident a manner; His anſwers were altogether impertinent, and withall ſo inſolent and ſawcy, that the Biſhop ſent him to the Houſe of Correction where he was ſoundly laſhed. On Friday morning the Biſhop ordered him to be brought before him again; and ſeemed to be much incenſed againſt this poor Phanatick, Now the reaſon why his Grace was ſo fierce againſt this poor Man was, becauſe ſome of his Servants had malitiouſly ſuggeſted to him that he was ſet on and encouraged to offer this publick affront to their Divine Service by ſome of the Hugonot Miniſters: which was a moſt malitious untruth, for as yet theſe Quakers had not had any the leaſt correſpondence or converſe with any Proteſtant in France, as they did all very ſoberly atteſt to me in Italy. The Biſhop was reſolved to give him a full hearing, and to ſift the buſineſs to the bottom. He asked him if he was not ſet on to do this irreverent action by the Hugonot Miniſters? He replyed no, he was moved by the Spirit of God within him, and that it was the Spirit of Burning and the Holy Anointing that had cauſed him to do what he had done. And here he entred into a long diſcourſe, telling the Arch-Biſhop, and the Canons who were there preſent, that the Law of God was written upon Mens hearts, and that now the time was come that they ſhould all be taught of God: Now the Lords people were all to be Prophets, they were all to have freſh ſprings ariſe in their hearts. And that the Lord had ſent him and three Friends more into theſe parts to break the bread of Life to the Nations, to open the hidden Myſteries of Chriſts Kingdom, to overthrow the Babyloniſh Practices of Rome, to break the Serpents Head, and wound the great Leviathan.

The Arch-Biſhop▪ the Canons, and the whole Company were much aſtoniſhed at this Mans confidence, and his wild and Fanatick diſcourſe and anſwers, and began now to relent, and to pitty this poor Man, and look upon him as a mad-man and one out of his ſenſes, & ſo accordingly gave order to have him to the Hoſpital of mad people, and there carefully to be looked after until he gave further order.

About a week after this, 3 Engliſh Gentlemen hearing what had paſſed, and how that an Engliſhman who was mad was committed to the Hoſpital of mad men: The Genttlemen went immediately to the Hoſpital to enquire the truth of the matter, when they came the Keeper very courteouſly informed them of the whole buſineſs, brought them to the ſight of Stubbs; who was locked up in a ſmall Cell by himſelf alone, and an iron Chain about his Leg, and his head ſhaved, (for it is the cuſtome here to ſhave all mad people.) When the Gentlemen came in they found him ſitting in a melancholly ſullen poſtuee: he would not ſo much as look up or ſpeak one word to them for the ſpace of above an hour and half, notwithſtanding they ſpoke very kindly to him, and asked him concerning his condition, and the cauſes of his diſtemper, and promiſed him all the aſſiſtance & kindneſs that lay in their power. At laſt this ſullen Spirit was overcome, and he began to enter into a long diſcourſe of the ſpirit within him, and that God had ſent him and his 3 Friends to break in pieces the great Leviathan of Rome. Now the Gentlemen quickly perceived his Spirit, and plainly diſcovered him to be no mad-man but a Quaker. They asked him concerning his other Friends where they were? And withall promiſed to do their utmoſt for his releaſment, and ſo giving the Keeper ſome Money to be kind to their Country-man they bid him farewel. At Evening they went to the Inn to vifit the other 3 Quakers, and had much diſcourſe with them, endeavouring to perſwade them to deſiſt from this ſo hazardous and fruitleſs an enterprize, and ſpeedily to return to their own Country, demonſtrating the great dangers and inconveniences they would thruſt themſelves upon if they did ſtill perſiſt or any farther proſecute this fond and ridiculous undertaking; and ſo they parted. The next day they addreſſed to the Arch-Biſhop, who was pleaſed to entertain them with much civility and reſpect. They returned humble thanks to his Grace for his great care of their Country-man, in ſending him to ſuch a place where he was ſo well accommodated in all thing in order to his cure, and withall repreſented to his Grace his condition, quality and Religion; and how that he was not a mad-man but one of thoſe Sectarians which in England are called Pha • aticks and Quakers. And withall informed the Arch-Biſhop and Canons how that party do deſire to appear different from all others in their manner of ſpeech, their apparel, and manners. And alſo humbly petitioned his Grace for a releaſment, promiſing within a day or two to diſpatch them out of the Town; The Arch-Biſhop-readily condeſcended to all their demands, and preſently gave order that Stubbs ſhould be ſet at liberty, which was accordingly performed. And the day following they all 4 left the Town, and haſted their Journey to Italy.

When they came to Milano in Italy, they had another enthuſiaſtical impulſe of Spirit. And now John Watſon, Nathaniel Golden and Rowland Jenkins, who hitherto had been ſilent, or (as they expreſſed it themſelves) humbly waiting at the Feet of Jeſus, who had now given them command to begin to preach the Everlaſting Goſpel to the Italians. Here Stubbs accompanied with his 3 friends did now (as formerly at Lyons in France) upon Sunday enter the Domo or Cathedral of the City, and made a great and publick diſturbance when they were in the height of their ſolemnities. Watſon began to make a diſcourſe in Italian, but was preſently ſeized and carried forth, and had before a Magiſtrate, who forthwith committed them all 4 to Priſon, but withall gave order they ſhould be civilly uſed and lack for nothing until further order, About 4 or 5 days after, they were commanded to appear before the Governour of Milan himſelf who was reſolved to have a full account of the matter, The Governour when he ſaw their uncivil behaviour, their ſullen looks, and heard their wild diſcourſes, he preſently concluded them mad-men, and gave order to have them confined and carefully looked after, and alſo appointed 2 Phyſitians to viſit them and to do their utmoſt for their recovery. The Phyſitians preſently made a viſit to the Hoſpital and had a long diſcourſe with Watſon (who ſpoke Italian well) And then returned to the Governour to give him their ſentiment of the buſineſs, they told his Excellence that they were mad, as did evidently appear to them by their very countenance and manner of diſcourſe: and that one of them (meaning Stubbs) had a manifeſt and ſignal token of his diſtemper, viz. his head was ſhaved according to the uſual practice of all Phyſitians in the World, who always uſe to ſhave madmen thereby to cool the brain, and for the more comodious applying fomentations and other proper Remedies for the Head, the ſeat and ſubject of the diſtemper. They added alſo that they did verily believe they were Dutch-men who had made an eſcape from their Keepers. The Governour was well ſatiſfied with this account the Phyſitians gave of the Quakers, and accordingly ordered them to take care of them, and let no means be wanting, that might be uſed for their recovery, and that they ſhould be uſed with all tenderneſs imaginable. The 2 Doctors return to the Pazzi or mad-men, and cauſe them to be ſhaved and purged, and the next day they bleed them all in the arms & feet; & every day twice a day cauſe their heads to be bathed with cold water, and their whole bodies alſo in a pond made for that uſe only. Here the poor Quakers went through a rigorous courſe of Phyſick: for in a months time they were let blood about 17 or 18 ſeveral times, beſides frequent and violent purgings. Golden a fortnight after he had been thus confined, forbore eating, whether it was out of a ſullen dogged humour, or out of an enthuſiaſme or expectation of new Revelations, I cannot certainly affirm, but by his wilfull and contumacious abſtinence he gave up the Ghoſt and died after he had been a month thus ſhut up. The other 3 by bleeding and purging were brought very low, the Phyſitians now were much troubled & diſheartned, and did altogether deſpair of their recovery, and did ſignifie as much to the Governour withall telling his Excellence that they ſuppoſed it was ſome Religious melancholly that theſe men were afflicted with, & that it was inſuperable & not to be overcome by any Art, & ſo deſired the Governour to releaſe them, which was accordingly performed. After they had regained their liberty, they continued ſome days in the Town, and would frequently make ſpeeches in the Churches, and exhort the people to imbrace their Doctrine and follow the Light which was within them. The Italians after their enlargement were very civil to them, and if at any time they cauſed any diſturbance in the Church, the Officers would gently force them out, without uſing any manner of rigour or ſeverity to them. For the whole City looked upon them as 3 diſtracted men, ſo whatſoever they ſaid or did was looked upon, as proceeding from the Diſtemper of their brain, and civilly connived at and paſſed over without any notice.

Towards the beginning of June they left Milano and ſet forward for Rome. For their chief deſign was to go thither, to convert the great Leviathan (as they uſually called the Pope) and to reform Babilon. I heard not of any conſiderable action in their Journey from Milan to Rome; but you may imagine by their bald Sculls and moroſe carriage what thoughts the people had of them, for now whereſoever they came the people looked upon them as men diſtracted and mad: ſome were afraid of them, others laughed at and derided them, no body at all regarded any thing they ſaid,

June the 18 they came to Rome the place they ſo much deſired to ſee, upon the Sunday following they according to their old Cuſtome entred a little Church called San Jacomo Scozza Cavaelli, where Watſon made a fierce and zealous diſcourſe againſt the Babiloniſh Idolatry of that City, and ſaid that the Pope who was the Man of Sin and the great Leviathan was now to be cruſhed in pieces, and God had ſent them from the utmoſt parts of the Earth to convert that City, and to confound the Pope and all his Adherents, and that now all mankind was to expect and ſeek for the holy Anointing, for they were all to be taught of God, and not any longer to follow Monks and Prieſts, who were all falſe Prophets, and that now God would pour out the full Vials of his wrath and fierce indignation upon them, and bring them all to utter ruine ſhame and confuſion. I know the Reader will admire to hear that the Romans were ſo patient, and let them run on ſo long in theſe diſcourſes, and not cauſe them to be carried out of the Church and puniſhed for this diſturbance. But the reaſon of this connivance was not for want of zeal, but becauſe the Church and Congregation was very ſmall, ſo that the people were affrighted and all kept at a good diſtance, for by their very looks and manner of diſcourſe the people generally concluded them 3 Bedlams, and were greatly afraid of them, until at laſt one who had more courage and reſolution then the reſt, went and fetcht ſome Officers and put them into the inquiſition os Hereticks. But thoſe of the inquiſition ſoon rid their hands of them, and the ſame day towards Evening ſet them at liberty, ſaying that it was their buſineſs only to take notice of Hereticks and not of mad-men. The next day which was the great ſolemnity of St, John Baptiſt, they cauſed the ſame diſturbance in the great Domo, that famous and renowned Church of St, Peter, but here they were quickly carried out, but no other ſeverity uſed, becauſe all the world now looked upon them as mad-men,