}6 The L IFE of the y:, i B. Io Wilts ; and in private, Tome of myWorceflerfhire Neighbours, and many of the Foot Soldiers were able to baffle both Separatios, Anabaptios, and Antinomians, and fo kept all the Garrifonfound : Whereupon, the AnabaptifisPent to Bedfordfor one Mr. Benjamin Co; an old Anabaptift Mintier, and no contemptible Schol. lar, the Son of a Bithop ; and he and I bad firft a Difpute by Word of Mouth, and after by Writing ; and his Surceafing gave me cafe : Inconclufion a few poor Townfinen only were carried away, about a Dozen Men and Women ; but the Souldiers and the reft of the City kept found from all Infeâion of Seetaries and Dividers. s 67. While I lived here in Peace and Liberty,as Men in a dry Houfe do hear the Storms abroad, fo did we daily hear the News of oneFight or other, or one Garri- fon or other won or loft ; the two Newbery Fights, Glocefter Siege, the marvellous Sieges of Plimoutb, Lime, and Taunton, Sir William Waller's Succeffes and Loffes the Lots at Newark, the Slaughter at Bolton, the greaten Fight of all at Task, with abundance more. So that hearing filch fad News onone fideor other wasour daily Work ; infomuch that as duly as I awakened in theMorning I expeeted to hear one come and tell me, filch a Garrifon is won or loft, or flab a Defeat received or given : And [doyou hear the News] was commonly the firft Word I heard. So m' erable were thole bloody Days, in which he was the molt honourable, that could kill molt of his Enemies. But among all thefe I was efpecially pleated with the Surprize of Sbrewsbury; both becaufe it was done without lots of Blood, and becaufe my Father and many of my dear Friends were thereby redeemed, for when I returned fromWem to Co- ventry, it happily fell out that Sir Folk Hunker was made Governor of Shrewsbury by the King, and he pi metedmy Father while he was there: But at tan the Gen- try of the Countrey and he agreed not, he being too much a Soldier, and too civil for many of them, and they procuredhim to be removed, and Sir Rich. Oatley firn,and after SirMich.Earnley made Governors.Sir Folk Honker was confident when he went, that their Drunkennefs and Carelefnefs would thortly lofe the Town ; and fo it did indeed fall out : His o'd Mother, the Lady Hunkes, he left with my Father, where the died between 8o, and roo Years old. But when he was gone my Father was made one of the Collectors of their Taxes for theKing, which he juftly performed : But he would not forcibly difrrain of them that refitted to pay, as notknowing but they might hereafter recover it all of him ; for which he was laid in Prifon by them that (wore he should lie and rot there : But he had been there but a few Weeks, before the Keeper in the night came to him, and beg'd his Favour to fave him and his Houfe, for the Parliaments Souldiers had furprilèd the Town: My Father would not believe it, till he heard and faw that which compell'd his Belief ; and with what Joy I need not tell. s 68. There were abundance of Itrange Providences in thefe times that fell out for tome particular Perfoas: The marvellous Prefervation of Souldiers by Bibles in their Pockets whichhave received the Bullets, and filch like I will not mention. When Prince Rupert put the Inhabitants of Bolton in Lancafhire to the Sword, (Men, Women, and Children) an Infant efcaped alive, and was found lying by her Father and Mother, who were gain in the Streets: an Old Woman took up the Child, and carried it home, and put it to her Breaft for warmth, (having not had a Child her fell of about ;o Years) the Child drew Milk, andfo much, that tire Woman nurfed it up with her Breaft Milk a good while : TheCommittee de- fired tome Women to try her, andthey found it true, and that The hadaconode rabic proportion of Milk for the Child : If any one doubt of this, they may yet be refòlved byMrs. Hont, Wife to Mr. Rowland Hont of Harrow on the Hill, who living then in Manchefler, was one of them that by the Committee was defi- red to trie the Woman, and who hash oft told it me, and is a credible, godly, difcreet Gentlewoman, and Wife to a Manof moth exemplary Holinefs, and of the primitiveSincerity without Self feeking, Hypocrifie and Guile. The Maid her lèlf thus nurfed up, livedafterwards in London. This putteth me in mindof that worthyServant of Chrith, Dr. rest, whobeing put to fly fuddenly with his Wife and Children from the Fury of the Infh Rebels, in the Night without Provilion; wandred in the Snow out of all ways upon the Mountains till Mrs. Teat, having no fuck for the Child in her Arms, and he being ready to die with Hunger, the went to the Brow of a Rock to lay him down, and leave him that the might notfee him die, and there in the Snowout of all v ys where no Footfteps appeared, the found a Suck-bottle full of pew, Tweet Milk, which preferved the Child'sLife.
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