402 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. destroy the favourable impressions that many had received of his natural inclination to mildness and clemency.". Itought, however, to be, observed, that the reputed author of this bookwas Marchmont Needham, and Mr. Barebone was only his agent in conveying it to the printer or bookseller.t On the thirtieth of the foregoing month, Mr. Barebone was summoned before the council of state, to answer such matters as were objected against him ; but, on signing an engagement not to act in opposition to the existing govern- ment, or to disturb the same, he was discharged from any further attendance.t After the restoration of the king, he was looked upon with a jealous eye, and on November 26, 1661, was apprehended, together with Major John Wildman, and James Harrington, esq., and committed prisoner to the Tower, where he continued for some time.§ On the meeting of parliament, early in the following year, Lord Clarendon, then lord chancellor, thought fit to alarm the house with the noise of plots and conspiracies, and enumerated the names of several persons whom he reported to be engaged in traitor- ous designs against the government. Among these were Major Wildman, Major Mains, Alderman Ireton, and Mr. Praise-God Barebone.il Flow far the charge against these persons was substantiated, or whether it was only a political engine of government to get rid of suspected indi- viduals ' we will not take. upon us to affirm. Certain it is, that Mr. Barebone had now to contend with the strong arm of the civil power, which was directed with all the acrimony of party prejudice against persons of his stamp. Wood, in contempt, styles him " a notorious schismatic, and a grand zealot in the goodold cause."5 The time of Mr. Barebone's death is not mentioned by any author we have seen, nor are we acquainted with any further particulars of his history. It may be observed, however, for the amusement of the reader, that there were three brothers of this family, each ofwhom had a sentence for his christian name, viz. Praise-God Barebone ; Christ-came-into-the- world-to-save Barebone; and If-Christ-had-not-died-thou- hadst-heen-damned Barebone. In this last instance, some are said to have omitted the former part of the sentence, and to have called him only "Damned Barebone.".. This style Bing. Britan. vol. v. p. 613. Edit. 1778. Wood's Athena Oxon. vnl. ii. p. 469. t Kennet's Chronicle, p. 101. § Ibid. p. 567. t Wood's Athena, vol. ii. p. 469. Granger's Biog. Hist. vol. iii. p. 68. b Ibid. p. 602.
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