316 The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. VII' Queen Elizabeth, 1583. To the right reverend father in God, the Iord bifhop ofLondon. My duty in humble-wife remember'd, my lord, T AM call: into prifon by your lordfhip, for a matter which about " 1 feven years pall was flanderoufly raifed up againft me ; I was by " courfeof law cleared, and the Lord God which fearcheth the hearts, " before whom both you and I (hall fhortly appear, doth know, and him " I call to witnefs, that I was, and am falfely accufed. I have been extreme.. " ly fick in prifon ; I thank God I am amended,, but yet fo that the phy- " ficians fay my infe&ion from the prifon will be very dangerous. I have " a poor wife and five children which are in lamentable cafe : I had fix " children at the beginningof my imprifonment; but by reafon of my " ficknefs in prifon, my wife being conftrained to attend upon me, one of my children for want of fomebody to overfee them, was drowned in a " tub of wort, being two years and a half old. If your lordfhip have " no compaf ion on me, yet take pity upon the widow and fatherlefs (for in that fiate arenow my wife and poor infants) whofe tears are be- " fore the Lord. I crave no more but this, to be bailed ; and if I am " found guilty of any breach oflaw, let me have extremity without any " favour." Tour lordfhip's to command in Chri/l, AndMr. Wigging-. ton's. John Gardiner. Mr. Giles Wigginton, M. A. minifter of Sedbrugh, having been depri- , ved at Lambeth for nonconformity, and another inducted into his living, went home, and being denied entrance into the church, preached a kind offarewel fermon to his parifhioners in the church-yard, and adminiftered the facrament, having no peace in his mind, till he had done it, though his brethren in the minifiry would have diffuaded him ; after this he retired with his wife and children, to Burrough Bridge, but was arrefted in his journey, by a purfuivant from the archbi(hopof York, and fent to Lanca- Fier goal, go miles diftant from the place where he was arrefted, in a hard and cold winter ; there he was (hut up among felons, and condemned prifoners, and worfe ufed than they, or than the recufant papifts. From hence he fent up his cafe to Sir Walter Mildmay, one of the privy conncil, but with little fuccefs ; for he was a warm non-conformift, and a bold preacher
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