ABSTRACT
Upona7thdayaboutthetimecalledMichaelmasintheyearoftheworld's account1655IwasmovedoftheLordtogointothemarketofCarlisle,tospeak againstalldeceitandungodlypractices,andtheMayor'sofficercameandviolently haledmeoffthecross,andputmeinprison,nothavinganythingtolaytomy charge.AndpresentlytheMayorcameupwhereIwas,andaskedmefromwhence Icame;andIsaid,'OutofEgypt,wherethoulodgest.'Butafterthesewords,he wassoviolentandfullofpassionhescarceaskedmeanymorequestions,but calledtooneofhisfollowerstobringthebridleashecalledittoputuponme,and wastobeonthreehours.Andthatwhichtheycalledsowaslikeasteelcapandmy hatbeingviolentlypluckedoffwhichwaspinnedtomyheadwherebytheytoremy clothestoputontheirbridleastheycalledit,whichwasastoneweightofiron... andthreebarsofirontocomeovermyface,andapieceofitwasputinmymouth, whichwassounreasonablebigathingforthatplaceascannotbewellrelated, whichwaslockedtomyhead.AndsoIstoodtheirtimewithmyhandsbound behindmewiththestoneweightofironuponmyheadandthebitinmymouthto keepmefromspeaking.AndtheMayorsaidhewouldmakemeanexampletoall thatshouldevercomeinthatname.Andthepeopletoseemesoviolentlyabused
350 Personal Disclosures
were broken into tears, but he cried out on them and said, 'For foolish pity, one may spoil a whole city.' And the man that kept the prison door demanded two pence of everyone that came to see me while their bridle remained upon me. Afterwards it was taken off and they kept me in prison for a little season, and after a while the Mayor came up again and caused it to be put on again, and sent me out of the city with it on, and gave me very vile and unsavoury words, which were not fit to proceed out of any man's mouth, and charged the officer to whip me out of the town, from constable to constable to send me, till I came to my own home, whenas they had not anything to lay to my charge.
