Letters on England | Page 6

when I answered all
thy civilities without uncovering my head, and at the same time said
'thee' and 'thou' to thee. However, thou appearest to me too well read
not to know that in Christ's time no nation was so ridiculous as to put
the plural number for the singular. Augustus Caesar himself was
spoken to in such phrases as these: 'I love thee,' 'I beseech thee,' 'I thank
thee;' but he did not allow any person to call him 'Domine,' sir. It was
not till many ages after that men would have the word 'you,' as though
they were double, instead of 'thou' employed in speaking to them; and
usurped the flattering titles of lordship, of eminence, and of holiness,
which mere worms bestow on other worms by assuring them that they
are with a most profound respect, and an infamous falsehood, their
most obedient humble servants. It is to secure ourselves more strongly
from such a shameless traffic of lies and flattery, that we 'thee' and
'thou' a king with the same freedom as we do a beggar, and salute no
person; we owing nothing to mankind but charity, and to the laws
respect and obedience.
"Our apparel is also somewhat different from that of others, and this
purely, that it may be a perpetual warning to us not to imitate them.
Others wear the badges and marks of their several dignities, and we

those of Christian humility. We fly from all assemblies of pleasure,
from diversions of every kind, and from places where gaming is
practised; and indeed our case would be very deplorable, should we fill
with such levities as those I have mentioned the heart which ought to
be the habitation of God. We never swear, not even in a court of justice,
being of opinion that the most holy name of God ought not to be
prostituted in the miserable contests betwixt man and man. When we
are obliged to appear before a magistrate upon other people's account
(for law-suits are unknown among the Friends), we give evidence to the
truth by sealing it with our yea or nay; and the judges believe us on our
bare affirmation, whilst so many other Christians forswear themselves
on the holy Gospels. We never war or fight in any case; but it is not
that we are afraid, for so far from shuddering at the thoughts of death,
we on the contrary bless the moment which unites us with the Being of
Beings; but the reason of our not using the outward sword is, that we
are neither wolves, tigers, nor mastiffs, but men and Christians. Our
God, who has commanded us to love our enemies, and to suffer without
repining, would certainly not permit us to cross the seas, merely
because murderers clothed in scarlet, and wearing caps two foot high,
enlist citizens by a noise made with two little sticks on an ass's skin
extended. And when, after a victory is gained, the whole city of London
is illuminated; when the sky is in a blaze with fireworks, and a noise is
heard in the air, of thanksgivings, of bells, of organs, and of the cannon,
we groan in silence, and are deeply affected with sadness of spirit and
brokenness of heart, for the sad havoc which is the occasion of those
public rejoicings."

LETTER II.--ON THE QUAKERS

Such was the substance of the conversation I had with this very
singular person; but I was greatly surprised to see him come the Sunday
following and take me with him to the Quakers' meeting. There are
several of these in London, but that which he carried me to stands near
the famous pillar called The Monument. The brethren were already
assembled at my entering it with my guide. There might be about four

hundred men and three hundred women in the meeting. The women hid
their faces behind their fans, and the men were covered with their
broad-brimmed hats. All were seated, and the silence was universal. I
passed through them, but did not perceive so much as one lift up his
eyes to look at me. This silence lasted a quarter of an hour, when at last
one of them rose up, took off his hat, and, after making a variety of wry
faces and groaning in a most lamentable manner, he, partly from his
nose and partly from his mouth, threw out a strange, confused jumble
of words (borrowed, as he imagined, from the Gospel) which neither
himself nor any of his hearers understood. When this distorter had
ended his beautiful soliloquy, and that the stupid, but greatly edified,
congregation were separated, I asked my friend how it was possible for
the judicious part of their assembly to suffer such a babbling? "We are