Letters on England | Page 8

an officer
gave him a great box of the ear, and cried to him, "Don't you know you
are to appear uncovered before his worship?" Fox presented his other
cheek to the officer, and begged him to give him another box for God's
sake. The justice would have had him sworn before he asked him any
questions. "Know, friend," says Fox to him, "that I never swear." The
justice, observing he "thee'd" and "thou'd" him, sent him to the House
of Correction, in Derby, with orders that he should be whipped there.
Fox praised the Lord all the way he went to the House of Correction,
where the justice's order was executed with the utmost severity. The
men who whipped this enthusiast were greatly surprised to hear him
beseech them to give him a few more lashes for the good of his soul.
There was no need of entreating these people; the lashes were repeated,
for which Fox thanked them very cordially, and began to preach. At
first the spectators fell a-laughing, but they afterwards listened to him;
and as enthusiasm is an epidemical distemper, many were persuaded,
and those who scourged him became his first disciples. Being set at
liberty, he ran up and down the country with a dozen proselytes at his
heels, still declaiming against the clergy, and was whipped from time to
time. Being one day set in the pillory, he harangued the crowd in so
strong and moving a manner, that fifty of the auditors became his
converts, and he won the rest so much in his favour that, his head being
freed tumultuously from the hole where it was fastened, the populace
went and searched for the Church of England clergyman who had been
chiefly instrumental in bringing him to this punishment, and set him on
the same pillory where Fox had stood.
Fox was bold enough to convert some of Oliver Cromwell's soldiers,

who thereupon quitted the service and refused to take the oaths. Oliver,
having as great a contempt for a sect which would not allow its
members to fight, as Sixtus Quintus had for another sect, Dove non si
chiamava, began to persecute these new converts. The prisons were
crowded with them, but persecution seldom has any other effect than to
increase the number of proselytes. These came, therefore, from their
confinement more strongly confirmed in the principles they had
imbibed, and followed by their gaolers, whom they had brought over to
their belief. But the circumstances which contributed chiefly to the
spreading of this sect were as follows:- Fox thought himself inspired,
arid consequently was of opinion that he must speak in a manner
different from the rest of mankind. He thereupon began to writhe his
body, to screw up his face, to hold in his breath, and to exhale it in a
forcible manner, insomuch that the priestess of the Pythian god at
Delphos could not have acted her part to better advantage. Inspiration
soon became so habitual to him that he could scarce deliver himself in
any other manner. This was the first gift he communicated to his
disciples. These aped very sincerely their master's several grimaces,
and shook in every limb the instant the fit of inspiration came upon
them, whence they were called Quakers. The vulgar attempted to
mimic them; they trembled, they spake through the nose, they quaked
and fancied themselves inspired by the Holy Ghost. The only thing now
wanting was a few miracles, and accordingly they wrought some.
Fox, this modern patriarch, spoke thus to a justice of peace before a
large assembly of people: "Friend, take care what thou dost; God will
soon punish thee for persecuting His saints." This magistrate, being one
who besotted himself every day with bad beer and brandy, died of an
apoplexy two days after, the moment he had signed a mittimus for
imprisoning some Quakers. The sudden death with which this justice
was seized was not ascribed to his intemperance, but was universally
looked upon as the effect of the holy man's predictions; so that this
accident made more converts to Quakerism than a thousand sermons
and as many shaking fits could have done. Oliver, finding them
increase daily, was desirous of bringing them over to his party, and for
that purpose attempted to bribe them by money. However, they were
incorruptible, which made him one day declare that this religion was

the only one he had ever met with that had resisted the charms of gold.
The Quakers were several times persecuted under Charles II.; not upon
a religious account, but for refusing to pay the tithes, for "theeing" and
"thouing" the magistrates, and for refusing to take the oaths enacted by
the laws.
At last Robert Barclay, a native of Scotland, presented to the King, in