46 
MEMOIR OF 
of the Towne, my horse chanced to rub upon a 
dragoon : he persued me with a drawen Bagonet 
to strvke at me ; I turned about, and made my 
excuse, bot he still persued me, so I put to the 
horse and escaped. When I arrived at London, 
I was carried the next night to court, to kiss the 
King’s hand. He spoak very kindly to me. I 
prayed God to preserve and blisse him, and 
sayd no more, and never went to him after that, 
for I heard they thought I had gone to court to 
sollicite for the Romanists, so I keeped out of it, 
and gave myself entirely to devotion while I was 
at London.” 
After remaining in London eight or nine 
weeks, he became severely unwell with cough, 
rheumatism, and erysipelas, which he attributed 
partly to cold caught from lying out that night 
the mob broke into his house, and the fatigue of 
his journey to London, which was on horseback, 
and partly to his rigid fish diet during Lent, 
consequent upon his change of religion. Illness 
produced its usual beneficial effects upon the 
heart, and he saw clearly the impropriety of the 
step he had so rashly taken. “ I began to think 
I had been too precipitant in declaring myself of 
the Romish faith, though I joined in the simpli- 
city of my heart.” “ I perceived also the whole 
people of England was under a violent restraint 
then, and I foresaw they would overturn the 
Government. The Jesuits who had the greater 
