Transactions of the Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society (Volume vol 14 no 1) online

this imprisonment by some thirty years, dying in 1690.

His friend John Staffe (not mentioned in Smith, nor
in Tuke's Biographical Notices, 1815), seems to have been
a comrade also of John Spoore, the beginner of this
collection of letters. We find him writing " To the
generall assembley & church of y e first Borne w !h in
Westmoreland & Comberland," 14-3 mo. -1658; and "To

all



EPISTLES OF EARLY FRIENDS. 157

all y e called of y e Lord in and about Hutton, Preston,
Underbarrovv, Kendall, Grarigg, & Sedber," and he dates
another letter "Cumberland, 12-8 010.-1659." So that,
if not a native, he was for some time a resident in our
district.

The other Furness worthy is William Caton, who
was educated along with young Fell at Swarthmoor, and
at the age of 17 or 18 was converted by George Fox.
Before he was twenty he had travelled on foot throughout
England and Scotland as an evangelist, had preached at
Calais with a Scotch nobleman to interpret, and at
Flushing and Amsterdam, the first Quaker to set foot in
Holland. The rest of his short life, some nine years
more, was spent in journeyings, and imprisonments, and
perils by land and sea, for he went frequently to the
Continent, — indeed he ultimately married a Dutch girl,
Annekin Dirricks of Amsterdam (see Tuke's Biographical
Notices). From him we have a report of adventures at
Zutphen, a town whose name reminds us of another good
Englishman, traditionally connected with Furness, as a
visitor to Coniston Hall, — I mean Sir Philip Sidney.
This letter gives an insight into the Quakers' methods of
missionary work, — that is to say, in spite of misrepresen-
tations, modem missionary work in its first beginnings :
and William Caton's phrasing {e.g. " boulted the doore
of us ") and pronunciation (e.g. "Lowes" for "laws"),
curiously recall, to any who have heard them, those
country preachers who, though not of the ' Society,' are
the true spiritual descendants of the fiery-hearted Quaker
apostles. He writes (and Whiting's copy bears the stamp
of editorial exactitude) : —

" Amsterdam in Holand the 3 day 5 th moneth (1657).

"... My Deare Brother William Ames and I have bine through

some of y e prinsaple Citties in Gilderland : and a great sound is

gone through y e Country: but our moueings was especially to

Zutphen ; A Citty out of w ch William Ames had bine Banished ; not

w th



I58 EPISTLES OF EARLY FRIENDS.

\v th standing for y c defence of ye truth wee were willing to hazard
our lives in ye behalfe of it w ch was much scandellised and reproched
by y c people called Baptists especially who are in these countreyes
generally great opposites: so into y e Citty we passed to their
meettings: and when wee should have gone in: they boulted the
doores of us: and would not admitt us: and William being well
knowne (haueing bine three dayes to geather before y e magistrats
when hee was Bannished) the rude multitude presently gathered
about us : and to auoyd"y e accasion of a tumulte : wee w lh drew out
of y e streats to ye walles of y c Citty unto w ch many people followed
us : And Uocters w Ul other great men came to us some to trap and
insnare us in our words and others to see some Strang thing : but in
y e wisdom of God we were preseruecl : and their expectation was
frustrated : for as we were allowed of God soe we spake : not w th
enticeing words of mans wisedome (and therefore could not they
insnare and trap us : in their wisedom) for by ye liueing power of
God in w ch we spoke: the wicked spirits in y e Auditors were
Chayned downe to admiration that so they could not accomplish
their mischiefous designs : and after we were Cleare: we passed to
our lodgeing (w ch was out of y e Citty) haueing man)' stones throwne
at us : but little or no harme we received ; praised bee the Lord.
And in y c after noone there came not a few to us : that soe our
seruice was very great that day: for seuerall hundreds heard us with
diligence and many bookes we dispersed amongst them in their owne
language and seuerall there was that receiued good satisfaction : and
y e liueing truth of our God was freely held forth to them : and by
that dayes seruice much cleared and aduansed : Now a great sound
rings through y c country: And many books haue we gotten lately
translated and printed : the perusing of w ch doth a little Quallifie y e
spirits of some: who begines to intrude by way of query: A little
ffarther into things than heretofore they haue done: And about y e
place aforesaid Williams Ames haue thoughts of staying : But y e
magistrates sent an officer to Charge ye people to keep us noe longer :
for they seemed to be no little offended : that William should pre-
sume to come againe into their liberty : after hee had bine by them
bannished : moreouer they threatned : that any baptists came at us:
they should be serued in like manner: w ch thretnings with that w ch
they haue done already : doth kepe y e people in much slauery and
fearfulness : that they dare not appear scarce so much as to Vindi-
cate that w