meeting-houses by the officers of justice, he preached at the very
doors. In short, he was never hindered but by sickness, or
imprisonments, from persevering in his religious pursuits.

With respect to his word, he was known to have held it so sacred, that
the judges frequently dismissed him without bail, on his bare promise
that he would be forth coming on a given day. On these occasions, he
used always to qualify his promise by the expression, _"if the Lord
permit."_

Of the integrity of his own character, as a christian, he was so
scrupulously tenacious, that, when he might have been sometimes set at
liberty by making trifling acknowledgements, he would make none, least
it should imply a conviction, that he had been confined for that which
was wrong; and, at one time in particular, king Charles the second was
so touched with the hardship of his case, that he offered to discharge
him from prison by a pardon. But George Fox declined it on the idea,
that, as pardon implied guilt, his innocence would be called in question
by his acceptance of it. The king, however, replied, that "he need not
scruple being released by a pardon, for many a man who was as innocent
as a child, had had a pardon granted him." But still he chose to decline
it. And he lay in gaol, till, upon a trial of the errors in his
indictment, he was discharged in an honourable way.

As a minister of the gospel, he was singularly eminent. He had a
wonderful gift in expounding the scriptures. He was particularly
impressive in his preaching; but he excelled most in prayer.

Here it was, that he is described by William Penn, as possessing the
most awful and reverend frame he ever beheld. His presence, says the