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could to throw me off; I riding bare backed, without a faddle, and having a large lanthorn under my left arm, knowing the horse to be very high mettled, and about fifteen hands high, I began to ap prehend fome danger of his getting me off, because I could not fo well command and manage him, by reafon of that lanthorn, and wanting a faddle; I did what I could by fair and gentle means to take him off those his unruly and skittish tricks, but to small purpose. Then I refolved to use another method, viz. by giving him a loofe rein, and the fpurs in his fides with both heels, hoping by that means that he would ceafe plunging, and fall to running; but nothing would do. The thing, I doubt not, being determined in Heaven's council, that this narrow escape might be recorded among the reft of his wonders fhewn in and about the prefervation of fo poor and inconfiderable a creature as I am, to the eternal praise of God's sweet and unfearchable providence. Off he would have me; in order whereto he mounts up with his fore parts, throwing me backwards on his hinder parts, and from thence to his fore parts again, at leaft ten or twelve times, in a moft furious raging manner; at length, finding that he could not get me off, by his toffing and throwing me backward and forward, he rears and mounts up with all four together a confiderable height from the earth, and, by that unexpected motion, threw me a good height above him, and falling to the ground, standing upright on my feet, as I fell

I fell with my lanthorn under my arm; the horfe, perceiving himself conqueror, fetched a ftroke at me, standing where I fell, juft behind him, with his heels, which but a day or two before had been shod with froft-nails, the weather being frosty; and in the cap which I at that time wore he leaves the print of the froft nails within the thickness of a half-crown of my forehead, never touching my head, nor any part of my body; nor in the leaft prejudicing my body by thofe toffings and throwings he gave me. Oh! that I might be duly fenfible of, and conftantly affected with, the confideration of Divine Providence.

Another escape I had, by the good providence of God, was from an Englishman, who had laid a confpiracy with fome Irish papists to swear me out of my life. It was thus: This Englishman (by name Evan Grundy, a Lancashire man) being fome years employed in the fervice of John Preston, of the city of Dublin, alderman, a good and gracious man, lately deceased, from whom the above-named Evan Grundy had run away at feveral times, and with confiderable fums of money. By reafon of his dishonest and knavish pranks, alderman Preston, not daring to truft him any further with the receiving of his rents, which were confiderable (his eftate being nigh two thousand per annum), the alderman being hard fet for one whom he could truft with the management of his eftate, and knowing me, my family, and the prefent circumftances I was

at that time in, proposed to me confiderable encouragement, on'condition that I would undertake (as his agent) to manage his eftate, which I did, for between four and five years, not without many difficulties, occafioned chiefly by the faid Evan Grundy, who was restless day and night, contriving how he might fet the alderman and me at variance, hoping by that means to fupplant me, and to fucceed me in the employ. This Evan Grundy being much indebted to the alderman, I had orders to take him on a writ out of the King's-Bench, and to feize (for the alderman's use) all the goods and chattels the faid Evan Grundy was actually poffeffed of. This piece of fervice I would fain have declined, entreating the alderman to put fome other upon it, and that, because of the ill afpect which I forefaw it would have among the gentlemen of the country, who, knowing the peaks and many bickerings between the other and me, would be very apt to conclude, that I had acted this in a way of revenge against him, who daily ftrove to fupplant me in that employ; and then I concluded, all the black-mouthed justices, and other gentlemen in the country, who were known enemies to the name and power of the gofpel purity, would unanimously open against religion, and improve that action to the utmost to the reproach of diffenters; the which afterward fell out as I feared; the alderman refufing to comply with my but reasonable request, he alledging for his non-compliance, that he had

none

none but me whom he could truft in an affair of

that nature.

Finding the ineffectualnefs of my endeavours to prevail with the alderman to excufe or exempt me from that fervice, and his ftrict commands being instant upon me, a writ was taken out, of which the faid Grundy having notice, he abfconds for a time; on this, I took the two special bailiffs who were to execute the writ, with nine or ten of the village he lived in, into the house along with me, to witness that I feized thofe goods which were visible in the house for the use of alderman Preston, and that for the non-payment of rent. I moved no goods, but left them where I found them, leaving them to the difpofal of the alderman. Immediately on this, the wretched man contrives with fome Papist ruffians to lay a plot against me; the fubftance of which was, that on a day I entered his houfe to diftrain for fuch a man, naming alderman Prefton, and meeting with a cabinet, I forced the lock, and ftole three pounds fifteen fhillings, which he faid his witneffes would pofitively fwear they faw me take, reckon, and put into my pocket: forthwith he rides to a juftice of peace, for a warrant to bind me over, acquainting the juftice with the whole of the concern in all its circumftances. The juftice, though enemy enough on the account of religion, told him plainly, that he would not grant a warrant against me, if he would give him five hundred pounds. He goes to a fecond, to a third,

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and to a fourth, about the fame errand, but from none of them could he get a warrant to bind me over, they being all afraid to meddle at that time with me, whether for fear of my uncle, who was at that time Lord Chief Juftice of the kingdom of Ireland, or from any reftraint from God on their fpirits, I know not. He finding all his hopes of having me for ever difgraced, if not arraigned for my life, fruftrated, prepares a bill of indictment to arraign me at my uncle's bar, the term next enfuing. This affault, I confefs, was a great trial of the little faith and patience which the gift of God handed out to my poor foul, in the inftant of regeneration, as ever I have fince met with. I have fometimes, with holy David, thought, that my mountain, in refpect of inward and fettled peace of confcience, fhould never be fhaken or moved, till the storm arofe. And albeit it did not influence my foul inwardly to fhake my comfort and confidence in God, God and my own confcience knowing mine integrity and innocency in the thing laid to my charge; yet, confidering the reproach which I apprehended would hence arife to the name, gospel, and people of God, the stain and fcandal it would be to my whole family, no man can fully conceive the difquietude and fhame which took up its lodging in my breaft. Oh! the toffings and workings of my fpirit: Lord, think I, what will this come to? Thou knoweft mine innocency in this matter. But the world will readily

believe

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