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a fvil receat and a discharge, and in this matter, and non of you may be consarned, but John Loft only; and my other lettell tronke, that standeth in Bengmin Antrubes is cloeset, with the ovtlandesh things, Thomas Lover shall have; and if it be ordered in any other papers to any other, that must not stand soe, but as now order. ed, G. F. And Sary, thou may give Sary Frickenseld half a gine, for shee hath bene sarvesable to mee, a honest carfvll young womon, G. F.

Make noe noves of thes thngs, but doe them in the life, as I have orderd them; and when all is don and cleared, what remenes to the printing of my bookes, Bengmin Antrvbves and Mary hath 100 pound of mine, take noe yoves of them for it, when yov doe recve it.

And in my cheast, in Bengamen Antrvbs chamber, ther is a letell gilt box, with som gould in it; Sary Mead to take it, and let it doe sarveses amoung the rest, soe far as it will goe; the box is sealed up, G. F.

And let Thomas Docker, that knoeth many of my epeseles, and wrten books, which hee did wright, com vp to London, to assist frends in sorting of my epeselas, and other writings, and give him a gine, G. F.

*III. I doe orde Wm. and Sa. Mead, and T. Lover, to take care of all my bookes and epe. seles, and papers, that be at Benjmin Antrvbses, and at R. R. Chamber, and thoes that com from Swarth mor, and my Jor. nall of my Life, and the paseges and travells of frends, and to take them all into ther hands;

receipt, and a discharge, and in this matter none of you may be concerned, but John Loft only.

And my other little trunk that standeth in Benjamin Antrobus's closet, with the outlandish things, Thomas Lower shall have; and if it be ordered in any other papers to any other, that must not stand so, but as now ordered, G. F.

And Sarah, thou may give Sarah Freckleton half a guinea, for she hath been serviceable to me, an honest careful young wo man, G. F. Make no noise of these things, but do them in the life, as I have ordered them :

And when all is done and cleared, what remains to the printing of my books, Benjamin Antrobus and Mary hath one hundred pounds of mine, take no use of them for it, when you do receive it.

And in my chest, in Benjamin Antrobus's chamber, there is a little gilt box, with some gold in it; Sarah Mead to take it, and let it do service among the rest, so far as it will go; the box is sealed up, G. F.

And let Thomas Dockra, that knoweth many of my epistles, and written books, which he did write, come up to London, to assist friends in sorting of my epistles, and other writings, and give him a guinea, G, F.

I do order William and Sarah Mead, and Thomas Lower, to take care of all my books and epistles, and papers, that be at Benjamin Antrobus's, and at R. R. Chamber, and those that come from Swarthmore, and my Journal of my Life, and the passages and travels of friends, and

On the third, numb. 3. For George Fox, to be laid in the trunk, W. M. the eighth month

and all the over pluch of them the may have, and keep together as a libary, when the have gether. ed them together, which ar to be printd.

And for them, to take charge of all my mony, and defray all as I have ordered in my other papers.

And any thing of mine the may take, and God will, and shall be ther reward: the 8 Mo, 1688.

Thomas Lover, and John Rovs, may assist yov, G. F.

And all the pasiges and traveles and svferings of frinds, in the beging of the spreading of the trouth, which I have keept to. gether, will make a fine histery, and the may be had at Swarth. mor, with my other bookes; and if the com to London, with my papers, then the may be had, either at Wm. or Ben Antrubs closet, for it is a fine thing to know the beging of the spreading of the gospell, after soe long night of apostace, since the apo seles dayes, that now Christ raines, as he did in the harts of his people. Glory to the Lord, for ever, Amen, G. F.

The 8 Mon, 1688.

to take them all into their hands; and all the overplus of them they may have, and keep together as a library, when they have gathered them together, which are to be printed; and for them to take charge of all my money, and defray all, as I have ordered in my other papers; and any thing of mine they may take, and God will, and shall be their reward.

The Sth Month, 1688. G. F. Thomas Lover, and John Rouse, may assist you: and all the passages, and travels, and sufferings of friends, in the be ginning of the spreading of the truth, which I have kept together, will make a fine history, and they may be had at Swarthmore, with my other books; and if they come to London with my papers, then they may be had either at W. M. or Benjamin Antrobus's closet, for it is a fine thing to know the beginning of the spreading of the gospel, after so long night of apostasy, since the apos tles days, that now Christ reigns, as he did in the hearts of his peo. ple. Glory to the Lord for ever, Amen.

G. F. The 8th Month, 1688.

The Date of the Administration, the Thirtieth of December, 1697.

TRICESIMO die mensis Decembris anno Domini millesimo, sexcente. simo, nonagesimo septimo emanavit commissio, Margareta Fox, relictæ & legatariæ nominatæ in testamento Georgii Fox, nuper de Swarthmore in comitatu Lancastriæ, sed in parochia omnium Sanctorum, Lombard-street, London, defuncti habentis, &c. Ad adminis. trandum bona jura & credita dicti defuncti juxta tenorem & effectum testamenti ipsius defuncti (Eo quod nullum omnino nominaverit executorem) declaratione in præsentia Dei Omnipotentis, juxta sta. tutum parliamenti in hac parte editum & provisum de bene & fideliter administrando eadem per dictam Margaretam Fox prius factâ.

Tho. Wellham, registrarii deputatus

The Persons hereafter named, by their solemn Declaration, sub scribed under their hands, did affirm the above-written to be wrote with the proper hand of the said George Fox deceased, they being acquainted with his hand-writing.

S. MEAD, wife of W, Mead, of the parish of St. Dyonis Back Church, London, citizen, and merchant taylor of London.

W. Ingram, of the parish of St. Margaret, New Fish-street, London, aged about fifty-seven years; he knew George Fox, about forty years.

G. Whitehead, of the parish of St. Botolph without Bishopsgate, London, Gent, aged about sixty years, knew George Fox above forty years.

N. B. In this will, the pride and vanity of the deceiver is as notorious, as the credulity of his deluded followers. For what else could make him think, that his nasty comb and clyster-pipe would be such acceptable relicks among his friends? But this is he who first deluded them, their infallible Pope, and who to his death continued their admired idol. This is he who taught them to renounce their baptism, and the hope of a resurrection after death; and notwithstanding all their sly equivocations, by this his will is manifest, that he neither believed nor expected it. The reader is not to wonder that here is no confession of sin. Pope George alas! was all perfection and sinless, and his disciples have ever since so conceited of the sufficiency of their own merit, that no true quaker was ever known to die, with a Lord have mercy upon him in his mouth.

LETTER to KING JAMES, see Vol. i. p. 23.

ADDRESS for the FRENCH WAR, see Vol. i. p. 74,

THE PRESENT STATE OF EUROPE

BRIEFLY EXAMINED,

AND FOUND LANGUISHING;

OCCASIONED BY

THE GREATNESS OF THE FRENCH MONARCHY;

FOR CURE WHEREOF,

A REMEDY (FROM FORMER EXAMPLES)

IS HUMBLY PROPOSED.

Wrote upon Occasion of the House of Commons's Vote to raise £800000. to equip a Fleet for the Year 1671, moved thereunto by the pretended March of the French Army, towards the Marine parts of Flanders. By Thomas Manley, Esq. 1689,

THE present designs and puissance of France, both by sea and

land, being, at once, both the wonder and dread of Europe, hath possessed me with so many sad reflexions on that subject, that I, who am but dust and ashes, and dwell in the shades of obscurity, cannot refrain to form and meditate, how bars may be put to such approaching dangers, especially, since the honour, safety, and welfare of our prince and country ought to be the bent and study of the most retired subject.

The present state of Europe I might fitly resemble to the body of a man, wherein all the members either languish, or are viciously af. fected; some through self-mischiefs, others oppressed by their fellow members. Spain (heretofore the great pretender to the western monarchy) droops through her own follies +, whereof, if she expire, a jury will undoubtedly find her a felo de se, while her neighbour Portugal, instead of holding her sick head, and pitying her case, is ready, on all occasions, to knock out her brains. Italy and Germany are troubled with one disease, through the windy humours of her many and ambitious princes, whose continual jealousies fill them with gripings and disquiets: England and Holland are despe rately bruised through mutual buffetings, to which France cunningly looed them on ‡, intending like Simeon and Levi, to suppress these Sechemites, when sore and unable to resist st; all which mistakes

Till Oliver Cromwell enabled France to raise the same ambitious views upon the ruins of Spain.

† See the rights of the house of Austria to the Spanish succession, in vol. x. of this Collection, anno 1701.

Alluding to the unnatural war proclaimed by King Charles the Second, against Holland, by the instigation of France.

England and Holland, when wasted in their strength and wealth, by a long and bloody war,

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and calamities have been to France, as so many indulgent nurses to feed and pamper her; who, like unruly cattle, trespass most on that neighbour, whose fence is lowest, and quarry best without fear of impounding, whereby (like the head in a body rickety) she grows to an unproportionable and dangerous bigness, whilst her erring neighbours (like the members) waste and languish; of whose sudden and prodigious growth, I will not now insist on (which yet is none of the least dreadful considerations) nor tell how our Cromwell seemed a dictator there; nor record how six-thousand English red coats were, at that time, more essential than humanity and protec tion to an oppressed king of the blood of France +; for now the scene being altered by the admirable conduct of a prince, whom, therefore, his subjects ought to reverence, I cannot but observe how Christendom, instead of a generous resentment, and defence of the oppressed, shrinks and faints at every undue seizure made by that haughty monarch, as if they fancied such softness could secure their own peace, or charm an ambitious conqueror into modesty, or put a stop to his career, whose utmost end is the western monarchy, whereunto, with spread sails, he now apparently hasteneth; where. as they ought rather to be powerfully persuaded, that such tame. ness must at once enable, and encourage him to devour them also.

What prudence can justify such procedure? can time and patience repair the mistakes? or may such easy conquests glut his appetite, or possess him with compassion, to spare the rest? or does not ra ther one conquest beget a stomach and ability to more and greater? who can suppose the seizure of Lorrain will immerge him in ease and voluptuousness? or his successes in Flanders serve as an atonement to secure the rest? must not these unrevenged conquests rather be as so many prosperous gales to transport him to greater atchieve ments? seeing the like drousiness, in relation to Christian princes, gave occasion, formerly, to the growth of the Ottoman greatness, and is like still to add to his triumphs; and, as an historian observes in the like case of the antient Britons, Dum singuli pugnant, universi

vincuntur.

Remarkable, then was the former, policy of these western princes, when, with the hazard of their ease and lives, they maintained the power of Christendom in an equal balance, dexterously throwing their arms into that scale which appeared lightest, knowing they secured thereby their own peace and government. On this account, England and France are thought to have wisely fomented the revolt of the Low Countries, and were, in effect, as fond, by that means, to lessen the grandure of Spain (who then alarmed Europe, as France does now) as if they themselves had made new conquests. Hence it was, that Philip the Second, by way of requital, and our Elisabeth (to whose

Charles the Second.

+ Cromwell, being solemnly inaugurated Protector, on the 26th of June 1657, immediately consented to a league with France against Spain; thereby stipulating, that all the children of King Charles the First, and their adherents, should be intirely forsaken by the French king, and drove out of his dominions; and that, in consideration thereof, Cromwell sent six thousand of his best troops into France, under the command of Reynolds, by which means fhe balance of Europe was transferred, from Spain, to the power of France.

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