"us know ourselves, and how it standeth with us. "We are men cast on land, as Jonas was, out of the "whale's belly, when we were as buried in the deep : "and now we are on land, we are but between “death and life; for we are beyond both the old "world and the new; and whether ever we shall see

Europe, God only knoweth. It is a kind of mi"racle hath brought us hither: and it must be little "less that shall bring us hence. Therefore in re"gard of our deliverance past, and our danger pre"sent and to come, let us look up to God, and every man reform his own ways. Besides we are

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come here amongst a Christian people, full of piety and humanity: let us not bring that con"fusion of face upon ourselves, as to show our vices " or unworthiness before them. Yet there is more: "for they have by commandment, though in form of "courtesy, cloistered us within these walls for three days who knoweth whether it be not to take some taste of our manners and conditions? and "if they find them bad, to banish us straightways; "if good, to give us further time. For these men, "that they have given us for attendance, may withal "have an eye upon us. Therefore for God's love,

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"and as we love the weale of our souls and bodies, "let us so behave ourselves as we may be at peace "with God, and may find grace in the eyes of this

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people." Our company with one voice thanked me for my good admonition, and promised me to live soberly and civilly, and without giving any the least occasion of offence. So we spent our three

days joyfully, and without care, in expectation what would be done with us when they were expired. During which time, we had every hour joy of the amendment of our sick, who thought themselves cast into some divine pool of healing, they mended so kindly and so fast.

The morrow after our three days were past, there came to us a new man, that we had not seen before, clothed in blue as the former was, save that his turban was white, with a small red cross on the top. He had also a tippet of fine linen. At his coming in he did bend to us a little, and put his arms abroad. We of our parts saluted him in a very lowly and submissive manner, as looking that from him we should receive sentence of life or death. He desired to speak with some few of us: whereupon six of us only stayed, and the rest avoided the room. He said, "I am by office governor of this House of "Strangers, and by vocation I am a Christian priest; " and therefore am come to you, to offer you my service, both as strangers and chiefly as Christians. Some things I may tell you, which I think

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you will not be unwilling to hear. The state hath

given you licence to stay on land for the space of "six weeks: and let it not trouble you if your oc"casions ask further time, for the law in this point "is not precise; and I do not doubt but myself shall ❝ be able to obtain for you such further time as may "be convenient. Ye shall also understand, that the

Strangers' house is at this time rich, and much "aforehand; for it hath laid up revenue these thirty

seven years; for so long it is since any stranger "arrived in this part: and therefore take ye no "care; the state will defray you all the time you stay; neither shall you stay one day the less for "that. As for any merchandise ye have brought,

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ye shall be well used, and have your return either "in merchandise or in gold and silver: for to us it " is all one. And if you have any other request to "make, hide it not. For ye shall find, we will not "make your countenance to fall by the answer ye "shall receive. Only this I must tell you, that none "of you must go above a karan," that is with them a mile and a half, "from the walls of the city with"out special leave." We answered, after we had looked awhile one upon another, admiring this gracious and parent-like usage; " that we could not

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tell what to say: for we wanted words to express "our thanks; and his noble free offers left us nothing to ask. It seemed to us, that we had before "us a picture of our salvation in heaven; for we "that were awhile since in the jaws of death, were "now brought into a place where we found nothing "but consolations. For the commandment laid

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upon us, we would not fail to obey it, though it "was impossible but our hearts should be inflamed "to tread further upon this happy and holy ground." We added; "that our tongues should first cleave "to the roofs of our mouths, ere we should forget "either his reverend person or this whole nation in "our

our prayers." We also most humbly besought him to accept of us as his true servants, by as just a

right as ever men on earth were bounden, laying and presenting both our persons and all we had at his feet. He said; "he was a priest, and looked "for a priest's reward; which was our brotherly "love and the good of our souls and bodies." So he went from us, not without tears of tenderness in his eyes; and left us also confused with joy and kindness, saying amongst ourselves, "that we were "come into a land of angels, which did appear to "us daily, and prevent us with comforts which we "thought not of, much less expected."

The next day, about ten of the clock, the governor came to us again, and after salutations said familiarly, that he was come to visit us and called for a chair, and sat him down: and we being some ten of us, the rest were of the meaner sort, or else gone abroad, sat down with him. And when we werc set, he began thus: "We of this island of "Bensalem," for so they call it in their language, "have this, that by means of our solitary situation, "and of the laws of secrecy which we have for our "travellers, and our rare admission of strangers, we "know well most part of the habitable world and "are ourselves unknown. Therefore because he "that knoweth least is fittest to ask questions, it is

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more reason for the entertainment of the time, that

ye ask me questions, than that I ask you." We answered; "That we humbly thanked him that he "would give us leave so to do: and that we con"ceived by the taste we had already, that there was "no worldly thing on earth more worthy to be

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"known than the state of that happy land. But " above all," we said, "since that we were met from "the several ends of the world, and hoped assuredly "that we should meet one day in the kingdom of heaven, for that we were both parts Christians, "we desired to know, in respect that land was so "remote, and so divided by vast and unknown seas, "from the land where our Saviour walked an earth, "who was the apostle of that nation, and how it "was converted to the faith?" It appeared in his face that he took great contentment in this our question; he said, " Ye knit my heart to you, by asking "this question in the first place; for it sheweth that you' first seek the kingdom of heaven;' and I shall 'gladly and briefly satisfy your demand.

"

"About twenty years after the ascension of our "Saviour, it came to pass, that there was seen by the people of Renfusa, a city upon the eastern "coast of our island, within night, the night was cloudy and calm, as it might be some mile into "the sea, a great pillar of light; not sharp, but in "form of a column or cylinder rising from the sea, a

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great way up towards heaven: and on the top of "it was seen a large cross of light, more bright and

resplendent than the body of the pillar. Upon "which so strange a spectacle, the people of the

city gathered apace together upon the sands to "wonder; and so after put themselves into a num"ber of small boats, to go nearer to this marvellous sight. But when the boats were come within "about sixty yards of the pillar, they found them