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The Aborigines of Puerto Rico and Neighboring Islands
1st Edition Jesse Walter Fewkes Digital Instant Download
Author(s): Jesse Walter Fewkes
ISBN(s): 9780817355746, 081735574X
Edition: 1
File Details: PDF, 24.03 MB
Year: 2009
Language: english
The Aborigines of Puerto Rico
and Neighboring Islands

Jesse Walter Fewkes

The University of Alabama Press

Tuscaloosa
Preface copyright © 2009

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487 -0380
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America

OC)

The paper on which this book is printed meets the minimum require-
ments of American National Standard for Information Science-Per-
manence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984_

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Fewkes, Jesse Walter, 1850-1930_

[The aborigines of Porto Rico and neighboring islands]
The aborigines of Puerto Rico and neighboring islands I Jesse
Walter Fewkes.
p. cm. - {Caribbean archaeology and ethnohistory}
Originally published in 1907 as one of two papers accompanying the
25th annual report of the U.S. Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of
the Smithsonian Institution.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8173-5574-6 {pbk. : alk. paper} - ISBN 978-0-8173-
8249-0 {electronic: alk. paper} 1. Indians of the West Indies- Puerto
Rico. I. Title.
F1969.F42009
972.95'0049839- dc22
2009001360
 PREFACE

Contrary to many other sciences, archaeologists have a tendency

to find decades-old scholarly publications of great value. This is,
in part, because some of the ideas and explanations are still val-
id, but also because the authors had an opportunity to observe
archaeological sites before they were impacted by later modern
activities. They were also able to collect or buy unique objects at a
time when there were few private collectors and when the market
for antiquities was almost nonexistent. The Aborigines of Puerto
Rico and the Neighboring Islands is one of these books that is
still being widely quoted by most Caribbean archaeologists.
In 1898 and after the mysterious explosion of the USS Maine,
the United States declared war on Spain. This conflict ended in
a matter of months, and the U.S. gained "booty" that included
Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Philippines, and Guam. Shortly after-
ward, many American government and academic institutions
sent researchers and chroniclers to explore and report on the
new American possessions. One of these institutions was the
Smithsonian, which sent Jesse W. Fewkes to Puerto Rico.
Fewkes was an archaeologist who had worked extensively in
the American Southwest and had published widely on that re-
gion. Upon his arrival in Puerto Rico and after researching many
sites and collections, it was clear to Fewkes that in order to un-
derstand the ancient history of this island, he had to broaden his
research to the rest of the Caribbean archipelago. His research
eventually extended from St. Vincent on the southern end of the
island chain to Cuba, and it included excavations and studies
of ceramics, rock art, and ceremonial objects. While this work
is probably Fewkes's most popular book, his publication records
include dozens of articles and books on Caribbean archaeology.
The book is written as a long essay, or monograph, without
chapters, but it is organized in sections. Like most American an-
thropologists of his time, it is clear from the number of topics
4 PREFACE

included in the book that Fewkes had a holistic perspective of

culture. These topics included the geographical characteristics
of Puerto Rico, race, kinship, political divisions, houses, secular
customs, religion, and others. Another important aspect of the
book is that Fewkes did not limit his work only to the archaeol-
ogy of the island; he also conducted ethnographic work in the
regions he visited. This is reflected in the sections on present
descendants and race. The publication also includes data on a
large number of artifacts, rock art, and ethnographic houses and
people. This volume will be of interest to a great number of peo-
ple including Caribbean archaeologists or archaeology students,
historians of the Caribbean, anthropologists, scholars interested
in topics such as U.S. expansionism and the history of archaeol-
ogy, and the general public.

L. Antonio Curet, series editor

 OONTENTS
Page
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . •. ..•.•.•.••.•....•• 17
Physic.al features of Porto Rico...... . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . 21
Precolumbian 'population .,. .. . ... .. . ..... .. .... ...... . ..... ........ ... ... 23
Present descendants of the Porto Rican Indians...................... ...... 24
Raceandkinship..................................................... ... 26
Bodily characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Mental and moral characteristics. .. . . ....... .... .. .. .... . .. . .. ...... .••••. 31
Government .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Political divisions........................................................ 35
Houses...... ••... . . ... . . . ..... ...... ...... ..... ..... ...... .. . . . .. . . ..... 41
Thatched with grasses . . .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . • . • . . 43
Thatched with palm leaves. . . . . .. .. . . .. .. .. .. ........ ........ . ....... 44
With palm leaves on walls, and straw·thatched roofs ..... "'" ...••• .... 45
With slabs of palm wood on walls.. .. ... .. .. .. ........ .. .. . ..... . .. ... 45
Secular customs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Naming children; marriage cllstoms................................... 47
Hunting and fishing............ .. .. ........... .................•.. .... 48
Agriculture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . • . . . . . • . . . . . . 50
Religion. • • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Zemiism...................... ....•... .••...•........................ 54
Zemi8 of wood.. . . ........... . ............ . .. ... . ..... .... ........ 57
ZemiB of stone. . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Zemi8 of cotton cloth inclosing bones ............................ '" 58
Zemi8 painted on their bodies and faces.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Priesthood .......................................................... , 59
Divination ....... _. ... ........ .. .. ... . .... . . . .... . ... . .... . . .. . . .. ... 60
Medicine practices ................................................... 61
Narcotics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . •. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Rites and ceremonies. .. .. . . .. ... . . .. .. . . . . . .. . .. . ... . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . 64
Ceremony to bring crops. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... . .. ... . ... .. . .. . . .. .•. . 66
Survival of ceremony in modern dances. .. ... . ... . . ... . .. .......... 68
Burial ceremonies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Myths.... ..... . ...... . ..... ...... ...... .... . . . ..... . ... .. .. .. ...••• . 72
Traditions of origin.......... ...... .........•.............. ....... 74
A modern legend.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
The name Borinquen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . • . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . 76
Archeological sites ..................•....................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Dance plazas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Shell heaps. . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . •. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Caves ..•••................•................... ......•............... 87
Archeological objects. . ... . ..... .............• .....•.... .•.•.•. .. . .... .... 89
Celts ............ .......•.................................•...•.•..••. 92
Enigmatical stones •...••••••••••...•.•.•.•.•.•..•...............•.... 97
5
6 OONTEN'fS

Archeological objects-.(Jontinued.
Pestles _________________ .____________________________________________ Page 99
]4ortara _____________________________________________________________ 105
Beads and pendants ____________ . _____________________________________ 108
Stone balls ____________________ . _______________ . __________ . ____ ______ _ 110
Three-pointed stones. ___ __ ____ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ____ __ ___ __ __ ___ __ __ _ 111
Type with head on anterior and legs on posterior projection_ ________ 111
Type with face between anterior and conoid projection _____________ 121
Type with conoid projection modified into a head __________________ 125
SDlooth stones___________________________________________________ 127
Interpretation____________________________________________________ 128
Semicircular stones __ __ __ ____ __ __ _____ __ __ __ ___ __ ___ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 132
Stoneheads. _____________________________ .___________________________ 133
Disks with human faces _____ ___ __ __ __ __ __ __ ___ __ ___ __ ____ __ ___ __ __ ___ 135
Stoneamulets _________________ .______________________________________ 138
Pictographs __ ____ __ __ __ __ ____ ___ ___ ____ __ __ ___ _____ __ __ __ __ __ __ ___ ___ 148
River pictographs _____________ • ________________ • ___ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 150
Cavepictographs _________ . _____ . _______________ ._._______________ 155
Stone collars ____ __ __ __ ____ ________ ____ ________ __ __ __ __ _______ ________ 159
l\:Iassive collars ______________ .. __ __ ___ ___ ___ __ __ __ __ ____ __ __ __ ___ _ 162
Slender collars. ______ . __ __ ____ __ __ ___ ____ __ _____ __ __ _____ __ ____ __ 163
Theories of the use of stone collars _______________________________ •• 167
Elbow stones. ________ . ____ .. ________ . ________________ • __ ____ _____ _____ 172
l(nobbedheads. ______ . _____ • _______ . ________________________ • ___ ._._ 174
Pillar stones _. _. ____ . __________ . ___________________________________ •• 175
Large stone idols _______________ ..... ______________ .••• __ • ____ .. __ .. __ 178
Pottery_. ___ • _____ . _______ •• ___________ . _______ . ____ • _____ .__________ 179
Shell and bone carvings _________ ___ . _____________________ . ___________ 192
~

VVoodenobjects ____ • ___________ • ________ . ____ ._______________________ 194

Cassava graters_. _______ . ______ __ __ ___ _____ _______ ______ __ __ ______ 194
Dance object _____________ . _. ___________ . __ ____ __ ___ ______ ___ ___ __ 194
Swallowing-sticks __________________________ . ______________ . ______ 195
Ceremonial baton ____________ '. ____________________ . _• _. _. _. ___ ... 195
Idols __________ .. ______________________ . _____ . _______________ " __ _ 196
Stools _____ . ___ •• _. ____ . ___ . _______________ .•. ______ . ___ .. ________ 202
Canoes .. ____ ... _______________ . __ .•. _________ .... _... ___ .•. __ eo' 207
Other objects ___________________________ .. _____________________ .. 209
Gold objects __ ........ _." _. _.. _... __ ... ___ . __ .. __ ..... ____ . _____ .... 211
Basketry and textiles ____ .. _.. _.. __ .... __ .... ________ ..... __ .. __ __ __ __ 212
Conclusions ______ .... __________ • __ • __________ • ___ -- -- -- - --- ___ . ______ .... _ 214
 ILL USTRATIONS

PLATE I. Skulls from Santo Domingo, showing artificially flattened fore-

heads (Imbert collection).
II. Houses in process of construction, Luquillo:
a, Framework without covering.
b, With straw on sides; roof not covered.
c, With sides covered; roof partially thatched, showing
method of fastening thatch.
d, e, Completed Porto Rican houses, with thatched roof and
sides.
/, Typical street in Porto Rican village, showing poorer
houses.
III. Porto Rican houses with thatched roofs, and sides covered with
palm-leaf sheaths, or yaguas.
IV. Porto Rican houses:
a, a', Fishermen's houses on the dunes at Arecibo.
b, With walls of split palm trunks, roofs of thatch, near
Barceloneta.
c, d, e, Of the Gibaros in the mountain districts.
V. Porto Rican house inhabited by negroes.
VI. Negro house in Porto Rico, with walls constructed of palm
leaves and roof thatched.
VII. Carib houses at Arima, Trinidad, British West Indies.
VIII. Carib house at St Vincent, British West Indies, with group
of Carib making baskets.
IX. Carib war dance (Picard).
X. Ceremonial dance of the Haitians to the Earth Goddess
(Picard).
XI. Petaloid stone implements and chisels.
XII. Petaloid stone implements, Porto Rico.
XIII. Stone axes:
a, b, c, d, Porto Rico.
e, j, g, h, Santo Domingo (Arch bishop Merii'io collection).
XIV. Monolithic implements, Santo Domingo (Archbishop Merino
collection) •
XV. Ceremonial stone hatchets:
a, Santo Domingo (Archbishop Merino collection).
b, Cuba (Santiago Museum).
XVI. Problematical stone objects:
a, Ciales, Porto Rico.
b, c, d, Porto Rico (Latimer collection).
XVII. Stone axes from St Vincent, British West Indies.
7
8 ILLUSTRATIONS

PLATE XVIII. Stone axes from St Vincent, British West Indies.

XIX. Stone axes from St Vincent, British West Indies.
xx. Stone axes from St Vincent, British West Indies.
XXI. Stone axes from St Vincent, British West Indies.
XXII. Petaloid stone implements, Cuba.
XXIII. Stone objects of various forms:
0., Disk with superficial markings (Archbishop Merino
collection) .
h, j, Problema.tical specimens (Latimer collection).
e, Ovate specimen (Archbishop Merino collection).
d, Disk with superficial grooves (Archbishop Meriflo col-
lection).
e, Ceremonial baton (Gabb collection).
g, Polishing stone.
h, Unknown implement (Archbishop Merino collection).
i, Serpent (Archbishop Merino collection).
j, Cylinder (Archbishop Merino collection).
k, Curved specimen, St Vincent.
l, Conical specimen of unknown meaning.
XXIV. Stone pestles, Santo Domingo (Archbishop Merino collection).
a, b, Lateral and top views of specimen, with figure lying
on back.
e, d, Front and side views of specimen, showing head and
body at end of handle.
e, j, Front and side views of specimen with disk much
worn.
g, h, Front and side views of specimen, with animal figure
at end of handle.
i, j, Front and side views of specimen with figure on end of
handle.
XXV. Stone pestles (Archbishop Merino collection):
a, Elongated specimen with rude head on one end.
b, Rude specimen without head.
e, With globular enlargement at one end.
d, With eyes on one end.
e, 'Vith animal on one end.
j, g, h, i, Rude specimens without decoration.
XXVI. Stone pestles:
a, With large base (Archbishop Merino collection).
b, With globular base (Archbishop Meriflo collection).
e, With human face (Latimer collection).
d, 1, Rude specimens (Archbishop Merino collection,.
e, With the handle cut in imitation of a human being
(Archbishop Merino collection).
j, With human head on end of handle (Archbishop Merino
collection) .
g, With rude human head on one end (Archhishop Merino
collection) .
h, In form of idol (Archbishop Merino collection).
i, In form of bird (Archbishop Merino collection).
j, Rude specimen, St Vincent, British West Indies (Ober
collection) .
k, Rude specimen in form of idol (Archbishop Memo col-
lection).
 ILI.USTRATION8 9
PLATE XXVII. Stone pestles (a-l, Imbert collection, m-t, Hall collection):
a-d, Front and side views of specimens with heads.
e-h, B, t, Front and side views of specimens with globular bases.
i, j, Side and back of bird-formed specimen.
k, Disk-shaped specimen.
I, Dumb-bellsha~ specimen.
m, p, With human faces.
n, Elongated specimen, with conical appendage to the head.
0, With head; ears prominent.
q, With two terminal disks.
r, With swollen handle; conical head.
XXVIII. Stone mbrtars:
a, b, c, d, Small specimens, Porto Rico.
e, Large specimen, top view (Arch bishop Merino collection l.
j, Broken collar (has been used as a pestle).
XXIX. Stone mortars:
a, b, Top and bottom views of fragment from Santo Domingo
(Neumann collection).
c, d, Pigment grinders.
e, Elongated (Archbishop Merifio collection).
XXX. Stone implements:
a, Rubber or grinder with forked handle (A rch bishop Merino
collection).
b, Rubber or grinder.
c, d, Rubbers (Latimer collection).
XXXI. Miscellaneous stone objects:
a, Beads and pendants, Porto Rico.
b, c, Cylinders, Porto Rico.
d, Ball with eyelet (Archbishop Merifio collection).
e, j, g, Balls, Porto Rico.
XXXII. Three-pointed stone of the first type:
a, Side view.
b, Top view.
XXXIII. Three-pointed stones of the first type:
a, aI, Lateral and face views of specimen with low conical
projection.
b, bl , Lateral and face views of specimen with rounded cOllical
projection.
c, c', Lateral and face views of specimen.
d, dl , Lateral and face views of specimen, showing promi-
nent ears and chin.
XXXIV. Three-pointed stones of the first type:
a, a/,Lateral and face views of specimen with very smooth
surface (Latimer collection).
b, bI, Lateral and face views of specimen with curved base,
showing patches of varnish (Latimer collection).
c, c', Lateral and side views of specimen (Latimer collection).
d, d / , Lateral alld side views of specimen with rude head
(Neumann collection).
XXXV. Three-pointed stones of the first type:
a, aI, Lateral and front views of specimen showing decorated
band over eyes.
b, b/ , Later&landfrontviewsof specimen (Latimer collection) .
10 ILLUSTRATIONS

PLATEXXXV-Continued.
c, e', Lateral and front views of specimen with prominent
nose.
d, d', Lateral and front views of specimen, Santo Domingo
(Archbishop Meriiio collection).
XXXVI. Three-pointed stones of the first type:
a, a', Lateral and face views of specimen with broken side
(Neumann collection).
b, b', bl l , Warped specimen from side, face, and top (Latimer
collection) ,
XXXVII. Three-pointed stones of the first type:
a, a', Lateral and face views of specimen with two pits on
each side (Latimer collection).
b, b', Lateral and face views of specimen (Latimer collection).
e, ct, ct', Fragment from side, face, and base (Latimer collec-
tion).
XXXVIII. Three-pointed stones of the first type:
a. a', b, b', Face and lateral views of two fragments (Latimer
collection).
e, ct, Lateral and face views (Latimer collection).
d, e, Two specimens with very much eroded surfaces.
XXXIX. Three-pointed stones of the first type:
a, a', a", Top, lateral, and face views of specimen ,,1th depres-
sion in the top of the conical projection (Latimer collection).
b, bt, Lateral and face views of specimen with fiat face (Lati-
mer collection).
e, ct, lateral and face views of specimen with depressions in
the side (Latimer collection).
XL. Lateral and top views of a three-pointed stone of the first type.
XLI. Three-pointed stones of the first type:
a, a', Lateral and face views of a fragment.
b, b', Lateral and face views of lizard-formed specimen.
e, ct, Lateral and face views of lizard-formed specimen (Zoller
collection ).
XLII. Three-pointed stones of the first type (Latimer collection) :
a-bt, Lateral and face views of specimen with lizard head.
e, ct, Lateral and fac-6 views of specimen with bird head.
d, d', Lateral and face views of specimen with rude face.
XLIII. Three-pointed stones of the first type:
a, aI, Lateral and top views of a lizard-headed specimen
(Zoller collection).
b, bl , Lateral and face views of a bird-headed specimen,
duck-shaped (Latimer collection).
e, ct, Lateral and face views of a bird-headed specimen, with
two lateral pits (Neumann collection).
XLIV. Three-pointed stones of the first type:
a, aI, Bird-shaped specimen (Neumann collection).
b, bl , With bird head (Latimer collection).
e, ct, e", Face, lateral, and rear views of an owl-headed speci-
men (Latimer'collection).
XLV. Three-pointed stones of the second type:
a, aI, Lateral and face views (Latimer collection).
b, bl , Lateral and face views.
C, ct, Lateral and face views of specimen with appendages.
 ILLUSTRATIONS 11
PLATE XLVI. Lateral and top views of a three-pointed stone of the second
type (Latimer collection).
XLVII. Lateral and rear views of a three-pointed stone of the second
type.
XLVIII. Lateral and top views of a three-pointed stone of the third
type (Archbishop Merino collection).
XLIX. Lateral (a) and top (b, b') viewsofa three-pointed stone of the
third type (Neumann collection).
L. Three-pointed stones and stone disks:
a. Lateral view of a specimen of the third type (Archbishop
Meriflo collection).
b, bl , Lateral and face views of stone head.
e, d, e, Three-pointed specimens of the fourth type.
f, fl, g, g', Face and side views of semicircular specimens with
faces.
LI. Stone heads (Latimer collection):
a, aI, b, b', Lateral and front views.
LII. Stone heads:
a, aI, Front and lateral views of stone head (Latimer col-
lection) .
b, b', Front and lateral views of mask-like stone face.
LIlI. Stone heads:
a, aI, Front and lateral views.
b, bI, e, ct, Front and lateral views (Latimer collection).
LIV. Stone heads:
a, at, Front and lateral views of rude head with neck.
b, b', Front and lateral views of head (Latimer collection).
e, ct, Front arid lateral views of disk.
LV. Stone disks with faces:
a, a', Front and lateral views of face.
b, e, Front view of face.
d, Fragment of face.
e, Fragment of face (Neumann collection),
LVI. Stone fetishes:
a, aI, Front and lateral views of bird (Neumann collection).
b, Lateral view of bird or scorpion, Trinidad, British West
Indies.
LVII. Stone amulets, Porto Rico.
LVIII. Stone amulets:
a, a', Lateral and top views of animal of unknown character,
Trinidad, British West Indies.
b, Twin amulet, Santo Domingo (Archbishop Merino col-
lection).
e, ct, d, dl , Front and lateral views.
LIX. Stone amulets, Santo Domingo:
a, a,' e, e,' d, dl , Front and lateral views (Hall collection).
b, bl , bI' , Front, lateral, and rear views (Hall collection).
e, e' , g, g', Front and lateral views (Imbert collection) •.
f, Front view (Imbert collection).
h, h', 11", Side, front, and rear views (Imbert collection).
i, i', Lateral and ventral views (Hall collection).
j, j', j", Ventral, lateral, and dorsal views (Hall collection).
1~ ILLTJSTRATIONS

PLATE LX, pt 1. Porto Rican river pictographs:

a, Bowlder with pictographs, nea'!' Utuado.
h, c, With horns on head.
d, e, Of sun.
j, g, i, Of unknown meaning.
h, From "EI SaIto del Merovis."
LX, pt 2. Porto Rican river pictographs:
k, n, p, Human faces.
l, .Representing the moon.
111, Representing face.
0, Two spirals, water symbol.
q, Representing head.
r, Representing human head and body.
8, Face with circle.
t, Human head and body.
tt, v, W, 9f unknown meaning.
LXI. Porto Rican pictographs:
a, h, c, d, From cave near Ponce.
e, j, g, FMm eastern end of Porto Rico.
LXII. Carib pictographs, St Vincent, British West Indies.
LXIII. Massive st.one collars.
LXIV. Massive stone collar:
a, Front view.
h, Side view.
LXV. Massive stone collars.
LX VI. Slender ovate stone collars:
a, (Latimer collection).
h, Well-polished collar (Neumann collection).
c, Simple collar (Latimer collection).
d, With heart-shaped projection (Latimer collection).
LXVII. Slender ovate stone collars (Latimer collection):
a, h, d, With decorated panel borders.
c, With head on ·projection.
LXVIII. Panels of slender ovate collars (Latimer collection):
a, Partially decorated panel.
h, Sun figures.
c, Unknown figures.
LXIX. Stone collar and elbow stone:
a, Stone collar with attached three-pointed stone.
b, bl , Face and lateral views of an elbow stone (Latimer col-
lection).
LXX. Pillar stones:
a, With face, body, and appendages cut in relief.
b, With face in relief (Latimer collection).
c, With face and part of the body cut in relief (Gabb collec-
tion).
d, With face cut in outline (Latimer collection).
LXXI. Fragments of pillar stones with head or face in relief (Latimer
collection) •
LXXII. Stone idols from Cuba:
a, aI, Front and lateral views of specimen made of coral rock
(Santiago Museum)
 ILLUSTRATIONS 13
PLATE LXXII-Continued.
b, Engraved stone, Nipe bay.
e, Specimen made of coral rock, in form of pestle (Santiago
de Cuba Museum).
LXXIII. Handles of pottery from Cueva de las Golondrinas, Porto Rico.
LXXIV. Pottery heads, fragments of bowls, Santo Domingo.
LXXV. Pottery fragments of bowls, Santo Domingo.
LXXVI. Pottery from Santo Domingo:
a, a', Front and lateral views of a kneeling figure made of clay.
b, e, Small bowls (Archbishop Merino collection).
LXXVII. Pottery from Porto Rico and Santo Domingo:
a, a', Top and side views of bowl from near Utuado, Porto
Rico.
b, Lateral view of a globular bowl, Porto Rice.
e, }tough bowl with two handles, Utuade.
d, d', Two fragments of a dish frem Porto Rice.
e, e', Top and lateral views of a·bowl with two, heads (Arch-
bishop Merino, co,llectien).
LXXVIII. Lateral and top viewsef an effigy vase frem Aguas Buenas, Porto
Rico.
LXXIX. Front and tep views ef bird-effigy bowl from western end of
Porto Rico (Neumann cellection).
LXXX. Vases frem Santo Deminge:
a, a', aI', Front, lateral, and top views ef mammi-fomled speci-
men (Archbishop Merino collection).
b, b', Lateral and front views ef bowl with relief deceration.
c, tI, Bottle-shaped vessels (Archbisnep Merino collection).
LXXXI. Bottle-shaped vases and bowl from Santo Domingo (hnbert col-
lection) :
a, a', Frent and lateral views of bettie vase with perferation
011 one side of neck.
/), Vase with head represented en side of neck.
e, Bowl with opposite elevatiens en the rim.
d, Fragment of flat bowler dish.
LXXXII. Pottery objects:
a, Image made of burnt clay, Santo Demingo (Desangles
collection) .
v, e, d, Three fragments from Nipe bay, Cuba.
e-i, k-m, Fragments from Santo Domingo (Archbishep Merino
cellection) .
j, Specimen purchased by author.
LXXXIII. Pottery frem the West Indies:
a, Shallow bowl or dish.
b, Elongated dish with heads on oppesite rims.
e, d, e, j, Flat bowls and shell-shaped pottery, St Kitts,
British West Indies.
LXXXIV. Pettery from Grenada, British West Indies:
a-d, Fragments of bowls or vases.
e, j, Clay heads.
LXXXV. Pettery from Trinidad, British West Indies (Museum, Port of
Spain):
a, Interior ef decorated dish.
b, b', bll , Lateral, top, and front views ef turtle-shaped effigy
bowl.
14 ILLUSTRATIONS

PLATELXXXVI. Pottery objects and stone spindle whorl:

a, Cylinder for stamping pottery (Archbishop Meriflo collec-
tion).
b, b', Obverse and reverse of a stamp with inscribed designs
(Archbishop Merii'io collection).
c, Spindle whorl (Latimer collection).
LXXXVII. Stone, shell, and bone objects:
(I, Necklace of stone beads with attached shell pendant,

Utuado, Porto Rico.

b, Cut-shell objects, Cueva de las Golondrinas, Porto Rico.
c, Carved shell (Archbishop Meriilo collection).
d, dl , dll, Swallow stick made of bone (Archbishop Merii'io
collection) .
e, Shell mask (Latimer colle<:tion).
j, Frontal amulet made of shell (Archbishop Meriflo collec-
tion) .
g, Frontal amulet made of bone (Archbishop Merii'io collec-
tion) .
LXXXVIII, pt 1. Wooden sticks and idols:
a, b, c, d, Ends of curved swallow sticks (1m bert collection).
e, Decoration on the side of one of the swallow sticks of above
figures.
j, g, Idols, Jamaica, British West Indies.
It, h', Front and side views of idol, Jamaica, British West
Indies.
LX.XXVIII, pt 2. Swallow sticks and stool or dUM (Imbert collection).
LXXXIX. Wooden batons:
a, Ornamented planting dibble (Neumann collection).
b, bl , Lateral and front views of the end of a ceremonial baton
(Gabb collection).
XC. Wooden images and idols:
Ct, ai, Lateral and top views of turtle, St Vincent (Ober collec-
tion).
b, Serpent, Santo Domingo.
c, eI, ell, Front, back, and lateral views of idol (Imbert collec-
tion).
XCI. Wooden idols:
a, aI, Front and lateral views of twin idols seated ill a
dUM.
b, b', Front and lateral views of idol, Caicos, or Turks
island.
XCII. Stone stools, or dUMB:
a, a', a", Top, lateral, and bottom views (Latimer collection).
b, b', Lateral and front views of dUM with back (Latimer col-
lection).
XCIII. Wooden stools, or duhos:
a, aI, all, Front, lateral, and back views of du/to of human
form (Dr Llenas collection).
b, b', Lateral view of specimen (Imbert collection).
c, Top view of specimen from Turks island.
d, Lateral view; . the accompanying figures show incised
decoration (Latimer collection).
 ILLUSTRATIONS 15
Page
FIGURE 1. Circular house (after Oviedo) .................•••.••••.......•. 43
2. Rectangular house (after Oviedo) ............•....•............ 44
3. Stone ax from St Vincent...... ...................• ...... ...... 95
4. Stone ax from St VincenL. . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . • . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
4a. Stone object from St Vincent ..................•.•...... " .... 99
5. Stone pestle from Santo Domingo....... •....•...... ...... ...... 100
6. Double·headed pestle from Santo Domingo.............. ........ 101
7. Pestle from Santo Domingo............................... .•.•. 101
8. Small idol from Santo Domingo .•...•..............•.•..... '" . 102
9. Pestle from Porto Rico .................••..................•.. 102
10. Pestle from Porto Rico ......•.............. , .••.. ,. ..... ... .... 100
11. Pestle from Santo Domingo .................. ; ..... .. .. . . . . . ... 104
12. Pestle from Santo Domingo ...................... " ...... ...... 104
13. Bird·shaped pestle from Santo Domingo. ...... . •.... ...•.. .•.... 105
14. Bird·shaped pestle from Santo Domingo..... •..•............•.. 105
15. Amulet....................................................... 109
16. Amulet (side view) .........•................•.•........... "" 109
17. Three-pointed stone of first type ..............•......•.....••.. 112
18. Three·pointed stone of first type ............................... 118
19. Three'pointed stone of first type .,.............................. 119
20. Bird·form three·pointed stone ....•..... " . . .... . ..... .. .. . .•... 120
21. Three·pointed stone of second type...... ..... ........ ...... .... 122
22. Three'pointed stone of second type. . .... . . . . . ..•... . .. ....• ..•• 123
23. Three-pointed stone of second type .... , • . • . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . • . 123
24. Pictographs from St Kitts, British West Indies. .... . .•... .•.... 158
25. Schematic drawing of a slender oblique stone collar ............. 160
26. Stone collar (front view) ..•..•. '" . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .... 165
27. Stone collar (side view) .....•..•........ :.... ......•....•..•... 165
28. Stone head (Imbert collection) ..•..••.'. . . . . . • • . . . . . . . . . • . . . . • • . 174
29. Stone ball with face in relief (Imbert collection) .....•........•. 175
30. Side view of ball with face (Imbert collection) .........•. ....... 175
31. Stone ball with knobs (Imbert collection) ......••.•...........• 175
32. Stone with head in relief •..•.........•..........••..........•. 176
33. Pictograph on pillar stone..... ........ .••. •... ...... .....•.••.. 176
34. Fragment of a bowl... ... ..•..• .... ...... ..... .......... ...••. 181
35. Vase with handle, from sketch (Latimer collection) ...•..•••.•.. 182
36. Bird·effigy bowl (Neumann collection) .•....... ..•............ 185
37. Stone bird (Yunghannis collection) .•.. ...................•.... 194
38. Wooden idol, Santo Domingo. . . . . • . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . • • . • • . 202
39. Wooden duho, side view (from Mason) .•...................••.. 203
40. Stone duho (from Mason).... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . 206
41. Canoe (from Oviedo). . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . • . • . . . • . . . . . . . . . . • . • . . . . • . 208
42. 'Vooden mortar............................................... 210
43. Zemi made of cotton cloth (from Cronau) .. . . • • • • • . •• • • . • • •• • • • . 214
THE ABORIGINES OF PORTO RIOO AND NEIGHBORING
ISLANDS

By J .ESSE WALTER FEWKES

INTRODUCTION
The author of the following monograph was commissioned by the
Director of the Bureau of American Ethnology to visit the island of
Porto Rico in 1902, and to continue the exploration in 1903 and 1904:.
The object of these visits was the coHection of data and specimens
that would shed light on the prehistoric inhabitants of this West Indian
island which had lately come into the possession of the United States.
The :first visit was a reconnoissance, preliminary to the more extended
study that followed on the two visits referred to, in 1903 and 1904:.
The work in 1902 was limited to Porto Rico, but the fact became
evident, as it progressed, that the problem of the character of the
aboriginal Antilleans could not be satisfactorily solved from material
collected on anyone of the many West Indian islands. A special
examinatiQn of neighboring islands for comparative studies became
necessary. With this object in view the author was directed in 1903
to make a short trip to Haiti and in 1904 to visit Cuba, Trinidad, and
the Lesser Antilles, which, extending from South America to Porto
Rico, fOt'med a natural way of intercommunication or migration of
primitive races. The gathering of material in these excursions was
especially successful, and important prehistoric objects from several
of the islands visited were added to the existing collection in the
National Museum. A general summary of the results of the expedition
01 1903 has already been published in the Smithsonian Miscellaneou..9
Oollection.s, a but this preliminary report was limited and only partially
indicates the extent of the work performed or the amount and signifi-
cance of the material collected. An enumeration of the latter, embrac-
ing more than 1,200 specimens, comprises the important collection of
Archbishop Merino, of Santo Domingo, and those of Senores Zeno Gan-
dia, Neumann Gandia, Angelis, and Fernandez, of Porto Rico. These
a Preliminary Report on an Archeological Trip to the West Indies (XLV, no. 1429, 19M),
2SETH-07-2 17
18 THE ABORIGINES OF PORTO RICO lETH•.ANN.25

important acquisitions, with the many specimens obtained one or two

at a time by excavations or purchase, equaled in number the West
Indian objects previously existing in the Smithsonian collection,
which was already one of the largest in the world.
The collection made in 1904: wa.'! numerically somewhat smaller than
that of 1903, but not less important. It contains several unique
specimens that add greatly to the value of the material already acquired.
Small collections were brought from Cuba, Trinidad, Barbados, St
Vincent, and Grenada. The Neumann collection, which was the
largest purchased in 1904:, contains several rare specimens of types of
stone artifacts hitherto unrepresented in the United States National
Museum. Among the important objects obtained this year (1904)
are a fine effigy vase, three three-pointed idols presented by Senor
Zoller, of the Aguirre Central, near Ponce, and a collection of stone
implements from St Vincent, presented by Mr Jacobson, of Port of
Spain, Trinidad. While the collections now in Washington serve as
the basis of this article, the author has drawn some of his material
from published descriptions, of Porto Rican prehistoric objects in the
museums at New York, Copenhagen. Paris, Berlin, and London.
The author is indebted for assistance in his West Indian field work
to many friends, among whom should be specially mentioned Maj.
J. W. Powell, late Director of the Bureau of American Ethnology;
Dr W J McGee, formerly ethnologist in charge, and Prof. W. H.
Holmes, the present Chief. Numerous courtesies were extended to
him by officials in Porto Rico, as well as by local archeologists in that
and other islands. He takes this opportunity to express his thanks
to all those to whom he has been indebted in the preparation of this
work.
He is indebted to Senor Ramon Imbert, of Puerto Plata, Santo,
Domingo, for an opportunity to study the latter's collection and to make
use of sketches of several specimens; also to Senor Llenas, of Santiago
de los Caballeros, and to many others. Unfortunately, he has not been
able to examine the West Indian antiquities in European museums,
with the important exception of a few stone idols and implements in
the Museo Arqueol6gico, Madrid. These objects and some others
exhibited in the Exposici6n Hist6rico in that city in 1892 were exam-
ined by the author, who was able at that time to make sketches of
the most suggestive, which are pictured in the following pages. He
regrets that he has not been able to see several small private collections
of which he has information-those made. by Mr Suchert, Herr Kriig,
M. Pinart, and others. The best collection still remaining in Porto
Rico is owned by Padre Nazario, of Guayanilla, but there are several
smaller ones containing instructive material. Visits were made to
Guayanilla, where the author was hospitably received by Padre
Nazario and shown his collection, the result of a lifelong interest in
FEWKES] INTRODUCTION 19
Porto Rican archeology. It is particularly rich in unique amulets and
three-pointed stones and has some rare pottery objects and a few stone
collars. The many hieroglyphic markings on the stones that are most
highly prized by the owner were also examined by the author, who
does not consider them very ancient. In addition the author studied
collections in Havana, Santiago de Cuba, St Christopher, Barbados,
and in other places. Moreover, supplementary reading and study shed
some light on the significance of several specimens the use and mean-
ing of which had not been interpreted in the field.
A survey of all the results of his study and collecting, and compali-
son with the rich material available for that purpose in the Smithsonian
Institution, led the author to the belief that a comprehensive report
would be a desirable addition to the existing information on this
important subject and an aid to later students in this field of research.
It became evident on the very threshold of the preparation of this
report that there exists no comprehensive memoir in English on this
subject, and it was therefore regarded as desirable to enlarge its scope
so as to cover the whole ground; in other words, to give it a mono-
graphic form as far as possible, including the material available in the
Smithsonian Institution. For this reason there is here added to descrip-
tions of new objects a review of those in the Latimer collection, so weH
described by Professor Mason, whereby this work is made comprehen-
sive and, it is hoped, exhaustive, so far as the Washington collection
is concerned.
The author has used three methods of gathering knowledge on the
subject of this memoir: (1) The historical, (2) the ethnological, and (3)
the archeological.
The historical method deals with the published descriptions of the
Indians by contemporaries of the discoverers-men like Las Casas,a
who saw the aborigines before their manners and customs had suffered
very great changes. Documents specially describing the natives of
Porto Rico are few, but, as the same or a closely related race
inhabited the neighboring islands, it is legitimate to bring as an aid
to this method of research descriptions, which are many, of the
natives of these adjacent islands. It may be said in passing that all
accounts of the natives of Porto Rico are derived largely from the
writings of Las Casas, Ramon Pane, Benzoni, Oviedo, and Peter
Martyr, who have given detailed accounts of the natives of Haiti,
adding that whatever is true of the aborigines of this island holds also
a Obms del Obispo de la Cludad Real de Chlapa en las Indls.s, Sevilla, 1502. Reprinted as Historia
de las Indlas, escrita POI Fray lIartolom6 de las Casas, Obispo de Chlapa, I-V, Madrid,I875.
Las Casas was born in Seville, Spain, in 1474, and died in 1566. He accompanied Ovando to Haiti
and lived in the New World oft and on for sixty yea1'8. His history was written between the years
1627 and 1639. The writings of this sympathetic friend of the Indians are full of most valuable data
regarding the manners and customs of the aboriginal West Indians. He knew them from personal
acquaintance, and recorded his observations with completeness and accuracy. The history of Las
Casas contains quotations from Columbus's diary of his first voyage, constituting a mine oUnformation
regarding the aborigines not previously published.
Other documents randomly have
different content
 PHILADELPHIA:
URIAH HUNT, No. 19 NORTH THIRD STREET.

1832.
 THE EIGHTH BOOK. 1664-1667.
1664.
In the foregoing year we left G. Fox in Lancaster prison, where at
the sessions, the oath of allegiance being tendered to, and refused
by him, he was brought to his trial in the month called March, which
begins the year 1664. Being brought to the bar before judge
Twisden, he said, ‘Peace be amongst you all.’ At which the judge
looking upon him, said, ‘What! do you come into the court with your
hat on?’ Whereupon the jailer taking it off, G. Fox said, ‘The hat is
not the honour that comes from God.’ Then said the judge, ‘Will you
take the oath of allegiance?’ G. Fox answered, ‘I never took any oath
in my life.’ ‘Well,’ said the judge, ‘will you swear or no?’ G. Fox
replied, ‘I am a Christian, and Christ commands me not to swear;
and so doth the apostle James likewise; and whether I should obey
God or man, do thou judge.’ ‘I ask you again,’ said the judge,
‘whether you will swear or no?’ To which he made answer, ‘I am
neither Turk, Jew, nor Heathen, but a Christian, and should show
forth Christianity. Dost thou not know, (thus he went on,) that
Christians in the primitive times, under the ten persecutions, and
some also of the martyrs in queen Mary’s days, refused swearing,
because Christ and the apostle had forbidden it? Ye have experience
enough, how many men have sworn first to the king, and then
against him. But as for me, I have never taken an oath in all my life;
and my allegiance doth not lie in swearing, but in truth and
faithfulness: for I honour all men, much more the king. But Christ,
who is the great Prophet, who is the King of kings, the Saviour of
the world, and the great Judge of the whole world, he saith, I must
not swear. Now the point is, whether I must obey Christ, or thee. For
it is in tenderness of conscience, and in obedience to the command
of Christ, that I do not swear. And we have the word of a king for
tender consciences.’ G. Fox having spoken thus much, asked the
judge, if he did own the king? To which he said, ‘Yes, I do own the
king.’ ‘Why then,’ said he, ‘dost thou not observe his declaration from
Breda, and his promises made since he came into England, that no
man should be called in question for matters of religion, so long as
they lived peaceably? Now if thou ownest the king, why dost thou
call me into question, and put me upon taking an oath, seeing thou,
nor none, can charge me with unpeaceable living?’ The judge
looking angry, said, ‘Sirrah, will you swear?’ To which G. Fox told
him, ‘I am none of thy sirrahs; I am a Christian; and for thee, who
art an old man and a judge, to sit there and give nicknames to the
prisoners, doth not become either thy grey hairs or thy office.’ The
judge being a little more cool, after some words to and fro, said, ‘G.
Fox, say whether thou wilt take the oath, yea, or nay?’ To which he
replied, ‘If I could take any oath at all, I should take this: for I do
not deny some oaths only, or on some occasions, but all oaths,
according to Christ’s doctrine, who said, “Swear not at all.” Now if
thou, or any of you, or any of your ministers or priests here, will
prove that ever Christ or his apostle, after they had forbidden all
swearing, commanded Christians to swear, then I will swear.’ None of
the priests offering to speak, the judge said, ‘I am a servant to the
king, and the king sent me not to dispute with you, but to put the
laws in execution; and therefore I tender the oath of allegiance.’ G.
Fox continuing to refuse swearing, was sent again to prison. Two
days after, being brought again before the judge, it was asked him,
whether he would traverse or submit? To which G. Fox said, he
desired he might have liberty to traverse the indictment, and try it.
Then order was given to take him away, and he was kept in prison
till the next assizes.
Being prisoner in Lancaster castle, there was much talk of the Turk’s
great progress in Hungary, there being at that time a war between
the Emperor and the Turks; and many being afraid, he said to some,
that walking once in his chamber, he saw the Lord’s power turn
against the Turk, and that he was turning back again. And within a
month after news came that he was defeated. Another time, as he
was walking in the room, with his mind upon the Lord, he saw an
extraordinary great light, and looking up, he beheld an angel of the
Lord, with a glittering sword stretched southward, which shone so
bright, as if the court had been all on fire. Of which I have for proof
what he mentions of it in his journal, and also another small book he
gave out with the title of a Warning to England. Not long after a war
broke out between England and Holland, and some time after the
pestilence appeared at London, (which lies southwardly from
Lancaster,) and after two years that city by the fire was turned into
rubbish.
But I return to the Lancaster assizes. Margaret Fell, who was now a
widow, was also under confinement for refusing the oath of
allegiance. And G. Fox being in prison, wrote several papers to the
magistrates, in which he manifested the evil of persecution, and
exhorted to virtue and piety.
In the month called August, the assizes were held again at
Lancaster. G. Fox being brought thither, (judge Turner then sitting on
the crown-bench,) and being called to the bar, the judge asked the
justices, whether they had tendered him the oath at the foregoing
sessions? They saying they had, and having sworn it, the jury were
sworn too. Then the judge asked him, whether he had not refused
the oath at the last assizes? To which he answered, ‘I never took an
oath in my life; and Christ the Saviour and Judge of the world said,
“Swear not at all.” The judge seeming not to take notice of this
answer, asked him whether or no he had not refused to take the
oath at the last assizes? G. Fox maintaining the unlawfulness of
swearing, the judge said, he was not at that time to dispute whether
it was lawful to swear, but to inquire whether he had refused to take
the oath, or no. G. Fox then signifying that he did not disapprove the
things mentioned in the oath, said, ’Plotting against the king, and
owning the Pope’s, or any other foreign power, I utterly deny.’ ‘Well,’
said the judge, ‘you say well in that: but did you deny to take the
oath; what say you.’ ‘What wouldest thou have me to say?’ replied
he, ‘I have told thee before what I did say.’ After some more words
from both sides, the indictment was read. G. Fox having informed
himself of the errors that were in it, said, he had something to speak
to it, for there were many gross errors in it. The judge signified that
he would not hear him, but when he was at the point of giving
judgment, the jury going out, soon returned, and brought him in
guilty. Whereupon he told them, that both the justices and they too
had forsworn themselves; which caused such confusion in the court,
that the pronouncing judgment was delayed. Margaret Fell being
next brought to the bar, was also declared guilty.
The next day she and G. Fox were brought up again to receive
sentence. Her counsel pleading many errors in her indictment, she
was set by; and G. Fox then being called, showed himself unwilling
to let any man plead for him; which seemed to make some stop; yet
he was asked by the judge, what he had to say, why he should not
pass sentence upon him. At which he told him, ‘I am no lawyer, but
yet I have much to say, if thou wilt but have patience to hear?’
Thereupon those on the bench laughed, and said, ‘Come what have
you to say?’ Then he asked the judge whether the oath was to be
tendered to the king’s subjects, or to the subjects of foreign princes.
To which the judge said, ‘To the subjects of this realm.’ ‘Then,’ said
George, ‘look on the indictment, and ye may see that ye have left
out the word subject: and not having named me in the indictment as
a subject, ye cannot premunire me for not taking the oath.’ They
then looking to the statute, and the indictment, saw that it was as
he said, and the judge confessed that it was an error. Next G. F. told
him, he had something else to stop judgment; and he desired them
to look what day the indictment said the oath was tendered to him
at the sessions there? They looking, said it was the eleventh of
January. Then he asked, ‘What day of the week was that sessions
held on?’ ‘On a Tuesday,’ said they. To which G. F. said, ‘Look in your
almanac, and see whether there was any session held at Lancaster
on the eleventh of January.’ They looking, found that the eleventh
day was the day called Monday, and that the sessions were on the
day called Tuesday, which was the twelfth day of the said month:
‘Look ye now,’ said he, ‘ye have indicted me for refusing the oath in
the quarter-sessions held at Lancaster on the eleventh day of
January last, and the justices have sworn that they tendered me the
oath in open sessions here that day, and the jury upon their oath
have found me guilty thereupon; and yet ye see there was no
sessions held at Lancaster that day.’ The judge, to cover the matter,
asked, whether the sessions did not begin on the eleventh day? To
which some in the court answered, ‘No; the sessions held but one
day, and that was the twelfth.’ Then the judge said, this was a great
mistake, and an error. Some of the justices grew so angry at this,
that they seeming ready to have gone off the bench, stamped, and
said, ‘Who hath done this? Somebody hath done this on purpose.’
Then said G. F. ‘Are not the justices here that have sworn to this
indictment, forsworn men? But this is not all; I have more yet to
offer why sentence should not be given against me, in what year of
the king was it, that the last assizes, which was in the month called
March, was holden here?’ To this the judge said it was in the
sixteenth year of the king. ‘But,’ said G. Fox, ‘the indictment says it
was in the fifteenth year.’ This was also acknowledged to be an
error: but both judge and justices were in such a fret, that they
knew not what to say; for it had been sworn also, that the oath was
tendered to G. Fox at the assize mentioned in the indictment, viz. in
the fifteenth year of the king, whereas it was in the sixteenth; which
made G. Fox say, ‘Is not the court here forsworn also, they having
sworn a whole year false?’ Some other remarkable errors he
showed, which I, having no mind to be tedious, pass by with silence.
G. Fox then desiring justice, and saying, that he did not look for
mercy, the judge said, you must have justice, and you shall have
law: which made him ask, ‘Am I now free from all that hath been
done against me in this matter?’ ‘Yes,’ said the judge; but then
starting up in a rage he said, ‘I can put the oath to any man here;
and I will tender you the oath again.’ G. Fox then telling him, that he
had examples enough of yesterday’s swearing and false swearing;
‘For I saw before my eyes,’ said he, ‘that both justices and jury
forswore themselves;’ yet the judge asked him if he would take the
oath? But he replied, ‘Do me justice for my false imprisonment all
this while;’ for he had been locked up, as was well known, in a wet
and cold room, and therefore he said, ‘I ought to be set at liberty.’ At
which the judge said, ‘you are at liberty, but I will put the oath to
you again.’ G. Fox then turning himself about, said to the people,
‘Take notice, this is a snare; but I ought to be set free from the jailer,
and from this court.’ But the judge instead of hearkening to that,
cried, ‘Give him the book.’ G. Fox then taking the book, and looking
in it, said, ‘I see it is a bible, and I am glad of it.’ In the meanwhile
the jury being called by order of the judge, they stood by; for
though they had desired, after they had brought in their former
verdict, to be dismissed, yet he told them, he could not dismiss them
yet, because he should have business for them; and therefore they
must attend, and be ready. G. Fox, perceiving his intent, looking him
in the face, which made him blush: nevertheless he caused the oath
to be read, and then asked G. Fox whether he would take the oath
or no; to which he said, ‘Ye have given me a book here to kiss, and
to swear on; and this book says, kiss the Son; and the Son says in
this book, “Swear not at all,” and so says also the apostle James:
now I say, as the book says, and yet ye imprison me, for doing as
the book bids me. How chance ye do not imprison the book for
saying so? How comes it that the book is at liberty amongst you,
which bids me swear not? Why do not ye imprison the book also?’
Whilst he was speaking thus, he held up the bible open, to show the
place where Christ forbids swearing. But the book was taken from
him, and the judge said, ‘No, but we will imprison George Fox.’
This case was so singular, that it was spread over all the country, as
a by-word, that they gave G. Fox a book to swear on, that
commanded him not to swear at all, and that this book, viz. the
Bible, was at liberty, and he in prison, for doing as the Bible said. But
the judge urged him still to swear; to which G. Fox said, ‘I am a man
of a tender conscience; consider therefore, that it is in obedience to
Christ’s command that I cannot swear: but if any of you can
convince me, that after Christ and the apostle had commanded not
to swear, they did alter that command, and commanded Christians
to swear, then ye shall see I will swear.’ And he seeing there several
priests, said, ‘If ye cannot do it, let your priests do it.’ But none of
the priests said any thing; and the judge said, ‘All the world cannot
convince you.’ To which he replied, ‘How is it like the world should
convince me? For the whole world lies in wickedness: but bring out
your spiritual men, as ye call them, to convince me.’ Then the sheriff
and the judge said, that the angel swore in the Revelations. To
which G. Fox replied, ‘When God bringeth in his first-begotten Son
into the world, he saith, “Let all the angels of God worship him;” and
he said, “Swear not at all.”’—‘Nay,’ said the judge, ‘I will not dispute.’
Then he told the jury, it was for Christ’s sake that he could not
swear; and therefore he warned them not to act contrary to that of
God in their consciences, because they must all appear before his
judgment seat. After some more words spoken, the jailer took him
away.
In the afternoon he was brought up again: and the jury having
brought him in guilty of what he was charged within the indictment,
viz. his not taking the oath, the judge asked him, what he had to say
for himself. He then desired the indictment to be read; since he
could not answer to that which he had not heard. The clerk reading
it, the judge said, ‘Take heed it be not false again.’ But the clerk read
it in such a manner, that G. Fox could hardly understand what he
read. And when he had done, the judge asked G. Fox what he had
to say to the indictment. To which he said, ‘At once hearing so large
a writing read, and that at such a distance, that I could not distinctly
hear all the parts of it; I cannot well tell what to say to it: but if you
will let me have a copy of it, and give me time to consider, I shall
answer it.’ This put the court to a little stand; but at length the judge
asked him, what time he would have? And he answered, ‘Till the
next assize.’ ‘But,’ said the judge, ‘What plea will you make now; are
you guilty, or not guilty?’ To which he replied, ‘I am not guilty at all
of denying swearing obstinately and wilfully: and as for those things
mentioned in the oath, as jesuitical plots, and foreign powers, I
utterly deny them in my heart: and if I could take any oath, I should
take this; but I never took any oath in all my life.’ To this the judge
returned, ‘You say well; but the king is sworn, the parliament is
sworn, I am sworn, the justices are sworn, and the law is preserved
by oaths.’ On which G. Fox told him, they had had sufficient
experience of men’s swearing, and had seen how the justices and
jury swore wrong the other day: and continued he, ‘If thou hast read
in the book of Martyrs, how many of them did refuse to swear, both
within the time of the ten persecutions, and in bishop Bonner’s day,
thou mayest see that to deny swearing in obedience to Christ’s
command, is no new thing.’ To this the judge said, he wished the
laws were otherwise. G. Fox said then, ‘Our yea is yea, and our nay
is nay: and if we transgress our yea and our nay, let us suffer as
they do, or should do, that swear falsely. This I have offered to the
king, and the king said it was reasonable.’
After some further discourse, G. Fox was committed to prison again,
and Colonel Kirby ordered the jailer to keep him close, and to suffer
nobody to come to him, as one that was not fit to be discoursed
with. The jailer did not scruple to follow this order, for he locked him
up in a smoky tower, where the smoke of the other prisoners came
up so thick, that sometimes one could hardly see a burning candle;
so that there seemed to have been an intent to choke him; for the
turnkey could hardly be persuaded to unlock one of the upper doors
a little to let out the smoke. Besides this hardship, in wet weather it
rained in upon his bed to that degree, that his shirt grew wet. In this
pitiful condition he lay during a long cold winter, which so afflicted
him, that his body swelled, and his limbs were much benumbed.
Here we will leave him till he was brought again to his trial, which
was not before the next year.
But before I part with him, I must mention, that some time before
he had written several papers to the emperor, the kings of France
and Spain, and also to the pope. These writings were by somebody
else turned into Latin, and so given out in print. In these he levelled
chiefly against persecution for religion’s sake. He reproved the king
of Spain more especially, because of the inquisition, and the burning
of people: and he did not spare the pope, as being the spring of
these evils, saying, ‘Innocent blood hath long cried for vengeance to
the Lord: the earth almost swims with innocent blood; and the cry of
it is heard. Your frozen profession, and your cold winter images
being set up in your streets, the Lord God of power and death, and
of heaven and earth, will be avenged on thee, and you all; his day is
approaching. Ye great and rich cardinals and pope, ye have been fed
like fat hogs; and seeing that thou wouldest not receive the Lord’s
messengers, but threw them in prison, and in your inquisition, it may
be the Lord may give you a visit another way, for his dread is gone
out, and his zeal is kindled against you.—The fields are sprinkled
with the blood of the innocent, and ye are the aceldama, or the field
of blood. But the Lord is coming to take vengeance upon you; his
hand is stretched over your heads, and his power is gone over you;
with that he will rule you, and smite you down, and bring you that
are lofty from your seats, and abase your pride, and take the glory
to himself.—How much blood, which is unmeasurable, and cannot be
measured here, have ye drank since the days of the apostles, and
made yourselves drunk with it! But now is the indignation and wrath
of the Almighty come and coming upon you; and thou pope must
feel it. Tremble therefore, thou pope, tremble, fear, and quake thou
pope, tremble ye cardinals, tremble ye jesuits, tremble ye priors,
tremble ye monks and friars, of what rank soever, for the army of
the Lord God is coming over you, by whom ye shall be taken, and
dashed to pieces.’ These are but small sparkles of that flame which
G. Fox blew against the pope, intermixing his writings with many
demonstrations, that the Romish church was the whore of Babylon,
and that she it was that had defiled herself with idolatry and
superstition, and had bathed herself in the blood of the saints,
having furiously attacked them with sword and fire. This he
concluded with these words: ‘The plagues of God will be thy portion,
O pope, who hath deceived the nations: and all ye jesuits and
cardinals, howl, for your misery is coming, the mighty day of the
Lord God upon you all; the Lord God, who will be worshipped in
spirit and in truth, and with none of your inventions.’ Thus G. Fox
wrote in that day to the pope and his counsellors; and no wonder
that he paid dear for this sharp language against the head of the
church of Rome; for it may be believed, that a great many of the
court party, in those days, were either concealed Papists, or
favourers of them: and yet among the national clergy, and even
those of other persuasions, many branded the Quakers with the
odious name of secret Papists, thereby to make them incur the
hatred of the people.
Now I return to Francis Howgill, whom in the foregoing year we left
in prison at Appleby. It was in the forepart of this year that he was
brought to his trial. Being come into court before the judges sat, he
spoke to the clerk of the assizes, and told him, he did not know
whether they expected his appearance then or not: the clerk said,
‘You have done well,’ and that he would acquaint the judge, and he
should only engage to him to appear the next assizes, to answer the
indictment against him, and that he should not appear in court;
Francis bid him do what he would. In the meantime Sir Philip
Musgrave, (so called,) a great adversary to the Truth, and the great
and chief prosecutor of Francis, had informed the judges against
him, that he was a dangerous person, a ringleader, and a keeper up
of meetings of dangerous consequence, and destructive of the peace
of the nation; so then they concluded he should appear in court; and
so the clerk informed him, and told him about what time he should
be called. So the court began; judge Twisden gave the charge to the
grand jury, in which he said, there was a sort of people, who under
pretence of conscience and religion, seemed to build upon the king’s
declaration from Breda, and under colour of this hatched treasons
and rebellions, and gave the jury charge to inquire and present such,
that the peace of the nation might be preserved; so they impanneled
the jury, and Francis was called to the bar, and the judge spake as
followeth:
 Judge, speaking calmly to him, said, the face of things was much
altered since the last assizes, and made a large speech to him
and the country, telling him, that all sects under pretence of
conscience did violate the laws, and hatched rebellions, ‘Not,
(saith he,) that I have any thing to charge you with; but seeing
the oath of allegiance was tendered to you the last assizes, and
you refused to take it, it was looked upon that such persons were
enemies to the king and government;’ and said, ‘I will not trouble
you now to answer to your indictment, but I must do that the
next assizes; in the meantime you must enter into recognizance
for your good behaviour.’
To which F. H. answered, I desire liberty to speak, which he had
without interruption, and said as followeth:
F. H. Judge Twisden, thou very well knowest upon how slender
an account, or none, I was brought before thee the last assizes,
where thou wert pleased to tender me the oath of allegiance,
though I believe both thou and the rest of the court, did know it
was a received principle among us not to swear at all; many
reasons I gave thee then, many more I have to add, if I may
have audience; for it may appear to you an absurd thing, and
obstinacy in me to refuse it, if I should not tender a reason; I
am, (said he,) none of those that make religion a cloak of
maliciousness, nor conscience a cloak to carry on plots or
conspiracies, the Lord hath redeemed me and many more out of
such things, and seeing I am engaged to appear at the next
assizes, I desire no further thing may be required of me.
Judge. You must enter into bond this dangerous time, and
therefore consider of it, and tell me now, or before the assizes
end.
The second day of the assizes he was called again.
F. H. Seeing thou art pleased to let me answer to the indictment,
which I am willing to do, I have been of good behaviour, and
shall so continue; but it seems a hard thing to me, and full of
severity, that seeing I am obliged to appear to answer an
indictment of so high a nature, (if prosecuted against me,) which
tends to the loss of my liberty for life, and my estate forever, I
hope the court will not envy my liberty for five months.
Judge Turner said, We do not desire your imprisonment, if you
will be of good behaviour.
F. H. pressed that they would not put him upon giving bond to be
of good behaviour, knowing himself to be bound by the truth,
that he could not misbehave himself.
One Daniel Flemming, another persecuting justice, had framed
another indictment against him for meeting, and stood up,
(fearing the snare of giving bond would not hold,) and said as
followeth:
D. Flemming. My lord, he is a great speaker, it may be the
Quakers cannot want him.
Judge. Let him be what he will, if he will enter into bond.
F. H. said he had nothing to accuse himself of, for his conscience
bore him witness that he loved peace, and sought it with all men.
Judges both spake. What do you tell of conscience? We meddle
not with it; but you contemn the laws, and keep up great
meetings, and go not to church.
F. H. We are fallen in a sad age; if meeting together peaceably,
without arms, or force, or intention of hurt to any man, only to
worship God in Spirit, and exhort one another to righteousness,
and to pray together in the Holy Ghost, as the primitive
Christians of old, that this should be reckoned breach of peace
and misbehaviour.
Judge Twisden. Do you compare these times with them? They
were heathens that persecuted, but we are Christian magistrates.
F. H. It is a doctrine always held by us, and a received principle
which we believe, that Christ’s kingdom could not be set up with
carnal weapons; nor the gospel propagated by force of arms, nor
the church of God built with violence; but the Prince of Peace
was manifested amongst us, and we could learn war no more,
but could love enemies, and forgive them that did evil to us.
Philip Musgrave stood up, and said, ‘My Lord, we have been
remiss towards this people, and have striven with them, and put
them in prison again and again, and fined them, and as soon as
they are out they meet again.’
Then stood up John Lowther, called a justice, and said, ‘My Lord,
they grow insolent, notwithstanding all laws, and the execution
of them, yet they grow upon us, and their meetings are
dangerous.’
Philip Musgrave stood up, and produced a paper, (and justice
Flemming, so called, seconded him,) in great capital letters, and
gave it the judge; he told the judge, that it happened some
Quakers were sent to prison, and one of them died at Lancaster,
and they carried his corpse through the country, and set that
paper upon his coffin, ‘This is the body of such an one, who was
persecuted by Daniel Flemming till death.’
Judge. We have spent much time with you; I will discourse no
more.
F. H. I acknowledge your moderation towards me, allowing me
liberty to speak; I shall not trouble you much longer; I shall be
willing to appear to answer to the indictment at the assizes, and
in the meantime to live peaceably and quietly, as I have done, if
that will satisfy.
Judge. You must enter into bond to come at no more meetings.
F. H. I cannot do that; if I should, I were treacherous to God and
my own conscience, and the people and you would but judge me
a hypocrite.
They were loth to commit him, yet at last they did.
This was in the latter part of the month called March, and he was
kept about five months as before in a bad room, and none suffered
to speak with him, but who got secretly to him without the jailer’s
knowledge.
It was about this time that John Audland departed this life. He and
his bosom friend, John Camm, (whose decease was some years
before,) had travelled much together in the ministry of the gospel:
therefore I will give an uninterrupted relation of their latter end; but
first that of John Camm.
He was of very good parentage, born at Camsgil, in the barony of
Kendal in Westmoreland, which seat had been possessed by his
ancestors long before him. From his childhood he was inclined to be
religious, and seeking after the best things, he joined with those that
were the most strict in performing religious duties. And having
afterwards heard G. Fox, he embraced as truth the doctrine he
preached, and growing up in it, he himself became an eminent
minister of the gospel among those called Quakers. He and his
bosom friend John Audland, were the first of that society who
preached at Bristol, where having been in the meetings of the
Baptists and Independents, they also had meetings in several places
without the city, where there was a great concourse of people, and
many received their doctrine. Since that time these two ministers
travelled much together, and many were convinced by their ministry.
But at length John Camm, who did not spare himself, began to fall
under a kind of consumption, insomuch that through weakness he
was fain to stay at home; and then he often called his children and
family together, exhorting them to godliness, and praying to the Lord
for them. Some weeks before his death, he once expressed himself
thus: ‘How great a benefit do I enjoy above many, having such a
large time of preparation for death, being daily dying, that I may live
for ever with my God, in that kingdom that is unspeakably full of
glory. My outward man daily wastes and moulders down, and draws
towards its place and centre; but my inward man revives, and
mounts upwards towards its place and habitation in the heavens.’
The morning that he departed this life, he called his wife, children,
and family, to him, and exhorting them to fear the Lord, to love his
truth, to walk in it, and to be loving and kind to one another, telling
them that his glass was run, the time of his departure was come;
and he was to enter into everlasting ease, joy, and rest: charging
them all to be patient and content with their parting with him. And
so fainting, he passed into a sweet sleep; but by the weeping and
crying of those about him, he awakened, and desired to be helped
up a little in his bed, and then he spoke to this effect: ‘My dear
hearts, ye have wronged me and disturbed me, for I was at sweet
rest; ye should not so passionately sorrow for my departure; this
house of earth and clay must go to its place; and this soul and spirit
is to be gathered up to the Lord, to live with him for ever, where we
shall meet with everlasting joy.’ Then taking leave of his family, he
charged them to be content with his departure; and lying down,
within a little time deceased.
His beloved friend John Audland, (who often bemoaned the loss of
so dear a companion,) died also of a kind of consumption: for his
ardent zeal made him strain his voice beyond what his body was well
able to hear. In a meeting, which he once had with J. Camm, in a
field without Bristol, where Charles Marshall was one of his auditors,
after J. Camm had left off speaking, he stood up, with an awful and
shining countenance: and lifting up his voice as a trumpet, he said,
‘I proclaim a spiritual war with the inhabitants of the earth, who are
in the fall and separation from God, and I prophesy to the four winds
of heaven.’ Thus he went on with mighty power, exhorting to
repentance; and spoke with such a piercing authority, that some of
the auditory fell on the ground, and cried out under the sense of
their transgression. And when at Bristol he many times preached in
an orchard to a great multitude, he would lift up his voice
exceedingly, in order to be heard by all. Thus he spent his natural
strength, though he was but a young man. About the twentieth year
of his age, he married with one Anne Newby, of Kendal, a virtuous
maid, not only of good family, but also excelling in piety, and
therefore she freely gave him up to travel in the service of the
gospel, notwithstanding his company was very dear to her; which
made her say, that she believed few ever enjoyed a greater blessing
in a husband so kind and affectionate. And how heartily and tenderly
she loved him, may be seen by the following letter she wrote to him.
 ‘Dear Husband,
‘Thou art dearer to me than ever; my love flows out to thee,
even the same love that I am loved withal of my Father. In that
love salute me to all my friends, for dear you are all unto me; my
life is much refreshed in hearing from you. I received thy letters,
and all my soul desireth is to hear from thee in the life; dear
heart, in life dwell, there I am with thee out of all time, out of all
words, in the pure power of the Lord, there is my joy and
strength; O! how am I refreshed to hear from thee, to hear of
thy faithfulness and boldness in the work of the Lord. O! dear
heart, I cannot utter the joy I have concerning thee; thy
presence I have continually in spirit, therewith am I filled with
joy; all glory and honour be to our God for ever. O! blessed be
the day in which thou wast born, that thou art found worthy to
labour in the work of the Lord. Surely the Lord hath found thee
faithful in a little, therefore he hath committed much unto thee;
go on in the name and power of the Lord Jesus Christ, from
whence all strength cometh, to whom be all glory, and honour
for ever. O! dear heart, go on, conquering and to conquer,
knowing this, that thy crown is sure. So, dear heart, now is the
time of the Lord’s work, and few are willing to go forth into it. All
the world lieth in wickedness, doing their own work; but blessed
be the Lord for ever, who hath called us from doing our own
work, into his great work. O! marvellous are his works, and his
ways past finding out. O! dear heart, thou knowest my heart,
thou mayest read daily how that I rejoice in nothing more than in
thy prosperity in the work of the Lord: Oh! it is past my utterance
to express the joy I have for thee. I am full, I am full of love
towards thee, never such love as this; the mighty power of the
Lord go along with thee, and keep thee faithful and valiant, and
bold in his pure counsel, to stand single out of all the world. O!
dear heart, all my love to thee is purer than gold seven times
purified in the fire: O! pure is he that hath loved us, therefore let
purity and holiness cover us for ever. A joyful word it was to me,
to hear that thou wast moved to go for Bristol: O my own heart,
 my own life! in that which now stands, act and obey, that thou
mayest stand upon thy alone guard; so, dear heart, let thy
prayers be for me, that I may be kept pure out of all
temptations, singly to dwell in the life: so farewell.
ANNE AUDLAND.’
By this letter it appears, that there was an endeared mutual love
between this virtuous couple. He was a man of great knowledge, but
when his understanding came to be opened by the preaching of G.
Fox, he would say, sometimes, ‘Ah, what have we been doing! Or
what availeth our great profession? All our building tumbles down;
our profession is high as the wind; the day of the Lord is upon it,
and his word, as a fire, consumes it as dry stubble; and puts an end
to all empty professions and high notions, without life or substance;
to all the wisdom of fallen man. We must forsake the world, and all
its glory; it is all but vanity and vexation of spirit: it is a Saviour that
I long for; it is him that my soul pants after. O that I may be
gathered into his life, and overshadowed with his glory, sanctified
throughout by his word, and raised up by his eternal power!’ He
continuing in this state of daily supplication and inward travail of
soul, it pleased the Lord at length to furnish him with an
extraordinary qualification to proclaim his word, which he did some
years faithfully, and with great zeal. And though his wife loved him
dearly, and preferred his company above what the world could give;
yet in regard of his gospel service, she gave him up freely to be
much from home; whereby during a great part of the time of their
marriage, she had not his desirable company.
In the meanwhile he laboured diligently in the Lord’s harvest, till his
bodily strength failing, and meeting with hard imprisonments, he
was seized with a most violent cough, which was followed by a fever,
so that his sleep was taken from him, which made him grow very
weak; but he bore his sickness with great patience, and said once,
that in those great meetings in the orchard at Bristol, he often forgot
himself, not considering the inability of his body, from a desire to be
heard by all: but that his reward was with him, and he content to be
with the Lord, which his soul valued above all things. Not long
before his departure, being visited by some of his friends, he spoke
so comfortably, and with such power, as one that was beyond the
feeling of his weakness. To his wife, who was big with child, and
nigh her delivery, well knowing how tenderly she loved him, he said,
‘My will is in true subjection, submitting to the will of the Lord,
whether life or death; and therefore give me up freely to his
disposing.’ And she, how dear soever he was to her, did so; which
gave him some ease, seeing her sincere resignedness; and being
sometimes overcome with joy, he praised God in his sickness; nay so
ardent was his zeal, that once, though very weak, he desired to be
helped up in bed upon his knees; and thus he fervently supplicated
the Lord in the behalf of his churches, that they might be preserved
in the truth, out of the evil of the world, and that his gospel might
spread, and be published to the gathering of all that pertain to
Israel. His strength now diminishing daily, he sweetly departed at
the age of thirty-four years, about three weeks after the fever first
seized him. And his widow, who ten days after his decease was
delivered of a son, behaved herself discreetly, and said afterwards in
a paper concerning him: ‘The eternal God, who by his providence,
joined us together in marriage, in our young days, in his blessed
counsel also caused his day to spring from on high upon us: in the
marvellous light, and bright shining whereof, he revealed his Son
Christ in us, and gave us faith to believe in him, the eternal word of
life, by which our souls came to be quickened, and made alive in
him: and also in and by the quickening of his holy power, were made
one in a spiritual and heavenly relation, our hearts being knit
together in the unspeakable love of truth, which was our life, joy,
and delight, and made our days together exceeding comfortable: as
being that whereby all our temporal enjoyments were sanctified, and
made a blessing to us. How hard it was, and how great a loss, to
part with so dear and tender an husband as he was to me, is far
beyond what I can express: the dolour of my heart, my tongue or
pen is not able to declare. Yet in this I contented myself, that it was
the will of the Lord that he was taken from the evil; and that my
loss, though great, was not to be compared to his eternal gain.’ This
widow, in process of time, was married to Thomas Camm, son of
John Camm, her former husband’s bosom friend. She was indeed a
woman of great virtue, but now I part with her, with intention to say
more of her when I shall come to the time of her decease.
I return to Francis Howgill, whom we left in prison, and who now
appeared again at the assizes, which were holden at Appleby, in the
month called August. And he having got liberty to speak with the
clerk of the assizes, who told him, that he must prepare himself to
come to a trial, answered, he was prepared, but thought that all he
could say, would little avail, believing they purposed to prosecute
him with all severity: which proved so, as will appear by what
follows; for the county justices had incensed the judges against him
beforehand. Yet Howgill endeavoured all he could to convince them
of his innocency; and to that end drew up the substance of the oath
into several heads which he could subscribe to; to this he joined
another paper to judge Turner, showing the cause of his first
commitment and the former proceedings against him: and how
unequal it was to prosecute him upon a statute made against popish
recusants. He also signified in that paper, that he was a man of a
tender spirit, and feared the Lord from a child, and he had never
taken any oath but once in his life, which was twenty years ago; and
that his refusing to take the oath of allegiance, was not in any evil
intent to the king’s person or government, but merely upon a
conscientious account, and that he could not swear, being otherwise
persuaded of the Lord, seeing it was against the command of Christ,
and the apostle James’s doctrine. Besides, that he was able to make
it evident to be against the example of the primitive Christians for
divers hundred years, and so no new opinion. That he did neither in
wilfulness nor obstinacy refuse it, being sensible of the damage that
would come thereby, if they did prosecute him upon that statute, he
having a wife and children, and some small estate, which he knew
lay at stake in the matter; but that though it were his life also, he
could not revolt from, or deny that which he had most certainly
believed in; but if any could convince him either by scripture or
reason, he had an ear to hear. And therefore all those things
considered, he desired he might he dismissed from his bonds, and
from their persecution of him upon that account. These papers were
delivered to the judges and justices before he appeared in court,
and were read by them. He then being called to the bar at the
assizes holden at Appleby, judge Turner said to him, ‘Here is an
indictment against you for refusing to take the oath of allegiance; so
you must plead to it, either guilty or not guilty.’
F. H. with a heart girded up with strength and courage, said,
‘Judge Turner, may I have liberty to speak, and make my
defence, for I have none to plead my cause but the Lord?’
Judge. You may.
F. H. I will lay the true state of my case before thee, and of the
proceedings against me from the first, seeing judge Twisden is
not here, who had knowledge of all the proceedings hitherto. I
am a countryman, born and brought up in this country; my
carriage and conversation is known, how I have walked
peaceably towards all men, as I hope my countrymen can testify.
About a year ago being at my neighbouring market-town about
my reasonable and lawful occasions, I was sent for by an high
constable out of the market to the justices of peace, before
whom I went; and when I came there, they had nothing to lay to
my charge, but fell to ask me questions to ensnare me about our
meetings; and when they could find no occasion, they seemed to
tender the oath of allegiance to me, though they never read it to
me, neither did I positively deny it, yet they committed me to
prison; and so I was brought hither to this assize, and then the
mittimus by which I was committed, was called for, and the judge
read it, and said to the justices it was insufficient: nevertheless
judge Twisden tendered the oath of allegiance to me; many
things I did allege then, and many more I have to say now, if
time will permit: from that time I was under an engagement to
appear at the next assizes, and so was called, and did appear at
the last jail-delivery, and a further obligation was required of me
for good behaviour, which I could not give, lest I should be
brought into a further snare; and since that time I have been
committed prisoner these five months, of which time I have been
kept under great restraint, my friends not permitted to speak to
me: and thus briefly I have given thee an account hitherto. As to
the oath, the substance thereof, with the representation of my
case, is presented to the court already, unto which I have set my
hand, and also shall in those words testify the same in open
court, if required; and seeing it is the very substance the law
doth require I desire it may be accepted, and I cleared from my
imprisonment.
Judge. I am come to execute the law, and the law requires an
oath, and I cannot alter it; do you think the law must be changed
for you, or only for a few; if this be suffered, the administration
of justice is hindered, no action can be tried, nor evidence given
for the king, nor other particular cases tried; and your principles
are altogether inconsistent with the law and government; I pray
you show me which way we shall proceed, show me some
reason, and give me some ground.
F. H. I shall: in the mouth of two or three witnesses every truth is
confirmed; and we never denied to give, and still are ready to
give evidence for the king wherein we are concerned, and in any
other matter for the ending of strife between man and man in
truth and righteousness, and this answers the substance of the
law.
Judge. Is this a good answer, think you? whether to be given
with or without oath: the law requires an oath.
F. H. Still evidence is and may be given in truth, according to the
substance of the law, so that no detriment cometh unto any
party, seeing that true testimony may be borne without an oath;
and I did not speak of changing the law: yet seeing we never
refused giving testimony, which answereth the intent and
substance of the law, I judged it was reasonable to receive our
testimony, and not to expose us to such sufferings, seeing we
scrupled an oath only upon a conscientious account, in
tenderness of conscience, for fear of breaking the command of
Christ, the Saviour of the world, which if we do, there is none of
you able to plead our cause for us with him.
Judge. But why do not you go to church, but meet in houses and
private conventicles, which the law forbids.
F. H. We meet together only for the worship of the true God in
Spirit and Truth, having the primitive Christians for our example,
and to no other end, but that we may be edified, and God
glorified; and when two or three are met together in the name of
Christ, and he in the midst of them, there is a church.
Judge. That is true: but how long is it since you have been at
church? Or will you go to the church the law doth allow of? Give
me some reasons why you do not go.
F. H. I have many to give thee, if thou hast patience to hear me:
first, God dwells not in temples made with men’s hands.
Secondly, the parish house hath been a temple for idols, to wit,
for the mass and the rood; and I dare have no fellowship with
idols, nor worship in idols’ temples; for what have we to do with
idols, their temples and worship?
Judge. Were there not houses called the houses of God, and
temples?
F. H. Yes, under the law; but the Christians, who believed in
Christ, separated from these, (and the temple was made and left
desolate,) and from the Gentiles’ temples too, and met together
in houses, and broke bread from house to house; and the church
was not confined then to one particular place, neither is it now;
many more things I have to say: the judge interrupted.
Judge. Will you answer to your indictment?
F. H. I know not what it is, I never heard it, though I have often
desired a copy.
Judge. Clerk, read it.
So he read it: how that F. H. had wilfully, obstinately, and
contemptuously denied to swear when the oath was tendered.
F. H. I deny it.
Judge. What do you deny?
F. H. The indictment.
 Judge. Did you not deny to swear? And the indictment convicts
you that you did not swear.
F. H. I gave unto the court the substance of the oath, as you all
know. Secondly, I told you I did not deny it out of obstinacy or
wilfulness, neither in contempt of the king’s law or government;
for my will would rather choose my liberty, than bonds; and I am
sensible it is like to be a great damage to me; I have a wife and
children, and some estate, which we might subsist upon, and do
good to others, and I know all this lies at stake; but if it were my
life also, I durst not but do as I do, lest I should incur the
displeasure of God; and do you judge I would lose my liberty
wilfully, and suffer the spoiling of my estate, and the ruining of
my wife and children in obstinacy and wilfulness? Surely nay.
Judge. Jury, you see he denies the oath, and he will not plead to
the indictment, only excepts against it because of the form of
words, but you see he will not swear, and yet he says he denies
the indictment, and you see upon what ground.
And then they called the jailer to witness and swear that at the last
assizes F. H. did refuse, &c. which he did; and the jury, without
going from the bar, gave in their verdict, guilty, and then the court
broke up that night.
The next day towards evening, when they had tried all the prisoners,
Francis was brought to the bar to receive his sentence.
Judge stood up and said, ‘Come, the indictment is proved against
you, what have you to say why sentence shall not be given?’
F. H. I have many things to say, if you will hear them. First, as I
have said, I denied not out of obstinacy or wilfulness, but was
willing to testify the truth in this matter of obedience, or any
other matter wherein I was concerned. Secondly, because
swearing was directly against the command of Christ. Thirdly,
against the doctrine of the apostle. Fourthly, even some of your
principal pillars of the church of England; as bishop Usher, some
time primate of Ireland, he said in his works, the Waldenses did
deny all swearing in their age, from that command of Christ and
the apostle James, and it was a sufficient ground; and Dr.
Gauden, late bishop of Exeter, in a book of his I lately read, he
cited very many ancient fathers, to show, that the first three
hundred years Christians did not swear, so that it is no new
doctrine.
To which the court seemed to give a little ear, and said nothing,
but talked one to another, and Francis stood silent, and then the
judge said,
Judge. Sure you mistake.
F. H. I have not the books here.
Judge. Will you say upon your honest word they denied all
swearing?
F. H. What I have said is true.
Judge. Why do you not come to church, and hear service, and be
subject to the law, and to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s
sake?
F. H. We are subject, and for that cause we do pay taxes, tribute,
and custom, and give unto Cæsar the things that are his, and
unto God the things that are his, to wit, worship, honour, and
obedience; and if thou mean the parish assembly, I tell thee
faithfully, I am persuaded, and upon good ground, their teachers
are not the ministers of Christ, neither their worship the worship
of God.
Judge. Why; it may be for some small things in the service, you
reject it all.
F. H. First, it is manifest they are time-servers, one while
preaching up that for divine service to people, that another while
they cry down, as popish, superstitious and idolatrous; and that
which they have preached up twenty years together, made
shipwreck of all in a day; and now again call it divine, and would
have all compelled to that themselves once made void.
Judge. Why; never since the king came in?
F. H. Yes, the same men that preached it down once, now cry it
up; for they are so unstable and wavering, that we cannot
believe they are the ministers of Christ. Secondly, they teach for
hire, and live by forced maintenance, and would force a faith
upon men, contrary to Christ and his apostle’s rule, who would
have every one persuaded in their own minds, and said,
whatsoever is not of faith is sin; and yet they say, faith is the gift
of God; and we have no such faith given; but yet they would
force theirs upon us, and because we cannot receive it, they cry,
you are not subject to authority and the laws, and nothing but
confiscations, imprisonment and banishment is threatened, and
this is their greatest plea; I could mention more particulars; then
the judge interrupted.
Judge. Well, I see you will not swear, nor conform, nor be
subject, and you think we deal severely with you, but if you will
be subject, we should not need.
F. H. I do so judge indeed, that you deal severely with us for
obedience to the commands of Christ; I pray thee canst thou
show me how any of those people, for whom the act was made,
have been proceeded against by this statute, though I envy no
man’s liberty.
Judge. Oh yes, I can instance you many up and down the
country that are premunired, I have done it myself, pronounced
sentence against divers.
F. H. What, against Papists?
Judge. No.
F. H. What, against the Quakers? So I have heard indeed; though
then that statute was made against Papists, thou lettest them
alone, and executest it against the Quakers.
Judge. Well, you will meet in great numbers, and do increase,
but there is a new statute will make you fewer.
F. H. Well, if we must suffer, it is for Christ’s sake, and for well
doing.
Francis then being silent, the judge pronounced the sentence,
but spake so low, that the prisoner, though near to him, could
scarce hear it.
The sentence was, You are put out of the king’s protection, and
the benefit of the law, your lands are confiscated to the king
during your life; and your goods and chattels for ever, and you to
be prisoner during your life.
F. H. A hard sentence for my obedience to the commands of
Christ; the Lord forgive you all.
So he turned from the bar; but the judge speaking, he turned
again, and many more words passed to the same purpose, as
before: at last, the judge rose up and said.
Judge. Well, if you will yet be subject to the laws, the king will
show you mercy.
F. H. The Lord hath showed mercy unto me, and I have done
nothing against the king, nor government, nor any man, and
blessed be the Lord, and therein stands my peace; for it is for
Christ’s sake I suffer, and not for evil doing. And so the court
broke up. The people were generally moderate, and many were
 sorry to see what was done against him; but Francis signified
how contented and glad he was, that he had any thing to loose
for the Lord’s precious Truth, of which he had publicly borne
testimony, and that he was now counted worthy to suffer for it.
This he did cheerfully, and died in bonds, after above four years
imprisonment, as may be related in its due time. He was a man of
learning, and a great writer among his fellow believers; insomuch,
that during his confinement he wrote not only several edifying
epistles to exhort them to constancy and steadfastness, in the
doctrine of Truth, but also some books to refute the opposers of it.
We have here seen how the judge said, there is a new statute which
will make you fewer. This statute bore the title of an act to prevent
and suppress seditious conventicles. And though the act made two
years before did extend to banishment, yet that punishment was
renewed, and expressed more at large in this, which was as
followeth:
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