The Publisher to the Reader.

BEfore you come to the Authors own Epistle, and Narration, I shall mention some remarkable passages, which I had from his own mouth, and finde them not mentioned in his writing; and I can assure thee this Relation is no feigned story, or fa∣ble, but thou hast it presented to thy view, as I received it from the Au∣thor himselfe, with all the Verses of his own composing.

This Roger Crab is well known to many in this City and the Coun∣try; and while this Booke was printing, he stayed purposely here in the City till it was published, and I think is in Towne still; he lodged at the Golden Anchor in white Crosse Street, at one Mr. Carters house a Glo∣ver, where divers people resorted to see him, where such as doubt of it may be satisfied. I am informed by himselfe and others, how that three years since: Hee was a Haberdasher of Hats, and kept a Shop at Chesham, in Buckingamshire; and hath since given over his Trade, and sold his Estate, and given it to the poore, reserving a small matter to himselfe, being a single man, and now liveth at Icknam, neare Uxbridge, one a small Roode of ground, for which he payeth fifty shil∣lings a year and hath a mean Cottage of hiis own building to it; but that which is most strange and most to be admired, is his strange reserved, and Hermeticall kinde of life, in refusing to eat any sort of flesh, and saith it is a sinne against his body and soul to eat flesh, or to drinke any Beer, Ale, or Wine; his dyet is onely such poore homely foode as his own Rood of ground beareth, as Corne, Bread, and bran, Hearbs, Roots, Dock-leaves, Mallowes, and grasse, his drink is water, his aparrell is as meane also, he weares a sackcloth frock, and no band on his neck: and this he saith is out of conscience, and in obedience to that command of Christ, to the young man in the Gospell, and in imitation of the Prophets, and the Re∣cabites in Jer. 35. who neither planted vinyards, nor builded houses, nor drank wine, and were highly commended by the Lord for it: I reaso∣ned the case with him, & told him that I conceived Christs meaning when he bad the young man sell all he had and give to the poore, was, that he should part with all his dearest Sinnes, that were as dear to him as his possessions, or else to try him for his coveteousnesse; he answered, how can a man give that money to the poor which he selleth his sinnes for: I Page  [unnumbered] perceive he is well read in the Scriptures, he hath argued strongly with severall Ministers in the Country, about this and other straing opinions which he holds; but I will not be so tedious to the reader as to mention them all; he approves of civill Magistracy, and is neither for the Leve∣lers, nor Quakers, nor Shakers, nor Ranters, but above Ordinances. He was seven years in the Warres for the Parliament; he is the more to be admired that he is alone in this opinion of eating, which though it be an error, it is an harmelesse error. I have heard since this was in the Presse that Cap. Norwood was acquainted with Roger Crab, and be∣ing enclining to his opinion, began to follow the same poore diet till it cost him his life; Felix quam facit alienem pericula cautem. In the Primitive times we read of such persons that were weake, who did eate hearbs, and made a great scruple of eating flesh; but the Apostle saith, That every creature of God is good, if it be received with thankefulnesse, 1 Tim. 4. 4. And in 1 Cor. 8. 13. saith he, If meat make my bro∣ther to offend, I will eate none while the world stands. And iin Rom. 4. 2, 3, 4. One believeth that he may eate all things, ano∣ther who is weake eateth hearbs, let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not, &c. The reason why this man betooke himselfe to this Hermites reserved life, he saith was, that he might be more free from sinne, as lust, pride; and because of the many lyes, swearing, and deceiving that is too too frequently used by most Shop-keepers & Trades∣men, as the Prophet complains in Hos. 4. 1, 2, 3. For the Lord hath a controversie with the inhabitants of the Land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God, but by swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and whoring, they breake out, and blood toucheth blood; therefore shall the land mourn, &c. But however, we may see how apt men are to erre, both on the right hand and on the left, and to run into extreams, yet of the two extreams this is the better, and more tolerable which this English Hermite hath chosen, rather then that of our English Anticks, and Prodigalls, who give themselves over to run into all excesse of ryot and uncleannesse, com∣mitting all sorts of wickednesse with greedinesse; Some given up to drun∣kennesse, others to whoredome, and a third sort to gluttony, as of late dayes it was reported of one Wood, called the great Eater of Kent, who could eate a whole sheep at a meale, besides other victualls; Also Mr. Marriot, the great Eater of Grays Inne, was such another glutton. Eu∣sebius reports of one Domitius, who receiving more meate at supper then his stomacke could disgest, or his belly containe, dyed suddenly sitting Page  [unnumbered] at the Table: and Doctor Taylor, that famous Preacher of Alderman∣bury, in his Booke of the Theatre of Gods judgments, makes mention of Maximinus the Emperour, who was given to such excesse and gluttony, that every day for his allowance he had forty pound of flesh and bread an∣swerable, and five gallons of wine for his drinke, which he constantly de∣voured, besides fallets and made dishess.

Also the Emperour Bonesus would drinke healths, and eate excessive∣ly; both these came to miserable ends, this Emperour was hanged, and the former cut in pieces by his Souldiers, see more at large in the second part of that booke, page 102. I will adde but one more Relation hee mentions, which had I not so good an Author for, I should not give credit to it: A rich Citizens sonne having left him by his Father thirty thousand pounds in ready money besides Jewels, Plate, and Houses richly furnished, was so prodigall as to consume all his whole estate in three yeares, and hee had a great longing to please all his five Sences at once, and did accomplish it, allowing to each Sence a severall hundred pound, it would be too tedious to mention all the story; hee grew at last to all debauchednesse that could be named, and was forced shamefully to beg of his acquaintance, and was after prest for a common Souldier, see pa∣the last of that Booke above mentioned. I shall no longer detaine the Rea∣der from the Hermits relation; these things I thought would be most per∣tinent to impart to thee, hoping thou wilt make this good use of it, by avoyding these two Extreams, and walking in the golden meane of rtue godlinesse, which hath the promise of this life, and of that which is to come. Vale.

One more remarkable thing hee told me: That when hee was in Clarken-well Prison, the 17. of this January, 1654. His Keeper having a prejudice against him, and orde∣red the Prisoners not to let him have bread with his water, and shut him downe in the hole all night. The next morning, being something hungry, walking in the Prisonyard, there came a Spannell and walked after him three or foure turnes, with a peece of bread in his mouth: He looked upon him, and wondered why the Dog walked (as he thought) with a Chip in his mouth: He looked at the Dogge, and he layd it downe: and percei∣ving it was bread, he walked away againe, and the Dog walked after him with it a∣gaine: then he stooped, and the Dog layd it downe to his hand, then he tooke and wi∣ped it, and eate it.

Epist. l. 18. leave out 50. s. a year

Page  [unnumbered] TO Mr. Godbold, Preacher at Ʋxbridge in Middlesex, I Dedicate this my Dis∣course, Because he was my friend to help conquer my old man, by inform∣ing my friends of Chesham, That I was a Witch, and was run away, and would never come againe. You being a publick Preacher, may doe me greater service in helping me to dishonour him; for I have been almost 3. years conquering my old man by dishonour. Therefore if you can stirre up any more to forward this work, pray do, if it be not hurtfull to your self, and they that do so. I rest,