CHAP. VIII. How the Author had like to have been received into the Kings Service, and what means be used to avoid it. He meditates and attempts an escape, but is often prevented.
* 1.1THis frequent Appearance at the Court, and waiting there for my Tickets, brought me to be taken notice of by the Great men: in••omuch that they wondered I had been all this while forgotten, and ne∣ver been brought before the King, being so fit, as they would suppose me, for his use and service, saying, That from henceforward I should fare better than that Allowance amounted to, as soon as the King was made acquainted with me. Which words of theirs served instead of a Ticket. Whereupon fearing I should suddainly be brought in to the King, which thing I most of all feared, and least desired, and hoping that out of ••ight might prove out of mind, I resolved to forsake the Court, and ne∣ver more to ask for Tickets, especially seeing God had dealt so bounti∣fully with me as to give me ability to live well enough without them. As when Israel had eaten of the Corn of the Land of Canaan, the Man∣na ceased; so when I was driven to forego my Allowance that had all this while sustained me in this wilderness, God otherways provided for me.
* 1.2From this time forward to the time of my Flight out of the Land, which was five years. I neither had nor demanded any more Allowance, and glad I was that I could escape so. But I must have more trou∣ble first. For some four or five days after my last coming from Court, there came a Soldier to me, sent from the Adigar, with an Order in writing under his hand, that upon sight thereof I should immediatly dis∣patch and come to the Court to make my personal appearance before the King, and in case of any delay, the Officers of the Countrey, were there∣by Aut••orized and Commanded to assist the Bearer, and to see the same Order speedily performed.
The chief occasion of this had been a Person, not long before my near Neighbour and Acquaintance, Oua Matteral by name, who knew my manner of Life, and had often been at my House; but now was taken in and employed at Court; and he out of friendship and good will to me was one of the chief Actors in this business, that he might bring me to Preferment at Court.
* 1.3Upon the abovesaid summons there was no Remedy, but to Court I must go. Where I first applyed my self to my said old Neighbour,