A description of the sect called the Familie of Love: with their common place of residence. Being discovered by one Mrs Susanna Snow of Pirford near Chersey in the county of Surrey, who was vainly led away for a time through their base allurements, and at length fell mad, till by a great miracle shewn from God, she was delivered.

A Description of the Sect called the Family of Love, with their com∣mon place of Residence.

IT was in the County of Surrey, at a Village called Pirford, three miles from Chersey, there dwelt a Gentleman by name Snow, who had to his daughter a very beautifull and religious Gentlewoman, who was not onely a joy to the father, but also an exceeding joy to the mother; she had not long gladded the hearts of her Parents with a vertuous and dut full behaviour, when the devill, arch enemy to mankinde, sought to subvert and eradicate this well planted vertue, and thus it hapned:

This Gentlewoman (Mistris Susan Snow) for so was she called, bolding prattle with one of her fathers men, one day began to question with him about the new Sects of Religion which now were so much talked of, enquiring what newes he heard of any of them.

He answered that it was his chance to be at a little Vil∣lage called Bagshot, not six miles from thence, where he heard of a Company that got residence there, and every day had a meeting in a private place, which was mistrusted to be about the signe of the Bucke, and they called themselves The Family of Love, and most have a great suspition that they came from London, and their number is about an hun∣dred; but he told her it was the talke of the whole Coun∣trey. This Mistris Susan heard with patience, and marked with diligence every particular, she gave the servant but

little answer, but she vowed in her heart to see the fashions of this Sect, well, night grew on, and to bed they went, but she prevented the early Sun in being up before him, so great a desire she had poor Gentlewoman to thrust her selfe into danger. After she had broke her faste, and caused her man to set a side-saddle on a Gelding, alone she took her jour∣ney, vowing not to returne till she had seen some of their behaviours which were of the Family of Love.

Thus she rode along undisturbed by meeting any Passen∣gers till she came with in halfe a mile of the Village of Bag∣shot, but then she saw at the least an hundred persons men and women crossing over the Heath, bending their course towards a Wood called Birch wood, to them-wards she rides, and overtaking a sister which laggred behinde the rest, she cried, well overtaken sister; the sister of the Family bid her welcome, Sister (quoth Mistris Susan) is your habitation here about Bagshot? the sister answered, that she sojourned in Ban∣wage, then quoth she, sure you can resolve me one question, which is this, Do you know of any that came from London lately, there were about the number of an hundred, I was of the Company, but they came away unknowne unto me: and I hear that they sojourne here about this Coast. The silly sister was not aware of the guile which she spake, but answered her, that this was the Company she meant sure. M^s Susan asked again, Are these of the Family? she answered, Yes. Then Mistris Susan rode after and overtook them, where this wo∣man revealed the conference she had with Mistris Susan, and how that she thought her to be very zealously affected to the Family: on these words, although she were unknowne, yet she was entertained into their Society, and went along with them.

Now you must understand that they have certain dayes

which are dedicated unto Saints as they call them, as to Ovid, who wrote the Art of Loving, to Priapus, the first bawdy Butcher that ever did sticke prickes in flesh, and make it swell, and to many others which they used to spend in poetizing in the woods: thither they come, and after many pastimes there enacted, the Poet desired them to sit downe on the Green, and then he began to speake most strong lan∣guage, as this or the like, let not us perswade our selves al∣though that many would have us to beleeve it, that our great god Cupid is obcaecated, for he penetrateth the intrals of the most magnanimous; after these or the like words, he recited part of a verse from forth Virgils Epigrams,

—Non stat bene mentula crassa.

Which to English I forbear, because it is obscene; on this he built his whole discourse, venting very strange obscene passages, after this was done, they go to dinner, where they had exceeding delicates, and after this repast they provided to returne. Now here you must note that the Poet viewing this new sister of the Family, was mightily enflamed with her, that either he must enjoy her or perish, when they were walking home therefore, he singled her out from the rest of the Company, and spake to her as followeth.

Fair sister, hard is that taske, where I must either die in si∣lence, or else present unto you an unseemly suit, but so irksome is death, and so pleasant the enjoyments of my wishes, that I rather desire to be counted unmannerly than not amorous to your beau∣teous self. With these and such like words he courted her, till at length time and opportunity both favoured him so much that she played a mans part indeed, she said nay, and yet took it. This novice having had his desire, conducted her to the Company, and there left her among the rest of the sisters, where she stayed for the space of a whole week, viewing

their fashions, as the manner of their prayers, of their preaching, of their Christening and Burying, with many more things which will be too long for this little Pamphlet to bear.

Now when she had seen as she thought enough, she stole away from them not ceasing to thinke of the wrong she had sustained by her consenting to the lust of the poeticall bro∣ther; well, discontentedly she passed the way till she came in the presence of her father, he asked her with very milde and loving tearmes where she had been, she answered him, at her aunts at Okingham, with which answer her father was satis∣fied, but her mother was not, because she had sent thither before to see if she had been there, yet her mother could get no other answer from her than that she had been there; but seeing that she was come home again, they questioned the matter no more where she had been; but she had not been at home long when she began to delight to be by her selfe, and to make much of melancholy, taking delight in nothing wherein she did heretofore; this her loving parents took notice of, but would not speak of it, and thus she continued for the space of ten or fourteen dayes, at last she began to be very untowardly, and they could not rule her, for she would break glasses and earthen ware, and throw any thing at the heads of the servants, and incontinent she fell starke mad; I cannot expresse her fathers grief, when he saw his onely beloved daughter in this plight, but I will leave you to judge of it who have children of your owne, how it would grieve you to see your children in such a plight. Her father although he were almost destracted with grief to see his childe thus lie on the wracke of misfortune, summons p his sences together, and at length he thought upon one Master Ybder a very honest man, and a most reve∣rend

Divine, living in Oxford, to him he sent, requesting him of all loves that he would come, and visit him in this his great distresse, he presently dispatched horse and man, for Oxford they were bound, the man comming to Master Ybders chamber, which is in Magdalon Hall, he found him within, to whom he delivered his message: Master Ybder came along with him, he was no sooner arrived at Master Snows house, but the poor Gentleman almost franticke for his daughters distemperature, with teares in his eyes, began and related (what you have here before read) to Master Yb∣der, who presently desired that he might but see her, this good old man with all diligence being still in hope of her recovery, conducted him into the chamber wher his daugh∣ter was, she had no sooner fixed her eyes upon them entring, but she shreeked out, and cried, The divell, the divell, I am damn'd, I am damn'd, I am damn'd, with many such like horrid horrible exclamations: then stepped forwards Ma∣ster Ybder, and told her that she was deceived, God surely would not leave her soule so, if she would but endeavour as she had done heretofore, for said he, Christ came not into the world to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, and again, Seek and yee shall finde, knocke and it shall be opened unto thee, and although thou hast played the harlot with many lovers, yet returne again unto me saith the Lord, at the third Chapter of Ieremy, and the first Verse.

She hearkened unto Master Ybder very patiently, for the space of halfe an hour but then she began to be very trouble∣some, and sometimes outragious, at last she called for some wine, for she was very thirsty, she said: wine was brought unto her in a Venice-glasse, her father (good old man) spake to her to drinke to Master Ybder, for he had taken great paines with her, she looked very wildely on him, and threw

the glasse to the ground, with these words, That it was 〈◊〉〈◊〉 impossible for her to be saved, as for that glasse to rebound into her hand unbroken, which contrary to the expectation of all, this glasse did; Well, said this Gentlewoman, I will yet trust in the Lord my Redeemer, for he is merci∣full and long-suffering, with these words she praised God and began (as from the beginning) to relate the cause of her distemperature, desiring Master Ybder that he would pray with her, and for her; and thus by the mercy of God was this Gentlewoman delivered.

FINIS.