1-12. friend seagrave in the chair. sister meeking read forth her essay on silence, but in so humble a tone, that little thereof was taken inward at our ears. no debate thereon. dorcas fysche, a visitor, craved to know whether friends, not being members, were permitted to speak on the subject, and was replied to in the affirmative. whereupon she held her peace.
5. sister knight read forth a self-composed addressing of herself unto sleep. to which no objection was made by any present. friend knapp in the chair.
8. on this night i plucked up courage, and essayed to read forth mine own stanzas on universal love; but my voice failing
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me in the midst, it was completely finished for me by friend thicknesse, who did perversely continue to pronounce jews instead of dews, whereof came absurdity. above all in the line which singeth,—“descend ye dews on this my head.” and again,—“ye painted flies that suck the dews.”
12. no other member being prepared with originality, sister rumble read forth her sorrows of sambo. much silent comment thereon. brother kersey in the chair, who shamefully suffered himself to be surprised with sleep.
15. no lecturing, and, by course, no debate; only meditation. a call made to order against friend dilly, who was in the chair, for untimeliness in asking the price of anglo-mexicans at a quarter before ten.
19. sister fetterlock being a visitor in expectancy, every one confined themselves unto newgate. several of the brethren declared their convictions. friend roper in the chair.
22. no lecturing. sister rumble distributed sambo’s sorrows amongst us, one unto each; the which she had caused to be imprinted at her own risk and cost. friend boulter was the chair.
26. no lecturing. it pleased our worthy brother upham, at his house of welcome, to spread before us the creature comforts most abundantly, with a great out-pouring of the foreign luxury, which is called champagne; the which was greatly discussed; and brother upham thereafter rebuked for the same, for that it was not of the kind which is still.
29. friend stock read forth a narrative of his own life and personal adventures, the which held us for half an hour. some debate touching the imprinting of the same, at the cost of the society, in the shape of a tract; which was agreed to, but put off at the instance of friend stock himself, in order to give him time to live into the shape of a pamphlet. friend smallbones went through the chair.
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2-1-35. no assembly, by reason of the outrageous wind and hail, excepting sister rumble, with a new original poem, called “the moral gipsy.” the which she did read forth from the chair to my humble self and family, and our serving-man, simon dunny.
