this,
complained to Monk, who issued the following order, dated March 9th:
'I do require all officers and soldiers to forbear to disturb
peaceable meetings of the Quakers, they doing nothing prejudicial to
the Parliament or the Commonwealth of England. George Monk.' This
order, we are told, had an excellent effect on the soldiers."--A. C.
Bickley's 'George Fox and the Early Quakers, London, 1884, p. 179.
The Quakers were at this time just coming into notice. The first
preaching of George Fox, the founder, was in 1648, and in 1655 the
preachers of the sect numbered seventy-three. Fox computed that
there were seldom less than a thousand quakers in prison. The
statute 13 and 14 Car. II. cap. i. (1662) was "An act for
preventing the mischiefs and dangers that may arise by certain
persons called quakers and others, refusing to take lawful oaths."
Billing is mentioned again on July 22nd, 1667, when he addressed
Pepys in Westminster Hall.]

So after drinking with Mr. Spicer, who had received L600 for me this
morning, I went to Capt. Stone and with him by coach to the Temple
Gardens (all the way talking of the disease of the stone), where we met
Mr. Squib, but would do nothing till to-morrow morning. Thence back on
foot home, where I found a letter from my Lord in character [private
cryptic code Ed.], which I construed, and after my wife had shewn me
some ribbon and shoes that she had taken out of a box of Mr. Montagu's
which formerly Mr. Kipps had left here when his master was at sea, I
went to Mr. Crew and advised with him about it, it being concerning my
Lord's coming up to Town, which he desires upon my advice the last week
in my letter. Thence calling upon Mrs. Ann I went home, and wrote in
character to my Lord in answer to his letter. This day Mr. Crew told
me that my Lord St. John is for a free Parliament, and that he is very
great with Monk, who hath now the absolute command and power to do any
thing that he hath a mind to do. Mr. Moore told me of a picture hung
up at the Exchange of a great pair of buttocks shooting of a turd into
Lawson's mouth, and over it was wrote "The thanks of the house." Boys do
now cry "Kiss my Parliament, instead of "Kiss my [rump]," so great and
general a contempt is the Rump come to among all the good and bad.

8th. A little practice on my flageolet, and afterwards walking in my
yard to see my stock of pigeons