ntrary. Whereupon I was put to a man who was a shoemaker by
trade, and dealt in wool. He also used grazing and sold cattle; and a
great deal went through my hands. While I was with him he was blest,
but after I left him, he broke and came to nothing. I never wronged
man or woman in all that time.... While I was in that service, I used
in my dealings the word "Verily," and it was a common saying among
those that knew me, "if George says Verily, there is no altering him."
When boys and rude persons would laugh at me, I let them alone, but
people generally had a love to me for my innocence and honesty.

'When I came towards 19 years of age, being upon business at a Fair,
one of my cousins, whose name was Bradford, a professor, having
another professor with him, asked me to drink part of a jug of beer
with them. I, being thirsty, went with them, for I loved any that had
a sense of good. When we had drunk a glass apiece, they began to drink
healths and called for more drink, agreeing together that he that
would not drink should pay for all. I was grieved that they should do
so, and putting my hand into my pocket took out a groat and laid it on
the table before them, saying, "If it be so, I will leave you." So I
went away, and when I had done my business I returned home, but did
not go to bed that night, nor could I sleep, but sometimes walked up
and down and prayed and cried unto the Lord, who said to me: "Thou
must forsake all, young and old, keep out of all and be a stranger to
all."

'Then at the command of God, the 9th of the 7th month,[1] 1643, I left
my relations, and broke off all familiarity or fellowship with young
or old.'

The old-fashioned English of the 'Journal' makes this story rather
puzzling at the first reading, because several words have changed in
meaning since it was written. The name 'professors,' did not then mean
learned men who teach or lecture in a University, but any men who
'professed' to be particularly religious and good. These
'professionally religious people' are generally known as 'the
Puritans,' and it was meeting with these bad specimens among them who
'professed' a religion they did not attempt to practise, that so
dismayed George Fox. Here at any rate 'Pure Faith' was not being kept
either to God or men. He must find a more solid foundation on which to
rest his own soul's loyalty and allegiance. Over the porch of the
Church at Fenny Drayton is painted now, not the Purefoy motto, but th