ollowing afternoon.

Mr. Wingate, when the information was first brought to him, supposed
that he had fallen on a nest of Fifth Monarchy men. He enquired, when
Bunyan was brought in, how many arms had been found at the meeting.
When he learnt that there were no arms, and that it had no political
character whatever, he evidently thought it was a matter of no
consequence. He told Bunyan that he had been breaking the law, and
asked him why he could not attend to his business. Bunyan said that
his object in teaching was merely to persuade people to give up their
sins. He could do that and attend to his business also. Wingate
answered that the law must be obeyed. He must commit Bunyan for trial
at the Quarter Sessions; but he would take bail for him, if his
securities would engage that he would not preach again meanwhile.
Bunyan refused to be bailed on any such terms. Preach he would and
must, and the recognizances would be forfeited. After such an answer,
Wingate could only send him to gaol: he could not help himself. The
committal was made out, and Bunyan was being taken away, when two of
his friends met him, who were acquainted with Wingate, and they begged
the constable to wait. They went in to the magistrate. They told him
who and what Bunyan was. The magistrate had not the least desire to be
hard, and it was agreed that if he would himself give some general
promise of a vague kind he might be let go altogether. Bunyan was
called back. Another magistrate who knew him had by this time joined
Wingate. They both said that they were reluctant to send him to
prison. If he would promise them that he would not call the people
together any more, he might go home.

They had purposely chosen a form of words which would mean as little
as possible. But Bunyan would not accept an evasion. He said that he
would not force the people to come together, but if he was in a place
where the people were met, he should certainly speak to them. The
magistrate repeated that the meetings were unlawful. They would be
satisfied if Bunyan would simply promise that he would not call such
meetings. It was as plain as possible that they wished to dismiss the
case, and they were thrusting words into his mouth which he could use
without a mental reservation; but he persisted that there were many
ways in which a meeting might be called; if people came together to
hear him, knowing that he would speak, he might be said to have called
them together.

R