ars old, a carpenter by trade,
a little rough and coarse, but otherwise not an unjust kind of a
person, according to the world. He lived at home with his parents,
where we lodged.[323] He was somewhat wronged in his inheritance, as
the old people acknowledged, and we reproved them for it. They
promised amendment.

[Footnote 321: When the English conquered New Netherland, in 1664.
Zwolle is in the province of Overyssel. The old man was Jacob
Hellekers, his daughter's husband Gerrit van Duyn. See p. 36, note 2.
In fact, however, Gerrit had not gone back to Holland till 1670, nor
his wife till 1671.]

[Footnote 322: See pp. 36, 43, 49, 68, 169, 171, 228.]

[Footnote 323: Jacob Hellekers's wife was Theuntje Theunis. She was
thrice married: to Ide ----, to Jacob Hellekers, to Jan Strijker.
Peter Denys of Emmerich was farmer of the weigh-house; for Arie or
Adriaen Corneliszen, see p. 47, note 1; Theunis Idenszen, a man of
forty-one at this time, was assessor of the out ward in 1687, was
married to Jannetje Thyssen, and had six children; Willem Hellekers
was constable of the east ward in 1691.]

Now the before named Theunis had led a very godless life, and had
been wild and reckless, extraordinarily covetous, addicted to cursing
and swearing, and despising all religious things; but he was not a
drunkard, nor was he unchaste, though he previously had taken
something that did not belong to him. In a word, he was ignorant of
the truth and a godless man, yet his evil and wickedness were more in
the spirit than in the flesh. Nevertheless, it appears that God had
purposes of grace in regard to him, and the time was approaching when
God would touch him and draw him to Him. He had long since felt his
conscience gnawing him for his godless life, and that with a strength
which very much increased his chagrin. He became meagre in body, his
eyes were sunken in his head, he was sombre of speech, he sought
solitude in order to fly from the evil, but found it was augmented
manifold; and gradually began to long for deliverance and a better
life. The devil had been assailing him for six years past, and he was
therefore in a miserable state, of both soul and body. Thus he was
when, by God's providence, we arrived in the country, and went to
lodge at his mother's house, as we have related. We had been at the
house only two or three days, when he also came there. I was writing
in the front room, and my comrade was with me. He heard us talkin