Person,
payable in Holland. We had ourselves registered, to wit: I,
J. Schilders, and my good friend, P. Vorstman._

[Footnote 31: Margaret Filipse. See _post_, p. 5, note 1.]

On the eighth of June, 1679, we left home[32] at four o'clock in the
morning, taking leave of those with whom God had joined us fast in
spirit, they committing us, and we them, with tenderness of heart,
unto the gracious protection of the Highest. Although for a time
separated in body, we remained most closely united in soul, which is,
always and everywhere, but one and the same. We went on foot to
Oost[erend], expecting there to take the canal boat, which we did, at
six or half past six o'clock, after waiting an hour. We took leave
finally of those of our beloved and very worthy friends who had
accompanied us, and thus far made it a pleasant journey for us. Our
hearts had been strengthened in discoursing, on the road, of God and
his will concerning us, and of the disposition and readiness of our
hearts, as we then felt, to bear it whatever it might be, although we
foresaw that it would be mortifying enough for us. We arrived at
B[olsward] about eight o'clock, where we discovered the reason why
there were so few people in the boat and tavern, for by the ringing of
the bells we understood that it was a holiday, namely, Ascension
Day,[33] which suited us very well, as we thus had an opportunity of
being alone in the tavern, and eating out of our knapsack a little
breakfast, while waiting for the canal boat to leave. We were greatly
pleased, while we were in the tavern, to see several persons there,
representatives of the schout,[34] who were going the rounds in all
the taverns of the city, to see whether there were any drunkards or
whether any other disorderly conduct subject to the penalty of any
fine was being practised. When the time arrived, we stepped on board
the canal boat, where we found few people: but these passed the whole
way in tattling, principally about a certain miser who had died and
cheated his friends, leaving them more than they themselves had hoped
to find. As our own thoughts were otherwise employed, this talk was
very annoying to us. We reached W[orkum][35] before the hour fixed for
departure from there, so we went to the Amsterdam packet, on board of
which there were different kinds of people, but all wicked. Among them
was a family consisting of father, mother and children, who even after
the manner of the wor