ard; which was
our brotherly love, and the good of our souls and bodies." So he went
from us, not without tears of tenderness in his eyes; and left us also
confused with joy and kindness, saying amongst ourselves; "That we were
come into a land of angels, which did appear to us daily, and prevent
us with comforts, which we thought not of, much less expected."

The next day about ten of the clock, the Governor came to us again, and
after salutations, said familiarly; "That he was come to visit us;" and
called for a chair, and sat him down: and we, being some ten of us,
(the rest were of the meaner sort, or else gone abroad,) sat down with
him, And when we were set, he began thus: "We of this island of
Bensalem," (for so they call it in their language,) "have this; that by
means of our solitary situation; and of the laws of secrecy, which we
have for our travellers, and our rare admission of strangers; we know
well most part of the habitable world, and are ourselves unknown.
Therefore because he that knoweth least is fittest to ask questions, it
is more reason, for the entertainment of the time, that ye ask me
questions, than that I ask you."

We answered; "That we humbly thanked him that he would give us leave so
to do: and that we conceived by the taste we had already, that there
was no worldly thing on earth, more worthy to be known than the state
of that happy land. But above all," (we said,) "since that we were met
from the several ends of the world, and hoped assuredly that we should
meet one day in the kingdom of Heaven, (for that we were both parts
Christians,) we desired to know, (in respect that land was so remote,
and so divided by vast and unknown seas, from the land where our
Saviour walked on earth,) who was the apostle of that nation, and how
it was converted to the faith?" It appeared in his face that he took
great contentment in this our question: he said; "Ye knit my heart to
you, by asking this question in the first place; for it sheweth that
you first seek the kingdom of heaven; and I shall gladly, and briefly,
satisfy your demand.

"About twenty years after the ascension of our Saviour, it came to
pass, that there was seen by the people of Renfusa, (a city upon the
eastern coast of our island,) within night, (the night was cloudy, and
calm,) as it might be some mile into the sea, a great pillar of light;
not sharp, but in form of a column, or cylinder, rising from the sea a
great way up towards h