ient of itself to
serve as a text. There is in it all the good side of the emancipation
propaganda with an entire freedom from the extravagance, the vulgarity, the
injustice, the bad taste which marked that propaganda a century and more
afterwards, when taken up by persons very different from Fuller. Perhaps it
may be well to give an extract of some length from him:--

"A lady big with child was condemned to perpetual imprisonment,
and in the dungeon was delivered of a son, who continued with her
till a boy of some bigness. It happened at one time he heard his
mother (for see neither of them could, as to decern in so dark a
place) bemoan her condition.

"Why, mother (said the child) do you complain, seeing you want
nothing you can wish, having clothes, meat, and drink sufficient?
Alas! child (returned the mother), I lack liberty, converse with
Christians, the light of the sun, and many things more, which
thou, being prison-born, neither art nor can be sensible of in
thy condition.

"The _post-nati_, understand thereby such striplings born in
England since the death of monarchy therein, conceive this land,
their mother, to be in a good estate. For one fruitful harvest
followeth another, commodities are sold at reasonable rates,
abundance of brave clothes are worn in the city, though not by
such persons whose birth doth best become, but whose purses can
best bestow them.

"But their mother, England, doth justly bemoan the sad difference
betwixt her present and former condition; when she enjoyed full
and free trade without payment of taxes, save so small they
seemed rather an acknowledgment of their allegiance than a burden
to their estate; when she had the court of a king, the House of
Lords, yea, and the Lord's house, decently kept, constantly
frequented, without falsehood in doctrine, or faction in
discipline. God of His goodness restore unto us so much of these
things as may consist with His glory and our good."

* * * * *

"I saw a servant maid, at the command of her mistress, make,
kindle, and blow a fire. Which done, she was posted away about
other business, whilst her mistress enjoyed the benefit of the
fire. Yet I observed that this servant, whilst industriously
employed in the kindling thereof, got a more general, kind