r my Father's Death. And of the Condition of the rest
of the English: and how it fared with them. And of our Interview.

[His chief employment is Reading.] I still remained where I was before,
having none but the black Boy, and my Ague to bear me Company. Never
found I more pleasure in Reading, Meditating and Praying than now. For
there was nothing else could administer to me any Comfort, neither had
I any other Business to be occupied about. I had read my two Books so
often over, that I had them almost by heart. For my custom was after
Dinner to take a Book and go into the Fields and sit under a Tree,
reading and meditating until Evening; excepting the Day when my Ague
came, for then I could scarce hold up my head. Often have I prayed
as Elijah under the Juniper Tree, that God would takeaway my life,
for it was a burthen to me.

[He loses his Ague.] At length it pleased God my Ague began to be a
little moderate; and so by degrees it wore away, after it had held
me sixteen Months.

[How he met with an English Bible in that Countrey.] Provisions
falling short with me, tho Rice I thank God, I never wanted, and
Monies also growing low; as well to help out a Meal as for Recreation,
sometimes I went with an Angle to catch small Fish in the Brooks,
the aforesaid Boy being with me. It chanced as I was Fishing, an
old Man passed by, and seeing me, asked of my Boy, If I could read
in a Book. He answered, Yes. The reason I ask, said the old Man,
is because I have one I got when the Portugueze left Columbo, and if
your Master please to buy it, I will sell it him. Which when I heard
of; I bad my Boy go to his House with him, which was not far off,
and bring it to me to see it, making no great account of the matter,
supposing it might be some Portugueze Book.

The Boy having formerly served the English, knew the Book, and as
soon as he had got it in his hand came running with it, calling out
to me, It is a Bible. It startled me to hear him mention the name
of a Bible. For I neither had one, nor scarcely could ever think to
see one. Upon which I flung down my Angle and went to meet him. The
first place the Book opened in after I took it in my hand, was the
Sixteenth Chapter of the Acts, and the first place my eye pitched on,
was the Thirtieth and one and Thirtieth Verses, where the Jailor asked
S. Paul, What must I do to be saved? And he answered saying, Believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thine house.