There was at that time great discord among those that were at the
helm of government; and G. Fox relates, that he did then foresee the
king’s coming in again; and that therefore when some forward spirits,
who frequented the meetings of his friends, would have bought Somerset
House to keep meetings in, he dissuaded them from it. There came also
a woman to him, who having, (as she said,) had a revelation concerning
the restoring of king Charles, three years before he came in, said,
she must go to him to declare it: but G. Fox advised her to keep this
revelation to herself, since if she went on such a message, it would
have been counted treason.
How the corpse of Oliver Cromwell was laid in Somerset House to be
seen, hath been said already; but afterwards an image of him lying
there in state, was accompanied with trumpeters, who sounded over the
said image. This vanity so grieved G. Fox, that he wrote the following
lines to the authors thereof:
‘Oh friends, what are ye doing! And what mean ye to sound before
an image! Will not all sober people think ye are like mad people?
Oh, how am I grieved with your abomination! Oh, how am I wearied!
‘My soul is wearied with you,’ saith the Lord, ‘will I not be
avenged of you, think ye, for your abominations? Oh, how have ye
plucked down, and set up! Oh, how are your hearts made whole, and
not rent; and how are ye turned to fooleries! Which things in
times past ye stood over: therefore how have ye left my dread,’
saith the Lord. O, therefore, fear, and repent, lest the snare
and the pit take you all. The great day of the Lord is come upon
all your abominations, and the swift hand of the Lord is turned
against them all. The sober people in the nation stand amazed at
your doings, and are ashamed, as if you would bring in popery.