"  There  was  great  expectation  at  Bath,  of  what  a  noted
man  was  to  do  to  me  there  :  and  I  was  much  entreated
'  not  to  preach  ;  because  no  one  knew  what  might  happen.'
By  this  report  I  also  gained  a  much  larger  audience,  among
whom  were  many  of  the  rich  and  great.  I  told  them  plain-
ly, the  Scripture  had  concluded  them  all  under  sin,  high
and  low,  rich  and  poor,  one  with  another.  Many  of  them
seemed  to  be  not  a  little  surprised,  and  were  sinking  apace
into  seriousness,  when  their  champion  appeared,  and,
coming  close  to  me,  asked  by  what  authority  I  did  these
things.  I  replied,  By  the  authority  of  Jesus  Christ,  con-
veyed to  me  by  the  (now)  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  when
he  laid  his  hands  upon  me,  and  said, '  Take  thou  authority
to  preach  the  Gospel.'  He  said,  'This  is  contrary  to  act
of  parliament.  This  is  a  conventicle.'  I  answered,  '  Sir,
the  conventicles  mentioned  in  that  act  (as  the  preamble
shows)  are  seditious  meetings.  But  this  is  not  such.  Here
is  no  shadow  of  sedition.  Therefore  it  is  not  contrary  to
that  act.'  He  replied,  '  I  say  it  is.  And  beside,  your
preaching  frightens  people  out  of  their  wits.'  '  Sir,  did  you
ever  hear  me  preach  ?'  '  No.'  '  How  then  can  you  judge
of  what  you  never  heard  ?'  '  Sir,  by  common  report.  Com-
mon report  is  enough.'  '  Give  me  leave,  sir,  to  ask,  Is  not
your  name  Nash?'  'My  name  is  Nash.'  'Sir,  I  dare
not  judge  of  you  by  common  report.  I  think  it  is  not
enough  to  judge  by.'  Here  he  paused  awhile,  and  having
recovered  himself,  asked,  '  I  desire  to  know  what  this  peo-
ple come  here  for  ?'  On  which  one  replied,  '  Sir,  leave
him  to  me.  Let  an  old  woman  answer  him.'  'You,  Mr.
