of the town, knew no shame.

'Strike again, sayest thou, Quaker?' he thundered. 'Hast had none but
soft blows hitherto? Faith then, I will strike in good earnest this
time.' So saying, the mason brought a thick wooden rule that he was
carrying down on the outstretched hand before him, with a savage blow
that might have felled an ox. After the first shock of agonising pain
George Fox lost all feeling from his finger-tips right up to his
shoulder. When he tried to draw the wounded hand back to his side he
could not do it. The paralysed nerves refused to carry the message of
the brain.

'The mason hath made a good job of it this time,' jeered a mocking
voice from the crowd. 'The Quaker hath lost the use of his right hand
for ever.' For ever! Terrible words. George Fox was but a young man
still. Was he indeed to go through life maimed, without the use of his
right hand? The bravest man might have shrunk from such a prospect;
but George Fox did not shrink, because he did not happen to be
thinking of himself at all. His hand was not his own. Not it alone but
his whole body also had been given, long ago, to the service of his
Master. They belonged to Him. Therefore if that Master should need the
right hand of His servant to be used in His service, His Power could
be trusted to make it whole.

Thus Fox trusted, and not in vain; since all the while, no thoughts of
vengeance or hatred to those who had injured him were able to find
even a moment's lodging in his heart.

'So as the people cried out, "he hath spoiled his hand for ever having
any use of it more," I LOOKED AT IT IN THE LOVE OF GOD AND I WAS
IN THE LOVE OF GOD TO ALL THEM THAT HAD PERSECUTED ME. AND AFTER A
WHILE THE LORD'S POWER SPRANG THROUGH MY HAND AND ARM AND THROUGH ME,
THAT IN A MINUTE I RECOVERED MY HAND AND ARM AND STRENGTH IN THE FACE
AND SIGHT OF THEM ALL.'

This miracle, as it seemed to them, overawed the rough mob for a
moment. But some of the greedier spirits saw a chance of making a good
thing out of the afternoon's work for themselves. They came to Fox and
said if he would give them some money they would defend him from the
others, and he should go free. But Fox would not hear of such a thing.
He 'was moved of the Lord to declare unto them the word of life, and
how they were more like Jews and heathens and not like Christians.'

Thus, instead of thankfully slinking away and disappearing up the hill
by a by-path to the friendly shelter of Swarthm