as she: and wondered that she had passed safe so far as she had,
saying also that it was in respect for her, and kindness, that he
proffered it, and that he would not for anything she should come to
the least hurt in his dominions. She having no more to say, the Turks
asked her what she thought of their prophet Mahomet? She answered
warily that she knew him not, but Christ the true prophet, the Son of
God, who was the Light of the World, and enlightened every man coming
into the world, Him she knew. And concerning Mahomet, she said that
they might judge of him to be true or false according to the words and
prophecies he spoke; saying further, "If the word of a prophet shall
come to pass, then shall ye know that the Lord hath sent that prophet:
but if it come not to pass, then shall ye know that the Lord never
sent him." The Turks confessed this to be true, and Mary, having
performed her message, departed from the camp to Constantinople
without a guard, whither she came without the least hurt or scoff....'

V

Thus Mary returned safe to England, where, if not romance, at any rate
solid happiness awaited her in the shape of a certain William Bayly.
He, a Quaker preacher and master mariner, having been himself a great
traveller and having endured repeated imprisonments in distant
countries, could appreciate the courage and success of her
unprecedented journey. At any rate, as the historian quaintly tells
us, he 'thought her worthy to make him a second wife.'

A few months after her return to England, but while she was still
unmarried, Mary Fisher wrote the following account of her travels to
some of the friends in whose company she had suffered imprisonment in
former days before her great journey.

'My dear love salutes you all in one, you have been often in my
remembrance since I departed from you, and being now returned
into England and many trials, such as I was never tried with
before, yet have borne my testimony for the Lord before the King
unto whom I was sent, and he was very noble unto me, and so were
all they that were about him: he and all that were about him
received the word of truth without contradiction. They do dread
the name of God, many of them, and eyes His messengers. There is
a royal seed amongst them which in time God will raise. They are
more near truth than many Nations, there is a love begot in me
towards them which is endless, but this is my hope co