out him as he worked in the tanning-yard one spring afternoon, when
in through the open doorway strutted two stately gentlemen, with
gold facings to their coats and smart cockades at the side of their
three-cornered hats. They were, as I afterwards understood, officers of
the fleet who were passing through Havant, and seeing us at work in the
yard, designed to ask us some question as to their route. The younger of
the pair accosted my father and began his speech by a great clatter of
words which were all High Dutch to me, though I now see that they were a
string of such oaths as are common in the mouth of a sailor; though why
the very men who are in most danger of appearing before the Almighty
should go out of their way to insult Him, hath ever been a mystery to
me. My father in a rough stern voice bade him speak with more reverence
of sacred things, on which the pair of them gave tongue together,
swearing tenfold worse than before, and calling my father a canting
rogue and a smug-faced Presbytery Jack. What more they might have said I
know not, for my father picked up the great roller wherewith he smoothed
the leather, and dashing at them he brought it down on the side of one
of their heads with such a swashing blow, that had it not been for his
stiff hat the man would never have uttered oath again. As it was, he
dropped like a log upon the stones of the yard, while his companion
whipped out his rapier and made a vicious thrust; but my father, who was
as active as he was strong, sprung aside, and bringing his cudgel down
upon the outstretched arm of the officer, cracked it like the stem of
a tobacco-pipe. This affair made no little stir, for it occurred at
the time when those arch-liars, Oates, Bedloe, and Carstairs, were
disturbing the public mind by their rumours of plots, and a rising of
some sort was expected throughout the country. Within a few days all
Hampshire was ringing with an account of the malcontent tanner of
Havant, who had broken the head and the arm of two of his Majesty's
servants. An inquiry showed, however, that there was no treasonable
meaning in the matter, and the officers having confessed that the first
words came from them, the Justices contented themselves with imposing a
fine upon my father, and binding him over to keep the peace for a period
of six months.

I tell you these incidents that you may have an idea of the fierce and
earnest religion which filled not only your own ancestor, but most