to make a visit to my father, and see how it fared with me; and very
welcome they were to me, whatever they were to him; to whom I doubt
not but they would have been more welcome had it not been for me.

They tarried with us all night, and much discourse they had with my
father, both about the principles of truth in general, and me in
particular, which I was not privy to. But one thing I remember I
afterwards heard of, which was this:

When my father and I were at their house some months before, Mary
Penington, in some discourse between them, had told him how hardly
her husband's father (Alderman Penington) had dealt with him about
his hat; which my father (little then thinking that it would, and so
soon too, be his own case) did very much censure the alderman for,
wondering that so wise a man as he was should take notice of such a
trivial thing as the putting off or keeping on a hat; and he spared
not to blame him liberally for it.

This gave her a handle to take hold of him by; and having had an
ancient acquaintance with him, and he having always had a high
opinion of and respect for her, she, who was a woman of great
wisdom, of ready speech, and of a well-resolved spirit, did press so
close upon him with this home argument, that he was utterly at a
loss how to defend himself.

After dinner next day, when they were ready to take coach to return
home, she desired my father that, since my company was so little
acceptable to him, he would give me leave to go and spend some time
with them, where I should be sure to be welcome.