was a brisk genteel young man, a shopkeeper in the town, whose name
was Cherry. They saluted me very civilly, and told me they were
come to have me before the warden. This put an end to my writing,
which I put into my pocket, and went along with them.

Being come to the warden's, he asked me again the same questions he
had asked me before; to which I gave him the like answers. Then he
told me the penalty I had incurred, which he said was either to pay
so much money or lie so many hours in the stocks, and asked me which
I would choose; I replied, "I shall not choose either. And," said
I, "I have told thee already that I have no money; though if I had,
I could not so far acknowledge myself an offender as to pay any.
But as to lying in the stocks, I am in thy power, to do unto me what
it shall please the Lord to suffer thee."

When he heard that he paused awhile, and then told me, "He
considered that I was but a young man, and might not perhaps
understand the danger I had brought myself into, and therefore he
would not use the severity of the law upon me; but, in hopes that I
would be wiser hereafter, he would pass by this offence and
discharge me.

Then putting on a countenance of the greatest gravity, he said to
me: "But, young man, I would have you know that you have not only
broken the law of the land, but the law of God also; and therefore
you ought to ask His forgiveness, for you have highly offended
Him."--"That," said I, "I would most willingly do if I were sensible
that in this case I had offended Him by breaking any law of His."

"Why," said he, "do you question that?"--"Yes truly," said I; "for I