my not standing bare before him.

And when a young priest, who as I understood was chaplain in the
family, took upon him pragmatically to reprove me for standing with
my hat on before the magistrates, and snatched my hat from off my
head, Knowls, in a pleasant manner, corrected him, telling him that
he mistook himself in taking a cap for a hat (for mine was a
montero-cap), and bade him give it me again; which he (though
unwillingly) doing, I forthwith put it on my head again, and
thenceforward none meddled with me about it.

Then they began to examine me, putting divers questions to me
relating to the present disturbances in the nation, occasioned by
the late foolish insurrection of those frantic fifth-monarchy men.
To all which I readily answered, according to the simplicity of my
heart and innocency of my hands, for I had neither done nor thought
any evil against the government.

But they endeavoured to affright me with threats of danger, telling
me (with inuendoes) that for all my pretence of innocency there was
high matter against me, which, if I would stand out, would be
brought forth, and that under my own hand. I knew not what they
meant by this; but I knew my innocency, and kept to it.

At length, when they saw I regarded not their threats in general,
they asked me if I knew one Thomas Loe, and had written of late to
him. I then remembered my letter, which till then I had not thought
of, and thereupon frankly told them that I did both know Thomas Loe
and had lately written to him; but that as I knew I had written no
hurt, so I did not fear any danger from that letter. They shook