was to hinder me from obeying the call of my heavenly Father, and to
stop me from going to worship Him in the assembly of His people;
upon this I found it my duty to go on, and observing that my father
gained ground upon me, I somewhat mended my pace.

This he observing, mended his pace also, and at length ran.
Whereupon I ran also, and a fair course we had through a large
meadow of his which lay behind his house and out of sight of the
town. He was not, I suppose, then above fifty years of age, and
being light of body and nimble of foot, he held me to it for a
while. But afterwards slacking his pace to take breath, and
observing that I had gotten ground of him, he turned back and went
home; and, as I afterwards understood, telling my sisters how I had
served him, he said, "Nay, if he will take so much pains to go, let
him go if he will." And from that time forward he never attempted
to stop me, but left me to my liberty, to go when and whither I
would; yet kept me at the usual distance, avoiding the sight of me
as much as he could, as not able to bear the sight of my hat on, nor
willing to contend with me again about it.

Nor was it long after this before I was left not only to myself, but
in a manner by myself; for the time appointed for the coronation of
the King (which was the 23rd of the second month, called April)
drawing on, my father, taking my two sisters with him, went up to
London some time before, that they might be there in readiness, and
put themselves into a condition to see so great a solemnity, leaving
nobody in the house but myself and a couple of servants. And though
this was intended only for a visit on that occasion, yet it proved
the breaking of the family; for he bestowed both his daughters there
in marriage, and took lodgings for himself, so that afterwards they