J. Clause (Amsterdam) to Theodore Eccleston Has received copy of Geo. Fox's journal....

HW/85/32

18/28 Dec 1694

J. Clause (Amsterdam) to Theodore Eccleston Has received copy of Geo. Fox's journal. & noted several errors: several place names in Holland misspelt, but more important the affair of the King of Denmark & the Duke of is entirely mis-reported on p.441. lines 36-7. & is likely to offend the Duke who at present is very well disposed towards Quakers: gives true history of affair & of Dukes beneficence - will blot our the passage from all copies he receives. " ....The matter is this, viz. page 441, line 36 & 37, it is sayed: 'And not long after, the duke himselfe was bannishe'd out of that citty by the king of Denmark', - which first is not true. being taken directly for to saye out of that citty (Frederickstad) where he never resided & maye be hardly over was more there 3 or 4 times in all his reigne. is likewise ridiculous. the more that the king of' Denmark never published any act of banishment against him, neyther as to that cittie or whole country or any part of it, but an account given to dear G.F. of matters being passed betweene that duke & the king of Denmark might cause him to give it that name. For it's true the king of Denmark being resolved to make that duke one of his vassalls did in a treacherous waye invite him to a meale in a strong castel & haveing him there tooke him made him his close prisoner & tooke all his country from him and layeing unreasonable things before him he denyed to gratify his will. But in time he obtained with much adoe that favour of the king that he might enjoy the open aire, & goe a hunting sometimes. but under the restriction of a few men, mounted as well as he, to looke after him, But it happened at such a time that he tooke the advantage (when he was not suspected to have any other thing in hIs minde but to pursue a deere that was shot by him) and made his escape & went in all haste to Hamberrowe, where he made his greivances to the Emperor (as being a prince of the German Empire) & in time by the mediation of the Emperour, Holland and England was & is restored, & a souveraigne prince new of Holsteyn-Gottopp & Frederickstad is in his dominions, & he & his court very kinde to Friends, in soe much that when about 2 yeare agoe the magistrates of Frederikstad went about to make friends buckle under them in obeying theire proclamation that none should open his shop or any part of it on theire soe called Holydayes & did actualles traine theire goods for non obedience, & Friends makeing their address about it to the court of that prince, those magistrates met with a cheek for it & have left of from theire proceedings against Friends ever since. Neither was he soe much the originall of that order to the magistrates of Frederickstad many yeares agoe to exile Friends from that place, but it is credibly reported that the priest did strongly urge it as being a people that weare a scandall to the Christian religion. & the matter was, a woman (viz Elizabeth Hendriks) had bene among Friends in the Fredrickstadt, & preached in theire meeting, indeed a thing very uncooth among them."

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