Mr. Harrison’s account of his being absent two years, and of his return home, addressed to Sir Thomas Overbery, Knight

    Honoured Sir,

    In obedience to your commands, I give you this true account of my
    being carried away beyond the seas, my continuance there and return
    home.

On Thursday, in the afternoon, in the time of harvest, I went to Charringworth to demand rents due to my Lady Campden, at which the tenants were busy in the fields, and were late ere they came home, which occasioned my stay there till the close of the evening.  I expected a considerable sum, but received only twenty-three pounds and no more.  In my return home, in the narrow passages amongst Ebrington Furzes, there met me one horseman, and said, Art thou there? and I, fearing that he would have rode over me, struck his horse over the nose, whereupon he struck me with his sword several blows, and ran it into my side, while I with my little cane made my defence as well as I could.  At last another came behind me, ran me in the thigh, laid hold on the collar of my doublet, and drew me to a hedge near to the place.  Then came in another.  They did not take away my money, but mounted me behind one of them, drew my arms about his middle, and fastened my wrists together with something that had a spring lock to it, as I conceived, by hearing it give a snap as they put it on; then they threw a great cloak over me and carried me away.

In the night, they alighted at a hayrick, which stood near unto a stone pit, by a wall side, where they took away my money.  This was about two hours before day, as I heard one of them tell the other he thought it to be then.  They tumbled me into the stone pit.  They stayed, as I thought, about an hour at the hayrick.  When they took horse again, one of them bade me come out of the pit.  I answered they had my money already, and asked what they would do with me, whereupon he struck me again, drew me out, and put a great quantity of money into my pockets, and mounted me again, after the same manner.  And on Friday, about sunset, they brought me to a lone house upon a heath, by a thicket of bushes, where they took me down, almost dead, being sorely bruised with the carriage of the money.  When the woman of the house saw that I could neither stand nor speak, she asked them whether or no they had brought a dead man?  They answered, no, but a friend that was hurt, and they were carrying me to a surgeon.  She answered, if they did not make haste their friend would be dead before they could bring him to one.  There they laid me on the cushions and suffered none to come into the room but a little girl.  There we stayed all night, they giving me some broth and strong waters.

In the morning, very early, they mounted me as before, and on Saturday night, they brought me to a place where were two or three houses, in one of which I lay all night on cushions by their