In this plight therefore he went home, and refrained himself as long as
he could, that his Wife and Children should not perceive his Distress, but he
could not be silent long, because that his trouble increased: Wherefore at
length he brake his mind to his Wife and Children; and thus he began to talk
to them: O my dear Wife, said he, and you the Children of my bowels, I your
Dear friend, am in myself undone by reason of a Burden that lieth hard upon
me; moreover, I am for certain informed that this our City will be burned with
fire from Heaven; in which fearful overthrow, both myself, with thee my Wife,
and you my sweet Babes, shall miserably come to ruin, except (the which yet I
see not) some way of escape can be found, whereby we may be Delivered. At this
his Relations were sore amazed; not for that they believed that what he had
said to them was true, but because they thought that some frenzy Distemper had
got into his head; therefore, it Drawing towards night, and they hoping that
sleep might settle his brains, with all haste they got him to bed: But the
night was as troublesome to him as the Day; wherefore, instead of sleeping, he
spent it in sighs and tears. So, when the morning was come, they would know
how he Did; He told them Worse and worse: he also set to talking to them
again, but they began to be hardened: they also thought to Drive away his
Distemper by harsh and surly carriages to him; sometimes they would Deride,
sometimes they would chide, and sometimes they would quite neglect him:
Wherefore he began to retire himself to his chamber, to pray for and pity
them, and also to condole his own misery; he would also walk solitarily in the
fields, sometimes reading, and sometimes praying: and thus for some Days he
spent his time.
Now, I saw upon a time, when he was walking in the fields, that he was,
as he was wont, reading in his Book, and greatly Distressed in his mind; and
as he read, he burst out, as he had Done before, crying, What shall I Do to be
saved?