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At a Market Town called Bow, liveth one John Buxford by profession a Worsted-comber having a Son named Joseph, aged fifteene years or thereabouts, whom he had bound Apprentice to a Weaver, named Simon Culiver dwelling in Crediton: this Joseph being a stubborne and untowardly Boy, could not brooke his Masters service, but after a Moneths time secretly departed away to the Kings Army
Joseph ran away from the Royalist army after their defeat at Langport (July 1645) and returned home to Bow. His father said he must return to his apprenticeship, dragging him along the road to Crediton
where they met with a Carrier driving before him foure Horses loaden with packes of Cloath, who said that if the Boy were willing to goe a long with him, he doubted not but he should find a Master for him.
Joseph said yes : John Buxford agreed. But as soon as the old man had gone
the Horses and Packes vanished, the timorous Boy beholds his new Master metamorphesed in a trice from a man to a flying Horse in a black and ugly shape and colour which snatched him up forthwith into the aire through which he hurried him with violence and motion swifter then imagination, so that this new Rider was quickly mounted above the earth, which seemed unto him of a very small proportion, London and other magnificent Cities no greater then small Cottages.
On they went, upwards and past
the vast concave of the Moone with more curiosity then Tycho Brache, or the subtillest Astrologer could ever invent
until at last they
plunged into the vast cavernous Neptune, in whose watrie dominions at length they came into a profound Cell or Cave where the Devill now dischargeth his burthen, and assumeth a more terrible shape then that of the flying Horse, saying to his Guest: Bee not dismayed, thy employment here shall be onely to take a view of divers men, who thou hast formerly seene or knowne in the Malignant Army
and there he saw many men who cried
Woe, woe, unto us that ever we undertooke the defence of such an unjust Cause: But that which made the greatest impression in the distracted fancy of this wreched Spectator was the sight of Sir Peter Ball, (one of the Commissioners of Excester lately deceased) lying all along after a strange manner, his Legs and Feet scorching in furious flames, his Buttockes upon a Gridiron, his Backe and Shoulders in a frying pan, his Head in a boyling kettle of pitch, bellowing and roaring out in grieveous sort, and cursing the hour of his ativity, with his extorting, coveteousnesse, and cheating of the Country. There was preparation made for Greenvile and Goring, whose places was alloted unto them close by Sir Peter Ball, there to stand with three furies attending upon them whose Office was to poure Ladles of scalding Acomite downe their belching throats. Not long after came in the Lady Scot, Gorings sister, being usherd by that immeasurable luxurie and perjured Caytiffe Greenvile, who was to be hung up by the tongue upon a hot burning tenter hook
All of this was
so full of dread and horrour to this wreched Boy, that he earnestly wished himselfe out of this place, to undergoe any servitude though never so miserable and deplorable.
The Boy Joseph was conveyed backe againe to a place named Cannon Lee in Devon, where he was found by two honest Labourers being servants to Mr. Justice Cullum living there, who espied him under a Hedge, his hands and legs strangely distorted, his haire of his head singyd, his cloathes all be smeared with pitch and rosin, and other sulfurous matter, which yeelded an odious stench; but they commiserating his miserable condition, tooke him up betwixt them and carried him home to there Masters house, where he was shifted and put in a warme bed, and shortly after by meanes of some nourishing broath given him, was so well revived that he then declared unto them his name, birth-place, and his strange journey with the Devill
(published 1645 : facsimile version available on Early English Books Online)