' And
the people all marvelled at this thing."
Though Muggleton does not make much of this incident, it appears to
have been a very important one in the early history of the sect, for
from this moment the numbers of Muggletonians began to increase, and
they began to absorb a small army of wandering monomaniacs who were
roaming about London and talking about _religion_, and visions,
and revelations, and attaching themselves first to one body and then
to another, according as they could get admission to the meeting-
houses and be allowed to preach and harangue. Astrologers too, came
and conferred with the prophets, and drunken scoffers laid bets that
they would get the prophet's blessing; and on one occasion a company
of "Atheistical Ranters" made a plot to turn the tables upon
Muggleton, and damn him and Reeve. Three of "the most desperatest"
agreed to do it. "So the time appointed came, and there was prepared
a good dinner of pork, and the three came ready prepared to curse
us." Part of the agreement was that the dinner should follow upon the
cursing. But whether it was that the rogues could do nothing until
they were fortified with drink, or that a sudden spasm of
conscientiousness came upon them, or that they were like
superstitious people who with blanched lips loudly protest that they
do not believe in ghosts, but decline on principle to walk through a
churchyard after dark, these three fellows all ran away from their
engagements at the eleventh hour.
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