This is the story of a young man who heard a message that changed everything. In 1659, Thomas Ellwood, the son of an Oxfordshire yeoman, encountered the Quakers and was convinced — a decision that cost him his family's approval, his freedom, and, at times, his health. His journal, first published in 1714, is one of the most beloved spiritual memoirs of the seventeenth century: plain-spoken, vivid, and quietly humorous even in the face of persecution. It is also the record of an extraordinary friendship, for Ellwood served as reader and amanuensis to the blind poet John Milton, and is said to have suggested the theme of Paradise Regained. This faithful modern-English edition renders Ellwood's classic in clear, present-day language, preserving its meaning and spirit while making it inviting to read now. Part of The Founding Texts Library.