and cursed at that most fearful rate that she was made to tremble to hear me; and told me, further, that I was the ungodliest fellow for swearing that she ever heard in all her life, and that I by thus doing was able to spoil all the youth in the whole town if they came but in my company.
27. At this reproof I was silenced and put to secret shame, and that, too, as I thought, before the God of heaven; wherefore, while I stood there hanging down my head, I wished that I might be a little child again, that my father might learn me to speak without this wicked way of swearing, "for," thought I, "I am so accustomed to it that it is in vain to think of a reformation, for that could never be."
28. But—how it came to pass I know not—I did from this time forward so leave my swearing that it was a great wonder to myself to observe it; and whereas before I knew not how to speak unless I put an oath before and another behind, to make my words have authority, now I could without it speak better and with more pleasantness than ever I could before. All this while I knew not Jesus Christ, neither did I leave my sports and plays.
29. But quickly after this I fell into company with one poor man that made profession of religion; who, as I then thought, did talk pleasantly of the Scriptures and of religion. Wherefore, liking what he said, I betook me to my Bible, and began to take great pleasure in reading, especially with the historical part thereof; for as for Paul's epistles and such-like scriptures, I could not away with them, being as yet ignorant either of my nature or of the want and worth of Jesus Christ to save us.
30. Wherefore I fell to some outward reformation both in my words and life, and did set the commandments before me for my way to heaven; which, commandments I also did strive to keep, and, as I thought, did keep them pretty well sometimes, and then I should have comfort—yet now and then should break one so afflict my Conscience. But
