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Transcribe Johann Gottlob (John Godlob) Fritsch page 05
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One Question caus'd the other and the answer to it
gave me an Opportunity to qitness of the whole Gos-
pel, of the whole Matter of our Congregtion, the
Chief Design of our dear Witnesses, of the Awakening
in Livonia and of the following hatred of the wickes
and ill meaning People, and by that it re
maineth. After a while they allowed me every Dis made a Begin
tar Conversation t support me with
ning to allow me two Copoeken (it isnot quite two
Pce this currency) for my daily support. The good custom
of the Russian Nation, to give the last tho' often very
small morsel of brea to the Prisoners, and to send
them Alms, which came out of the Emissery, help'd
us thro' the heavenly Benediction in our Want
so far, that I at least the three first Months did
not perish for Hunger. In the Month of Aug 1747
I was put in a large stone Prison (in the Russian
Language Caverne) and I became an Archwarius
to my first Fellow Prisoner, with whom I kept
above two years a blessed brotherly Oeconomy.
He was a great Service to me and I to him a Phsycian
him comfort and blessing. He was in Time of Five Weeks
thrice tortur'd. The first Look of his with a scourge
so wounded back, gave me particular meditations
and Affects, the scourgings of my martyr'd Lamb was
in a particular manner very clear represented to me
My greatest Grief was that I could not get along
with the Language & that I had ne Book nor Employ
but at Last I was in that help'd too. Afterwards I got more
Fellow Prisoners which sometimes was ten number
+I did
all what I
possibly could
& think opon
my so cruelly
treated fello
prisoner
where we had six Soldiers always for our Guard Watch. I have
had in all from Time to Time 140 Fellow Prisoners. The
most I have serv'd, taken Care of, and given part of my
morsel of Bread, & with some I have liv'd for two or three
weeks long. The first, namely the above metioned Aarch
various, now my dear Brother Stephen, made me
(so soon as the third namely a brand mark'd Rosbomuch
or Robber came) to an Elder of the Prison. I was
by that put in Authority to keep order, and to be Overseer
in the Rooms, and this my office he defended if any Body
would make any Objection again it. My dear Saviour,
that faithful Lamb of God, gave me daily new Grace,
and Wisdom to come thro' with it, because it was a heavy
Office to keep Order and Peace amongst all sorts
of People, high & low, who are of different Temper & Perswasion,
Christians, Turks; Heathens, yea Pregnant Women &
sucking Children out of all Regions & Countries. I
was much belov'd and respected by them all, and they
left me with much gratitude when their Circumstances
was changed for worse or better. My Care, Comfort &
the Preaching of free Grace pleas'd most everyone,
& besides that I was their Cook and Oeconomist, to
prevent the Quarral fore even herd, or if any Body
would safe some of their Provision, because
it was all in and under my Hand with all their
Consent. Every one gave me daily one Copoeken,
and for that I had brought by the Soldiers what we
want in our Oeconomy. How many thousand Soliders
of the Life Guarde have been in them year time after