the diary perhaps as well as any shows the extreme neuroticism sometimes attained by these Labadist representatives:
“The lives of the planters of Maryland and Virginia are very godless and profane. They listen neither to God nor his commandments and have neither church nor cloister. Sometimes there is someone who is called a minister who does not, as elsewhere, serve in one place, for in all Virginia and Maryland there is no city or a village, but travels for profit and for that purpose visits the plantations through the country and there addresses the people . . . you hear often that these ministers are worse than anybody else, yea, and are an abomination.”[1]
Sluyter and Dankaerts remained in Maryland a few months longer, making Bohemia Manor their headquarters, where they were received with courtesy and respect. As time passed, however, the ardor with which Herrman received his guests began to wane. Their bombastic and oftentimes entirely false statements about his friends and neighbors did not tend to improve their relations. Nor really did their peculiar social and religious views have much in common with an aristocrat of Herrman’s temper. Little by little, too, did he put off the actual sale of the property he had promised them.[2] When the Labadists insisted upon the conveyance, Herrman flatly refused. They left Maryland in 1680 and Herrman thought that he was rid of them for good. But three years later they returned, bringing with them one hundred of their order. In 1684 they instituted a suit against Herrman for the land he had heretofore promised them and were successful.[3]
Ephraim Herrman, as the eldest son, was according to Herr-
