mildness, decorum, and moderation of our tribunals. Shortly afterwards, Penn published an account of this memorable trial.

Admiral Penn now drew near his end. The prospect of his own dissolution, the character and sufferings of his son, excited a most affectionate concern for his welfare. He desired the Duke of York, by one of his friends, to protect him as far as might be consistent, and use his influence to procure the King's protection in case of persecution. Receiving a satisfactory answer, not long before his death, he thus delivered himself:

“Son William, I am weary of the world! I would not live over my days again, if I could command them with a wish; for the snares of life are greater than the fears of death. This troubles me, that I have offended a gracious God. The thought of this has followed me to this day. Oh, have a care of sin! It is that which is the sting both of life and death. Three things I commend to you. First, let nothing in this world tempt you to wrong your conscience. I charge you, do nothing against your conscience: so will you keep peace at home, which will be a feast to you in a day of trouble. Secondly, whatever you design to do, lay it justly, and time it seasonably; for that gives security and dispatch. Thirdly, be not troubled at disappointments; for if they may be recovered, do it ; if they cannot, trouble is then vain. If you could not have helped it, be content; there is often peace and profit in submitting to Providence; for afflictions make wise. If you could have helped it, let not your trouble exceed instruction for another time. These rules will carry you with firmness and comfort through this inconstant world." pp. 83, 84.

Though left by the death of his father in the possession of an estate to the amount of fifteen hundred pounds per annum, he persevered in his former course, travelling as an itinerant preacher, holding a public disputation with a Baptist, composing an objurgatory letter to the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford on account of his cruelty to some of the students because of their religion, and writing against the Papists, till he was seized again by the arm of bigotry, and refusing to take the oath of allegiance, thrown into Newgate for six months. It deserves to be mentioned, that during his examination, reflections having been made on his morals, he broke out in the following animated challenge:

I make this bold challenge to all men, women, and children upon earth, justly to accuse me with having seen me drunk, heard me swear, utter a curse, or speak one obscene word, much less that I ever made it my practice. I speak this to God's glory, who has ever preserved me from the power of these pollutions, and who from a child begot an hatred in me towards them. But there is nothing more common, than when men are of a more severe life than ordimary, for loose persons to comfort themselves with the conceit, that

these were once as they themselves are; and as if there were no col. fateral or oblique line of the compass or globe, from which men might be said to come to the arctic pole, but directly and immediately from the antartic. Thy words shall be thy burthen, and I trample thy slander as dirt under my feet. pp. 99-100.

While in prison at this time, he addressed himself to Parliament against enforcing the Conventicle Act; to the Sheriffs of London on the abusiveness of the keeper of Newgate, a Catholic, in defence of his "Caveat against Popery;" and published four other books, among which was a considerable work on toleration. After his release from prison and a successful tour, made in Germany and Holland for the purpose of diffusing his religious doctrines, be married the daughter of Sir William Springett, a woman of great beauty and sweet disposition, and settled at Rickmansworth.

It was now in the power of Penn to enjoy the sweets of opulence and leisure. But a sense of his duty as a minister of the Gospel, the disputatious temper of the times, and the activity of his own nature kept him in constant employment. By the recal (1674) of the indulgence granted by Charles II. to tender consciences, the fury of bigotry and persecution again broke loose, which he endeavoured to check by letters to Justices and to the King, and publishing several treatises, partly explaining and vindicating the principles of the Quakers, and partly recommending toleration. By his preaching he brought over many to the Quakers, and held a public disputation with the famous Baxter, in which he came off victorious. In 1677, in company with Fox and Barclay, he travelled through several parts of Holland and Germany, propagating his religious doctrines, being ill-treated in some places, but in others converting persons of all ranks, sexes, and persuasions.

The severe laws, to which the fears of the nation (1678) gave rise, against the Papists, pressed with equal violence upon all non-conformists. The clause for discriminating Protestant from Catholic dissenters not affording relief to the Quakers, as they could not take the oath and make the declaration that were required, Penn presented on their behalf, a petition to both Houses of Parliament, in consequence of which he obtained a hearing before the Committee of the House of Commons. The speech that he delivered on this occasion, as it is said to have made a very favourable impression on the committee, we shall lay before our readers.

If we ought to believe that it is our duty, according to the doctrine of the apostle, to be always ready to give an account of the Hope that is in us, and this to every sober and private inquirer, certainly much more we ought to hold ourselves obliged to declare with readiness, when called to it by so great an authority, what is not our

hope; especially when our very safety is eminently concerned in so doing, and when we cannot decline this discrimination of ourselves from Papists without being conscious to ourselves of the guilt of our own sufferings, for so must every man needs be, who suffers mutely under another character than that which truly belongs to him and his belief. That which giveth me a more than ordinary right to speak at this time, and in this place, is the great abuse which I have received above any other of my profession; for, of a long time I have not only been supposed a Papist, but a Seminary, a Jesuit, an emis. sary of Rome, and in pay from the Pope; a man dedicating my endeavours to the interest and advancements of that party. Nor hath this been the report of the rabble, but the jealousy and insinuation of persons otherwise sober and discreet. Nay, some zealots for the Protestant religion have been so far gone in this mistake, as not only to think ill of us, and decline our conversation, but to take courage to themselves to prosecute us for a sort of concealed Papists; and the truth is, that, what with one thing and what with another, we have been as the wool-sacks and common whipping stock of the kingdom: all laws have been let loose upon us, as if the design were not to reform, but to destroy us; and this not for what we are, but for what we are not. It is hard that we must thus bear the stripes of another interest, and be their proxy in punishment; but it is worse, that some men can please themselves in such a sort of admiration. But mark : I would not be mistaken. I am far from thinking it fit, because I exclaim against the injustice of whipping Quakers for Papists, that Papists should be whipped for their consciences. No: for though the hand, pretended to be lifted up against them hath, I know not by what discretion, lighted heavily upon us, and we complain, yet we do not mean that any should take a fresh aim at them, or that they should come in our room, for we must give the liberty we ask, and cannot be false to our principles, though it were to relieve ourselves; for we have good will to all men, and would have none suffer for a truly sober and conscientious dissent on any hand. And I humbly take leave to add, that those methods against persons so qualified, do not seem to me to be convincing, or indeed adequate to the reason of mankind; but tois I submit to your consideration. To conclude; I hope we shall be held excused of the men of that (the Roman Catholic) profession in giving this distinguishin declarationg, since it is not with design to expose them, but, first, to pay that regard we owe to the inquiry of this committee, and, in the next place, to relieve ourselves from the daily spoil and ruin which now attend and threaten hundreds of families, by the execution of laws which, we humbly conceive, were never made against us.' pp. 214-217.

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As apprehensions for the safety of the Protestant religion still agitated the nation, Penn who was ever ready to give advice to the public as well as to individuals, published "An Address to Protestants of all persuasions upon the present con-. juncture," containing an account of what he thought the pres valent vices and errors of the age, which however did little to allay the ferment. He was next engaged in endeavouring to

procure the election of Algernon Sidney to represent Guildford in the ensuing Parliament, which being soon dissolved, he made another attempt for him at Bramber, but failed. His deviation on this occasion from the usual practice of the Quakers in regard to the elective franchise, was owing to a high esteem of the distinguished person for whom he exerted himself.

So early as 1675, Penn had been chosen to arbitrate between John Fenwick and Edward Byllinge, who had purchased of Lord Berkeley half of his share of New Jersey. Byllinge falling into difficulties, induced Penn, with two others, to become trustees for his creditors. The principal management of this concern devolving on Penn, his attention was drawn to the new world. Disgusted with the vices of Europe, lamenting over the sufferings to which conscientious persons, particularly those of his own sect, were continually exposed in England, he formed the idea of founding a colony in that region, with the view of affording to those who were persecuted, an asylum where they might profess their religion with the greatest security-of raising a virtuous empire which might prove a model to distant ages and nations--and of diffusing by example and instruction the light of Christianity among the barbarous nations of the new continent. Full of this magnificent project, he applied to Charles II. for a tract of land in America, in payment of sums which the profuse and needy government of that prince owed his father. His petition, after several objections, particularly on the ground of his being a Quaker, having been granted, he immediately began to carry his designs into effect. He published an account of the province, which the King had styled Pennsylvania, in honour of his father, with a copy of the Royal Charter, and the terms on which he designed to part with the land. The advice to those who were inclined to become adventurers, ssubjoined to this account of Pennsylvania, deserves to be extracted, as very characteristic of the honesty and piety of Penn.

"I desire all my dear country folks, who may be inclined to go into those parts, to consider seriously the premises, as well the inconveniency as future ease and plenty; that so none may move rashly, or from a fickle, but from a solid mind, having above all things an eye to the providence of God in the disposing of themselves; and I would further advise all such at least to have the permission, if not the good liking of their near relations, for that is both natural and a duty incumbent upon all. And by this, both natural affections and a friendly and profitable correspondence will be preserved between them, in all which I beseech Almighty God to direct us; that his blessing may attend our honest endeavours, and then the consequence of all our undertakings will turn to the glory of his great name, and all true happiness to us and our posterity.' pp. 282 283.

He published likewise the frame of government of the new colony, and the laws under which he designed his subjects to live. Before his departure for his settlement, after he had done whatever he supposed conducive to its welfare, he addressed a long letter to his wife and children, from which, because of its beauty, simplicity, and sound wisdom, we shall insert considerable extracts.

My dear Wife and Children-My love, which neither sea, nor land, nor death itself can extinguish or lessen toward you, most endearedly visits you with eternal embraces, and will abide with you for ever: and may the God of my life watch over you and bless you, and do you good, in this world and for ever!-Some things are upon my spirit to leave with you in your respective capacities, as I am to one a husband, and to the rest, a father, if I should never see you more in this world.

• My dear wife! remember thou wast the love of my youth, and much the joy of my life; the most beloved, as well as most worthy of all my earthly comforts: and the reason of that love was more thy inward than thy outward excellencies, which yet were many. God knows and thou knowest it, I can say it was a match of Providence's making; and God's image in us both was the first thing, and the most amiable and engaging ornament in our eyes. Now I am to leave thee, and that without knowing whether I shall ever see thee more in this world, take my counsel into thy bosom, and let it dwell with thee in my stead while thou livest.

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First: Let the fear of the Lord and a zeal and love to his glory dwell richly in thy heart, and thou wilt watch for good over thyself and thy dear children and family, that no rude, light, or bad thing be committed: also God will be offended, and he will repent himself of the good he intends thee and thine.

Secondly: Be diligent in meetings for worship and business; stir up thyself and others therein; it is thy duty and place: and let neetings be kept once a day in the family to wait upon the Lord, who has given us much time for ourselves: and, my dearest, to make thy family matters easy to thee, divide thy time and be regular : it is easy and sweet: thy retirement will afford thee to do it; as in the morning to view the business of the house, and fix it as thou desirest, seeing all be in order; that by thy counsel all may move, and render to thee an account every evening. The time for work, for walking, for meals, may be certain, at least as near as may be : and grieve not thyself with careless servants; they will disorder thee : rather pay them and let them go, if they will not be better by admonitions: this is best to avoid many words, which I know wound the soul and offend the Lord.

Thirdly Cast up thy income, and see what it daily amounts to; by which thou mayest be sure to have it in thy sight and power to keep within compass: I beseech thee to live low and sparingly, till my debts are paid; and then enlarge as thou seest it convenient. Remember thy mother's example, when thy father's public spiritedness had worsted his estate (which is my case). I know thou lovest