W. Penn of wisdom tude. this medium when we view the conduct of thofe great men of antiquity, who have benefited mankind, in their most effential interefts, they appear frequently to have been actuated by motives, the most difinterested, and attended with a fatisfaction more than human!-Adverfity, which refines men, and renders them more fit to benefit the human race, is a frequent concomitant of worthy minds; and apparent fuccefs doth not always immediately attend noble and just designs:-When a Socrates is put to death, wisdom and truth feem to fuffer; and when an Ariftides is exiled, justice appears to be in difgrace. But virtue is its own reward, and depends not on the fluctuating opinions of mortals, nor on the breath of popular applaufe; which is often on the fide of error, and entirely oppofite to the real interefts of its votaries. An example of true wifdom and fortitude, is an example no lefs confpicuous in the venerable founder of the and forti province of Pennfylvania, the truly great and worthy William Penn, than in many of the celebrated fages and legiflators of former ages; who, in oppofition to the vulgar notions of the times in which they lived, have feemingly fuffered in their own particulars, in order to benefit mankind: this will appear in the following sketch of his life, both with respect to his religion in joining with the people called Quakers, and likewife in fettling the province itself. In both of which his engagement for the happiness of men was not unattended with a large fhare of that difficulty and oppofition, to which the most excellent undertakings are generally expofed: but minds of fuch exalted virtue are actuated by motives above mortality, and indifputably are influenced by fomething divine; without which, as Cicero fays," there never was a really good and great man.* His * "Credendum eft neminem virorum bonorum talem fuiffe, nifi adjuvantę Deo; & nemo unquam, fuit vir magnus fine afflatu aliquo divino." Cic. de natura Deorum admi His father, Sir William Penn, was of eminent of his facharacter; and ferved both under the parliament, ther adm and king Charles the fecond, in feveral of the highest He was born in Bristol, anno 1621; and married Margaret, daughter of John Jasper, of Rotterdam in Holland, merchant; by Biographia maritime offices.* whom he had his fon William Penn. He was him- Britannica. felf the son of captain Giles Penn, feveral years Hisdefcent conful for the English, in the Mediterranean; and of the Penns of Penns-lodge, in the county of Wilts; and those Penns of Penn, in the county of Bucks; and by his mother, from the Gilberts, in the county of Somerfet, originally from Yorkshire. He was addicted from his youth to maritime af- His offices. fairs, and made captain at twenty-one years of age; rear admiral of Ireland, at twenty-three; vice admiral of Ireland, at twenty-five; admiral to the Straits, at twenty-nine; vice admiral of England, at thirty-one; and general in the firft Dutch war, at thirty-two. Whence returning, anno 1655, he was a parliament man for the town of Weymouth; in 1660, he was made commiffioner of the admiralty and navy, governor of the town and fort of Kingsail; vice admiral of Munster, and a member of that provincial council; and anno 1664, he was chofen great captain commander under the Duke of York, in that fignal, and moft evidently fuccefful fight with the Dutch Fleet. Thus he took leave of the fea, but continued His death. still in his other employments, till 1669; at which time, through bodily infirmities, contracted by the care *W. Penn, in his printed works, fays further refpecting his father, Admiral Penn;—“ He was engaged both under the parliament and king; but not as an actor in the domeftic troubles; his compafs always fteering him to eye a national concern, and not intestine wars. His fervice, therefore, being wholly foreign, he may be truly faid to ferve his country, rather than either of these interests, fo far as they were diftinct from each other."-Again, "In the attack on Hifpaniola, his employ was only as general of the fleet; from which the mifcarriage did not arise; it was owing to the land forces, over which he had no command. PENN's Works. care and fatigue of public affairs, he withdrew, prepared and made for his end. He died at Wanftead, in the county of Effex, on the 16th. day of September 1670, in the 49th. year of his age; leaving a plentiful estate, in England and Ireland, with his paternal bleffing to his fon William; to whom he was perfectly reconciled, after the great displeasure, he had before conceived at his joining in religious fociety with the Quakers; Thus (fays his fon) from a lieutenant he paffed through all the eminent offices of fea employment, and arrived to that of general, about the 30th. year of his age; in a time full of the biggest sea action, that any history mentions; and when neither bribes nor alliance, favour nor affection, but ability only, could promote."-Having acquitted himself with honor and fidelity, in all his public offices, after the restoration he was knighted by king Charles the fecond, and became a peculiar favorite of James, duke of York; whofe friendship, favor and benevolence Pense were, after his death, continued to his fon; which, Popple af in a particular manner he requested of the duke, on his death bed. See W. Penn's let terwards. Birth and born, 1644. The memorable William Penn, son and heir of education the above mentioned Sir William, or admiral Penn, of W. Penn and the first proprietor and governor of Pennfylvania, was born in London, on the fourteenth day of October, 1644. He was endowed with a good genius; and his father, from the promising profpect, which he had, of his advancement was induced to give him a liberal education: He accordingly made fuch early improvements in literature, that, about the fifteenth year of his age, he was entered a student at Chrift's church college in Oxford. His behavi ford. At this time more particularly (fays the writer our at Ox- of his life) began to appear in him a difpofition of mind after true spiritual religion; of which before he had received fome fenfe and tafte, through the miniftry of Thomas Loe, a preacher under the de nomination nomination of a Quaker. In this place, he, and certain ftudents of that univerfity, withdrawing themselves from the national way of worship, held private meetings, for the exercise of religion; where they both preached and prayed among themfelves; which gave great offence to the heads of the college. He, being then but fixteen years of age, was fined for non-conformity; and, at last, for his perfevering in the like religious practices, was expelled the college. wards him. From thence, after he returned home, he ftill His father's retained the fame turn of mind, and continued to conduct to prefer the fociety of fober and religious perfons. His father, judging this to be a great obstacle in the way of his fons preferment, endeavoured, by divers means to deter and divert him from it. For which purpose, after having used both the force of perfuafion upon his mind, and the feverity of ftripes upon his body, without fuccefs, he at length was fo far incenfed against him, that, in great refentment of rage, he turned him out of his house! France. His patience furmounted this difficulty, till his He fend father's affection had fubdued his anger. He then him to fent him to France in company with some perfons of quality, who were making a tour thither. He continued there a confiderable time, till a quite different converfation had diverted his mind from the ferious thoughts of religion. There he acquired the knowledge of the French language, and a perfectly accomplished, polite and courtly behaviour. His father, on his return, thinking the intention of his travels was fully answered, received him with great fatisfaction. His conduct and behaviour, for fome time after this, being reprefented to be fuch as juftly entitled him to the character of a complete young gentleman. About the year 1664 his fpiritual conflict, or 1664. religious exercise of mind, is faid to have been very great: his natural inclination, his lively and active difpofition mind and His great difpofition, his acquired accomplishments, his faconflict of ther's favour, the refpect of his friends and acrefolution. quaintances, did strongly prefs him to embrace the glory and pleasures of this world, then, as it were, courting and careffing him, in the bloom of youth, to accept them; but, his earnest fupplication being to the Almighty for prefervation, he was, in due time, providentially favoured with refolution and ability to overcome all oppofition and to purfue his religious profpect, and what he believed was his belt intereft, through all the reproaches, and perfecutions which attended him. He is fully In the year 1666, and the 22d. of his age, his convinced father committed to his care and management a kers princi- confiderable eftate, in Ireland; which occafioned ples in Ire- his refidence in that country; there, being at Cork, of the Qua land. 1667. W. Penn at a religious meeting of the people called Quakers, he was thoroughly and effectually convinced of their principles, by means of the preaching of Thomas Loe, before mentioned; whofe ministry ten years before had made fome impreffions upon his underftanding; fo that he afterwards conftantly attended the religious meetings of that people, even through the heat of perfecution. Being again at a meeting in Cork, in the year 1667, he, with many others, was apprehended, committed and carried before the mayor, who, obferving that prifon his dress discovered not the Quaker, would have Quakers. fet him at liberty, upon bond for his good beha to with the viour; which, refufing to give, he was, with about eighteen others, committed to prison; he had during his refidence in Ireland, contracted an intimate acquaintance with many of the nobility and gentry; and, being now a prifoner, he wrote a letter, on the occafion, to the Earl of Orrery, lord prefident of Munster; wherein he briefly informed him of his fituation, pleaded his innocence, and boldly exhibited the inconfiftency with true christianity, as well as the ill policy, of fuch kind of perfecution, efpecially |