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THE

History of Pennsylvania,

NORTH

IN

AMERICA,

FROM THE

Original Inftitution and Settlement of that Province, under the first Proprietor and Governor WILLIAM PENN, in 1681, till after the Year 1742;

WITH AN

INTRODUCTION,

RESPECTING,

The Life of W. PENN, prior to the grant of the Province, and the religious
Society of the People called Quakers;-with the first rife of the neighbouring
Colonies, more particularly of Weft-New-Jersey, and the Settlement
of the Dutch and Swedes on Delaware.

TO WHICH IS ADDED,

A brief Description of the faid Province,

AND OF THE

General State, in which it flourished, principally between the Years 1760 and 1770.
The whole including a Variety of Things,
Useful and interefting to be known, refpecting that Country in early Time, &c.
With an APPENDIX.

Written principally between the Years 1776 and 1780,

BY ROBERT PROUD.

"PULCHRUM EST BENEFACERE REIPUBLICE, ETIAM BENEDICERE HAUD ABSUR DUM EST, VEL PACE VEL BELLO CLARUM FIERI LICET.' 39 Sal. Catalin.

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SED CUM PLERIQUE ARBITRENTUR RES BELLICAS MAJORES ESSE QUAM URBAN

MINUENDA EST HEC OPINIO." Cic. Off.

VOLUME I.

Philadelphia:

PRINTED AND SOLD BY ZACHARIAH POULSON, JUNIOR, NUMBER EIGHTY, CHESNUT-STREET.

233. 2. 188.

The means,

or mate

rials.

C. Pufey &

Though the materials of this performance, and the regular accounts of the early progreffive advances of this country, left by those who were moft capable of giving them, appear, in fome things, and more fo at particular times, very defective, yet the compilation is made from the best that could be had, as tranfmitted from the most early fettlers, and their fucceffors, of the first reputation and character, in the province; as well as from the public records, and fuch other accounts as may be depended on.

Among the first collectors of these materials apfirst collec- pears to have been Caleb Pufey, one of the early memorials, fettlers of Pennfylvania from about London, in

tors of the

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1682; who, at different times, was both of the provincial and proprietary's, or governor's, council, and frequently in the affembly. He lived many years; was well acquainted with the public affairs, and faw great improvements in the province. His papers after his decease, in 1725, were delivered to David Lloyd and Ifaac Norris; and afterwards to James Logan, about the year 1732. From these perfons, who made fuch additions, as came within their obfervation, they afterwards paffed to John Kinfey; who, in conjunction with feveral others, his friends, revised them; and they remained in his poffeffion till his death, in the year $750.

The character of thefe perfons, above mentioned, who, at different periods of time, filled fome of the most eminent public ftations in the province, will further appear in the enfuing history; as be ing men who had not only the best opportunity of knowing the variety of incidents, and the true state of its internal affairs, from the beginning, but alfo were themselves actively concerned in a large fhare of the public tranfactions; and fome of them, in the different interefts both of the proprietary and of his oppofers.

But

But the person who took the most pains to adjust s.smith, & and reduce these materials into fuch order, as might hisM.S.&c. be proper for the public view, before that of the prefent publication, was Samuel Smith of Burlington, in New-Jersey, author of the history of that province; whofe manufcript (which contained only the space of about forty years) after his decease, in 1776, being thought by divers fenfible and judicious perfons, among his friends, to be capable of further improvement, and useful alterations, or additions, the present history, therefore, is published, not only in a form, different from that of S. Smith's manufcript, but also divers particulars therein, are here much abbreviated, efpecially refpecting the long and tedious difputes between fome of the governors and affemblies; and confiderable additions are made, from other accounts, of fuch things as were either not at all touched upon, or but flightly mentioned, by him; befides most of the notes, with the introduction, and the defcription of the province and its prefent ftate, between the years 1760 and 1770; both which laft, not being attempted by him, are, for the most part, entirely new:-So that the whole comprizes, befides what may be found of veracity, in other publications, refpecting the province, a true and genuine narrative of the different public tranfactions, the great and various improvements, memorable incidents, entertaining anecdotes, and things worthy to be known, for above fixty years, befides the faid prefent ftate,

&c.

Subject of

The restoration and enjoyment of those natural and civil rights and privileges, of which men origi- the hiftory, nally, by their folly and wickednefs, are often deprived, was the great end, for which the predeceffors of the prefent inhabitants of Pennsylvania, at firft, peaceably withdrew into this retirement, from thofe, who, at that time, appeared either to have loft, or too partially distributed them; and the preservation thereof was the original defign of

the

Remarka

ple, &c.

the civil government and constitution of the province; an account of which, &c. is the principal fubject of the following history.

Hence, in the first rife, and early progrefs, of ble exam- this province, there manifeftly appears a remarkable and extraordinary example of that excellent wisdom, industry and moderation, whose effects are replete with useful instruction to posterity, for having, in reality, rendered a people so very happy and flourishing;-not proved by the boafting of mere theory and anticipation, but by a happy experience for many years.

Poffible be

tory, &c.

It is likewife by means of the fame kind of evinefit of hif- dence, or proof, fo far as hiftory favors us with the experience of former times, in all ages and countries, that men may be taught, not only that the happy state of any country cannot reasonably be expected long to continue, in the fame degree of increasing profperity, as before, without the continued prevalence of principles and means, among the people, in general, fimilar to those by which it was first obtained; but also how liable fuch a happy and profperous condition is again to be loft, by that folly or depravity, which has ever been fatal, where it got the afcendency, though generally under the most plausible appearances. "Fallit enim vitium fpecie virtutis & umbrâ,” Evil deceives under the pretence, or appearance of good.

Human na

For the history of all nations abounds with inture ftill the ftances of the fame nature, operating in all the fame, &c. defcendants of Adam and Eve, which we are told,

prevailed in these first parents, or representatives, of mankind; and through this medium of history, it may be clearly feen, as in a glafs, that too much, or very great, profperity has been, and confequently may ftill be, as fatal to the human race, (which is capable of bearing only a certain proportion of it) as the extreme of adverfity; and that the effects of plenty, pride and ambition, in the

one

one, have been, and thence may still be, no lefs pernicious, than thofe of want, oppreffion and diftrefs, in the other:-But how little have pofterity profited from fuch former examples!-human nature is ftill the fame;-the interdicted tree, with its forbidden fruit, is ftill as tempting as ever it

was.

"Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum."

Happy is he whom the harms of others make wary.

fettling

How often, under fome plaufible pretence or Men love other, are peace and improvement wantonly ex- change,&e. changed for war and deftruction; whofe natural confequence are violence and oppreffion!-Have we not feen the commencement of this already, even, within our borders, in this young country? which the former had rendered fo flourishing and Motives for happy.-The first and early colonifts, or fettlers Pennfylvaand makers of the province, left the finely culti- nia. vated plains of Europe, with their nearest and deareft connections there, to enjoy and promote the former, in this wilderness, in fuch degree of perfection, as feemed impoffible for them there, and to avoid the latter, with its confequences;-from which, in an eminent degree, it is most manifeft, their wifdom, virtue, moderation, and good policy, through much labor, danger and expence, many ways, and in a very fignal, pacific and extraordinary manner, effected the deliverance and prefervation of the inhabitants, while they directed the affairs of the colony, and for fo many years prolonged the golden days of Pennfylvania.

&c.

For, as there appears to be a conftant decay, in Happy conhuman affairs, and all things have their beginning fequences, and end, fo is it not manifeft, in the course of nature, or of all things within the circle of human obfervation, that a conftant recurring to first principles, or, that a renovation, or melioration, to balance this decay, is always neceffary, both in an individual and collective capacity?--But then do

all

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