the time of &c. means of the Prince of Orange, "who landed at W. Penn's Torbay, in Devonshire, on the fifth of November, affairsabout 1688, to the great joy of the English nation. Many the revolu of King James's officers and army foon joined the tion in 1688 Prince; and the King, perceiving the hearts of the people alienated from him, withdrew himself, and went over to France. Hence by a Convention, called fhortly after, the faid Prince of Orange, and the Princefs Mary, his confort, King James's daughter, were declared King and Queen of England, &c. and were proclaimed on the thirteenth of February, 1688-9. 66 Upon this turn of the times, William Penn's late friendship at court having rendered him fufpected of difaffection to the present government, on the tenth of December, 1688, when he was walking in White-Hall, he was fent for by the Lords of the Council, then fitting; and though nothing appeared against him, and himself affured them, "That he had done nothing, but what he could anfwer before God, and all the princes in the world; that he loved his country, and the Proteftant religion above his life, and never acted against either; that all he ever aimed at, in his public endeavours, was no other than what the Prince himself had declared for; that King James was always his friend, and in gratitude, he was the King's, and did ever, as much as in him lay, influence him to his true intereft."-Notwithstanding they obliged him to give fecurities for his appearance the first day of the next term, which he did; and then he was continued, on the fame fecurity, to Eafter-term following; on the last day of which, nothing having been laid to his charge, he was cleared in open court. "In the year 1690, he was again brought before the Lords of the Council, upon an accufation of holding a correfpondence with the late King James; and they requiring fureties for his appear ance, affairsabout the time of W. Penn's ance, he appealed to King William himself; who, after a conference of near two hours, inclined to the revolu- acquit him, but, to please fome of the Council, tion in 1688 he was held upon bail, for a while; and, in Trinity-term, the fame year, was again discharged. &c. "He was attacked a third time, and his name inferted in a proclamation, dated July the 18th. 1690; wherein he, with divers others, to the number of eighteen, were charged with adhering to the kingdom's enemies; but proof failing, refpecting him, he was again cleared by order of the King's-bench Court, at Westminster, in the last day of Michaelmas-term, 1690. 66 Being now again at liberty, he proposed to go a fecond time to Pennfylvania, and published propofals in print, for another fettlement there. He had fo far prepared for this transportation that an order for a convoy was granted him by the Secretary of State, when his voyage was prevented by a fresh accusation against him, backed with the oath of one William Fuller, a wretch, afterwards by Parliament declared a cheat and impoftor; and a warrant was thereupon granted, for his apprehenfion; which he narrowly escaped, at his return from the funeral of George Fox, the first preacher among the Quakers, on the 16th. of January, 1690-1."* Though *W. Penn, in a letter to Thomas Lloyd, dated, “ England, the 14th. of the Fourth-month, 1691," writes on this fubject, as follows: "Dear Friend, "My love, in the unchangeable truth, falutes thee and thine, and the friends and family of God, in thofe parts, defiring your temporal and everlasting welfare, with an unfeigned affection. "By this time thou wilt have heard of the renewal of my troubles, the only let of my return, being in the midst of my preparations, with a great company of adventurers, when they fell upon me.- The jealoufies of fome, and unworthy dealing of others have made way for them; but under and over it all, the ancient rock has been my fheiter and comfort; and I hope yet to fee your faces, with our ancient fatisfaction.-The Lord grant, if it be for his glory, whofe I defire to be, in all conditions; for this world paffeth away, and the form and beauty of it fadeth; but there are eternal habitations for the faithful; among whom I that my pray lat may be, rather than among the princes of the earth. Though William Penn had hitherto defended 1690. himself before the King and Council, yet he now W. Penn thought it more prudent to retire, than to hazard obliged to the facrificing of his innocence to the oaths of a retire in priprofligate villain; accordingly after an expenfive vate, &c. preparation for a large embarkation of fresh colo- To the nifts for America, he was not only obliged to defift great difadtherefrom, and, at a moft critical and neceffitous his affairs, time, in the affairs of his young country to decline and thofe of his province furnishing a large increafe to its inhabitants, and &c. thofe means, for its further regulation, establish ment "I hope I need not urge my circumftances, to excite thy love, care and concern for me and my fuffering intereft, in that country. I know thou haft better learned Chrift and Cato, if I may fo fay, and wilt embrace fuch an opportunity to chufe to exprefs thy friendship and fincerity; nor is uncertainty and changeableness thy fault; wherefore I will fay no more, but defire that my afflictions may ceafe, if not cure your animofities, or difcontents, within yourselves, if yet they have continued; and that thou wilt both in government, and to my Commissionners of property, yield thy affiftance all thou canft.-By all this God may prepare me to be fitter for future fervice, even to you there. I afk the people forgiveness for my long ftay; but when I confider how much it has been my great lofs, and for an ungrateful generation, it is punishment! It has been 20,000 pounds to my damage, in the country, and above 10,000 pounds here, and to the province 500 families; but the wife God, that can do what he pleases, as well as fee what is in man's heart, is able to requite all; and I am perfwaded, all fhall yet work together for good, in this very thing, if we can overlook all, that stands in the way of our views Godward, in public matters.-See that all be done prudently and humbly; and keep down irreverence and looseness, and cherish induftry and fobriety. The Lord God Almighty be with you, and amongst you, to his praise and your peace. Salute me to John Simcock, R. Turner, A. Cook, T. Janny, Ph. Pemberton, S. Richardfon, W. Yardly, the Welch Friends, and Plimouth Friends, indeed to all of them. "Thou hast heard of our great lofs of dear John Burnyeat, and Robert Lodge, one in Ireland, and t'other in England, in about the fame week; and Robert Barclay, Th. Salthouse, and dearly beloved George Fox fince: He died at Henry Gouldney's, by Gracious-freet meeting-houfe; where he preached his farewell the Firft-day, and departed the Third, at Night, between nine and ten.-I was with him; he earnestly recommended to me his love to you all; and faid, William, mind poor Friends in America; he died triumphantly over death, very easily forefaw his change; he was buryed on the Sixth-day; like a general meeting; 2000 people at his burial, Firends and others:-I was never more public than that day; I felt myself eafy; he was got into his Inn, before the ftorm that is coming overtook him; and that night, very providentially I escaped the meffenger's hands:-I fhall add only, that Friends have had an extraordinary time, this General Meeting; fo that God fupplied that vifible lofs with his glorious prefence. R. Davies there, but not thy brother. In fincere love I bid thee, thy wife and family, and friends, farewell, "Thy true frien, "WILLIAM PENN." vantage of 1690. ment and happiness, which, it was moft probable fuch an addition, with his prefence, would have administered, but he alfo appeared very little in public, for two or three years afterwards; and the great difadvantage and embarraffment, which this difappointment occafioned, both in his private affairs, and those of his colony, at this time, appear, in its effects, the more confiderable, on account of the disorder, or diffenfion, between the province and territories; and alfo the religious disturbance, in the affair of George Keith; both which began about this time; which, it is most probable, his long wanted prefence and abilities there would have prevented, or, at least, fome of the confequences of them. He writes ment. Yet the product of this retirement was several in his retire- valuable treatifes, on divers fubjects, which, both for his own amufement, and the common good of the present and future times, he writ, during this reftraint upon his liberty, till the latter end of the year, 1693; which, as they are extant in his printed works, the world would otherwife, probably, never have feen, nor had the advantage of them. But, first, refpecting his retirement, left his Friends, the Quakers, fhould entertain any finifter thoughts of him, he fent the following epistle to their Yearly-meeting, in London, viz. W. Penn's Epiftle to "The 30th. of the Third-month, 1691. "My beloved, dear and honoured brethren, "MY unchangeable love falutes you; and his Friends though I am abfent from you, yet I feel the fweet in London, and lowly life of your heavenly fellowship, by 1691. which I am with you, and a partaker amongst you, whom I have loved above my chiefeft joy: Receive no evil furmifings, neither fuffer hard thoughts, through the infinuations of any, to enter your minds against me, your afflicted, but not forfaken friend and brother. My enemies are yours, and, in his Friends in the ground, mine for your fakes; and that God w. Penn's "Your faithful friend and brother, Though the Proprietary had, both by charter and otherwise, endeavoured to connect the province and territories of Pennfylvania, in legislation and government, fo as to form one General Affembly, yet the jealoufies, and difference of fentiment, in fome cafes, which afterwards arofe between the Reprefentatives of each part, in their legislative capacity, tending to create feparate interefts, and a rupture between them, were frequently the occafion of great uneafinefs to him; whofe view was always to keep them united, judging it most for the intereft of them both, as well as his own. |
