'God's providence) ever be able to alter my love to the country, and refolution to return and fettle my family and pofterity in it: but having reafon to believe I can at this time beft ferve you and myself on that fide of the water, neither the rudeness of the feason, nor tender circumftances of my family, can ' over-rule my inclinations to undertake it.

Think, therefore, (fince all men are mortal) of 'fome fuitable expedient and provifion for your safety, as well in your privileges as property, and you 'will find me ready to comply with whatsoever may ' render us happy by a nearer union of our interefts.

Review again your laws; propofe new ones that may better your circumftances; and what you do, do quickly, remembering that the parliament fits the ' end of the next month, and that the fooner I am there, the fafer I hope we shall be here.

'I must recommend to your ferious thoughts and ' care, the king's letter to me for the affiftance of 'New-York with three hundred and fifty pounds fterling, as a frontier government; and therefore expofed to a much greater expence in proportion to other colonies; which I called the laft affembly to take into their confideration, and they were pleased, for the reafons then given, to refer to this.

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I am also to tell you the good news of the governor of New-York, his happy iffue of his conferences with the Five Nations of Indians, that he hath not only made peace with them, for the king's fubjects ' of that colony, but (as I had by fome letters before defired him) for thofe of all other governments un'der the crown of England on the continent of America, as alfo the nations of Indians within those re'fpective colonies: which certainly merits our acknowledgments.

I have done, when I have told you, that unani'mity and dispatch are the life of business, and that I ' defire and expect from you, for your own fakes, fince ' it may so much contribute to the disappointment of • thofe

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those that too long have fought the ruin of our young country."

The Affembly's ADDRESS.

< May it please the PROPRIETARY and GOVERNOR,

W

E have this day in our affembly read thy fpeech, delivered yesterday in council; and ' having duly confidered the same, cannot but be under a deep fense of forrow for thy purpose of so fpeedily leaving us, and at the fame time taking notice of thy paternal regard to us and our pofterity, the freeholders of this province, and territories annexed, in thy loving and kind expreffions of being ready to comply with whatsoever expedient and provifions we shall offer for our fafety, as well in privileges as property, and what else may render us happy in a nearer union of our interests; not doubting the performance of what thou haft been fo lovingly pleased to promise, we do in much humility, and as a token of our gratitude, return unto thee the unfeigned thanks of this house.

Subscribed by order of the house,

JOSEPH CROWDON, speaker.'

The next month he took fhipping for England, and fafely arrived at Portsmouth about the middle of December; and the fame month came up to London: after his return, the bill, which, through his friends folicitations, had been poftponed the laft feffions of parliament, was wholly dropped, and no farther progrefs made in that affair.

About two months after this, viz. on the eighth of the month called March 1701-2, King William died; and the princess Anne of Denmark afcended the throne, who began her reign with moderation and clemency, and declared for maintaining the act of toleration.

Our

Our author, being in the queen's favour, was often at court, and for his conveniency took lodgings at Kenfington; where he wrote "More Fruits of Solitude, being a Second Part of Reflections and Maxims relating to the Conduct of Human Life." After which he removed to Knightsbridge, over against Hydepark corner, where he refided for fome years.

About this time," a bill to prevent occafional conformity was brought into the houfe of commons; on which occafion he wrote a fheet entitled, "Confidera"tions upon the Bill against Occafional Conformity."

In the year 1703, he wrote a preface to a book published by Dan. Philips, M. D. entitled, "Vindi"cie Veritatis, being a Defence of the Quakers Prin"ciples, from the Mifrepresentations of John Stilling"fleet, a Clergyman in Lincolnshire:" and in the fame year he published a preface to a collection of Charles Marshall's writings, entitled, "Zion's Travel"lers Comforted:" and in the next year a preface to the written labours of John Whitehead; all which the reader may find in the front of the books they were defigned for.

Anno 1705, he wrote a fhort epiftle, by way of exhortation, to his friends the Quakers, being as follows, viz.

'MY DEAR FRIENDS,

'H

OLD all your meetings in that which fat them up, the Heavenly POWER of GOD, both minifters and hearers; and live under it, and not above. it, and the Lord will give you dominion over that 'which feeks to draw you again into captivity to the spirit of this world, under divers appearances: that the truth may shine through you, in righteousness and holiness, in felf-denial, long-fuffering, patience, ' and brotherly-kindness; fo fhall you approve your⚫ felves the redeemed of the Lord, and his living wit

neffes in and to an evil generation. So prays your ⚫ friend and brother through the many tribulations that lead to the reft and kingdom of God.

W. PENN.'

In this year he again vifited the meetings of his friends in the western parts of England; where he had good fervice, and his teftimony was effectual to the information of many.

In the year 1706, he removed with his family to a convenient habitation, about a mile from Brentford, and eight from London, where he dwelt fome years; and frequently attended the meeting at Brentford; which his friends, as well for the accommodation of his family, as the general fervice of their persuasion, then first appointed to be held there once a month.

In the year 1707, he was unhappily involved in a fuit at law with the executors of a person who had been formerly his fteward; against whofe demands he thought both confcience and juftice required his endeavours to defend himself. But his caufe (though many thought him aggrieved) was attended with fuch circumstances, as that the court of chancery did not think it proper to relieve him; wherefore he was obliged to dwell in the Old Baily, within the rules of the Fleet, fome part both of this and the next ensuing year, until fuch time as the matter in dispute was accommodated.

Now" although the infirmities of old age began to vifit him, and to leffen his abilities of continuing his fervice in the work of the miniftry with his wonted alacrity; yet he travelled, as his ftrength and health would admit, into the weft of England, as alfo the counties of Berks, Buckingham, Surry, and other places.

In the year 1710, the air near London not being agreeable to his declining conftitution, he took a

handsome feat at Rushcomb near Twyford in Buckinghamshire, where he had his refidence during the remainder of his life.

In the year 1711, the works of an ancient friend of his, John Banks, being ready for the prefs, he dictated to a person, that wrote it from his mouth (as he walked to and fro with his cane in his hand, and gave occafional answers to other matters intervening) the following preface, which being the laft piece he published, and obfervable for its concife and pithy expreffions, we here infert.

The PREFACE to JOHN BANKS'S JOURNAL.

FRIENDLY READER,

'T

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HE labours of the fervants of God ought always to be precious in the eyes of his people, and for that reafon, the very fragments of their fervices are not to be loft, but gathered up for edi'cation; and that is the cause we expofe the following difcourfes to publick view: and I hope it will please God to make them effectual, to fuch as fe'riously peruse them; fince we have always found the 'Lord ready to fecond the fervices of his worthies upon the fpirits of the readers, not suffering that which is his own to go without a voucher in every 'confcience, I mean those divine truths it hath pleased ' him to reveal among his own children by his own. bleffed SPIRIT, without which no man can rightly perceive the things of God, or be truly fpiritually'minded, which is life and peace. And this, indeed, ' is the only BENEFICIAL evidence of heavenly truths, ' which made that excellent apoftle fay in his day, "We know that we are of God, and that the whole "world lieth in wickednefs:" "For in that day, true religion and undefiled before God and the Father, "confifted in vifiting the fatherlefs and widows in "their afflictions, and keeping unspotted from the " world;"