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God's power, with the bleffed fpirits of the juft, that celeftial family, praifing and admiring him, the God and Father of it, for ever. For there is no God like unto him; the God of Ifaac, and of Jacob; the • God of the prophets, the apostles, and martyrs of Jefus; in whom I live for ever.

So farewell to my thrice dearly beloved wife and ' children. Yours, as God pleaseth, in that which no waters can quench, no time forget, nor distance wear away, but remains for ever,

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Worminghurst, 4th fixth month, 1682.'

< WILLIAM PENN.'

In the fixth month, 1682, himself, accompanied with divers of his friends, took fhipping for his province of Pennsylvania, and on the 30th of the fame month, he writ from the Downs, "A Farewell to "England, being an Epiftle containing a Salutation to "all faithful Friends."

After a profperous voyage of fix weeks, they came within fight of the American coaft, from whence the air, at twelve leagues diftance, fmelt as fweet as a new-blown garden. Sailing up the river, the inhabitants, as well Dutch and Swedes, as English, met him with demonftrations of joy and fatisfaction. He landed at Newcastle, a place moftly inhabited by the Dutch, and the next day he fummoned the people to the court-house, where poffeffion of the country was legally given him: he then made a fpeech, fetting forth the purpose of his coming, and the ends of government, giving them affurances of a free enjoyment of liberty of confcience in things fpiritual, and of civil freedom in temporal, and recommending to them to live in fobriety and peace one with another: after which, he renewed the magiftrates commiffions, and then departed to Upland, or Chefter, where he called an affembly, to whom he made the like declaration, and received their thankful acknowledgments. Here alfo the Swedes deputed one Captain Lucey Cook, in

their names, to congratulate him upon his fafe arrival, and to affure him of their fidelity, love and obedience.

By this time fome progress had been made in building at Philadelphia, and feveral pretty houses were run up on the fide of the river Delaware: the governor himself had a fair mansion erected at Penn's Bury, near the fall of the faid river, at which he fometimes refided. The country was unexceptionable, the air exceeding clear, fweet and healthy; and provifions, both meat and drink, good and plentiful.

In the tenth month following, a general affembly of the freeholders was held at Chefter aforefaid, at which Newcastle was annexed to Pennsylvania: the foreigners there inhabiting were naturalized, and the laws before agreed on in England, with fome amendments and alterations, were confirmed and ratified; and the whole proceedings of the affembly carried on with love and unanimity.

After the adjournment of that affembly, he went to Maryland, and was there kindly received by the lord Baltimore, and the chiefs of that colony: they held a treaty about fettling the bounds of their provinces ; but the season of the year not admitting the conclufion of that business, after two days conference he took his leave, and the lord Baltimore accompanied him back fome miles to the house of one William Richardfon; from thence he went two miles farther to a meeting of his friends, at the houfe of Thomas Hooker, and afterward forwarded his journey to Choptank, on the eaftern-fhore; where was to be an appointed meeting of colonels, magiftrates, and people of feveral ranks and qualities. Thus he proceeded to fettle his government and province, and to establish a good correfpondence with his neighbours. Nor was the advancement of himself or his family in worldly wealth and grandeur, his aim in the adminiftration of government; but in the greatest honour of his publick ftation, he ftill retained the meeknefs and humility of a private Christian: the fincerity of his intentions, and

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with what zeal and ardour he purfued a general good, are beft expreffed by his own words, in a letter to a perfon who had unduly reflected on him; viz.

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MY OLD FRIEND,

I could fpeak largely of God's dealings, with me in getting this thing: what an inward exercife of faith and patience it coft me in paffing. The travail was mine, as well as the debt and coft, through the envy of many, both profeffors, false friends, and profane: my God hath given it me in the face of the world, and it is to hold it in true judgment, as a reward of my sufferings; and that is feen here, whatever fome defpifers may fay or think: the place God hath given me, and I never felt judgment for the power I kept, but trouble for what I parted with. It is MORE than a worldly title or patent that hath clothed me in this place.-Keep thy < place: I am in mine, and have ferved the God of the whole earth fince I have been in it: nor am I fitting down in a greatnefs that I have denied.-I am day and night spending my life, my time, my money, and am not fix-pence enriched by this greatnefs: cofts in getting, fettling, tranfportation, and • maintenance, now in a publick manner at my own charge duly confidered; to fay nothing of my hazard, and the distance I am at from a confiderable <eftate, and, which is more, my dear wife and poor ⚫ children.

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Well!-the Lord is a God of righteous judgment: had I fought greatness, I had ftayed at home, where the difference between what I am here, and was of•fered and could have been there, in power and

wealth, is as wide as the places are: no, I came for the Lord's fake, and therefore have I ftood to this < day, well, and diligent, and fuccessful, blessed be . his power.-Nor fhall I trouble myself to tell thee what I am to the people of this place, in travails,

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watchings, spendings, and my fervants every way, FREELY, (not like a SELFISH man) I have many wit'neffes. To conclude, it is now in Friends hands: through my travail, faith and patience it came.-If 'Friends here keep to God, and in the juftice, mercy, equity and fear of the Lord, their enemies will be their footftool: if not, their heirs, and my heirs. 'too, will lofe all, and desolation will follow: but bleffed be the Lord, we are well, and live in the ' dear love of God, and the fellowship of his tender heavenly Spirit; and our faith is, for ourselves and ' one another, that the Lord will be with us a KING and a COUNSELLOR for ever.

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In the fixth month, 1683, having been about a year in Pennsylvania, he writ a letter‹ To the Free Society of Traders of that Province, refiding at London,' wherein he defcribes the country, relates the customs and manners of the Indians, the condition of the first planters, and the present state and fettlement of that province, with an account of the new-laid-out city of Philadelphia; which the reader may find no fmall pleasure in perufing.

And being no lefs folicitous for the fpiritual good, than for the temporal advantages of his people, he writ, in the year 1684, An Epiftle to the People of 'God called Quakers, in the Province of Pennfyl'vania,' &c.

After about two years refidence there, having fettled all things in a thriving and profperous condition, he returned to England, where he arrived fafe the 12th of the 6th month, 1684.

On the 6th of the 12th month following, King Charles the Second died, and was fucceeded by his

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brother the duke of York, by the name of king James 8 the feecond, who being a profeffed Papift, his fucceffion to the crown filled the people's hearts with just apprehenfions and fears, left he fhould take into the wonted measures of those of his perfuafion, and establish his own religion by the deftruction of others; and had W. P. at that that time fomented the general uneafinefs, by encouraging multitudes then upon the wing, he might, as himself said, have put many thousands of people into his province, as well as pounds into his pocket.' But he, who had been intimate with that king, when duke of York, and for whom, excepting their difference in matters of religion, the duke had always fhewn a perfonal respect and esteem, was induced, by the repeated protestations he had heard him make, to believe that he was really PRINCIPLED for granting liberty of confcience; and accordingly embraced the prefent opportunity of foliciting afresh for the relief of his innocent and fuffering friends, who at that time filled the jails; and that he might be the nearer on all occafions for the service of them and his country, he took lodgings, in 1685, near Kensington.

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And now his acquaintance and frequency at court fubjected him to the undeserved cenfure of fuch as least knew him, as being a Papist, or Jefuit; and about this time two copies of verfes were printed, with the initial letters of his name fubfcribed, condoling the Late King's death, and congratulating the acceffion of the prefent.' These verses, though favouring both of popery and flattery, were, as perhaps the publisher's malice intended, presently imputed to him: whereupon, to undeceive the world, and clear himself, he published the following paper, called,

< FICTION

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