tion, addressing us in words which the interpreters said, were to tell us how welcome we were to our INDIAN BROTHERS. After this they would take us to their towns, and spread down skins for us to sit on; and while the men entertained us with smoking, the women would bring us barbecued turkies, and venison, and roasting ears to feast on.

"And as to the COUNTRY, we can truly say of it, that it is a land most rich and desirable to dwell in; a land of fountains and brooks, a land of mighty oaks and elms, and all manner of precious trees for timber, a land whose soil, especially on the water-courses, was a black mould very deep and rich, insomuch that the Indian corn, without the aid of the plough, grew there to an enormous size, with two and sometimes three large shocks on a stalk; and we have counted seven and eight hundred grains on a shock! And then for the GAME in those ancient forests-it was wonderful to look at; far sarpassing in abundance any thing that we had ever thought of. For in walking through the woods, we were ever and anon starting up the deer in droves; and also frequently within sight of large herds of the buffaloe, all perfectly wild, and wallowing in fat, and seeming, in their course, to shake the earth with their weight. And, indeed, no wonder; for the grass, particularly in the low grounds, grew so rank and tall, that the buffaloe and deer, on flying into it, which they were wont to do when frightened, would disappear in a moment.

"The rabbits and partridges too were exceedingly numerous; and as to the wild turkeys, we have often seen them perched in such numbers on the nut-trees, especially the beech, that the branches seemed quite black with them. Nor had the Creator been less mindful of the waters in that great country; for they were made to bring forth abundantly of fine fish of various kinds, especially the sturgeon, of which the great river was so full, that at no time could we look on it with

out seeing numbers of those great fishes leaping from it into the air, not without much fright to the natives, whose canoes they have many a time fallen into and overset. And for water-fowl, such as geese and ducks, they were in such quantities, that he who should tell only one half of the truth, would be counted a romancer; for indeed the whole surface of the mighty river seemed covered over and black with them; and when at any time they were disturbed and rose up, their rising all at once was like the sound of distant thunder, and the day itself was darkened with their numbers. We saw also the wild vine in that country, the spontaneous birth of the woods, growing to an enormous size, and spreading over the trees to an astonishing extent, bending the branches with their dark-blue clusters, most lovely to sight and taste, and capable, no doubt, of yielding a very pleasant wine. Nor were the bees forgotten in that favoured land; for we often saw them at work among the sweet-scented bells and blossoms of the wild wood-flowers. And besides, at the simple feasts spread for us by these friendly heathens, we were frequently regaled with calabashes of snowwhite honey-comb.'

Now, counting all these advantages of this Indian country, the nobleness of its waters, and the richness of its lands, with that plenteousness of fowl and fish and flesh of all sorts, how can we but say that it is a land which the Lord has blessed; and that it only wanteth a wise people to render it like the ancient Canaan "the glory of earth.”

Such were the accounts which the settlers in New Jersey often reported in their letters to William Penn, concerning the great country on the western side of the Delaware. They produced on him their proper effect. Looking on all this as a finger pointing him to a place of long-desired rest, he immediately presented a petition to king Charles the 2d, " praying that, in lieu of the monies due to him from the crown, he, the king

would be pleased to grant him a sufficient portion of lands on the western side of the Delaware river in North America for a settlement for himself and his persecuted followers the Friends." The king was well pleased with the petition, himself, and had it laid before the

LORDS COMMITTEE OF COLONIES AND COMMERCE.

ma.

Soon as the petition was read, and it was known that both the petitioner and his followers were quakers, the board appeared as if struck into a strange sort of dilem"A colony of quakers among the North American Indians!" The very name and sound of the thing excited a general stare. And it was unanimously agreed that no good could possibly grow out of it, either to the nation or the individuals. As to the first, "it was ridiculous," said sir John Warden, agent of the Duke of York and Lord Baltimore, who having grants of 66 THE PLANTATIONS OF NEW YORK AND MARYLAND," were opposed to the petition." It was ridiculous," said he, "to suppose that the interests of the British nation were to be promoted by sending out a colony of people that would not fight." "What! a pack of noddies that will have nothing to do with gin or gunpowder; but will gravely tell you that gin was never invented to make savages drunk, and cheat them out of their lands; but only for physic to cure the cholic withal. And that guns were invented, not to kill men, but hawks and wolves! God's mercy on us, my lords! what are we to expect from such colonists as these! Are they likely to extend our conquests-to spread our commerce--to exalt the glory of the British name -and above all to PROPAGATE Our MOST HOLY RELIGION? No, my lords, I hope it will never be so supposed by this NOBLE BOARD.-And as to this crackbrained fellow, this William Penn and his tame, yea forsooth, followers, what can they promise themselves from settling among the fierce and blood-thirsty savages of North America, but to be tomahawked and scalped, every man, woman, and child of them !"

how Romanized.

?

WILLIAM PENN.

115.

This speech, pronounced with due emphasis, made such an impression on the board, that they were on the point of rejecting William Penn's petition at once. And thus that beauteous city of Philadelphia, that loveliest monument of the blessings of God on human virtue, would have been lost for ever. But he whose glorious prerogative it is to make even "the wickedness of man to praise him," appointed one of the lords of the BOARD to advocate William Penn's petition; which he did with singular ingenuity. With trembling voice and changeful countenance, as of a man about to utter unwelcome truths, he began with assuring the board that he was no quaker, nor any friend to that silly people. "No, my lords," continued he, raising his voice, "I am no quaker. And I pray you let no gentleman in this noble house, hold me in such misprison. But still, my lords, I am in favour of the petition for the quakers to go off to North America. The reason, my lords, to my mind is very plain. The swinish multitude, my lords, profanum vulgus, my lords, the swinish multitude as we properly call them, must have a government; yes, my lords, and an iron government too. They have not sense and virtue enough to govern themselves. All the boasted REPUBLICS, or governments of the people, have, on trial, turned out no better than BABELS of confusion and destruction to their foolish undertakers. No, my lords, there is no government on earth for the PROFANUM VULGUS, comparable to that of KINGS, PRIESTS, and NOBLES. Now if this be true, and I challenge the board to deny it, then William Penn and his quakers ought gladly to be permitted to leave the COUNTRY. Nay, I even assert, my lords, that William Penn cannot stay in this country consistently with the safety of the government; for if ever he should get the ear of the populace, he would bring such contempt on those glorious privileged orders of KINGS, PRIESTS, and NOBLES, that no man of spirit would have any thing to do with them. For, my

lords,” said he, “what nobleman is there, with a drop of English blood in his veins, but would blush for his STARS and GARTERS, when, as he rolls along the streets in only a fashionable coach and four, he hears on all sides, the groans of these quakers upbraiding him for being "a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God," and for squandering on vanities that precious gold, which if laid out in feeding and clothing the fatherless and widow, would yield him a feast of never-failing pleasures! And as to our lords spiritual, our BISHOPS and our ARCHBISHOPS Would it not make these our HOLY FATHERS in GOD, ashamed of their SACRED LAWN SLEEVES and MITRES, to be told every day by William Penn and his quakers, that these are the marks of the beast,' the vain trappings of carnal pride seeking glory of men, and that those who use these things are none of Christ's--that his poverty can have no fellowship with their palaces-nor his staff and sandals with their gilt coaches, and horses covered with silver harness, and grooms bedecked with gold lace. But this is not the worst yet; no my lords, let William Penn alone, and his sacred majesty himself will soon have an uneasy seat of it on his throne. How can he otherwise, my lords, having it rung daily in his ears, that kings are sent of God merely in his wrath as a punishment of wicked nations.' And that if they will but repent and become good quakers, following the light within, they shall no longer have a king to reign over them; for that God himself will be their king, and will break all other yokes from off their necks. God's mercy, my lords! who would be a king to be rated after this sort? Surely then, my lords, you will agree with me, that it is high time for William Penn and his quakers to be off. Yes, my lords, I repeat it; they must be off; or this excellent government of kings, priests, and nobles, is gone for ever, and chaos, and wild uproar is come again."

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This speech produced the desired effect. The petition was unanimously recommended to the approba