tion of his gracious majesty, accompanied with a note, "humbly praying that his majesty would be graciously pleasedto make unto William Penn a grant of the lands in North America, which he had petitioned for."

Charles, who, like Herod of old towards the honest Baptist, had a great liking for William Penn, was well pleased with this award of the board in his favour; and knowing that the news would be very acceptable, immediately despatched a special messenger to him on that errand. The king was right in this conjecture. The news was indeed very acceptable to William Penn. His heart had been much in this North American enterprise. The glory of God in the spread of human happiness-the beauty of gospel virtues to charm the savages--to overcome their hatreds-to conciliate their loves-and to unite them, like brothers, with his gentle followers, these were lovely ideas to his mind. Nor less were the fair scenes thence ensuing-the white men bringing to their red brethren all the rich productions of their looms and anvils; on the other hand, the red men smiling with friendship, bringing to their white brothers, their venison and corn, with grants of rich lands for them to dwell together in. Then to see them both rising, like brothers indeed, to the glorious toils that crown life with comfort--erecting pleasant habitations and spreading beautiful farms-while, aided by science and religion, human nature shakes off its brutal character and becomes angelic, presenting a spectacle of all others the most lovely to the eyes of God and good men. Such was the picture which William Penn's benevolent fancy had long been painting in North America-" the desert blossoming like the rose, and the wilderness like the garden of God." Thousands of prayers, had he put up that God would realize such bright visions; and thousands of gold and silver had he expended to settle such a colony in the new world. And now having prayed his sovereign for permission to pass over that Jordan and take possession

of the desired land, he was waiting to see whether the Lord would prosper his way or not. It was a moment big with anxiety and hope. No wonder then that the news of such full success should have excited the sweetest emotions. "Yes, God has heard the voice of his prayer! God has appointed unto him the honours of Joshua-to lead a remnant into the land of rest: the nobles have been made to consent, and even the king himself is stirred up to convey the greatful tidings.”

MY

Soon as possible he hastened up to court to make his acknowledgments to the king; but not so soon but that the king, in right royal generosity, had gotten in readiness, fairly drawn up and endorsed "A DEED OF A CERTAIN NEW PROVINCE IN NORTH AMERICA, FOR BELOVED SUBJECT AND FRIEND WILLIAM PENN." It is not easy to conceive the feelings of this amiable man, when, introduced into the drawing-room of the palace, he was met by his sovereign and presented with the above deed. "Well, friend William," said the king in his frolicksome way, "you'll see in this paper that I have done something handsome for you. Yes, man, I have given you there a territory in North America, as large as my own Island of Great Britain. And knowing what a fighting family you are sprung from, I have made you governor and captain general of all its coasts, and seas, and bays, and rivers, and mountains, and forests, and population. And now in re turn for all this I have but a few conditions to make with you."

William Penn begged the king would please to let him know what they were.

Why, in the first place, replied Charles, you are to give me a fifth of all the gold and silver you may find there. But as you quakers care but little about the precious metals, I don't count on much from that quarter.

In the second place, friend William, you are to be sure not to make war on the nations without my con

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ditions imposed on Baltimore.

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WILLIAM PENN.

sent. But in case of a war you the

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always to remem ber that you are an Englishman, and therefore must never use the scalping knife."

In the third place, if any persons of my religion, the honest Episcopalians, would wish to come and settle in your quaker province, you shall receive them kindly and if they should at any time invite a preacher of their own, he shall be permitted to come among you. And moreover, if they should like to build what we call a church, (but you a steeple-house,) you will not forbid it."

William Penn smiled and said that FRIEND Charles, for so he often called the king, "should certainly be gratified in all these things: for," added he, "I who have drank so deeply of the bitter waters of persecution myself, will never, I hope, consent to persecute others on the score of religion." On retiring from the royal presence, William Penn hastened to inspect his charter to the new province; when lo! at the very threshold he met an article that set his cheeks all on a glowhe found that his province was named PENN-SYLVANIA! that is, in English, PENN." Blushing at the bare idea of the enormous vanity which this name might argue, he hurried to the recorder and begged he would change the name. The recorder, who happened to be a Welshman, said to him, “well then, what name would hur like to give to hur province ?"

66 THE WOODY LAND OF

New Wales, replied William Penn. The Welshman answered that this name being a compliment to his own native country, ought certainly to be very acceptable to him. But, continued he," though hur should be well pleased to hear hur province called New Wales, yet hur has no business to alter the present name. Upon this Penn drew his purse and offered him twenty guineas to alter the name. The Welshman still refusing, Penn repaired to the king to have it done. To this the king, in his jocose way, replied

that as he had stood GOD-FATHER for the new province, he had, as he thought, a fair right to give it a name: that he had accordingly given it a very good name; and should take the blame on himself."

Having obtained his charter under the great seal of England, Penn lost no time to inform the public of the fair territory which he had purchased in North America, and also the terms on which he meant to dispose of it. This publication excited considerable emotion throughout Great Britain. It was observed,

In the first place, That "while lands in England, sold from twenty to sixty pounds sterling per acre, William Penn offered his lands, fresh and heavy timbered, for forty shillings the hundred acres! being but little more than four pence an acre! with but one shilling per hundred acres as quit rent, to the proprietor for ever!"

"Secondly, That while lands in England rented from one to three pounds sterling, per acre, William Penn offered his for one shilling!"

"Thirdly, That while in England it was a trans portation offence to kill a rabbit or partridge! and few, except the nobility, ever tasted venison, in Pennsylvania any boy big enough to draw a trigger might knock down a fat buck in the woods whenever he pleased. And as to rabbits and partridges, they were so abundant that the very children, if they but knew how to set traps and pack-thread snares, might always keep the house full of such savoury game."

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If these are talked of by all, as great natural recommendations of Pennsylvania, the moral recommendations were still far greater; for it was observed, Fourthly, That while in England the servants were a people but poorly rewarded for their services; in Pennsylvania all servants, men or women, were to be allowed fifty acres in fee simple, to be paid them with a good suit of clothes at the expiration of their servitude! And the more cheerfully if they had acted

with fidelity as servants, doing all things cheerfully as with an eye to the glory of God.

"Fifth, That while in England, there was but one creed, one catechism, one form of prayer, one baptism, from which no man or woman might dissent without peril of the whipping post, or pillory; in Pennsylvavania, all who acknowledged "one almighty and eternal God to be the moral governor of the world, and honoured him as such by an honest and peaceable life, should be equally protected in their rights, and made capable of promotion to office, whether they were Jews, Gentiles, or Christians."

"Sixth, That while in Virginia, Maryland, and New England, the settlers were charged with cheating the Indians, by putting bad merchandize upon them in exchange for their furs; in Pennsylvania all merchandize offered in trade was to be brought into market and exposed to public inspection, so that the Indians might no longer be imposed on and provoked.

"Seventh, That while in the other colonies the Indians were treated very little better than dogs, whom every blackguard might kick and cuff, to the exceeding diversion of the white Christians; in Pennsylvania it was enacted that the PERSONS and RIGHTS of the INDIANS should be held SACRED: and that no man, whatever his rank or fortune, should affront or wrong an Indian without incurring the same penalty as if he had committed the trespass against the proprietor himself.

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Eighth, That while in most new countries settled by Christians, if a Christian was injured by a native, he might instantly avenge himself even to the knocking out the brains of the offender; here it was enacted by William Penn, that if "any Indian should abuse a planter, the said planter should not be his own judge upon the Indian, but apply to the next magistrate who should make complaint thereof to the king of the Indian for reasonable satisfaction for the injury.

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