Pity the distressed, and hold out a hand of help to them: it may be your case; and, as you mete to others, God will mete to you again.

Be humble and gentle in your conversation, of few words, I charge you, but always pertinent, hearing out before you attempt to answer, and then speaking as if you would persuade, not impose.

Affront none, neither revenge the affronts that are done to you, but forgive, and you shall be forgiven of your heavenly Father.

In making friends, consider well first, and, when you are fixed, be true; not wavering by reports, nor deserting in affliction, for that becomes not the good and virtuous.

Watch against anger, and neither speak nor act in it; for, like drunkenness, it makes a man a beast, and throws people into desperate inconveniences.

Avoid flatterers, for they are thieves in disguise their praise is costly, designing to get by those they bespeak. They are the worst of creatures: they lie to flatter, and flatter to cheat; and, which is worse, if you believe them, you cheat yourselves most dangerously. But the virtuous, though poor, love, cherish, and prefer. Remember David, who asking the Lord, "Who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell upon thy holy hill?" answers, "He that walketh uprightly, and speaketh the truth in his heart; in whose eyes the vile person is contemned, but honoreth them who fear the Lord."

Next, my children, be temperate in all things, — in your diet, for that is, physic by prevention: it keeps, nay, it makes, people healthy, and their generation sound. This is exclusive of the spiritual advantage it brings. Be also plain in your apparel. Keep out that lust which reigns too much over some. Let your virtues be your ornaments, remembering "life is more than food, and the body than raiment." Let your furniture be simple and cheap. Avoid pride, avarice, and luxury. Read my "No Cross, No Crown." There is instruction. Make your conversation with the most eminent for wisdom and piety; and shun all wicked men, as you hope for the blessing of God, and the comfort of your father's living and dying prayers.

Be sure you speak no evil of any; no, no, not of the meanest, much less of your superiors, as magistrates, guardians, tutors, teachers, and elders in Christ.

Be no busy-bodies: meddle not with other folk's matters, but when in conscience and duty pressed; for it procures trouble, and is ill manners, and very unseemly to wise men.

In your family, remember Abraham, Moses, and Joshua, their integrity to the Lord, and do as you have them for your examples.

Let the fear and service of the living God be encouraged in your houses, and that plainness, sobriety, and moderation in all things, as becometh God's chosen people. And as I advise you, my beloved children, do you counsel yours, if God should give you any. Yea, I counsel and command them, as my posterity, that they love and serve the Lord God with an upright heart, that he may bless you and yours from generation to generation.

And as for you, who are likely to be concerned in the government of Pennsylvania, and my parts of Jersey, especially the first, I do charge you, before the Lord God and his holy angels, that you be lowly, diligent, and tender, fearing God, loving the people, and hating covetousness. Let justice have its impartial course, and the law free passage. Though to your loss, protect no man against it; for you are not above the law, but the law above you. Live, therefore, the lives yourselves you would have the people to live, and then you have right and boldness to punish the transgressor. Keep upon the square, for God sees you: therefore, do your duty, and be sure you see with your own eyes, and hear with your own ears. Entertain no luxuries, cherish no informers for gain or revenge. Use no tricks, fly to no devices, to cover or support injustice, but let your hearts be upright before the Lord, trusting in him above the contrivances of men, and none shall be able to hurt or supplant you.

Oh! the Lord is a strong God, and he can do whatsoever he pleases; and, though men consider it not, it is the Lord that rules and overrules in the kingdom of men, and he builds up and pulls down. I, your father, am a man that can say, "He

that trusts in the Lord shall not be confounded. But God, in due time, will make his enemies be at peace with him."

If you thus behave yourselves, and so become a terror to evil-doers, and a praise to them that do well, God, my God, will be with you in wisdom and a sound mind, and make you blessed instruments, in his hands, for the settlement of some of those desolate parts of the world; which my soul desires, above all worldly honors and riches, both for you that go and you that stay, you that govern and you that are governed; that, in the end, you may be gathered with me to the rest of God.

Finally, my children, love one another with a true, endeared love, and your dear relations on both sides, and take care to preserve tender affection in your children to each other, often marrying within themselves, so as it be without the bounds forbidden in God's law, that so they may not, like the forgetting, unnatural world, grow out of kindred, and as cold as strangers, but, as becomes a truly natural and Christian stock, you, and yours after you, may live in the pure and fervent love of God towards one another, as becometh brethren in the spiritual and natural relation.

So my God, that has blessed me with his abundant mercies both of this and the other and better life, be with you all, guide you by his counsel, bless you, and bring you to his eternal glory, that you may shine, my dear children, in the firmament of God's power, with the blessed spirits of the just, that celestial family, praising and admiring him, the God and father of it, forever. For there is no God like unto him, the God of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of the prophets, the apostles, and martyrs of Jesus, in whom I live forever.

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 remain forever,

WILLIAM PENN.

CHAPTER VI.

WILLIAM PENN'S FIRST VISIT TO AMERICA.

Sends Commissioners-Letter to the Indians - Death of his Mother-Frame of Government - Agreement with the Duke of York-Penn's Embarkation -An Epistle - Letter to Stephen Crisp-Welcome from the Dutch, Swedes, and Quakers-Toleration and Civil Freedom-First General AssemblyChester Named-Lands bought-Great Treaty-Measurement by Walks John Penn-Bounties offered-Site for a City-Penn's House-Pennsbury Manor-City named - Division of Province and Territories - Letter

to One of his Detractors-Leaves for England.

IN

N one of the three ships already alluded to sailed Col. William Markham, a relative of Penn's, who was to be his future secretary, and several commissioners, with power to treat with the Indians for the purchase of their lands. "Penn charged them in a solemn manner to be just and humane towards the Indians," to whom he sent by them a most kind and friendly letter, of which the following is a copy:

"There is a great God and Power, which hath made the world, and all things therein, to whom you, and I, and all people, owe their being and well-being, and to whom you and I must one day give an account for all that we have done in this world.

"This great God has written his law in our hearts, by which we are taught and commanded to love, and to help, and to do good to one another. Now, this great God hath been pleased to make me concerned in your part of the world; and the king of the country where I live hath given me a great province therein: but I desire to enjoy it with your love and consent, that we may always live together as neighbors and friends; else what would the great God do to us, who hath made us, not to devour and destroy one another, but to live

soberly and kindly together in the world? Now, I would have you well observe, that I am very sensible of the unkindness. and injustice which have been too much exercised toward you by the people of these parts of the world, who have sought themselves to make great advantages by you, rather than to be examples of goodness and patience unto you. This, I hear, hath been a matter of trouble to you, and caused great grudging and animosities, sometimes to the shedding of blood, which hath made the great God angry. But I am not such a man, as is well known in my own country. I have great love and regard toward you, and desire to win and gain your love and friendship by a kind, just, and peaceable life; and the people I send are of the same mind, and shall in all things behave themselves accordingly. And if, in any thing, any shall offend you or your people, you shall have a full and speedy satisfaction for the same by an equal number of just men on both sides, that by no means you may have just occasion of being offended against them.

"I shall shortly come to see you myself, at which time we may more largely and freely discourse of these matters. In the mean time I have sent my commissioners to treat with you about land and a firm league of peace. Let me desire you to be kind to them and to the people, and receive the presents and tokens which I have sent you, as a testimony of my goodwill to you, and of my resolution to live justly, peaceably, and friendly with you.

"I am your loving friend,

"WILLIAM PENN."

Soon after this, William Penn's mother died, for whom he greatly mourned; and, having paid the last offices of respect to her, he turned his mind to his American affairs. In the first place, he published the Frame of Government for Pennsylvania. Clarkson, speaking of the preface to this constitution says, "To this he added a noble preface, containing his own thoughts upon the origin, nature, object, and modes of government, -a preface, indeed beautiful, and full of wise and just sentiments.' "1

1 Life of Penn, vol. i. p. 234.