And a contemporary writer thus expresses himself, when speaking of WILLIAM PENN's becoming proprietor of Pennsylvania :

"Mr WILLIAM PENN, an eminent Quaker and a gentleman of great knowledge and true philosophy, had it granted to him at this time;which he designed for a retreat or asylum for the people of his religious persuasion, then made uneasy at home through the bigotry of spiritual courts, &c. Mr PENN, therefore, carried thither with him a large embarkation of those Quakers; afterwards, from time to time, joined by many more from Britain and Ireland. At his first arrival there he found many English families in it, and considerable numbers of Dutch and Swedes; who all readily submitted to his wise and excellent regulations; which highly merit to be known by all persons who would apply to colonizing. The true wisdom, as well as equity, of his unlimited tolerations of all religious persuasions, as well as his kind, just, and prudent treatment of the native Indians; also his laws, policy, and government; so endeared him to the planters, and so widely spread the fame of his whole economy, that, although so lately planted, it is thought, at this day (about the year 1760), to have more white people in it than any other colony on all the continent of English America, New England alone excepted,"

This application for the land met with considerable opposition, but was at length decided in his favour; and he was, by charter dated at Westminster the 4th of March 1681 and signed by writ of privy seal, made and constituted full and absolute proprietor of the tract of land which he had pointed out, and invested with the power of ruling and governing it according to his judgment. The charter was made out under the name of Pennsylvania, a name fixed upon by the king as a token of respect to admiral Penn, though much against the wishes of the son, who was apprehensive of its being construed into a proof of ostentation in himself, and was desirous of having it called either New Wales or Sylvania only; but the king said it was passed, and that he would take the naming of it upon himself, a determination for which we cannot but feel obliged to him, since all must be gratified at having the name of its venerable founder thus held in honourable remembrance throughout the state.

Having now become the proprietor of a colony of his own, WILLIAM PENN found it necessary to resign his charge of West New Jersey. This, however, he did with less reluctance, as he had brought it, by this time, to such a state of maturity that it was likely to go on without his assistance. He had sent over about fourteen hundred people, of whom those who were come to an age to have

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a character were all persons of great respectability. The town of Burlington had been built. Farms had taken the place of a wilderness of trees. Roads had been made. Religious meeting houses had been reared instead of tents covered with canThe town was under the government of a respectable magistracy, and the Indians in the vicinity converted into friendly and peaceable neighbours. Under these flourishing circumstances, he felt little regret at leaving it and turning his attention to his new concern, which he commenced by drawing up an account of the province granted him under the great seal of England.

To this account he annexed a copy of the charter, as well as the terms on which he meant to dispose of his land. In addition to this, he added the following admonition: "I desire all my dear country folks, who may be inclined to go into those parts, to consider seriously the premises, as well the inconveniency as future ease and plenty; that so none may move rashly, or from a fickle, but from a solid, mind, having above all things an eye to the providence of God in the disposing of themselves; and I would further advise all such at least to have the permission, if not the good liking, of all their near relations, for that is both natural and a duty incumbent upon all. And by this, both natural affections and a friendly and profitable correspondence will be preserved between them, in

all which I beseech Almighty God to direct us; that his blessing may attend our honest endeavours, and then the consequence of all our undertakings will turn to the glory of his great name, and all true happiness to us and our posterity."

We have in this admonition a striking display of the amiable and conscientious character of him by whom it was issued; and cannot but be struck with the contrast which we find in it to the proposals but too common in the present day of those who are ambitious of becoming founders of new colonies, but unfortunately commence their undertaking by setting religion, law, and morality at defiance. He shews, by the terms in which all his proposals are couched, his conviction that a strict adherence to every religious and moral obligation can alone give permanency to any undertaking; and we, who now live in the second century from the establishment of his noble project and are witnesses of the unparalleled success with which it has been crowned, cannot fail to admire and revere the wisdom of him by whom it was planned. These reflections apply with peculiar force at this time, when attempts are making to settle communities and form bonds of union under a system the leading articles of which reject every religious principle and social obligation. The history of these fanatical movements to overturn the settled order of society will shew that whatever is intended for the permanent

amelioration of society must have its foundations laid deep in Christian morality. Man was born with a nature which requires the ties of religion, family, and friendship, to satisfy the cravings of his heart. He may increase in wealth and power; he may extend his possessions to such a distance as to gratify his pride and almost satiate his ambition; but unless the heart approve the means which have been used, and the natural affections be kept in constant exercise, time will soon prove that he requires a more solid groundwork on which to rest his hopes of happiness than any thing on which he has founded them.

Amongst the stipulations to be agreed upon before the purchase of land, were many very admirable regulations-such as, that one acre of trees should be left for every five that were cleared, and that oaks and mulberries should, in particular, be preserved, as necessary for the production of silk and the building of ships. But our respect for the wisdom and prudence of the governor is especially excited by the provisions he made respecting the Indians." In their behalf," we are told by Clarkson," it was stipulated, that, as it had been usual with planters to overreach them in various ways, whatever was sold to them in consideration of their furs should be sold in the public market place, and there suffer the test, whether good or bad: if good, to pass; if not good, not to be sold