222

PENN'S DIFFICULTIES [CHAP. XXIII

Having received another remonstrance from America about Governor Evan's conduct, William Penn felt himself under the necessity of recalling him. One of his contemporaries, Oldmixton, writing of Penn, speaks sympathetically of his difficulties, and does not lay the blame on him. He says :

“We shall not enter into any inquiries into the trouble that has been given Mr Penn lately about the province of Pennsylvania. It appears to us, by what we have heard from others—for from himself we never had any information—that he has been involved in it, by his bounty to the Indians, his generosity in minding the public affairs of the colony more than his own private ones, his humanity towards those who have not made suitable return, and his confidence in those who have betrayed him. Public gratitude ought to make good what they reap the benefit of. This is all said out of justice to the merit of this gentleman, but not with his knowledge or consent.”

In March 1710, Isaac Norris, who was a man of influence in Pennsylvania, writes :

“I often think of the frog's petition to Jupiter, and fear it must be a governor immediately from evil. He was fond of his queen, his dinner, his bottle, and his repose. Charles II. said of his niece's husband, “He had tried him drunk and sober, and could find nothing in him."-Mackintosh, History of England, vol. ix., p. 224.

1710]

THE SECOND FAMILY

223

the crown, that must set us to rights. We are an infatuated or blind people, or the conditions of our neighbours in New Jersey might be a good instance to us.” 1

William Penn's health was now beginning to give way, which is hardly surprising after such repeated shocks. At sixty-seven he began to find that his powers were sensibly failing, though his energies, as regarded his work and writings, were unabated.

He had now a large family of young children, of which John, the eldest, was only eleven, Thomas two years younger, and Hannah Margerita was eight years old. There were, besides three little ones, Margaret, Richard, and Dennis. The last child, a girl, was born in 1708, and only lived a few months.

For the sake of the children, and his own health, William Penn left London, and took a large house opposite the church at Field Ruscombe, near Twyford, on the Reading road. We may gather from this that they had by now disposed of Worminghurst; perhaps it was too large and expensive to keep up in their straitened means. Penn still went occasionally to town, and was seen at intervals at Whitehall, or held conferences with Queen Anne, but he did not frequent general society, and led a more or less retired life.

228

SIX YEARS AN INVALID (CHAP. XXIV Six years he waited at Ruscombe for his release, and for the door of his prison-house to be opened.

He had ever been gentle and serene of temper, now he was peaceful as a little child, but his strong religious sense, survived all those other feelings that had faded away. What to him now was the governorship of Pennsylvania, or the favour of his sovereign ; neither were the difficulties, annoyances attendant on his position, any more a burden to him.

After a long life devoted entirely to labouring for the good of others, the God he had loved and served so faithfully had in mercy given him peace at the end.

He still enjoyed religious privileges, and would drive in his carriage to Reading to attend the meeting, and sometimes would himself utter a few words, in a clear voice, on the life and power of Truth and the mercy and favour of God. Then his voice would fail, and the words refused to come, and in sadness he would be taken away, but leaving always in the minds of his people this touching recollection of his piety and the remembrances of his great example. At other times he amused himself with his grandchildren, the offspring of his wretched son William, who had gone, no one knew where, and who had long been lost to all sense of decency or virtue.

223

1

1710)

THE SECOND FAMILY the crown, that must set us to rights. We are an infatuated or blind people, or the conditions of our neighbours in New Jersey might be a good instance to us.”

William Penn's health was now beginning to give way, which is hardly surprising after such repeated shocks. At sixty-seven he began to find that his powers were sensibly failing, though his energies, as regarded his work and writings, were unabated.

He had now a large family of young children, of which John, the eldest, was only eleven, Thomas two years younger, and Hannah Margerita was eight years old. There were, besides three little ones, Margaret, Richard, and Dennis. The last child, a girl, was born in 1708, and only lived a few months.

For the sake of the children, and his own health, William Penn left London, and took a large house opposite the church at Field Ruscombe, near Twyford, on the Reading road. We may gather from this that they had by now disposed of Worminghurst; perhaps it was too large and expensive to keep up in their straitened means. Penn still went occasionally to town, and was seen at intervals at Whitehall, or held conferences with Queen Anne, but he did not frequent general society, and led a more or less retired life.

CHAPTER XXIV

DEATH OF WILLIAM PENN

:

WILLIAM PENN now determined to part with the province of Pennsylvania, his advancing years precluded him from ever returning there, and his son had proved himself an unworthy successor. He had started the good work, and another could carry it on as well as himself. This proprietorship must be carefully distinguished from the property he possessed as a large American landowner, which afterwards proved a source of great wealth to his descendants, though he himself seems to have derived but little benefit from it. In Philadelphia the matter of his resignation was discussed with anxiety. In April 1711, Isaac Norris wrote as follows:

“We hear that a surrender is on foot in England, and some of the Friends have written freely to the Proprietor. hope, if he does, it will be on terms safe for them and honourable for himself. He is far in years, and his son not very desirable to succeed him, therefore it looks as if the best conditions would be now had in his