had an opportunity of becoming useful on a larger scale.

While at Worminghurst applications came to him, in consequence of the public letter which had been circulated, for shares in the new adventure, by which it appeared that there was a probability of disposing of a considerable portion of West New Jersey. He consulted therefore with his colleagues ; and the result was, that they determined to appoint and send over Commissioners, who should be empowered to purchase lands of the Indians, to examine the rights of such as might claim property in the new territory, to give directions for laying out the allotments there, and to administer, for the first year, the government according to the spi

rit of the Concessions before mentioned.

They resolved next to open proposals for the immediate sale of the lands. These offers were no sooner made, such was the high character of William Penn, than they were accepted. Among the purchasers were two companies, both consisting of Quakers, the one of persons from London, the other from Yorkshire. These contracted for large shares,

and

and had patents for them. The members of the Yorkshire company were principal creditors of Byllinge, and they received a tenth part of the whole land in consideration of their debts.

As no persons could more properly act as Commissioners than they who had a stake or interest in the new territory, it was judged advisable that some of the most respectable of the purchasers should be appointed to this office, and that the purchasers in general should nominate the rest. Accordingly Thomas Olive and Daniel Wills were chosen from among the London, and Joseph Helmsly and Robert Stacey from among the Yorkshire proprietors. To these were added Richard Guy, who was then in America with Fenwick, and John Kinsey, Benjamin Scott, and others.

Matters having been thus prepared, the Commissioners, with several of the proprietors and their families and servants, to the number of two hundred and thirty, embarked in the ship Kent, Gregory Marlow master. As they were lying in the Thames ready to sail, it happened that King Charles the Second was passing by in his pleasure

barge.

barge. Seeing a number of persons on board, he went alongside, and inquired whither they were bound. On receiving information, he asked if they were all Quakers. And being answered in the affirmative, he gave them his blessing, and departed. Soon after this the ship weighed anchor and proceeded to sea. It may be proper to observe, that two other vessels, one from London and the other from Hull, followed the ship Kent, the one carrying seventy and the other one hundred and fourteen passengers to the same parts.

We hear nothing more of William Penn till the month of June, when he left Worminghurst to attend the yearly meeting of the Quakers. This meeting, which lasted several days, was held in London, and persons belonging to the society flocked to it from all parts. Among those who came to it were George Fox and John Burnyeat, the latter of whom was an eminent minister at that time. These two on the breaking up of the meeting returned with William Penn to Worminghurst, where they wrote their great work called "A New England Firebrand quenched," in answer to a publication which

a person

a person of the name of Williams, then a settler in New England, had brought out against the Quakers. It is probable from this circumstance that they were assisted in it by William Penn.

It was here too, and at this time, that it became a growing concern with William Penn to visit Holland and Germany. His object was to communicate" with many seeking persons" there, and to bring these to the knowledge of what he conceived to be the Truth. He had already, as has been before mentioned, visited the Continent on the same errand, where many had been converted by his labours; but since that time such an accession had been made to these by different Quakers, who had travelled there, that meetings both for worship and discipline had in some instances been established among them. He had besides many correspondents, and invitations from various persons in these parts. It happened also at this time, while the religious visit in question occupied his mind, that he received a letter from Elizabeth, Princess Palatine of the Rhine, before mentioned, which, as it showed her kind disposition towards him, as well as

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the

the modest and pious frame of her mind, could not but have the effect of inclining him still more towards the same course. This letter was in answer to one of his own, and ran thus:

"This, my Friend, will inform you that both your letters were acceptable, together with your wishes for my obtaining those vir. tues which may make me a worthy follower of our great King and Saviour Jesus Christ. What I have done for his true disciples is not so much as a cup of cold water. It affords them no refreshment. Neither did I expect any fruit of my letter to the Duchess of L, as I expressed at the same time to B. Furley. But as R. Barclay desired I would write it, I could not refuse him, nor omit to do any thing that was judged conducing to his liberty, though it should expose me to the derision of the world. But this a mere moral man may reach at the true inward graces are yet wanting in affectionate Friend, "ELIZABETH."

your

Called upon then by the religious workings of his own mind, and additionally by such favourable circumstances, William Penn prepared for his journey. At length he took