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ber, being then eleven years old, he was suddenly surprised with an inward comfort and as he thought an external glory in the room, which gave rise to religious emotions, during which he had the strongest conviction of the being of a God, and that the soul of man was capable of enjoying communication with him. He believed also, that the seal of Divinity had been put upon him at this moment, or that he had been awakened or called upon to a holy life. But whatever was the external occasion, or whether any or none, or whatever were the particular notions which he is said to have imbibed at this period, certain it is, that while he was at Chigwell school his mind was seriously impressed on the subject of religion.

Having left Chigwell at twelve years of age, he went to a private school on TowerHill, which was near his father's London residence. Here he had greater advantages than before; for his father, to promote his scholarship, kept for him a private tutor in his own house.

At the age of fifteen he had made such progress in his studies, that it was thought fit to send him to College. He was accord

ingly entered a gentleman commoner at Christ's Church, Oxford. He is said to have paid great attention to his college exercises, and yet to have allowed himself all reasonable recreation. The latter consisted partly of manly sports, in which he took great delight, and partly of the society of those young men in the university, who were distinguished either by their talents or their worth. Among those of promising genius he was intimate with Robert Spencer, afterwards the well known Earl of Sunderland, and the venerable John Locke.

It happened, while here, that the Duke of Gloucester, the second brother of Charles the Second, died. He was taken off suddenly by the small-pox in the twenty-first year of his age. The King, who loved him tenderly, appeared to be more concerned for his loss than for any misfortune which had ever befallen him. Indeed all historians agree in giving this young prince an amiable. character, so that there was great sorrow in the nation on account of his death. Many belonging to the university of Oxford, partaking of it, both students and others, gave to the world the poetic effusions of

their condolence on this occasion; and among these William Penn was not behind hand, if we may judge from the following specimen, taken from the Epicedia Academia Oxoniensis in Obitum celsissimi Principis Henrici, Ducis Glocestriensis. 4to. 1660.

"Publica te, Dux magne, dabant jejunia genti,
Sed facta est, nato principe, festa dies.
Te moriente, licèt celebraret læta triumphos
Anglia, solennes solvitur in lachrymas.
Solus ad arbitrium moderaris pectora ; solus
Tu dolor accedis, deliciæque tuis."

The foregoing elegy I cannot translate, particularly into metre, so as either to comprehend the full sense of it, or to do justice to its merits; and, unless it appear in a poetic dress, the force of it would be lost. I shall however make an attempt for the benefit of those who are English readers only.

Though 'twas a fast-day when thou cam'st, thy birth
Turn'd it at once to one of festive mirth.

Though England, at thy death, still made her show
Of public joy*, she pass'd to public woe.
Thou dost, alone, the public breast control,
Alone, delight and sorrow to the soul.

But though William Penn was a youth of

On account of the Restoration.

a lively

a lively genius, as this little specimen intimates, and though he indulged himself at times in manly sports and exercises, as has been before mentioned, yet he never forgot the religious impressions which he had received at Chigwell school. These, on the other hand, had been considerably strengthened by the preaching of Thomas Loe. This person, a layman, had belonged to the university of Oxford, but had then become a Quaker. The doctrines which he promulgated seem to have given a new turn to the mind of William Penn, who was incapable of concealing what he thought it a duty to profess. Accordingly, on discovering that some of his fellow-students entertained religious sentiments which were in unison with his own, he began, in conjunction with them, to withdraw himself from the established worship, and to hold meetings where they followed their devotional exercises in their own way. This conduct, which soon became known, gave offence to the heads of the college, who in consequence of it fined all of them for nonconformity. This happened in the year 1660.

But the imposition of this fine had not the desired

desired effect. It neither deterred him nor his associates from their old practices, nor from proceeding even further where they thought themselves justified in so doing. An opportunity for this presented itself soon afterwards; for an order came down to Oxford from Charles the Second, that the surplice should be worn according to the custom of ancient times. It was an unusual sight then at that university. This sight operated differently upon different persons; but so disagreeably upon William Penn, who conceived that the simplicity and spirituality of the Christian religion would be destroyed by the introduction of outward ceremonies and forms, that he could not bear it. Engaging therefore his friend Robert Spencer, before mentioned, and some other young gentlemen to join him, he fell upon those students who appeared in surplices, and he and they together tore them every where over their heads. This outrage was of so flagrant and public a nature, that the College immediately took it up; and the result was, that William and several of his associates were expelled. William Penn, after his expulsion from

College,

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