"That which makes a good constitution must keep it; namely, men of wisdom and virtue, qualities that, because they descend not with worldly inheritances, must be carefully propagated by a virtuous education of youth, for which after ages will owe more to the care and prudence of founders and the successive magistracy than to their parents for their private patrimonies.

"We have, with reverence to God and good conscience to men, to the best of our skill, contrived and composed the frame and laws of this Government to the great end of government, to support power in reverence with the people, and to secure the people from the abuse of power, that they may be free by their just obedience, and the magistrates honorable for their just administration; for liberty without obedience is confusion, and obedience without liberty is slavery.

"To carry this evenness is partly owing to the constitution and partly to the magistracy. Where either of these fail government will be subject to convulsions, but where both are wanting, it must be totally subverted; then where both meet, the government is like to endure; which I humbly pray and hope God will please to make the lot of this of Pennsylvania. Amen."

Of the laws agreed upon and published with the frame of government, two or three partake of a religious character: "That all persons living in the province who confess and acknowledge the one Almighty and eternal God to be the Creator, Upholder, and Ruler of the world, and that hold themselves obliged in conscience to live peaceably and justly in civil society, shall in no ways be molested or prejudiced for their religious persuasion or practice in

matters of faith and worship; nor shall they be compelled, at any time, to frequent or maintain any religious worship, place, or ministry whatever.

"That, according to the good example of the 'primitive Christians, and the ease of the creation, every First-day of the week, called the Lord's-day, people shall abstain from their common daily labor, that they may better dispose themselves to worship God according to their understandings.

"That as a careless and corrupt administration of justice draws the wrath of God upon magistrates, so the wildness and looseness of the people provoke the indignation of God against the country; therefore, that all such offences against God as swearing, cursing, lying, profane talking, drunkenness, drinking of healths, obscene words, and several other scandalous acts particularly named; treasons, misprisions, duels, murders, felony, sedition, maims, forcible entries, and other violences to the persons and estates of the inhabitants of the province; all prizes, stage-plays, cards, dice, may-games, gamesters, masques, revels, bull-baitings, cock-fightings, bear-baitings, and the like, which excite the people to rudeness, cruelty, and irreligion, shall be respectively discouraged and severely punished according to the appointment of the Governor and freemen in provincial council and general assembly." This system was signed by the Governor and freemen in the Third month, 1682.

The grant of territory which had been made to James, Duke of York, having given him some claim, though at best a very doubtful one, to the tract included within the limits of Pennsylvania, William Penn, previous to entering himself upon his new possession, obtained from the

duke a full release of all his claims upon the province. This deed was dated the 20th of August, 1682. He also obtained in the same year, by two separate deeds from the duke, a grant of the tract on the Delaware river and bay, commonly termed the three lower counties, now the State of Delaware. This grant was obtained to secure the free use of the river, and to prevent the trouble which might probably arise from the access to the province being in the possession of another.

W

XIII.

LIAM PENN having completed his preparations for a voyage to America, went, in the Sixth month of this year, 1682, on board the ship Welcome, of three hundred tons, Robert Greenaway commander; and on the 30th of the month addressed a valedictory epistle to his friends in England. He also wrote the following letter to Stephen Crisp, a valuable minister of the Gospel in his own religious society.

DEAR STEPHEN CRISP:-My dear and lasting love in the Lord's everlasting Truth reaches to thee, with whom is my fellowship in the Gospel of peace that is more dear and precious to my soul than all the treasures and pleasures of this world; for when a few years are passed we shall all go the way whence we shall never return; and that we may unweariedly serve the Lord in our day and place, and in the end enjoy a portion with the blessed that are at rest, is the breathing of my soul!

Stephen! we know one another and I need not say much to thee; but this I will say, thy parting dwells with me, or rather, thy love at my parting. How innocent, how tender, how like the little child that has no guile! The Lord will bless that ground (Pennsylvania). I have also a letter from thee which comforted me; for many are my trials, yet not more than my supplies from my heavenly

Father, whose glory I seek, and the renown of his blessed name. And truly, Stephen, there is work enough, and here is room to work in. Surely God will come in for a share in this planting-work, and that leaven shall leaven the lump in time. I do not believe the Lord's providence had run this way towards me, but that he has an heavenly end and service in it; so with Him I leave all, and myself, and thee, and his dear people, and blessed name on earth.

"God Almighty, immortal and eternal, be with us, that in the body and out of the body we may be his forever! "I am, in the ancient dear fellowship,

"Thy faithful friend and brother,

WILLIAM PENN."

As this voyage and residence in America were likely to keep him separated from his family during a considerable time, he left behind him a letter addressed to his wife and children, valuable for its wisdom as well as beautiful for its simplicity and patriarchal spirit.

"MY DEAR WIFE AND CHILDREN:-My love, which neither sea nor land nor death itself can extinguish or lessen toward you, most endearly visits you with eternal embraces, and will abide with you forever; and may the God of my life watch over you and bless you, and do you good in this world and forever! Some things are upon my spirit to leave with you in your respective capacities, as I am to the one a husband and to the rest a father, if I should never see you more in this world.

"My dear wife, remember thou wast the love of my youth, and much the joy of my life; the most beloved as