:í^2 a voyage to Book IX. 



lodged the Englifh, reducing them within the litnits of 

 Virginia, till a peace was concluded betwixt thefe two 

 nations on the 19th of February, 1674. 



This was not the only difgrace attending the Eng- 

 liih in thefe parr. : for as the Dutch had drove them 

 from New-York, fo they were difpoíTcíTed of other 

 countries of Florida by the Spaniards, and of Canada 

 by the French : and though they ftiil remained mailers 

 of a confiderable extent of country, yet their fettlements 

 were not fo fecure, fo well eíuabliíhed, and placed on 

 fo good a footing as they have been fince. This partly 

 arofe from the difcovery of a trail of land betwixt 

 New-York and Virginia j the foil fo fertile, and the 

 temperature fo mild, that it was thought the peopling 

 of it would be aft-nded with greater advantages than 

 that of any other of their colonies. This difcovery, 

 with the particulars, was fortunately publiihcd in Eng- 

 land, at a time when fevere perfccutions were carrying 

 on againil the Quakers, a fe¿l newly fprung up, and 

 which, like primitive chriílianity, increafed the more it 

 was perfecuted, that now it numbered amongil its 

 members feveral perfons of a more elevated rank and 

 greater abilities than its founders. Among thefe was 

 one William Pcnn, vi-ho, both on account of his parents 

 and his perfonál qualities, was univerfally eileemed, 

 To him Charles ÍI. made a grant of the province, that 

 he might withdraw thither with all his Í(:¿1; as thus it 

 would become totally extinguifhed, and pohcy hop d 

 to accompli ih that by indulgence, which it had in vain 

 attempted by rigour. 



TiJis grant was made to W^illlam Penn in the year 

 168 Í ; though others date ii: from the year i6b2. How- 

 ever, he fet out with a numerous and well-provided 

 company; and btgan to people the province which 

 had been granted him, calling it Pennfylvania, from 

 his own name, and the woodinefs of the country. In 

 order to increafe his numbers, and fecure their ftay by 

 the ílrongeíl ties, he made one of tlje fundamental 



laws 



