‘4 
* Young Penn eompleted- his education 
‘at Christ Church, and, as he then gave 
an early presage of bis future talents, a 
fond father, doubtless, formed high ex- 
pectations of the fortunes of so acconi- 
plished a son. But. those hopes were 
apparently blasted by a most extraor- 
dinary event, for our Oxonian suddenly 
became a convert to the doctrines of the’ 
quakers, a new and an‘ obscure sect ¥ 
suspected by the royalists, and odious to 
the reigning monarch, ‘So recently had 
their peculiar doctrines sprung up, that 
George Fox, the founder, was still alive ; 
and William Loe, one of his most zea- 
lous disciples, who had inlisted the sub. 
ject of this memoir under his banners, | 
Ia imitation of his master, was about to 
travel into foreign countries, for the sole’ 
purpose of propagating the faith abroad, 
: The enraged parent remonstrated in 
wain; his threats to discard, and even to 
disinherit, his only son, were of no avail; 
for filial obedience was not proof against 
acall of the spirit, and the sacrifice of 
a father’s love, and a father’s wealth, 
appeared, in the “heyday of life, and: 
amidst the fervoys of enthusiasm, to be 
only a step towards that martyrdom of 
which he then seeminéd to be ambitious. 
The admiral, however, never forsook 
him entirely ; and it was through his iif 
tercession that the young man was re= 
lieved from prison at Cork, after having 
beea committed for preaching there, 
Notwithstanding this incident, which 
might have abated the fervours of one 
Jess replete with zeal, we find our young 
quaker on, his return to London, em- 
ployed in writing and publishing a book, 
for the express purpose of shewing the 
benefits to be derived from suffering; 
afd this very book, intitled ‘ No Cross, 
vio Crown,” was the cause of his suffer- 
ing anew, as it occasioned his commit- 
tal to the Tower.. 
On his release, he persisted in his 
former.course of life, and preached fre- 
quently in public; but, notwithstanding 
this, the admual at length becaine re- 
conciled to, and bequeathed him, his 
whole property, which was pretty con- 
siderable. ‘(hat very year in which the 
fatter died, was rendered memorable by 
the bold, manly, and patriotic, conduct 
of a son, who, notwithstanding the sin- 
gvlarity and seeming quaintness of his 
religious opinions, would have conferred 
honour on the noblest family in the 
kingdom. Persisting in his original in- 
tentions, and neither swayed by worldly 
mterests on one hand, nor alarmed by 
the fear of a very jealous, Ny saa 
Infamous Trial of Penn: 
[Match I FY 
and arbitrary, government, on the other, 
Mr. Penn pursued that career which he 
considered to be pointed out by a sense 
of duty. Notwithstanding a body of 
soldiers had taken possession of the 
meeting-louse in ‘ Gracious-street,’# 
August 15, 1670, he preached in the 
immediate vicinity as before. On this, 
he was apprehended, committed by the 
Jord-mayor, and tried for the same, along 
witht William Mead, at the Old Bailey, 
6n the first, third, fourth, and fifth, of. 
September following. On this occasion, 
the bench consisted of 
Samvel Starling, Lord Mayor. 
John Howel, Recorder. 
~ “'Phomas Bludworth, 
~ William Peak, 
* Richard Ford, 
Sir John Robinson, Aldermen, 
er Shelden, 
ichard-Brown, 
John Smith, oe 
James Edwards, Sherifts, 
It is important here, that the names 
of the jury should be also recorded, not 
only as a-mark of respect to them, but: 
also as an example to their fellow-subs 
jects, viz. é : 
1. Thomas Veer. 
2. Edward Bushel. 
3, John Hammond. 
4. Charles Milson. 
5. Gregory Walklet. 
6. John Brightman. 
7. William Plumsted, 
8. Henry Henley. 
» 9. James Damask. ©” 
10. Henry Michel. 
11. William Lever. 
12. John Baily. 
The indictment. purported, “ that Wil-: 
liam Penn, and William Mead, the lat- 
ter late of London, linen-draper, with 
divers persons to-the jurors unknown,, 
to the number of three hundred, did un- 
Jawfully assemble, and congregate them- 
selves with force of arms, &c. to the 
disturbance of the peace of our lord the 
king: and that William Penn, by agrée- 
ment between him and William Mead, 
did take upon himself to preach and 
speak, in contempt of the said lord the: 
eee | 
* Gracechurch:street. . 
+ On enquiry it has been discovered that 
Mr. Mead had been originally a tradesman in 
London ; but, during the civil wars, he, like’ 
many ethers, obtained a commission in the 
army, and was known by the appellation of 
Captain Mead. It isnot atall improbable, that 
he took the same side as William Penn's 
father ; and, indeed, his conduct on this otca-_ 
sion displays somewhat of the republican ims. 
trepidity of those days. “if 
e kings 
7 
a 
