THE DIVJUING LINE. 7 



The Jerseys continued under the government of these proprietors till 

 the year 1 702, when tliey made a formal surrender of the dominion to the 

 queen, reserving however the property of the soil to themselves. So soon as 

 the bounds of New Jersey came to be distinctly laid off, it appeared there was 

 still a narrow slip of land, lying betwixt tiiat colony and Maryland. Of this, 

 William Penn, a man of much worldly wisdom, and some eminence among 

 the qnakei's, got early notice, and, by tlie credit he had with the duke of York, 

 obtained a patent for it, dated March the 4tli, 1680. 



It was a little surprising to some people how a quaker should be so much 

 in the good graces of a popish prince ; though, after all, it may be pretty 

 well accounted for. This ingenious person had not been bi'ed a quaker ; but, 

 in his earlier days, had been a man of pleasure about the town. He had 

 a beautiful form and very taking address, which made him successful with 

 the ladies, and particularly with a mistress of the duke of Monmouth. By 

 this gentlewoman he had a daughter, who had beauty enough to raise her to 

 be a dutchess, and continued to be a toast full 30 years. But this amour had 

 like to have brought our fine gentleman in danger of a duel, had he not dis- 

 creetly sheltered himself under this peaceable persuasion. Besides, his father 

 having been a flag-officer in the navy, while the duke of York was lord high 

 admiral, might recommend the son to his favour. This piece of secret history 

 I thought proper to mention, to wipe off the suspicion of his having been 

 popishly inclined. 



This gentleman's first grant confined him within pretty narrow bounds, 

 giving him only that portion of land which contains Buckingham, Philadel- 

 phia and Chester counties. But to get these bounds a little extended, he 

 pushed his interest still further with his royal highness, and obtained a fresh 

 grant of the three lower counties, called Newcastle, Kent and Sussex, which 

 still remained within the Nev/ York patent, and had been luckily left out of 

 the grant of New Jersey. The six counties being thus incorporated, the pro- 

 prietor dignified the whole with the name of Pennsylvania. 



The quakers flocked over to this country in shoals, being averse to go to 

 heaven the same way with the bishops. Amongst them were not a few of 

 good substance, who v/ent vigorously upon every kind of improvement ; and 

 thus much I may truly say in their praise, that by diligence and frugality, for 

 which this harmless sect is remarkable, and by having no vices but such as 

 are private, they have in a few years made Pennsylvania a very fine country. 

 The truth is, they have observed exact justice with all the natives that border 

 upon them ; they have purchased all their lands from the hidians ; and though 

 they paid but a trifle for them, it has procured them the credit of being more 

 righteous than their neighbours. They have likewise had the prudence to 

 treat them kindly upon all occasions, which has saved them from many wars 

 and massaci'es wherein the other colonies have been indiscreetly involved. 

 The truth of it is, a people whose principles forbid them to draw tlie carnal 

 sword, were in the right to give no provocation. 



Both the French and Spaniards had, in the name of their respective mon- 

 archs, long ago taken possession of that part of the northern continent that 

 now goes by the name of Carolina ; but finding it produced neither gold nor 

 silver, as they greedily expected, and meeting such returns from the Indians 

 as their own cruelty and treachery deserved, they totally abandoned it. In 

 this deserted condition that country lay for the space of ninety years, till king 

 Charles II., finding it a derelict, granted it away to the earl of Clarendon and 

 others, by his royal charter, dated March the 24th, 1 663. The boundary of 

 that grant towards Virginia was a due west line from Luck island, (the same 

 as Colleton island,) lying in 36 degrees of north latitude, quite to the 

 South sea. 



