5i7 
P E 
eftate. His order for convoy had already pafl’ed the fecre- 
rary of ftate, when the voyage was prevented by a new 
charge again It him, backed by the oatii of one Fuller, a 
wretch who was afterwards declared by parliament an im- 
poftor: the charge, however, being that of partaking in 
a plot to reftore the late king, a warrant was granted.for 
his apprehenfion, which he narrowly efcaped at his return 
from George Fox’s burial, on the 16th of the month 
called January, 1690. Seeing now no probability of fair 
treatment, he retired (or, as Burnet choofes to fay, ab* 
fconded) for two or three years: during which time, be- 
(ides a Preface to the collefted Works of Barclay, he 
wrote the following pieces: 1. Juft Meafures; an epiftle 
to the Quakers in vindication of religious difeipline. 2. 
A Key, or a treatife explanatory of their principles and 
practice. 3. Refleftions and Maxims relating to the 
Conduft of Human Life. The two latter of thefe have 
gone through many editions. 
In 1694 he wrote, as aPreface to George Fox’s Journals, 
a “ Brief Account of the Rife and Progrefs of the People 
called Quakers,” which has feveral times been reprinted. 
Fie was alfo aftively employed in this and the fubfequent 
years as a preacher in feveral parts of England and in 
Ireland. Having in 1693 loft his wife, with whom he 
had lived in perfeft harmony, he took, in 1696, a fecond 
wife, the daughter of Thomas Caljowhill of Briftol, by 
whom he had feveral children. His eldeft fon by his firft 
marriage, a youth of great hopes, died of a confumption 
in his 21 ft year, to his deep affliftion. A bill in 1697 
being depending in the houfe of lords againft blafphemy, 
Penn, ever vigilant againft reftridfions in matter of reli¬ 
gion, prefented to that houfe a “ Caution requifite in 
the Confideration of that Bill,” advifing that the w'ord 
blajphemy might be fo explained as to leave no ambiguity 
by means of which ground might be given for malicious 
profecutions. The bill itfelf. was, however, dropped. 
During the prevalence of Penn’s enemies at court, he 
had been deprived of his government of PennfyIvania, 
which was annexed, in Oftober 1692, to that of New- 
York, under colonel Fletcher. The oftenftble reafons for 
this ftep were mal-adminiftration, and danger of the lofs 
of the province thereupon : the real one probably was 
a jealoufy excited by thegrowing profperity of the colony, 
and by principles and pradiices in its jurifprudence too 
liberal for the age. At length, in the latter end of 1693, 
through the mediation of his friends, he was admitted 
to plead his caufe before the king and council, by 
whom he was acquitted, and his government was reftored. 
This inftrument is dated Auguft 1694; but it was not 
till five years after this, that he embarked a fecond time 
for the province, accompanied by his family. Penn feems 
now to have intended to fpend the remainder of his life 
in America; and he applied himfelf diligently to the of¬ 
fices of government, in which the inevitable difficulties 
arifing from a mixed population of various difpofitions 
and interefts, and enjoying a great fhare of liberty, re¬ 
quired the exercife of both fkill and patience. His admi- 
niftration was fuccefsful; and the colony is ftated to have 
been at this period, when compared with others of the 
fame (landing on the continent, in an eafy and fiourifhing 
condition. His old allies, the natives, were not over¬ 
looked; and, religion being evera predominant confider¬ 
ation with Penn, he engaged his friends, at a monthly 
meeting for difeipline, held the beginning of 1700, in a 
plan for the inltruftion of the natives and of the negroes, 
who had now been introduced among them, in the prin¬ 
ciples of the Chriftian faith. Later experience has fhown 
that Chriftianity, to obtain a cordial and general recep¬ 
tion among thefe people, fhould be preceded by her hand¬ 
maid, civilization. A public fchool (free to the children 
of the poor) had been accordingly founded here. In Fe¬ 
bruary 1701 a treaty was held between the governor and 
about forty of the chief perfons among the natives, in 
which, belides renewing former covenants, the parties ef- 
Vou XIX. No. 1324. 
N N. 
tablilhed fome regulations on the fubjeft of trade between 
them: a principal care of the governor, on this occalion, 
feems to have been to prevent the abominable p raft ice, 
already ufed by fome unworthy colonifts, of drawing the 
natives into a ruinous traffic, by offering them fpirituous 
liquors. 
During thefe tranfaftions, an attempt was making at 
home, under pretence of advancing the prerogatives of 
the crown, and of national benefit, to invade the feveral 
proprietary governments in America, and reduce them to 
regal ones. A bill for this purpofe was already before the 
lords, when the land-owners of Pennfylvania, prefeht in 
England, petitioned the houfe, and gained time for the 
governor’s return ; who, on notice of the meafure, pre- 
fently embarked, and arrived at Portfmouth in December 
1701. The bill, which had been poftponed, was now 
entirely dropped ; and theacceffion of queen Anne, foon 
after, placed Penn once more in the funffiine at court. 
His eftate, however, had now fuffered much, by liberal 
difburfements, by inadequate returns, and by the conti¬ 
nual political impediments thrown in his way. He was 
moreover involved, in 1707, in a fuit at law with the exe¬ 
cutors of aperfon who had been his fteward; and, his cafe 
not admitting of relief by the court of chancery, he was 
obliged to live within the rules of the Fleet until thedif- 
pute could be adjufted. 
It is not to be concealed, that a party in Pennfylvania 
made heavy complaints againft his government of that 
colony, and fo much difquieted him, that at one period 
he was inclined to make over his right as governor to the 
crown. How far there was real ground of blame in his 
adminirtration it is not eafy to determine; in faft, all the 
proprietary governments have been fubjeft to fimilar dif- 
contents, naturally arifing from the double relation of 
proprietorand governor. On the whole, it is certain that 
the colony Pennfylvania foon became one of the molt 
flourilhing of the Nortb-American fettlements, and Itill 
reveres the memory of its founder. 
The infirmities of age now began to creep upon him ; 
and the air of London not agreeing with him, he took a 
handfome feat at Rufhcomb, near Twyford, in Buck- 
inghamffiire, where he palled the remainder of his life. 
This proved to be a lengthened ftate of decline; for, 
having been feized with fome fits of the apopleftic kind 
in 1712, his bodily and mental powers began gradur.lly 
to decay, though for a confiderable time not fo much as 
to prevent his enjoyment of life. He was at length re¬ 
duced to perfeft imbecility; and died in July 1718, in 
the 74th year of his agei He was interred at Jordans, 
near Beaconsfield. His works were printed colleftively 
in 1726 in two vols. 4to. Seleft editions have fince been 
given, omitting molt of the controverlial pieces. Life 
prefixed to Penn's Works. Proud's Hifi, of Pennjylvunia, 
Seivell's Hiji. of the Quakers. Monthly Mag. vol. xxxi. 
Clark fun's Life of William Penn, 1813. 
PENN’s, a townlhip of Pennsylvania, on the river Suf- 
quehannah, containing 3798 inhabitants.—Alfo, a town- 
ffiip of Northumberland-county, with 2072 inhabitants. 
PENN’s CO'VE, a bay on the eaft coaft of Whidbey’s 
Illand, in the gulf of Georgia. Lat. 48. 16. N. Ion. 237. 
39. E. 
PENN’s CREE'K, a river of Pennfylvania, which 
runs into the Sufquehanna in lat. 40. 48. N. Ion. 76. 
56. W. 
PENN’s FO'RT, lies at the mouth of a fmall creek, on 
the weft fide of Delaware-river, in Northampton-county : 
about twenty-one miles north of the line ofEafton, and 
near feventy north of Philadelphia. Lat. 40. 59. N. Ion, 
75. 13. W. 
PENN’s NECK', a town of Saletn-county, New Jerfey, 
in Old Man’s creek: twelve miles north-eaft by north of 
Salem. Upper Penn’s Neck contains 1638, Lower 1163, 
inhabitants.—Alfo, the name of a range of farms of ex¬ 
cellent foil, lituated about one mile and a half fouth-eaft 
7 A of 
