umphed. Many of the clergy of Norfolk took up the dispute, and published "A Brief Discovery,' " in which the views of the Quakers were most grossly misrepresented as mischievous and dangerous. This was presented to Parliament with a design of contracting the liberty now allowed to Quakers. Penn contented himself with circulating an expostulatory and cautionary paper among the members, and with publishing "A Just Censure of Francis Bugg's Address to the Parliament against the Quakers."

Though Penn was accompanied by his wife and family on his second embarkation for Pennsylvania, yet, in view of the uncertainty of his life, he wrote his best counsels before his departure, and published them in a little volume, called "Advice to his Children for their civil and religious Conduct." The volume contains excellent rules of life, with the recommendation of all Christian graces and virtues. He wrote from on shipboard at Cowes, on the 3d of September, 1699, "A Farewell Epistle of Love and Exhortation to Friends," and sailed on the 9th of the month. His protracted voyage of nearly three months was accounted by some to a special Providence, protecting him from the yellow fever, which in the interval had desolated the colony.

CHAPTER XI.

Affairs of Pennsylvania.

tary Supplies refused.

New Act of Settlement by Markham. Penn's second Arrival. - Birth of a Son. The Assembly. Penn's humane Measures in Behalf of Slaves and Indians in Part frustrated. - The Constitution. - Penn is called to England again.

State of the Colony. The Assembly adopts the new Constitution. The Indians.

City Charter of Philadelphia. — Penn's final Departure.

REVERTING to the fact already stated, that Penn, on the restoration to him of his proprietary rights and authority, in 1694, had appointed Markham as his deputy, a brief review of affairs during the interval will present the condition of the colony at the time of Penn's second arrival. Markham, assuming his office on the 26th of March, 1695, called a new provincial Council of three members, and an Assembly of six members, from each county of the province and territories. The Council met on the 20th of April, the Assembly on the 10th of September. Altercations at once arose, because he followed the precedent of

Fletcher, rather than the provisions of the char

ter.

The session was soon closed, and another commenced in October. Markham renewed the demand of Fletcher, founded on Queen Anne's letter, for money to aid in the fortifications of New York. Penn seems to have favored this demand, and it is probable that an implied condition on which his government was restored to him, was, that he should bear his share in such exactions.

This demand of money, for a purpose which, it could not be disguised, was directly or indirectly connected with military proceedings, was most offensive to the Quaker portion of the people. Indeed, the whole people opposed it, as an unsafe precedent, or as a trespass upon the terms under which they had emigrated; and as they tried all means of evading, deferring, or resisting a compliance with it, and, whenever they yielded, connected one or more conditions with their grants, we may readily conceive that the demand was fruitful of contentions.

Markham convened the Assembly again, on the 26th of October, 1696. They remonstrated, as before, against the illegality of the call. They were now anxious for a change in the mode of government, and, under the name of a new Act of Settlement, another charter or constitu

tion was proposed. Markham again presented Fletcher's request for more money; and, after much bickering, by way of compromise, Markham confirmed the new constitution in November, and the Assembly voted three hundred pounds, to be appropriated, however, to the relief of distressed Indians, near Albany. The Act of Settlement provided that the Council should consist of two, and the Assembly of four members, from each of the three counties of the province and the territories; that an affirmation should serve as an oath for Quakers; and that the Assembly should have the power to propose laws.

A temporary quiet was thus restored in the legislature, while the general interests of the colony were flourishing. Markham asked for more money in 1697, and was respectfully refused, on the plea of poverty, and the assertion that the neighboring provinces had not contributed their fair proportion. A grossly exaggerated report had reached London, charging upon the Pennsylvanians the crime of piracy, and an illicit contempt of the navigation laws of England. The Pennsylvania government, therefore, issued a proclamation against such offenders.

On the whole, the state of affairs was as propitious as Penn could have expected to find

Leav

it when he arrived in December, 1699. ing his son William in England, he had brought with him his wife, and his daughter Lætitia, probably then his only other child. His son John was born in Philadelphia, about a month after his arrival. The general expectation, encouraged too by the language of the proprietor, was, that he would make Pennsylvania the permanent home of himself and family. He landed at Chester, and was received by the Friends with the most affectionate respect and joy. An accident marred the occasion; as some young men, contrary to express orders, discharged some old ship's cannon, one of them lost an arm by the forbidden display. After attending a religious meeting at Chester, on Sunday, Penn went up to Philadelphia, and there held another meeting. His presence caused delight to the multitude, though it was observed that some, who knew him not, and were not Quakers, but had come since his last visit, did not participate in the general joy.

He at once issued his writs calling together the Assembly, and, in the interval preceding its meeting, he mingled freely and heartily with the people, attending courts, weddings, and religious meetings, and endeavoring to acquaint himself with the whole interests and