Swamp between Bud's Buildings and the Society-hill, shall be left open and common for the Use and Service of the said City and all others, with Liberty to dig Docks and make Harbours for Ships and Vessels, in all or any Part of the said Swamp.

AND I do hereby grant, that all the vacant Land within the Bounds and Limits of the said City, shall remain open as a free Common or Pasture, for the Use of the Inhabitants of the said City, until the same shall be gradually taken in, in order to build or improve thereon, and not otherwise. Provided always, That nothing herein contained, shall debar me or my Heirs in Time to come, from fencing in all the vacant Lands that lie between the Centre Meeting House and the Schuylkil, which I intend shall be divided from the Land by me allotted for Delaware Side, by a strait Line along the Broad-street from Edward Shippen's Land through the Centre Square by Daniel Pegg's Land; nor shall the fencing or taking in any of the Streets, happening to be within that Inclosure on Skuylkil, be deemed or adjudged to be an incroachment, where it shall not interfere or stop any of the Streets or Passages leading to any of the Houses built or to be built on that Side, any Thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

AND I do grant, that this present Char

ter, shall, in all Courts of Law and Equity, be construed and taken most favourably and beneficially, for the said Corporation.

IN WITNESS whereof, I have hereunto set my Hand, and caused my Great Seal to be affixed. Dated at Philadelphia the five and twentieth Day of October, Anno Domini one Thousand seven Hundred and One, and in the thirteenth Year of the Reign of King William the Third, over England, &c. and the one and twentieth Year of my Government.

WILLIAM PENN.

The CHARTER of PRIVILEGES granted by WILLIAM PENN, Esq., to the Inhabitants of Pensylvania and Territories.

W

ILLIAM PENN, Proprietary and Governor of the Province of Pensylvania, and Territories thereunto belonging. To all to whom these Presents shall come, sendeth Greeting. WHEREAS King CHARLES the Second, by his Letters Patents, under the Great Seal of England, bearing Date the fourth Day of March, in the Year one Thousand six Hundred and Eighty, was graciously pleased to give and grant unto me, and my Heirs and Assigns for ever, this Province of Pensylvania, with divers great Powers and

Jurisdictions for the well Government there

of.

AND WHEREAS the King's dearest Brother, JAMES Duke of YORK and ALBANY, &c., by his Deeds of Feoffment, under his Hand and Seal duly perfected, bearing Date the Twenty-fourth Day of August, one Thousand six Hundred Eighty and Two, did grant unto me, my Heirs and Assigns, all that Tract of Land, now called the Territories of Pensylvania, together with Powers and Jurisdictions for the good Government thereof.

AND WHEREAS for the Encouragement of all the Freemen and Planters, that might be concerned in the said Province and Territories, and for the good Government thereof, I the said William Penn, in the Year one Thousand six Hundred Eighty and Three for me, my Heirs and Assigns, did grant and confirm unto all the Freemen, Planters and Adventurers therein, divers Liberties, Franchises and Properties, as by the said Grant, entitled, the FRAME of the Government of the Province of Pensylvania, and Territories thereunto belonging, in America, may appear; which Charter or Frame being found in some parts of it, not so suitable to the present Circumstances of the Inhabitants, was in the third Month, in the Year one Thousand seven Hundred, delivered up to me, by six Parts of seven of the Freemen of this Province and

Territories, in general Assembly met, Provision being made in the said Charter, for that End and Purpose.

AND WHEREAS I was then pleased to promise, That I would restore the said Charter to them again, with necessary Alterations, or in Lieu thereof, give them another, better adapted to answer the present Circumstances and Conditions of the said Inhabitant; which they have now, by their Representatives in general Assembly, met at Philadelphia, requested me to grant.

KNOW YE THEREFORE, That for the further Well-being and good Government of the said Province, and Territories; and in Pursuance of the Rights and Powers beforementioned, I the said William Penn do declare, grant and confirm, unto all the Free men, Planters and Adventurers, and other Inhabitants in this Province and Territories, these following Liberties, Franchises and Privileges, so far as in me lieth, to be held, enjoyed and kept, by the Freemen, Planters and Adventurers, and other Inhabitants of and in the said Province and Territories thereunto annexed, for ever.

FIRST.

BECAUSE no people can be truly happy, though under the greatest Enjoyment of civil Liberties, if abridged of the Freedom of

their Consciences, as to their religious Profession and Worship: And Almighty God being the only Lord of Conscience, Father of Lights and Spirits, and the Author as well as Object of all divine Knowledge, Faith and Worship, who only doth enlighten the Minds, and persuade and convince the Understandings of People, I do hereby grant and declare, That no Person or Persons, inhabiting in this Province or Territories, who shall confess and acknowledge One Almighty God, the Creator, Upholder and Ruler of the World; and profess him or themselves obliged to live quietly under the civil Government, shall be in any Case molested or prejudiced, in his or their Person or Estate, because of his or their conscientious Persuasion or Practice, nor be compelled to frequent or maintain any religious Worship, Place or Ministry, contrary to his or their Mind, or to do or suffer any other Act or Thing, contrary to their religious Persuasion.

AND that all Persons who also profess to believe in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World, shall be capable (notwithstanding their other Persuasions and Practices in Point of Conscience and Religion) to serve this Government in any Capacity, both legislatively and executively, he or they solemnly promising, when lawfully required, Allegiance to the King as Sovereign, and Fidelity