were seen, with their dark visages and brandished arms, moving, in vast swarms, in the depth of the woods which then overshaded the whole of that now cultivated region. On the other hand, William Penn, with a moderate attendance of Friends, advanced to meet them. He came of course unarmed-in his ausual plain dress-without banners, or mace, or guards, or carriages; and only distinguished from his companions by wearing a blue sash of silk network, (which it seems is still preserved by Mr Kett of Seething-ball, near Norwich), and by having in his hand a roll of parchment, on which was engrossed the confirmation of the treaty of purchase and amity As soon as he drew near the spot where the Sachems were assembled, the whole multitude of Indians threw down their weapons, and seated themselves on the ground in groups, each under his own chieftain and the presiding chief intimated to William Penn, that the nations were ready to hear him. Mr Clarkson regrets, and we cordially join in the sentiment, that there is no written, contemporary account of the particulars attending this intesesting and truly novel transaction. He assures us, however, that they are still in a great measure preserved in oral tradition, and that both what we have just stated, and what follows, may be relied on as perfectly accurate. The sequel we give in his own words,

;

Having been thus called upon, he began. The Great Spirit, he said, who made him and them, who ruled the Heaven and the Earth, and who knew the innermost thoughts of man, knew that he and his friends had a hearty desire to live in peace and friendship with them, and to serve them to the utmost of their power. It was not their custom to use hostile weapons against their fellow-creatures, for which reason they had come unarmed. Their object was not to do injury, and thus provoke the Great Spirit, but to do good. They were then met on the broad pathway of good faith and good will, so that no advantage was to be taken on either side, but all was to be openness, brotherhood, and love. After these and other words, he unrolled the parchment, and by means of the same interpreter conveyed to them, article by article, the conditions of the Purchase, and the Words of the Compact then made for their eternal Union. Among other things, they were not to be molested in their lawful pursuits even in the territory they had alienated, for it was to be common to them and the English. They were to have the same liberty to do all things therein relating to the improvement of their grounds, and providing sustenance for their families, which the English had. If any disputes should arise between the two, they should be settled by twelve persons, hal of whom should be English, and half Indians. He then paid them for the land, and made them many presents besides from the merchandize which had been spread before them. Having done this, he laid the roll of parch

ment on the ground, observing again, that the ground should be common to both people. He then added, that he would not do as the Marylanders did, that is, call them Children or Brothers only; for often parents were apt to whip their children too severely, and Brothers sometimes would differ: neither would he compare the Friendship between him and them to a Chain, for the rain might sometimes rust it, or a tree might fall and break it; but he should consider them as the same flesh and blood with the Christians, and the same as if one man's body were to be divided into two parts. He then took up the parchment, and presented it to the Sachem who wore the horn in the chaplet, and desired him and the other Sachems to preserve it carefully for three generations, that their children might know what had passed between them, just as if he had remained himself with them to repeat it.' p. 341-43. The Indians, in return, made long and stately haranguesof which, however, no more seems to have been remembered, but that they pledged themselves to live in love with William Penn and his children, as long as the sun and moon should enAnd thus ended this famous treaty ;-of which Vol taire has remarked, with so much truth and severity, that it was the only one ever concluded between savages and Chris⚫tians that was not ratified by an oath-and the only one that never was broken!'

Such, indeed, was the spirit in which the negotiation was entered into, and the corresponding settlement conducted, that for the space of more than seventy years--and so long indeed as the Quakers retained the chief power in the government, the peace and amity which had been thus solemnly promised and concluded, never was violated;-and a large and most striking, though solitary example afforded, of the facility with which they who are really sincere and friendly in their own views, may live in harmony even with those who are supposed to be peculiarly fierce and faithless. We cannot bring ourselves to wish that there were nothing but Quakers in the world-because we fear it would be insupportably dull;-but when we consider what tremendous evils daily arise from the petulance and profligacy, and ambition and irritability, of Sovereigns and Ministers, we cannot help thinking, it would be the most efficacious of all reforms to choose all those ruling personages out of that plain, pacific, and sober-minded sect.

William Penn now held an assembly, in which fifty-nine important laws were passed in the course of three days. The most remarkable were those which limited the number of capital crimes to two-murder and high treason,--and which provided for the reformation, as well as the punishment of offenders, by making the prisons places of compulsive industry, sobriety, and instruc tion. It was likewise enacted, that all children, of whatever

rank, should be instructed in some art or trade. The fees of law proceedings were fixed, and inscribed on public tables ;-and the amount of fines to be levied for offences also limited by legislative authority. Many admirable regulations were added, for the encouragement of industry, and mutual usefulness and esteem. There is something very agreeable in the contentment, and sober and well-earned self-complacency, which breathe in the following letter of this great colonist-written during his first rest from those great labours.

"I am now casting the country into townships for large lots of land. I have held an Assembly, in which many good laws are pass, ed. We could not stay safely till the spring for a Government. I have annexed the Territories lately obtained to the Province, and passed a general naturalization for strangers; which hath much pleased the people.As to outward things, we are satisfied; the land good, the air clear and sweet, the springs plentiful, and provision good and easy to come at; an innumerable quantity of wild fowl and fish; in fine, here is what an Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would be well contented with; and service enough for God, for the fields are here white for harvest. O, how sweet is the quiet of these parts, freed from the anxious and troublesome solicitations, hurries, and perplexities of woeful Europe! p. 350, 351.

We cannot persuade ourselves, however, to pursue any farther the details of this edifying biography. W. Penn returned to England after a residence of about two years in his colonygot into great favour with James II.-and was bitterly calumniated as a Jesuit, both by churchmen and sectaries-went on doing good and preaching Quakerism-was sorely persecuted and insulted, and deprived of his Government, but finally acquitted, and honourably restored, under King William-lost his wife and son-travelled and married again-returned to Pennsylvania in 1699 for two years longer-came finally home to England-continued to preach and publish as copiously as ever -was reduced to a state of kindly dotage by three strokes of apoplexy-and died at last at the age of seventy-two, in the year 1718.

He seems to have been a man of kind affections, singular activity and perseverance, and great practical wisdom. Yet we can well believe with Burnet, that he was a little puffed up with vanity; and that he had a tedious, luscious way of talking, that was apt to tire the patience of his hearers.' He was very neat in his person; and had a great horror at tobacco, which occasionally endangered his popularity in his American domains. He was mighty methodical in ordering his household; and had stuck up in his hall a written directory, or General Order, for the regulation of his family, to which

he exacted the strictest conformity. According to this rigorous system of discipline, he required

that in that quarter of the year which included part of the winter and part of the spring, the members of it were to rise at seven in the morning, in the next at six, in the next at five, and in the last at six again. Nine o'clock was the hour for breakfast, twelve for dinner, seven for supper, and ten to retire to bed. The whole family were to assemble every morning for worship. They were to be called together at eleven again, that each might read in turn some portion of the holy Scripture, or of Martyrology, or of Friends? books; and finally they were to meet again for worship at six in the evening. On the days of public meeting, no one was to be absent except on the plea of health or of unavoidable engagement. The servants were to be called up after supper to render to their master and mistress an account of what they had done in the day, and to receive instructions for the next; and were particularly exhorted to avoid lewd discourses and troublesome noises.

We shall not stop to examine what dregs of ambition, or what hankerings after worldly prosperity, may have mixed themselves with the pious and philanthrophic principles that were undoubtedly his chief guides in forming that great settlement which still bears his name, and profits by his example. Human virtue does not challenge, nor admit of such a scrutiny and it should be sufficient for the glory of William Penn, that he stands upon record as the most humane, the most moderate, and most pa cific of all governors,

ART. XI. Seventh Report of the Directors of the African Institution, read at the Annual General Meeting on the 26th of March 1813: To which are added, an Appendix, and a List of Subscribers. 8vo. pp. 111. London, Hatchard. 1813.

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LTHOUGH a good deal of what we had to state, upon subject of this Report, has been anticipated in our account of the Slave-trade trials in the last Number, we are unwilling to break through the custom of noticing all the Reports, of the Institution as early as possible after their appearance. This practice ensures the early publication of intelligence interesting to abolitionists, and keeps the attention of the country directed steadily to every thing connected with the subject of Africa and the West Indies.

The Report now before us, begins with the proceedings at the last General Meeting; and, among other well merited votes of thanks, there is one in which every one must concur, we meant

that to the secretary, Mr Harrison, (who succeeded Mr M'Caulay last year), for his assiduous attention to the interests of the Institution, and for his able and gratuitous services. ' The labour of such an office is not small; it exceeds that of many public stations which secure wealth and honours to their possessors, and which confer those rewards, ungrudged by the world, because they are by no means the wages of idleness, They who fill gratuitous places like that under consideration, have only the satisfaction of promoting principles to which they are attached, and the applause of such as interest themselves in the same pursuits.

The List of the Directors suggests a subject of melancholy reflection, the death of the venerable GRANVILLE SHARP. Á more ample opportunity, and a worthier pen, are required to do justice to his pious memory: And we learn, with a singular satisfaction, that the Institution has already adopted measures for obtaining an history of his blameless and well spent life. Yet can we not refuse ourselves the gratification of dwelling for a moment upon a theme, consecrated in the hearts of all who revere exalted worth, and delight to contemplate a long course of quiet and peaceful, but unremitting exertion for the liberties and happiness of mankind. In preserving the names of other virtuous men from the temporary oblivion into which more dazzling and perishable glories are wont to cast them, it is frequently necessary to exhaust the arts of composition, to display arguments which may convince, or to seek, amidst figures and periods, the road to congenial feelings. But he who would hold up this venerable philanthropist in the most striking light, has only to tell faithfully and plainly the story of his actions. Unaided by any authority, or party, or man in the state; before any of those benevolent institutions existed, which have since done so much honour to the age; opposed by the opinions of lawyers, the influence of statesmen, and the most rooted prejudices of the times; he fought, by his single exertions, and at his individual expense, the most memorable battle for the constitution of this country-and in its consequences for the interests of the species-of which modern times afford any record. To him we owe the practical establishment of the great maxim, that the air of these islands is too pure for a slave to breathe:-And if, in this its most concise, but accurate statement, the proposition sounds romantic, we may reflect a little on the broad, splendid, and notorious fact to which it is equivalent-the man who established it, abolished a slave-trade carried on in the streets of Liverpool and London. To trace the history of this struggle;-to follow the steps by which this gentle,