shillings and tenpence in corn, kine, and horses. The latter he had the audacity to retain and to work for his own use.-In the same county, near Nantwich, Justice Manwaring took by warrant, for fines which amounted to eighty-seven pounds, goods to the value of one hundred and one pounds in kine, bacon, bedding, brass, pewter, corn, cloth, shoes and cheese. Some of the sufferers appealing, the Jury acquitted them; but the Justices would not receive the verdict. The same Justices, on the other hand, at the next sessions gave judgement for the informers with treble costs. Such was the nature of "The continued Cry of the oppressed for Justice;" a work, though small, yet valuable, inasmuch as it shows us what man is capable of when under the dominion of bigotry and superstition; furnishing us with facts, which but for the known truth of them, we, who live in this improved age, should have thought incredible under a Government calling itself Protestant, and crying out against the persecution of the Romish Church.

The same spirit of love and hatred of oppression, which made William Penn so warm

an

an advocate for his brethren at home, impelled him to become the champion of their interests abroad. A decree had come out this year at Embden, by which all Quakers were to be banished from that city. He wrote therefore a letter to the Senate of Emb. den, worded in Latin, and of considerable length, in their behalf.

We find that he was engaged in three works of a controversial nature during the present year. An anonymous person had published "The Quaker's last Shift found out." This he answered by " Naked Truth needs no Shift." He wrote, secondly, " Jeremy Ives's sober Request proved in the Matter of it to be false, and impertinent, and impudent," and soon after this "Libels no Proofs."

About this time he interested himself in procuring the release of George Fox. The latter after his return from America went to London, and after staying there some time left it, partly to visit his mother, who was then on her death-bed, and partly to return home with his wife into Lancashire. In passing, however, through Worcestershire, he happened to preach. This was just after

the

up

the Act of Indulgence had been called in. The consequence was, that he was taken and committed to Worcester gaol, where he had been then a prisoner for some months. In this situation William Penn exerted himself in his favour, as appears by the following letter:

"DEAR GEORGE FOX!

"Thy dear and tender love in thy last letter I received, and for thy business thus: A great lord, a man of a noble mind, did as good as put himself in a loving way to get thy liberty. He prevailed with the King for a pardon, but that we rejected. Then he prest for a more noble release, that better answered hath. He prevailed, and got the King's hand to a release. It sticks with the Lord Keeper, and we have used and do use what interest we can. The King is angry with him (the Lord Keeper), and promiseth very largely and lovingly; so that, if we have been deceived, thou seest the grounds of it. But we have sought after a writ of error these ten days past, well nigh resolving to be as sure as we can; and an habeas corpus is gone or will go to-morrow night. My dear love salutes thee and thy dear wife.

Things are brave as to Truth in these parts, great conviction upon the people. My wife's dear love is to you all. I long and hope ere long to see thee.

So, dear George Fox, am, &c.

"WM. PENN."

There is another letter from William Penn to George Fox on the same subject, but it is unnecessary to copy it. It may suffice to say, that, after a discovery of several errors in the indictment, the release of his friend followed.

CHAP

CHAPTER XI.

A. 1675-continues at Rickmansworth-converts many→→→ holds a public dispute there with Richard Baxter-cor responds with the latter-publishes "Saul smitten to the Ground"-writes to a Roman Catholic-arbitrates between Fenwick and Byllinge-two Letters to the former.

In the year 1675 we find him still living at Rickmansworth, where, as well as in other places, he became eminent as a minister of the Gospel. In his own neighbourhood indeed he had converted many; and from this cause, as well as from a desire which others of his own society had to live near him, the country about Rickmansworth began to abound with Quakers. This latter circumstance occasioned him, oddly enough, to be brought forward again as a public disputant; for the celebrated Richard Baxter, who was then passing that way, when he saw so many of the inhabitants of this description, began to be alarmed for their situation. He considered them as little better than lost people, and was therefore desirous of preaching to them, in order, to use his own words, "that they might once hear what was to be said for their recovery."