so favourable an opinion of Quakerism, that they confessed she was not
far from the kingdom of heaven. The Friends sowed likewise the good seed
in Germany, but reaped very little fruit; for the mode of "theeing" and
"thouing" was not approved of in a country where a man is perpetually
obliged to employ the titles of "highness" and "excellency." William
Penn returned soon to England upon hearing of his father's sickness, in
order to see him before he died. The Vice-Admiral was reconciled to his
son, and though of a different persuasion, embraced him tenderly. William
made a fruitless exhortation to his father not to receive the sacrament,
but to die a Quaker, and the good old man entreated his son William to
wear buttons on his sleeves, and a crape hatband in his beaver, but all
to no purpose.

William Penn inherited very large possessions, part of which consisted in
Crown debts due to the Vice-Admiral for sums he had advanced for the sea
service. No moneys were at that time more insecure than those owing from
the king. Penn was obliged to go more than once, and "thee" and "thou"
King Charles and his Ministers, in order to recover the debt; and at
last, instead of specie, the Government invested him with the right and
sovereignty of a province of America, to the south of Maryland. Thus was
a Quaker raised to sovereign power. Penn set sail for his new dominions
with two ships freighted with Quakers, who followed his fortune. The
country was then called Pennsylvania from William Penn, who there founded
Philadelphia, now the most flourishing city in that country. The first
step he took was to enter into an alliance with his American neighbours,
and this is the only treaty between those people and the Christians that
was not ratified by an oath, and was never infringed. The new sovereign
was at the same time the legislator of Pennsylvania, and enacted very
wise and prudent laws, none of which have ever been changed since his
time. The first is, to injure no person upon a religious account, and to