Wee, the Comiconers, Haveing taken our places, I Acquaint: ed the peopl that, for as much that several Complaints had been made unto the Govern' and the Council of the disafection, sedition, and unfaithnes of sume of the Inhabitants of that County, Tending to Revolt from their fidelity and obedience to the Govern' and Government. The Govern' was pleased, by and with the Advice and Consent of the provincial Council, to Comiconate us to Com to this County to Inspect unto the State of Affairs here. Upon which, I delivered our Comicon to the Clark to read. Which, being read, after a short time sitting in sillance, I spoake as followeth :

ffriends and people:

It is our happynes that it pleased God to put into the hart of the King and his dearest Brother, James, Duke of York, To Invest the Proprietary & Govern's of this Countrey in our Proprietary and Govern'-A Person well known for piety, Justice, Wisdom, and Vertue; that very few, if any, doth excede him, if Partize him, in the Country from whence he Cam. It is well known to most of you here how that it was his great Care, sone after his first Arrivall in this Countrey, that he Immidately sent his writs, directed to the Shriefes of the Respective countys, Requiring them to warne in the freemen of every County, to meet and Chose out of themselves 9 men, to Com and Advise with him, to make and Inact Laws for the Honour of God, the Presarvation of the King's Peace, and the Proprity and well Governing of all men within his Government. And, through his Great Wisdom and maingament, A great prograss, was, in a short time, made in these things, at the first Assimbly. There is another privilidge that wee doe In Joy, that does exceed all our neighouring Countreys. And, that is, our Govern' doe deney himselfe the Chosing of his own Council, and gives you the power of Chosing his Council for him, without whom he Cannot Act-A thing that would be vallowed at an un estiemable Rate in any Government but here. There hath bene many Laws for the well Governing of the peopl; but, not withstanding, if the minister of Justice doe not put these good and holsom Laws in execution, it is no mor then if there ware no Laws at all; And soe truth and Justice becom disregarded. I can truly say, that I doe not speak in this manner to A braid the person of any man; But, on the Contrary, Could be glad that all of you might be Clear from all those Crimes that sume of you are suspected to be guilty of. But this, I have to say, that it was A Low, Treacherous, and Cowardly, spirit in you, that are Magestrates, to suffer and permitt, if not Countinance the Lord Baltimor's Emmisarie, James Murffey, to goe

up and downe the County, to seduce the peopl from their obedience & fidelity to the Govern', whoe is the King's Lieutenent; and soe, Consequently, Reballion Against the King's Authority. I Cannot . . . motive should Induce any of you from obedience to our present Proprietary and Govern', whoe hath not bene Chargeable to any of you; but have Live at his owne Charge, without any Assistance from the Publique, which I doe not know of any other Govern' that have done the Like, which Cannot but be Charged upon you as ungratefullness. Certainly, the pretence of the Lord Baltimore's better Termes is a great mistake Amonest you; for, take it for Grant that the rent, under our present Govern' be four shillings for every hundred Acres of Land, yearly, And, under the Government of the L Baltimore but Two Shillings for a hundred Acres of Land, yearly Rent; yet, I doubt not but that I shall demonstrate to you that the Charg in this Government is much Less than the charge in that. As, for example, subpos that a man in this Government should hold three hundred Acres of Land, which pays Twelve Shillings; And, in that Government, three hundred Acres of Land pays but six shillings. But, if upon this three hundred Acres of Land there is Twenty Hogsheads of Tobacco made, (which is very proubable,) that pays fortye Shillings, which, being Aded to the rent, makes six and forty shillings, instead of Twelve, which is a vast greater Charge. And, I dare undertake, in the behalfe of our Govern', And that not without Instructions soe to doe, that, if the peopl will Consent to pay our Govern' Two Shill hogshead, that he will take his rent at The same Rate as the Lord Baltimore doe; provided, that they that doe not make Tobacco, doe pay proporconably for the other Effects they doe and produce, by which he would be a great gainer. But, this Cry Against the rent ought not, in the Least, to be thought Burdinsom; for it is not at all Raise, but is the same that all of you know you must pay when you took up your Land, under the Duke. And I Cannot Tell how to beleave that the Lord Baltimore should have any hand in Sending Cap' Murffey to Seduce the people from their fidelity to our Govern', but am Rather willing to think that it was a forward thing in himselfe; for the Last year I had the Honnor to be one of the Comiconers that our Govern' sent to demand satisfaccon of the Lord Baltimore for the Ingrey done him by his Setting out a proclamation, Inviting peopl to take up Land under him, at the whore Kills; which, when wee Cam to Charg him wth, he did soe Lettle Concerne himselfe about it, That he did not Remember anything of it, but did deny it, and Called Two of his Council to Clear him; that he never did any such thing. Soe fer was he from insisting upon it, that he stood to

Justifie himselfe; that he never had disturbed or disquieted any of us; and that, as he never had, soe he did Resolve that he never would, untill the King and Council should determin the matter Betwene our Govern' and him. And, he being a person of that worth and Honnor, as he is, I Cannot think that he will doe otherwise. But, how ever, it is our duty to be true and faithfull to our present proprietary & Govern'. And, when the King and Council Shall soe Cause to Invest it in the Lord Baltimore, I shall, as being a Subject under him, Look upon my selfe obliged to be true & faithfull to him; which I am Apt to beleave they never will. Ends.

Wm CLARKE.

WILLIAM MARKHAM TO THE MAGISTRATES.

PHILAD., y 4th of ye 6th mo: 1687.

friends J. C., R. S., W. S., J. G., B. W., D. P., J. C., I. S., all and every one of y: I thought myself obliged to send you ye Inclosed, weh is a Copy of a Proclamation from ye Govern', and Request not only ye Reading it in yo' open Court, and to consult amongst yo'selves some course for ye accomplishment what therein is Required, but also that Each of you, when separated, may use that Authority, The Proprietary and Gover' hath invested you with, to ffurther and carry on his Will and pleasure, therein expressed, so far forth as you are concerned. In this I am ye more Ernest and Pressing, because I have observed a great backwardness in ye People in yielding obedience to his just and Lawful Commands. So, not Doubting any one of yo' Ready compliances herein,

Since ye Proprietary had no other thing in his Eye in ye Settlement of this Province next to yo advancement of virtue ya ye Comfortable situation of ye Inhabitants therein, & for yt End,

with ye advice & consent of ye most Eminent of yo first purchasers, ordained y' every Township, consisting of Five Thousand acres, should have . . . . . Families at ye least, to ye end yt ye Province might not live like a Wilderness as some others yett doe, by vast vacant Tracts of Land, but be Regularly Improved, for ye benefitt of Socyety, in helpe, Trade, Education, Governm'; Also, Roads, Travell, Entertainment, &c., and finding that this single Constitution is yt wch Eminently prefers ye Province in y esteem & Choyce of persons of great Judgment. Ability, and Quality, to Embargoe with us & second our beginnings, We do hereby publish & give notice that ye Commissers will Inspect w' tracts of Land, taken up, Lye vacant and unseated, &, if any of ye said Tracts, Lying vacant and unseated, shall not be seated according to yo Regulation aforesaid, within three months after ye Date hereoff provided, ye usual Time allowed for seating ye same be already Expired, The said Tract will be Disposed off to those that are able and Ready to seat yo same. Dated at Philad", ye county, Sixth Day, of ye fifth month, in ye Third year of ye Reigne of King James y Second, & seventh of ye Proprietary Government, Anoq, Dom. 1687.

Wm MARKHAM,

JO GOODSON.

Two of these were Sett up in Philadelphia ye 27 of ye 5th, 1687. One was sent in Letter to ye Sheriff of Chester County, an other to James Harrison, of ye same date, both Letters bearing Date ye 28th 6 month, 1687.

WILLIAM PENN TO GOV. NANFAN.

18th 2 moth, 1700.

HON FFR: Eldridge, (who being taken in this Province, tho' committed to Burlington Goal by Col. Q., I call our Prisoner.) together with Bradenham & Evans and the money I hope, by this time, are all arrived and safely deliv at N. York. I should take it as a particular favour, ye King's service being concerned in it, to know whether the Newport ffraigat carries them directly to Engla, as has been whispered here, or if Admira' Bembo be still expected at Boston. I reed yesterday, & for y' reason ye Prisoners to be sent thither by a vessel directly from Engla, a Packett for ye Commander of ye Newport, wch I send by the same hand wth this. She brings no Considerable

News. All things seem quiet abroad & at home; the Parlia ment easier than was at first expected. The King designs, instead of going to Holl., to sitt at the head of y Parliam', in Scotland, this next month, there being great p'paration already made for his Reception at Edinbrough.

1. Yt it was ye Govermt wch engaged me & those y' adventurd with me, for as to Land, it is the Natives, & I could have bought yt of ym on my own account, but yt would not have engaged us to have gone about 3,000 miles of to convirt a meer Desert into an improved & faithful country In Eng. all is ready to our hands, but here was nothing but meer Creation; & yt there is a vast difference between improveing it from y1 condition & a place improved to one's hand. The Govert was our greatest inducement, & upon yt publick faith we have buried our blood & bones, as well as estates, to make it wh' it is; for, being Dissenters, we therefore came y' we might enjoye yt so farr of wch would not be allowed us any share of at home, & wch we so much needed to our security and happiness broad.

2. Whereas, they tell us they will not meddle with our Pro perty, only ye Goverm. I say y' is ye Property the Crown granted In all Mannours. Courts, Leets, or Barrows, in Eng. ; especially in Courts Paramounts, ye powers are as much yo Lord's Property as ye Land Rents or Royaltys thereof; but more especially in Palatines, or Seignorys, like unto ye title of Proprietary goverts, this was our encouragement, & ye only reward we have from yo Crown for adding another Colony to it, & considerable a one too. The Land was but as the shell or ring of Govern ye Kernell or Stone; ye ring may be worth 201bs, & y° stone 100 lbs. There can be no proportion ; yet 'tis called a ring, as tother is Property; but still this, without powers, is as yt wth out ye Diamond- a name, and no more.

3. But next there can be wisdom as well as no Justice in such a proceeding, since ye condition of Colonys, young ones, especially,