The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-04-15

the OOurl nleS you lOrIy ulaTkS u man. anu
Imprisonment till paid"
William Penn then exclaimed
81 demand my liberty, being freed by the
jury
mo; you are in for your fines replied the
mayor.
Fines for what?n
For contempt of court was the short re-
ply
Once more Penn-defended himself with such
strength and ability, that despite the hatred of
his creed, the assembly could scarcely restrain
their admiration of his brilliant talents and
noble bearing, and thrill of indignation burn
ed in many an honest Englishman's heart as
they beheld Penn and his jurymen led away
to prison. They had refused to pay the fines.
and those strong, nObe-sOuled iurymen were
committed to Newgate. How long they were
suffered to continue in prison, or what became
of them, is not known
The Admiral returned from sea with a bro
ken constitution, and suffering from disease
that was rapidly bearing him to the grave.
He heard Of his sons imprisonment with as
tonshed indignation; and tbs, more than all
else, served to blight his ambition for, after a
life. and nearly his fortune, spent in the service
| of his King and country, that his only son
| olohid bO bhluSt illbp pi iSOH lhC "a NOinLuoH
| feon, when guilty of no crime but obeying his
conscience, stung him to the quick, and he
| felt that the religion that could prosecute with
such severity and injustice conld not be as
pure and holy rs the one which suffered and
endured with cheerful firmneSs and meek for
| giyeness His affections yearned for the pres
ence of his loved son, and he lOnged to repair
the harshness and wrong he had done him.
Penns release was quickly obtained, and for
the last time the sorrow-strcken family were
united at Pennwood. The spirit Of the proud
| father was bowed to the dust, and, now that
| his worldly ambition no longer blinded him.
he regarded his sons conduct in a far different
light. What once seemed to him wilful obsti-
macy, now proved to be stern integrity and a
truthful heart, which would in no way belle
itself. He no longer refused to give his bless
ing and though he could not adopt the pecu-
liar belief of his son, he regarded it with gene
rous and enlightened views; for a new and
Christian feryor burned in his own soul, and
as Death drew near, he wondered at the entire
devotion of his life and talents to his King,
rather than to his God. As his eyes grew
dim, and his voice faint, he addressed his dying
words to his son, whom he now loved with re-
doubled affection and new hope:
" Son William, am weary of the world
would not live my days over again, if could
command them with wish for the snares of
life are greater than the fears of death. Let
nothing in this world tempt you to wrong your
conscience. ] charge you, do nothing against
your conscience. SO will you keep peace ut
home which will be a feast unto you in day
Of trouble"
He sent as a dying request, an earnest mes
sage to the Duke of York, to protect his son,
and to ask the King to do the same, in case of
future persecution, which was readily prom
Used.
Thus the Admiral died in his forty
year. 1870, leaving to William Penn hand
some estate of $4,000 per annum. besides a
large debt due from the Crown So far from
appropriating it to luxurious habits he contin-
ued his extremely plain style of living devoting
much of his fortune to the benefit of the Qua
kcr sect and often releasing numbers of them |
from prison, by paying the heavy fines imposed |
on them. Once more he suffered an mprisOn-
ment of six months in the Tower and after his
release, travelled several months through Ger
many and Holland with the intention Of dis
Seminat;ng more widely the doctrines of the
Society of Friends
William Penn was now in his twenty |
year. Celebrated, not only as an author and
line personal appearance, brilliant talents and |
rare virtues--who had suffered imprisonment |
and sacrificed much for his religion-no won
der that his name rang far and near The |
fashionable regretted the loss of such star
from their circle, and piticd his fanaticism"
His own sect adored and reverenced him for |
his stern virtues soul-stirring eloquence and |
liberal sympathies with their suilerings; while.
the opposers Of their religion most thoroughly
hated and prosecuted him.
He was at this time well known by reputa-
ton to Gulielma Springett, whom he married
not long after his return to England She was
the daughter of Sir William Springctt of OAR
ling, III Sussex, who had fallen at the siege Of
Bamber, during the civil wars in the service Of
Parliament After his death, her mother had
married Sir Isaac Pennington. an eminent minis.
ter and writer among the Quakcrs She was
therefore educated in those doctrines and her
character ever retained sweet impress of
them. Her face was very fair; but though
beautiful in form and feature she was still more
lovely i'll disposition while the dignity and
simplicity blending in her manner, and her
cheerful, affactionate temperament made her
the idol of her circle Her home did not eS-
cape the SORROWS of persecution for in her girl
hood she saw her revered step-father dragged
away to prison, where he suffered close confne-
ment for months, and was treated with extreme
severity and she saw him waste away and die
with disease contracted by the cruelty of his
oppressors But the lessons he gave passed not
UNDECIDED, and those scenes served but to
strengthen and nerve her for greater trials and
taught her how to bring under control every
passion of her nature. Such was the gentle
bride of William Penn-and two spirits never
blended more perfectly. Their affection was
unbroken and unchilled, till death laid his icy
fingers upon her heart, and stilled its bea tings
Many years the sunshine of her love lighted,
and the early days of their marriage were free
from sorrow and persecution, and We're spent
happily in their new home at Rckmansworth
Penn was not idle; here, however He might
now have been a gentleman at leisure with an
ample fortune but his conscience ever called
him to action, His time was spent in writing
and preaching till converts to his doctrines be-
came so numerous in his neighborhood as to
alarm Richard Baxter, when passing that way
who considered them lost people, and gave
rise ton public controversy between Penn and
himself
The following year Guelma Maria accom-.
panied her husband to Bristol where they UNI
expectedly met the celebrated George Fox. Just
returned from Maryland. America. Persecu-
ton stll ragged fcrcely against the Quakers
but Penn continued to preach asusual. He here
parted from his friend, George Fox, who pro-
ceeded on his way home to his mother. who
was on her death-bed but having occasion to
| preach at Worcester, he was arrested and com.
mitted to prison. where he was kept for several
months till, through the ntercesson of Penn,
he obtained his release
In l776, Penn accidentally became n mana
ger of Colonial concerns in New Jersey, which
situation produced important results, as his
mind was thus directed towards America rs an
asylum for the prosecuted Quakers, though he
did not Immediately act upon the thought.
Part OF the next year was also occupied in