"I heartily wish you all well, and do beseech God to guide you in the ways of righteousness and peace. I have thought fit, upon my further stop in these parts, to throw all into your hands, that you may all see the confidence I have in you, and the desire I have to give you all possible contentment. I do earnestly press your constant attendance upon the Government, and the diligent pursuit of peace and virtue; and God Almighty strengthen your hands in so good a work!" 1

For months and years he had been planning a return to his province, but his purposes were always defeated,

"By this time," he wrote in 1690, "thou wilt have heard of my troubles, the only hindrance of my return, being in the midst of my preparations with a great company of adventurers when they came upon me. The jealousies of some, and unworthy dealings of others, have made way for them; but under and over it all the ancient Rock has been my shelter and comfort; and I hope yet to see your faces with our ancient satisfaction. The Lord grant it, if it be for his glory, whose I desire to be in all conditions; for this world passeth away, and the beauty of it fadeth; but there are eternal habitations for the faithful, among whom I pray that my lot may be, rather than among the princes of the earth.

"I desire that my afflictions may cease, if not cure, your animosities or discontents among yourselves, if yet they have continued, and that thou wilt, both in Government and to my Commissioners, yield thy

1 Clarkson, vol. ii. p. 53.

S

assistance all thou canst. By all this God may prepare me to be better for future service, even to you there. I ask the people forgiveness for my long stay ; but when I consider how much it has been my own great loss, and for an ungrateful generation, it is punishment. It has been twenty thousand pounds damages in the country, and above ten thousand. pounds here, and to the province five hundred families. But the wise God, who can do what He pleases, as well as see what is in man's heart, is able to requite all; and I am persuaded all yet shall work together for good in this very thing, if we can overlook all that stands in the way of our views Godward in public matters. See that all be done prudently and humbly, and keep down irreverence and looseness, and cherish industry and sobriety. God Almighty be with you and amongst you, to His praise and to your peace!"1

1 Clarkson, vol. ii. p. 66.

IN

CHAPTER XIV.

IN RETIREMENT.

N the early part of 1691 we find Penn "in retirement," to use an expression employed to indicate how, for his own safety, he lived in concealment, occupying "private lodgings" in the city of London. London was a convenient place for concealment in those days. Narrow streets with lofty houses, story above story projecting into the highway,-where the great fire had not burnt down the ancient edifices; alleys narrower still, with inner courts, approachable only through winding ways like paths to the cave of Dædalus ;-these pictureseque but dirty retreats were convenient for people proscribed by law; thither, therefore, Jacobites and many more were wont to repair. One can trace some really excellent, even saintly, men into such refuges, however disreputable they may now appear to us. Whereabouts, and in what sort of lodgings Penn resided, of course nobody knows.

When he had been a little while in this retirement, a proclamation was published in the city, authorizing the apprehension of Dr. Turner, Bishop of Ely, a non-juror, justly suspected of being a decided Jacobite; also of James Grahame, a Scotch Jacobite ; and, in addition to their names, that of Penn is

introduced. Accusations had been got up against these parties by the wretched Fuller already mentioned, who charged them with complicity in a plot with the Earl of Clarendon and Viscount Preston, to invite James to return to England and claim his crown. Viscount Preston was induced to make a confession to save his life; and we find a document, dated February 3rd, 1691, from King William's Cabinet, bearing on his case in reference to others. "He (ie. Preston) is the only witness," says the writer, "both against my Lord Clarendon, the Bishop of Ely, and Pen, whereas by his execution you disappoint all these ends; and in my opinion it will not be to your Majesty's disadvantage if you should think fit to show your clemency, rather than draw any more blood on this occasion." So wrote the Earl of Caermarthen to His Majesty. Preston's life was to be saved that he might be a witness against Clarendon, Turner, and Penn! 1

In the same archives is a letter from Lord Sydney, dated the 27th of February, 1691, introducing to us Penn "in retirement." William, to whom this communication was sent, was at the time abroad :—

"About ten days ago, Mr. Pen sent his brotherin-law, Mr. Lowther, to me, to let me know that he would be very glad to see me, if I would give him leave, and promise him to let him return without being molested; I sent him word I would if the Queen would permit it. He then desired me not to mention it to anybody but the Queen; I said I

1 These documents in reference to Penn are printed in Dalrymple's "Memoirs," vol. iii., Second Appendix, pp. 183–185.

would not. Monday, he sent to me to know what time I would appoint. I named Wednesday in the evening, and accordingly I went to the place at the time, when I found him just as he used to be, not at all disguised, but in the same clothes and the same humour I formerly have seen him in. It would be too long for your Majesty to read a full account of all our discourse; but in short it was this, that he was a true and a faithful servant to King William and Queen Mary, and if he knew anything that was prejudicial to them, or their Government, he would readily discover it; he protested in the presence of God that he knew of no plot, nor did he believe there was any one in Europe, but what King Lewis hath laid; and he was of opinion that King James knew the bottom of this plot as little as other people." Lord Sidney goes on to say that Penn knew there were many more dangerous than the Jacobites to King William; but he would give no answer as to certain letters found in the possession of Lord Preston, except that he was willing to meet His Majesty and tell him all he was acquainted with, and this would be to his Majesty's interest. He could easily have run away twenty times, he said, but he felt confident he could give satisfaction to the king, and awaited his return with perfect tranquility.

Penn was a friend of the Sidney family, and his lordship knew him well; the letter shows that though the accused thought it prudent to retire from public gaze, he was not skulking in disguise, he could escape if he pleased. And whatever we may think of the accuracy or otherwise of his statement respecting Jacobite plots, his sincerity is beyond a doubt.