was a few miracles, and accordingly they wrought fome.

FOX, this modern patriarch, spoke thus to a justice of peace, before a large affembly of people. Friend, take care what thou doft: God will foon punish thee for perfecuting his faints. This magiftrate being one who befotted himself every day with bad beer and brandy, died of an apoplexy two days after, the moment he had fign'd a mittimus for imprifoning fome Quakers, The fudden death with which this justice was feiz'd, was not afcrib'd to his intemperance, but was univerfally look'd upon as the effect of the holy man's predictions; fo that this accident made more converts to Quakerifm, than a thousand fermons and as many fhaking fits cou'd have done. Oliver finding them increafe daily was defirous of bringing them over to his party, and for that purpose attempted to bribe them by money. However, they were incorruptible, which made him one day declare, that this religion was the only one he had ever met with that had refifted the charms of gold,

THE Quakers were feveral times perfecuted under Charles the fecond, not upon a religious account, but for refufing to pay the tythes, for Thee-ing and Thou-ing the magiftrates, and for refufing to take the oaths enacted by the Jaws.

AT laft Robert Barclay, a native of Scotland, prefented to the king in 1675, his apology for the Quakers, a work as well drawn up as the fubject cou'd poffibly admit. The dedication to Charles the fecond is not fill'd with mean, flattering encomiums; but abounds with bold touches in favour of truth, and with the wifeft counfels. "Thou haft

t

tafted," fays he to the king at the close

of his epiftle dedicatory, " of profperi

ty and adverfity; thou knoweft what "it is to be banished thy native coun"try; to be over-rul'd as well as to rule, «and fit upon the throne; and being oppreffed, thou haft reafon to know "how hateful the oppreffor is both to "God and man: If after all thefe warnings and advertisements, thou doft "not turn unto the Lord with all thy "heart;

heart; but forget him who remembred "thee in thy diftrefs, and give up thy "felf to follow luft and vanity, furely great will be thy condemnation.

"AGAINST which fnare, as well as "the temptation of those, that may or "do feed thee, and prompt thee to evil, "the most excellent and prevalent remedy will be, to apply thy felf to that

light of Christ, which fhineth in thy "confcience, which neither can nor will "flatter thee, nor fuffer thee to be at "eafe in thy fins; but doth and will "deal plainly and faithfully with thee, "as thofe, that are followers thereof "have plainly done Thy faithful friend and fubject, ROBERT BARCLAY. A more furprizing circumftance is, that this epistle, written by a private man of no figure, was fo happy in its effects. as to put a stop to the perfecution.

LETTER IV.

ΟΝ ΤΗΕ

QUAKERS.

BOUT this time arofe the illuftrious William Pen, who eftablish'd the power of the Quakers in America, and would have made them appear venerable in the eyes of the Europeans, were it poffible for mankind to refpect virtue, when reveal'd in a ridiculous light. He was the only fon of vice-admiral Pen, favourite to the duke of York, afterwards king James the fecond.

WILLIAM PEN at twenty years of age happening to meet with a + Quaker in Cork, whom he had known at Oxford, this this man made a profelyte of

him; and William being a sprightly youth, and naturally eloquent, having a winning afpect, and a very engaging carriage, he foon gain'd over some of his Intimates. He carried matters fo far that he form'd by infenfible degrees a fociety of young Quakers who met at his house; so that he was at the head of a fect when a little above twenty.

BEING return'd, after his leaving Cork, to the vice-admiral his father, instead of falling upon his knees to ask him bleffing, he went up to him with his hat on, and faid, Friend, I'm very glad to see thee in good health. The vice-admiral imagin'd his fon to be crazy; but foon finding he was turn'd Quaker, he employ'd all the methods that prudence could fuggeft, to engage him to behave and act like other people. The youth made no other answer to his father, than by exhorting him to turn Quaker alfo. At laft his father confin'd himself to this fingle request, viz. that he fhou'd wait upon the king and the duke of York with his hat under his arm, and fhou'd not Thee and Thou

them.