Page:Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy vol XXXIII.djvu/557

 [ 233 ] X. UN-PUBLISHED LETTEES OF WILLIAM PENK By EEV. E. H. MUEEAY, Litt.D. Kend June 26. Published August 10, 1916. Through the kindness of Mr. Neale, of Dublin, I have been able to secure copies of the following unpublished letters of William Penn. The first is unsigned but addressed, while the second is signed but unaddressed. They were written after the final return of the great Quaker to England, and deal, inter alia, with his financial embarrassments. The colonies had no proper defensive force, and the establishment of such a force occupied the attention of the province of Pennsylvania. The agent of Penn, James Logan, became involved in the interminable disputes between the province and the territories. Governor John Evans, to whom the first letter is addressed, took an active part in these local squabbles. One matter of importance was the proposal to convert Pennsylvania and the territories into Crown colonies. In 1701 a bill had been introduced into Parliament with this very purpose in view. The " D. L." of the letters is David Lloyd, a leading Quaker lawyer. There were serious personal differences between him and Penn. So long as the latter remained in the colony he found he was able, on the whole, to beat Lloyd: the election of 1700 is a case in point. Colonel Quarry proposed the impeachment of Lloyd, but the Council voted only to suspend him. Penn was to find out the difficulty of defeating a rival, especially when the rival was on the spot, and he was living in the suburbs of London. London, 30.7.1705. Coll. Evans & Esteemed Frd. Thy last was of the 5th month last, in hast, so short, chiefly intimating the hasty coming over of Coll. Quarry. I hope he has no commission from our ungrateful crew on that side of the water, the unwearied tronbler of our poor Israel, and here are our Pennsylvania Company and Lumbys that await upon him, and I fancy next Coll. Nicholsons and perhaps Ld. Corn.' affaires, those Law Suits may go a good way to engage him upon this Voyage : However I hope the ' This is Loid Cornbury (1638-1709), afterwards second Earl of Clarendon. R,I.A. P«OC... VOL. XXXIII., SECT. C. [35]