78

HISTOHY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.

IV.

1685 .

mon even among men of enlarged minds; and, as the pro-prietor and legislator of a province which, being almost unin-habited when it came into his possession, afforded a clearfield for moral experiments, he had the rare good fortune ofbeing able to carry his theories into practice without any com-promise, and yet without any shock to existing institutions.He will always be mentioned with honour as a founder of acolony, who did not, in his dealings with a savage people,abuse the strength derived from civilisation, and as a lawgiverwho, in an age of persecution, made religious liberty thecorner stone of a polity. But his writings and his life furnishabundant proofs that he was not a man of strong sense. Hehad no skill in reading the characters of others. His con-fidence in persons less virtuous than himself led him into greaterrors and misfortunes. His enthusiasm for one great prin-ciple sometimes impelled him to violate other great principleswhich he ought to have held sacred. Nor was his rectitudealtogether proof against the temptations to which it was ex-posed in that splendid and polite, but deeply corrupted so-ciety, with which he now mingled. The whole court was in aferment with intrigues of gallantry and intrigues of ambition.The traffic in honours, places, and pardons was incessant.It was natural that a man who was daily seen at the palace, andwho was known to have free access to majesty, should befrequently importuned to use his influence for purposes whicha rigid morality must condemn. The integrity of Penn hadstood firm against obloquy and persecution. But now, at-tacked by royal smiles, by female blandishments, by the in-sinuating eloquence and delicate flattery of veteran diploma-tists and courtiers, his resolution began to give way. Titlesand phrases against which he had often borne his testimonydropped occasionally from his lips and his pen. It would bewell if he had been guilty of nothing worse than such com-pliances with the fashions of the world. Unhappily it cannot