in all his life. The only fault which
has been clearly established against him is that of liking James better
than he liked William. He was a stanch friend to his friend; that is the
sum of his offending, wherein the only serious regret is that his friend
was not more worthy of his steadfast and unselfish friendship. "At no
time in his life," says Mr. Fiske, "does he seem more honest, brave, and
lovable, than during the years, so full of trouble for him, that
intervened between the accession of James and the accession of Anne."

VIII

PENN'S SECOND VISIT TO THE PROVINCE: CLOSING YEARS

The thoughts with which Penn's mind was occupied during the years of
hiding appear in his book, "Some Fruits of Solitude." Robert Louis
Stevenson found a copy of it in a book-shop in San Francisco, and
carried it in his pocket many days, reading it in street-cars and
ferry-boats. He found it, he says, "in all places a peaceful and sweet
companion;" and he adds, "there is not a man living, no, nor recently
dead, that could put, with so lovely a spirit, so much honest, kind
wisdom into words."

"The author blesseth God for his retirement," so the book begins, "and
kisses the gentle hand which led him into it; for though it should prove
barren to the world, it can never do so to him. He has now had some time
he can call his own; a property he was never so much master of before;
in which he has taken a view of himself and the world, and observed
wherein he hath hit and missed the mark. And he verily thinks, were he
to live his life over again, he could not only, with God's grace, serve
him, but his neighbor and himself, better than he hath done, and have
seven years of his life to spare."

Government and Religion have the longest chapters in this volume of
reflections, as being the matters in which William was most interested.
"Happy that king," he says, "who is great by justice, and that people
who are free by obedience." "Where example keeps pace with authority,
power hardly fails to be obeyed, and magistrates to be honoured." "Let
the people think they govern, and they will be governed." "Religion is
the fear of God, and its demonstration good works; and faith is the root
of both." "To be like Christ, then, is to be a Christian." "Some folk
think they may scold, rail, hate, rob, and kill too: so it be but for
God's sake. But nothing in us, unlike him, can please him." So the book
goes, page after page, always serious and sensi