selytes to their opinions.
Mead, who had some mercantile transactions at Rotterdam, remained in
that city. After they were concluded he prepared to return home.
Wenlock wished to accompany him. "No, my young friend," he answered, "I
cannot allow thee to quit thy present employer without due notice.
Should he wish to dispense with thy services, I will receive thee when
thou dost come to me." Wenlock had now openly professed himself to be a
Quaker. Perchance, Master Mead, who had no lack of worldly wisdom,
desired to try the young man's constancy, both as to his love and his
religion; for, in both, people are very apt to deceive themselves,
mistaking enthusiasm and momentary excitement for well grounded
principle. As winter approached, Penn and his party returned to
Rotterdam, and sailed for England.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

The beams of the evening sun were streaming through a deep bay window of
the country house of Worminghurst, in Sussex, on the heads of two men
seated at a large oak writing table in a room which, lined as it was
with bookcases, showed that it was devoted to study.

The heads of both of them betokened high intellect, traces of care and
thought being especially discernible on the countenance of the elder,--
that lofty intellect to be quenched, ere a few short years were over, by
the executioner's axe,--a deed as cruel and unjust as any caused by the
cowardice and tyranny of a monarch.

The table was covered with parchments, papers, books, and writing
materials. Both were holding pens in their hands, now and then making
note from the documents before them, at other times stopping and
addressing each other. The younger man was William Penn, who, lately
having obtained a grant of a large tract of country on the American
continent, was now engaged in drawing up a constitution for its
government, assisted by the elder,--the enlightened patriot and
philosopher, Sidney.

"See! such a constitution as this for Carolina will not suit a free
people such as will be our colonists!" said the former, pointing to a
document before him, "albeit it emanated from the brain of John Locke.
Here we have a king, though with the title of palatine, with a whole
court and two orders of nobility. Laws to prevent estates accumulating
or diminishing. The children of leet men to be leet men for ever, while
every free man is to have power over his negro slaves. Truly, society
will thus be bound hand and foot. All politi