Penn, William:

$22,500 · Offered by William Reese Company · No longer available

[AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED, TO PHINEAS PEMBERTON, ON COLONIAL POLITICS, CAUTIONING HIM IN HIS DEALINGS WITH THE KING'S REPRESENTATIVES, WISHING HIS COLONISTS TO LIVE IN PEACE, AND ON THE SETTLEMENT OF ... A rare autograph letter from William Penn, with good political content related to the colonies. Penn had returned to London from Philadelphia in 1684, in part to resolve his dispute with Lord Baltimore over the southern boundary of his charter. Following the death of King Charles, James II was crowned in April 1685 and resolved the dispute in Penn's favor. Nevertheless, the political standing of Quakers was very much on a knife's edge, prompting Penn to write to his friend Phineas Pemberton, a member of the Provincial Council and his chief administrator in Buck's County, urging caution to avoid conflict with the crown and wishing his people in Pennsylvania peace. In particular, he mentions the treatment of Major William Dyer, the controversial surveyor general for customs for the colonies and collector of East New Jersey and Pennsylvania.The letter reads in full as follows: "My love in the blessed Truth that changes not; salutes thee, Thy Wife and Relations, with the Dear and Faithful Friends, whom ye Lord God of our Visitation keep to the glory of his Revered name in yt land, I do most humbly pray him. Also give my remembrance to ye people in generall, and if they love me. lett them love one another and live in peace and be slow to wrath and difference. These I had a took ve

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