The Tryal of William Penn and William Mead

THE TRYAL OF WILLIAM PENN & WILLIAM MEAD At the SESSIONS held at the OLD BAILEY FOR CAUSING A TUMULT At the SESSIONS held at the OLD BAILEY in LONDON the 1ST, 3RD, 4TH, and 5TH of SEPTEMBER 1670 Done by Themselves TRANSCRIBED from the COMPLEAT COLLECTION of STATE TRYALS

FOREWORD
Liberty, Equality and Fraternity have been preached through all time but it was left for William Penn, the Quaker, to come nearer establishing the ideal of this Trinity than any other being called Human before or since his day.

It may be argued that more was due to the Faith he held than to the Man. Yet this must be answered that it took some more than ordinary Man to absorb and fulfill the requirements of such a Faith. There have been many Quakers and but one Penn!

Born on the 15th of October, 1644, in the angry days of the Roundhead Revolt, his early years were spent in an intensely religious atmosphere that saturated his soul, but at the same time bred detestation of bigotry and persecution. If he seemed to be performing out of his class because of his family's eminence, it should be recalled that this was acquired, not inherited. His father, Admiral Sir William Penn, was the son of Giles Penn, a merchant navigator trading into the Mediterranean, and his wife Margaret Jasper, daughter of Hans Jasper, a sea trader of Rotterdam: From these forbears the youth received independence of thought and firmness of mind. He was therefore less of an anomaly than he appeared to be...