tions of many, whose names the peculiarity of his own fituation will not for obvious reafons permit him to mention, but for whose friendship he shall ever retain the most lively sentiments of esteem and gratitude. The Editor's thanks are likewife particularly due to feveral gentlemen of the society of Quakers, for the documents which have enabled him, with thorough conviction, to wipe off the odium which Mr. Chalmers, in his Annals, and the authors of the Modern Univerfal Hiftory, followed by Mr. Morfe, had thrown on the character of William Penn and the first settlers of Pennsylvania,* and on whofe authority they were by him inserted. With respect to the printed authorities which the Editor has followed, he has not only borrowed their ideas, but, where he had not the vanity to conceive himself capable of correcting it, he has adopted their language, fo that in a long narrative he has often no other claim to merit than what arifes from felection and a few connecting fentences: as, however, by this method it has often become difficult for an author to khow his own, the Editor at once begs leave to say, he has availed himself of the labours and abilities of the Abbé Raynal, Franklin, Robertfon, Clavigero, Jefferson, Belknap, Adams, Catesby, Buffon, Gordon, Ramfey, Bartram, Cox, Rush, Mitchel, Cutler, Imlay, Filfon, Barlow, Briffot, Morfe, Edwards, and a number of others of lefs import, together with the transactions of the English and American philofophical focieties, American Mufeum, &c. * The Editor has particularly to request, that those who have taken this Work in Numbers, will, in justice to himself, as well as to the character of William Penn, deftroy the half-fheet, signature P p vol. ii, page 289 to 296 inclusive, and substitute the half-fheet of the fame fignature, given in the laft Number, in its stead-the fame is requested refpecting the Constitution of Pennsylvania and the other cancels marked. The The Editor has now only to deprecate the severity of criticifm. It was impoffible, in felecting from fuch a variety of authors, to fecure uniformity of language without immense trouble; and from his fituation, which rendered an eafy communication with the Printer not only often difficult, but in many cafes impracticable, feveral typographical errors will, no doubt, occur to the reader, as well as fome others of a literary kind. -As thefe, however, do not affect facts, he has not added an errata, but left the whole to the candour and good sense of the reader, to whom he wishes, with fincerity, as much pleafure in the perufal, as himself has experienced in collecting and arranging the materials. State Side of Newgate, HIS DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. It is believed by many, that the ancients had fome imperfect notion T of a new world; and several ancient authors are quoted in confirmation of this opinion. In a book afcribed to the philofopher Ariftotle, we are. told that the Carthaginians difcovered an island far beyond the pillars of Hercules, large, fertile, and finely watered with navigable rivers, but uninhabited. This ifland was diftant a few days failing from the Continent; its beauty induced the difcoverers to fettle there; but the policy. of Carthage diflodged the colony, and laid a strict prohibition on all the fubjects of the state not to attempt any future establishment. This account is also confirmed by an hiftorian of no mean credit, who relates, that the Tyrians would have settled a colony on the new-discovered illand, but were oppofed by the Carthaginians for state reafons. Seneca, and other authors are alfo quoted in support of this belief. But however this may be, nobody ever believed the existence of this continent fo firmly as to go in queft of it; at least, there are no accounts well fupported that America received any part of its firft inhabitants from Europe prior to the 15th century. The Welsh fondly imagine that their country contributed, in 1170, to people the New World, by the adventure of Madoc, son of Owen Gwynedd, who, on the death of his father, failed there, and colonized part of the country. All that is advanced in proof is, a quotation from one of the British Poets, which proves no more than that he had distinguished himself by fea and land. It is pretended that he made two voyages; that failing West, he left Ireland fo far to the North, that he came to a land 'unknown, where he faw many ftrange things; that he returned home, and, making a report of the fruitfulness of the new-discovered country, prevailed on numbers of the Welsh of each fex to accompany him on a fecond voyage, from which he never returned. The favourers of this opinion affert, thàt feveral Welsh words, fuch as gwrando, "to hearken or listen;" the isle of Creafo, or "welcome;" Cape Breton, from the name of Britain; gwynndwr, or, "the white water;" and pengwin, or, "the bird with "a white B |