“Verily thou art welcome,” said the monarch, with a smile on his lips; at the same time removing his hat and placing it by his side.
“Friend Charles, why dost thou not keep on thy hat?” said Penn with perfect gravity; at the same time making no attempt to remove his own.
“Ha! ha! ha! knowest thou not, Friend William, that it is the custom of this place for only one person to remain covered at a time?” answered the king, laughing heartily. “To business, however, my lords,” he added. “And what name hast thou fixed on for this new province, Master Penn?”
“As it is a somewhat mountainous country, I would have it called New Wales,” answered the Quaker.
Here Master Secretary Blathwayte, who was a Welshman, interposed; in reality objecting to have the country of a sect to which he was no friend called after his native land.
“Well then, as it hath many noble forests, let it be called Sylvania,” said Penn.
“Nay, nay; but I have a better name still,” exclaimed the king. “We will call it Pennsylvania, in honour of your worthy father,—the great admiral. The forest land of Penn, that shall be it; and my word shall be as the law of the Medes and Persians.”
At this the courtiers laughed, not, perchance, considering the king’s word of much value. However, the name was thus fixed, the patent being then and there issued under the king’s inspection.
With the charter in his possession, Penn returned home to make the final arrangements with Sidney for the great work he had undertaken. The document was written on a roll of parchment. At the head of the first sheet there is a well-executed portrait of Charles the Second, while the borders are handsomely emblazoned with heraldic devices. Great had been the opposition made to Penn’s receiving this grant. Sidney had come back to Worminghurst.
“God hath given it to me in the face of the world,” exclaimed Penn, as the friends met. “He will bless and make it the seed of a nation.”