5 3/4" x 7 1/8", 40pp, London, England, March 1691. This newsbook contains an inside page report of the rulers of England (“William and Mary”) issuing a proclamation for the arrest of William Penn, the “founding father” of the Colony of Pennsylvania, on a charge of treason.

In 1691, the English government issued a warrant for William Penn's arrest on charges of treason. Rather than face imprisonment in the Tower of London—where he had been held briefly for the same accusation a year prior—Penn chose to go into hiding and exile.

This arrest warrant and his subsequent time in hiding were the result of his close personal friendship and political loyalty to the recently deposed Catholic King, James II.

• The Overthrow of James II: Following the 1688 Glorious Revolution, Protestant monarchs William and Mary took the English throne. Because Penn had been a trusted advisor and close friend to King James, the new government viewed him as a major security threat.
• Time in Hiding: Penn evaded the authorities by staying out of public life from early 1691 until late 1693.
• Loss of the Colony: Because of his prolonged absence and the political upheaval, the Crown stripped Penn of his governing authority over Pennsylvania in 1692, briefly placing the colony under the control of the Governor of New York.
• Reinstatement: Penn eventually cleared his name, convinced the Crown of his loyalty, and had his colonial charter restored in 1694 after he agreed to supply a militia for the defense of the English colonies in America.

           A very scarce 17th Century newsbook.

Disbound. Some light damp staining along right edge. Presents very good