In this connection it seems a noteworthy fact that the English monarch who gave to Pelham its first manorial charter, was himself the sole, solf-deteniiined donor of the charter of Rhode Island to Roger Williams, openly declaring the reason of his action to bo his sovereign will to ' experiment whether civil government could consist with such liberty of conscience.' It may seem strange that a notably careles,s, pleasure-loving king, like Charles II., should rise to the height of the grandly exceptional opportunity presented to him as a means of solving a great problem for the world through all time. The thought has been naturally suggested that ho had no higher aim thau a provision for unlimited freedom of the Roman Catholics. In that combination of events, however, the founder of Rhode Island recognized a divine ruling or overruling, when he said, ' the father of spirits has impressed his royal spirit,' and added, in his letter to Major Miuson, 'this, his majesty's grant, was startled at by his majesty's high officers of state, who were to view it in coureo before the sealing, but fearing the lion's roaring, they couched against their wills iu obedience to his majesty's pleasure.' Major Mason's Letter Mass. Ilist. Coll. vol. i., 3 note. As hero we repeat this marvellous testimony, we are tempted to wish that the experiment king who gave to Pelham, as well as to Rhode Island, a charter of self-government, could have lived long enough to hear from the whole area of the old manor, after embracing within its limits tlie town of New Rochelle, the experimental response of a thriving jiopulatiou with all its diversities of age, taste and traditions, a live civil unity ; their homes all vocal with the ancient song of the Hebrews, ' the borderlines have fallen to us iu pleasant places ; we have a goodly heritage.'