Travels in the United States of America Part 10

The harbour is one of the best in the States; and, as a sea port, Boston possesses advantages superiour to any I have seen in America: being too far to the north to have any thing to fear from the worms (see a former letter from Annapolis); and so near the ocean, that the navigation is open, when the ports of Philadelphia, Baltimore, and others, three or four degrees more to the south, are entirely frozen.

Several of the public buildings are well worthy the attention of a Traveller.

The New State House will, when finished, add considerably to the beauty of the town. It is building on Beacon Hill, and commands a very extensive view of the bay of Ma.s.sachusetts, and adjacent islands.

The long wharf is a bold design; it runs 1743 feet in a right line into the bay, where there is, at the lowest ebb, 17 feet of water. On this wharf are upwards of eighty large stores, containing merchandize to a great amount. I could never view these buildings without astonishment at the infatuation of the proprietors: they are, without a single exception, of _wood_, and the roofs covered with cedar s.h.i.+ngles; were a fire to commence at either extremity with a brisk wind in the same direction, the whole must infallibly be consumed.

The new[Footnote: The _old_ theatre has not been erected five years. Our opposition rages with great violence. Much ink has already been shed. One third of the public papers are crammed with what is called _Theatrical Critique_; but is in fact either the barefaced puff direct in favour of _one_ theatre, or a string of abusive epithets against the _other_, equally void of truth and decency.

The dispute has lately taken _political_ turn. It seems ours is the _aristocratic_ theatre. The _democrats_ at the New Theatre are commanded by the _Moral Lecture_ manager. _Mr. Powell informs his fellow-citizens, that on Monday evening will be performed the tragedy of the Battle of Bunker's Hill_.--The English in this town affect to laugh at the eagerness with which the Bostonians swallow certain pa.s.sages of this play. I laugh too, but _justice_ obliges me to confess, that _John Bull_ can swallow a fulsome clap trap as voraciously at any _Yankee_ of them all.] theatre is a stupendous wooden building, that will contain one tenth of the inhabitants of the whole town.

The favourite promenade of the Bostonians, is the Mall, which has trees on each side, as in St. James's Park, London. This walk commands some beautiful prospects of the adjacent continent.

Immediately opposite is the village and university of Cambridge.

To open an immediate communication between Boston and the university, the New Bridge was built on the plan of Mr. c.o.x during his absence in Ireland; a great undertaking, including the causeways, which are covered in the same manner as the water. This bridge is within a few feet of a _mile_ in length, by means of which, the bridge at Charleston, and the neck of the peninsula, our communication with the continent is so complete, that we feel but few inconveniences from our insular situation.

--We have a plentiful supply of provision. Our fish-market is an excellent one: the following species are larger than I remember seeing them in Europe; viz. hallibut, cod, mackarel, smelts, and lobsters. The first is often brought to market weighing two hundred pounds. Dr. Belknap, in his History of New Hamps.h.i.+re, says, that when full grown, they often exceed five hundred pounds weight. The cod are from seventy to eighty pounds.

Mackarel _often_ exceed four, and lobsters _sometimes_ thirty-five pounds weight. I have preserved a claw of one of the latter, which weighed thirty pounds: this I shall bring home with me, lest my friends should think that, in this particular, I take too liberal an advantage of the _traveller's privilege_, which I a.s.sure you I do not, when I subscribe myself

Your sincere friend.

_Boston, December 27th, 1796._

DEAR FRIEND,

There is no calamity the bostonians so much, and justly dread, as fire. Almost every part of the town exhibits melancholy proofs of the devastation of that destructive element. This you will not wonder at, when I inform you that three fourths of the houses are built with _wood_, and covered with _s.h.i.+ngles_, thin pieces of cedar, nearly in the shape, and answering the end of tiles. We have no regular fire-men, or rather mercenaries, as every master of a family belongs to a fire-company: there are several in town, composed of every cla.s.s of citizens, who have entered into a contract to turn out with two buckets at the first fire alarm, and a.s.sist to the utmost of their power in extinguis.h.i.+ng the flames, without fee or reward.

I awoke this morning about two o'clock by the cry of fire, and the jingling of all the church bells, which, with the rattling of the engines, call for water, and other _et caetera_ of a bostonian fire-alarm, form a concert truly horrible.

As sleep was impossible under such circ.u.mstances, I immediately rose, and found the town illuminated. When the alarm is given at night, the female part of the family immediately place candles in the windows. This is of great service in a town where there are few lamps.

I found the fire had broken out in one of the narrow streets, and was spreading fast on all sides. I was much pleased with the regularity observed by these _amateur_ fire-men. Each engine had a double row, extending to the nearest water; one row pa.s.sed the full, and the other the empty buckets. The citizens not employed at the engines were pulling down the adjacent buildings, or endeavouring to save the furniture; their behaviour was bold and intrepid. The wind blew fresh at N.W.; and nothing but such uncommon exertions could possibly have saved the town, composed, as it is, of such _combustible_ materials. You will naturally inquire, whether they have no other. Yes, brick and stone in great plenty; but the cheapness of a frame, or wooden building, is a great inducement for the continuance of this dangerous practice: but there is one still greater, viz. a strange idea, universal in America, that wooden houses are more healthy, and less liable to generate or retain contagious infection than those of brick or stone. This notion has been ably controverted by one of their best _writers_[Footnote: Jefferson, vicepresident of the United States.], but with little effect; and, like all other deep-rooted prejudices, will not easily be eradicated.

Your papers have, I suppose, informed you of a set of diabolical incendiaries having set fire to Savannah, Charleston, Baltimore, and New York. The villainy of these infernals is likely to be productive of some good. The inhabitants of Charleston have agreed to prohibit the erection of wooden buildings in that city. The philadelphians had before come to this prudent resolution, within certain limits, I was present when this matter was agitated. It was violently opposed by the democratic party; who insisted, that in a _free_ country, a man has a right to build his house of what materials he pleases. "True," said I, "of _stone_-brimstone --use gun-powder for lime, and mix it with spirit of turpentine,"

Farewell.

Yours, &c.

_P.S._ I thank you for the _Apology_. It has been already twice answered in this country, or rather, the bishop has been as often abused; first, by a deist of New York, for speaking too _favourably_ of the Bible; and secondly, by a hot-headed frantic of New England; who, in a work he calls _The Bible needs no Apology_, rails at his lords.h.i.+p for the _opposite reason_, and consigns him to eternal d.a.m.nation, for _not_ insisting on _every sentence_ of scripture being the _inspired_ word of G.o.d.

_Boston, January 7th, 1797._

DEAR FRIEND,

The states of Ma.s.sachusetts and Connecticut were originally settled by brownists, and other puritans, and were, for many years, an asylum for dissenters of all denominations, who fled from persecution in Europe, to exercise a still greater degree of intolerance themselves, when in power in America. You have doubtless read or heard of the _Blue_ Laws of Connecticut. Without insisting on the sanguinary code, said to be formerly in force under this t.i.tle, I shall briefly, and without connexion, transcribe for you some extracts from Dr. Belknap, and others of their _own_ writers on this subject; on the truth of which you may rely:--

EXTRACTS.

"Severe laws, conformable to the principles of the laws of Moses, were enacted against all kinds of immorality.

"Blasphemy, idolatry, unnatural l.u.s.ts, rape, murder, adultery, man-stealing, bearing false witness, rebellion against parents, were all _equally_ made _capital_ crimes. The law against the latter was in these words:--'If any child or children, above sixteen years of age, and of sufficient understanding, shall curse or smite their natural father or mother, he or they shall be _put to death. Exodus_ xxi, 17; _Lev._ x, 9.'

"A law was pa.s.sed to prohibit, under a severe penalty, the _smoking of tobacco_, which was compared to the _smoke_ of the _bottomless pit_.

_Drinking_ of _healths_, and _wearing long hair_, were also forbidden, under the same penalty: the first was considered as a heathenish and idolatrous practice, grounded on the ancient libations.

"Previous to putting the laws in execution against the latter, the following proclamation was issued, and is now preserved among the records at Havard College, Cambridge, near Boston:--

"Forasmuch as the wearing of long hair, after the manner of ruffians and barbarous indians, has begun to invade New England, contrary to the rule of G.o.d's word, _Corinthians_ xi, 14, which says it is a shame for a man to wear long hair; as also the commendable custom generally of all the _G.o.dly_ of our nation, until these few years; we, the magistrates who have subscribed this paper, (for the showing of our own _innocency_ in this behalf,) do declare and manifest our dislike and detestation against the wearing of such long hair, as against a thing _uncivil_ and _unmanly_; whereby men do deform themselves, and offend _sober_ and _modest_ men, and do _corrupt good manners_. We do therefore, earnestly intreat all the elders of this jurisdiction, as often as they shall see cause, to _manifest their zeal_ against it in their public administrations, and to take care that the _members_ of their respective churches be not _defiled therewith_, that so, such as shall prove obstinate, and will not reform themselves, may have G.o.d and man to witness against them.

"The 3d month, 10th day, 1649.

"_Jo. Endicott_, Governor.

_Tho. Dudley_, Dep. Governor _Rich. Bellingham.

Rich. Salton Stall.

Increase Nowell.

William Hibbins.

Tho. Flint.

Rob. Bridges.

Simon Bradstreet_.'

"Laws were made to regulate the intercourse between the s.e.xes, and the advances towards matrimony. They had a ceremony of betrothing, which preceded that of marriage. _Pride_ and _levity_ came under the cognizance of the magistrates. Not only the richness, but the mode of dress, and cut of the hair, were subject to regulations. Women were forbidden to expose their _arms_ or _bosoms_ to view. It was ordered, that their sleeves should reach down to their _wrists_, and their gowns to be closed round the _neck_. Women _offending_ against these laws were _presentable_ by the _grand jury_.

"The following were some of their favourite arguments in favour of persecution. The celebrated Cotton, in a treatise published in 1647, laboured to prove the lawfulness of the magistrate using the civil sword, to extirpate _heretics_, from the command given to the jews, to put to death _blasphemers_ and _idolaters!_

"After saying it was _toleration_, which made the world _antichristian_, he concludes his work with this singular e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n:--'The Lord keep us from being bewitched with the wh.o.r.e's cup, lest while we seem to reject her with our profession, we bring her in by a _back door_ of _toleration_, and so drink deeply of the cup of the Lord's wrath, and be filled with her plagues!'

"During a war with the eastern Indians, a council was called, and a proposal made to draw upon them the _Mohawks_, their ancient enemy, though then at peace: the lawfulness of this proceeding was doubted by some _tender consciences_; but all their doubts vanished, when it was urged, that _Abraham_ had entered into a confederacy with the _Amorites, among whom he dwelt_, and made use of _their_ a.s.sistance in recovering his kinsman _Lot_ from the hands of their _common enemy_."

"The quakers at first were banished; but this proving insufficient, a succession of sanguinary laws were enacted against them; such as imprisonment, whipping, cutting off the ears, boreing the tongue with a red-hot iron, and banishment on pain of death. In consequence of these laws, four quakers were put to death at Boston only; when their friends in England procured an order from king Charles the Second, which put a stop to _capital executions_."

And now, friend Joseph, what do you think of these primitive christians?

When the _real_ Christian _William Penn_ arrived in America, what was _his retaliation?_ He called his city _Philadelphia_, to perpetuate a memorial of the cords of peace and good will, which bound him, and all his followers, not only to one another, but even to his enemies at Boston, were they inclined to come and settle with them.--The following words of his proclamation ought to be written in letters of gold:--

"Because no people can be happy, if abridged of the freedom of their consciences, as to their religious professions and wors.h.i.+p; I do grant and declare, that no person inhabiting this province, or territories, who shall acknowledge one Almighty G.o.d, the Creator, Ruler, and Upholder of the world, and live quietly under the civil government, shall in any case be molested, or prejudiced in his person or estate because of his conscientious persuasion or practice."

But to return to New England; happily for these states, the revolution has done away great part of the severity of their ancient laws; but the inhabitants still retain a taste for scriptural phrases and allusions in their writings. As you are fond of _poetry_, I send you two specimens of this kind of writing; the first is from a tomb-stone at _Plymouth_[Footnote: The oldest settlement north of Virginia.]. It was written by one of the first settlers, and is in the true spirit of those times.--

EPITAPH UPON GENERAL ATHERTON.

"Here lies our captain, and major, Of Suffolk was withal, A _G.o.dly_ magistrate was he, And major general.

Two troops of horse came here, (Such love his worth did crave;) Ten companies of foot also, Mourning, marched to his grave.

Let all that read be sure to keep The _faith, as he has done_.