an old town by the sea-第7部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


sent　over　from　Denmark　a　number　of　neat　cattle；　〃of　a　large　breed　and　yellow　colour。〃　The　herd　thrived；　and　it　is　said　that　some　of　the　stock　is　still　extant　on　farms　in　the　vicinity　of　Portsmouth。　Those　old　first　families　had　a　kind　of　staying　quality！

In　May；　1653；　the　inhabitants　of　the　settlement　petitioned　the　General　Court　at　Boston　to　grant　them　a　definite　townshipfor　the　boundaries　were　doubtfuland　the　right　to　give　it　a　proper　name。　〃Whereas　the　name　of　this　plantation　att　present　being　Strabery　Banke；　accidentlly　soe　called；　by　reason　of　a　banke　where　strawberries　was　found　in　this　place；　now　we　humbly　desire　to　have　it　called　Portsmouth；　being　a　name　most　suitable　for　this　place；　it　being　the　river's　mouth；　and　good　as　any　in　this　land；　and　your　petit'rs　shall　humbly　pray；〃　etc。

Throughout　that　formative　period；　and　during　the　intermittent　French　wars；　Portsmouth　and　the　outlying　districts　were　the　scenes　of　bloody　Indian　massacres。　No　portion　of　the　New　England　colony　suffered　more。　Famine；　fire；　pestilence；　and　war；　each　in　turn；　and　sometimes　in　conjunction；　beleaguered　the　little　stronghold；　and　threatened　to　wipe　it　out。　But　that　was　not　to　be。

The　settlement　flourished　and　increased　in　spite　of　all；　and　as　soon　as　it　had　leisure　to　draw　breath；　it　bethought　itself　of　the　school…house　and　the　jailtwo　incontestable　signs　of　budding　civilization。　At　a　town　meeting　in　1662；　it　was　ordered　〃that　a　cage　be　made　or　some　other　meanes　invented　by　the　selectmen　to　punish　such　as　sleepe　or　take　tobacco　on　the　Lord's　day　out　of　the　meetinge　in　the　time　of　publique　service。〃　This　salutary　measure　was　not；　for　some　reason；　carried　into　effect　until　nine　years　later；　when　Captain　John　Pickering；　who　seems　to　have　had　as　many　professions　as　Michelangelo；　undertook　to　construct　a　cage　twelve　feet　square　and　seven　feet　high；　with　a　pillory　on　top；　〃the　said　Pickering　to　make　a　good　strong　dore　and　make　a　substantiale　payre　of　stocks　and　places　the　same　in　said　cage。〃　A　spot　conveniently　near　the　west　end　on　the　meeting…house　was　selected　as　the　site　for　this　ingenious　device。　It　is　more　than　probable　that　〃the　said　Pickering〃　indirectly　furnished　an　occasional　bird　for　his　cage；　for　in　1672　we　find　him　and　one　Edward　Westwere　authorized　by　the　selectmen　to　〃keepe　houses　of　publique　entertainment。〃　He　was　a　versatile　individual；　this　John　Pickeringsoldier；　miller；　moderator；　carpenter；　lawyer；　and　innkeeper。　Michelangelo　need　not　blush　to　be　bracketed　with　him。　In　the　course　of　a　long　and　variegated　career　he　never　failed　to　act　according　to　his　lights；　which　he　always　kept　well　trimmed。　That　Captain　Pickering　subsequently　became　the　grandfather；　at　several　removes；　of　the　present　writer　was　no　fault　of　the　Captain's；　and　should　not　be　laid　up　against　him。

Down　to　1696；　the　education　of　the　young　appears　to　have　been　a　rather　desultory　and　tentative　matter；　〃the　young　idea〃　seems　to　have　been　allowed　to　〃shoot〃　at　whatever　it　wanted　to；　but　in　that　year　it　was　voted　〃that　care　be　taken　that　an　abell　scollmaster　＇skullmaster！＇　be　provided　for　the　towen　as　the　law　directs；　not　visious　in　conversation。〃　That　was　perhaps　demanding　too　much；　for　it　was　not　until　〃May　ye7〃　of　the　following　year　that　the　selectmen　were　fortunate　enough　to　put　their　finger　on　this　rara　avis　in　the　person　of　Mr。　Tho。　Phippes；　who　agreed　〃to　be　scollmaster　for　the　the　towen　this　yr　insewing　for　teaching　the　inhabitants　children　in　such　manner　as　other　schollmasters　yously　doe　throughout　the　countrie：　for　his　soe　doinge　we　the　sellectt　men　in　behalfe　of　ower　towen　doe　ingage　to　pay　him　by　way　of　rate　twenty　pounds　and　yt　he　shall　and　may　reserve　from　every　father　or　master　that　sends　theyer　children　to　school　this　yeare　after　ye　rate　of　16s。　for　readers；　writers　and　cypherers　20s。；　Lattiners　24s。〃

Modern　advocates　of　phonetic　spelling　need　not　plume　themselves　on　their　originality。　　The　town　clerk　who　wrote　that　delicious　〃yously　doe〃　settles　the　question。　　It　is　to　be　hoped　that　Mr。　Tho。　Phippes　was　not　only　〃not　visious　in　conversation；〃　but　was　more　conventional　in　his　orthography。　He　evidently　gave　satisfaction；　and　clearly　exerted　an　influence　on　the　town　clerk；　Mr。　Samuel　Keais；　who　ever　after　shows　a　marked　improvement　in　his　own　methods。　In　1704　the　town　empowered　the　selectmen　〃to　call　and　settell　a　gramer　scoll　according　to　ye　best　of　yower　judgement　and　for　ye　advantag　＇Keais　is　obviously　dead　now＇　of　ye　youth　of　ower　town　to　learn　them　to　read　from　ye　primer；　to　wright　and　sypher　and　to　learne　ym　the　tongues　and　good…manners。〃　On　this　occasion　it　was　Mr。　William　Allen；　of　Salisbury；　who　engaged　〃dilligently　to　attend　ye　school　for　ye　present　yeare；　and　tech　all　childern　yt　can　read　in　thaire　psallters　and　upward。〃　From　such　humble　beginnings　were　evolved　some　of　the　best　public　high　schools　at　present　in　New　England。

Portsmouth　did　not　escape　the　witchcraft　delusion；　though　I　believe　that　no　hangings　took　place　within　the　boundaries　of　the　township。　Dwellers　by　the　sea　are　generally　superstitious；　sailors　always　are。　There　is　something　in　the　illimitable　expanse　of　sky　and　water　that　dilates　the　imagination。　The　folk　who　live　along　the　coast　live　on　the　edge　of　a　perpetual　mystery；　only　a　strip　of　yellow　sand　or　gray　rock　separates　them　from　the　unknown；　they　hear　strange　voices　in　the　winds　at　midnight；　they　are　haunted　by　the　spectres　of　the　mirage。　Their　minds　quickly　take　the　impress　of　uncanny　things。　The　witches　therefore　found　a　sympathetic　atmosphere　in　Newscastle；　at　the　mouth　of　the　Piscataquathat　slender　paw　of　land　which　reaches　out　into　the　ocean　and　terminates　in　a　spread　of　sharp；　flat　rocks；　lie　the　claws　of　an　amorous　cat。　What　happened　to　the　good　folk　of　that　picturesque　little　fishing…hamlet　is　worth　retelling　in　brief。　In　order　properly　to　retell　it；　a　contemporary　witness　shall　be　called　upon　to　testify　in　the　case　of　the　Stone…Throwing　Devils　of　Newcastle。　It　is　the　Rev。　Cotton　Mather　who　addresses　you　　〃On　June　11；　1682；　showers　of　stones　were　thrown　by　an　invisible　hand　upon　the　house　of　George　Walton　at　Portsmouth　＇Newcastle　was　then　a　part　of　the　town＇。　Whereupon　the　people　going　out　found　the　gate　wrung　off　the　hinges；　and　stones　flying　and　falling　thick　about　them；　and　striking　of　them　seemingly　with　a　great　force；　but　really　affecting　'em　no　more　than　if　a　soft　touch　were　given　them。　The　glass　windows　were　broken　by　the　stones　that　came　not　from　without；　but　from　within；　and　other　instruments　were　in　a　like　manner　hurled　about。　Nine　of　the　stones　they　took　up；　whereof　some　were　as　hot　as　if　they　came　out　of　the　fire；　and　marking　them　they　laid　them　on　the　table；　but　in　a　little　while　they　found　some　of　them　again　flying　about。　The　spit　was　carried　up　the　chimney；　and　coming　down　with　the　point　forward；　stuck　in　the　back　log；　from　whence　one　of　the　company　removing　it；　it　was　by　an　invisible　hand　thrown　out　at　the　window。　This　disturbance　continued　from　day　to　day；　and　sometimes　a　dismal　hollow　whistling　would　be　heard；　and　sometimes　the　trotting　and　snorting　of　a　horse；　but　nothing　to　be　seen。　The　man　went　up　the　Great　Bay　in　a　boat　on　to　a　farm　which　he　had　there；　but　the　stones　found　him　out；　and　carrying　from　the　house　to　the　boat　a　stirrup　iron　the　iron　came　jingling　after　him　through　the　woods　as　far　as　his　house；　and　at　last　went　away　and　was　heard　no　more。　The　anchor　leaped　overboard　several　times　and　stopt　the　boat。　A　cheese　was　taken　out　of　the　press；　and　crumbled　all　over　the　floor；　a　piece　of　iron　stuck　into　the　wall；　and　a　kettle　hung　thereon。　Several　cocks　of　hay；　mow'd　near　the　house；　were　taken　up　and　hung　upon　the　trees；　and　others　made　into　small　whisps；　and　scattered　about　the　house。　A　man　was　much　hurt　by　some　of　the　stones。　He　was　a　Quaker；　and　suspected　that　a　woman；　who　charged　him　with　injustice　in　detaining　some　land　from　here；　did；　by　witchcraft；　occasion　these　preternatural　occurrences。　However；　at　last　they　came　to　an　end。〃

Now　I　have　done　with　thee；　O　credulous　and　sour　Cotton　Mather！　so　get　thee　back　again　to　thy　tomb　in　the　old　burying…ground　on　Copp's　Hill；　where；　unless　thy　nature　is　radically　changed；　thou　makest　it　uncomfortable　for　those　about　thee。

Nearly　a　hundred　years　afterwards；　Portsmouth　had　another　witcha　tangible　witch　in　this　instanceone　Molly　Bridget；　who　cast　her　malign　spell　on　the　eleemosynary　pigs　at　the　Almshouse；　where　she　chanced　to　reside　at　the　moment。　The　pigs　were　manifestly　bewitched；　and　Mr。　Clement　March；　the　superintendent　of　the　institution；　saw　only　one　remedy　at　hand；　and　that　was　to　cut　off　and　burn　the　tips　of　their　tales。　But　when　the　tips　were　cut　off　they　disappeared；　and　it　was　in　consequence　quite　impracticable　to　burn　them。　Mr。　March；　who　was　a　gentleman　of　expedients；　ordered　that　all　the　chips　and　underbrush　in　the　yard　should　be　made　into　heaps　and　consumed；　hoping　thus　to　catch　and　do　away　with　the　mysterious　and　provoking　extremities。　The　fires　were　no　sooner　lighted　than　Molly　Bridget　rushed　from　room　to　room　in　a　state　of　frenzy。　With　the　dying　flames　her　own　vitality　subsided；　and　she　was　dead　before　the　ash…piles　were　cool。　I　say　it　seriously　when　I　say　that　these　are　facts　of　which　there　is　authentic　proof。

If　the　woman　had　recovered；　she　would　have　fared　badly；　even　at　that　late　period；　had　she　been　in　Salem；　but　the　death…penalty　has　never　been　hastily　inflicted　in　Portsmouth。　The　first　execution　that　ever　took　place　there　was　that　of　Sarah　Simpson　and　Penelope　Kenny；　for　the　murder　of　an　infant　in　1739。　The　sheriff　was　Thomas　Packer；　the　same　official　who；　twenty…nine　years　later；　won　unenviable　notoriety　at　the　hanging　of　Ruth　Blay。　The　circumstances　are　set　forth　by　the　late　Albert　Laighton　in　a　spirited　ballad；　which　is　too　long　to　quote　in　full。　The　following　stanzas；　however；　give　the　pith　of　the　story

　　　　〃And　a　voice　among　them　shouted；　　　　　　　　　〃Pause　before　the　deed　is　done；　　　　　We　have　asked　reprieve　and　pardon　　　　　　　　　For　the　poor　misguided　one。'

　　　　〃But　these　words　of　Sheriff　Packer　　　　　　　　　Rang　above　the　swelling　noise：　　　　　'Must　I　wait　and　lose　my　dinner？　　　　　　　　　Draw　away　the　cart；　my　boys！'

　　　　〃Nearer　came　the　sound　and　louder；　　　　　　　　　Till　a　steed　with　panting　breath；　　　　　From　its　sides　the　whi