USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > History of Boston, the metropolis of Massachusetts, from its origin to the present period; with some account of the environs > Part 19
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Another acquaintance was Mr. Heath ; were I to write the character of a pious merchant, I would as soon take Heath for the exemplar, as any man I know. There are two things remarkable in him, one is, that he never warrants any ware for good, but what is so indeed ; and the other, that he makes no advantage of his chapman's ignorance, where the con- science of the seller is all the skill of the buyer; he doth not then so much ask as order what he must pay ; and in such cases he ought to be very scrupulous. Bishop Latimer being told he was cozened in buying a knife, no. replied Latimer, he cozened not me, but his own conscience. This person was my daily visitor, and brought me acquainted with one Gore, of New York, with whom I traded considerably.
Mr. Watson shall be the next; formerly a merchant in London, but not thriving there, he left the exchange for Westminster Hall, and in Boston has become as dexterous at splitting of causes, as if he had been bred to it. He is full of fancy and knows the quirks of the law ; but to do him justice, he proves as honest as the best lawyer of 'em all.
Another acquaintance is Mr. Mason. He was a blunt, honest Christian; he will speak his mind, take it how you please.
The next I'll mention shall be Mr. Malinson, he is a stiff Independent, (which is rare in a fencer,) and so great a crit- ick, that he would even find a knot in a bullrush. Malinson was one of those unfortunate gentlemen that engaged with Monmouth, and I'm told this day at the Royal Exchange, he now teaches young gentlemen to fence in Boston.
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I was so happy as to find particular friends in Boston, whose characters I shall next give you, and I'll begin with Dr. Oakes .- He is an eminent physician, and a religious man ; at his first coming to a patient he persuades him to put his trust in God, the fountain of health; the want of this hath caused the bad success of most physicians, for they that won't acknowledge God in all their applications, God won't acknowledge them in that success which they might other- wise expect. He was a great dissenter whilst he lived in London, and even in New England retains the piety of the first planters ; I was recommended to him by Mr. Gilson, as also by a relation of his in Ratcliff, and I must own, the doc- tor gave me a generous welcome to Boston .- From Dr. Oakes I pass to my good friend Dr. Bullivant, formerly my fellow citizen in London ; I must consider him both as a gen- tleman and a physician. As a gentleman, he came of a no- ble family, but his good qualities exceeded his birth ; he is a great master of the English tongue, and the Northampton peo- ple find him a universal scholar ; his knowledge of the laws fitted him for the office of attorney general, which was confer- red upon him on the revolution in Boston ; it is true he sought it not, but New England knew his worth, and even forced him to accept of it.
While he held this place of attorney general, he was so far from pushing things to that extremity as some hot spirits would have had him, that he was for accommodating things, and making peace. His eloquence is' admirable, he never speaks but 'tis a sentence, and no man ever clothed his thoughts in better words.
I shall next consider him as a physician, his skill in phar- macy was such as had no equal in Boston, nor perhaps Northampton ; he is as intimate with Galen and Hippocrates, at least with their works, as ever I was with Iris. He is so conversant with the great variety of nature, that not a drug or simple escapes his knowledge, so that he never practises new experiments upon his patients, except it be in desperate cases, where death must be expelled by death. This also is praiseworthy in him, that to the poor, he always prescribes cheap, but wholesome medicines, not curing them of a con- sumption in their bodies, and sending it into their purses, nor yet directing them to the East Indies to look for drugs, when they may have far better out of their gardens.
I proceed in the next place to Mr. Gouge, a linen draper from London, son to the charitable divine of that name. He is owner of a deal of wit, his brain is a quiver of smart jests. He pretends to live a bachelor, but is no enemy to a pretty woman. He's high church, yet so great a lover of his father's "christian directions," that he bought two hundred
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of me to give away, that so he might, as he used to say, make the Bostonians godly. And this was a noted quality in him, that he would always tell the truth ; which is a practice so uncommon in New England, that I could not but value his friendship.
But I must not forget Mr. Tryon. Mr. Tryon is a man of a sweet temper, an excellent husband, and very sincere in his dealings. The next I shall mention is Mr. Barnes, he was clerk to the government, a matchless accomptant, a great mu- sician, bookish to a proverb, very generous to strangers, and at our first interview, declared a particular friendship to me.
To return to my own affairs, the booksellers in Boston per- ceived I was very diligent to bring custom to my warehouse, and thereupon began to make terms with me for my whole venture, but that would not do for me, because there's the loss of thirty per cent. in the return of their money. The books I had with me were most of 'em practical, and well suited to the genius of New England, so that, my warehouse being opened, they began to move apace. Palmer, my ap- prentice, was very honest and diligent, took the whole charge of my business off' my hands, and left me to ramble and di- vert myself as my fancy would suggest.
But I must make a transition to arms. It is their custom here for all that can bear arms, to go out on a training day ; but I thought a pike was best for a young soldier, and so I carried a pike. And between you and I, reader, there was another reason for it too, and that was, I knew not how to shoot off a musquet, but 'twas the first time I ever was in arms. Being come into the field, the captain called us all into our close order, in order to go to prayer, and then prayed him- self. And when our exercise was done. the captain likewise concluded with prayer. I have read that Gustavus Adolphus, the warlike king of Sweden, would before the beginning of a battle kneel down devoutly, at the head of his army, and pray to God, the giver of victory, to give them success against their enemies, which commonly was the event ; and that he was as careful also to return thanks to God for the victory. But solemn prayer in the field upon a day of training, I never knew but in New England, where it seems it is a common cus- tom. About three of the clock, both our exercise and pray- ers being over, we had a very noble dinner, to which all the clergy were invited.
Summer was now well advanced, however my time did not lie much upon my hands, for upon my return from Roxbury, I found several of my friends making ready for a journey 10 Natick. Every summer there's an Indian lecture preached there, which has been kept on foot ever since the Rev. Mr. Elliot gathered a church there of the converted natives. I
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was glad of the opportunity to acquaint myself with the man- ners, religion, and government of the Indians. When we were setting forward, I was forced, out of civility and grati- tudo, to take madam Brick behind me on horseback ; it is true, she was the flower of Boston, but in this case proved no more than a beautiful sort of luggage to me. We had about twen- ty miles to Natick, where the best accommodations we could meet with, were very coarse. We ty'd up our horses in two old barns, that were almost laid in ruines, however we cou'd discern where they had stood formerly. But there was no place where we cou'd bestow ourselves, unless, upon the greenswerd, till the lecture began.
The wigwams, or Indian houses, are no more than so many tents, and their way of building 'em is this ; they first take long poles, and make 'em fast in the ground, and then cover them with mats on the outside, which they tye to the poles. Their fire-place is made in the middle, and they leave a little hole upon the top uncover'd with the mats, which serves for a chimney. Their doors are usually two, and made opposite to each other, which they open or shut according as the wind sits, and these are either made of mats, or of the barks of trees.
While we were making such discoveries as these, we were informed that the sachim, or the Indian king, and his queen, were there. The place, 'tis true, did not look like the royal residence, however we cou'd easily believe the report, and went immediately to visit their king and queen ; and here my courage did not fail, for I stept up and kissed the Indian queen; making her two very low bows, which she returned very civilly. The sachim was very tall and well limbed, but had no beard, and a sort of a horse face. The queen was well shaped, and her features might pass pretty well, she had eyes as black as jet, and teeth as white as ivory ; her hair was very black and long, and she was considerably up in years ; her dress peculiar, she had sleeves of moose-skin, very finely dressed, and drawn with lines of various colours, in Asi- atick work, and her buskins were of the same sort ; her man- tle was of fine blue cloth, but very short, and tied about her shoulders, and at the middle with a zone, curiously wrought with white and blue beads into pretty figures; her bracelets and necklace were of the same sort of beads, and she had a little tablet upon her breast, very finely decked with jewels and precious stones ; her hair was combed back and tied up with a border which was neatly worked both with gold and silver.
The Natick lecture was done about four in the afternoon, and we had twenty miles to Boston, so that we were obliged to mount immediately, and make the best of our way. Upon
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my coming to Boston, I heard that the Rev. Mr. Morton, so much celebrated in England for his piety and learning, was just arrived from England, and with him, his kinsman, Dr. Morton, the physician. Mr. Morton did me the honour to declare he was very glad to see me ; and I am sure I was glad to see him ; not only as he brought me letters from Iris, but for his own personal worth.
In the same ship with Mr. Morton, came over one Mrs. Hicks, with the valuable venture of her beautiful person, which went off at an extraordinary rate; she marrying a merchant in Salem worth thirty thousand pounds.
By this time there were about two thirds of my venture of books gone off, and I was fearful to sell any more at Boston, till the old scores were discharged ; for besides all the money I had taken, there was about four hundred pounds owing mc in Boston, and the towns adjacent, at my return from Natick. It began to run in my head, that Mr. Sewel, one of the magis- trates in Salem, had invited me thither, and told me, if I sent part of my venture there, he'd do me all the service that was possible, in the sale of them ; upon these thoughts, I made a journey to Salem.
Having staid some little time, with my worthy friend Mr. Steward, myself and Mrs. Comfort took our leaves, and made the best of our way for Boston ; where we arrived to the great satisfaction of my good landlord and his wife.
I had now no more business in New England, but just to pay a farewell to Mr. Burroughs, (that was so kind to me at my first landing) and to shake hands with Mr. Wilkins (my landlord) his wife, and daughter.
And here I shall first take my leave of Mr. Francis Bur- roughs, for I wanted till now, an opportunity to thank him for the many civilities he heaped upon me in Boston ; for he not only lent me money (the true touch-stone of friendship) but made me his bed-fellow, got me the freedom of Boston, and was the chief person I advis'd with under any difficulty.
" His person is handsome (I don't know whether he knows it or no) and his mind has as many charms ; he's a man of re- markable chastity, of a great deal of wit, and his repartees are so quaint, apposite and genteel, 'tis a pleasure to observe how handsomely he acquits himself ; in the mean time he's nei- ther scurrilous nor prophane, but a scrupulous, honest, con- scientious man, so that he's what we may call a religious mer- chant, and (I was going to say) he hates vice almost as much by nature as grace." And this I think is his true character ; but I must remember Captain Leg is ready to sail, and I have other farewells to make, and so worthy friend adieu.
I come next to honest Wilkins, my landlord, for I should think myself very unkind, should I leave Boston, without
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shaking hands with a person I lived with near eight months. His person is tall, his aspect sweet and smiling, and (though but fifty years old) his hair as white as snow. He was form- erly a bookseller in Limerick, and fled hither on the account of conscience. He is a person of good sense, keeps up the practice of religion in his family, and (upon a nice search in- to all his affairs) I found it had a general influence on all the actions of his life : he was deservedly chosen a member of Mr. Willard's church, and I do think he's a pious man, if there's such a thing in Boston. But dear sir, adieu, for the wind is fair, and I must be gone ; but I leave your company with as much regret as ever I did any earthly blessing.
My next farewell shall be to Mrs. Wilkins my obliging landlady.
" She's a tender wife, a kind mother, and is a woman well poised in all humours ; or, in other words, Mrs. Wilkins is a person of an even temper, which rendered her conversation more agreeable than those that laugh more, but smile less : some there are, who spend more spirits, in straining, for an hour's mirth, than they can recover in a month, which ren- ders them so unequal company ; whilst she is always equal, and the same. "Tis virtue to know her, wisdom to converse with her, and joy to behold her ; or (to do her justice in few- er words) she is the counterpart of her pious husband, who without her, is but half himself." I might inlarge, but I fear if I write on, I shall lose my passage, and so (kind landlady) adieu.
Having taken leave of the father and mother, my last visit must be to the daughter, and sheer gratitude obliges to this farewell ; for you Mrs. Comfort may well take it amiss, if I should forget your favours to me in your father's house, your pleasant company to Ipswich, your assistance when I was ill, and the noble looking-glass you sent my dear, and all this with a world of innocence.
When the ship was ready to sail, I was attended on board by Dr. Bullevant, Mr. Wilkins, Mr. York, Mr. Gouge, Mr. Heath, Mr. Tryon, Mr. Green, and some other of my Boston friends. The captain entertain'd them with wine, beer, cy- der, and neats' tongues.
So soon as ever my friends were gone off to shore, our cap- tain ordered all his guns to fire, which were accompanied with huzzas and shouts, and shaking of hats, till we had lost all sight of our friends.
Kind Boston adieu, part we must, though 'tis pity ;
But I'm made for mankind, and all the world is my city.
Look how on the shore, they whoop and they hollow,
Not for joy I am gone, but for grief they can't follow.
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CHAPTER XXXI.
" And now the trying hour came on, That each must act a gallant part ; Fate on one grand manœuvre hung, One mighty stroke, prompt, dangerous, and bold."
MR. DUDLEY's presidentship was of short duration. Sir Edmund Andros, who had formerly been governour of New York, arrived Dec. 19, 1686, with a commission from king James II. dated July 3d, constituting himself governour of the whole country, and empowering him with four of his council to make laws, and raise money without a general assembly or any consent of the people. He landed at Boston, the 20th of Dec. and his commission was published the same day .* The beginning of his administration gave great encourage- ment, but it was too soon evinced that his disposition and aims were tyrannical : many of his council deserted their seats ; a few only who lived in or near Boston attended con- stantly, and some of those complained that he had always three or four of his creatures, ready to say yes or no to every thing he proposed, after which no opposition was allowed. It was not long before the case of some, who apprehended them- selves oppressed, came under consideration, and one of the council told them, ' they must not think the privileges of En- glishmen would follow them to the ends of the world.' It was an incautious speech, but it sounded an alarm through the country, and was never forgotten.
The Boston records present the following communication, made Feb. 25, 1687, ' To his Excellency the Governour and Council of H. M. territory and dominion of New England.'
' The humble petition of the selectmen of Boston humbly showeth, that forasmuch as this town, being the principal seat of trade within this his M.'s territory, the growth and flour- ishing whereof will necessarily influence the prosperity and well-being of the whole, and there having been of late years considerable visible decays in the estates thereof, through the adversity of the Indian war, desolation by fire, and the failing of trade, which have greatly impoverished the town, so that the number of the poor is much increased, and notwithstand-
* He was accompanied by 60 red coats, whom he landed at Pool's wharf (now Central street), and marched to Mr. Gibbs' house on Fort-hill. Holmes. Mass. H. C. 2. ii. 261. Aug. 31, 1687. An official return gave 1447 male persons above 16 years of age.
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ing some former essays, as yet no effectual remedy is provided for easing the charge of the town, by setting them to work ; there being also several common nuisances, in said town, very offensive and prejudicial to the inhabitants, and occasion of charge to the town ; we therefore pray, that your Ex. and council will please to order and appoint a committee of some of the members of your council, who are best acquainted with the state and condition of the town, unto whom we may rep- resent what we conceive to be necessary for the well order- ing and regulating of the affairs of this populous town, respect- ing the poor, idle, and disorderly persons, with what else we may propose as conducible to the good and welfare of the place, that so what we shall offer therein may be stated and prepared to be laid before your Ex. and Council for consid- eration and approbation, as in your wisdom you shall judge fit. And your petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray.'
The people endured insolence and privations of various kind and degree under the new government, yet it is observ- ed, that they were, in general, patient .* Opportunely for them, a revolution was about taking place in England, which was to furnish them with a plausible pretext for the overthrow of their oppressors. James second was a devoted papist, and aimed to restore the catholicks to power : the nation was not prepared to submit to such a change. James had three children, one of which, Mary, was married to William, prince of Orange. William aimed at the throne of England, and, taking advantage of the discontent of the people, he landed with an army, Nov. 15, 1688, and expelled James from the kingdom.
An account of this event reached Boston in April, 1689. Mr .- Winslow, who brought a printed copy of the Prince of Orange's declaration, was imprisoned on the charge of bringing a ' traitorous and treasonable libel into the coun- try.' He offered £2000 bail, but it could not be accepted. A proclamation was issued by Sir Edmund, charging all offi- cers and people to be in readiness to hinder the landing of any forces, which the Prince of Orange might send into these parts of the world. The old magistrates and heads of the people silently wished, and secretly prayed for success to the glorious undertaking, and determined quietly to wait the event. The body of the people were more impatient. The
* In 1684, Boston had increased the number of its selectmen from 7 to 9 : in 1688 ' by virtue of an act of the Gov. and Council,' it was reduced to 8. 'Every town was suffered to meet once a year, to choose their officers, but all meetings at other times or for other purposes were strictly forbidden.' And the phraseology of the records is altered specially from ' a meeting of the freemen' to ' a meeting of the freeholders and other inhabitants.'
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flame, which had been long smothering in their breasts, burst forth with violence on Thursday, the 18th of April ; when Andros, and such of the Council as had been most active, were seized and confined, and the old magistrates were re- instated. The most circumstantial account of this exploit is contained in the following letter to the governour of Plymouth.
' Boston, April 22d, 89.
' Hon'd Sir, ·
' The consideration of my sending you a blank, wherein only the declaration was enclosed, seems to deserve a check, and constrains me to an apology, not having so much as liber- ty granted me by the messenger to write two or three lines, whereby you might have understood the present state of things, which by this time you are doubtless acquainted with ; but lest it should prove otherwise, I have taken the pains to give a brief account-I knew not any thing of what was inten- ded, until it was begun ; yet being at the north end of the town, where I saw boys running along the streets, with clubs in their hands, encouraging one another to fight, I began to mistrust what was intended, and, hastening towards the town- dock, I soon saw men running for their arms ; but before I got to the Red Lion, I was told, that Capt. George and the master of the frigate* were seized and secured in Mr. Col- man's house at the north end ; and when I came to the town- dock, I understood, that Bullivant and some others of them were laid hold of ; and then, immediately, the drums began to beat, and the people hastened and ran, some with and some for arms.
' Young Dudleyt and Colonel Lidget with some difficulty attained to the fort. The governour immediately sent Dud- ley on an errand, to request the four ministers,t Mr. Joyliffe,|| and one or two more, to come to him at the fort, pretending that, by them, he might still the people, not thinking it safe for him to go to them. They returned for answer, that they did not think it safe for them to go to him. Now, by this time, all the persons, whom they concluded not to be for their side, were seized and secured, except some few who had hid
* The Rose.
t Mr. Dudley, his father, was absent, holding court in the Narraganset country. Some of Providence went out and seized him. He was brought to Roxbury, and a guard placed round his house, to secure him, as the order expresses it, against violence. He was after- wards committed to prison.
# Messrs. Allen and Moodey, of the First Church,-Willard, of the Old South,-and Cot- ton Mather, of the Old North.
Il A person, who had been many years a leading man in town affairs in Boston, and recorder or town-clerk at the time.
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themselves, who afterwards were found, and dealt by as the rest. The governour, with Palmer, Randolph, Lidget, West, and one or two more, were in the fort. All the companies were soon rallied together at the town-house ; where assem- bled Capt. Winthrop,* Shrimpton,* Page,t and many other substantial men, to consult matters ; in which time the old governourt came among them, at whose appearance there was a great shout by the soldiers. Soon after, the jack was set up at the fort, and a pair of colours at Beacon-hill, which gave notice to some thousand soldiers on Charlestown side that the controversy was now to be ended ; and multitudes would have been there, but that there was no need. The frigate, upon the news, put out all her flags and pendants, and opened all her ports, and with all speed made ready for fight, under the command of the lieutenant, he swearing that he would die before she should be taken ; although the captain sent to him, that if he fired one shot, or did any hurt, they would kill him, whom they had seized already ; but the lieu- tenant, not regarding, kept those resolutions all that day.
' Now, about four of the clock in the afternoon, orders were given to go and demand the fort ; which hour the soldiers longed for ; and had it not been. just at the nick, the gover- nour and all the crew had made their escape on board the frigate, a barge being sent for them ; but the soldiers, being so near, got the barge. The army divided, and part came up on the back side of the fort, part went underneath the hill to the lower battery or sconce, where the red coats were, who immediately upon their approach retired up to the fort to their master, who rebuked them for not firing on our soldiers and, as I am informed, beat some of them. When the soldiers came to the battery or sconce, they presently turned the great guns about, and pointed them against the fort, which did much daunt those within ; and the soldiers were so void of fear, that, I presume, had those within the fort been resolute to have lost their lives in fight, they might have killed an hundred of us at once, being so thick together before the mouths of the cannon of the fort, all loaden with small shot ; but God prevented it. Then they demanded a surrender, which was denied, until Mr. West and another should first go to the council, and after their return, we should have an an- swer, whether to fight or no. Upon their return, they came forth from the fort, and went disarmed to the town-house,
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