USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Norton > History of the town of Norton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, from 1669 to 1859 > Part 43
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DON EGBERT ERASTUS BRAMAN, Esq., is the son of Andrews and Nancy (Hawes) Braman ; grandson of Sylvanus and Sarah (Andrews) Braman ; great- grandson of Sylvanus and Experience (Blanchard) Braman ; great-great-grandson of Daniel and Rachel (Cambell) Braman ; great-great-great-grandson of Thomas Braman, sen., one of the' first settlers of this town; and was born Sept. 21, 1814. He went to Texas in April, 1837, and was in the army of the revolution several months. In 1847, he was appointed Clerk of the First Judicial District Court, studying
1 For more particulars of Dr. Wilmarth, see Memoir by William H. Fish.
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SLAVERY.
law while he held that office; and was admitted to the bar of that court in 1853. He is now a counsellor-at- law in Matagorda, Texas ; where he married, April 28, 1841, Mary E. Buckhart, of Philadelphia, Pa., and has had seven children.
Rev. GEORGE CARPENTER was born Aug. 30, 1818 ; and is the son of Deacon James and Anna (Hunt) Carpenter, grandson of William and Hannah (Keith) Carpenter, great-grandson of William Carpenter, and great-great-grandson of Rev. William and Abigail Car- penter, of this town. March 17, 1839, he united with the Baptist Church, and forthwith began preparation for the ministry. He entered Brown University in 1841, where he remained a little more than a year, when the college exercises were broken up by the " Dorr Rebellion ; " and he did not return there, but soon entered the Theological Institution in New Hampton, N.H., where he graduated in 1845. In the autumn of 1846, he was ordained pastor of the Baptist Church in Westminster, and was there three
years. Subsequently, he has been pastor at Rowe and Scituate; 'and, in 1857, removed to the village of Factory Point (Manchester), Vt., and is now mini- ster of the Baptist Church there. April 17, 1846, he married Julia C. Dow (a niece of the eccentric preacher, Lorenzo Dow), and has had four children.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
SLAVERY.
" The sum of all villanies." - WESLEY.
WITH but one exception, - that of slaveholding, - the people of Norton have ever been found on the side of freedom and the inalienable rights of man; yet, we are happy to record, they have sincerely repented of that awful crime against humanity. For, strange as it
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SLAVERY.
may appear, Norton was once a slaveholding town ; and our pen blushes with shame when we say that some of the masters, as well as their slaves, were members of the church. In 1735, ten slaves were returned from this town by the assessors. In the census of 1764-5, thirty were returned. Rev. Mr. Avery, the three George Leonards, Ephraim Leonard, John Hodges, George Morey, Benjamin Fairbanks, Rev. Mr. Palmer, Dr. Gideon Tiffany, Nathan Hodges, William Stone, and others, are known to have had slaves. I have found two bills of the sale of slaves, one of which is here recorded : -
" Know all men by these Presants, that I, Jonathan Wilson, of Newport, in the Colony of Rhod island, and Provedance Plantation in new england, yeoman, for and in Consideration of Seventy Pounds in Curant mony to me in hand, before the Sealing and delivery hereof, well and truly Paid by George Leonard, of norton, in the County of Bristoll, in ye Province of masachusets Bay in new England, Blomer, whareof I do hereby acknoledg myselfe tharewith to be fully Satisfied, Contented, and Paid, and have Bar- gained, Sold, Sett over, and delivered, and by these Presants do Give, Grant, Bargaine, Sell, make over, and deliver, unto him, Sd. George Leonard, and to his heyrs, Execetors, ad- ministrators, and assigns, for Ever, one negro woman named Binah, which is now in the Posesion of Sd. George Leonard ; who is the Sd. negro woman to have and to hold to his and theyr Proper youse and behafe for ever. And I, the Sd. Jonathan Wilson, for myselfe, my heyrs, Execetors, ad- ministrators, the Sd. Bargained and delivered negro woman unto the Sd. George Leonard, and to his heyrs, Execetors, administrators, and assigns, against all and Every Person and Persons whomesoever, do Promise to warrant and defend for Ever by these Presants. in witnes whareof, I have hereunto Sett my hand and Seall, this Eleventh day of october, in the first year of his majestie's Reigne, anno domini 1727.
" Signed, Sealed, and de- livered in Presance of us, " JONA. WILSON [seal].
" NATHL. NEWDIGATE. JOSEPH MASON."
43*
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SLAVERY.
The other, dated March 7, 1745-6, is signed by Jonathan Dwight, an innholder of Boston, and con- veys to George Leonard, of Norton, for one hundred and fifty pounds, old tenor, " a negro boy named Prince, aged about thirteen years."
These things sound strangely to our ears; and we thank God that this inhuman and unchristian practice long ago ceased to exist among us, and is now re- ceiving the anathemas of the whole Christian world, except the guilty parties and their apologists.
Mr. Avery had a slave named Mingo, whom he one day set to planting pumpkin-seeds ; but Mingo became tired, and disposed of all the seeds by putting them under a large flat stone. In hoeing-time, they had thrust their heads out all round the stone, and re- vealed the slave's unfaithfulness. Mr. Avery (who was very fond of pumpkin-pies) called the slave, and, pointing to the young vines, gave him no other reproof but the sorrowful ejaculation, "O Mingo, Mingo! what shall we do for pumpkin-pies at Thanks- giving ? "
In a draught of Mrs. Avery's will, she mentions a slave named Pero, who was given her by her father; and she gave him his liberty, provided he could get bonds never to become a public charge: but in her will, as finally executed, no mention of Pero is made. Yet, in after-life, he was actually supported by the town, and is sometimes called " Pero Newman." He died July 29, 1802, supposed to have been more than a hundred years old ; and the town paid two shillings for rum drank at his funeral. Mrs. Palmer had a slave given her by her father, who subsequently received his freedom. In the "Boston Gazette " of July 29, 1771, it was stated that Quashee, a negro, who for many years had brought sauce to the Boston market, had lately died at Dedham: but, on the 19th of August following, the same paper announced that Quashee was not dead, but, being in his eighty-fifth year, had retired to his country seat in Norton to spend the winter of his life; and that his absence from the
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SLAVERY.
market, where he had been constantly seen for fifty years, led to the supposition that he was dead. The article closes in these words : " On suitable Encourage- ment, a capital Mezzitinto Scraper would wait on him at his Villa, to beg the favor of an Equestrian Print of his accomplished person."
Slavery was not congenial to the soil of Massachu- setts ; and on the establishment of the State Consti- tution, which asserts, in the Declaration of Rights, that "ALL MEN ARE BORN FREE AND EQUAL," many of the negroes claimed their freedom, and obtained it by virtue of this clause. In 1781, a white man was in- dicted for assaulting, beating, and imprisoning a negro. His defence before the Supreme Court, in 1783, was that the black man was his slave. He was answered by the complainants with the citation of the clause in the Declaration of Rights just quoted; and, on the strength of it, was declared guilty, and fined. By this decision of the judges and jury was given the death- blow to slavery in our State; for, in the next census, no slaves were returned, but four thousand three hundred and seventy-seven black persons were men- tioned.
The antislavery movement commenced here about 1835. The mobbing of Mr. Garrison is supposed to have called the attention of a few persons to the subject ; and some antislavery tracts were circulated, which proved to be seed cast into good ground. About the same time (1835), George W. Makepeace gave a proslavery lecture before the Lyceum. This led to an earnest discussion of the matter, in which the anti- slavery side was sustained by George L. Clarke and others. Among the first antislavery addresses given were those of Stephen S. Foster, Parker Pillsbury, and C. C. Burleigh. During the ministry of Rev. Mr. Tilden, much antislavery seed was sown by his earnest advocacy of human rights. In 1841 (the first year of his ministry), John A. Collins, an agent of the Massa- chusetts Antislavery Society, and Frederic Douglass, who had previously spoken but a few times, addressed
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SLAVERY.
the citizens of Norton upon the subject. In the sum- mer of 1843, the Congregational Church, of which Mr. Tilden was the pastor, held several meetings to con- sider the subject of slavery ; and finally, Oct. 29 of that year, adopted, " without any opposition," the fol- lowing preamble and resolution : -
" Whereas we believe that Christianity, as taught by Jesus, is a religion of Love, requiring love for God as a Father, and love for man as a brother ; and whereas we believe that sla- very, wherever it exists, is a gross violation of that great law of love, and therefore a sin against God and humanity : -
" Therefore Resolved, That we are bound, by the holy principles of the religion we profess, to bear a faithful testi- mony against slavery in all its forms, and to put forth our efforts in the use of Christian means for its thorough and complete abolition."
On the 5th of July, 1847, the " Liberty Party " had 1 a picnic celebration in the grove, near the late resi- dence of Rev. Pitt Clarke; and two fugitive slaves, Messrs. Clark and Bibb, made addresses. The first antislavery vote cast in town, and the only one given that year, was in 1839, for Wendell Phillips, Governor. In 1841, fifteen votes were cast for Governor ; in 1842, thirty ; in 1843, there were sixty; and in 1849, one hundred and fifty-five votes, or thirty-six majority of the whole number cast, were for the antislavery guber- natorial candidate. And, from that day to this, the antislavery sentiment has predominated in town. Though some of the sons of Norton, who have made their home in the south, have been guilty of slave- holding and the traffic in human flesh, yet we believe their number has been very small.
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TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT.
CHAPTER XL.
TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT.
" Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink; that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also." - HABAKKUK.
THE history of intemperance in. Norton is similar to that of other towns. In days that are past, we trust never to return, it was not considered disreputable to sell or drink intoxicating liquors ; for their use was very general, and as generally believed that their use was beneficial. Probably, in the early history of the town, intoxicating drinks were not so freely used as in later years, because they could not be obtained so easily. Yet there is abundant evidence that the first settlers sometimes indulged to excess. But, during the first quarter of the present century, a large ma- jority of the people daily took their drams, ministers not excepted. I have looked over with much interest some account-books of one of the storekeepers of Norton, of a date some fifty years back; and rum, brandy, wine, &c., formed the principal article of charge; and, in some cases, three-fourths of all the items on a whole page of the ledger, to a single person, were for liquors. At all public gatherings, military parades, venduing of the poor, auctions, raisings, ministerial associations, weddings, and fune- rals, liquors were deemed indispensable; and both sexes partook of them freely.
The following entry, which I have found in an old book in town, will serve to illustrate the manner in which things were done within the memory of many now living : " May 26, 1819, Chose the Artillery officers, and had two wash-tubs full of Punch." It was customary "To Post" those who were considered as drunkards ; which was done by putting up, in some
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TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT.
public place, their names by the selectmen, and for- bidding the venders of liquor to sell to them. This was not often done, except in some extreme cases. The temperance reformation commenced in this town about 1828, and Rev. Pitt Clarke took an active part in organizing a Temperance Society ; but I can find no records of that society, nor can I gather much re- liable information relative to it. The first pledge was only against the use of distilled liquors ; not prohibit- ing the use of wine, cider, beer, &c. Here, as elsewhere, the movement against intemperance met with opposi- tion from some who were deemed influential men ; but others as influential were enlisted in the warfare upon ardent spirits, and both parties struggled for the mastery. It was, no doubt, felt by the friends of tem- perance, that too many persons were licensed " for the public good ;" and we presume an attempt was made to curtail the number: for, in the warrant for the annual March meeting in 1830, there was an article "To see what number of Taverners and Retailers the town will authorize their selectmen to approbate the ensuing year ; " but it was " voted to dismiss the article respecting licenses." The matter was again revived at a meeting of the town, June 17, 1833, held to consider the petition of Simeon Dean and fourteen others, that the town " determine, by ballot, whether the inhabitants were in favor of having Taverners and Retailers licensed to sell spirituous Liquors the ensuing year; and also to see if all respectable people who wished to sell liquors might be approbated by the se- lectmen." At the meeting, it was voted not to decide by ballot, but to divide the house on the question ; and seventy-eight persons voted for licensing, and forty- seven against; and the selectmen were directed to approbate as many taverners and retailers as had usually been licensed. These licenses to sell spiritu- ous liquors were granted by the Court of Sessions till that court was abolished about 1820, and subsequently by the County Commissioners. The Commissioners of Bristol County were among the first to refuse
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TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT.
licenses. The temperance question entered very much into the election of these officers in the spring of 1838, and a Temperance Board were elected, who refused to issue licenses to sell as a beverage; and rum-selling and drunkard-making have been outlaws in the county from that day to this. The following list is believed to comprise nearly all the names of those who have been licensed in this town, from 1712 to 1837. Those marked with a (*) had a retailer's license. Most of the others are supposed to have kept public-houses. Yet retailers sometimes took a tavern license.
Nathaniel Hodges, 1712; Samuel Hodges, 1713-19 ; John Finney,* 1724-27; John Austin, 1726-34; Benj. Hodges,* 1727-29; John Harvey, 1728-30; Samuel Caswell, 1728-30; William Ware, 1729-40; Josiah Pratt, 1731-38; Benjamin Cobb,* 1732-33; Ebenezer Hodges, 1733-46; Jonathan Lawrence, 1738-40; Henry Wetherell, 1738-41; Benjamin Lane, 1743; George Morey, 1744-73; Thomas Morey, 1747; George Hodges, 1749-50; Jonathan Newcomb, 1751-64; Timothy Skinner, 1754-55; Ephraim Lane, 1754-67; Paul Cook, 1755-56; Thomas Skinner, 1756; Stephen Gary, 1756; James Godfrey, 1757-75; David Smith, 1757-58; Lewis Sweeting, 1760-68 ; Abraham White, 1760-72; Wil- liam Dean, 1761; Samuel Lane, 1762-77; Joseph New- comb, 1762-64; Seth Smith, 1764-67; George Makepeace, 1765-73 ; Ephraim Lane, jun., 1768-73; George Leonard, 3d, 1768; Isaac Smith, 1768-73; Solomon Trow, 1768-69; Brian Hall, 1772-78; Eleazer Walker, 1772-96; Silas Cobb, 1772-1802; Nathan Cobb, 1776-82 ; Abiah Hall, 1779-83 ; Elkanah Woodward, 1779-1808 ; Adam Johnstone, 1780-87 ; Nathan Babbit, jun., 1780-87; Benjamin Hodges,* 1782; John Hodges, 1783 ; Abiel Lincoln,* 1784-85 ; Joshua Pond, 1784-87; Isaac Barker,* 1787; Reuben Tisdale,* 1787-88; Oliver Leonard, 1788; Thomas Fobes, 1789-94; David Lincoln, jun., 1789-99; Ephraim Raymond, 1794-1811; Seth Smith, jun., 1794-97; Samuel Godfrey, 1794-96; Jonathan Smith, 1794-1808; Meletiah Washburn, 1795-97; Hezekiah Tucker, 1795-99; Josiah Woodward, 1795-1810; Isaac Stone, 1796; Jacob Shaw, 1797-98; Ebenezer Lazell, 1797-1800; George Palmer, 1794-97; Elisha Hodges, 1798-99 ; Joseph Palmer, 1799-1800; George Gilbert, 1800-15; Thomas Danforth, 1801-17; Jacob Balcom,
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TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT.
1801 ; Enoch Balcom, 1802-7; Sylvanus Braman, 1802; Jonathan Leonard, 1802-3; Daniel Parker, jun., 1804; Ben- jamin King, 1806-7; Benjamin Horton,* 1806-10 ; Sylves- ter Leonard, 1808-10; Simeon Presbury, jun., 1808-10; Wm. Braman,* 1808-10; Asa Arnold, 1809-28; J. L. Munroe, 1809-15; Sally Balcom, 1809-10;, Michael Sweet, jun., 1811-12; Stephen Hodges, 1812; Eleazer Walker, 1815; Andrews Braman, 1816-24; Thompson Tripp,* 1816-22; J. L. Munroe, jun., 1817-37; Daniel Smith, 2d, 1817-21; Preston Hodges, 1817-20; Zebulon White, jun., 1819 ; John G. Wood, 1821-23 ; Eliab F. Tucker, 1821; Francis Sturte- vant, 1822; Leavit Bates,* 1822-25; Laban M. Wheaton, 1822-25; Nathaniel Newcomb, 1823-24; John Hunt,* 1823-25 ; J. F. Alden, 1824 ; John J. Bishop, 1824; James Lincoln,* 1824; Elijah Lincoln,* 1825-37; Leonard Smith,* 1825-26; Benj. Horton, 1826; James L. Derry, 1826-27; Timothy Smith, 1826-32; Benjamin E. Horton, 1827; David C. Bates, 1827-32; Nathaniel Munroe, 1830; Seth Hodges, jun.,* 1831; William Munroe, 1831-34; Josiah Hodges, 1832-33; Hiram Hodges, 1832; Elijah H. King, 1833-35; William H. Shackleford, 1834; Horace B. Weth- erell,* 1835-37; Jesse Blandin, 1835-37; Hiram H. Wetherell,* 1837.
In the course of a few years, it was found that the old pledge against distilled liquors was not sufficient to stay the tide of drunkenness ; for persons could be intoxicated every day on cider, &c., and not break their pledge : so that at length it was deemed impor- tant, and public opinion became prepared, to adopt the total-abstinence pledge. From the records of the Tem- perance Society, it appears that a re-organization took place in May, 1837, on the basis of the following pledge : -
" We whose names are hereunto annexed, believing that the use of intoxicating liquor as a beverage is not only needless, but hurtful to the social, civil, and religious interest of man ; that it tends to form intemperate habits; and that, while it is continued, the evils of intemperance can never be done away, -
" Do therefore agree that we will not use it as a beverage, or traffic in it; that we will not provide it as an article of
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TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT.
entertainment, or for persons in our employment ; and that, in all suitable ways, we will discountenance the use of it throughout the community."
I cannot find any records of the society till the close of the year 1842. From the Secretary's Report, made Dec. 29, 1842, I learn the date of the re-organization : and he says the exact number of members is not known, yet it is supposed there were about one hun- dred ; but, for two or three years, they did not make much progress. About 1840, they received a new impulse, and went to work in earnest. At the close of 1842, there were four hundred and seventy-five names attached to the pledge; one hundred and seventy five of which were added within that year. At the close of 1843, there were five hundred and twelve members; in 1844, there were five hundred and fifty-two members; in 1846, there were five hundred and sixty-one members; in 1847, the society numbered five hundred and eighty-nine. The next year, only two names were added. In February, 1849, the Secretary reported that there were five hundred and seventy-seven members of the society; and, of these, one hundred and seventy had removed from town, thirty-two had died, thirteen had broken their pledge, six were doubtful, and three hundred and fifty-six good members remained in town. Frequent meetings were held, and addresses made, from 1841 to 1845. July 4, 1844, there was a grand/temperance picnic celebration in the grove between the houses of Thomas D. Lane and Joseph D. Sweet. About four hundred were present from Norton and North Taun- ton, including the cold-water army, made up of chil- dren. Aaron Lincoln, jun., was chief-marshal and president of the day. Toasts were given, speeches made, and a vote of thanks presented to Rev. Mr. Tilden for his unwavering efforts in the cause of temperance during his residence in Norton.1.
1 Bristol-County Democrat, July 12, 1844.
44
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MISCELLANEOUS HISTORY.
The following persons have been presidents of the Norton Total-Abstinence Society from 1842 to 1855, elected in the order in which they are named : Rev. W. P. Tilden, Earl Hodges, Aaron Lincoln, jun., Mason Stone, Daniel .S. Cobb, Stillman Smith, Albert Barrows, A. Lincoln, jun., Augustus Lane, Jonathan J. Stanley, Charles H. Briggs, Daniel S. Cobb, Still- man Smith. Since 1853 or 54, but few meetings have been held. In April, 1856, an attempt was made to re-organize the society, and adopt a pledge against the use of tobacco; but no organization was effected. After two or three meetings, all active efforts in behalf of temperance ceased; till, just as we go to press, in the spring of 1859, a new movement has sprung up ; and, April 27, the Winneconnet Division, No. 100, of the Sons of Temperance, was instituted, consisting of fourteen members and eighteen lady- visitors. There has been but little rum sold in town for many years, except among the Irish population.
CHAPTER XLI.
MISCELLANEOUS HISTORY.
" Variety's the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor." COWPER.
STOCKS AND WHIPPING-POST.
IN 1693, the General Court enacted, that " Breakers of the Peace, Prophaners of the Sabbath, unlawful Gamesters, Drunkards, prophane Swearers or Cursers," should be punished "by setting in the Stocks, or putting into the Cage, not exceeding Three Hours, or by whipping not exceeding Ten Stripes." Ac- cordingly, in most towns, the stocks were set up, and
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the whipping-post erected in some conspicuous posi- tion, - generally near the meeting-house, or place of public gatherings. The stocks were made of two pieces of timber, from six to eight feet long, laid one upon the other, the bottom one resting upon the ground, with two grooves cut in them, a foot or two apart, sufficiently large to admit a man's ankle. When wanted for use, the upper timber was removed. The offender was then made to sit down on the ground, and place each ankle in one of these grooves. Then the upper timber was replaced, and the two parts were firmly locked together ; and thus there was no escape till the time of sentence had expired. It is supposed Norton did not have this instrument of the law for some years after her incorporation. The first allusion to the matter on the town-records is under the date of Nov. 1, 1723, when it was "voted to pay Robert Tucker, for setting the Stocks up, 00lb .- 2s .- 0d." These probably did not last more than ten years ; for, Sept. 18, 1733, it was "voted to Samuel Clap, for macking a pare of stocks, 00 .- 15 .- 0." Sept. 11, 1769, " voted to Salvenus Braman, for mending the stocks, 0 .- 2 .- 0 .- 0." These stocks continued to be used in many towns, for the punishment of minor crimes, till the close of the last century. There are per- sons living in town who distinctly recollect seeing the stocks on the Common, near where the old meeting- house stood. We know not whether the whipping- post was ever erected here or not; but we do know that offenders were sometimes sentenced to be whipped, as well as put into the stocks. The cage is not known to have been used here.
EAR-MARKS.
In the early settlement of our country, the lands, and especially the pasturing, were unfenced. The cattle, &c., were turned loose - generally with a bell attached to one of them - into the woods, and roamed about at pleasure ; and hence the herds belonging to
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MISCELLANEOUS HISTORY. .
the different settlers would be very likely to mingle one with another; and thus two men, having cattle that looked very much alike, would find some diffi- culty in determining what was their own, and what their neighbor's. But "necessity," we are told, "is the mother of invention." So, in order to know what was his own, each man put a mark, and the same mark, upon all his creatures.
This was usually made upon one or both ears, by cutting, cropping, slitting, &c .; and, in order that no two persons should adopt the same device, each one had his mark recorded on the town-records by the town-clerk. As these marks were curious in them- selves, and also serve to illustrate the early history of the town, we will copy a few specimens from the town- books, giving also the date of entry. The first one we record is this : - Y
" Sept. 13, 1718. - Thomas Harvey his Eyer-marck for all his Creaturs Is two slits In the Hinder-part of the Right Eyer."
" May 29th, 1719. - Joseph Hodges his Eyer-marck for all his Creaturs is a Holl threw The midel part of Each year, and a hind-gad in the hinder-part of the Right year."
" Dec. 2nd, 1729. - Ephraeim Lane his Eyear-marck for all his Creaturs is a Halpeney, Cut out of the fore-side of the Right Eyer."
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