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قراءة كتاب The Olden Time Series, Vol. 3: New-England Sunday Gleanings Chiefly From Old Newspapers Of Boston And Salem, Massachusetts
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The Olden Time Series, Vol. 3: New-England Sunday Gleanings Chiefly From Old Newspapers Of Boston And Salem, Massachusetts
class="i0">That all our people ſtrict obſerve our will:
Five days and half ſhall men and women too
Attend their buſineſs, and their mirth purſue.
But after that, no man without a fine,
Shall walk the ſtreets, or at a tavern dine.
One day and half 'tis requiſite to reſt,
From toilſome labor, and a tempting feaſt.
Henceforth let none, on peril of their lives,
Attempt a journey, or embrace their wives:
No Barber, foreign or domeſtic bred,
Shall e'er preſume to dreſs a lady's head.
No ſhop ſhall ſpare (half the preceding day),
A yard of Ribband, or an ounce of Tea.
Five days and half th' inhabitants may ride
All round the town, and villages beſide;
But, in their travels, ſhould they miſs the road,
'Tis our command they lodge that night abroad."
From hence 'tis plainly ſeen how chang'd indeed,
That ſacred law which GOD himſelf decreed!
In this one act they think to merit heav'n,
By taking half a day from ſix to add to ſeven.
[A] Boſton—where a ſimilar law was formerly enforced with rigour.
"One Man eſteemeth one day above another; another eſteemeth every day ALIKE. Let every man be fully perſuaded in his own mind."
Romans xiv. 5.
The old cuſtom of opening Barbers' Shops in this Town on Sunday ceaſed yeſterday, in conſequence of the determination of the Grand Jury to make preſentment of all ſuch violations of the Sabbath. Cautions have alſo been given to the Horſe Letters, againſt loaning any Horſes or Carriages on Sunday; and there appears to be a very ſerious and wiſe determination in the "Gentlemen of the Grand Jury" to put a ſtop to thoſe ſhameful practices, which have for twenty years diſgraced the moſt ſober and quiet Town in Maſſachuſetts! Laus Deo! There will be no more horſes killed now of a Sunday in going to Boſton, either by lack of bating, or by hard driving! It is whiſpered, that the public are indebted, for this ſalutary reform, to the covert exertions of a ci-devant Preacher, who lacking the ability to lead his wakeful flock formerly, is now determined to drive all within his Circuit, into the pale of obedience, and thereby make up for former Sins of Omiſſion. The Federaliſts predicted the loſs of Religion, ſhould Jefferſon be Preſident. We certainly have a good Sample (thus early under his adminiſtration) that its ſtate will be improved.
Although doubts have often been expressed as to the authenticity of certain Connecticut "Blue Laws," it is probable that many laws which have sometimes been referred to as such were in the early days of the colony actually in force,—as the following, which we find in an old paper. They are certainly not much stronger than laws of the time in Massachusetts.
No one shall be a freeman, or give a vote, unless he be converted, and a member in full communion, of one of the Churches allowed in this dominion.
No one shall travel, cook victuals, make beds, sweep house, cut hair, or shave, on the Sabbath day.
No woman shall kiss her child on the Sabbath, or fasting-day.
No one shall run on the Sabbath day, or walk in his garden, or elsewhere, except reverently to and from meeting.
No one shall read common prayer books, keep Christmas, or set days, make minced pies, dance, play cards, or play on any instrument of music, except the Drum, Trumpet, or Jewsharp.
No food or lodging shall be offered to a Quaker, Adamite, or other heretic.
If any person turns Quaker, he shall be banished, and not suffered to return but on pain of death.
No Roman Catholic priest shall abide in the dominion; he shall be banished, and suffer death on his return.
Some years ago, a law-book which had belonged to Jonathan Trumbull, containing the early statutes of Connecticut, was in the possession of a Boston gentleman,[1] who informs us that at the end of the volume, in manuscript, were found reports of "Brother Jonathan's" adjudications of small cases which he tried as "justice of the peace." Among them was one where "His Majesty's tythingman" entered a complaint against Jona and Susan Smith for a "profanation of the Sabbath;" namely, "That on the —— day of —— during Divine Service on the Lord's Day they did smile." The culprits were adjudged to be guilty of the offence, and severally fined "five shillings and costs." This book was shown to the late Professor Agassiz, who examined it with great interest and then made the following remark: "I find here evidence of the difference between the Calvinism of Switzerland and the Calvinism of America. I was brought up in that faith. I went to meeting in the morning, I danced with the parson's daughter on the green in the afternoon, and I played whist with the parson in the evening."