Old New England Traits Part 5

"Who was that, uncle?" we all eagerly exclaimed.

"Late one stormy night, when the snow was falling fast," continued my uncle,--"and one would suppose that any reasonable creature of flesh and blood would wish to be safely housed,--an hostler named Dobbin, who had charge of a stable at one end of the street, was trudging home, swinging a lantern in his hand, to the small house in which he lived, at a little distance beyond the now pretty notorious 'Ghost's Walk.' As he approached the spot, there, to be sure, was the object of terror, taking his usual exercise. 'Now,' as Dobbin told the story, 'thinks I to myself, I'll play you a trick, mister, and find out who you are, if I can. So, jest slyly unfastening the door of the lantern, as I met him, I flung the door wide open and held it up to his face, and I says, says I, "A stormy night, friend." I thought I should know him, and guess I should if ever I do see him again, which I don't want to, I tell _you_; and may I hope to die, if ever I saw that face before. He looked pale, and his eyes, as he fixed 'em on me, had what I call a sort of a stony glare. He never opened his mouth, but just looked. It was only a glance, as it were, for I never was so frightened in my life, and jest dropped lantern and scampered away home as fast as my legs could carry me.'"

"Lud-a-ma.s.sy!" screamed Sally Bannocks, on the verge of hysterics,--and some of the rest of us were not far from that condition. We were mostly on our feet, and as my mother insisted upon our bidding "Good-night,"

Uncle Richard proposed, after a further trial of his capital cider, to harness his horse and drive us home in his covered wagon. But it was a fine night and, though getting rather late, we concluded that it would do us more good to take the air, in the mile or two of the walk to town. In the course of our preparations for departure, and in answer to a variety of questions, our uncle informed us, that the mystery was never cleared up, nor the trick, if trick it were, ever discovered. As to the tale of such a person as Dobbin, we might place what reliance upon it we saw fit; and though the motive seemed certainly difficult to see, it might have been, after all, a well-contrived piece of deception, to be sure, a very laborious and unaccountable one, concealed by the collusion of parties in the secret. How long the ghost continued to walk he did not know; but it finally disappeared, and the house had been inhabited by respectable people ever since, who had suffered no disturbance.

We reached home after a brisk walk, crossing rapidly--and with now and then a furtive look--the very premises so haunted in other days, and "Thanks be to Praise!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Sally Bannocks, as we entered and closed the door. The house was cold, after having been shut up all day.

We quickly separated to our several chambers, and as I laid my head upon the pillow and was soon sound asleep, I too, murmured to myself, "Thanks be to Praise!"

----- [11] Jack's composure has a parallel in that of an old-time Scottish clergyman, as the story is told by Dean Ramsay.

On returning home late from a dinner abroad his way led through the churchyard, and some mischievous fellows thought to frighten him. One of them came up to him dressed as a ghost, but the minister coolly inquired, "Weel, maister Ghaist, is this a general rising, or are ye juist taking a daunder frae yer grave by yersel?"

[12] _Inferno_, Canto xxv., Parsons's translation.

APPENDIX.

The following papers, marked I., II., III. are copies of those discovered among family doc.u.ments in the house of Mr. H. W. S. Cleveland, of Salem, Ma.s.sachusetts, several years ago. They were communicated by him to the late Mr. Henry Lunt, formerly a merchant of Boston, father of the late highly distinguished Rev. Dr. William Parsons Lunt, who died, much lamented, while on his travels, at Akaba, in Arabia. How these doc.u.ments came to be deposited in Salem, it is not easy to say. It is probable, however, that copies were brought over by the "Mary and John," or the "Elizabeth and Dorcas," which appear to have wintered in Boston, after their arrival, the pa.s.sengers, or such of them as saw fit and were permitted, proceeding to Ipswich, the following year (1634) and thence to the plantation which they called Newbury. It is likely, therefore, that the papers which concerned the pa.s.sengers of those vessels might be taken to Salem, perhaps during Governor Endicott's administration, and placed in the hands of some official person at that place, so as to be more accessible to the home of the people in question, instead of being retained at Boston, the journey to which from Newbury was in those days a long and tedious one, to be made on foot through the wilderness.

To many persons the abstract of the Charter of Charles I., which is a very liberal one, can hardly fail to be interesting. The Orders in Council, referred to in the text, are still more so; while the list of pa.s.sengers by the "Mary and John" comprises many names still to be found in Newbury. Many more familiar names will be found among those of the company which came by the "Elizabeth and Dorcas." It will be seen that in the list given are the names of Thomas Parker, an eminent divine, and of James Noyes, his nephew; the first the long respected pastor of the church and the other the "teacher" at Newbury.

I.

An Abstract of His Ma^{ty's} Charter for incorporating the Company of the Mattachusetts Bay in New England in America, Granted in the 4th yeare of His Highness' Reign of England, Scotland France & Ireland, Anno. Domini 1628--

And we do further of our especial Grace, certain Knowledge & mere mocion for us our Heirs & Successors--Give and Grant to the said Governour & Company & their Sucessors for ever by these presents, That it shall be lawfull & free for them & their a.s.signs at all & every Time & Times hereafter out of any of our Realms or Dominions whatsoev^{r}, to take lade carry & transport for in & into their voyages, & for & towards the said Plantation in New England all such & so many of our Loving Subjects or any other Strangers that will become our Loving Subjects & live under our Alleigeance as shall willingly accompany them in the said Voyages & Plantations, And also s.h.i.+pping, Armour, Weapons, Ordnance, Munition, Powder, Shott, Corn victuals & all manner of Cloathing, Implements, Furniture, Beasts, Cattle, Horses, Mares, Merchandizes & all other things necessary for the said Plantation and for their use & Defence & for Trade with the People there & in pa.s.sing & returning to & fro, any Law or statute to the Contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding--And without paying or yielding any custom or Subsidy either Inwards or Outwards, to us our Heirs or Successors for the same, by the s.p.a.ce of seaven years from the Day of the Date of these Presents--Provided that none of the said Persons be such as shall hereafter by Especial name be restrained by us, our Heirs or Successors----

And for their further Incouragem^{t} of our Especial Grace & favor--we Do by these presents for us, our Heirs & successors yield & grant to the said Governour & Company & their successors & every of them their Factors & a.s.signs that they & every of them shall be free & quit from all Taxes Subsidys & Customs in New England for the s.p.a.ce of seaven years, and from all Taxes & Impositions for the s.p.a.ce of Twenty one years upon all Goods & merchandizes at any time or times hereafter Either upon Importation there, or Exportation thence, into our Realm of England or into any of our Dominions, by the said Governour or Company & their successors, their Deputys, Factors & a.s.signs or any of them except only the Five Pounds p^{r} Centum due for Custom upon all such Goods & Merchandizes as, after the said seaven years shall be expired, shall be brought or imported into our Realm of England or any other of our Dominions according to the Ancient Trade of Merchants, which Five Pounds p^{r} centum only being paid it shall be thenceforth lawfull & free for the s^{d} Adventurers the same Goods & Merchandizes to export & carry out of our Dominions into Foreign Parts without any Custom, Tax or other Duty to be paid to us our Heirs or Successors or to any other officer or officers or ministers of us our Heirs or Successors,--

Provided that the said Goods & merchandize be s.h.i.+pp'd out within thirteen months after their first Landing within any part of the said Dominions--

This is a true Copy of His Ma^{ties} Letters Patent aforesaid--Custom House London 30th January 1633 Anno. R. Caroli Nono--

JOHN WOLSTENHOLME, _Collector_.

II.

ORDERS IN COUNCIL.

_New England,--At Whitehall the last of February, 1633._

Present:

Lo. Arch. Bp. of Cant.

Earle of Kelley.

Lo. Keep^{r}.

Lo. Cottington.

Lo. Privie Seal M^{r}. V. Chamb^{r}line.

Lo. High Chamb^{r}line.

M^{r}. Compt^{r}.

M^{r}. Secretary Wyndibank.

Whereas by a Warr^{t}. bearing date 22nd of this Present, the sev'all s.h.i.+ps following bound for New England, and now lying in the River of Thames were made staye of untill further order from their Lo'pps. viz., The Clement & Job, The Reformation, The True Love, The Elizabeth Bonadventure, The Sea Flower, The Mary & John, The Planter, The Elizabeth & Dorcas, The Hercules & The Neptune.

Forasmuch as the masters of the said s.h.i.+ps were this day called before the Board & several Particulars given them in charge to be performed in their said voyage, amongst which the said masters were to enter into several Bonds of One Hundred Pounds a piece to His Maj^{s}tys use before the Clarke of the Councell attendant to observe & cause to be observed and putt in Execucion these Articles following viz:

1. That all and every Person aboard their s.h.i.+ps now bound for New England as aforesaid, that shall blaspheme or profane the Holy name of G.o.d be severely punis'h't.

2. That they cause the Prayers contained in the Book of Common Prayers establisht in the Church of England, to be said daily at the usual hours for Morning & Evening Prayers & that they cause all Persons aboard their said s.h.i.+ps to be present at the same.

3. That they do not receive aboard or transport any Person that hath not Certificate from the Officers of the Port where he is to imbarke that he hath taken both the Oathes of Alleigeance & Supremacy.

4. That upon their return into this Kingdom they Certify to the Board the names of all such Persons as they shall transport together with their Proceedings in the Execu'ion of the aforesaid Articles--Whereunto the said M^{rs}. have conformed themselves--It was therefore & for diverse other Reasons best known to their Lo^{pps}. thought fitt that for this time they should be permitted to proceed on their Voyage, and it was thereupon ordered that Gabriel Marsh Esq^{r}. Marshalle of the Admiralty, & all other His Maj'ty's Officers to whom their said Warr^{t}. was directed should be required upon sight hereof to discharge all & every the said s.h.i.+ps, & suffer them to depart on their intended Voyage to New England--EX. JON. MEANTYS.

III.

_The names of such Pa.s.sengers as took the Oathes of Supremacy, and Alleigeance to pa.s.s for New England in the Mary & John of London Robert Sayres Master,_

24th Mar. 1633.

William Trace (Tracy) John Marshe John Luff Henry Traske William Moudey Robert Sever Thomas Avery Henry Travers Thomas Sweete John Woodbridge Thomas West Thomas Savery Christopher Osgood Phillip Fowler Richard Jacob Daniel Ladd Robert Kingsman John Bartlett Robert c.o.ker William Savery John Anthoney (left behind) Stephen Jurden John G.o.dfrey George Browne Nicholas Noyce Richard Browne Richard Reynolds Richard Littlehall William White Matthew Hewlett (Hercules) John Whelyer William Clarke Robert Newman Adrian Vincent.

The 26th day of March.

Nicholas Easton Richard Kent Abraham Mussey William Spencer Henry Shorte William Hibbens William Ballard Matthew Gillett William Franklin John Mussey Thomas Cole Thomas Parker James Noyce John Spencer Richard Kent Joseph Myles John Newman William Newbey Henry Lunt Joseph Pope Thomas Newman John Newman.

For which we gave certificate, together with five others, which are said to be left behind to oversee the Chattle to pa.s.s in the Hercules viz.

The names of the Pa.s.sengers in the Hercules of London, John Kiddey Ma^{r}. for New England.

These six Pa.s.sengers took their Oathes of Supremacy & Alleigeance the 24th March and were left behind the Mary & John, as intended to pa.s.s in y^{e} Hercules--viz: